A1 Truck Stop to Esquelbecq, France

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Motorhome Journey from Truck Stop on the A1 to Esquelbecq, France

I wake early at 5.30 am here on a truck stop just off the A1, my feet are very, very cold! As I come to consciousness I also realise they are wet…! Oh no, the hot water bottle which was such a comfort last night has leaked.

I get up (too quickly) pulling back the bedding and removing the offending bottle I find the leak is minimal and has been a steady seep through a crack of the perished rubber. The mattress fortunately is dry, the electric blanket (not on – no hook-up) having prevented the spread of water to lower layers. Also the duvet (above) is dry, fortunately only the upper and lower sheets are wet across their corners. These are spread: one over the hanging rail of the bed, the other draped over the hot air blowing from the engine heater.

Bedding sorted and sheets spread out to dry, breakfast eaten we are on our way by 7.30am, at least it has prompted an early start! Back on A14 south, into Cambridgeshire, passing Cambridge we join M11 en route to M25. The traffic is busy but moving at a good speed. Stopping at the services at Bishop Stortford we have coffee and a short rest. Back on M11 to Epping, a short distance and then M25 clockwise (south), over the Dartford (toll) bridge and the Thames where we notice heavy traffic anticlockwise, queuing for the Dartford tunnel. A short distance further and we take M20 southeast towards Maidstone and Folkestone. Over the Medway river and past Leeds castle, around 12.00 we stop at Folkestone service on M20 where we stop and have our lunch. On the M20 again about 1.00 ish to Eurotunnel and check in for our 2.16pm crossing.

It is busy and we have to queue, a lot of cars but not too many motorhomes or camper vans. For the first time we have cars in the tall carriages with motorhomes, they are a pain as they push and jostle for spaces…why? We will all get on and in the order Eurotunnel staff dictate! And we do, as they stop cars and let motorhomes go and vice versa. We arrive at Calais at 4.35 pm (Calais-time) and head for Dunkirk on A16.

Here we do a large shop at Auchan, spending €208 and filling with diesel at €117 (€2.23/litre). Ready now for the road at 7.00 pm we take A16 towards Brussels, turn south on N225 towards Wormhout. Branching right on Rue de Bergues we arrive at Esquelbecq about 7.30 pm There are two other campers here at the Aire de camping cars (7 places, so we park up by the hedge overlooking the pole archery field and stop! Phew, what a day! I cook pork mince patties with new potatoes and fresh runner beans for tea and we fall into a (dry) bed about 9.30 pm.

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