DAY 7: Calais to Canterbury (Hampton by Hilton Canterbury)

I forgot to say that we went out for dinner last night to a posh French restaurant around the corner from the B&B. We weren't greeted particularly warmly and when the waiter realised we weren't going to order aperitifs, I think he gave up on us completely. 

At least, the food was pretty good, although we didn't quite get what we meant to order. Jim started with a fish soup and an enormous empty bowl was plonked down in front of him. It was the size of a dinner plate. The waiter soon returned with a steaming tureen of soup clutched under one arm and proceeded to ladle out six big scoopfuls of soup. They just kept coming! Fortunately, Jim said it was quite tasty - and they gave him lots of things to put on it and dip in it - grated cheese, different types of bread, salt (but no pepper). Then the waiter came out again with a literally four foot high pepper grinder that he proceeded to sprinkle the soup with. We could hardly keep a straight face.

I thought I ordered risotto with chorizo and iberico ham, but I got a cut of pork (pluma iberico) on a small bed of risotto. It was nice and tender though, so that was fine. Jim thought he was getting duck ravioli - but ended up with a leg of duck confit and thinly sliced potatoes with foie gras in the middle (that may have been the 'ravioles' part.) Still nice though. I had a glass of wine in an attempt to get back in the good graces of the waiter, but I don't think it worked.

We slept reasonably well in our strange little room and had a lovely breakfast prepared by the owners - a continental breakfast, so croissant, baguette, jam, cheese, ham etc. We also had a lovely chat with the woman, Nathalie, who turns out to be Dutch but has lived in France for the last 30 years. There are also three cats in the house, a rabbit, a gecko and a hamster. We only saw two of the cats - Moustache and Lizzy. Nathalie was at pains to assure us the cats didn't go up to the rooms, but I'm not sure how she stops them! And I wouldn't have minded - although I don't know what Jim would have thought.

After that, we collected the car, loaded it up and headed off to the Ferry Terminal. It was like an airport! Enormous and rather confusing. We ended up working out where to go and being loaded onto the ferry, with everything working like clockwork. (Very unlike the ferry experience I was used to in Greece.) There were only a dozen or so trucks on board and maybe twenty or thirty cars. Not many at all. When we went up into the ferry, the place seemed almost empty. We had booked seats in the Premium Lounge - very nice, with free food and drink - and we were the only people there!

The ferry crossing was smooth and easy and an hour and a half later, we were being unloaded in Dover. (The cliffs don't seem so white close up! Mostly greyish - a bit disappointing!)

We drove the half hour into Canterbury and checked into the hotel. The weather in the UK is gloomy and overcast but the streets were absolutely full to bursting with people. Apparently the Christmas markets opened today and everyone anywhere near Canterbury seemed to have come into check them out and do their Christmas shopping.

Our hotel is a disappointment. We were hoping for something good after the 'interesting' room in Calais but this is almost like a university dorm room - soulless and functional. And, surprisingly, the bathroom is fitted out with a shower chair, rails and lots of other disability-friendly accessories. Is this a new requirement in the UK? 

The room comes with breakfast in the buffet downstairs - which looks like a University cafeteria. I don't have high hopes.