Booked to fly to London for Christmas with British Airways a few months ago. When we discovered that there would be a strike we decided to drive. Soon after we had changed our bookings the strike was settled.
So on Sunday before Christmas at 5.00 am we set out for England. Leaving the icy streets of San Giorgio we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the motorways were clear. We made good progress through Italy and Switzerland and arrived in France about 1.00p.m. The snow also arrived and the motorway, although being kept clear by snow ploughs, became very slow going particularly as our windscreen wash nozzles became frozen and seeing the road was a mattar of peering through the smeers. By 6.00p.m. we had had enough and found a hotel in Verdun. The hotel had a restaurant but the food looked very tired and so we went out to eat. The only thing opened near the hotel was a Pizza and Pasta Bar or “Buffalo Bills” a burger bar. We opted for burger and chips – whatever happened to French cuisine.
Next morning we left at 7.30. Our train on Eurotunnel was at 4.00. We arrived at 11.30 and were offered the next train at 12.20. Our lucky day. We drove to the loading area and waited, in our cars, for over three hours before the next train left. No information given about why we were waiting. But we believe we were on the last train to leave for the day. A drive through rain and snow at rush hour meant we finally reached our destination at 6.30 p.m. Phil, our host, made us sausage and mash as a homecoming meal.
