Day 26: Travel day
Welcome
Yesterday we travelled the 720 kilometres from the Green Heart of Europe to the bustling town we call middle England.
Our day started with a leisurely breakfast served in the restaurant of the hotel. I put together a ham and cheese sandwich on a piece of buttered baguette. To accompany this, I sliced a not quite ripe pear which I ate dipped in yoghurt. Watching over us as we dined were the men of Lëtzebuerger Kéisgilde crowded around their heavily laden table, forks at the ready.
I took a quick final peek at our inspirational bathroom lightshades and then we hopped in the van and lifted off heading for Belgium and the lush landscapes of European route 25. Jonathan drove us northwest back through the thick forest of the Ardennes and then when we were almost in the centre of Belgium we started west skirting around the city of Mons and then crossing the border into northern France for the final stretch to Calais.
Crossing back into Britain is rather a nightmare at the moment and it took us five hours from reaching Calais to when we had all our paperwork signed off by the UK customs officials at the Sevington Inland Border Facility.
The final moments before entering the tunnel.
By this point we felt we were rather deserving of a pint so we made our way to the nearby town of Ashford and found a lovely establishment serving cask ales and pub fare.
London’s orbital motorway the M25 was a welcome sight as we began our final leg of the drive, heading west and tickling the soft underbelly of greater London before boarding the M4 for the last 70 kilometres. Keeping us company on this last part of the journey was the new album from Los Angeles band Red Hot Chili Peppers, coming in at 73 minutes 4 seconds with its seventeen tracks.
Finally we arrived at the town that is the functional centre of England. A nexus that lies on the route to any major city or town the length of the country. A crossroads that is home to the greatest crossroads ever constructed, the Magic Roundabout. We sailed through Swindon’s great roundabout and proceeded to the towering structure that dominates the thoroughfare of Fleming Way. As we walked in the front door we were hit with the overpowering sensory experience that is conjured up by the Jury’s Inn signature scent, apparently flavoured with hints of apple, lemon, and bergamot. Happy to be finished with our gruelling drive we retired to enjoy the comforts of our home away from home, the Jury’s Inn.