Brussels to Dover

Woke up seedy and tired somewhere between Hamburg and Brussels. It was 5am and we were meant to connect at 6am, well I guess we might be stopping in Brussels! People on the bus are getting a a bit antzy, we haven't stopped since the ferry, I guess the drivers are trying to make up lost time.

We roll in to Brussels at 9am and they fix us up with a bus at 10am great service. Nice to recognise the language and be able to speak again! Great coffee, the type that puts hairs on your chest or wakes you from a 20 hrs bus ride, Pete was happy that all the hype about Belgian and French coffee was true, it was fantastic! Phone mum and dad and they are prepared to wait for us and then drive to the Yorkshire dales, this is going to be along day! Off to Calais from Brussels and on to the ferry. No queue here, straight on. Have to leave a few Russians in France due to them not having visas for the UK, which I imagine would also means that they are in France illegally too.

We ask the east European drivers if we can get off in Dover but they don't speak English or French. And we are met with the answer, 'no exit Dover'. No exit my foot, I was too tired to negotiate, so we walk off through customs as foot passengers. Meet mum and dad, only to exit along side our bus, obviously they weren't too perturbed by our absence.

We decided to stay Bridgette's aunts in Canterbury a few miles from Dover. yah! We crash land her little flat and send her life to chaos. That evening we are invited to the neighbour hood BBQ so with match sticks under the eyes we head off. Quiet night in the backyard of an abbey (what do you expect in Canterbury!) We met many of Pam's lovely friends. Great food including a bean salad to die for.