Friends, I have not written recently as really there was not a lot to write about, just the hanging about waiting to leave for Spain – as said previously the phony move, didn’t feel like moving at all.
There is now however, so much I’ll probably take two or three sessions to tell it all.
I will not go over what I have written, but everything is nearly dealt with in England & all the tickets bought for the ferry & hotel in Toulouse France to conform with the schengen visa restrictions.
Just a little worried about the visa however. We applied on 1st February but they gave us an appointment for Monday 25th. Not much time their then as the ferry is 7 only days later, but they are usually OK & we have to abide by their rules. Famous last words you might say but it will be Ok, I know!
Comes Friday no passport, no visa I am now panicking so a after a worrying call on Friday to the answer phone states that embassy that have closed until Monday It’s beyond panic, I feel devastated but trying to keep it from Phet. I’ll let her know slowly over the weekend – if that’s possible.
Phet now knows, doesn’t like it, but at least she understands & is very optimistic about Monday’s post & telephone conversation. I have to confess, me the opposite.
So it’s now 8.30am on Monday & my telephone call proves what ******* the French are. There is an error and they have done nothing about it. The paperwork has not even been sent to the endorsing department. To make matters even worse the “mistake” is wrong as I had sent the explaining paperwork (why we were leaving & then returning to France – to visit a “friend”) but they overlooked the additional paperwork that I had placed in the file. It will take two weeks to re-apply. They say that they called Phet & told her, she swears they did not, I believe Phet, she tells me everything. Simply Phet cannot come to Spain on this trip, we are both dumbfounded. Phet is in floods of tears, but as I have steeled myself so am expecting a problem.
After looking for the all angles, cancelling the Ferry, Phet catching a later flight, me waiting for her in France, we considered the lot. But finally the decision is that I will drive to Spain from Le Havre. No mean feat I suppose as including the drive from Staffordshire its 1600 miles (2600 kilometres). But I then made a further decision & cancelled the hotel room as it was only booked to conform with Phet’s visa conditions. I thought I would drive directly; if I could if not? Well I’d play it by ear.
So over the weekend while Phet worked & was continually in tears & in pieces, I packed the car, sadly I also packed the front passenger seat where Phet should be sitting and on Monday afternoon we bade our very tearful farewell. Phet even more, as she was very worried about trying to complete the journey in one. But I like driving I’ll be OK. My journey to Portsmouth had begun with the car packed to the gunnels. I felt as if my luck should change, did it? The customs wanted to search my car but thankfully the xrays & guns were positive (or it in negative?) so at least I didn’t have to unpack it.
The Ferry crossing proved uneventful even though the French ferry as an hour late leaving Port but arrived on time, but then we spent over an hour disembarking. The journey through France had begun.