Days 94 - 96

Day 94 09/20/23

Today was our last day of pedalling. It was just a short ride to the ferry in Calais, France, and then a short ride off the ferry to our Airbnb in Dover, England. We left our hotel and rode through downtown Calais.

As we were riding on the sidewalk we passed by a homeless guy. I noticed that I had run over something with the bike but I wasn't sure what it was. The guy sitting there was saying something to me but it was in French. It was then that I realized I had run over his paper cup that he was using to collect money from passersby. Sarah broke out in

an apology as did I when he reached for his cup to set it back upright. We were both so surprised and dumbfounded by what had just happened that we kept on rolling. It was definitely a first for the both of us.

We stopped into a cafe to get one last cup of coffee and spent some time talking to a slow traveller who was from France. The ferry was a fairly simple check-in but some police activity was going on in the area so we were not allowed to board for an hour. The day was beautiful and the crossing was calm which makes it nice for those who struggle with seasickness.

Reaching the port in Dover we had another short ride to put in our last couple of miles. As we neared the Airbnb we found ourselves pushing the bike up a steep hill. At that moment, our hosts, Dave, Laura and Issy came driving by in their car and welcomed us back. Seeing some familiar faces was a good way to finish our trip. I cooked our last dinner, penne with chicken, pesto and asparagus. After that we watched a TV show, in our own language, and called it a night.

Day 95          08/21/23

Today was all about packing. We took our bike apart piece by piece and put her into two suitcases. With mixed emotions, we can finally say we are done riding. As with all journeys they do come to an end, bittersweet.

Walking to the car rental place we stopped into a cell phone shop to say hi to the man who had helped us purchase a converter three months earlier. When we walked into the shop he remembered us right away and we chatted for a few minutes. After picking up the rental car Dave and Laura took us over to their work in progress, a thrift shop/coffee shop to help meet the needs of the homeless in Dover. They hope to have it open soon after much renovation work.

They invited us over for a home cooked meal and Brittish dessert. It was a wonderful time with their family. We loved listening to the dreams and future plans of their kids. Late in the evening, it was time to say our goodbye to this family who had made us feel apart of theirs.

Keep on rolling

Scott and Sarah

Day 96 08/22/23

We packed up our rental car with all our gear and headed off to the airport for the final leg of our journey.

We allowed ourselves a lot of extra time as there is always the possibility of last minute glitches. Of course who would have thought you could miss the car return entrance more than once and end up in a short term parking lot. For $16 we were able to exit the parking lot after a 5 minute stay and find the right road leading us to where we needed to return the car.

After three months of being on the road we are finally at the gate looking forward to being home and enjoying some of the things we take for granted in our daily lives. Ice, toilet paper, a long shower, clean clothes, a real bath towel, a chair to relax in, a shelter from the rain, a refrigerator, a big stove, and our bed make up the list but our family and friends are at the top of the chart. By the time you read this we will be home. Thanks for coming on the journey with us.

Keep on rolling

Scott and Sarah