Day Thirteen -Poitiers to Ashford

A very solid sleep!  yay!! Our room number 11 BIS !  There is an 11  and an11 BIS, apparently no one wants to sleep in room 13 thus two elevens!!!  Lol. 

We'd decided not to pay the nine euros each for the breakfast available at the hotel, but to buy some food at the supermarket opposite and some fresh bread at the patisserie next door!  So this was our first port of call!  We were very surprised to find it was pouring with rain!!  So we donned our macs for the first time this holiday and braved the rain and puddles!

Our purchase made, we packed the car but decided we would park in Poitiers and have a coffee and take a look at the 4th century Baptistry and cathedral.  There are actually two large cathedrals in Poitiers, the one near to the Baptistry, St. Jean, and the one considered to be the biggest one in the centre of the town, Notre Dame.  We found a parking place and went to see the Baptistry which unfortunately didn't open until 10!  Next door was a gallery with an intriguing exhibition, and outside the Baptistry was a modern sculpture that seemed to link the Baptistry with the Gallery.

We found a little cafe open, and we enjoyed coffee on the kerbside with the rear of the Romanesque Notre Dame in front if us!  The temptation to view the front was too much, and besides my coffee was far to hot to drink, so I wandered round the church to see the front!  It was extraordinary !!  A great example of 13/14th century stonework and sculptures.   Unfortunately once again we were too early to go inside as it was too early! But we could see that Poitiers was a pretty place with its wide river running through it, cobbled streets and interesting buildings.

Image from internet! (romanesque notre dame poitiers image)

Time to get on our journey to catch the Euro tunnel!   Along the route we stopped at several services, eating the goodies we had purchased at the supermarket at Poitiers.

We had a lovely ride through Rouen! What a great city!! 

Photo of Rouen Cathedral from the car window as we drove by!

 The sat nav then seemed to take us off track into woods and countryside!!!  We seemed to be going round in circles!!  LOL.  Eventually we found the main road, and we arrived in good time for our crossing, even managing one earlier than booked!

It had been a long day, exacerbated by detours!!  We were glad to get to our friends, we enjoyed our beans on toast, and soon we were in bed out for the count!!!   Lovely!! ;)