Luxembourg to Wembley - Day 14

31 August 2008
Back to Blighty
Breakfast at the Simmer Hotel, Ehnen was accompanied by waltzes on their CD player. The room looked like a converted basement with walls of coarse rugged natural stone. There were domed skylights instead of windows. Smart waiters delivered us our coffee. For some curious reason the only spread available to put on the bread was Nutella.
We packed up our bags and loaded them into the car and we went on a short walking tour. Sunday cyclists were zooming along the road in matching lycra packs.

From holiday blog

More gentle cycle tourists were pottering along the track on the German side of the river. We went through the village noting the many old wine presses and bottling equipment turned into flower planters and garden furniture. Of course, many places sported their own decorative vines.

From holiday blog

There was also a big wine museum with a couple of massive oak presses in the grounds.

From holiday blog

A walled garden, sadly neglected, used to supply the Simmer with fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. Venturing inland a little we got to a trail along a brook that tumbled down to the Mosel.

From holiday blog

This led us around the backs of houses and allotments.
Soon it was time to depart and we followed the river for a while. It was too early for the pleasure boats and water skiers. Then we turned away and climbed steeply out of the valley and made our way back to the centre of Luxembourg. We filled up at a petrol station that curiously also advertises wine at the pumps. Finally we got back onto the autobahn and we made steady progress and we stopped in Namur and we stopped in a likely looking street the followed alongside the big river. It was a baking hot midday. The Bambou Chinese restaurant looked a bit gloomy but the Champs Elysee café with outdoor seating looked popular. http://www.champselysees.be/index.cfm?langue=FR It was also popular with the Harley riders judging by the number of hogs out there. There were empty tables outside but apparently the only ones with shading from the merciless sun were reserved. Inside it was a pleasant enough air-conditioned café bar.
Again the portions were enormous and we left well fortified for the last part of the trip. Maybe time for a hypermarket or an evening meal when we hit the coast?

But unfortunately made a wrong turn near Dunkirk. While turning around there was a big crunch as the engine got embedded on a big rock in the car park. Oops! More alarmingly the engine was dripping when I looked under it. Dad soon established that this was water and we hurried on to the terminal as the car still ran OK. We waited in an attempt to get on an early sailing and soon Tammy realised that it was probably just condensation from the air conditioning. Fortunately we did get onto the ferry and this saved us many hours, but scuppered any hypermarket ambitions.
The ship sailed away in fine conditions but half way across the rain started to pour.

From holiday blog

Welcome back to England was the general murmer on the boat. We grabbed a corner of the cafe and had some snacks. Because of the location of the car we were pretty much the last vehicle off. A long train of trucks headed off to London. All the available laybys had trucks in them. The luckier drivers had already grabbed a slot. The others had to continue in their quest for a resting place for the night.
I thought that Sunday night would be a quiet time on the roads. In fact London seems to get crazier and it was a bit manic especially around Earl's Court but before long we parked up the Mondeo for the last time back in Wembley.