Set off at the crack of dawn (well, 7 am) with my intrepid copilots Nicoletta Keeping and Carlotta (“Lottie”) Haydock.
Despite dire warnings of the end of humanity as we knew it, we made it to Folkestone in record time and checked Lottie in through the doggie customs.
Then followed an unprecedented (for me) delay of two hours before we were finally, gratefully allowed onto a train.
It was pretty hot, but we got out of the car and sat on the ventilation grilles during the 25 minute crossing. Before we knew it, we were in France and speeding south again.
After nearly three more hours of straightforward driving, we were at our destination: Épernay, aka home of champagne.
It was far too hot to do anything except stagger to the nearest brasserie. We did rally enough from the heat to manage a couple of dodgy liquers though.
The outlook for tomorrow is more driving, more heat and more hyperbole.
2022 and all that 