Day 131: Homecoming

Up before dawn to do the final tidy and pack, and wolf down a pain au chocolat, and we were on the road by 6.15am, driving to Caen/Ouistreham in a light rain. We were at the ferry terminal less than an hour later and aboard the ferry not too long after that. We had stumped up for a cabin, and once we were inside, Kate and I stretched out on our bunks for a quick snooze – well, somewhat longer in Kate’s case. The sea wasn’t exactly smooth, but the crossing was fine and we arrived in Portsmouth a bit after 1pm.

It was a real treat to only have a 45-odd-minute drive from the ferry terminal to home, but Kate and I spent that time nursing feelings of real trepidation. We had been informed a few days ago by the agent who has been looking after our place that when he went in to check the house after the tenants had moved out, he discovered that the tap in the first floor en suite had failed and leaked water all the way down to the cellar.

Opening the front door, we were greeted by a wave of damp mustiness. The floor in the front room was still very wet and the old, old wallpaper had come away in places. It looked pretty shocking, but as we explored further it was clear that we had got off relatively lightly. The damage appears to be relatively superficial, but it’s still going to take some time to get it all repaired. And despite the downer of coming back to the mess, it’s nice to be home again.