With the clocks forward it doesn't get light until gone 08:00 and there's no point getting up in the dark so we enjoy a long lie in. Despite charging 8€ for the night, the service point wants 2€ for water which we don't bother with. We drive out along the spit to the headland fort, part of which is still a military establishment. The rain eases as we drive south on the Manche peninsula, with not much traffic. At Vire we come across a 'Gilet Jeaune' protes...

When we set the alarms last night we knew the van clocks were on French time but hadn't realised it was French summertime. Also didn't realise Nick's Nokia alarm phone was stll on BST. Nokia rings at 06:00, van clock says 07:00, time to get up. Washed, dressed, thought it was going to be a quiet sailing as no-one around then got into cab to check in. Cab clock says 06:00. And is right. We've got up a whole hour too early! At check in we go through the 3m h...

At 12:40 we set off on our winter trip, bound for Poole. Unlike our last start towards Poole last year there are no problems and we make good progress to Sourton where we stop for a burger. The weather turns dull and dark towards Honiton then brightens before dusk sets in near Charmouth. As we travel along the Dorset coast there is a fantastic red-orange full moon ahead. From Bridport it is an endless stream of oncoming headlights. We reach Poole harbour ...

The wind eased to a moderate hooley around 04:00 and neither of us slept soundly. We're up at 06:30 and ready to leave at 07:15 Ali stands by with the mallet while Nick prepares to try and start the engine. The battery has dropped a little, to 11.8, in the cold. Should be enough, and if we're nervous how on earth (moon) did Armstrong and Aldrin feel when they pressed the start button on the lunar module? Thankfully there's no drama, she starts normally and t...

This morning dawns as forecast; grey and showery. Before our breakdown we had plans to visit Annick and family in Brest but with driving straight to Roscoff we had to cancel them. Annick has said she will drive up here so we can see each other for a few hours. By lunchtime the weather has deteriorated with torrential rain and very strong north easterly wind. We phone Annick and dissuade her from making an unnecessary journey. If yesterday, Roscoff was as inv...