We’ve just got back from a few days away without the kids – wonderful!

The oldest left home last month and moved to Canterbury to attend the University of Kent, the other two wanted to see her again and were invited to visit during half-term so Essy and I hatched up a plan. Since Canterbury is only 30 minutes or so from Dover we could deliver the kids to their older sister and then take a short trip on our own before returning to collect them. So Sunday lunchtime we took a Norfolkline line ferry to Dunkirk and then drove the 50 minutes or so up the coast to Jabekke in Belgium. We took the caravan and stayed here. The site was excellent and one we shall use again.

On Monday we drove to Sluis, a town I’d not visited before, which is just over the border in Holland. Here are a couple of pictures from there. The first was a typical Dutch lunch snack of chips with fritesaus, a sort of mayonaisse with a little more vinegar in it, and a frikandel speciaal. Frikandel is type of Dutch sausage unlike anything you can get in the UK, it is split down the middle and served with mayonaise and curry ketchup sprinkled with chopped raw onion. The second picture is of Essy outside a rather attractive shop front.

The next day went to Knokke which was a bit out of our league. As you pass through the outskirts of the town it becomes apparent that this is a town for the seriously wealthy – immediately after the Bentley dealership is the Mercedes Maybach dealership, then the Porsche dealership. The motor dealerships are then followed by the very upmarket kitchen design shops, bathroom showrooms etc. In town nothing became any more affordable for us as the designer shops lined the main street. An interesting place but not one I’ll venture into again for some time.