This time last year...Encore post.

This time last year, in the morning DH and I left London and travelled to France...that afternoon we explored Calais. Here's what I wrote about that day...

Calais...

DH and I caught the Eurostar train from London to Calais. We were able to wheel our suitcases the short distance from our Kings Cross Hotel to St Pancras International Station.

The journey took a mere 1 hour and 1 minute to reach Calais in France. The train uses the English Channel Tunnel...I knitted while the train sped along much faster than any Australian train I've been on.

We were staying overnight in Calais as our connecting train to Amiens wouldn't be until the next morning. A taxi took us to our hotel...

This is the hallway from reception to our room.

Part of our lovely room...

After settling in,we went exploring the town... I noticed these cute little local buses that came along at regular intervals..

As we neared the waterfront we saw this large square...the town had erected a large sculpture in honour of Charles de Gaulle and his wife we presumed. (DH's schoolboy French wasn't able to completely decipher the inscription) 

This square was big!

We moved on towards the waterfront...

A zoom in on that big ferry...

A busy dock area...

We then turned around and walked the other way...

The large canal...

 We turned to our left and noticed some sort of tower in the distance...

We walked towards it...a bit closer now...

Then we were finally able to see the building...it was the Town Hall...

It was surrounded by beautiful gardens...they were magnificent!

There was also this rather imposing sculpture which we thought at first was the Burghers of Calais but the inscription didn't say that...we couldn't read it! Lol

Some more lovely buildings on the way back to the hotel...

Calais was delightful and 'getting into the spirit' DH and I sat at a cafe table on the pavement with a drink and a bowl of French Fries (pomme Frites) and watched the world go by! We went back to the same cafe later in the evening for dinner as well. 

Now a little extra on this post about Calais...

 Here's a closer look at the very swish orange juicer!

Our Calendar for 2015...

For a number of years, DH and I have had a calendar printed as a Christmas gift for family members. DH and I usually collaborate about which photos from our 'collection' to use, but at the end of last year, DH gave up on waiting for my input and went ahead with the photos that he had selected. I always say not to use any photos with me in them, but for 2015, a few 'got through'. :-)
The front cover...

The entrance to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool

January...

The HMS Victory, the Duke of Wellington's ship at Portsmouth

February...

The Blackpool Tower...

March...

The lovely gardens in front of the Calais Town Hall...

April...

The beautiful Sacre Couer in Paris...

May...

Doc Martin's cottage (the smaller one on the left) in Port Isaac...

June....

A narrow boat negotiating a lock on the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire...

July...

Photo time in the press interview room during our tour of Wimbledon...

August...not a photo I would have chosen...with the props (hat and glass of beer) in one of the staff messes on board the former royal yacht, Britannia in Leith.

September...
another photo taken in Scotland. The Forth Road Bridge taken from Queensferry...

October....

One of the prototype Concorde aircraft at Duxford War Museum

November...

The incredible Falkirk Wheel in Scotland...

December...

The famous Liver Building in Liverpool; photo taken from the Ferry on the Mersey...

The Back Cover...

Some of the Casinos in Macau.

So that is our calendar for 2015.

Calais...

DH and I caught the Eurostar train from London to Calais. We were able to wheel our suitcases the short distance from our Kings Cross Hotel to St Pancras International Station. 

The journey took a mere 1 hour and 1 minute to reach Calais in France. The train uses the English Channel Tunnel...I knitted while the train sped along much faster than any Australian train I've been on. 

We were staying overnight in Calais as our connecting train to Amiens wouldn't be until the next morning. A taxi took us to our hotel...

This is the hallway from reception to our room.

Part of our lovely room...

After settling in,we went exploring the town... I noticed these cute little local buses that came along at regular intervals..

As we neared the waterfront we saw this large square...the town had erected a large sculpture in honour of Charles de Gaulle and his wife we presumed. (DH's schoolboy French wasn't able to completely decipher the inscription) 

This square was big!

We moved on towards the waterfront...

A zoom in on that big ferry...

A busy dock area...

We then turned around and walked the other way...

The large canal...

 We turned to our left and noticed some sort of tower in the distance...

We walked towards it...a bit closer now...

Then we were finally able to see the building...it was the Town Hall...

It was surrounded by beautiful gardens...they were magnificent!

 

There was also this rather imposing sculpture which we thought at first was the Burghers of Calais but the inscription didn't say that...we couldn't read it! Lol

Some more lovely buildings on the way back to the hotel...

Calais was delightful and 'getting into the spirit' DH and I sat at a cafe table on the pavement with a drink and a bowl of French Fries (pomme Frites) and watched the world go by! We went back to the same cafe later in the evening for dinner as well.