With the shortest drive of the holiday we were hit by bad weather. In two minds about wandering round old Rouen (if we could find parking), rain and the predicted increase left us with no choice but to leave. Thing is, Calais is not the greatest of areas to kill time, especially as the plan was to hit Citée Europe on the final day before catching Le Shuttle back to the UK.

With no need to hurry of course there were no delays and no where to stop on the way, so cunning plan time. We might be hitting Citée Europe tomorrow, but that will be for a Flunch lunch and a final big shop at the Carrefour. Nothing to stop us going there to look at the other shops today, and that was the option we took. Lunching in Flunch two days in a row is not issue, today was a light salad, tomorrow will probably be a steak haché along with abuse of the buffet vegetables/frites.

Eventually it was time to move on to the hotel for the evening, Hotel Meurice, where my parents had regularly stayed on previous holidays. Very impressive foyer however my room felt like it had been converted from something else. Comfortable enough but a bit tight and actually not enough space to easily get my suitcase in due to the entrance way having a small foyer and a tight turn to the bedroom, additionally the bathroom was a little on the tatty side.

We went for a walk. Bad idea, though we did manage a coffee before the heavens opened. Five minutes later we were back at the hotel, soaked to the skin. Oh for the 30 degrees in the shade we experienced in Gascony.

One of the advantages of the hotel not being quite in the centre of Calais is the near by restaurants are all for locals. Down side is the best ones may be hard to get in to, but we managed with our choice, Histoire Ancienne, though I think we got the only non-reserved table. Second time in two nights. An excellent place that is either modelled on the bistros of old else has been maintained with all the art nouveau touches you would expect to see in Paris or Marseilles of old.

Just before we left the restaurant we saw the skies open, however just two minutes later we stepped out in to a light drizzle, but with a strong enough wind that my umbrella inverted. Back at the hotel we settled in the bar for a final holiday night cap, a calvados for me, after all we were in Normandy, and an anisette for my mother. Thus ended day 9 and our final full day in France.