Day 375

Up at 5.45 am: M picked me up at 7.30. Got the ferry at Dover, had a calmish but windy crossing. Drove to Saint-Omer, got 49 bottles of beer and wine for my parents. Then to Dunkirk. As I said to M, it didn't look as if the beach had been strafed 53 years ago during Britain's most successful failure. Saw the memorial. Then drove to Cap Blanc Nez to look at the bunkers and shell craters; we could see England across the sea and I speculated it was where Hitler, and Napoleon before him, came to look at the 20-mile stretch of water that halted both their conquests. It was quite impressive. I got a bit of chalk off the ground.

Back to Calais for the ferry: sat in the bow bar watching the lights of Dover approach. Home by 10.35pm. Thanked M for persuading me to come.