Chapter 12 - across the Channel

The next morning, Louisa and Martin left the village at first light. Only a few fishermen that were busy unloading their boats, saw the silver Lexus passing the harbour and moving away from the village center.

The couple had gotten up very early and Martin had packed the car even before having his shower and before getting dressed. As there was no one to be seen at five o'clock in the morning, he carried the suitcases, two suit carriers and James' travel cot downstairs and to the car in his pyjamas and dressing gown. He neatly packed the trunk and put the babybag as well as another one Louisa told him to store it in the cabin behind the passenger's chair.

In the meantime, Louisa packed a coolbox with the necessary bottles and food for James, sandwiches, some fruit for their lunch and a large bottle of fresh water for both of them. She stored some cuttlery, unbreakable plates, a thermos of coffee and one with tea in a large bag.

Then they all took an early breakfast. Martin went for a shower and got dressed first, while Louisa minded James, who she stimulated to move as much as possible. She made him crawl around the table and played a basic version of hide and seek together. James giggles were to be heard upstairs and made Martin feel very content.

When Martin came down the stairs into the kitchen, Louisa suddenly stood still, rooted to the ground, flabbergasted.. Her Martin, Dr. Ellingham, was wearing brown casual trousers, a poloshirt and he had draped a dark blue pullover around his shoulders..

'Martin!'

Martin's eartips turned dark pink, showing his uncertainty of how to interprete Louisa's exclamation. He stuttered 'I... I thought ... I mean... You don't like it, do you?'

Louisa walked towards him and said: 'Of course I like it, you're so handsome in those cloths, you should have bought them years ago!'

She emphasized her opinion with a firm kissed and then quickly went for her own shower, leaving Martin and James behind.

'Oh James, it is sometimes so hard to understand what your mummy means', he sighed. In return, James gave him his biggest smile and continued crawling allong the kitchen floor.

Neither Martin nor Louisa had ever made a long journey with a young child. However, Louisa had thoroughly prepared the journey and she had packed a lot of practical things. She understood well, that James would need to be entertained, so when they went shopping for the travel cot, she also bought some new toys and books James could be distracted with.

They soon found out that Louisa was right and even Martin had to admit that the spent money wasn't spoiled money.

They also understood quickly that the golden rule to drive two hours and have a rest of at least twenty minutes, a rule Martin sometimes less respected when driving alone, is success factor number one when you travel with a baby or toddler.

So with a good pauses every two hours, a nice picknick at lunchtine, Martin and Louisa alternately driving and spending times with James, they arrived without much interruption or problems at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkstone.

Louisa was quite excited about this totally new experience and showed it with her usual enthousiasm.

'Look Martin, we will be at about a forty five meters under the sea and at the deepest point even seventy five!'

Martin had to be honest with himself, he didn't share the enthousiasm of Louisa. In fact the idea of his precious little family being underneath tons and tons of water, frightened him. He wouldn't admit that to her though, not wanting to show her this weakness and not wanting to transmit his fears to her. So he kept quiet, but Louisa probably wouldn't even notice the difference. But there he was wrong..

The thirty five minute in the train permitted them to get out of the car a bit and stretch their legs. Martin stayed very close to the car. His face turned all white when Louisa moved out of sight while she strolled along the train with James in her arms. But then she looked in the mirroring window shields and got a glimpse of Martin leaning against the car, his head down and one of his hands nervously raking through his hair. Louisa immediately returned to the car.

'It's alright Martin, we're here and we'll soon be in France. Get back in the car and have some water'. She softly rubbed the back of his neck to confort him. Then she put James back in his chair and carefully buckled him up, before taking here place next to Martin.

She said 'Why didn't you tell me about your worries, Martin? I can understand that, you know'.

Martin, already feeling better because Louisa and James were back, replied 'I didn't really know myself. I have taken this tunnel a couple of times already, without any problem. But then I was all alone and always completely absorbed in some scientific article in the Medical Journal.. But you both walked away from me, I just panicked, sorry..'.

'Nothing to be sorry about, my big sensitive man'. She gave him a kiss, stroke his soft hair and decided not to dwell on it anymore and to let it rest. For the remaining time in the tunnel, she just sat quietely next to him, confortingly stroking his leg to show her concern. Martin soon felt a lot better And capable to drive again.

As James became a bit fussy, so Louisa chose to sit next to him at the backseat. She started to read him a book.

The train ride through the tunnel was over and Martin manoeuvred the car from the train and on the road. White lines guided him towards the right side of the road, always a strange sensation in the beginning, the right side being the wrong side for both driver and car.

Louisa looked up from the book and looked through the window. To her surprise Martin didn't follow the direction of Calais where they would stay overnight, but went to the south, in the direction of Boulogne.

'Where are we going to, Martin?'

'I want to show you something, it's not far away and it is still too early to go to the bed and breakfast where we are going to stay, trust me, it'll be worth it'.

A couple of miles south, Martin left the highway and headed to a village called Escalles and continued towards the coast. Near the beach, Martin parked the car and stepped out of it.

'Louisa, come and have look...'

Louisa got James out of his chair, stepped out of the car and joined Martin.

'Martin is that...?'

'England, yes'

'It is beautiful, really beautiful!'

It was a sunny April afternoon. The sun was already very low and turned the white cliffs of Dover in a beautiful pink.

Louisa took some pictures, including one of Martin with James on his arm, pointing at the cliffs at the other side of the sea. Again their two faces were strikingly similar.

'The limestone cliffs are very soft' Martin explained, 'so at storms, huge part of the cliffs risk to fall into the sea. But when they fall apart, lots of stones and fossils stay behind on the beach. You can find lots of people on this beach searching for stones with fossils'.

As they all could use a good walk and some fresh air, they descended to the beach. Louisa put james down on the beach and he crawled away to a heap of stones.

'Louisa, he will hurt himself and he'll end up covered with germs', Martin growled.

'Come on Martin, he needs the exercice after a whole day in the car and the germs won't be much different from the ones on our beach in Portwenn, hmm?

Martin sighed and went after his son.

'Dada', James babbled and sat flat un his bum on the moist sand, holding something up to Martin. Martin crouched next to his son.

'What have you got there, James?'

Martin looked closely at the stone. It showed the profile of a very old shell.

'Well you just found your first fossilson, and a very nice one too, well done!'

Louisa watched her men who were both scrutinizing the stones for more fossils and immortalized the moment with her digital camera.

No other special stones were found and a while later, the three of them went back to the car. About twenty minutes later they could check in at the b&b for a quiet evening and night in Calais.

It was quiet and just what they needed, until right after they'd ordered their food in a nearby restaurant...

To be continued