Monday 4th June La Cassine

Having struggled to get to sleep, I was wide awake at 5.30. More incredibly, so was the crew. This was arrivals day, we were clearly both excited by the prospect of seeing friends.

By 8 am we were tracking there progress. Should be nearing the Chunnel now.

I spotted the lock keeper bringing out his goat to put to grass for the day and we were astonished to see the chickens hopping down towards the boat. The German hounds soon scared the daylights out of them and that was that. I popped down to enquire to eggs. Mrs lock keeper was just emptying the roost so I had 12 very fresh and still warm eggs in exchange for 2 euros. We breakfasted on the yellowest yummiest yolks of the trip.

Ok should be with us by 2pm French.

We mounted the steel horses and took a delightful ride to the 3 km distant village of Vendresse, a pretty little village where we discovered to our delight a tiny store selling bread and provisions. We loaded up with pork steaks coffee coke pate and biscuits for our guests and enjoyed the ride back. Picked up a kilo of seriously large asperges from a farm and saw the somewhat gruesome sight of a cow spread eagled in the drive of a farmhouse. The farmer looked upset and was on the phone so it had clearly not been slaughtered but dead this big beast most certainly was.

2pm came and went, we had cleaned Doucette and were ready for guests. Tea darling? no I will wait.

2.30 lunch darling? No I will wait.

3pm we look longingly down the road and text.

15 to 20 miles away was the great news.

4.30 in true SMEDLEY style our guests arrive.

We hug we laugh we exchange "your looking wells."We drink long awaited tea and all speak at once to catch up on all the news. They unpack. They are settled. We have cheese pate and baguettes for a very late lunch.

We repeat our stroll around the village and carry on the news brief.

The weather is brighter so later, over beers and fishing we light the magma for the pork steaks. Ihold back the asperges as starters on the basis that lunch had been so late. The pork is mouthwatering and delicious with the haricot and dauphinoise.

The guys are tired so we set up the beds. My bag of esperge has generated much interest and I am fearful of leaving them in the saloon so count them before retiring.

The tired guests keep me awake for an hour with incessant giggling and chatter.

It's lovely to have them aboard.