Back from Calais

[missizzy]

Half a decade after my dad died, we're finally figuring out how to do vacations without him arranging everything. Calais was a beautiful location by the sea, if a bit difficult to get around without a car, especially since France has managed to drive Uber/Lyft out, and the smaller towns don't make it easier to get a tradition cab either. My sister booked us a beachfront condo where we have beautiful views from balconies, or through sliding doors, and we could even see the cliffs of Dover when things were clear enough. The sea there was good for swimming most days, and we also were able to learn about one part of the area's history at the local lace museum, and another at the nearby cliffs and World War II memorial.
We went traveling further out too. We even took a daytrip to London, where we went to see spectacular glass art currently on display in Kew Gardens and had high tea in a place that's been around since the Victorian era. Other days we went to Paris, Dunkirk, and Lille, although our plans at the last were derailed by the annual fair going on there, which was way bigger than we could cope with. We saw the beach where the famous evacuation occurred, and went to museums until I honestly got a little museumed out.
Unfortunately my mom got a cold on the final days, which I now believe I've caught. Seems we haven't figured out how to thwart that problem yet.