Lac du Der

For the second time (last time 6 years ago we think) we are at Lac du Der en route for somewhere else.  Nice place even if the Gendarmerie stop you and check your credentials in a fly ridden forest on the way in.  Bike ride across the causeway to somewhere else French, followed by cool beer.  Shame the lake appears to be uphill.  Probably due to Kir.

Vimy Ridge

Standing in Canadian trenches and the extensive (several hundred metres) tunnel system (full standing height and primitive electric lighting) used to get the troops rapidly into the field on the assault on Vimy Ridge gives you pause for thought.  Also turns out they weren't lions led by donkeys by that time.  Canadians clearly perceive this as a birth of a nation type event; the whole of the visitor centre is focused on that.

The Vimy Ridge memorial is a massive yet graceful marble monument covered in names of the dead and significant sculpture.  Well worth a visit.

First time through the tunnel for Minnie

 This is the temperature gauge as we enter the tunnel following a hot queue... this would become a cool day by the time we get to Annecy...

The isolation doors coming down so we are safe if the tunnel hits an iceberg.  Or something.

Folk by the Oak

 Lau steal show by being very very good musicians with strong material and charming personas.  Take that Oyster Band....

The scenes of devastation are too horrible to contemplate as all Waitrose's in Hertfordshire sell out of Cava and smoked salmon.

Thornton le Dale

Panorama in Thornton le Dale: behind the Motor Museum.  Nice ride in Forest, long and fascinating time spent in Papercraft studio.  Looong and fascinating.

North Yorks Open Studios on the way home: stable studio mummified bat.

Cambridge Folk Festival 2012

Another reet gradely episode of musical entertainment.  Top acts on top form but you can't beat the impromptu singsong round the piano in the beer tent whilst the site was transformed into a reenactment of the second battle of the Somme by torrential rain.  Bohemian Rhapsody is clearly now firmly ensconced in the traditional canon.

Filey

Sunny Filey (actually it was freezing) - the last trip of the season for Minnie.

Summary of the season;

Degree of success at driving about solving crimes and investigating hauntings like on ScoobyDoo:

Crimes solved: 0
Hauntings investigated: 0