14. Aug 2025

Dover - Dunkirk

Video: "Leaving the Port of Dover for Calais, France"

This is a special milestone. Not only have I completed the walk through the UK and Ireland, but I also crossed the 1500 km milestone a few days ago and covered enough altimeters equal to four times that of Mt. Everest. There are still two more "Everests" to climb before I reach my home near Munich, Germany. Today is also day 60 in the journey. I give thanks to God for his sustaining and enabling grace!

Photo 1: "The white cliffs of Dover"

Photo 2: Originally I wanted to take the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk, but foot passengers and only permitted on the ferry from Dover to Calais. That means I would need to take the train from Calais to Dunkirk to stay on schedule. Foot passengers where the first ones allowed on board in Dover, but would be the last ones to exit in Calais. On deck I met a young French man named Anton. He had been cycling in the UK for several weeks and was now returning to France. We shared a nice spot at a table in the shade with a great view of Dover. He took this picture of me, before the crowd of auto passengers got to the deck. In the course of the transfer from the island to the continent we had a good conversation about faith and what it means to walk with Jesus.

Photo 3: Arrival at the Port in Calais

Photo 4: Willy was a bit sad about leaving the sea and the coastal area. He is of course a whale. I was quite happy, though, to have my feet back on the continent.

Photo 5: Bergues, France

Across from this old city wall was the campground where I had hoped to stay the night. Again the reception was closed by the time I got there. I called the number posted on the door, but heard the phone ringing from inside an unoccupied office. It was obvious the the place was filled to capacity. I had everything I needed for the night except water. The people camping directly next to the office recognized my predictament and gave me a 1.5 litter bottle of water. I drank almost half of it and used the rest to fill my water bottle. Bergues is an walled city with mutiple walks from midieval times. On my hiking app I saw a place where part of a wall and some woods came together. It was there that I found an inconspicuous spot to put up my tent. It was obvios that sheep had been there under the tree where I would put my tent. Now one more "sheep" was about to spend the night there. I could hear loud music in the distance coming from the city, perhaps even from the campground. I had it very peaceful in God's garden.