I find the ferry ride to and from Ouistreham (Caen) through Portsmouth to be a good way to visit France avoiding the most congested part of England and France. Although it is a 6 hour boat ride the price is competitive with the shorter crossings and a cabin is excellent value. It helps that there is an ibis Styles hotel right at thre entrance to the port adding convenience to this route arriving late evening on the way and departing after an early breakfast on the return. The journey on Saturday was a little choppy due to the wind direction and strength but the overal ride is smooth on these large vessels. The sun shone all day and here are some snaps from the trip including fine views while entering Portsmouth harbour. I’ll start with the post with walkers and gulls out in the early morning on the beach at Ouistreham. I had a little walk mid-crossing to grab a coffee and a pastry and checked the world on the aft deck. The combination of forward speed and wind almost blew me off my feet so I made a quick return to indoors. The run into Portsmouth is more interesting than to Ouistreham and I get to see it in the daylight. Nice!