Back In London, and all is well

I think I left you at us not having anywhere to sleep last night. It was due to a botched booking on-line, and when we did have our one night in a travelodge, we were unable to get internet, in order to find somewhere for the following night...you see our dilemma. And instead of worrying about it all day, we decided to launch into our day as planned - head towards Dover in the arvo, and stop at some quaint old inn on the way and see if we could get a room. Should be fun, right?
We also used it as an adventure in prayer. It was something like, "Hey kids, we should pray about this. We need somewhere to sleep tonight, lets ask God to help us." So we did. Some of you may be thinking, "Hey, the big guy has bigger fish to fry than finding you a bed - do it yourself!" Others may be wondering why it took us until the late morning to get around to asking for His help. (and there are probably some of you who may wonder why we waste our breath at all...but please keep reading anyway!!)
Place after place was booked out, too expensive (usually because we would need two rooms) or no longer did accommodation. Mostly it was a 'full' issue, as yesterday was the first night of school holidays - not a great night to be cruising the coast looking for a bed, er, actually, five. (also part of the problem) We probably would have found somewhere much quicker were we without the kids. There was one place in Sanditon, just outside of Folkstone, that had two double rooms we could let, which we came close to taking as it was getting to eight pm ish. We decided we were so close to Folkstone that we may as well look around there first. Then we tried the Premier Inn on the motorway. It was then that we decided we needed to stop and eat, for fear that the shops would shut before we had...and I find it hard to think clearly - or even act sanely, when hungry. The kids were fantastic with this waiting, stopping, driving, btw. Aided by the passing back of bananas and museli bars when we should have been having meals....
We drove back to the Inn at Sanditon after dinner, looked at it and decided that the cost for two rooms was just too much. It would cost approx $220 for one night, where we would be separated, and listening to loud music until 11.30 at night. We rang Paul's flat mate in London to arrange to let ourselves in. We did a u-turn and headed back to Folkstone and the M20, chatting about things as we went. I had left the decision more or less up to Shane, as he was both the holder of the purse strings, and the driver of the car. (I too drive, of course, but he had been behind the wheel all arvo, and I certainly didn't feel confident that I had the stamina to drive back to London.) A few minutes into Folkstone and Shane had a sudden change of heart. There was something on at Dover Castle today which he wanted to visit. The thought of coming back from London at some later date, was a drag. Lets just stay he said, and around we turned and headed back to Sanditon. He sat in the car in the lane whilst raced in, only to find the doors locked. Rang the number on the sign and 'sorry, we gave away one of the two rooms'. Which was at first something that made me laugh (with a little irony, I admit). Then, though, she offered, if we were really desperate (which I informed her described us aptly) that we could all squeeze into the one that was left. And presto! Problem solved. It was so great to meet Georgia and her flexible attitude. I think she felt that she was helping us out - so she felt good...and we certainly appreciated the reprieve from a long drive when we weren't ready to go. The room was lovely, with a little raised platform at a large bay window. A quilt was given us for the floor, and the kids lay down in a row in their sleeping bags and were asleep in literally two minutes. The five minutes prior to that were alarming though, as the kids were all chipper and talkative and silly - and it must have been nine thirty at night by then...
So where does that leave us and our prayer?
You couldn't deny that we ended up staying in a place that met the 'quaint' requirement, and the budget (that is, the revised budget, not the one we left home with...). It wasn't without stress, but I dare say, that if we hadn't put the search into bigger hands than ours earlier in the day, that I would have been panicking by six pm. Instead, I could just rest easy - not assured that we would find what we wanted - but assured that we would be safe wherever we slept - and if that was in the car, then that was where God wanted us. And the lesson He may be teaching us? Well, that would probably have been, to next time, book ahead! I don't wish to test God. I just want to have a life with Him where we remember to invite Him in to the everyday, and allow Him to amaze us. It is very hard for a control freak like me, to do.
Anyhoo.
Today we did get to Dover Castle. Another walk around grounds magnificent and buildings marvelous. Late in the afternoon, when we finally made it to the top of the Keep, in the centre of the old grounds, the clouds had cleared and we could see the French coastline on the other side of the channel. That was a bit of a blast.
The kids all joined in with various activities on the lawned area, from trying on armour like a night or soldier would have worn, to excavations in a sandpit, to medievil games. We also took tea in the NAAFI. Only compelled to do so because we bought a goonshow casette for the car - yes, cassette, you remember those, at a second hand shop, and it has a sketch on it about a flying NAAFI. We didn't realize it was a real thing until we saw it today. (It is basically a tea and refreshment shop)
We wondered the grounds until closing, or, to be exact, half an hour after closing, and then hit the motorway back to London.
We ate our tea in the car. I will share this info, to give some idea of our traveling habits. This morning when we got to Dover, before visiting the Castle, we visited the supermarket. A Morrisons to be exact. (It was our first visit to a Morrisons, and we must say, we are impressed. Seemed to have a better selection of pre-prepared food, and other stuff, than the Superstores everywhere - maybe because they aren't trying to sell everything under the sun, just a good selection of foods) At the Supermarket we but the food for the day. This was a bunch of celery, a bag of organic carrots, a bag of apples, and a cucumber. Four bread rolls, some sweet scrolls and some cooked meats (four chicken skewers - small, and a slice of pork pie.) For lunch we broke the rolls up and put the skewered meat into them, with some slices of cucumber. There was also a banana each for morning tea, and an apple at lunch for those who wanted it. Diner was prepared in the car as we drove, and consisted of a bowl containing a carrot each, some cucumber, celery with peanut butter in it, a bit of bread, and some scroll for dessert. There was also some cheese sticks for the kids, but I didn't find them at the bottom of the bag until later...
On the days when we don't buy from a bakery or cafe, our eating budget is pretty good. One meal out and it is blown out of the water. ie, we went to the restaurant at Folkstone last night, because it claimed to have a two meals for ten quid deal. Once inside, we found we were too late for it. Two bowls of soup and two kids meals later, plus an extra side of chips - and there is thirty dollars gone. Ouch. Probably not really much different to home really, just feel extra sensitive to it when you are away, and it is easier to eat out than in. At least for the next week now, we will have a kitchen, and will be able to prepare all of our own food again.