🐰 Buddy’s Journey – Day 9: Biarritz ➡️ Tours 🇫🇷💜

The miles are adding up, the tiredness is kicking in, and we're almost home...

Day 9 of Buddy’s Journey is complete.

Biarritz ➡️ Tours.

Another day.

Another long drive.

Another huge number of miles behind us.

And somehow, we're now just one day away from home. 🥹🏡

It's strange to think about how quickly this journey has passed.

When we first set off, home felt so far away.

We had Dover ahead of us.

Then France.

Then the Pyrenees.

Then Spain.

Then Benidorm.

And now, after all those miles, we're travelling north through France again, getting closer and closer to the UK.

But today was definitely the day when the tiredness started to catch up with us!

🚗 Another big day on the road

We said goodbye to Biarritz this morning and climbed back into the car for another long day of driving.

By this point, we've become pretty familiar with the routine.

Pack everything up.

Load the car.

Make sure Buddy is safely tucked away.

Check we've got snacks.

Check we've got drinks.

Check the route.

And then...

Off we go! 🚗💨

The roads have almost become part of the adventure themselves.

We've travelled through so many different places over the last nine days, and although there have been some incredibly long stretches of driving, we've also seen some beautiful scenery along the way.

Today was about putting the miles behind us and getting closer to Tours.

And honestly...

I was tired.

Really tired.

😴 When the body says "I need a nap!"

We've had so many early starts over the last week and a half.

There have been days where the alarm has gone off before sunrise, followed by hours and hours in the car.

Then we've stopped to explore.

We've walked.

We've taken photographs.

We've made memories.

We've dealt with unexpected changes.

We've laughed.

We've cried.

And then we've got up the next morning and done it all again.

So today, I think my body finally decided enough was enough!

"I NEED A NAP!" 😂😴

We stopped at a service station along the way and had a good half-hour break.

And it was definitely needed.

Getting out of the car, stretching our legs and having a proper little rest made such a difference.

And if I'm being completely honest...

There was also quite a lot of falling asleep in the car during the journey! 😂

At this point, I think Buddy probably deserves her own driving licence after all the miles she's travelled.

🐰 Buddy has travelled a long way

When I stop and think about how far Buddy has travelled, it's actually quite incredible.

She has gone from home in County Durham...

To Dover.

Across to Dunkirk.

Through France.

To Rouen.

Down to Bordeaux.

Across the Pyrenees.

Into Spain.

To Zaragoza.

All the way to Benidorm.

Then back into France.

Biarritz.

And now Tours.

That's a lot of miles for one little bunny! 🐰💜

But of course, Buddy isn't just a passenger on this journey.

She's carrying something incredibly precious.

Millie's mini urn is safely inside Buddy.

So every one of those miles has also been a mile travelled by my beautiful girl.

That's something I keep coming back to whenever the tiredness hits.

We're not just travelling.

We're carrying Millie's memory with us.

🍔 Buffalo Grill – Round Two!

And then came tea time! 🍔🍟

After a long day in the car, we were more than ready for some proper food.

We stopped at Buffalo Grill.

Now, if you've been following the journey, you'll know that we had already visited Buffalo Grill back in Rouen.

And let's just say...

That experience wasn't exactly one we were desperate to repeat. 😂

So we weren't entirely sure what to expect this time.

But thankfully...

THIS ONE WAS SO MUCH BETTER! 😂😂

In fact, I'd say it was 10,000% better than our Buffalo Grill experience in Rouen!

The food was much nicer, the experience was much better and, most importantly, it gave us a proper chance to sit down and relax after another long day on the road.

Sometimes it's the little things that make a difference.

A decent meal.

A comfortable seat.

A bit of laughter.

And a chance to stop thinking about the road for a little while.

💭 Looking back at the journey so far

While sitting there, I found myself thinking about everything we've done.

It's actually crazy when you stop and look at the journey as a whole.

We've travelled through different countries.

We've crossed borders.

We've driven hundreds and hundreds of miles.

We've travelled through mountains.

We've driven through tunnels.

We've taken scenic routes.

We've stopped at random service stations.

We've eaten in places we probably would never have visited otherwise.

We've experienced some amazing views.

We've had some very tired moments.

And we've made so many memories.

Some planned.

Some completely unexpected.

Some funny.

Some emotional.

And some that we'll probably still be talking about years from now.

💜 "We're actually doing this."

Every now and then, there are those little moments where you stop and think:

"We're actually doing this."

We're really here.

We're really travelling across Europe.

We're really taking Buddy on this huge adventure.

And we're really doing it all while carrying Millie's memory with us.

This journey has never simply been about reaching a destination.

It's been about everything that happens along the way.

The conversations in the car.

The silly jokes.

The snacks.

The tiredness.

The arguments over directions! 😂

The beautiful views.

The unexpected stops.

The moments where we've had to change plans.

The photographs.

The tears.

The laughter.

And the constant thought of Millie.

🌹 Another day carrying Millie with us

There have been so many moments during this journey where I've wished Millie could be here.

I keep imagining what she would have thought about everything.

The mountains.

The tunnels.

The long roads.

The different countries.

The snacks.

The hotel rooms.

The beaches.

And especially being back in Benidorm.

I wonder what she would have said.

What she would have wanted to do.

What she would have found funny.

And which parts she would have loved the most.

Those thoughts can hurt.

But they also make me smile.

Because remembering her isn't only about remembering the fact that she's gone.

It's about remembering who she was.

Her personality.

Her laughter.

Her excitement.

Her love of adventures.

And all the little things that made her our Millie.

🏡 The final leg is waiting

Eventually, we arrived in Tours.

Day 9 was done.

And suddenly, tomorrow felt very real.

Because tomorrow is Day 10.

The final leg.

The longest day of the entire journey home.

And honestly...

I'm not sure whether I'm excited or terrified! 😂

Tomorrow we'll leave Tours bright and early and head north towards Calais.

From Calais, we'll catch the ferry across to Dover.

And then, just when we think we're nearly home...

We're still not finished! 😂

Once we arrive in Dover, we'll get straight back on the road for the long drive all the way back up to County Durham.

That's going to be a seriously long day.

There will be plenty of miles.

Plenty of coffee.

Plenty of stops.

And hopefully...

A lot less falling asleep! 😂☕😴

🛣️ The final route

Tomorrow's route will be:

🇫🇷 Tours
⬇️
🇫🇷 Calais
⬇️
⛴️ Ferry
⬇️
🇬🇧 Dover
⬇️
🏡 County Durham

When you look at it written down, it doesn't sound too bad.

But when you remember how tired we already are...

It definitely feels like a big final push!

We've come such a long way.

And tomorrow, we'll be bringing it all back home.

🐰 One final adventure

Buddy has been with us for every single mile.

She's travelled through France.

She's travelled through Spain.

She's been to Benidorm.

She's visited places that were special to Millie.

She's helped us revisit memories that were sometimes incredibly difficult.

And she's been a constant little reminder that our girl has been with us throughout the entire adventure.

Tomorrow, she'll be coming home too.

And although the journey will be ending, the memories won't.

We'll still have the photographs.

The stories.

The laughs.

The tears.

The places we've seen.

And all the little moments that have made this journey what it has been.

💜 Almost home

Tonight, we're putting our feet up.

We're getting an early night.

We're charging everything.

We're making sure the car is ready.

And we're setting those alarms...

VERY EARLY. 😂⏰

Because tomorrow is going to be a huge day.

One final big drive.

One final stretch of road.

One final push towards home.

It's hard to believe that nine days ago we were setting off from home with the whole adventure ahead of us.

Now we're almost back where we started.

But we're not coming back exactly the same.

We're coming back with a whole new collection of memories.

And most importantly...

We're coming back having carried Millie Rose with us every single mile.

🚗 Day 9 — COMPLETE! ✔️

🇫🇷 Biarritz
⬇️
🇫🇷 Tours

Another day done.

Another destination reached.

Another chapter completed.

And tomorrow...

THE FINAL LEG HOME. 🏡💜

Tours ➡️ Calais ➡️ Ferry ➡️ Dover ➡️ County Durham.

One last early start.

One last big drive.

One last adventure.

And then...

Home. ❤️

But wherever the road has taken us, and wherever it takes us next, one thing has remained the same:

Millie has been with us.

Every mile.

Every memory.

Every laugh.

Every tear.

Every road.

Always. 🌹💜🐰