All roads lead to home. Or at least if you keep going, eventually you’ll get there – it just might take a lot longer than you expected. This is what we discovered on our final day in Balledent.

The morning started off well. We packed our bags and headed down to the village bar for some last drinks and conversation with the locals. Internet access may have been another reason for our visit, as the WiFi had gone down in our house and there was no data connection to be found. As my sister reminded us constantly throughout the trip, keeping Snapchat streaks alive was crucial – there was just no way to survive without internet for 24 hours!

We made our way slowly back to the house, greeting the sheep and the sheepdog on our way, both of which were enjoying a lazy morning. Then it was straight to the airport and onto the plane. We waved goodbye to France, at least for the moment.

From Stansted Airport, our journey home should have been simple. Just hop onto the National Express coach that would take us all the way to Brighton. Little did we know we’d encounter a blockage on the bridge, bringing us to a standstill for hours. When we were finally able to pass and arrive at London Victoria, we missed our connecting coach by a single minute.

Another hour’s delay and we were onboard for the final leg of the journey. We arrived in Brighton in the early hours of the morning, and collapsed into bed. I was up again not long after to go to work, throwing myself back into a boring everyday routine, longing for the next getaway. But I would never forget our amazing experience in the village of Balledent.

Some say their goal is to visit every country in the world. My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to explore every zoo. And on this day, I added another one to my list – Parc Zoo Du Reynou in Le Vigen, France.

Far off the beaten path, even the SatNav in my Aunt’s car couldn’t find it. It was my ingenious idea to navigate to the nearest town, and from there hope for a sign that would lead us to our destination. After passing several that claimed the Zoo was ‘only 100m away’, three kilometres later, we arrived.

Selling food to feed the animals is a classic now found at many children-friendly attractions. Seemingly unique to France, however, is the choice of cuisine served – popcorn. But if the goats enjoy it, then who are we to question? Tickets are 14 € for adults.

We wandered down the trail into the bamboo forest, and curved round to view the stone mansion hidden by towering undergrowth. With picnic tables dotted around the area, it would have been a nice place for lunch. Instead we chose to continue along the path and stop at the café by the souvenir shop.

After food, we backtracked to visit the red pandas. Their fluffy red coats are a gorgeous sight in good weather, glowing in the sun. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see their clown antics as they scramble up and down the trees, feasting from any branch they can reach.

The Zoo is home to an array of wonderful creatures. There’s a mini yard filled with farm animals, such as donkeys, goats, and llamas. The wolves are near a giant lake, home to many birds of varying colours. Crossing the bridge will take you to the other predators, from snow leopards to barn owls.

The African Plains are a long walk away but they’re worth the trip to see giraffes and elephants roaming free. On your way back, don’t forget to visit the monkeys and raccoons, and see one of my personal favourites, the reindeer.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the animals at the Zoo, so make sure to take a trip there if you’re in the area. Once we arrived back home, the rest of the day was spent entertaining guests and singing the Polish anthem to the delight of my Aunt’s neighbours.