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As we ponder which property to go for, we are also mindfull that we have some very good friends whom, since our arrival back in the UK have put us up with no hesitation and made us both feel very welcome. We could honestly not have done the past several weeks without your assistance so a big thank you ( you know who you are!).
So our next stop is back in the Bradford area brifly before we high tail it South to sunny Wales and to find our little home for the next 6 months.
Hello to everyone we haven't managed to catch up with as yet, I'm sure we'll manage it sometime!
Eventually arriving at the cottage we had booked (www.nettle-cottages.co.uk) in Saggat outside Fyvie, which is near nowhere really big. Yep its big open spaces and wonderful countryside. The owners Carol & Greg are fantastic and the accomodation is easily the best we have ever stayed in. The personal touches in the property are amazing and the friendliness and helpfulness is second to none, plus they have a maniac dog that wants to play throw and fetch all day long.
Unfortunately I got hit with a wonderful bit of flu, which knocked me out for 2 days, but boy am I back with a vengence now.
The area is fantastic and I got to go to the area where my family originated from, yes I was conceived unlike some of the rumours. We travelled to Rosehearty which is right on the sea shore, visiting some of the older families resting place. Ho Hum.
Any hoo, 2 more days to see the area before we head back down southwards and maybe back across to Wales.
Hi to The Barty Clan, Christina & David and Stu & Jen who have been fantastic by putting us up.
Wales was a pleasant experience, we enjoyed the friendliness of Welshpool immensely and the scenery around the area is wonderful -as is the history ( I can see Craig yawning as I type this!).
So, next on our whirlwind tour of the UK is Scotland and a visit to Aberdeenshire, back to the place where Craig's mum came from. We have a 6 day break planned, and a chance to explore the area around Fraserborough.
Winter woollens at the ready, we are looking forward to Scotland.
Next stop - who knows, it will be as much a surprise to us as to you reading it!!
A nice stopover and a chance to catch up with some really old friends who Craig hasn't seen for about 16 years. A very big hi to James and Suzie, it was fantastic to see you both again, thank you for a wonderful evening and for showing Lorna the video of my "Monkey Boy" dancing from 1988 (when I had hair).
And today we head to Welshpool for a 4 day stop at a beautiful little cottage.
So, say hello if you are online or drop a note in our Guestbook.
We have been back now for a few days, stopping at a Holiday Inn in Canterbury (pleasant stay), then drove up to see the Barty Clan (Hemel Chapter) and stop at the Barton Hotel. Chance to settle for a few days and search for our next few stops, so whats up next then, well short term:
- Milton Keynes to see some old friends (James & Suzie)
- Wales to stop in a cheap holiday cottage for a few days
- Yorkshire to see Stuart and Jen
- Then off to Fivey in Aberdeenshire for a few days in another cheap holiday cottage
After that well we haven't a clue, so suggestions on a postcard please.
Say hello, let us know how you are all getting on.
Thanks to Allan, Bel and Hazel (the human dive bomber) and also Stuart and Jen.
Well this European Road Trip is almost over now, we have spent the best part of today (when we eventually surfaced that is) wandering around France again, this time we found the pointy triangle things from the Da Vinci Code, unfortunately due to the film and Tom Hanks massive hairdo they have now had to move the small lower triangle (as you can see from our pictures on the France Returns page), the alternative theory is that France has decided to check, just out of curiosity whether anything does exist below it and mercy me know it dont. We enjoyed a nice train journey back to the campsite tonight behind a man who was by all accounts mining his nose nuggets and flicking them around for about 15 minutes, it was a lovelly site indeed.
On Saturday we enjoyed a trip around the Versailles Palace, well I say enjoy, when I actually mean endured, queuing for 30 minutes in the rain for tickets (incidentally behind the wierdest family ever, where the 12 year old boy was nuzzling mummy's fun bags), then visiting half empty rooms in the palace that had actually been ramsacked in the French Revolution. Even Lorna was disappointed by how drab the Palace was (although I have to say it was cheap).
We visited Paris in June of 1999 as work colleagues and who knew then that this would turn in to something so wonderful, a life with equals where the love is so strong (sorry my soppy bit over with now).
We are making our way up toward Calais tomorrow and a night at a freebie Holiday Inn, before embarking on the Channel Tunnel journey to Folkestone on Wednesday. The its off up towards Hemel and the Barton Clan (who no doubt are dreading our visit).
So to all those who have been following our journey over the last few months (yes it has actually been 4 months now), hi and thank you for staying in touch. Keep coming back to see the new additions to the website, including our European Campsite Review and what crazy thing we plan to do next.
To finish here are just a few little statistics about the European Road Trip that may interest you:
- Visited 4 countries and 1 Principality
- Stayed at 13 campsites
- Spent 25 nights in a tent
- Spent 6 nights in a chalet/ Static Caravan
- Spent 3 nights in European Holiday Inns
- Covered 3,075 miles driving in mainland Europe
- Driven a total of 72 hours arounds mainland Europe
- Had an average moving speed of 42.4mph
- Had an average spend of €100 per day
- Spent 39 hours building and breaking down the tent
- Had 13 days of rain
- Spent €232.40 on Toll Roads
- Spent 18 days in France
- Spent 11 days in Italy
- Spent 2 days in Switzerland
- Spent 3 days in Austria
- Destroyed 2 airbeds
- Used 10 butane cyclinders for cooking
- Visited 14 things of note across Europe
- Spent €411-12 on petrol
And now some worrying statistics:
- Drank 31.5 bottles of wine
- Drank 3 bottles of Champagne
- Spent €1,404.05 on food (that's £950, wine, food and all)
And boy oh boy was it worth every cent spent.
Well we spent 2 wonderful evenings in a camping chalet in Champagnole in the Jura region, cos we was a little bored with putting the tent up and then pulling it down.
Yesterday we drove a whopping 5 and a quarter hours to Versailles, to a site called Huttopia, let me tell you we took a look at the pitches and Utopia it aint, the whole place is sloped so the first sign of rain and you will wash away. So we opted for a Roulotte, which is a fancy way of saying static caravan, with wood panels on it (reminiscent of our stint while waiting for the house to be built). It is very nice and cosy. Sure enough the rain thundered down last night and everyones tents were soaked, hee hee, not us though.
Today I'm off to see some dead blokes palace in this town (yeh I know, I'm a heathen).
We are going to stay here for another 2 nights before moving on back into France for our last stint before returning to the UK.
Hello to Alistair, Katharine and the kids, thanks for the offer of 24hr hot showers! We'll be in touch.
Hello to the Folks - you gone mad yet and bought something??
Well mission accomplished, after about 3 hours, terrible German (wished i had tried harder at school) and even worse Austrian, we now own a replacement airbed and footpump, woo hoo. No more sleeping on the hard floor, thank goodness.
Innsbruck is very beautiful, all around you there are the most spectacular mountains to view, it really is fantastic. Today Lorna is taking me off hiking with map in hand (oh god we are gonna get so lost).
We spent the morning watching Mr & Mrs Happy German move their 30ft Caravan from one pitch to another, because they were not happy about their designated pitch. German precision and engineering didn't come in to it all, you could just see him despairing at having to move it again and her with hands on hips wanting a better location, so that killed a good hour or two.
Well one day left in Innsbruck, then on to the next destination, either in Switzerland or Germany, we have yet to decide.
We have now booked our return journey back from Calais to Folkestone on the Channel Tunnel (should be different), much easier to book online than the ferry (no having to measure the height of your roof box!!) and cheaper by at least 40 GBP. So August 30 is the departure date from that there Europe and in to England for a short while, hopefully stopping to see some good friends on the way (Hi there Al and Bel, tee hee).
A big hello to James and Suzie and all the family at www.thecrazyfarm.co.uk also to Al, Bel and Hazel and Stuart and Jen.
Today we moved out of Italy, after camping 2 nights in the Trento region in a small place called San Cristoforo. Very pleasant place (bit dead but nice). The campsite, mainly with Dutch and Germans, was ok (marks our of 10, this time 6). Very wet and muddy due to some heavy showers, the showers themselves have a button that dispenses 3 seconds worth of water before stopping, so its Mr Bean contortion time to get a wash and keep the water running.
The toilets couldn't make up their mind if they want to be Western (a bowl and seat) or European (a hole in the ground) so they went part way and gave you a midgets loo that was all of 6 inches from the ground (not even the Europeans used them).
Still we got a chance to chill and sleep without the noise of the teens and drunks at Camp Fusina near Venice, that was until the airbed decided to give out part way through last night. Imagine waking at 4am(ish) finding your head at 1ft off the ground and your butt on the freezing cold floor, with about 6ft of rubber bed folded around you and Lorna rolled on top (because even thunder wouldn't wake her up).
The drive today was through the Dolomites and in to Austria (shows the heathen I am, I thought the Dolomites were a pop group from the 80's). As you enter Austria you need to buy a Vignet (or CON CARD) that allows you to drive on their motorways (as well as paying the tolls).
Tonight we have camped at Natterersee, which is a Butlin size campsite, with lakes, waterslides, paragliding, cycling, you name it. Oh yes and Wireless Internet Access (how happy am I). So 2 or 3 days to explore Innsbruck (and replace the airbed) and I guess a little walking in the hills.
Hi to the Folks over in that there Ireland.