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| With Fran & Ted at Chateau Josephine Baker |
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| The Birdman of Chateau Josephine |
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| Chateau Fran & Ted |
26th April 2009
Whilst with them, we visited the Chateau once owned by Josephine Baker, a black exotic dancer from the 1930’s. She used to dance nude, but also wore the most beautiful costumes, which were all on display. Outside there was a demonstration of birds of prey with hawks, owls etc. which was interesting even though we couldn’t understand what the commentator was saying half the time.
25th April 2009
When we woke up Paul said he’d been thinking about the weight thing and that we should both go on low-carb diets and eat lots of salad and vegetables, that’s how he wants to lose weight. I’m just glad he’s agreed to do something about it.
The weather has turned miserable and wet, so we phoned Fran & Ted where we were going to base ourselves from 11th May because Ted was going into hospital for a week and we were going to house sit for them. We asked them if they minded us coming early and they said, ‘great, no problem head on down.’ We said we’d arrive later that day, probably early evening. We stopped on the way at the proverbial Leclerc and stocked up with stamps to send some postcards back to UK. We also bought some salad but when we got to the checkout they said we were supposed to weigh it ourselves and put a price ticket on it all. We must have been really popular because we held up the queue while we went back and weighed everything - Ha ha! God, stuff is expensive in France now, two peaches £0.63 each! We drove for a bit and stopped for lunch, then carried on to Fran & Ted’s, and arrived about 6.30pm.
24th April 2009
We left Marcilly, crossed the Seine again on the way to Amboise on the River Loire, and stopped at a Leclerc to get some shopping and have some lunch in their café – a really nice pizza – then we arrived at the municipal campsite set on an island in the middle of the River Loire. I checked out the showers and toilets. Honestly the French have some strange notions about loos and things. These were awful! There were no toilet rolls - you have to provide them yourself - and after using the paper, you’re meant to put it in a little box behind you - not down the loo - but there’s no sink to wash your hands. Yuck, that’s disgusting! There’s no way I’m putting my hand where other people have been putting their pooey hands. I flushed mine down the loo. Ugh the French are so gross!!
It was really warm and sunny, so we sat out and sunbathed for a while. When we went inside, I saw myself in the mirror - saw the cellulite on my arms and my fat tummy - and got upset. I had a talk with Paul and said ‘we can’t continue eating the way we are.’ He is also overweight – obese really with a big tummy and man boobs – which as well as looking awful, is bad for our health. So we went for a walk round the site, and I got bitten by loads of midges that were flying around. We must have swallowed tons as well. We went back to the van, played AC, watched TV and went to bed.
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| Amboise on The River Loire |
23rd April 2009
We didn’t bother with showers this morning, we had some breakfast, packed up, paid the bill and drove on to the next place. We needed some provisions so stopped at a Leclerc supermarket and bought water, milk, bread, burgers for a barbecue, sweeteners. Paul got a new bag and I got some knickers. Living the way we are at the mo’ you can never have too many knickers! We ate our lunch in the van in the supermarket car park – that’s becoming a bit of a habit - then drove to the town of Giverny where Monet used to live, to see the gardens.
It was absolutely beautiful – the gardens were so pretty. I don’t think its how the gardens where when he lived there mind you but it was beautiful in its own right. We went to the famous spot in the gardens where he painted his “Water Lilies” and stood on the spot and looked at the bridge, then had a wander round the house which was full of Japanese pictures. We took loads of photos and bought some postcards.
We left after a couple of hours and went the campsite we had chosen from our guidebook – well we got a bit lost at first and drove back up the same road, but we found it in the end. Although they had WiFi at €1 for 6 hours, it wasn’t a very nice campsite. Only 1 loo open and the rest were ‘squatting’ types - I just refuse to use them, yuck!! - And it was a bit like a Gypsy camp. The lady owner who showed us around said that some people lived there and they looked like typical gypsies so we didn’t stay. Shame as the location on the edge of a pretty village was really nice. Anyway, we drove on to another site which was in our ACSI guide and was in the middle of a huge wood in the Normandy area of France. It was called Chateau de Marcilly. There is no WiFi so we can’t check our emails and things and Paul couldn’t get a TV signal because of the trees but we did manage to borrow a lighter from our Dutch neighbours so we could light the BBQ. We ate dinner and chatted to the Dutch people and then went in and played Wii. With no TV signal, I expect we’ll move on tomorrow.
OMG! Although the campsite is in a lovely setting among the trees with cuckoos, an owl and a woodpecker, the showers are the worst yet! Paul came with me, and just as well as there were two bloody great stag beetles in the showers. The showers are unisex and there was water everywhere on the floor so it was impossible to dry yourself properly, and to cap it all, the bloody lights went out after five minutes. I wrapped myself in my towel and went back to the van. French campsite showers are appalling quality, nowhere near as good as the UK.
It was absolutely beautiful – the gardens were so pretty. I don’t think its how the gardens where when he lived there mind you but it was beautiful in its own right. We went to the famous spot in the gardens where he painted his “Water Lilies” and stood on the spot and looked at the bridge, then had a wander round the house which was full of Japanese pictures. We took loads of photos and bought some postcards.
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| The Famous Bridge at Monet's Gardens |
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| Chateau de Marcilly Campsite |
OMG! Although the campsite is in a lovely setting among the trees with cuckoos, an owl and a woodpecker, the showers are the worst yet! Paul came with me, and just as well as there were two bloody great stag beetles in the showers. The showers are unisex and there was water everywhere on the floor so it was impossible to dry yourself properly, and to cap it all, the bloody lights went out after five minutes. I wrapped myself in my towel and went back to the van. French campsite showers are appalling quality, nowhere near as good as the UK.
22nd April 2009
We got up and showered – I’m not having one tomorrow as there was nowhere to go and dry my feet. There are separate sink cubicles, but the floor in there, is wetter than the shower cubicles and muddy too! I had to put my t-shirt on and walk back to the van with my towel round my lower half as it was too wet to get dressed. There’s no dry area in the shower room to put your clothes and towels either. So, although the campsite is lovely, the showers are bloody awful. Who designs these places? I bet they’ve never used them, grrr!
I watered my flowers on Animal Crossing then we walked - yes walked - into the old town but took the scenic route along the River Seine, which was really pretty. We should have taken the camera but didn’t want to carry it. We came back and had lunch in the little restaurant on site. Mushroom omelette and frites – it was simple but really good. The owner brought us a complimentary drink which he explained – in French – was his grandfather's recipe. It was a sort of apple whiskey. Paul though it was Marc – a French spirit distilled from grapes more usually found in the Rhone Valley. I didn’t like it as it was very strong so Paul drank mine as well. The man said his father was Spanish and his mother Italian. He and his wife don’t speak English at all but we managed to converse okay. Their children saw a huge beetle on the wall and got really excited about it. I went to have a look and the man picked it up and showed it to me before putting it in the grass. He explained that it was a type of Scarab beetle. It was quite big and had a nasty looking point at its bottom end. Paul paid for lunch – it was only €11, so we gave them €15. We don’t often tip, but they were really friendly and the service was good too.
We came back to the van and sat in the sun for a while but it’s not as warm as it was yesterday so I thought I would go and play Animal Crossing for a bit. I played for a while and then Paul came in and said he would have a lie down for half an hour – I expect due to the affects of the Marc he had for lunch! – so I went and sat in the sun as he said it was warmer now. It wasn’t, so I went and had a sleep too. I got up later and decided to walk back along the river and take the camera with me this time. Paul didn’t want to come. I got the camera out and set off. It was nice wandering along in the evening sun. I took some good photos I think, I’ve not seen them yet.
On the way back, it was deserted, which was okay until I got to a small park. Just after it, up a few wide steps was an empty, derelict looking building, with a man standing in the doorway. His van was parked on the path I had to walk along. He stopped what he was doing and watched me walk towards his van. He was creepy looking with greasy black hair, and he had this look on his face – it wasn’t pleasant. It was a look that made me stop. So I stood still and pretended to do something to my camera and glanced up, to see him still watching me. Then he came down, and leaned against the back of his van, and just stared at me. I wanted to be brave and just walk past him, but all my instincts told me not to. Then he turned into the back of his van and got out this big hammer thing about the size of a baseball bat. He turned back to look at me again, whilst holding the tool in one hand and tapping it into the other, and by now I was absolutely s****** myself. I didn’t know what to do, so just stood there playing with the camera. He walked back up into the building, so I started walking again but he looked out of the doorway, and came down towards me again. There was nobody else around and my writer's imagination was working overtime. It would have been so easy for him to hit me with the hammer thing, put me in the back of his van and drive off somewhere. I was absolutely terrified. Back in the park there was a man playing football with a young boy and I thought about going back and asking him to walk with me past the van because I was so frightened, but my French isn’t great and he may not have spoken English. Then I saw a path leading up to the main road so I went that way. I didn’t have a clue how to get from there to the campsite, and was crying by now. I just turned right and walked all along the main road and eventually got to the campsite in a bit of a state. I don’t think I’ll go for a walk on my own again! I really do believe that man had bad intentions, and if I had walked towards him, I may not be here now.
Back at the van, we sat outside and ate dinner – quiche, couscous and salad - and as we finished, a female duck and three drakes swooped down looking for food. I went inside and got a couple of Danish pastries. Paul ate one and I fed the other to the ducks, much to his annoyance ha ha.
I then went off and did the washing up but had the sense this time to take the washing up bowl so it didn’t matter that there was no plug.
While standing there doing the dishes I thought, how lovely is this, doing the dishes at the side of the River Seine with a beautiful view of the river and the bridge. So I finished the dishes, went back and got the camera and took some pictures to show what it was like.
I watered my flowers on Animal Crossing then we walked - yes walked - into the old town but took the scenic route along the River Seine, which was really pretty. We should have taken the camera but didn’t want to carry it. We came back and had lunch in the little restaurant on site. Mushroom omelette and frites – it was simple but really good. The owner brought us a complimentary drink which he explained – in French – was his grandfather's recipe. It was a sort of apple whiskey. Paul though it was Marc – a French spirit distilled from grapes more usually found in the Rhone Valley. I didn’t like it as it was very strong so Paul drank mine as well. The man said his father was Spanish and his mother Italian. He and his wife don’t speak English at all but we managed to converse okay. Their children saw a huge beetle on the wall and got really excited about it. I went to have a look and the man picked it up and showed it to me before putting it in the grass. He explained that it was a type of Scarab beetle. It was quite big and had a nasty looking point at its bottom end. Paul paid for lunch – it was only €11, so we gave them €15. We don’t often tip, but they were really friendly and the service was good too.
We came back to the van and sat in the sun for a while but it’s not as warm as it was yesterday so I thought I would go and play Animal Crossing for a bit. I played for a while and then Paul came in and said he would have a lie down for half an hour – I expect due to the affects of the Marc he had for lunch! – so I went and sat in the sun as he said it was warmer now. It wasn’t, so I went and had a sleep too. I got up later and decided to walk back along the river and take the camera with me this time. Paul didn’t want to come. I got the camera out and set off. It was nice wandering along in the evening sun. I took some good photos I think, I’ve not seen them yet.
On the way back, it was deserted, which was okay until I got to a small park. Just after it, up a few wide steps was an empty, derelict looking building, with a man standing in the doorway. His van was parked on the path I had to walk along. He stopped what he was doing and watched me walk towards his van. He was creepy looking with greasy black hair, and he had this look on his face – it wasn’t pleasant. It was a look that made me stop. So I stood still and pretended to do something to my camera and glanced up, to see him still watching me. Then he came down, and leaned against the back of his van, and just stared at me. I wanted to be brave and just walk past him, but all my instincts told me not to. Then he turned into the back of his van and got out this big hammer thing about the size of a baseball bat. He turned back to look at me again, whilst holding the tool in one hand and tapping it into the other, and by now I was absolutely s****** myself. I didn’t know what to do, so just stood there playing with the camera. He walked back up into the building, so I started walking again but he looked out of the doorway, and came down towards me again. There was nobody else around and my writer's imagination was working overtime. It would have been so easy for him to hit me with the hammer thing, put me in the back of his van and drive off somewhere. I was absolutely terrified. Back in the park there was a man playing football with a young boy and I thought about going back and asking him to walk with me past the van because I was so frightened, but my French isn’t great and he may not have spoken English. Then I saw a path leading up to the main road so I went that way. I didn’t have a clue how to get from there to the campsite, and was crying by now. I just turned right and walked all along the main road and eventually got to the campsite in a bit of a state. I don’t think I’ll go for a walk on my own again! I really do believe that man had bad intentions, and if I had walked towards him, I may not be here now.
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| Food Food Quack Quack! |
I then went off and did the washing up but had the sense this time to take the washing up bowl so it didn’t matter that there was no plug.
While standing there doing the dishes I thought, how lovely is this, doing the dishes at the side of the River Seine with a beautiful view of the river and the bridge. So I finished the dishes, went back and got the camera and took some pictures to show what it was like.
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| The washing up area - just the place to socialise |
21st April 2009
We left the campsite without having a shower and I paid for our one night stay – €15.60 – and got back our ACSI camping card that we’d left as security, (that’s how the ACSI system works, you leave it as security instead of your passport), then we set off to drive to our next stop near Les Andelys on the River Seine.
I took some photos on the way of some massive wind turbines. They must have been at least 200 ft high – much higher than the ones we see in England.
We stopped for some shopping at a Carrefour Supermarket and then had lunch in the van. When we finished lunch and drove off, I heard a rattling sound that I hadn’t heard before. I walked back inside the van and saw that the roof window was open. I then panicked and got out a stool to stand on so I could reach it, but because Paul was still driving, I fell off. Paul stopped the van, came back and shouted at me. It wasn’t my fault, I was just trying to close the ruddy window!
I keep meaning to write about Paul getting into bed. Because he sleeps on the inside against the side wall of the van -it’s a bit longer than my side - it’s hard for him to climb into, so he does this kind of forward dive onto the bed, it’s so funny, ha ha. He jokes that he’s getting sheet burns on his elbows.
We finally got to the village of Les Andelys, which is really lovely, and we found the campsite - De I’ile, Des Trois Rois which is really nice. We’ve got a pitch right on the edge of the river. The showers look okay and there is a little restaurant too.
Paul started trying to set up the Satellite TV and I did some much needed washing. We both changed into some lighter weight clothes as it’s getting warmer now. I actually have a shirt and vest on!
We’re now sitting on the chairs in the sun – I’m writing this journal and Paul is playing guitar. The washing is on the clothes horse drying. The only blight is the damn flies; I’ve had to put some insect repellent on as there are loads of them.
I did a Thai Curry stir fry for dinner and then we went up to wash the dishes in the communal sinks. That was a bit of a laugh as there weren’t any plugs in the sinks and we had to wash the dishes under running water, the water pressure was quite high and when Paul put a plate under it he got soaked – ha ha. I Played Animal Crossing and we watched TV. Thank God we have satellite so can receive UK TV programmes. We can catch up on the soaps and all the other rubbish. Later on when we get further south, we won’t get any signal I expect.
I took some photos on the way of some massive wind turbines. They must have been at least 200 ft high – much higher than the ones we see in England.
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| Massive Wind Turbines |
I keep meaning to write about Paul getting into bed. Because he sleeps on the inside against the side wall of the van -it’s a bit longer than my side - it’s hard for him to climb into, so he does this kind of forward dive onto the bed, it’s so funny, ha ha. He jokes that he’s getting sheet burns on his elbows.
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| Les Andelys |
Paul started trying to set up the Satellite TV and I did some much needed washing. We both changed into some lighter weight clothes as it’s getting warmer now. I actually have a shirt and vest on!
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| De I’ile, Des Trois Rois Campsite Beside the Seine |
I did a Thai Curry stir fry for dinner and then we went up to wash the dishes in the communal sinks. That was a bit of a laugh as there weren’t any plugs in the sinks and we had to wash the dishes under running water, the water pressure was quite high and when Paul put a plate under it he got soaked – ha ha. I Played Animal Crossing and we watched TV. Thank God we have satellite so can receive UK TV programmes. We can catch up on the soaps and all the other rubbish. Later on when we get further south, we won’t get any signal I expect.
20th April 2009
We got up early and showered, had breakfast then set off to Folkestone to catch the Eurotunnel train. We chose this route because it was easy. It’s not the cheapest, just the most practical. We booked tickets on-line using our Tesco Clubcard points so it cost us nothing.
We arrived at the terminal earlier than we expected to, so we caught an early train. Thankfully it was all quite straightforward. You’re never sure when you haven’t done something before how complicated it’s going to be, but it was okay. The same as crossing in a car really.
Once in France, we initially got a bit lost as we were only going to use Route Nationale roads not motorways so that we didn’t have to pay tolls. This is a lot slower, but we had plenty of time anyway. We called at a garage to top up with fuel and this is when the petrol gun got stuck and wouldn’t switch off. We lost a lot of diesel and made a mess everywhere. I bet the garage staff said, ‘Bloody Brits’ or something similar ha ha. We then stopped at a supermarket and stocked up with food and other bits – BBQ tools and a sieve for rice. We had some lunch then drove to our first stop at Amiens.
The campsite is okay, although not up to UK standards, and is set on the edge of the city of Amiens. The showers aren’t great so just as well I had one this morning, as I won’t be using them tomorrow. Only part of the facilities were actually in operation as it’s still out of season here. I suspected they would be a bit grim – after all this is a country that still uses holes in the ground as toilets - so we can’t expect much from their camping facilities. (Note from Paul, this is just Tina’s natural Xenophobia - intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries - she loves the French really ha ha!)
We arrived at the terminal earlier than we expected to, so we caught an early train. Thankfully it was all quite straightforward. You’re never sure when you haven’t done something before how complicated it’s going to be, but it was okay. The same as crossing in a car really.
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| Eurotunnel So civilised |
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| Our first French campsite toilets! |
19th April 2009
We stopped at a caravan accessory store near Southampton to try and get a small travel BBQ and a hose, but they had neither. I did get a head cushion for our garden chair that didn’t have one (we lost it somewhere). I told a fib and got it free – how naughty! We also got some more toilet blue so we have enough to last us now. We aren’t sure if they have it in France and in any case we don’t know where the camping shops are. We drove on to Premier Motorhomes in Chichester to see if we could get the BBQ there but no joy, so we drove on to Sandy & Tony’s house.
We opened all the mail we’d had re-directed for the duration of our trip – thankfully there wasn’t much. No final bills for electric and gas yet so I emailed them, paid the water bill and then we left for Dover. We’ll be taking the Eurotunnel to France tomorrow. Oooh!
As we neared the campsite in Folkestone, we saw a caravan dealer so we stopped to see if by some chance they might have a small BBQ. Well would you believe it they did. We also bought some spare gas canisters for it. We then arrived at the last British campsite we’ll see for a while - Black Horse Farm Caravan Club site - and checked in.
We opened all the mail we’d had re-directed for the duration of our trip – thankfully there wasn’t much. No final bills for electric and gas yet so I emailed them, paid the water bill and then we left for Dover. We’ll be taking the Eurotunnel to France tomorrow. Oooh!
As we neared the campsite in Folkestone, we saw a caravan dealer so we stopped to see if by some chance they might have a small BBQ. Well would you believe it they did. We also bought some spare gas canisters for it. We then arrived at the last British campsite we’ll see for a while - Black Horse Farm Caravan Club site - and checked in.
The showers were the best we’d used so far, powerful water, proper cubicles, a place to put your things out of the spray, and a place to dry yourself, so no plodding back to the van with wet feet. We’ve decided that this is the worst aspect of the showers, walking backwards and forwards with wet feet. I hate my feet being wet and trying to get dressed – yuck!
***
And so that’s the end of our shakedown tour. We’ve learned a lot and bought a lot of extra things, but tried to stick to those items that we really need as opposed to things we thought we needed. The van has run very well, no problems, fuel consumption around 25 m.p.g and no oil used. It’s been comfortable to travel and sleep in and we’ve had a great view as we are high up. We’re looking forward to the next phase.
Problems encountered:-
***
The end of our Mini Tour of the UK
Miles travelled: 700 miles in 14 daysAnd so that’s the end of our shakedown tour. We’ve learned a lot and bought a lot of extra things, but tried to stick to those items that we really need as opposed to things we thought we needed. The van has run very well, no problems, fuel consumption around 25 m.p.g and no oil used. It’s been comfortable to travel and sleep in and we’ve had a great view as we are high up. We’re looking forward to the next phase.
Problems encountered:-
- Paul left our bottle of toilet blue on the ground after filling up the chemical loo at the Crossways campsite in Dorset. By the time we realised and went back some git had nicked it.
- In Riverside at Plymouth he left the water cap on a wall after filling up the tank but luckily we got that back.
- I got the blade stuck on the chemical loo and Paul got drowned in the back flush trying to free it – yuck! He got a face full of wee ha ha !. Good job it wasn’t anything else. We did vow after that that we would only use the toilet for weeing in just in case.
- We drove for about half an hour with the TV aerial still raised on the roof. Luckily it wasn’t damaged.
- I got two huge bruises on my arm and I fell over and twisted my ankle, I tripped over a ledge in the gravel whilst carrying the bag of washing. I felt the pain shoot through my ankle and thought ‘Oh No! I’ve buggered up my ankle, that’s the trip off then.’
- When Paul was filling up with diesel at a garage the trigger didn’t shut off properly and we had diesel all over the place, on the van, on the ground - about 5 litres which we had to pay for hmmm!
- A jar of Mango Chutney fell over in the fridge and the lid came off and it all leaked out and made a horrible mess;
Ha ha ha, luckily nothing too major and it’s given us a good laugh looking back on it.
18th April 2009
Had our showers and breakfast and drove to Kingston Lacey – a National Trust house. When we arrived and parked up, we noticed that we’d left the TV aerial up all the way there. Oops! We were lucky the wind didn’t rip it off. We had a shepherd’s pie for lunch in the restaurant and a nice look around the house. We returned to the campsite in the afternoon, and sat out on our chairs for a bit as it was actually sunny. Had steak for dinner then watched TV. We sleep really well in the van, almost better than we did at home. Maybe it’s our new stress free life, or possibly all the fresh air ha ha!
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| Donkeys at Brockenhurst New Forest |
17th April 2009
We went to a Tesco Store to stock up with food and then to M&S at Hedge End to stock up on t-shirts and combat trousers for me. I also got a summer weight coat. It was £70 so I wouldn’t get it but Paul went back and bought it for me, bless him. Drove back to the campsite and I made a chilli for dinner. We played Wii and watched TV.
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| Black Knowle Campsite New Forest |
16th April 2009
We had the work done on the van this morning, and while we waited, I did some washing and drying. The tumble dryer wouldn’t work halfway through the cycle and Paul broke the button when he pressed it in rather forcefully, so we had to get the camp warden to fix it. She didn’t know how to mend it, but she did do a really good French Pleat in my hair whilst we waited for someone else to fix it. Eddie Vanbitz sorted out the dryer eventually.
We left the site and made our way to the New Forest –Black Knowle Camping Club - the nicest campsite so far with ponies and donkeys wandering around everywhere. It was very busy though with lots of caravans and children.
You can contact Vanbitz at this link. The best in the land for security and power systems, and a great campsite to boot. Vanbitz Website
We left the site and made our way to the New Forest –Black Knowle Camping Club - the nicest campsite so far with ponies and donkeys wandering around everywhere. It was very busy though with lots of caravans and children.
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| French Pleat courtesy of Eddie Vanbitz Staff |
15th April 2009
We left Godrevy and stopped at the M&S shopping park at Hayle on the way back. Shanice and I were just looking at some clothes, when Paul phoned to say I’d better get back outside as he was about to be fined £80 for parking in the car park. Apparently the van was taking up more than one space because of the width and length, and some jobsworth was threatening to issue a fine. As I ran back to the van, I saw another motorhome trying to park, so I told them about our problem. They said in that case, they wouldn’t stop and give them their custom either. Paul was getting really angry and shouted at the parking attendant. It wasn’t as if the car park was busy, there was plenty of space. Paul found the man’s boss, and tried to reason with him, whilst the attendant continued to rant. The boss told the attendant to go away and said we’d be alright where we were, but we’d had enough by then, so didn’t bother.
We drove back to Plymouth to drop Shanice off, and pick up the stuff my dad had kept for us that we normally stored on the over-cab bed. We had a cup of tea and then got going. It was nice driving off with Mum & Dad, my sister and the kids all waving us goodbye. They’ve taken bets as to how long we’ll last! Dad’s given me two months, Mum three, and Maria the whole year. Let’s see who wins.
We stopped at Lee Mill lorry park to have a roll for lunch and as we drove off, Paul’s seat wasn’t locked in place so started to swivel round. Lol, it was funny but could have been dangerous. He won’t make that mistake again! Having said that, you just have to learn by your mistakes.
We drove up to Taunton to stop at Vanbitz again as Paul wanted to have an external cable fitted to the van so we could plug the satellite dish in for the TV once we left England. We’d also been having some trouble with the alarm they fitted - it kept going off for no apparent reason. We were talking about satellite dishes on the way down and Paul said, ‘The problem is we only have a 60cm dish which isn’t quite big enough for when we get to somewhere like Portugal or Spain. What we need is an 85cm dish minimum.’
So I said, ‘What size is the other little dish we’ve got?’
‘40cm,’ Paul replied.
‘So why don’t we just join the two together and then we will have a 100cm one.’ Paul was speechless and then I realised what I’d said. We had a good laugh about that.
We arrived in Taunton, and Paul dropped me at the town shops as we had been looking for some more 4ft wide fitted sheets for the bed. I found them in a small linen shop, the only place I’ve ever seen them. Now we had enough sheets for our journey. We drove to the Cornish Farm campsite - owned by Vanbitz - where they’d do the work we needed the next day. It was pouring with rain; no surprise there then! We didn’t do a lot that night, I played Animal Crossing and Paul went on the internet as we had free wifi access on the site.
We drove back to Plymouth to drop Shanice off, and pick up the stuff my dad had kept for us that we normally stored on the over-cab bed. We had a cup of tea and then got going. It was nice driving off with Mum & Dad, my sister and the kids all waving us goodbye. They’ve taken bets as to how long we’ll last! Dad’s given me two months, Mum three, and Maria the whole year. Let’s see who wins.
We stopped at Lee Mill lorry park to have a roll for lunch and as we drove off, Paul’s seat wasn’t locked in place so started to swivel round. Lol, it was funny but could have been dangerous. He won’t make that mistake again! Having said that, you just have to learn by your mistakes.
We drove up to Taunton to stop at Vanbitz again as Paul wanted to have an external cable fitted to the van so we could plug the satellite dish in for the TV once we left England. We’d also been having some trouble with the alarm they fitted - it kept going off for no apparent reason. We were talking about satellite dishes on the way down and Paul said, ‘The problem is we only have a 60cm dish which isn’t quite big enough for when we get to somewhere like Portugal or Spain. What we need is an 85cm dish minimum.’
So I said, ‘What size is the other little dish we’ve got?’
‘40cm,’ Paul replied.
‘So why don’t we just join the two together and then we will have a 100cm one.’ Paul was speechless and then I realised what I’d said. We had a good laugh about that.
We arrived in Taunton, and Paul dropped me at the town shops as we had been looking for some more 4ft wide fitted sheets for the bed. I found them in a small linen shop, the only place I’ve ever seen them. Now we had enough sheets for our journey. We drove to the Cornish Farm campsite - owned by Vanbitz - where they’d do the work we needed the next day. It was pouring with rain; no surprise there then! We didn’t do a lot that night, I played Animal Crossing and Paul went on the internet as we had free wifi access on the site.
14th April 2009
We drove to Cambourne to have a Beeny-Box fitted, which is a sliding storage box that they fit into the underside of the van.
Shanice and I walked into the town and she got a few things – some clothes and a present for her mum. I bought pasties for our lunch – yum! We did try to see the seals on our way back as the weather had improved a bit, but we got turned away from the car park – not enough room for a large motorhome.
We had fish and chips for dinner from the van that calls at the campsite twice a week.
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| BeenyBox Sliding locker Fitted to our Van |
We had fish and chips for dinner from the van that calls at the campsite twice a week.
Click this link to go to BeenyBox Website: BeenyBox
13th April 2009
Drove down to Hayle in Cornwall and stayed at the Godrevy Caravan Club site. It was pouring with rain – typical South West weather! Not much to do, so Shanice and I played Wii. We raced Lisa on Mario Kart in the evening. It’s quite a nice campsite apparently – if you can see anything through the rain! A short drive away is a National Trust car park where you can stop and watch seals in the bay below the cliffs. We may go there tomorrow if we have time.
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| Typical Cornwall Weather April |
12th April 2009
As Paul came out of the shower this morning he had a HUGE spider on his hand. It must have dropped off the roof of the shower or something. Yuck! I’m checking the showers thoroughly from now on!
We didn’t do much today, just sat on the chairs in the sun. Shanice played in the nearby park with a girl she met on the campsite. Later we went for a walk along the Plym River. We drove to the nearby Sainsbury’s to stock up on food and as I was getting out of the van, my foot slipped off the painted sidestep and I almost fell. Gosh, it frightened the life out of me! Later in the evening we went to the campsite restaurant for their carvery roast, which was actually really good.
We didn’t do much today, just sat on the chairs in the sun. Shanice played in the nearby park with a girl she met on the campsite. Later we went for a walk along the Plym River. We drove to the nearby Sainsbury’s to stock up on food and as I was getting out of the van, my foot slipped off the painted sidestep and I almost fell. Gosh, it frightened the life out of me! Later in the evening we went to the campsite restaurant for their carvery roast, which was actually really good.
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| Outside Sainsburys at Marsh Mills Plymouth |
11th April 2009
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| Davies Family at Plymouth Riverside Camping Site |
10th April 2009
My 46th Birthday!
I opened my cards, and then we got ready and drove to the Riverside campsite in Plymouth, which is rather nice and near Marsh Mills. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, and Mum and Dad came over and looked around the van. Mum bought me some chocolatess, two nighties and a pair of PJ’s for my birthday.
My brother Wayne and his girlfriend Kirsty came over and they liked the van too. Dad took us all out for a meal in the evening. We tried the Athenaeum but it was shut so we went to Leandras in Frankfurt Gate. I had moussaka – the best I’ve had for ages – and Paul had Chicken Maryland which he said he hadn’t had since he was a teenager. Yuck chicken with banana!
I opened my cards, and then we got ready and drove to the Riverside campsite in Plymouth, which is rather nice and near Marsh Mills. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, and Mum and Dad came over and looked around the van. Mum bought me some chocolatess, two nighties and a pair of PJ’s for my birthday.
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| Birthday Girl |
9th April 2009
Steve picked us up this morning and took us back to their house where Ann was babysitting Elenna and Serren the new baby, who is gorgeous bless her. She’s only nine weeks old. Ann gave her to me and I ended up cuddling her for the next three hours.
When I put her down she woke up and cried, but as soon as I picked her up again, she stopped and went to sleep - I must have the magic touch! Lisa and Dritan came over later and we had dinner together. Steve took us home - we are already calling the van home - about 8:30 pm.
When I put her down she woke up and cried, but as soon as I picked her up again, she stopped and went to sleep - I must have the magic touch! Lisa and Dritan came over later and we had dinner together. Steve took us home - we are already calling the van home - about 8:30 pm.
8th April 2009
We got up about 7am again; well actually we were woken up by the sound of an alarm going off somewhere. I knew it was inside our van, but we didn’t know where. So Paul got up and traced the sound. It was my small travel alarm clock, which the alarm hadn’t worked on for months! It suddenly decided to work whilst hidden away in one of the under-seat lockers. So we got up and had our showers. The camp showers turned out to be quite clean and civilised, so there was no need to use the on-board shower, which was okay but quite small. After breakfast, we packed up the van and set off for Weymouth – our next stop. We got to Crossways campsite about 1:30 pm and after checking in, drove around three times trying to choose a pitch.
We finally settled on one which was on grass as the only hard standings they have overlook their storage area which wasn’t very nice. We always try to pick a hard standing pitch because that seems easier, but later on we realised that as long as the ground wasn't too wet, there were advantages to having a softer surface. You try banging the securing pegs for the awning into a concrete pitch!
We were in a dip surrounded by trees, with birds singing – very pleasant. We sat on chairs in the sun under the awning, but what a palaver working out how to put the chairs up! It took us over half an hour, with me saying, ‘Don’t force it because you’ll break it,’ and Paul saying, ‘But it’s got to work somehow, the legs should go this way.’ He did it in the end by forcing it lol. Steve and Ann - Paul’s brother and sister-in-law - are coming soon and we are all going to the nearby pub for dinner, so we’re looking forward to that. Paul had to spend £10 at reception on a length of co-axial aerial cable to get the TV to work, and we didn’t have any internet signal either, but that doesn’t matter – the lovely surroundings make up for it.
The meal at the pub was okay and we had a lovely evening with Steve and Ann. Ann then drove us back to the campsite.
We finally settled on one which was on grass as the only hard standings they have overlook their storage area which wasn’t very nice. We always try to pick a hard standing pitch because that seems easier, but later on we realised that as long as the ground wasn't too wet, there were advantages to having a softer surface. You try banging the securing pegs for the awning into a concrete pitch!
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| Hooray Sunshine at last! Crossways Camping Dorset |
The meal at the pub was okay and we had a lovely evening with Steve and Ann. Ann then drove us back to the campsite.
7th April 2009
We got up about 7am and had showers, then breakfast – yoghurt and hot-cross buns – yummy! We decided to drive into Chichester and this is where we learnt lesson one! Do NOT expect to be able to go shopping in a small town as you can’t park anywhere in a 27ft long motorhome! After driving around the town four times, we stopped by a police car and Paul asked him if there was anywhere we could park in the town centre. What happened next was quite surprising. Paul came back to the van and said, ‘We’ve got a police escort.’
I laughed, ‘Yeah right,’ but he was serious. The kind young policeman said he would drive around and find us somewhere to park, so we followed him and sure enough, he did! He took us to a place in the town centre where we could park easily. With a cheery wave he drove off again. We decided he was either a very nice chap, or he’d been sitting in his car for ages, bored out of his head, and was pleased when we came along as it gave him something to do. I’d like to think it was the former.
On the subject of parking, how do you park a large motorhome in a supermarket car park or other parking area which is only really designed for cars? The secret here is to look for a space which has an overhang at the back; usually where the landscaped part of the parking area is flat and you can back the van so that it hangs over the landscaped area. That way, because of the length of the van, you aren't taking up another car space.
Anyway, back to Chichester. I got out and spoke to a traffic warden to ask if we’d be okay here, she said, ‘Yes, just get some vouchers and you can park here for up to an hour.’ A shop two doors along sold the required vouchers, so with the van safely parked, we wandered around Chichester town. I must say we were a bit nervous leaving the van. All our worldly goods were inside including an expensive digital TV and Nintendo Wii - our whole home in fact. It took a bit of getting used to just leaving it by the roadside. But we had a good alarm system.
I got a wash bag for my shampoo and stuff, a big waterproof bag to hold that and my towels for when I go to the shower blocks -99p courtesy of Robert Dyas – and a pretty hat from Accessorize for the Summer. Paul didn’t want anything. That was the hour gone, so we went back to the van and drove to the campsite. We had our dinner in the van that night and I played Animal Crossing on the Wii with Lisa – a girl I’ve become friends with through Animal Crossing Community. She lives in Houston, Texas. Because we now have a Dongle Modem and Router for our Mobile Phone network, we can access the internet on the move. The connection was a bit erratic and I lost it twice but it worked okay for a bit. Paul went to bed about 9:00 pm – I stayed up playing with Lisa until about 11:00.
I laughed, ‘Yeah right,’ but he was serious. The kind young policeman said he would drive around and find us somewhere to park, so we followed him and sure enough, he did! He took us to a place in the town centre where we could park easily. With a cheery wave he drove off again. We decided he was either a very nice chap, or he’d been sitting in his car for ages, bored out of his head, and was pleased when we came along as it gave him something to do. I’d like to think it was the former.
On the subject of parking, how do you park a large motorhome in a supermarket car park or other parking area which is only really designed for cars? The secret here is to look for a space which has an overhang at the back; usually where the landscaped part of the parking area is flat and you can back the van so that it hangs over the landscaped area. That way, because of the length of the van, you aren't taking up another car space.
Anyway, back to Chichester. I got out and spoke to a traffic warden to ask if we’d be okay here, she said, ‘Yes, just get some vouchers and you can park here for up to an hour.’ A shop two doors along sold the required vouchers, so with the van safely parked, we wandered around Chichester town. I must say we were a bit nervous leaving the van. All our worldly goods were inside including an expensive digital TV and Nintendo Wii - our whole home in fact. It took a bit of getting used to just leaving it by the roadside. But we had a good alarm system.
I got a wash bag for my shampoo and stuff, a big waterproof bag to hold that and my towels for when I go to the shower blocks -99p courtesy of Robert Dyas – and a pretty hat from Accessorize for the Summer. Paul didn’t want anything. That was the hour gone, so we went back to the van and drove to the campsite. We had our dinner in the van that night and I played Animal Crossing on the Wii with Lisa – a girl I’ve become friends with through Animal Crossing Community. She lives in Houston, Texas. Because we now have a Dongle Modem and Router for our Mobile Phone network, we can access the internet on the move. The connection was a bit erratic and I lost it twice but it worked okay for a bit. Paul went to bed about 9:00 pm – I stayed up playing with Lisa until about 11:00.
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| Our first ever campsite, Rowan Park, Bognor Regis |
6th April 2009
Well, that’s it; we’re now homeless and will spend the next however long living in our motorhome!
The plan is for a year, but it may be shorter or longer than that, depends how we get on.
So, the removal company finished by about 12:30 pm and after a final check round the bungalow, we set off about 1:00 pm. I was a bit sad as I felt that I was leaving Fluff behind, but I hope she will be with us wherever we go.
We spent the first night in Bognor Regis at Rowan Park campsite. We got there about 3ish and spent some time putting away all our stuff. I’m surprised at how much we can actually store – it’s more than I thought.
Then Sandy collected us 5:45 pm and we went back to hers for dinner. She took us back to the van about 10:00 pm, and Paul and I slept like logs. The bed is lovely; we both slept really well in it.
The plan is for a year, but it may be shorter or longer than that, depends how we get on.
So, the removal company finished by about 12:30 pm and after a final check round the bungalow, we set off about 1:00 pm. I was a bit sad as I felt that I was leaving Fluff behind, but I hope she will be with us wherever we go.
Then Sandy collected us 5:45 pm and we went back to hers for dinner. She took us back to the van about 10:00 pm, and Paul and I slept like logs. The bed is lovely; we both slept really well in it.
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| Everything in and Ready for Bed |
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