Hi All,
Sorry we've not posted a reply since returning from Spain & France, already two weeks back. But, as they say, time really does fly. Fun or not! And we came back to quite a few personal isues to deal with (death, council, poisonings, new job....I kid you not! Yer know, boring everyday issues that life throws at you).
I'll quickly list the fun bits and lousy bits of our mini epic journey covering 1870, 78 gallons of fuel, a mere cup of oil and just under a pint (this leads to the poisoning bit) of coolant. Then post a long un with pics later.
Not in any particular chronological order. Just as I remember them.
FUN BITS....
The feeling you get inside on the first day of a mini adventure holiday. Exmoor, Lymouth and Lynton in Devon and it's water powered cliff railway. Just fantastic; thank the Victorian's yet again. Our camper running like a dream. Lovely little C&C campsite near Umberleigh. Getting on the ferry port in Plymouth with 15 mins to spare. Phew!.. Getting a free meal on board due to money till malfunction.Smoothest ferry crossing ever. Our cosy little cabin. Seeing Santander in early morning sunshine. Absolutely everything about Spain; beer, weather, cheap petrol; one euro 15 cents. Excellent campsites & facilities, beaches, food, spanish beer, roads, mountains, snow, meadows, cowbells. Beer, people, San Vicente, Potes, San Sebastien. The Picos National Park. The lakes at Riano on the N621. Eagles & vultures. Cave museum at Altamira. Sunshine, cycling, beer. Friendly brit couple who, amazingly, lived just down the road from us, in Swanley. Wild Pyrenees mountain passes. French bread, cheese, tomatoes, rose wine & strawberries. Meeting old friends, now living in an isolated (with two horse, two rotts, two yorkies, one blind and deaf jack russell and two ferrets...phew!) log cabin near Pompadour, south west of Limoge. The beautiful french towns of Condolens, Bergerac, Mont St Michel, Le Crotoy. Markets on a French bank holiday. Cycling around ll de Re (island beyond La Rochelle) in brilliant sunshine after two days of miserable, wet & stormy weather . The bridge over the River Siene, near Le Harve; A BIG WOW factor despite costing 8 euros.
Thought provoking martyred town of Oradour sur Glanes. Cheap hotel, with oh so hot showers & brill pizza restaurant, in Vitre. Just being free!!! but getting home and sleeping in our bed. And much much more....
LOUSY BITS....
Our new engine misfiring just three miles after leaving home.
Clears after 20 or so miles. Our camper breaking down the next day, 40 miles from Plymouth and 90 minutes before departure. It wont pull away without max revs and lots of misfires and backfiring on the overun.
Not getting (luckily) through to ferry company to cancel our tickets. All three 12 volt outlets not working or blowing fuses (bought an invertor and appropriate adapters for equipment). Feeling totally fecked off. Calling company that fitted engine. From the symptoms I give them it's narrowed down to either electrics or carb. My feelings are it's the choke sticking on (correctly diagnosed as it happens). The 10 minutes of arguing with Maxine and finally agreeing to cancel our dream holiday as the engine is too unpredictable. Then start good ol Poppit and she runs a dream for the next 1600 miles. Maxine suffering from sea sickness (she was ill at the Earl Court Boat Show some years back!!!).
France being so so expensive..7 euros for two small ice creams & petrol one euro 50 cent a litre. The weather being crappy, stormy (and not able to use pop top) and rainy for two day. Down to 8c during the day and wet and damp at night. Front and rear windscreens leaking water. 12 volt fan not working. Vehicle heater fan squealing like a greased pig then failing. Campsites being closed or without hot water. Too much driving. Not meeting
toomanytoys north east of Limoge (sorry Si). Peages, France really is a big place. Not enough time to chill and take in more views. Not finding a petrol garage that's open. The £100 that Sea France rips me off for a single crossing to Dover. M20, crap driving, foreign lorries and lane contraflows. Being home. And probably a few other niggly things that don't come to mind.
We had a grand mini adventure and luckily no more problems with the engine. A bit too much driving and not enough chillin' though. And in all honesty I preferred Devon and Spain to France. Driving in stormy conditions for some four hundred miles over two day was tiring and drained us of our joi de vive we had found in Spain. Next time we'll take the ferry to Santander and spend more time around northern Spain. It has so much to offer and is great value for money.
However, looking out the window I can't say it's good to be home, though.
See some of you at Plymouth next week?
Maxine and Stuart
