theadventurecontinues – THREE GO TRAVELLING

Back to Europe – a meander to Hungary.

We’ve set off on our next tour – we’re heading to Hungary, but we’re not in a rush to get there! Our route will take us through France to Germany, across Austria and into Hungary. As always, we don’t have a set route but a vague idea!

We arrived at the Tunnel in good time and headed to the Pet Check-In, where we hit our first problem, Reg’s Animal Health Certificate (AHC) didn’t have the date of his microchip so there was no proof he’d had it inserted before he had his Rabies vaccination. Luckily, we had his puppy and vaccination records with us and we were able to prove the date of both. We were on our way, a quick stop for a breakfast bap at Leon and we were on a much earlier train than we’d booked. As normal, the crossing was eventless (not a bad thing, baring in mind the week before there was an evacuation of the train) and our arrival in France was upon us.

Leaving the tunnel, we headed on the autoroute to Felleries and a Camping-Car Park Aire, https://www.campingcarpark.com/en_GB/ , on the edge of the village, on the site of the old municipal camping ground and the old station. At the entrance is a monument of the elephant, Jenny, who was brought to the town to aid the German war effort in the First World War, by moving logs and even righting an overturned train. She must have meant a lot to the people of the village, as an elephant is part of the town logo. In the town itself, there is a cafe, grocery store and museum. A little further out of the village is a bakery, it’s a short-ish walk, perfect for a dog walk!

Our next stop, was at Charny-sur-Meuse, another Camping-Car Park Aire, next to the river Meuse and not far from the town of Verdun. We walked around the town of Bras-sur-Meuse, along the canal into the village via a French National War Cemetery and along the high street to another bakery, before returning back to the stopover.

Heading further south, we stopped at the thermal spa town of Contrexéville, in the Vosges mountains and the Camping-Car Park Aire, just outside the town. It is next door to a large campsite, and a short walk down to the spa town. After Contrexéville, we travelled towards the German border and the Camping-Car Park Aire at the Île du Rhin, right in the middle of the Rhine River and on the border. A short walk to the local town, took us into Germany and the town of Breisach.

Germany beckons and a trip through the Black Forest to Bavaria. The first part of our journey was thwarted with roadworks and diversions, including a 16 Km one through the mountains! We arrived at our chosen campsite, to be met with a site, which we didn’t really like the look of, so we set off again and found a nice site, Campinghof Salem https://www.campingcarpark.com/en_GB/ outside the town of Salem near Lake Konstanz. There are a number of walking and cycling routes from the site and the local town is within walking distance.

Onwards to Bavaria, and the lovely camping site Campingplatz Dummerhof https://www.campingplatz-demmelhof.de/ right on the lake, with a lovely restaurant and bar, fresh bread is available in the morning. The lake has a beach area and is safe for swimming and paddling. This is one we’ve added to our list to return to! On our route we passed close to the Zeppelin Museum and in the sky there was a Zeppelin flying – not something you see every day!

Austria beckons and we’ve headed to the town of Mayrhofen. Over the border there is a big dam and reservoir, the Tegernsee, with a big viewing platform. We travelled through the Tyrolean mountains into Mayrhofen and the campsite https://www.campingplatz-tirol.at/en/. Located at the edge of the town, it’s a short walk up to the town centre, with a lot of shops and attractions, including the Mountopolis attraction, with summer and winter activities. https://www.mayrhofen.at/en/pages/mountopolis-mountain-experience-summer

Next, we travelled east to the town of Maishofen, and the campsite Camping Bad Neunbrunnen https://www.camping-neunbrunnen.at/ where they now offer a stellplatz style camping stop, be aware it is cash only, and Austria doesn’t seem to have many free cash points – and they vary in cost of transaction! The campsite has a large lake, which can be swum in (and people did, but….)! The views of the mountains were spectacular and the morning sunshine poked through the clouds.

Continuing our journey eastwards, our next stop was in the village of Aigen im Enstall https://www.camping-putterersee.at/en/ I think I came here as a schoolgirl skiing, but 40 years is a long time to remember! There are a lot of walks, hikes and cycle routes around and a short drive away is the mountain activity centre, Dachstein. A walk into the village, will take you along the lake, where there are various activities taking place – including swimming – the lake is the warmest in Austria, apparently, Further reading informs us, that the water quality is excellent due to the boggy bottom (that’s enough to put me off swimming in it – along with the midges around the lake edge) and it was used to dispose of armaments, at the end of the Second World War, as the Allies approached.

Our final stop in Austria, was the village of Burgau, and the campsite Schloss Burgau – we have been here before on our trip south in 2019. As we put our destination in to Ditsy Daisy Sat Nav, she informed us that we would enter an environmental zone (like the LEZ – low emissions zone – in England), checking on the internet, Austria doesn’t sign these zones, but there is a fine for not having the appropriate badges displayed on vehicles. We made a trip to a local authorised seller, and added another badge to our windscreen.

As we awoke on our last morning in Austria, we were greeted by the sight of hot air balloons above the village, a fitting farewell. So for now it’s Tschüss Österreich – bis später (Bye Austria, see you soon)!

As always, thank you for reading, we hope you and your families are safe and well and we’ll update you from our next stop – Hungary!

Week 13: #oneyearlate – the tour continues: The Road to the Isles, Roy Bridge, Bunree and Oban.

Leaving our first UK off-grid stop, we continued along the A861 and the peninsula to the ferry port at Ardgour, where we chose to take the ferry to Corran and drive up to Fort William to fill up with diesel and groceries, rather than the longer return along the A830, before heading back along the A830, past the Glenfinnan Viaduct (a seen in Harry Potter) and the Locks at Banavie – Neptune’s Locks and on to Arisaig and the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Certified Location (CL) The Small Isles CL Caravan Site https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/scotland/highlands/arisaig/small-isles-cl-caravan-site-arisaig/ I had been looking to find the campsite, we stayed at near here many years before and when I found it there was no availability! I looked on the CMC website and found this one, thinking it would be a good substitute! Well, on arrival, it was NEXT DOOR! What a find and perfect for Birthday Celebrations! Access to the white sandy beach is direct from the campsite and you can just see the steam of the Jacobite Train, a.k.a. Hogwarts Express. We did actually catch up with it on our journey back to the Mainland! This site is one we wouldn’t want to share but that is so unfair to the owners, who have made it lovely!

Returning back to the mainland, we saw the steam of the Jacobite Train (Hogwarts Express) https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/steam-train-trip and managed to get some photos (and a video of the afternoon train). We headed back up to Ben Nevis and on to Roy Bridge, where we had opted to stop at Bunroy Park https://www.bunroypark.co.uk/. There is a perfect river walk right along the edge of the campsite.

After Bunroy, we headed back to Fort William and the CMC Club Site at Bunree. On our way we stopped for lunch alongside the Loch Leven, before joining the ever increasing queue for the campsite. The prime pitches are lochside and not bookable, so there is a scramble to get them, but in our usual manner, we were hopeful but not expectant…. We got a great one – home for three nights and with differing weather (including a big gust of wind one early morning, which saw us and others, putting away our wind-out canopies! Despite arriving in sunshine, we were lucky over the next two days to get a break in the rain, but the views were spectacular when there was a break.

Moving on, in persistent rain, we headed south along the coast to Oban and Oban Caravan Park https://obancaravanpark.com/. Oban is a lively town and ferry port, the ferries from here go to a lot of the smaller Isles as well as the Outer Hebrides. The town has a slightly more cosmopolitan feel than many of the others, we’ve visited, probably due to the number of visitors it gets each day, along with the number of shops, restaurants and bars. Oban Caravan Park is located on a slight hill, with views down over the Loch and the countryside.

We’re heading south again tomorrow, find out how we got on soon! As ever, thank you for reading. Hoping you and your families are safe and well…

Week 9: #oneyearlate – Findhorn to Dornoch: Starting the NC500

Continuing our tour northwards, we made our way along the Aberdeenshire and Moray Coastlines to Findhorn, where we had found an overnight stop, similar to the aires in Europe. Right on the edge of the dunes, with facilities to empty and fill, we booked in for two nights. Walking along the beach, Reg loved the sand and the sea water. We followed the coastline around to the marina and through to the village. There is a fish and chip stand and a restaurant, as well as a village store and pottery. Local attractions also include the Heritage Museum and Ice Cave. Dolphins can be seen here in the sea, but we didn’t manage to see any. https://www.findhornparking.com/

Next, we drove to Inverness, the start of the NC500 is actually at the Castle so we headed up to find it. Afterwards we headed up to a Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Certified Location (CL) at the Brahan Estate https://brahan.com/ Originally the home to the Seaforths, heads of the Clan of MacKenzie, one of the first clans to surrender their arms and swear allegiance to the English Crown, in the Jacobite Uprising. There is plenty to do and see here. The campsite is located in the trees along the main roadway to the Arboretum, which was started in the late 17th Century. We met a lovely couple, with their two Border Terriers, Stan and Ted, who were there for the Sheep Mart, in Dingwall.

A walk through the Arboretum, will bring you to the Dog Memorial, where thirteen dogs are buried including an elaborate grave for Cruiser, for faithful friend and companion of Col. Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth. He accompanied the 9th Lancers throughout the Afghan Campaign 1878 – 79 – 80, including the March from Kabul to Kandahar b.1878 d.1895.

Continuing to walk down towards the river, we saw people fly fishing with a Ghillie, all available to be booked from the Estate Office and following the River Walk, we met a lot of deer in the fields adjacent. Another route through the Estate, will take you to the village of Maryburgh. This is another little site we have on our list to return to.

Our next stop and Stage 2 of our NC500 route took us from Maryburgh to Dornoch. There is an actual marked NC500 route and although we will follow it as much as we can, we’re not planning to follow it exactly.

Following the Cromarty Firth, we travelled a route we had done many years before up to Tain and our camping site at Dornoch. Before we had stopped at the Royal Hotel Tain and the Dornoch Castle Hotel, and we drove up to find them! Nothing had changed they and the towns looked the same. The campsite at Dornoch, is located on the edge of the dunes and the Royal Dornoch Golf Course. Just behind you is the local airstrip and a short walk will take you to the town itself. We walked in to the town, before letting Reg have a run on another sandy beach, where again he chases and attacks the waves!

Stage 3 of our NC500 route took us from Dornoch to a CMC CL outside Helmsdale, at a small village called Berriedale Braes. The Kings Park, https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/scotland/highlands/helmsdale/the-kings-park/ Our drive up took us along the North Sea, and at times the cloud was below the road, and stopping us from seeing the sea. When we arrived at the CL, we were met by the owners and directed to the site, through the field with a Donkey and Sheep. The views were amazing with mountains, countryside and the sea and the sun came out and the clouds disappeared.

We headed up to Wick for a drive and to clean the very dirty Nortia, we had seen a jet wash on our first trip up for shopping, but when we arrived we couldn’t find it and thought we had dreamt it’s location! We turned around and headed back, but then discovered it – visible southbound but not northbound! Having coated Nortia in a lovely mix of sorbet pink, yellow and green hot foam, and then cold rinsed, she was looking lovely again. Apologies if we made it rain for you, we were still in lovely sunshine!

Dirty Nortia – sorbet hot wash – Clean Nortia! Yes, I did help too, can’t photo and scrub….!

We’re off on Stage 4 next… We’ll be back with another update, soon. Thank you for reading. We hope you’re safe and well and enjoying our tales.

Week 8: #oneyearlate – Scotland. Forfar to Gardenstown, we’re heading north.

Heading up along the east coast, a part of Scotland we’ve not managed to visit before and we’re not sure why! We arrived at Forfar, but not before we had a quick stop at Arbroath, we were heading up to look at a smokery we’d seen on TV and get some Arbroath Smokies, but our fridge has had a little issue – it’s not cooling, and the freezer not freezing. We’re not too sure why, but it started when we weren’t completely level for a couple of days and followed by it completely defrosting. We asked a question on a web forum and these could be the reasons… so instead of Arbroath Smokies, we bought a 12v Cool Box! We headed to our stopover at Forfar, back through Carnoustie, where they were setting up for the Women’s Open Golf Tournament.

Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) Site – Forfar Lochside – is located on the edge of the town (about a five minute walk) and a Loch (about a three mile, one hour walk around, direct from the van door! The town is an unexpected gem, and no shortage of pubs! We walked up to the Balmashanner War Memorial at the top of the hill, 174 metres above sea level, and dedicated to those who died in the First World War from Forfar and the surrounding District.

From Forfar, we headed further north towards Banff and McDuff, staying at a little CAMC Certified Location – Gamrie Bay. Just uphill (about two miles) from the picturesque village and harbour of Gardenstown. We walked down the hill, along the coast to Crovie and back up an even steeper hill three and a half miles in total! The campsite is a perfect gem, with a lovely area to walk Reg. The Host Lyn is so welcoming, we WILL be back…https://gamriebay.co.uk/

We’re heading off further north and the next few nights we’ll be without electricity, rather more nights than ever before…Thank you as always for reading, we hope you’re safe and well and we’ll be back soon with more tales of our #oneyearlate trip….

Week 7: #oneyearlate – Scotland beckons.

Apologies for the lateness of this update… we’ve been off-grid, not quite in the wilds, but without electricity and the laptop. Although we can update on the tablet, we can’t add in photos, so thought it best to wait…

Leaving the North York Moors, we headed further north to Northumberland and the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Site at Nunnykirk. Right in the middle of the countryside, but with a couple of towns nearby, but with plenty of footpaths to take advantage of. We stopped for two nights while heading up to the Scottish Border. https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/north-east-england/northumberland/nunnykirk-caravan-club-site/?utm_source=localsearch&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

Leaving Nunnykirk, we headed up to Berwick-on-Tweed, passing Craigside, which we visited in 2019. Having stopped for something to eat. we crossed the border – Reg’s first time in Scotland and country number three for him! We arrived in North Berwick and the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Site of Yellowcraig.

Yellowcraig CMC site is close to the beach and woodlands. The John Muir Way passes the site and you can follow it to the pretty town of Dirleton, with it’s castle ruins or back to North Berwick. THe beach is a lovely sandy beach and Reg loved playing in the gentle waves. The lighthouse here, on the Island of Fidra, in the bay was the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, Treasure Island. After two nights here, we headed slightly inland to the town of Bonnybridge and a CMC Certified Location (CL) Underwood Caravan Park. We later found out that our friends, Sheila and John, who we’d met in Spain had arrived the night before we left…if only we’d known; to be fair the campsite is quite large and in separate areas.

Underwood Caravan Park, is located on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and was only opened in April this year. The site is a lovely well laid-out site, right on the canal path (and about ten minutes from the Motorway). We headed to the Falkirk Wheel on our way there and had a wander around, but you can cycle along the canal to both the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies, with this in mind, we will be back… https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/scotland/stirlingshire/Stirling/underwood-caravan-park/

Our next destination was the Buffalo Farm, Kirkcaldy https://www.thebuffalofarm.co.uk/. We have wanted to visit this since hearing about the Farm on the BBC’s This Farming Life and had never quite been in the right place. Heading over the Forth Bridge (we did aim for it, but it is now closed to general vehicles) so had to head over the new Queensferry Bridge instead. In true Scottish tradition, it started to rain, but arriving at the Buffalo Farm, the sun came out and we were able to enjoy some lunch, al fresco!

Our next stop is the CMC Site at Balbirnie Park. Balbirnie Park Site, is located in the country park of the same name, with a golf course, walled gardens and footpaths. It is also close to the town of Markinch, which is located on the Fife Pilgrim Way. This trail runs from Culross to St. Andrews. St Andrews was one of the main pilgrimage destinations in Medieval Europe. People travelled to be near the bones of St Andrew, one of Jesus’ disciples. This was considered to be the next best thing to being in the Holy Land and walking in the footsteps of Jesus himself. St Andrews joined ranks in terms of importance with the popular disciple destinations of Rome (St Peter) and Santiago de Compostela (St James the Great).https://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/walks/fife-pilgrim-way/

We’re heading further north now along the east coast… Thank you for reading and hopefully you’re enjoying our trip. We hope you and your families are safe and well, we’ll be back soon ;)…

Week 6: #oneyearlate – Heading North – Derbyshire, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Moors.

Heading north towards Scotland, this week we chose to stop in the Peak District, at a Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) Certified Location (CL) New Mills Marina, on the Peak Forest Canal. There are a lot more canals than we had heard of! This one, was built to transport Derbyshire Limestone to Manchester. The site at New Mills Marina, is a lovely location, on the edge of the town with access to the towpath, the Millenium Walkway, and through the Torrs Riverside Park. We walked along the towpath to Furnace Vale Marina (and back). Opposite the site is the Swizzels Factory and the smell of sweets lingers in the air! If you are going to go to this site, and you get the opportunity, book pitch 5, it’s got the best views and a bit of grass. We had to settle for Pitch 4! https://newmillsmarina.com/caravan-park/

Heading further north, we chose to to cross the Peak District on the scenic Woodhead Pass, but just as we got there, the weather changed and we were surrounded by cloud and mizzle. Heading into West Yorkshire and the Minster Town of Dewsbury. On arrival, the town looked scenic and picturesque. We found our CL at Savile Town Wharf, just outside the main town, behind the old industrial part of the town. Located on the Calder and Hebble Navigation, and part of the Marina, with easy access to the towpaths, cycle routes and footpaths. This we’re afraid to say is about as good as it gets. We were glad we’d only booked two nights, the town is unappealing, despite the architecture and promise. Apologies if we’ve offended anyone but this is our view.

After our stay at Savile Wharf Marina, we headed up into the North Yorkshire Moors and the CMC Club Site, the Howard, Rosedale Abbey. Just outside the pretty Market town of Pickering (be aware, Monday is Market Day and the town can be very busy). Rosedale Abbey is a small village with a couple of pubs, a village store and two campsites, but views to die for. There is no phone network coverage or WiFi, here! We arrived following Ditsy Daisy and over the Rosedale Chimney Route, a picturesque route over the moors, but with a 1:3 descent into the village, not for the faint-hearted (our hill assist, decided to send us warnings and the clutch and brakes were definitely glad of a rest on arrival. There are a lot of walks in this area, and although we tried a couple, there were many more…

We’re still heading north and the border is getting closer. As always thank you for reading, we continue to hope you and your families are safe and well. We’ll be back with another update soon…

Back on the Road: Week 7 – A tour of Kent (and back to Sussex)

We left our campsite at Pluckley and headed to Lydden, just outside Margate. En route we stopped off at Headcorn Aerodrome, where about 30 years ago I did my (Sarah) one (and only) parachute jump! Our little tour of Kent, took us up through Sandwich and along the coast.

Lydden Farm Campsite https://www.lyddenfarm.co.uk/ is one of the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Certified Locations and it is another gem. £13 a night, maximum of five pitches and a short walk to shops and Margate, however our walk was curtailed by a busy main road and fly-tipping! We chose to have a driving tour around the Isle of Thanet, down to Ramsgate (again a cycle ride away on the Viking Coastal Trail) up to Broadstairs into Margate and on to Herne Bay.

Part of our reason for visiting Margate was to view the Anthony Gormley Statue, Another Place. A word to the wise… Check the tide times! At high tide the statue is completely submerged. We, also, headed past the Amusement Park of Dreamland. We did manage to just see his head, when we came back on Friday, heading off.

From the campsite there were various walking and cycling routes and dog walking for Reg was great. On Wednesday, we were informed that our weekend stop in East Hoathly, was waterlogged and we had been cancelled! What now, it’s a Bank Holiday…

Leaving Lydden and Margate we made our way to Bearsted, Maidstone. We had planned to stop here and complete our laundry after having had no facilities on site for a fortnight! It is a short walk from the Caravan and Motorhome Club Site to Leeds Castle, where we had hoped to see views of the castle from the grounds, where the footpath will take you, but no such luck!

Now, for the Bank Holiday, Bearsted had no availability so we had to move on, but where to? Gatwick Caravan and Motorhome Club Site of course! Why? A curry! and potentially a motorhome wash (no such luck, it was too hot on our arrival day and the next, and the day of departure, everyone had the same idea, so we’re a little dirty, but…

We love a curry from our home town and the Raj Tandoori (Crawley’s oldest) never fails to deliver. Now they are on Just Eat too and will deliver to the campsite. http://www.rajtandooricrawley.co.uk/home/3496265

We also managed to meet one of our Facebook Friends (and follower) Great British Bake Off’s Karen Wright and her husband John. https://www.karenwrightbakes.co.uk/

Karen, her husband John and fellow GBBO Contestant Terry Harthill set off on a European Tour in two Etrusco Motorhomes in 2019. https://www.freedomtogo.co.uk/watch/travel-vlogs/gbbos-karen-terrys-european-motorhome-adventure/

We’re heading off again on Monday, back on our tour.

As always, thank you for reading. We hope you and your families are safe and well. We’ll be back soon (internet dependent!).

Another Week in Norfolk…

Monday and the sun was shining. After a quick breakfast and walk for Reg, we headed out towards Norwich and a Hand Car Wash! Finally, we were able to get Nortia cleaned (outside) for the first time since France in February! We had meant to clean her while in lockdown, but there always seemed to be another day available until we left, then the opportunity hadn’t happened since….

Tuesday and we headed up to the coast and Cromer, famous for dressed crab and the Seacroft Caravan and Motorhome Club Site. It’s a great site, just off the Norfolk coast path. A short stroll and you are on the beach, which is lovely and sandy as the tide goes out. We met a couple with a young dog and Reg and Pippa were soon running around in circles along the shoreline.

Wednesday and in true autumn fashion it rained (again). Reg however, wasn’t unfazed by another trip on the beach and enjoyed playing in the waves.

Thursday, one of the things we’d looked forward to whilst in Cromer was visiting No 1 Cromer. https://www.no1cromer.com/ This is an award winning Fish and Chip Restaurant and Takeaway owned by Galton Blackiston. We’d heard about it so many times watching him on James Martin’s Saturday Morning. This place does not disappoint! This was possibly the best we’d ever had. If you are in Cromer, we would recommend this highly.

We headed down the coast from Cromer to Great Yarmouth and the Caravan and Motorhome Club Site at the Racecourse. This site is another so close to the beach and the town, that it’s great for a stay. There is a monument to Lord Nelson, which is now located in the industrial zone, but commemorates Nelson’s birth in the county of Norfolk.

As always, thank you for reading. We hope you and your families are safe and well. We’ll have more to share soon. Stay Safe and well…

Heading back to England (again)…

We left Gowerton and headed back to England along the motorway, so far this is the third time on this trip we’ve headed back, across the border! We had an appointment for the motorhome in Gloucester on Tuesday, so we’ve opted to return to Tewkesbury Caravan and Motorhome Club Site.

We’ve fallen in love with Tewkesbury and the town is very welcoming. Monday night, Ric’s birthday and we knew there was a very nice looking Indian Restaurant and Take-Away at the end of the lane to the Campsite. This was his choice of meal and I couldn’t have agreed more. The Mezbaan Fine Indian Restaurant: https://mezbaan.uk/ was just as good as their menu looked!

Tuesday and we cleared out some of our gear from Nortia, and headed off to Pearman Briggs Motorhomes for our habitation check. This is supposed to be completed annually as a safety and damp check and something we are keen to have completed prior to purchasing Nortia, from Erwin Hymer. We arrived and also explained that we have concerns over the position of our Gaslow filling cap – we have caught it on a couple of occasions, without serious damage – and they were able to move it for us to a less prominent position. However, with the latest COVID-19 restrictions, our gear needs to be completely removed to carry out the habitation check… We’ve re-booked it, and will be back in Tewkesbury, again!

The weather has got a lot warmer this week and we have decided to purchase a driveaway awning, partially to enjoy life out of the wind and partially in anticipation of our habitation check – we can dump all our gear in it whilst the check is being carried out! We went to Allwoolls Camping in Worcester and purchased a Vango Noosa Driveaway https://www.attwoolls.co.uk/vango-noosa-tall-driveaway-awning-p-2828 We’ve chosen this as it is lighter than an air tent and therefore will not add to much to our payload. Returning to the campsite, we had a quick go at putting it up! We needed to make sure that we had all the bits before driving off and to ensure there was nothing wrong with it! The moment we got it out of the bag the wind picked up and we managed to check it out, before repacking it and stowing it away! Normally, we would pitch a new tent in our garden to ensure we knew what we are doing, before looking like numpties in public! (We have even pitched a brand new tent in the living room, just to check it out)!

We left Tewkesbury and started our trip north. Our next stop is a small Caravan and Motorhome Club Certified Location (CL), just outside the village of Much Wenlock – birthplace of William Penny Brookes, who contributed to the rebirth of the Modern Olympic Games. He apprenticed with his father in Much Wenlock and trained as a physician and surgeon at Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospital in London, at the Sorbonne and in Padua, before taking over his father’s practice in Much Wenlock. Here, he was keen to improve the health of the villagers, along with sanitation and hygiene and he set up the Wenlock Olympian Society and campaigned to get Physical Education onto the school curriculum. His annual Wenlock Games, encouraged all villagers to keep fit and compete and not just a privilege of the elite He was visited by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who later set up the Modern International Olympic Committee, based on the Much Wenlock Games held in his honour.

We stayed at the Coates CL for the weekend, and we used it as a base to travel out and about around the local area, travelling to Telford and Ironbridge. The countryside and views are stunning, as is the village of Much Wenlock. Reg also had a field of friends, for his stay!

We’re off again tomorrow, heading north. Thank you as always for reading and we hope that you and your families are safe and well.

A Week in St. David’s, Pembrokeshire, Wales

This week, we stayed in one place! We have been to St David’s before on our trips and had hoped we would be able to stay here, despite the pandemic. We were able to book a week on the Caravan and Motorhome Club Site, a short walk from the town and Whitesands Beach.

The first day, we were here, we headed back to the beach, taking Reg up on the sand dunes and the rocky outcrops (the beach doesn’t allow dogs until 1st October). Up on one of the outcrops, our attention was drawn to a mass in the water. Did it move? It did, oh my what was it? Then a head popped up and we were being watched by a seal. He was watching us and us him, then he was gone! We headed back to the main beach and enjoyed a lovely locally made ice cream, watching the tide recede from the beach.

The next day, we took a stroll into the City. St David’s is the smallest city in the UK, both in size and population. We walked up to the Cathedral and around the old town, before walking back tot he campsite and spending time in the sun. On the way back to the campsite we found a memorial to the crew of an RAF Liberator KH183, based at RAF St Davids, and that sadly crashed with no survivors on 8th July 1945, three months after VE Day and one week before VJ Day.

Wednesday, and the rain arrived, so we took a drive out, heading up to Fishguard and touring around returning to Haverfordwest and St Davids.

Thursday, and as predicted, the sun was back. We spent the morning completing chores – tidying and washing, before heading back to the beach via the Golf Club Road and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. We had hoped to get another ice cream but the kiosk was closed!

Friday and another great weather day. We headed back into the city, and hoped it wasn’t as busy as the last time. It wasn’t and we were able to have a wander around and return to the campsite. Reg is getting better at walking on and off the lead.

Saturday, we took another stroll to the beach and were able to have another ice cream!

On Sunday, we set off again, this time to Freshwater East and a beach where Reg was allowed! He happily went into the surf and had he not been on a lead, we might have struggled to get him out!

As always, thank you for reading. We’re continuing our tour in the UK hoping not to have to return home soon! We hope that you and your families are safe and well, too. What happens next week, we’ll endeavour to share as soon as we can (WiFi has been very hit and miss recently).