Starting to get excited, almost setting off time (1 Viewer)

[Gromett]

Its been a busy week. Fixing the gap in my sliding door. Doing some more vinyl wrapping of the exterior of the van. Fitting Deadlocks which is an interesting diy job. Installing a Safe. Rewiring the entire Van. Fitting new emergency engine battery boost cable. Making new feathered friends. Still loads more to do and only 3 weeks till I set off for Spain.

Pictures etc on my blog, I had a spare few minutes during a rain shower yesterday

I am starting to get excited now because I have been stuck here for what feels like months and am not getting a lot of sleep due to there being none stop noise day and night....

Tonight was fun, my engine battery went flat and I rely on central locking to get in and out of the van a bit of quick thinking and a small spanner got me going again though. I think I may need a new engine battery in the near future though.

What an exciting couple of weeks.

Blog: http://www.fulltiming.info

 

[Popeye]

Its been a busy week.

What an exciting couple of weeks.

The beauty of the self build of course is knowing your way around the beast. All the best for the next couple of weeks and have a great trip.

Griff............oh:sorry Popeye

 

[JJ]

None of my business Karl but it sounds like a lot of these jobs could have been done over here in the warm sunshine whilst sipping a cold bottle of beer and pausing to watch the world go by...

JJ :Cool:

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[Gromett]

Any hotter than it was over here and I wouldn't be working

I am saving a few jobs for when I get down there but I don't have space to carry big rolls of vinyl etc. I needed the deadlocks fitting before I set off as well.

Finances have improved a little as of tonights check so I may have my gaslow to fit as well..... The jobs just keep coming.

A famous scholar once said "I love having lots of things to do and knowing that I don't have to do any of them..."

I am looking forward to that being the case again

 

[Gromett]

Whew!!!, working my nuts off the last couple of weeks and am down to 2 jobs left to do now....

One deadlock left to fit and the Gaslow system to finish...

The rest of the jobs will either wait for next year or can be done on the road or in Spain over the winter

 

[Jim]

Have you got mobile t'internet sorted yet Gromett?

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[Gromett]

Unfortunately not, ran out of time and money this year. I am going to risk big bills and use roaming on my orange dongle. They do a dataplan with 30mb a day for £3 per day. I will just get that. I am stripping down the support system I use so that it uses minimal graphics etc.

Next year, its gear box, suspension and satelite internet

 

[PenelopePitstop]

Unfortunately not, ran out of time and money this year. I am going to risk big bills and use roaming on my orange dongle. They do a dataplan with 30mb a day for £3 per day. I will just get that. I am stripping down the support system I use so that it uses minimal graphics etc.

Next year, its gear box, suspension and satelite internet

At least when you get to Zahora we have free wi-fi!

 

[JJ]

I reckon you will be half way down France Karl when the "freedom feeling" hits you...

...BANG...

When this happens to me I take off my watch, lift my foot off the accelerator and start "tuning in" to the new, slower and more relaxed life abroad. New horizons, new places, new people, new adventures, no time table.

If you hit the heavy traffic on ring roads during rush hour you can study the pain and stress of the locals as they attempt to gain a couple of nano seconds in their pressure cooker of a life by lane jumping and cutting each other up...

Smug about my lifestyle?

Damned right I am... and that was true before this Sunday too...:thumb:

JJ :Cool:

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[Gromett]

At least when you get to Zahora we have free wi-fi!

Thanks Marie, I have bought a long range direction antenna as I am not sure what the quality of the wifi link will be like

 

[Xoxoc]

Thanks Marie, I have bought a long range direction antenna as I am not sure what the quality of the wifi link will be like

wifi strength is great in virtually all of the site.

They have (I think) 5 pole mounted antennas covering the camping, all connected via fibre back to the main router.

Hard to get a poor signal really

IIRC they have a 6mb broadband connection for the camping, they use a different connection in the offices.

 

[Gromett]

I reckon you will be half way down France Karl when the "freedom feeling" hits you...

...BANG...

When this happens to me I take off my watch, lift my foot off the accelerator and start "tuning in" to the new, slower and more relaxed life abroad. New horizons, new places, new people, new adventures, no time table.

If you hit the heavy traffic on ring roads during rush hour you can study the pain and stress of the locals as they attempt to gain a couple of nano seconds in their pressure cooker of a life by lane jumping and cutting each other up...

Smug about my lifestyle?

Damned right I am... and that was true before this Sunday too...:thumb:

JJ :Cool:

Smug isn't the word JJ, it called contented

I will not be lifting off the accelerator though. I do 55mph everywhere except where the speed limit is lower. And I don't drive during rush hour or major cities......

I will be happy once I hit my favourite Aire just south of Saumur at Montreuil Bellay. I will feel like I am home. I really do love France and my blood pressure drops 10 points whenever I get there.....

I am however delaying setting off for 2 weeks. A combination of things has happened the main one being my mother had a bit of a set back last week after her op and I would like to hang around a little longer to make sure she is able to get up and down the stairs on her own. Dutiful son bit and all that.

The other is I pushed the finances a little bit too much to get my gaslow cylinder and I would like to have at least 500 Euros in my pocket before I start the journey.

Rebooking the ticket tomorrow for the 15th

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[Gromett]

Got a rough idea of my route and plan now.

Day 1: Calais to Saumur
Day 2: Day off
Day 3: Saumur to Il de re (Island next to La Rochelle)
Day 4: Day off
Day 5: Il de re to Blaye (Free Parking next to the Vaughban fortification)
Day 6: Blaye to Saint Emillion
Day 7-8: Visiting friends at Libourne and Villefranche de Lonchat (love it here)
Day 9: Down to Arcachon and hopefully dun de pyla.
Day 10: Spanish Border.

After this I have no Idea at all as I have never been this far south. I may even set off early and do the whole thing in one day.... Unless anyone can recommend any really quiet but beautiful Aires (in spain) on the way.

I want to be at Zahora by the 1st of Dec.