- Feb 24, 2013
- 13,670
- 103,557
- Funster No
- 24,833
- MH
- Hymer S800
- Exp
- not long enough
So, planning time, this time for the first time away it will be without the lovable hairy lump that was Lola, taking up so much valuable floor space with her bed alone, then often choosing to lie somewhere else 
Did we mind, did we chuff and it is going to be really odd having no trip hazard, no competition for foot space, no water bowl to kick over, often multi times a day
, did we mind, did we chuff
Only a few days ago I posted that I had overlooked Lola's rabies booster, which meant we couldn't travel abroad with her without redoing all the blood tests and we decided it wasn't fair on her although not overly intrusive or painful, she didn't need it, we would stay at home this year, in the UK, not literally at home
But as I posted on Tuesday, Lola succumbed to old age
, so we have different options open to us, they are not helping the sadness and moist eyes that we are currently going through but mostly we will be repeating things we have done together over the past 10 years
First consideration was to reinstate our usual spring trip to France, sticking with the chunnel that we have used mainly for the convenience of travelling with a dog, we hate with a passion the drive round the M25, its all too fast and busy for us, until of course we get to France again
Checked prices for Eurotunnel, as near as makes no difference £100 ew, always makes me wonder whoever picks the flexirate options at well over twice the price, so £200 plus the 500 mile round trip from here, about £150 in fuel
made me go and check North Sea Ferries from Hull for comparison, we used this crossing a lot pre Lola, we had a regular user account and even using the Club cabins typically crossed for around £400 with a car. Expected more for bigger vehicle, but once club cabins added in which then now only come with Brassiere restaurant options it got stupidly close to £1200. I did then try a different seller, always offends me that anybody can sell cheaper than the actual provider , found an option with Direct Ferries with club cabins and an option for normal meals that came out at £720, suddenly seeming 'good value' but only in proportion to the stupidly high initial figure from NSF, plus we still have about 100 mile round trip to Hull and back, then similar to get back down to Calais for real comparison, 200 miles 10 gallons £65
I am now retired, so all spending is under close review and justification, the cheapest package of £350, which would still include the hated drive home in particular round the M25, would go an awful long way to UK fuel and even gin bill for a fortnight
£350 will buy 58 gallons of diesel, which will take us 1166 miles, amazingly Gairloch is under 500 miles away, so there and back even via Chester will only use fuel to the same value as the ferry alone
I think my mind has been made up, we love Scotland, Lola loved to be with us but also much preferred it cool and windy, we have loads of memories to revisit and I have a fairly simple but as yet incomplete task to finish off
Kinlochewe CMC site is well placed for this minor challenge, just down the road is a visitor centre, from there you can take one of three walks, one very simple and possibly only 800m or so, the next slightly more lengthy and rugged, with nice views and good chances of eagle spotting, but the third is my 'challenge'
I think they call it the mountain trail, which although that would be a clue, it is still only a short walk from the centre and back in a loop, probably about 7 years ago we set off on the trail, it is fairly moderate to hard going, in part down to our low fitness level though. But we ended up virtually lost, clambering over large boulders in search of the next marker, then eventually being told by Bev that we were going back. In fairness it was a warm end of May day and very sunny, Lola was panting with no streams to paddle or drink from, but this walk I am sure was quoted as 2 miles or so shouldn't really be an issue. But turn back we did, from that day on we always carried a collapsible water bottle and water for Lola, but the challenge still remains to get right round
Just read some more info, 6.5km and may take 3-4 hours, no wonder we thought we were lost
That is now what we hope to do, amongst many other memory jerkers
Did we mind, did we chuff and it is going to be really odd having no trip hazard, no competition for foot space, no water bowl to kick over, often multi times a day
, did we mind, did we chuff Only a few days ago I posted that I had overlooked Lola's rabies booster, which meant we couldn't travel abroad with her without redoing all the blood tests and we decided it wasn't fair on her although not overly intrusive or painful, she didn't need it, we would stay at home this year, in the UK, not literally at home
But as I posted on Tuesday, Lola succumbed to old age
, so we have different options open to us, they are not helping the sadness and moist eyes that we are currently going through but mostly we will be repeating things we have done together over the past 10 years First consideration was to reinstate our usual spring trip to France, sticking with the chunnel that we have used mainly for the convenience of travelling with a dog, we hate with a passion the drive round the M25, its all too fast and busy for us, until of course we get to France again
Checked prices for Eurotunnel, as near as makes no difference £100 ew, always makes me wonder whoever picks the flexirate options at well over twice the price
, so £200 plus the 500 mile round trip from here, about £150 in fuelmade me go and check North Sea Ferries from Hull for comparison, we used this crossing a lot pre Lola, we had a regular user account and even using the Club cabins typically crossed for around £400 with a car. Expected more for bigger vehicle, but once club cabins added in which then now only come with Brassiere restaurant options it got stupidly close to £1200. I did then try a different seller, always offends me that anybody can sell cheaper than the actual provider , found an option with Direct Ferries with club cabins and an option for normal meals that came out at £720, suddenly seeming 'good value' but only in proportion to the stupidly high initial figure from NSF, plus we still have about 100 mile round trip to Hull and back, then similar to get back down to Calais for real comparison, 200 miles 10 gallons £65
I am now retired, so all spending is under close review and justification, the cheapest package of £350, which would still include the hated drive home in particular round the M25, would go an awful long way to UK fuel and even gin bill for a fortnight
£350 will buy 58 gallons of diesel, which will take us 1166 miles, amazingly Gairloch is under 500 miles away, so there and back even via Chester will only use fuel to the same value as the ferry alone
I think my mind has been made up, we love Scotland, Lola loved to be with us but also much preferred it cool and windy, we have loads of memories to revisit and I have a fairly simple but as yet incomplete task to finish off
Kinlochewe CMC site is well placed for this minor challenge, just down the road is a visitor centre, from there you can take one of three walks, one very simple and possibly only 800m or so, the next slightly more lengthy and rugged, with nice views and good chances of eagle spotting, but the third is my 'challenge'
I think they call it the mountain trail, which although that would be a clue, it is still only a short walk from the centre and back in a loop, probably about 7 years ago we set off on the trail, it is fairly moderate to hard going, in part down to our low fitness level though. But we ended up virtually lost, clambering over large boulders in search of the next marker, then eventually being told by Bev that we were going back. In fairness it was a warm end of May day and very sunny, Lola was panting with no streams to paddle or drink from, but this walk I am sure was quoted as 2 miles or so shouldn't really be an issue. But turn back we did, from that day on we always carried a collapsible water bottle and water for Lola, but the challenge still remains to get right round
Just read some more info, 6.5km and may take 3-4 hours, no wonder we thought we were lost
That is now what we hope to do, amongst many other memory jerkers
x
