The Road more or less already Traveled... (1 Viewer)

[tufty]

I've really enjoyed it too, Bacchus, and look forward to reading about your future travels!

Me too... Very enjoyable read thanks

 

[Langtoftlad]

Sometimes I wish there was a button to "like" the whole thread - or where one could give the thread a 5* rating

Love these blogs which are both informative & amusing.

 

[Bacchus]

Hah! The rain in Staines is a right ruddy pain. To be fair the rain in Grissole and the rain in La Rochelle wasn’t all that great either, but home grown English rain seems somehow more depressing.

It’s great to be home, of course. Half the fun of travelling is returning. I got a very warm welcome from Bach-puss who is now sleeping off the effort of saying “miaow” a few times, Lady B was working and didn’t return until after my Central European time body clock had whisked me off to the land of nod so I don’t know how she feels about me mooching around the house again moaning about sub-plots and loose ends...

Very straightforward run from Le Mans to Calais using the peages and the wonderful Sanef gadget that I found out about on these forums (http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/sanef-tag-amazing.111887/ amongst others); if you travel in France and will use the peage it is a must-have accessory – doubly so if you are travelling solo and/or in a right hand drive vehicle. The journey took about five hours after setting the cruise control/right foot to a steady sixty (which returns over thirty mpg), but the wind! Oh me oh my the wind! I virtually had to tack the Hymer along the A16! If it had been a sail-boat I would have put three reefs in, but you simply can’t reef a van, it’s not possible. I was very glad of the chunnel, seeing the waves crashing against the harbour wall at Boulogne and the plumes of spray scores of feet up into the air I was so pleased that I was heading to a nice little nap on the train and not to be tossed around the vomitorium of a cross-channel ferry! (and, yes, I know a vomitorium isn’t really for vomiting but it is SUCH a good word…)

What else? Oh, yes, for @TheWM a final picture of Lady B and her friend (the sultry “Madam A”) in Cannes modelling a sun-shade that we bought in Malta and, somehow never seem to need in the UK…

Lady B proving that little legs are lovely legs

And @mitzimad, yes, ta, I was aware of that about the fridge; I didn’t bother blogging too much about the technical nature of it, but discussing it on one of the technical forums I think that the gas jet needs cleaning, it lights and stays on as a pilot, but extinguishes itself if you try and crank up the cooling power, but I didn’t want to get into stripping down gas components on the road!

Thanks again for the kind words of those who have enjoyed this little piece, and a huge thanks to the little Hymer, which, with the exception of the step (which was my fault) and the bumper (which was, er, my fault) has been my transport, my bedroom, study, kitchen, bathroom and home, and all for the price of a Nissan Pixo for crying out loud!!!!! A truly exceptional vehicle, nearly twenty five years old and nowt wrong wi’ it (well, the fridge, but that’s easily fixable) I have only used it for long weekends, staying at parties, and little trips (some friends took it to Cropredy festival once, and others to stay in whilst they painted their boat), but the longer you stay in it the better it gets!

The little Hymer at a symbolic “end of the road” in the mountains in the Parc National des Cévennes

I can now see why people name their vans (actually, now there’s a thought, why don’t people name vans, not with some amusing little nickname amongst themselves, but properly, sign-written like boats? I might start a little side-line business producing nameplates for MoHos… any takers…?)

Hmm; I had intended to finish with the thought provoking “like the oppressive silence when an alarm bell stops ringing, a person isn’t absent when they’re not there, they’re absent when they’ve gone” (come on, it’s good!), and here I am wibbling on about fridges and van-names.

Maybe I should finish on a cautionary tale. Beware of subtle beauties like Lady B, before she left at Toulouse, one of her last acts was to put a clothes peg on... well you get the idea:-

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[TheWM]

I applaud your attempts to pacify me, especially by introducing new fillies to the fold to keep one's interest; however, I fear you do so to pull the proverbial sheep (or any other wool producing animal) over my eyes and I feel duty bound to bring the following to your attention:

I might start a little side-line business producing nameplates for MoHos

Really?

My cousin (who no doubt you know, given your location - Lord Ali of G) already has a sideline in Hos. I have 'grindered' him to find out whether he needs any 'Mo' Hos, but knowing him, he already has a long list if Julies prepared to fulfil any gaps in the market. I'm pretty sure he gets them to write their own name badges in crayon on the reverse of Rice Krispies boxes, or similar, but if things start going South for him, and he no longer can afford crayons (or cereal) perhaps your name badges will assist. Until then I'd suggest that you hold off trying to step on anyone else's toes as a chinese burn can often offend.

Don't say you weren't warned*



*Send me some more pics of Lady B and we'll say no more

 

[WynandJean]

Add me to the list of peep's who have enjoyed this blog immensely, kept meaning to hit the "like" button but was too eager to continue reading.

What he said

Wyn

 

[Peter Sansom]

‎
I have discovered two things today (well more than two, but two which seem pertinent. Firstly my old van seems to run better on French diesel, which is odd, but definitely less clattery after filling it up near Rouen, and secondly that three mobile won't work via a blackberry hotspot whilst "feeling at home". It's still a very good deal, just that it may limit my contributions to this monologue. The blackberry keyboard is great, but not for writing a blog! Hey ho, I shall try and write it up and publish it when I get close to a McDonald's or Starbucks (spits, apologises) with their free-fi. ‎
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Oh, and maybe a third thing, my fridge which has been working fine in testing seems not to want to run on 12v now, so there is a very real danger of warm beer (aaagggghhhh!!!!), and if anyone comes banging on my door begging for a cup of tea and I ask "one lump or two", I may be referring to the milk not the sugar.

Oh, four things. The washing up liquid did fall over but didn't spill; still a lesson, pack carefully
‎
‎Anyhoo - travel news; I have moored the van at a terrific Aire, right in the middle of Le Mans, next to a river and a small marina, two of my favourite things and a home from home for me. ‎It has grey water disposal, a doggie-poo pit, space for about ten MoHos, and is free for 72 hours! (if only it had WiFi, come on Hollande!). First time back in France for about three years, and I'd forgotten how great these Aires can be, I suppose the logic is that MoHoers will bring money and sample the local produce, wake up UK, there must be something in that; on my very first night I have just wandered down to Carrefour and bought a tube of pringles...
‎
‎

- well it MAY have had something to do with a much needed scoobie-snack

In all seriousness though, it really really did seem smoother. It's not too bad anyway, but I was trying hard to be objective...


Hmm. Well it was working fine in Blighty (c20 mps on 4g, 5-8 on 3g), but just timed out over here. Three did say it wasn't do-able, but googling around there was plenty of (perhaps apocryphal) evidence to suggest that it was. I'll try again in the a.m

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[Peter Sansom]

Are you sure its the French fuel? Checked to see if something hasn't fallen off that was previously rattling? Being a natural born cynic I'd be checking all the bits on the outside of the van. Though having said that when we are on the move there is a lot of rattling going on inside. Wotchagonnado?