Author: Mark Anderson

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5-7 June: Our introduction to Le Marche

Author: Mr A

Location: Abbadia di Fiastra, Le Marche, Italy

Wednesday: We have friends of friends who have kindly invited us and some of our friends (with it so far?) to stay with them in eastern Italy in the region of Le Marche (pronounced lay markay). To be honest, until they gave us their address we had no idea where that was, or even pronounce it. Well now we do and what a find it has been.

Le Marche doesn’t roll off the tourist tongue like Tuscany, and the thankfully the coaches aren’t rolling down the streets just yet in this region…. We arrived via the excellent west to east route along SS77. A dual carriageway with tunnel after tunnel bored through the mountains that run in a chain down this part of central Italy.

We were making for a campsite our friends had suggested in the grounds of an old abbey and country park near to their village. We had given ourselves a couple of days to explore the area and get things prepared for the onslaught before everyone else arrived.

We arrived to find a beautifully near deserted camping area, with only a couple of other vans there. We picked our spot and had just set up the chairs…as a motorhome drove right next to us completely blocking our view. I gave him my best evil eye and exaggerated “what the ….” shrug…he moved off when Catherine joined in! She’s a terror…

Time for lunch

So with view restored we were soon visited by a young cat who was clearly Italian given his chattiness and general exuberance! He was to become our constant companion over the next two days..,well until someone else pulled up he thought might feed him…

There goes our last tin of tuna…

It was time for our customary exploration on two wheels. What a ride we had, as we came round corner after corner with a new vista of perfectly green fields opening up…and the odd snow capped mountain! This was cycling heaven.

Fields of spinach

We made our way through the park, exploring Roman ruins, admiring the bird life, and smelling the wild flowers.

Thursday: The next day we went further afield through several of the nearby villages. And not a tour bus in sight…

Yes, still snow up there
More fields of poppies looking towards more hilltop villages…

The castle in Colmurano
A couple of happy cyclists

in the late afternoon we headed out again, I had spotted a winery within striking distance of the bikes.

Now that’s a decent driveway!
The terrace tasting area with fabulous views
Murola tasting room
Enjoying a few drops of red…yes we invested in a case and a half
A post tasting tour around the barrels and bottling plant

After some initial confusion about what we wanted, as I had asked for a “wine tasting”, which apparently in Italy is more of a wine experience with food (and €15-20 a head), not a tasting with the purpose of trying before you buy. We embarked on our mission to stock up with some more wine before the rest of the troops made it here. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. And what a great selection of wines they had, set in beautiful grounds. Our host Anna even offered to deliver our wine to the campsite! Now thats a service I doubt you’d find at your average Tuscan posh as you like winery.

We think we will like it here!

A fantastic cycle home to Truffy

Friday we did a little more exploring on foot, taking a look at the monastery and abbey, and taking some of the footpaths at a slower pace, listening to the birds, smelling the flowers and generally just enjoying the peace before the storm.

Poppies are everywhere splashing red into the fields
Wild roses
Inside the abbey

Our friends Melinda and Barney arrived at around 5pm to escort us to their home in Loro Piceno, and tomorrow four more friends arrive from the UK. It’s all going to get a lot busier around here!

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24 – 25 May: Hello Tuscany…

Author: Mr A

Location: Barga, Tuscany, Italy

Friday: We left the Cinque Terre behind and headed inland into north western Tuscany. Catherine (navigator extraordinaire) had spotted on one of the apps that we use to find camps a winery that was welcoming motorhomes to come and stay on their property. Sosta La Cantina del Vino is also a 5 minute walk from “One of the most beautiful villages in Italy” the hilltop town of Barga, close to Lucca.

We were greeted so warmly when we arrived, and set up on their lush front lawn, power and water on hand, and invited to a wine tasting later in the day. That’s not a bad start for our first day’s exploration of Tuscany!

The village awaited so we walked in and I dived into the first providore I spotted, to be offered wine to taste and local produce…its just gets better.

When in doubt ply your customers with Chianti when they visit!
A local artist paints inside to classical music

A wander up to the old part of town and a cafe in a quiet courtyard just couldn’t be resisted.

The self proclaimed unofficial cultural centre of Bargo – Da Aristo di Togneri Lorenzo

We tried the local bean, lentil and potato soup, just delicious. Some local cats even decided to let us get our feline fix. 

I carried on to sample local cheeses and meats, then we rolled down the hill to camp.

I decided to take a quick explore on the bike. Thank goodness for that Bosch engine I would have never have made it up these hills so quickly and seen so much.

Endless picturesque lanes to explore

I still burnt a few calories though and worked up a thirst for wine tasting. What a grand affair this was, with Prosecco, then rosato then a Chianti, with each wine local delicacies were served.



Not your usual tasting

The nibbles kept on coming

We shared the tasting with the occupants of a couple of other motorhomes that were parked there as well. It was quite an international evening with Germans, an Israeli, Italians and us with a couple of nationalities to chose from. Sometimes we play the Australian card, as Brits dont seem to be too popular right now in Europe. It’s more of a shaking of heads and some quizzical eyebrows and wishing them the best of luck on their separate path post Brexit.

Saturday: We had arrived in low cloud, but waking the next morning this view had opened up.

A fine view to wake up to

Wow – after spending so many years in a country that’s basically flat with a few bumps, it thrills us to see mountains like this. I headed off into the village to source breakfast and discovered it was market day. Catherine’s “fear of missing out” kicked in and she joined me to pick up some local goodies.

Plenty of fresh produce to choose from

Following a delicious lunch consisting of some of our fresh purchases, we went out for a ride on the bikes to explore more of the area, enjoying the gorgeous spring sunshine and perfect temperatures in the early 20s.

The Duomo of Barga – 11th-16th centuries – a good example of Romanesque architecture
Th limestone church was restored in the early 1900s following extensive earthquake damage
Fabulous view from outside the church – twice a year there is a double sunset viewed from here through an archway in the mountain across the valley
A large moth hanging out in town
In the Middle Ages, Barga was known for is manufacture of silk

The further out you ride, the greater the views become, incredible vistas with the mountain ranges looming high over the town

Barga, perched up on the hillside
Pania della Croce, a mountain of the Apuane Alps dominates the skyline

I watch life in Tuscany unfold, trying to figure out what’s peculiar to the region, so what is different about people’s lives here and what’s universally the same. One of the main joys of travel for me. Striking up conversations and learning what I can. I think the big difference seems to be the rhythm of the day, with many, but not all, businesses closing for an afternoon break (the “riposa”). Some said they use the time to return home to family if possible, then head back to work mid afternoon. Family time seems to be given higher priority, and lives seem the richer for it. However, to close your business when so many tourists are passing its door and want to spend money when suits them is a brave decision. Some say the tradition is dying away, but I saw no evidence of that in this town in Tuscany with around 80% of business closed for several hours while us tourists marched past with a hungry look in shop windows.

Sunday: It was time to leave, and that meant no HGVs on the roads today, another pleasant change from what we’re used to in Australia. They are banned in Italy from Sunday travel at slightly different times depending on the time of year. What a relief on some of these twisty roads! We are now heading into Lucca, but that’s for Catherine to share.

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21 May: Camogli – what a gem!

Author: Mr A

Location: Camogli and San Rocco, Italy

Every so often when you’re exploring new ground, you come across a place that you know will be etched into your memory for ever. The little port of Camogli ticked that box in spades.

We planned a stop over between Genoa and the Cinque Terre coast at a car park that was described by one reviewer as having “a nice view”. What an understatement! This unassuming bit of tarmac overlooked a chunk of coast that took our breath away.

Our view from our sosta – not bad for a free night!

Our first view of the small fishing town of Camogli on the Italian Riviera, about an hour’s drive east from Genoa on the E80, a road that we had been on and off for a few days.

As an aside, what a spectacular feat of engineering the European route E80 is. We didn’t realise until we did a bit of research that in fact it travels through 10 countries as the ‘Trans European Motorway’ from Portugal to the border with Iran. It then joins the Asian highway which continues all the way to Japan! We looked at this freeway in a new light. Living on a rather big island for so many years it really made us think what is possible in Europe.

So this car park was on the outskirts of a small settlement called San Rocco, with a path that led down to the sea, as well as many others which criss-cross their way over the peninsular to Portofino on the eastern side.

The views keep on coming
Blown away by the beauty of the scenery
Looking west from the peninsular – better known Portofino is on the eastern side

Loving where our little Truffy is bringing us….but the bikes weren’t right for this location
Breathtaking!

Firstly, we cycled as far as we could on the bikes before encountering steps, then packed away the bikes and donned walking shoes.

Feeling happy here…can we move in?
Our wooded walk was accompanied by the sound of water

San Nicolò di Capodimonte, a church along our walk – it officially dates back to 1141, but legend has it there has been a church here since the year 345
A well constructed pathway down to the wharf – quite steep with many steps

Wish we could share the scent of these roses….Devine!
Warmed up in the afternoon sunshine
Spying the ferry we run to the wharf

Without much of plan, we headed off down along this fabulous coastal path, then as we got to sea level noticed a ferry coming in. We both looked at each other and went “why not” so we jumped and were carried around to the harbour of Camogli in style.

Twelve euros later we have bagged ourselves a couple of spots on a boat trip
Portofino Promontory in the background
Love a good boat trip!
Coming into Camogli harbour

The moment we saw this place from the water we loved it. It had a genteel calm, without tour buses, and with a real authentic air of still being a working town. Some guys were just heading off to fish as we landed. I’m amazed there’s any left to catch!

We strolled around and immediately decided this is somewhere we could happily spend as week relaxing in. When I started to write this blog and read about the town, so many people described it as “undiscovered”, well by non-Italians anyway. It sure felt that way.

Exploring the town
Castle della Dragonara, built in the early 13th century, a fabulous entry to the harbour
Looking back out towards our home for the night – the clouds looking like they are descending

Feeling such an affinity with this village
Bagni Lido – the public beach

Reluctantly we headed back up to our car park, via 896 steps…we were ready for dinner by the time we climbed that lot.

A noisy Bean Goose shouting in the stream through town
Up and up the path went…

Fat pheasant in amongst the olive groves on our climb up
May I have some treats?
Yes…Mr A does carry cat treats in his bag!
We discovered Italian cats know the universal sound of cat treat bags…

Camogli, thankyou for giving us such a great memory to take away. I hope you don’t change too much too quickly.

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18 May: Two wheels and the Italian Riveria

Author: Mr A

Location: Santo Stefano al Mare, Italian Riviera, Italy

We found ourselves a lovely little car park where motorhomes are allowed to stay overnight within earshot of those gentle Ligurian Sea waves. For those readers who are not motorhomers (yet!), they are called sostas here and aires in France. Italy has over 2,000 designated spots like this. Sometimes they provide services, others like this one just a flat space to park up.

Parked at the marina by Santo Stefano Al Mare

We had chosen this spot as it was right alongside the “Cycling Riveria” cycleway – 24km of rail trail stretching from Lorenzo al Mare to Ospedelettti, passing through St Remo. Just our cup of tea.

Donning full waterproof gear (what happened to that famous Riveria sunshine?) we set off to explore this little corner of Liguria. What a perfect way to see the coast cruising along on the bikes.

Perfect surface for cyclists
Beautifully restored rail bridges

Slow enough to smell the roses, but fast enough to cover some ground and see lots more than walking. Along the trail we spotted a lady feeding stray cats, a sight to warm our feline appreciating hearts.

Very cautious cats and kittens all living in this building site

Given this area is squeezed between the mountains and the sea, ground for housing is at a premium, so we saw very few detached homes and mostly apartment buildings.

As we were finishing the ride the towns along the path were starting to come alive, as the afternoon siesta time was finishing and the locals were coming out in force for a Saturday night stroll (la passeggiata).

Moving bronze sculpture commemorating the resistance fighters killed during WWII
Calm waters at the marina in San Remo…these are just the small boats

We did our own Australian version, being almost the first in to dinner at a local restaurant that we liked the look off – thats right no research this time! We got lucky – it was absolutely fabulous – Il Sandolino it was called – it was so new we were able to give them their first review on Google.

I’ll Sandolino invites us in
What a feast…and two more glasses of Chianti per favore!
Beautiful old town to stroll through
Our 10 minute walk home from the restaurant
Happy campers…again!

Our first meal in Italy on this trip set the bar pretty high, and such a reasonable price at around 30% less than the Provence prices we were paying last week. It isn’t an affluent area, with unemployment running at 10% currently, and has little of the glitter of its French Riveria neighbour, but that suits us. The only negative experience was a lady at the table next to us asked to be moved when we sat down, muttering something I couldn’t make out other than “Americano”!

This was a great introductory day to motorhoming in Italy. We overnighted for free and had a fabulous quality meal at basically half the price we would have paid at a Sydney restaurant. What’s not to like?

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16 May: A ride-by past the Cannes Film Festival

Author: Mr A

Location: Cannes & Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France

Thursday: Truffy our motorhome was all prepped and ready to hit the road. We pointed him south to the coast and the Côte d’Azur, which was looking especially glitzy as it happened to be hosting once again this week the Cannes Film Festival.

A stop en-route at an Asian grocery store recommended by our local hosts enabled a massive stock up on all the ingredients Catherine likes to use in her cooking, and we know from previous experience here they are not easy to source in the French and Italian supermarkets. We miss our spicy dishes here when eating out so create our own.

We decided on a whim to stay at a campsite we spotted in the first town we reached, Mandelieu-la-Napoule. It looked very scenic on a small canal, so we were shortly tucking into the fresh produce we had picked up on the way down. Ah the joy of France to get such quality veg everywhere you shop.

The e-bikes were quickly unloaded and we set off without much of a plan as to where we were going to explore. We found ourselves wandering along the coast towards Cannes, and realised we could actually ride all the way in.

A short bit of off-road cycleway

So we decided to check out what was happening around the Film Festival. It was heaving of course, with all the beautiful people parading around their floating gin palaces.

Constant sound of popping champagne corks here
A sparkling day in Cannes
All the stars are out…

It was really quite entertaining for us to hear so many languages and accents, see people so dressed up. Something we miss in Australia. And we even got to see the (empty) famous red carpet ready for the premier of the Elton John story, Rocketman (see news story and resultant images here). Amusing to see some hopeful young ladies all dressed up in skimpy outfits with signs saying “ticket wanted”. I wonder how their evening will go!

Step ladders at the ready for the paparazzi to photograph the arrivals
Red carpet at the ready…

Would have hated to be driving though the traffic chaos, but our e-bikes make it so easy to really cover some ground and weave in and out. We are so pleased we lashed out for these little beauties. Ideal for this type of outing.

Looking back along the coast
Many cruise ships in town for the big event

It was a great day out, capped off by a veggie Pad Thai courtesy of Mrs A. An episode of Peaky Blinders and the day was ended perfectly.

We have now ten days to wander into Italy and down to Florence, where Catherine will then fly home for a quick hospital visit leaving me to take care of Truffy. Italy here we come!

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9 – 11 May: A dash through France – Champagne to Provence

Author: Mr A

Location: Beaune, Mirmande and Bagnols-en-Forêt, France

We had three days to travel just under a 1,000km through the centre of France in order to reach our next get together with friends in Provence. That meant the freeways – expensive, boring and fast would be my summary. We spent around €100 on tolls, but arrived early enough at our stopovers to at least see something of the country.

Thursday: The first night we returned to the town of Beaune, the wine capital of Burgandy. We had been here a few years ago and loved it, staying at a great free parking spot within walking distance of the town centre.

The old hospital from the 1400s
Mr A strolling through the wet cobbled streets
Basilique Notre-Dame de Beaune – 13th century church
Founding date of the hospital for the poor
The most magnificent cheese shop

It rained on and off but that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for ogling the amazing selection of food and wine shops that cram into the tiny centre. A very classy place is Beaune. We escaped with our wallets intact, only giving way to our desires with a round of washed rind sheep’s cheese, a type of cheese Catherine can tolerate small amounts of with her dairy intolerance.

Friday: We were up and off in the morning and hitting the freeways again. We managed to get to Mirmande, our stop over, early enough to have a good explore on the bikes.

Camping in a meadow full of daisies – we’ve been in worse locations!

Around 4km from our delightful little campsite (La Poche camping) was a village a friend had recommended as it is in the category of “one of the most beautiful in France” – along with hundreds of others I think, as there seems so many. In fact I looked it up, there’s 156 that an association formed in the early 80’s recognises as “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France“. There’s some criteria they need to meet and a branding they can use. All very noble.

Our trusty little e-bikes powered us up right to the 12th century church at the top of the village, with outstanding in views right down to the Rhone river.

Built in the 12th century, the church of Saint Foy – now hosts an art exhibition rather than a congregation
A wall with a view

Magnificent 360 degree views across the countryside
A fabulous art exhibition space within the old church
Beautiful views around every corner
Lots of reminders of the ancient past
The village is as famous for its gardens which complement the views
Ivy covered buildings with fabulous views
Passing the old ramparts on our slow passage down through the village

It’s the little details that count

The village also has an award for the best roofs in France
Riding up to the Church, we can hardly believe the residents bring cars up here

Mr & Mrs A in front of the village

After snapping away for a while I dragged Mrs A away and we headed down to the Rhône through some lovely countryside.

The Rhône – a strong current and a very long river

The climb back up to our camp was 4km straight up – thankyou Mr Bosch we love your pedal assist technology!

Saturday: The final day of the drive into Provence was completed without incident. There was no tailgating, or middle lane hogs, drivers are almost all respectful to others on the road. A pleasure to experience, coming from Australia and New Zealand. So we finally reached our destination at our friends’ place just outside a small village called Bagnols-en-Forêt in the hills behind Cannes and St Tropez. And what a place it is! They have created this private oasis of a garden, and a house of eclectic, exquisite taste. Colin is an awesome master of his domain, the kitchen, and dinner a sumptuous affair. The rest of the mob arrive tomorrow, so we enjoy the time to ourselves catching up with these guys.

It’s fascinating to get their perspective on French life, as Australians who moved out here 8 years ago. I think the best phrase I heard them use was that the French life in a “bubble”, where the world in some ways doesn’t seem to touch them too deeply. Traditions are maintained, micro-agriculture common, family life still central to their lives it seems. The finer and often simpler moments in life are still treasured. A long lunch with friends (where mobiles seems less prevalent than at home), a walk through the woods, choosing the weekly shop undertaken with such care at the local market. These are the things we observe and love about France.

Rescued dog Genie is slowly getting used to us
Blue skies and a tempting looking pool (though at less than 20 degrees, not ‘that’ tempting!)
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5 – 6 May: In the epicentre of Champagne…Epernay

Author: Mr A

Location: Priez and Epernay, France

Truffy drive-surfing outside our farmhouse home

Sunday: We had been invited to join friends who had hired a gite near the hamlet of Priez on the western edge of Champagne country.

Bumble bees alive and well in the garden

Would be lovely in summer out here – sadly not the weather for sitting outside for breakfasts or lunches

The rear courtyard
What is written on this roof joist? And by whom? And why?
Made in Paris

Our first evening together was of course a lively affair…we thought we had catered sufficiently for the group of 10 with a dozen bottles of wine, beer, pastis, breads and cheeses. However, the night drew to a close with not much left on the table and a few sore heads in the morning!

Monday: We left early for our first day learning about champagne with two tours that couldn’t have been more dissimilar. The first was to a relatively small, family run producer called Champagne Jacquinot.

Jean-Manuel passionately telling us his family story – he is the third generation
Chris and David listen intently
On our tour – some of this champagne is currently on a boat to Sydney
Rose champagne during its first fermentation
Mrs A, and behind the original concrete vats
The steep stairwell down to the hand-dug chalk caves

What a great way to learn about the complicated business of growing, harvesting, cellaring, fermenting, and finally bottling this product. For many of this the big takeaway was the impact that climate change is having on all the growers in the region. More variation, less predictability in weather patterns and hotter temperatures all serve to narrow the window for growing and harvesting as one example.

The tour was so eloquently given by the grandson of the man who established the business. He took us down into the cellars, dug in 1873 out of the chalk layer that enables the champagne region here to produce the amazing vintages that it does. It was so good to see a small business doing so well. Demand is strong and the production tightly controlled to ensure a sustainable future, even with the climatic impacts they face.

Champagne stored to allow sediment to fall to the head of the bottle
Graffiti in the chalk cellar walls
Beautiful coloured rose bottles
A tasting session before we head to lunch
Team photo

After a typically French lunch, except for how quickly we had to get through the three delicious courses, we were off to the next tasting at the by contrast very expansive and “Corporate” house of Mercier. You are likely to recognise their logo, they distribute all over the world.

It was a total contrast to the last place with an almost Disneyland like approach to showing us through their extensive cellars…on an underground train!

Mr A admiring some of the 18km of underground cellars full of champagne
Recorded stories in English timed with the train ride through the caves
Literally millions of dollars worth of champagne down here
Sculptures and relief artwork carved in to the walls
Machines which take away the need to turn the bottles by hand
One of the many relief carvings

When it came to the tasting I wasn’t sure to what extent my lack of excitement about the flavours was contextual or “real”. What I mean by that is I think tasting wine is so influenced in my case by what I am thinking and feeling at the time, who I am with, my engagement with whoever is presenting the wine and so on. It felt like quite a bland presentation to be honest, by people who seemed to have little passion for their product. And so the champagne tasted the same…how much of that was in my head or in the bottle?

Mr A sharing some thoughts with Steve
Chris holding court over champagne
Team photo of course

It’s a fascinating industry, clearly Epernay is doing very well. The place oozed money and presented a really smart brand for the this oh so French business. Grateful to be able to experience it with old friends and making new ones.

One of many champagne brands along Rue du Champagne
Views across the vineyards as we headed back to our farmhouse
Almost team photo
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27 April-2 May: Our final family time this spring in Sussex

Author: Mr A

Location: Brighton, Hastings and Newhaven Ferry Port, East Sussex, UK

Saturday-Sunday: Before heading to Continental Europe, we spent our final weekend in Brighton with Catherine’s sister Helen and her family. London-on-Sea, as it is jokingly known locally, served up its usual eclectic way with everything from fine dining to a wonderful greasy spoon cafe for brunch.

Feeling a little neater after some haircuts
Catherine, Helen and Isabel – just the girls
Just a small brunch to start Sunday!
Miss Isabel ready to party – Catherine bravely accompanied her to a 5th birthday celebration, despite the promise of party balloons 😲

Then it was time to head along the coast to Hastings and Catherine’s mum, Jenny.

Monday: Catherine and Jenny visited her nearly 97 year old grandma, good genes on that side of the family at least!

Jenny looking radiant
96 years young, Jean enjoying the sunshine
Jean will be 97 in a few weeks’ time – this may be her first selfie!

A few more lovely home cooked meals from Jenny, and a chance to get some last minute tasks ticked off before we head over the English Channel on Thursday.

Young Marmalade enjoyed the mouse on a stick we bought for him

Tuesday: Jenny took us over to Hastings Country Park for a short walk and some fresh air, another place of great memories for Catherine.

Views over the gorse flowers across the country
Jenny heading through the kissing gate…

The sun breaks through the cloud…team photo
A lovely woodland walk on our return circuit
More bluebells adorn the woodland here

A mother-daughter shot to complete the walk

Later in the day, Catherine took me on her and her sister’s favourite after school activity, a ride down to the beach and along the coast. It was a cold day, but the sun shone and Hastings showed us her good side.

Warming up in a sheltered spot on Hastings Pier
Yes, there is sand (at low tide) in Hastings!
Matching bikes and huts
Mingling with the local wildlife on the pier…odd….
Riding the bike path along to Bexhill-On-Sea

It’s an interesting mix here of demographics, with everyone from a scattering of celebrities, and working class housing estates. If feels an authentic town, with the largest beach based fishing fleet in Europe still bringing in the delicious fish and cockles that we just had to sample.

So many memories from Catherine, shared with me, and it does draw you even closer together understanding someone’s childhood, as I had shown her mine in Kettering.

Wednesday: Now it’s our last day in the UK, with a ferry across to France early tomorrow. I few nerves on my part as I keep running through all the things we need to have sorted. Catherine as ever the calm one, thank goodness.

We are parked up at Newhaven Ferry Port for the night. Little Truffy is dwarfed next to his bigger HGV cousins all waiting for the 9am ride across the Channel to Dieppe. What adventures await us in France?

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18 – 23 April: An Easter to remember with friends and family

Author: Mr A

Location: Harby, Nottinghamshire and Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Thursday-Saturday: We were kindly invited to stay over the first part of the Easter weekend, with friends in Harby in Nottinghamshire, a village embodying all thats good about the remnants of rural England. A good pub, a strong sense of community, roads where cyclists still feel safe to venture out on a morning in droves and endless opportunities to potter around the fields on the rights of way that make this beautiful countryside so accessible.

Woodlands filled with wood anemones

Rape-seed fields of golden yellow
A grand woodland entry along one of our cycles
Spring flowers blooming
John whizzes out of the woods after a slight diversion
Team beers at the Pyewipe Inn (the Lincolnshire name for a Lapwing!)
Team cycle on the return route
Enthusiastic Andrew
Does Stuart suit his helmet?
Warm enough to get the legs out!
Evening dinner at the local pub
Cheers!
Concluding with cheese and night caps back at the house

I was lucky enough to make friends at secondary school that have become lifelong mates, along with their wives and partners. The party begins, the catching up on our lives lived so distantly for much of the year.

Without the full team, night one hit the ground running!

It feels like we have only just left each other’s company last week. The sound of laughter, music and popping corks rings out over the usually tranquil garden of our hosts. Stunning food is served with of course wines to match. We are having an Italian theme to the party to get us in the mood for a major birthday milestone one of the group has in June, as we have organised to celebrate it together there.

Saturday lunchtime feast – incredible food, joined by Andrew’s family – Lyn, Sam and Emma
Old school mates sharing a beverage as the sun sets
Just a small one please Stuart! The famous dairy-free lasagna – verdict? Delicious!
A fabulous Barolo shared with dinner
Sun setting on Saturday night

We decide our appetites need to be sharpened by a little cycling, and off we go down a “greenway” as they are called here, that can be accessed from the village. Of course it leads to a pub, and oh…another one on the way back!

Saturday morning a short cycle ride
Mr A completes John’s off road circuit in 9 minutes

It was a merry bunch that sat down to dinner each night!

Easter Sunday–Tuesday: All too soon it was time to bid our farewell and hit the road once again. Next stop: my daughters and grandchildren in Milton Keynes. After catching up over Chinese takeaway the first night, we kicked off with cycling from one daughter’s house (where we were parked), to the other’s house, via the extensive network of “redways” as Milton Keynes calls them, that were designed into the city’s original blueprint. It was fantastic riding with my oldest grandchild, taking his first big ride on a new bike. He did so well.

Luke bravely tackling the cycle paths, as long as nobody was too close in any direction!

Both of my daughters are moving to new houses within a few weeks of each other, so an exciting time to hear their plans and see their properties. When we come back in September so much will have changed. They all have worked so hard to make this jump to bigger homes. Very proud of them both. At their age they can afford to take some risks with big mortgages. A period of economic instability, especially in the UK, looks pretty likely.

Hayley and Phil’s new-build home…just a few more weeks and they’ll be in!
Luke playing with his cousins at a park close to Zoe and Mark’s new home
The tickle robot is chasing…
Giggling Jacob escapes the tickles
Cousins Luke and Jacob
Nine year old Lily hides cannily
Here comes the robot again…!
Sisters catching up – Hayley and Zoe
Blossom heavy trees and endless blue skies – such a great long weekend
Jacob looking rather serious
Down the slide…
Team Anderson and Team Moss ready for the cycle home

Proud dad with his daughters

Our visit also coincided with my oldest grandson’s 7th birthday. He really is maturing at a rate of knots, and in such a good way. A real pleasure to see. So a little surprise was hatched where we met him out of his first day at a new school, in Truffy, and they got to take a ride in their first motorhome. Hopefully memorable!

James waving the flag for England while Luke is beside himself with excitement

So we then bid a big goodbye to my family until we are back in September, and pointed Truffy’s nose south in preparation for our upcoming ferry to France next week.

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15-16 April: Truffy the Truck gets some loving

Author: Mr A

Location: Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire and Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK

It’s funny how when you think you’re “finished” with modifying your motorhome or caravan you then realise it will never be done. There will always be something else that needs adding or tweaking. Part of the fun really. Well, until you check your bank balance.

Over the past few days we have been racing between various suppliers in the motorhome business here in England. I have to say its been a delight to deal with these people. All of them have been so quick to respond to enquiries, executed on what they committed to, and do so with absolute courtesy.

We started the week with a visit to an auto electrician to get an invertor fitted, basically it enables some 240v charging from your 12v system in the motorhome. A husband and wife team called Automate UK Ltd and had already done some work on Truffy for our dealer and done a great job. It was good to finally meet Rob and his wife Charlotte (who was also wielding the tools) as he had been so responsive, answering my initial e-mails about alarm systems and other electrical mods at all hours of the night, even on Christmas Eve!

Bella supervising Rob and Charlotte’s work

Then it was over to Fuller Leisure where we brought Truffy from, for a few minor tweaks. These guys have also been superb. From Neil our sales contact, who continued to be as diligent in answering questions after they had our money as before. We met the workshop guys – so keen to help, nothing was too much trouble, they even gave us a loan car so we didn’t have to hang around! Amazing…thanks Dave and Nathan!

Then today Truffy got himself a sleep mask…well it’s a thermal insulator to keep in the heat in winter and keep out that Southern European sun we are expecting this summer. It looks like a sexy mask though right?

All tucked up and cosy

Is this Truffy’s best side?

The guys who made this up (Minster Products) did it while we waited! All you Aussies out there with experience dealing with suppliers to the caravan industry – can you imagine that happening? We certainly haven’t come across that type of service before and it’s a pleasure when we have so much to get done.

Another great product and service experience has been from a company called Motorhome WiFi. We brought from them a bundled Huawai MiFi device (we clearly have no secrets worth hiding from the Chinese Communist Party) and a 4G signal booster (installed on Truffy’s roof). Again another business that has been awesome to deal with – timely and responsive to questions. Combined with a 100GB a month data plan from Vodaphone for £20 a month we have awesome wifi everywhere we go. We can even take the device with us on a day out.

The caravan parks we have stayed at have also been awesome, staffed by friendly, courteous people, who keep using the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. We’ve stayed on three of the biggest site pitches we’ve ever had. It seems odd doesn’t it, in this tiny country compared to Australia, where we are almost always crammed in awning to awning.

I should be clear that we are not receiving any affiliate marketing dollars from these businesses. We just want to give credit where credit is due. To see these mostly small family owned businesses finding a niche and delivering such excellent products and services certainly gives us a buzz. We have had a lot to do to get Truffy ready to embark on his adventures over in Europe. Our ferry to Dieppe is booked for the 2nd of May!

This generally good vibe also seem to extend to the pubs and shops we walk into. We are almost always greeted promptly with a smile and courtesy. Even on the crowded roads 9 out of 10 drivers seem keen to help each other by slowing down and flashing you out of junctions, or waiting for you to come through a tight spot rather than barging through. A very different experience for us than driving on the roads in Australia and New Zealand, where incidentally the mortality rate from car accidents is nearly twice that of the UK’s.

I’m sure it wont always be like this, but we are definitely in the honeymoon period. England is certainly showing us its good side, well apart from the fact that it’s BLOODY FREEZING! But apparently thats all going to change tomorrow…let’s see…hopes high. And you see I didn’t mention the B word once!

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