Slugs and WWoofing!!!

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Internet access at last!!!

I can’t believe its nearly two weeks already. The time is going so fast and we are already at our 5th stay!!

What has happened so far………

First campsite was ok, the area was pretty. Both children then went down with a tummy bug!
After a few days I got itchy feet and woke one morning wanting to move on. We took a family vote and on the basis of the next campsite having toilet seats and paper, we decided to move on.

Du Haras campsite just outside Vannes was in fact much nicer. Next to an aerodrome it was quite pleasant to sit and watch the small airplane fly above and then watch the parachutists jump out and float down.

We then moved on to our first Wwoof experience not knowing what to expect. I had rung for directions, the last part being look for a track in the woods!

We found it with little trouble. I had to run up the track to check it was the right place as we didn’t want to take the caravan up it to get stuck.

Yes it was in the woods. The house looked quite pretty from the outside. We were directed to a field by our host Maarten, his partner Joy was in England for a few days. We had no running water, electric or heating. Brian wanted to leave straight away. I suggested we perhaps give it a little longer than an hour! Not one to be defeated.

We ate in the house that night, along with Paul who was also woofing. He was French but spoke excellent English. He has been travelling for the last six years! He was just back from India then moving on to Spain. The children made great friends with him and he taught them French.

First day woofing I sanded a door frame, helped make lunch. Brian on the other hand…….. Maarten had decided he wanted a shelter made for the horses. It was to be made out of tree logs!!! They were huge and as I watched Brian struggle with them I felt quite guilty that I had suggested this stay. On the other hand the children were loving helping and running round the fields.

Inside the house to say it was rustic was an understatement!!! They had lived there for twenty years and hadn’t finished any part of it. It was also filthy. I really tried not to think about it.

I was washing up and found a slug on the washing up sponge. When I suggested throwing it away, I was asked ‘why’?

The food was vegetarian and surprisingly tasty and filling. The children enjoyed the communal meals.

Brian decided to give it one day and then we would go. One part of the structure went up the next day. It was quite an acheivment when we all helped with the pulley system. All in all we had a good day.

Joy arrived back from England, we now had electric for the caravan- hurray!!!

Brian then said he would like to stay until Friday. What a turn around!!! We had a great evening that night, Amelia played her flute whilst our hosts both played guitar and sang. It was lovely to sit around the table with everyone joining in. In fact the kitchen even looked cosy in the dim light! No slugs to be seen!

There is so much I could say about our stay there. But all in all I think it was a good experience and I learnt a lot about being frugal with food. The solar shower was excellent(unfinished), and the vegetable garden I planned years ago has a much better chance of happening now.

So it was with a little sadness and the thought of running water we said our goodbyes.

On to the next….
We had being using the sat nav- a woman called Jane but we have ditched her as she was useless and annoying! I was saying go left and she would say go right, Brian said he couldn’t cope with two of us telling him what to do! She spent a lot of time saying ‘turn around where possible’. Even the children said she got on their nerves.
We now have Sean, his Irish tones seem to have a more soothing calm effect on us. So far we have had no trouble with Sean!

We arrived at the gite yesterday. It is very nice, even satellite TV. The children caught up on Emmerdale last night! The gite has a great log burner. We were a little enthusiastic with it last night and had to sit with just our shorts and t-shirts on as it was so hot. It needs to be on at night as the walls are very thick stone that don’t heat up.

We are here all week and I have WIFI also. So can Skype and answer emails.

Hope all well back in Blighty and haven’t come to the end of the yellow brick road yet!

Love The Kennards

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Comments

[Marina, Dave, Jaq and TJ]

Sounds like a gr8t adventure so far
Hi, it sounds fantastic so far a real fest of experiences, waiting to hear more... Life here is good weather brill until this weekend when rain is guaranteed (bank holiday so what would you expect) we are off to Cornwall in a caravan, but I wont bother with a blog don't think a static in Newquay quite warrants it!!! House is still standing and as yet I have not put a replacement caravan on the hard standing but there is still time!! Keep on keeping on and enjoying every min.

[France in a caravan]

Good to hear from you.
Thanks for the comment. Have a fab time in Newquay. x