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Published: January 14th 2009
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MARTINS MONTHLY UPDATE
Forget the collapse of the Icelandic banking System and the devaluation of the pound against the Euro. On the 2nd January 2009 real disaster struck Banno -World when we ran out of Yorkshire tea bags
The crisis was averted however, on the 5th January when three parcels arrived at the camp reception from home. One of them contained a batch of our favourite brew, and the others, much needed supplies of marmite, mince pies and dove soap (for my sensitive soft skin).
Christmas has been and gone. The decorated pine cone and the wire coat hanger have been removed. Life has returned to normal??
The caravan through constant use is showing signs of wear. The front window seals are leaking slightly. The bed is becoming more and more uncomfortable, and the sink seal has allowed water in and warped the wooden worktop. My maintenance person (Donna) has provided regular running repairs and has rectified the sink problem (for now anyway). She specialises in repairs using glue, duck tape and wire coat hangers (thank God we didn’t bring all plastic ones).
My cycling partner Mike has returned from holiday in the UK and
we are back in action. I have managed to get in more rides here whilst we remain static, and I have found a cafe which sells authentic Portuguese Cornish pasties and sausage rolls on one of my routes.
The massive satellite dish that we have borrowed has now gone back to its rightful owner. I have managed to have a few bets on the televised racing over Christmas courtesy of our own Jodrell Bank. I really enjoyed watching my old friend Kauto Star return to winning form in the King George, but other than that I haven’t had a sniff of a winner.
My neighbour and golfing buddy Chris has returned from home too. I call him “Countdown Chris” because he has been on the TV programme Countdown (where he won 5 games on the trot). He also claims to have been on The Weakest Link. As Donna professes to want to keep her brain active I have set up a scrabble contest for her with “Countdown Chris”. At the moment neither of them is rushing to get the contest started and Donna is frantically competing with the computer version to get much needed practice.
On the
home front my Dad tried to dodge a car at Wingerworth before Christmas and suffered a broken shoulder. As a result he spent Christmas in hospital. He is now back at his home and is recovering. The most positive thing to come out of it was that I talked to my brother Neil more than I have done for years.
Donna and Tom have already written about the weird Christmas. I prefer to think of it as being a break from the norm which will make us appreciate Christmas at home more. Boxing Day was surreal but brilliant.
We have started to consider our slow trek northwards and our next locations. It is tempting to stay here in the comfort and warmth, but if we want to see the other countries on our agenda we will have to move soon.
We were going to meet up with our friends Jan and Corry at Moreira, but they will not be able to travel because of Jan's illness. We hope that he recovers soon and our best wishes go out to them both.
It is amazing to think back on the year and what
we have achieved since July. One minute a bobby and the next a grey nomad. We have done some brilliant things and seen some beautiful places.
We do miss home and our family and friends. Despite visiting all of these countries the UK is still our home and we miss the countryside and the traditional British places and things. We watched a programme about Britain’s favourite view the other day and became so nostalgic that we booked a week in Keswick in the caravan for July. We will probably need a holiday by then!
The Camping and Caravan Club rally has descended on the site and it’s a lot busier now than before Christmas, with more arranged activities on offer.
On the 25th January Jorge Martinez, the Portuguese answer to Ricky Martin is on live at the site as part of his "world tour." Can't wait for that!!
By the way the showers in the new shower block here are first class if anyone is interested.
M
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