Flintshire 1 - a look back over 2012 - the highs and the lows

---

Looking back over my shoulder - words from a Mike and the Mechanics song that I love. T For me this time of the year is a time to both look back over my shoulder at 2012, to gather thoughts about a year in the life of Suzy and to look forward and plan 2013 trips.

Well it's not been quite a year.. This time last year she was still a glimmer without any substance. Ordered but that was it. Since we picked her up we have used her extensively and we have acquired three new friends. Sion the Sheep all white coated wool and innocent, Sions friend Dragon a fiery red welsh beast who breathes fire but most of the time sits placidly whilst snoring his life away. And then there is Baa Baa. Sions friend Baa Baa is a black and white tea cosy which now doubles up as a friend for Sion. Once languishing in a quiet corner they now are becoming well travelled friends joining us on our tours of Europe.

Disappointments and yes there were a few. To say you motorhome and don't have a disappointment or make a mistake along the way is to be economical with the truth. It is inevitable that travelling this way that something won't go according to plan but then the flip side is that things turn up unexpectedly and they more than make up for the disappointments.

What would we have done better or differently ?

We would have liked to have bought Suzy sooner. However we needed to wait for retirement to raise its ugly head. We realised that we loved moving from place to place and having the flexibility to stay longer or move on depending on how we are enjoying ourselves.

We would have bought from a local smaller dealer as we feel we would have had better service. We felt left out of the loop buying her. Once we had paid our deposit we heard nothing . To be fair the salesman was quite ill but hearing nothing time went very slowly. When you part with a substantial amount of money you deserve to be kept up to date with developments. It would have been great to know when Fiat were starting the engine build. You get this level of service when you buy a car so why not for a motorhome. We would liked to have known when the base unit was on its way from Italy to the UK. To be told that the unit had arrived in the UK would have been simple to do and would have involved us in the process. Why shouldnt the dealer or the manufacturer of the habitation part of the vehicle not keep the buyer up to speed on progress. Time passes slowly when you know nothing!!! I think it was Einstein who explained one of his theories by likening to time to passing by quickly when in the arms of a beautiful woman and that it passes by more slowly in the arms of an ugly one. Well it went something like that. Time would have passed quickly if we had known something rather than nothing.

Buy from a smaller dealer raises its head again . Perhaps we would have had better service over the broken locker doors. had we dealt with a family run firm? Who knows? How annoyed you feel to be told you had broken the locker doors by getting a screwdriver in them and cracking them especially when you had done nothing of the kind.

We would have spent more time in Croatia. It was such a lovely country. We were green not knowing how long it would take us to get to places and we over-estimated leaving us in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps we should have spent more time on long weekends. It is a shame to see Suzy languishing on the driveway. You do though learn as you go along and in a way we didnt do too badly.

We bought a water filter and it didnt quite work according to plan as it caused the water to run too slowly. We have a bike still in the garage unused. The satelitte dish failed to work after water got into the electrics. We need to check work more carefully, shoddy work meant a small hole drilled into the side of the van. Luckily it didnt pierce the bodywork . We even found footprints on the roof after the dish was repaired .

The things that went right - too many to mention really. A lovely weekend in Wales, another in Derbyshire and one in Oxfordshire. Sunshine in Croatia, the lovely island of Krk, Provins and its walls, Oh the list goes on and on. Too many in fact to mention.

Next year 2013 plans already in progress. The route for May decided. Through Germany to Italy and then on to Croatia. ACSI book for 2013 ordered and should arrive this week. Silver screen purchased and now placed on the windscreen. We have started to find places we want to visit. Bring it on.

To pass the time away this week we went walking through the Loggerheads Country Park which is between Mold and our home town of Ruthin. it is a a beautiful wooded river valley with dramatic cliffs and outcrops and is great for a short stroll or an ideal place to start exploring the Clwydian Range. It has a well marked Discovery Trail and easily accessible pathways around the park and to the hills and valleys beyond. On the day we visited the place was almost entirely empty. The trees bare and the leaves covering the ground like a thick carpet. The paths were very muddy after the torrential rain of last week. Loggerheads was an important lead mining area and evidence of this industrial past still remains partially hidden within this beautiful woodland. The path we chose follows the line of the old water course built to carry water for the mining operations - following the whole length of the Alyn Valley and often perched high on the steep cliffs. The water level was high with the excessive rainfall and made a lovely walk.

Dotted around were wooden sculptures of creatures found in the woods - a bat and a lizard. And to finish it all there is a delightful cafe where you can buy refreshments after your walk.

---

Photos

Loggerheads
The River Alyn

Loggerheads
Two intrepid walkers

Loggerheads
Is it a bat?