Blogs from United Kingdom, Europe - page 18

Moved on today a little further along North Wales. Not a long drive. Up the few miles to the coast then followed it along via the Menai Straits past Anglesey and down what I always refer to as the Pig’s Ear of Wales, the Lynn Peninsula. Can’t be specific as to where we are as really we are just somewhere surrounded by fields and quite lovely views, including to the sea about 2 miles away. This is a CL, Gwyn Tawel and we are nicely set up with fully hooked up water again. We decided to try attaching the awning and after only a couple of wrong moves managed quite well. We were told it takes 10 minutes and maybe it took us that plus an hour but now we know what we are doing will ... read more

Our first international trip since we went to Hawaii in 2020, just as COVID-19 was rearing its ugly head. Long time readers of this blog will remember that trip was memorable for perhaps the wrong reasons; the 54 hour marathon in the snow (Hawaii?) and Peter’s herniated disk. What will be the memorable moments of this trip? It’s going to be great! Great Britain! As you would expect, we were well prepared for our trip due to Dianne’s great planning aided by great instruction from our London Airbnb hosts for getting to their site. There are three sections to this trip: 8 nights in London 14 nights on a cruise ship circling the British Isles 13 nights in various locations in the south-east part of England The trip got off to a bit of a rocky ... read more

Back to reality now as we no longer have our rooms cleaned daily and served breakfast, lunch and dinner (plus afternoon tea). We truly had a ball on board ship and made friends with some wonderful people from Canada, Australia and even New Zealand! After Germany, we had stops in Vienna in Austria, Bratislavia in Slovakia and finally Budapest in Hungary. All had very interesting guides to escort groups of us around and a great way to gain local knowledge of the area and country. In Bratislavia we were taken to family homes to talk to them (via our translator/guide) and offered wine, coffee, tea and cake and the experience was really enjoyed by all. Prague, we had been told by many, is a beautiful city and it certainly didn't disappoint. Our next stop was Heidelberg, ... read more

Going to be two days rolled into one otherwise I will be behind myself before I’ve really set off. So, on Monday 21st, the caravan was persuaded to leave the drive and advance up our narrow road with the aid of the trusty auto motormover. The car reversed down the road and the two met harmoniously in the middle. Only blocked the road for 3 minutes but the man waiting in his Maserati was impatient. I did Not apologize. And we were off. Up the M6 and then the M56, all nice and easy and then some of the more interesting narrow lanes of North Wales, but none too testing, to our campsite, in farmland just above Colwyn Bay. Plas Farm, a very pleasant site, nicely kept and we are on a fully serviced pitch as ... read more

This blog - the second part of our trip to the Forest of Dean and the Welsh borders - has been a wile in the creative process. Sometimes, the words just flow. Other times, they don't. On this occasion, I can blame neither and life has just quite simply got in the way. There is no high powered career to bother about anymore, but getting the best out of the NHS is in effect a job in its own right. Life is very much dominated by the latter at the moment and even this trip was a last minute plan, squeezed in between the various appointments and blood tests that the Other Half now has in her permanent calendar. The majority spend a significant portion of their lives avoiding the institution and it seems such a ... read more