What is that sound on the van roof?

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Well here we are back in the UK. Apparently they have been having a bit of a drought so the great weather has been here as well, although not nearly as warm! We left sunny France, and the resort like camping ground we had been staying at just out of Soissons, and headed for Calais and the ferry. We had a good rest there and spent a day just lounging beside the pool which was great. It Makes me ponder the difference between travelling and a holiday. I guess you have to define what these terms mean to you, but to me travelling means exploring new places and experincing new things, and a holiday means kicking back and relaxing and doing as little as possible. The challenge for us has been to combine the two, and take time out from travelling to have a bit of a holiday. I think we managed that in the last few days and at several other times during our trip.
You certainly notice the difference in uv rays. If we had spent 4 hours beside a pool in NZ with no sunscreen we would have been burnt to a crisp! However we did not even turn pink here! I think our skin must be a bit more weathered because there were certainly some sunburnt people evident, just not us! The sun stayed with us as we left France and got to the Uk however, however the wind could have cut through you like a knife and we were huddled in bed very early that night trying to keep hands, toes and nose warm. We experienced a little bit of luxury the next night, when we visited Pauline and Mike in Lewes and they very kindly offered to put us up for the night. After 8 or so weeks in the back of the van we jumped at the chance for a real bed, with an ensuite next to the bedroom. Sheer heaven! Thank you so much Pauline and Mike for your hospitality. We hope we can return the favor one day. Since then we have headed north, stopping first at Cambridge, where we took a punt on the river and then at York, we we walked another old city wall. Last night we had our first steady rainfall, lasting most of the night but clearing up for the day. We have spent a windswept day exploring Hadrian's wall and Have settled ourselves into a camping ground that by some miracle has wifi!!!! Which is why I am able to blog and top up my mobile etc! The sun is shining, Dean's having a wee nap in the back and the pub lunch is settling in the tummy! It is not Mothers Day here but it was in NZ yesterday and it was lovely to get the txts from the kids. Take care everyone.xxx

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Photos

York
Walking the Wall