Thought I’d just add my two pence worth to the blog. The first ten days have been very much more stressful than we thought they’d be, and I think we are both concerned that we’ve made a mistake buying such a big van. It’s an absolute pig to manouevre in confined spaces and quite a complex piece of kit which we haven’t really got to grips with yet. There are problems with the water pump, the mechanical mover seems to only work every second day, and we seem to be lurching from one problem to another! If someone hasn’t already used the title I think I might call my new book “A Comedy of Errors”. Having said that, it is very comfortable once it is parked up.
We are currently on a fairly primitive campsite in the Vendee, and fell asleep last night to the gentle sound of falling acorns bonging on top of the van and the subtle waft of fresh manure in the nostrils!
The “big red beast” is proving a much wiser purchase than the van. It tows really well and feels very stable, although the gentle glugging sound it makes as it swallows vast amounts of diesel is a bit disturbing.
All in all the trip is proving ‘interesting’. I think we are both struggling to come to terms with being entirely itinerant. It somehow makes one feel less relevant, as if one’s role is no longer defined. Yesterdays near disaster also made one feel a bit out on a limb, and one becomes so keen not to make mistakes that it knocks the confidence a bit.
Love to all,
Andy
ann and andy lawrenson 