After another quick stop at home for a routine medical appointment, we then started a week or so of van related work but with the promise of a weekend in the Peaks at the end before popping home again.

First stop was Tyrepal at Banbury to get the tyre pressure monitoring system sorted. Turned out that a replacement monitor we had received recently was faulty so we were given a new one immediately and the system was backing fully working. As that was a quick job, it was straight on to our overnight stop at Burton Hill Farm CL. We were surrounded by some beautiful countryside but as we were there just the one night, we didn’t have a chance to see much of the campsite let alone explore any further.

The next job was in Shropshire where, after a lot of shall we / shan’t we, we were having a Planar diesel heater fitted by Autoterm. We have warm air heating which runs off LPG or electric so we’re not at all cold but the diesel heater gives us another option if we need to watch the LPG usage and are not hooked up to electric. There are a couple of options for diesel heater fitting and we went for the middle cost wise (it was £925). Yes there are certainly much cheaper heaters available but we wanted to ensure it was fitted correctly and that the reliability was there. We’re very happy with the results and are putting the heater to daily use in Scotland!

Ahead of having the heater installed, we sat out storm Eunice in Roden Nurseries CL, attached to a garden nursery. The owners were very friendly and even came out to check we were OK during the storm. It was very wet but we seemed to avoid the worst of the winds (unlike the house where we lost six roof tiles!) and the relentless rain led to a couple of nights of interrupted sleep. At times like these we have no excuse not to do the “housework” and there’s usually plenty of cooking going on.

What we had planned to be the third and final work stop was a little further north to finally get some carpets fitted. We had checked in advance with the campsite (Stoney Leach Nursery) that we could have the work done on-site and that wasn’t an issue for them. For various reasons we’ve tried multiple times to get these done but we finally arranged a date with Carpets for Caravans and are really pleased with their work. Something else to help with the warmth too.

There’s a little walking from the campsite which was really quiet and peaceful despite it being busy.

Having had all the work done, or so we thought, we moved across country to the Hope Valley in the Peak District and to a campsite we first stayed in last year. Newfold Farm is located in a stunning area with some great walking – Bob went up to Mam Tor with his son Tom one day and with the weather being so glorious we also took a 5 mile “stroll” the following day along part of the Penine Way to Crowden Brook. We’d use again given it’s location.

Another reason for visiting here was to meet up with Paula (an old school friend of June’s) and David who bought their motorhome last year. It was a bit cold to sit outside so we squeezed into each other’s vans for a couple of nights of reminiscing and putting the world to rights over a bottle or two of wine!

We were both itching to get back on the road properly and start our tour of Scotland but another medical appointment (and thankfully almost probably the last for the foreseeable – getting old sucks!) and a warning light on the dashboard sent us back home again. On the plus side, we were able to get all the washing done despite more rain, catch up with a post-COVID Chloe and have dinner with friends.

We managed to get an appointment with Inter County Mercedes in Milton Keynes so after an overnight stay in a car park near Tongwell Lake, it was straight in to the garage where they were quickly able to diagnose and fix the problem. It transpired that when Hymer removed the standard Mercedes front seats to replace with their own they had placed the cable for the seatbelt sensor in such a place that over time it would be crushed and eventually severed. After replacing the seat belt sockets and rerouting the cable we were on our way and we’ll take the issue up with Hymer directly.

Tonight’s stop would be Tebay Services on the M6 and tomorrow – Scotland!

Sites used:

Burton Hill Farm CL, Southam, Warwickshire: £16 p/n. Hard standing pitches with EHU. Other services Roden Nurseries CL

Roden Nurseries CL, near Telford, Shropshire: £17 p/n. Hard standing pitches with EHU and water. Use of outside toilets of adjacent garden centre and motorhome washing facilities available.

The Elms CL, Whittington, Shropshire: £10 p/n. Hard standing pitches with EHU. Clean water and dumping facilities close by.

Stoney Leach Nursery, Wrightington, near Wigan: £15 p/n. Hard standing pitches with EHU. Clean water and dumping facilities close by.

Newfold Farm, Edale, Peak District: £25 p/n. Hard standing pitches with EHU. Clean water and dumping facilities close by.

Tongwell Lake, Milton Keynes: Free. Public car park on a business estate.

Tebay Services, M6: £18 overnight but given £3 voucher to spend in shops. No facilities in car park. Services also have a campsite but it was closed at the time of our visit.

Having taken the option to get our inbound COVID test at a drive through centre on the way home (thankfully both negative still!) we were clear to go about preparing for Christmas almost as soon as we got back home. It wasn’t quite the rush we anticipated as like for a lot of people, the holidays were pretty quiet although it was good to see the family and friends that we did.

After almost three weeks of feeling strange in our own house (home is now most definitely the motorhome and the house is Chloe’s home), we got the call from the Mercedes garage to say that the issue with the central locking and remote key system caused by the lightning strike was now resolved. Luckily Chloe was home so we had use of her car so the following day it was up the A1 to collect the van and back again to check in to the local campsite. We both sat in the van that evening with a big smile on our faces and had our first decent night’s sleep in weeks!

After a couple more days of catching up with people we headed down to Hayling Island for a couple of nights to get some warranty work done on the van. With the dealer we bought the van from having stopped trading, we’ve been lucky to find another dealer (Southdown Motorhomes) willing to take on the warranty work. Great service from them! We stayed at Stoke Farm, a fairly new CL, with the remaining grass pitches currently being made hard standing. All have EHU and and own water. Sadly we didn’t get much chance to explore the area but this would make a good base.

Whilst getting that sorted we were made aware by a few drivers that our reversing lights were permanently on so it was a quick dash the following day to the Mercedes garage recommended by Southdown – Marshalls Andover who kindly squeezed us in and ran the diagnostics. The problem had actually righted itself that morning although we had another scare on the way to the garage when the van wouldn’t start at all. But whatever had caused these glitches had disappeared so we found a CL near Salisbury and headed there for a couple of nights with the aim of getting a decent walk in.

We spent two nights at Copse Side Farm where we were met by the owner. Sad to say we did’t get her name but she was so chatty, telling us about caravanning around Australia many years ago and giving us the history of the area around us. Camping is in a long thin field with a view to the hills of Cranborne Chase and there is a footpath directly from the campsite out on to the hills. We managed one very muddy walk out on a glorious winter day!

Whilst here we noticed that the alarm indicator lights weren’t working so it was on to VanBitz who told us to bring the van in. This entailed a trip down to Taunton which we would do the following week. In the meantime we decided to visit Portland in Dorset and spent two restful nights in a free car park overlooking Chesil Beach. The weather continued to be sunny (but cold!) so we drove down to Portland Bill for a stroll along the coast there. On our way to Somerset, we spent a few hours in Lyme Regis having a wander along the harbour wall and the sea front. Probably because it was a Saturday but the harbour side takeaways had really long queues so we decided to treat ourselves to a sit down lunch in the pub. Has to be done from time to time!

Although VanBitz is located next to a campsite as our appointment wasn’t until 10am we decided to stay near Somerton in Somerset on Millway Farm CL. From there we were able to walk out to a very muddy Combe Hill (the mud goes with the time of the year!) and the surrounding woods. The CL is on a working farm and there is a small farm shop selling produce as well as homemade jams and chutneys – can recommend the apple and blackberry jam!

After three LEDs were replaced at VanBitz it was back to Dorset. With all the running around to get the van sorted we really hadn’t settled back in to van life so after one night at Dorset Springs, an immaculate CL with pitches located around a lake, we decided that our next stop would be for at least three nights to give ourselves some breathing space.

Upon arriving at West Farm CL, near Verwood, we extended our original three nights to six. This is another well kept CL with great facilities – by this time we needed to look for a laundry and as well as a washing machine and tumble dryer, they also have a drying room with racks and hangars so we’ve managed to get everything done. There is also plenty of walking from the site and the New Forest is just a short drive away.

It may sound strange to non-van dwellers but sometimes you really do just need to stop and park up somewhere for a few days! The UK is not very well set up for motorhomes and vans so it’s a constant search for places to park, places to empty and fill water tanks and empty the loo. Campsites can be expensive and whilst we are lucky to have a monthly income, we still have a budget. We’re not whinging though and wouldn’t change this lifestyle for anything.

And finally, our plans for 2022. Plan A was for us to have shipped the van to Canada in April 2021 but we all know what COVID did to global travel plans that year! We therefore moved Plan A to September 2022 when, all being well, international travel will have fully resumed and we can head across the Atlantic to start our US, Canada and PanAmerican adventure which had always been our dream for van life.

In the meantime, we will continue to tour the UK, including six or seven weeks in Scotland and then use a full 90 day Schengen block in Norway and Sweden starting in May.

Campsites used

Stoke Farm, Hayling Island: £18 per night. Water and EHU on each pitch. Two hard standing pitches but planning to make the other 3 the same.

Copse Side Farm near Salisbury: £15 per night. EHU and fresh water. Black and grey water disposal. A long thin site with one, maybe two hard standing pitches. Bins available

New Ground Car Park: Free. No services other than rubbish bins.

Millway Farm Somerset: £12 per night. EHU on each pitch and all hard standing. Water along with black and grey water disposal.

Dorset Springs: £20 per night. EHU on each pitch and all hard standing. Water along with black and grey water disposal.

West Farm near Verwood. £19 per night. Two hard standings with EHU on all pitches. Water along with black and grey disposal.

Despite bringing the return train forward a few days, we still had plenty of time to get back to Calais with days built in to allow for any delays (some of the mountain passes were already closed due to snowfall). Our route was through the same countries as the way down, so back through Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and France, COVID restrictions allowing, and with the hope of catching at least one Christmas market.

We had our first onboard inspection as we crossed the border from Bosnia to Croatia but they were only interested in alcohol and tobacco, and we didn’t much of the former and certainly none of the latter.

Much of the tourist focus for Croatia is along the coast – 4 of the 5 sections of our guide book are about the coastal regions, but the inland northern area is worth visiting if you like more remote countryside.

Our journey through Croatia (and Slovenia) was mostly along the banks of the Sava River through the flat wetlands of the Lonjsko polje, an area of wooden houses, open fields and storks.

We also visited several spomeniks (monuments) which had been built during the by the former Republic of Yugoslavia. These were mostly dedicated to local soldiers who resisted the invading forces of World War 2 but also included the Jasenovac Memorial and Museum, built of the site of a former concentration camp.

The camp housed mostly Serbs, Roma and Jews plus Croats who were opposed to the Ustasha (the government of the Independent State of Croatia established by Nazi Germany). The camp grew to be the third largest in Europe and the inmates were put to hard labour in the brickworks.

Around the monument, the ground has been landscaped to leave small mounds where different parts of the camp were and in the museum, from the ceiling hang multiple glass panels bearing the names of the captives known to have died there.

We were the only visitors that morning and they opened the museum just for us. It’s only small and free to enter but so moving. There are rumours again of more unrest in the region within the various ethnic groups – do we never learn…..

By contrast we also visited Zagreb to go the Christmas markets but have to say we were very disappointed. We appreciate that times are still uncertain especially with the latest COVID variant, but there were no more than a couple of dozen non-food stalls spread across multiple sites in the city. On the upside we did have our first mulled wine of the season. Great campsite though at Camp Zagreb which is located out of the city but by a lake. Lots of facilities and activities during the armed months and a great little pizza restaurant on-site. We walked to the next town to take the train into Zagreb but in the summer, the site runs a shuttle bus.

The crossing from Croatia to Slovenia took two attempts having initially tried a what we now know to have been a checkpoint for EU nationals only! Non-EU nationals have to cross via the larger border points which fortunately in this instance was just a few kilometres away. We had opted for the smaller crossing because it wasn’t on a motorway – we needed a vignette to use motorways but didn’t have one plus and to be honest, we prefer non-motorway driving.

On our way to our next camping place we stopped by some hot springs at Smarjeske Toplice which were not so hot, but there is something to be said about taking a dip in warm water with snow on the forest floor all around. We don’t know if it’s because only slightly insane people would visit during winter but it was quite a descent down the hill from the only car park we could find to the springs. There was also no-one around to collect money for parking.

We found a great motorhome park up in Dol pri Ljubljani with stunning views over the snow covered countryside. The park up has immaculate facilities including a washing machine and offers undercover, hard standing and grass pitches. We has originally planned to stay for one night but extended it to two. On our second day we walked through the village and up the snow covered hill for a hot chocolate at the restaurant at the top.

The next couple of days became driving ones. We left Slovenia on a Sunday and decided this would be a good day to drive as far as possible across Italy, beyond Milan if we could. The plan worked and after spending a night in a sosta in Magenta, we hit no traffic on the Monday morning thereby having an easy run into France. We did take the motorway through Italy just to make ground but it did come at a cost of €66.

After a stunning drive through the Alps, we hit the motorway again with an eye-watering total of €115.50 to get to Lake Annecy for an overnight stop in, thankfully, a free aire. By coincidence the aire was just in front of a hotel we had used a few years ago. Having got this far in two days, we stayed to the back roads and used a couple more Aires before reaching Calais the day before our train departure. Tried to visit the Christmas market here too but nothing seemed to be open….

On our way to Calais we also had to arrange for COVID tests no more than two days before our crossing to be allowed back to the UK (assuming they were negative of course!). We have found France to be so much better organised than the UK for testing and the cost is fixed so we were easily able to locate a pharmacy on our route who for €50 did two lateral flow tests and provided certificates within 30 minutes.

With our documentation all uploaded to the Eurotunnel site we were granted permission to travel so on Friday 17th we came back to the UK for three weeks of living in a house over the holidays and whilst work was carried out on the van to sort out the electrical problems caused by the lightening strike.

In hindsight the decision to come back a few days early was a good one as France closed its borders to UK travellers the day we came home (longest queues we’d ever seen at Eurotunnel to get out of the UK before the midnight deadline!). Whilst we were allowed to be travelling home, by leaving sooner we took away any potential grief caused by a UK plated vehicle travelling through France. We’d already been stopped once in France by customs for a drug search and although they were perfectly friendly and polite, we didn’t want a repeat of that.

Out on the road again in January for a few months in the UK. We have plans for, fingers crossed, Scandinavia in May for three months, and then back to Plan A for Canada and the US in September…..

Campsites used

Campground Zelen-GAJ, Lonja: KN100 (£11.10) for one night after some haggling! Due to being out of season no facilities available other than bins. Mostly grass pitches.

Camp Zagreb: KN211 p/n (ACSI rate). Hard standing pitches with EHU and multiple water points. Restaurant and spa on site.

Camperstop and Storage Facility, Dol pri Ljubljani: €15 per night. Various parking areas including undercover. EHU and access to a new kitchen area including a washing machine.

Area Sosta, Magenta, Italy: free car park next to a large caravan/motorhome/camping shop. Little road noise but free water fill up, black and grey water disposal.

Parking Camping Car, Annecy: free car park. Water point but not working/turned off for winter.

Aire at Bruyeres et Montberault, near Laon: free car park, no facilities.

Aire at Montreuil: free parking. €2 to fill water and empty WC.

Calais Aire: €10 per night to park in secure hard standing area. Free facilities outside gates – water filling, grey and WC disposal.

Having decided to bring our return crossing home by a few days due to the ever-changing COVID situation (a new strain is prompting some countries to lock down again) this week marked the start of our journey northwards and ultimately, home to the UK. This meant we had to cut short out time here but we plan on returning.

We left Mostar and headed out to the countryside, continuing to follow the Neretva River. We took a slight detour at Konjic to visit Tito’s Bunker, an underground bunker built to house the president and senior officials in the event of a nuclear war.

Facility D-0 was built in complete secrecy over a period of 26 years between 1953 and 1979 at a cost of 4.6 billion US Dollars ($10 billion equivalent today). It was to be the place to which Tito, President of the former Yugoslavia, his government and senior military officials would retreat in the event of a nuclear war. The site which is built into the mountainside behind three cottages, was fully self contained, had fresh water and air circulation systems and was filled with six months worth of food for the few hundred chosen individuals. The furnishings were the height of 70s luxury and the systems were state of the art for their time.

When Yugoslavia fell, a couple of soldiers disobeyed the order to destroy the place and it is a now a perfectly preserved memorial to what might have been and many of the rooms are now being used as a art gallery. We were both fascinated with the place and would recommend a visit. The cost to visit was KM20 each (approx £8.50) and you have to take the guided tour but its worth it. Tours leave at set times so check the website (titosbunker.com) if visiting.

As we left Konjic and headed towards our next stop we noticed that the cars coming towards us were starting to show signs of snow fall. “I hope we’re not heading into a snow storm” said June and as we got higher, that’s exactly what happened and we arrived at Rama Lake. It certainly made for a fun drive!

We stayed at House Franjusic, a property consisting of a few holiday lets that also allows camping in its garden/car park. We arrived as the snow was falling quite heavily so just plugged in, sussed out the WiFi and shut the door for the night.

We awoke the next morning to glorious blue skies and a beautiful snowy landscape. A knock on the door and we were invited into the house for a coffee which turned into a full blown breakfast. We were also told by the delightful Anje to comeback at 12 noon for lunch! Unfortunately power cuts delayed that, for which Anje was most apologetic but it was hardly her fault, but the handmade burek was well worth the wait. Conversation was interesting as she spoke only Croatian and Russian but we managed to chat a little (O Level German has proved handy on this trip but not in this case!). The house is one of a few strung out properties on a peninsular jutting out into the lake and had some great walking although we couldn’t do too much on this visit. Because of the snow we only made it the short distance to the local monastery but there are walks through the nearby forests.

It was then back to the city for a visit to Sarajevo, another place that immediately bought the war to mind. The roads had been cleared of snow and there was little on the ground by the time we reached Sarajevo. Our campsite was Oaza Camp, which was a little out of the centre and close to the airport (thankfully relatively quiet but we think it would be very noisy in the summer or even more normal times. The campsite was a typical resort type with mixed camping and holiday flats/chalets. The shower/toilet blocks were shut but water was available and we were offered the use of a room to shower if we wanted. Not our favourite campsite but it served a purpose.#

Reception was able to organise a taxi for us the following day into the city (around KM20/25) and we were dropped near the old market. Today the snow had turned to rain so we didn’t stay too long in the city but we did do a free walking tour we found online and grabbed a spot of lunch. From comments we’ve had since, we don’t think we saw Sarajevo at its best and if we were to go back again, we’d also look for another campsite.

After Sarajevo we reverted to type with an out of the way stop at a new small campsite on an organic farm close to Zepce. Because of the snow and rain we didn’t make it on to the actual grass camping area for fear of not getting out again but were able to park at the entrance and still get hook up. The Bosnian hospitality continued as we were treated to cake when we arrived and the owners were quite apologetic that due to the weather and time of year they couldn’t offer us more. This was a new type of campsite opening in Bosnia and we’d highly recommend finding these more remote places.

We only spent one night on the farm and then continued to head north following the River Vrbas to Jajce. Another stunning drive passing along valleys, over mountain passes and through ancient fortified towns (definitely need to go back to Travnik).

Another little detour took us to the mysterious large stone balls near Zavidovici. There are a few odd theories on how these were formed other than the standard geological theory of water!

We stayed at the riverside campsite next to the Jajce Hostel which is quite basic but fully functional. You are also able to use the hostel’s laundry (€2 per wash and dry) and showers.

Jajce is famous for its fortress and waterfalls and the rain eased enough for us to go for a quick walk to the falls.

As we left Jajce, we visited the falls at Lake Plivsko and some old small watermills.

Our final stop in Bosnia was near the Kozara National Park as we decided to go on a Spomenik (monument) hunt. There are number of huge (and we mean enormous) monuments spread across the former Yugoslavia built in memory of partisans who fought against the invading German and Italian forces in WW2.

Kozara was another beautiful place to visit – there are so many places we want to go back to in Bosnia. We have been blown away by the stunning scenery and the kindness and hospitality of the locals. New campsites are opening and for this last night we stayed at another new site which is still being built. Danijel, the owner, greeted us on arrival with a huge bag of apples from the family orchard and shared his plans for the site which is located on the edge of a forested area next to a stream. The focus is on the environment and he has so far built a communal kitchen and dining area with plans to build shower and toilet facilities next.

Considering we hadn’t originally planned to Bosnia, we are really keen to go back. Just need to find the time….!!!

Campsites/parking used:

House Franjusic, near Ripci: KM20/€10 per night. Grass and hard standing, EHU and water.

Oaza Camp, Sarajevo: KM41.80 ACSI rate (standard KM45/€22.50) per night. EHU, water and full emptying facilities. Showers, toilets, restaurant (open all year) and laundry (in season).

Eco Farm, near Zepce: KM30/€15 per night. Grass pitches. EHU and water.

Jajce Hostel, Jajce: KM24/€12 per night. Mostly hard standing and some grass. Laundry.

Campsite Bukovica, Gorni Podgradci: KM20/€10 per night. Grass. No facilities at time of writing.

A little later than we originally anticipated having been waylaid in Italy, we finally crossed into Croatia today. The country had been on our list for a while but since the implementation of Brexit it has become a destination for Brits managing their Schengen allowance because although Croatia is an EU country (yippee – UK phone package works here!) it is outside the Schengen area so doesn’t count towards the 90 day limit. At the moment it is necessary to get your passport physically stamped for proof of entry in/out of Schengen so we opted to enter via one of the main crossings near to the coast.

With passports stamped and no further questions asked we headed to our first Croatian campsite for a few days of relaxing by the beach, getting the washing done and planning where we were going to go over the next six weeks or so. One of the major issues facing us was finding campsites that were open – the coast is strewn with beachside sites but most are closed. The Lighthouse Campsite was a little gem and busy because we arrived on a Thursday to stay the weekend. Despite the site being full, it didn’t feel overcrowded as even the small pitches had plenty of space, and for the washing to dry too! The facilities were clean and modern (free rapid dishwasher if you’re fed up with dong the dishes!) and the staff very helpful and friendly. Other than a few chores, we spent our time walking along the coast and admiring the sunsets. We may have had #justttheone at local beach bar Levante to admire the view – would have been rude not to!

We headed south down the coast road through towns which I imagine in the summer are overrun with tourists. Our first stop was Porec for a wander around the old town to visit the Basilica of Euphrasius, which being a Sunday was closed! We were still able to see some of the buildings which date from the sixth century.

There is a large car park about 15 minutes walk from the port in Porec which has a section for motorhomes. The barrier was up when we arrived (still the bank holiday) but it is possible to stay overnight there although there are no facilities.

With so much closed we moved on to our next stop, Pula. With no campsites open, we looked at Park4night for any motorhome parking spots and having checked out a couple of them we opted for a large car park between the station and the port, where several other vans were already parked up – safety in numbers! There were several reviews saying that people had been fined if they didn’t have the right parking ticket and the options to pay were either by coin at the machine or via an app. Not having any local coin we downloaded the app and completed a test payment but it wouldn’t let us buy a 24 hour ticket. OK, we thought, it’s Sunday so maybe it’s free so we set our alarm for 7am the next morning when parking restrictions appeared to come into force. But….we still couldn’t buy a ticket for that day and it would only give us an option for the next day. Then we twigged – it was All Saints Day, a bank holiday in most of Europe and we didn’t need to pay at all or so we hoped!

Our reason for visiting Pula was to go to the amphitheatre, a remarkably intact Roman construction built in the first century BC. We arrived as they opened at 9am and had the place to ourselves! Entry fee was kn70 per person, approx £8.

The museum under the arena provides some history of wine making and olive oil production in the region, two industries still ongoing today.

Sites used

Lighthouse Campsite, Savudrija: kn177 p/n (approx £20). Hardstanding with EHU. Showers and toilets available plus laundry at additional cost.

Pula: Large car park next to harbour and close to the Arena, no facilities

12 July to 2 August 2021

Let the adventure begin! No commitments for a few weeks so we can truly start life on the road. The only downside is that it’s the beginning of the summer holidays and there’s still limited overseas travel so we’re having to book further ahead than we’d like.

Never let it be said that it always rains in Wales! For two weeks, we had the most glorious weather to the extent that the thoughts for walking more of the coastal path were exchanged for walking to the nearest beach for a swim and a swim without wetsuits at that! The beaches were quiet and the water so clear you could think you were in the Med.

During the days we spotted, from a distance, dolphins and seals, and being to the west we watched the most amazing sunsets most nights.

We did do a little walking along the coast path from Cilfforch. Firstly it was north into Aberaeron, a small town with lots of restaurants around the harbour, and then along the River Aeron valley to the National Trust property at Llanerchaeron, an 18th century farming estate with a house designed by John Nash who is responsible for many of London’s grand buildings including Buckingham Palace.

The following day we walked south into New Quay, another small village built around a harbour. Another beautiful day meant that the beach was packed so we had a quick stroll along the harbour wall (from which we could see dolphins out in Cardigan Bay), grabbed a crab sandwich in a quiet café at the top of the hill and made our way back.

A change of scenery next as we headed inland to Aberffrwd, via Aberystwyth, and a complete contrast to the busy seaside villages. The CL is in the River Rheidol valley close to a reservoir and backing on to the river. This was a really well run little site and we sat outside the van watching the kites circling above and the steam trains of the Vale of Rheidol Railway as they passed along the opposite side of valley. We came here to walk to the waterfalls at Devil’s Bridge where the river plunges into a deep, wooded gorge, and the three bridges which span the river. We paid to enter the falls to be able to view them and the bridges better via the Waterfall and Nature trail, a circular walk of about an hour via steep paths and steps. A shorter 10 minute walk to view the river and the bridges is available at the Punchbowl across the main road. Our full 12 mile walk took us out across fields, up through some steep woods and over the railway line and we returned via the riverside to see other small falls.

From Aberffrwd we moved back to the coast to another cliff top site at Cae Du Farm. Definitely more a tent/campervan site than motorhome but that wasn’t a problem, and with the cheapest washing machine we’ve come across so far! We arrived early enough in the day to snatch a pitch close to the cliff edge (cliffs not so high here) and were able to spot a couple of seals, and on our last night here, another beautiful sunset from the beach.

The coastal path isn’t actually along the coast at this point so we walked a little inland to walk back out to the coast at Tywyn, a town which seems to be dominated by static caravan sites. We did find a few out of the way parking spaces along the route which we might use in the future, especially come the winter when a lot of sites are closed. We had lunch on the platform of the Talyllyn Railway, the World’s First preserved railway (apparently) running since 1865 with the original locomotives and stock.

The big hills now beckon!

Sites used:

Innage Farm CL, near Chepstow: £8 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass.

Pitton Cross Campsite, near Rhossili: £24 per night. No EHU (but available on other pitches), mixed grass and hardstanding. Full facilities including laundry.

Dale Hill Farm Campsite: £15 per night. No EHU. Coin operated showers. All grass and park anywhere on the sloping field.

Rhosson Ganol, near St David’s: £24 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass, some sloping. Showers, toilets and laundry short walk across the road (all fairly new!).

Cilfforch Farm CL, near Aberaeron: £10 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. Great recycling including food waste. Mostly flat grass (kept short by the resident sheep!) with some hardstanding on old paved areas and sloping down to the clifftop.

Aberffrwd Farm CL: £10 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. Mostly flat well kept grass.

Cae Du Farm Campsite: £25 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. Long thin (low) cliff top site with free for all parking – need to find the flat spots!

We thought this would be a good opportunity to take stock of how our new life is going – what’s good, what’s not so good, things we like, things we don’t like etc!

It feels like it has taken a while to get into the swing of things as various appointments have meant frequent visits back to home. Not that we’re complaining and the reasons were important – vaccinations and medical, plus the bonus of seeing family and friends, just not how we expected life to be. We have also had to plan more than we wanted to work around COVID restrictions and the effect of people not being able to go abroad – campsites in popular spots booked and a backlash against inconsiderate motorhomers who are swarming all over the country.

The above aside, we have fallen into a new routine quite easily. Mornings tend to be leisurely starting with coffee in bed. The alarm is almost forgotten and is only switched on if we need to be off a pitch early (not so much of a problem on the small certified sites or locations) or have a long walk planned. Days are spent either walking along one the many footpaths we are discovering or have an admin/housework day, as yes it still has to be done. Luckily, we’re happy in our own company as we are together all day every day and we quite like being away from lots of people – we do sometimes wonder if we’re turning into grumpy old people!

Apart from when meeting friends, most meals are home cooked and having time to prepare meals is meaning we’re cutting our food waste considerably. We still want to find more markets or farm shops in which to buy groceries although using supermarkets has had the advantage of us also being able to do some laundry at the same time as well as relatively easy parking. We can do the small stuff on the road using a lidded box in the shower whilst we’re moving but that doesn’t work for the towels and bedding! We’ve used the Revolution outside laundry facilities on several occasions when we’ve been shopping at Morrison’s as the ones we’ve noticed at fuel stations didn’t have parking suitable for a 6.7m motorhome. We may, once or twice, have visited family or friends and cheekily asked to use their washing machine 😊

When ordering the van, it was kitted out with full timing in mind – as many solar panels on the roof as would fit, three leisure batteries, inverter and fully equipped kitchen. The large fridge/freezer has meant that we can also cut the number of supermarket visits which, in current times, has been a relief as well as allowing us to be more remote. All are working well to date and we are really living almost as we would at home, just in a smaller space.

We still watch the TV of an evening, either via the inbuilt aerial or our Firestick. We got a great deal on an unlimited data SIM last year through Superdrug so no problem with data usage. It will be interesting to see if they make any changes for European usage as it is currently unlimited there too but with the other UK providers now updating their packages post-Brexit, will our plan go the same way?

Every so often we’re emptying out the garage to check that we still need everything we’re carrying. Our first couple of visits home were accompanied by bags of stuff we realised we’d never use and we continue to refine the essential kit list. Clothes still need sorting and are split between what we currently wear and don’t, with the winter jumpers, thermals, gloves etc currently packed in vacuum bags in the garage.

There was never going to be a perfect time to embark on this lifestyle but this was the best time for us. Despite the earlier comment of liking our own company, we do miss family and friends but the internet has made keeping in touch so much easier. We just have to put a little more thought into meeting up. Financially, putting it off for a couple more years would certainly have been better but the almost stress free life far outweighs any financial gain. However, as pensions kick in over the next few years and we’re able to get out of the relatively expensive UK (even more so at the moment as places try to recoup the losses due to COVID and it being the school holidays!) that situation will ease. We were doing pretty well with running at just under an average of £15 per night for camping but the holidays will inflate that considerably. But, even though COVID has delayed our original plan to go to Canada and the continued turmoil around international travel the UK is proving to be a worthy alternative. We are finding amazing locations with the freedom to visit in our own time and at our own pace.

Back to the van – we love it! There’s not much we’d really change other than swap the LPG heating for a diesel heating system just because diesel is easier to source, and then a couple of smaller tweaks; we should have insisted on a Fantastic Fan rather than a Hymer one and also have requested external power points but these two are fairly minor niggles rather than problems. The big plusses are the garage (lots of room but have to watch the weight!), big fridge and plenty of solar panels to charge the extra batteries – we added on the power pack when buying the van which gave us a third battery with an inverter. Extra 240V and USB sockets were also added to allow us along with a MiFi aerial to keep us connected to the outside world. We would recommend the Froli Star bed system which goes under the mattress as we both agree that the bed in the van is even more comfortable than the one at home!

Our main difficulty so far has only become apparent in the past ten days or so when we’ve tried to book sites for the next few weeks (we’re heading to Snowdon and North Wales). We probably should have realised earlier but “staycations” are meaning campsites are fully booked and even our preferred small CLs and CSs are busy in the more popular areas. Not that we don’t want people to have fun but our patience on some of the larger sites runs a little thin at times with inconsiderate people, unruly children and constantly yapping dogs disturbing the peace day and night – yes grumpy old people again!

We tend to use Search4Sites as our main search engine and have picked up on recommendations through various FaceBook groups and friends. Using off grid park ups doesn’t feel good at the moment as there is a lot of media noise about inconsiderate campers leaving rubbish and worse in and around laybys and car parks. We know this is only a small minority but to a lot of people all those in campervans/motorhomes are the same. When travelling between sites we’ve come to the conclusion that we need to work on route planning together. As a left-hand drive vehicle, sitting in the passenger seat can feel a little exposed to the oncoming traffic in small country lanes. We’ve noticed that those driving company vehicles/lorries are not so keen on slowing down around bends although our only coming together was with a small car and neither of us was doing more than creeping forward! We’ve never been one for following Tom Tom blindly but it has made a couple of odd route choices recently so now we cross check routes against a good old-fashioned paper map!

Despite there also being lots of social media posts on the lack of LPG refilling sites, we have not had a problem as yet. We use the app MyLPG.EU.

And that’s it! Certainly, no regrets and all being well, we’ll be off to foreign lands soon 😊

28 June to 9 July 2021

After being in the city and then following the flat towpath, it was time to get back to some hills so off to the Malverns we went.

We were staying in the huge camping fields of the Deer Park in the grounds of Eastnor Castle. The facilities are minimal with just several freshwater taps spread across several camping fields with a couple of toilet emptying points. With few other vans there it was so quiet and peaceful – our nearest neighbour was at least 50m away from us!

Our long walk for this week was to be in to the Malverns and see how far along the ridge we could get taking into account the usual #clewleysstopforcoffee. We didn’t quite follow our original route having missed a path (which on our return we realised why – someone had stepped aside to let us pass and had stood at the start of the path) and ended up following another path which led us through shoulder high stinging nettles.

Refreshed after coffee and cake we walked up to the top of the ridge for some amazing views of the surrounding countryside.

The return journey went more to plan and after another coffee we walked up to the British Camp Hill Fort, a huge hillfort thought to date maybe from the Bronze Age, 3,500 years ago, and which was subsequently inhabited by the Romans.

We also paid a visit to Ledbury, a pretty town with a number of timber framed buildings.

From here we headed back to Wiltshire to meet motorhoming friends for the weekend. Kilma Farm was another farmer’s field but electric is available if wanted. Very friendly and helpful owners.

Unfortunately the balloon festival at Bowood House was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic but it was great to sit around and catch up with old friends. We did manage one short walk to the local pub and managed to avoid the rain enough to sit outside for lunch.

The organised route planning has not really kicked in yet for various reasons so we’re jumping around a bit; it’s back up to Hay-on-Wye on the England/Wales border and not a million miles from the Malverns stop.

We’d seen the Dark Orchard CL recommended by several people via the CL group on Facebook and it certainly lived up to our expectations. A well looked after site with a friendly welcome from Linda and her dad, and ideally located for a five minute walk into the town or a walk as long as you want into the Black Mountains.

This was our first mountain walk in a long time with a route planned up Hay Bluff along to Twmpa and back home. The first part all went to plan and we again avoided the rain which we could see moving through the valley.

After the second climb up to Twmpa (almost 3,000ft of ascent in total today) and our usual pork pie and mustard lunch, our luck ran out and it was on with the waterproofs as we made our way down back towards the Wye valley.

The downpour didn’t last too long but by this point the paths showing on our OS map either didn’t exist on the ground, were overgrown or just horrendous walking! After 16.5 miles, a few fly bites and scrambling through muddy hillsides, we made it back both very tired in time to watch England play the Euro semi-finals and devour a well earned fish and chip dinner.

Thursday is market day in Hay so we had a wander around the various stalls. With our cupboards fully stocked we didn’t buy anything but there was a good choice of produce in addition to the local shops.

Something new for the afternoon – wild swimming! A short walk from the town along the river is a small area called The Warren which has a stony beach and easy access to the river. Armed with our new chairs and flasks of coffee, we found our spot and waded into the river. Refreshing is probably a good description! I think this was probably a gentle introduction to wild swimming as the water wasn’t as cold as expected (well by June anyway!) although the strong current made swimming quite difficult. Definitely didn’t put us off doing again though.

On the way home we popped into Hereford to see the Knife Angel, a 27ft, 3.5 ton sculpture of an angel made from 100,000 confiscated knives from police forces across the UK.

The sculpture was outside Hereford Cathedral (also worth a visit) and has been touring the UK to raise awareness of knife crime and all forms of violence and aggression.

It was home again for a weekend to see friends for dinner (thanks Miller and Carter, Rickmansworth for allowing us to overnight in their carpark after eating there) and a day at home to see the girls and use the washing machine. We don’t just visit people to use their washing machine, we promise!

Next week the adventure truly begins…..

Eastnor Castle Campsite, Herefordshire: £12 p/n. No EHU, water and toilet emptying facilities, no rubbish/recycling bins. All grass and not level.

Kilma Farm CS, near Chippenham, Wiltshire: £15 p/n. EHU (able to pitch without for £10 p/n), water and dumping facilities. Currently no rubbish/recycling (June 2021). All grass

Dark Orchard CL, Hay-on-Wye: £12 p/n