Blog

Blog

End of Waiting

This time of waiting is now over, as I and my brother and sisters said a final goodbye to our Mum who’d fought a 6-month battle against relapsed cancer, just as my career break ends and I re-start work back at my employer tomorrow. 

As I look through the window, the sun is shining,..

Posted by admin in Events

Pride comes before …

My first trip away, since 3 days in beautiful North Wales in October, is the 6-mth awaited week’s skiing in La Thuile in Italy’s Aosta valley, just through the Mont Blanc tunnel past Courmayeur.
Day one skiing was my first time on skis for about 7 years. With some trepidation, but..

Posted by admin in Italy, Places

Harrogate welcomes the world – UCI Cycling World Championship

Given that I had intended being away when this event came to town, and based back in Longridge, Lancashire again, I had decided not to put my brain to the task of understanding the week’s schedule and how best to navigate the major road closures, as well as where to sofa-surf or driveway camp..

Posted by admin in Cities-Towns, Events, Places, The Good

Unplanned early return & tears for brexit

Just 2 weeks after I wrote the post on the ferry heading for Calais, I am writing again on the ferry in the other direction, heading home early due to family illness.

In Switzerland I was hedging my onward options due to the situation – not wanting to travel further east and south –..

Posted by admin in France, Musings, Places

“Take as a gift whatever the day brings forth” Horace

I am currently in my second swiss campsite following my friend in her campervan, where the above quote is pinned up. Yesterday I arrived at the first campsite at Davos Rinerhof at 1500m after 3 hours of driving through pouring rain, following a night of pouring rain, and feeling the same ridiculous..

Posted by admin in Cities-Towns, Places, Switzerland

Brief Stays in Ghent & Germany

Whilst not perhaps able to fully endorse the extent of Lonely Planet’s effusive description of Ghent, I can confirm that it is well worth a visit. I thought it was a lovely town, and really accessible with fantastic free motorhome parking including overnight which I took advantage of, walking..

Posted by admin in Belgium, Cities-Towns, Germany, Places

Summer in the UK, & into Autumn

It’s 1 September, blue sky and sun shining on a flat sea, the coast of France once again in sight and I’m starting this post from the ferry taking me as planned across the channel to Calais, from where I will hot foot it into Germany. After an overnight in Ghent, Belgium, I am first of..

Posted by admin in Belgium, Musings, Places

Back to the Future?

Just before returning to the UK for July/August, my mind was turned to ‘what next’ and I really had a sense of going back to my late teens and early twenties :): doing some travelling on my own – I was a children’s summer camp ‘counsellor’ in New York state, worked..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Musings

Western Odyssey – Stats

For 111 days travelling, I’ve spent approximately a maximum of £4000 with breakdown as below. The maxim ‘two can leave as cheaply as one’ does apply, although I found it more favourable towards solo travellers with in most cases charging for the pitch then for each individual rather..

Posted by Jackie Barnes in Musings

Western Odyssey Roundup

Here I am back in my temporary base at my Mum’s house in Longridge, Lancashire, just one day after a fantastic drive (the fact that it was from 21:30 hours of course made the roads pretty empty) up from Portsmouth yesterday. I really enjoyed belting music out given that it was dark and only..

Posted by admin in Musings