Back Home After Our Motorhome Tour
We’ve been back in the UK just over a week now and have slotted back into our ‘normality’. It seems to get easier each time, and this time it was even easier as we know we’ll be heading off in the motorhome again soon, so we don’t have to empty everything out.
The English traffic wasn’t as bad as we remembered, but that could be because we didn’t hit the M25 for the morning rush hour this time! Once back at The Cooler, we soon had the essentials unpacked and having done a load of washing in the supermarket car park just before we came back, we could curl up by the fire and relax for the evening.
Zagan is booked into his favourite mechanic for next week so we can get to the bottom of his bearing problem and I have been to the doctors about my knee. It was x-rayed on Friday and I get the results in just over a week, so no half marathon for me next weekend, but I’ll get to cheer Jay on in his first proper marathon (and many members of our running club).
We’re still catching up with family and friends and starting the planning for our next trip at the end of May. We’re off back to the Alps to prepare to run the Zermatt Half Marathon (me – fingers crossed) and the Zermatt Ultra Marathon (Jay), in early July.
Since we’ve beent back we’ve updated our free ‘how to motorhome’ guides for France and Spain based on experiences on our recent trip, and published a couple of videos on our YouTube channel. One of the videos shows things to watch out for when your motorhome is on a recovery truck (again something we learned from recent experience!) and also a promotional video for our latest book. When there’s a decision as to what Brexit means for us motorhomers, we’ll get our Motorhome Touring Handbook updated, but until then, we’re dividing our time between doing research for the new version and enjoying being back in good old Blighty.
Ju x
Welcome back to Blighty! Guess you’ve not missed the crazy world that is Brexit Britain whilst you’ve been away?! We’re heading off to Croatia at the end of the month and have given up trying to ‘second guess’ any potential changes to traveling in Europe during the next few months although I have obtained an International Driving Permit (a 1968 version since we’re not planning to visit Spain, Lichtenstein etc!) and will get a ‘Green Card’ from our insurers.
Thanks for posting the short videos; the one concerning loading/offloading your van onto a trailer is very useful since our van has a considerable overhang at the back!
Looking forward to your future posts, Best wishes, Helen and Andy
Great stuff – Croatia’s cracking, enjoy the Adriatic!
Yep – breakdown trucks aren’t really geared up for long overhangs and I wasn’t prepared for the fact they’d want me to drive the thing up onto the back of it, and off again, twice. Thankfully our guy had some experience with camping cars, so knew to get the wooden ramps under the back once we were half way on/off. In a decade we’ve only had to get loaded up onto the flatbed of shame this one time though, so touch wood you’ll have no problem rolling around the Venetian towns, waterfalls and islands down there!
Cheers, Jay
Hi Jay sorry to hear about your knee Have you looked at barefoot running which is a totally different way of running and takes the pounding off your knees It is something I changed to and it made a big difference You have to totally change the way you run and you have to build up to it over a period. When you run on the beach or grass with no shoes on you run on the balls of your feet not heal strikeing Have a look Regards Paul
Hi Paul. Jay’s knees are fine, it’s mine that’s an issue at the moment after a fall while running in Spain. I haven’t looked into barefoot running, but then I don’t seem to have mastered running in trainers yet!
Cheers Ju x
Hi guys
Glad you got home ok after your adventures in France! Hope the knee is on the bend Ju, you’ll soon be back into training. Must admit fish and chips is my craving whilst away. We are currently in Cabo de Gara national park, en route to Mojacar, then Zaragoza on the slow journey to Calais for the end of the month.
Take care both, Poppy and Stan send sloppy kisses.
Mandy and Mike x
Oooh Poppy and Stan kisses, the best kind! We just ticked another Brit culinary classic off the list – Sunday roast dinner. Being home has its advantages, but just booked ferry back out for mid-May! Ju x
Any news on the van? With all those wheel bearing issues will you get it checked out to see if the cause can be found. Breaking down overseas is stressful enough, but add in the language difficulties, the extortionate bill and the ongoing worry that the problem isn’t solved, and it must be a worry. Hope it all works out and you can get on the road again soon.
Cheers guys – he’s up at the garage at the moment – hopefully we’ll know what’s up tonight. Cheers, Jay
Update: the only thing they could find was the tracking being out on the affected wheel. Hmmmm.