Loughton - Heathrow - 28 to 31 May

I don't think you could pay me to immigrate to the UK.
I think we had one good day where we could sit outside - let me remind you we had to have our cardigans on all the time.
One thing that is true is that the countryside is absolutely beautiful.
It rains and is overcast all the time and my clock says it is time to go to bed but the sun has not set????
Please let me see the South African sun and feel it on my face.
Today - 31st May - we are at the Heathrow lodge for the night as we fly to San Marino in the morning.
We are really looking forward to being spoilt at the shoot and meeting interesting people from all round the world.

Notgrove - up to 27th May

Bourton-On-Water

Notgrove

Now I think we have had enough of a motor home and the rain and Sudoku, so we are looking forward to checking the vehicle in and getting to Loughton for a rest before we get to San Marino.
We did a big clean up on the Motor Home
The trip from Upminster to Loughton is a cab ride, then a tube ride with a change even though they are just 15km apart as the crow flys.

Aberbran – Brecon – Pendoryn – 21st &22nd May

Freezing Selfie

Aberbran

We have decided to stay another two nights at Aberbran Caravan

On The Way To Pendoryn

Aberbran Station Notice

Park.

The weather is bleak and we are holed up reading and playing Sudoku.

Took a drive through to the distillery in Pendoryn in pouring rain.
It  was freezing

Tomorrow we will be on our way – nasty fat caravan warden has just put me off – his wife must have
given him a hard time this morning or he is affected by this weather -it gets to you.

Bristol – River Severn – Brecon – 20th May

Brecon

River Severn Bridge

It’s into Wales today and the sun is desperately trying to show its
face but that does not change the beauty of Wales.

Pendoryn  Distillery

Freezing

Everything about it is calm. Even the highways just flow evenly and when you ride through the villages the roads are so narrow that there are places where on side

or the other of traffic just have to stop to give way.

We are just outside the Brecon Beacons National Park at the Aberbran Caravan Park. It was originally a railway station and certain points have been restored just for show. 

Exeter - Wellington – Cadeside – 19th May

Cadeside

Beautiful Countryside

We are slowly making our way to Wales. The weather is lousy but
the countryside is still beautiful.

We are staying at Cadeside Caravan Park which is right on the cliff overlooking a bay.  The sheep are bleating and the wind is howling and we still decide to walk into the village for a pint. We didn’t stay for more than 3 pints because a 4 pounds a beer – that R100 a beer at the moment – we are better off in the warmth of the RV.

Dartmouth – Plymouth – Ramslade - Plymouth - Sound - 17th & 18th May

Dartmouth

Dartmouth

This has been our longest journey so far and we are on our way down to the coast again.

First stop was Dartmouth which was also a must on the list and we were not disappointed. It rained but that could not dampen the outing. It is quaint and beautiful and old and cosmopolitan all in one.

We saw an old boat (Maiden Lichfield) today but that gave us an idea of where we are going as far as

Dartmouth

Dartmouth

size is concerned. This size would suit us perfect and with a bit of redoing it would be a good buy. She was priced at 32,000 and with 15,000 spent on her she would be marvellous.

We also went to one of the other marinas – Queen Anne Battery – to have a look at a more modern boat (Hippy Chick) and for 90,000 not worth it at all in comparison to size and comfort of the other one.

Mobile Chip Van

Dartmouh is quaint and beautiful and one of the few places we found parking in the town. Apparently it is very expensive to live here. It has a lovely marina and the residents use a ferry to get from one
side of the town to the other.

We are at Ramslade Caravan Site and there is a mobile fish and chips that comes around, so we had cod and chips – scrumptious.

Portsmouth – Salisbury - 16 May

Today we had a change of plan.

Plymouth

First we went to meet with a boat broker in Port Solent, Portsmouth and after Richard had spent so much time on the phone with him yesterday he still got it all wrong. He showed us a motor yacht that was so uncomfortable one of us would definitely land overboard within a day at sea.

There is not too much available in what we want but he now gets the idea and has arranged for us to see a boat in Plymouth.

We are not too far off from Stone Henge and this is a must to see on our list so we headed off that way. Once again we landed up on country lanes taking us a bit north and inland today.

Salisbury Hillside Caravan Park is once again, as with all the Caravan Club Sites, absolutely immaculate and the stands are positioned on a road that winds through a forest – so they are private and quiet. Just lovely. 

Gosport – Rookesbury Park – 15 May 2016

Plymouth

Plymouth

It’s on the road again this morning – travelling west on the South
Coast. Still looking for marinas.

The weather was nippy this morning but the afternoon cleared up and it is lovely in the sun.

Portsmouth is an industrial marina so we went across to the other side of the bay to Gosport. They are all private marinas with mostly sailing boats – not what we are looking for. We found a boat

Gosport

broker but there is nothing for sale in any of these marinas.

From Gosport and Portsmouth you can take the ferry to Isle of Wight. We thought we would go to Isle of Wight tomorrow but now our plans have changed – now that there are no boats for sale here we will just overnight at Rookesbury Caravan Park and move on down the coast tomorrow.

Brighton – Worthing -11/12/13/14 May

Worthing Pier

Another late morning getting up but today the sun is out and it
was a beautiful day.

Rye

It’s Wednesday and we wanted to make Brighton our next stop, entered that on the navigation and off it took us, first inland to Ashford and then toward the coast again. This navigator takes us through wooded country lanes each time and then we think we are on the wrong road but the all of a sudden we are in a village again and on track. Passed through Rye, Hastings, Bexall, Lewes and in to Brighton.

Northbrook

Brighton reminded me of Durban and when we found the caravan park it was all concrete and dogs and children and for 35 pounds we decided to move on to Worthing.

We arrived just on 5 pm at the Northbrook Caravan Site and found the park keeper was off already but he let us in and said we will square up tomorrow.

It’s lovely and green with huge trees – quiet and peaceful.

We are going to park off for a day or two – no rush we are on holiday.

Saturday and we visited the Worthing pier – it was packed on the beach (stoney beach) and all the pubs were chockers because the English thinking it is summer - the sun is out. It is 15 deg and we have our jackets on. 

Folkstone – 10 May

Dover Castle

Dover Cliffs

Tuesday morning and we have no rushing to do.

Everything we want to see is in a 10-mile radius.

Bacon, eggs and fried tomato with a good coffee after a shower and we amble out of the park.

Dover Castle is just another castle and no worth all the walking and climbing up to the centre parts f the castle.

Little Switzerland

We had a look at the Dover docks where all the trucks cross the Channel on
the ferry and the traffic is horrendous but we had to pass there to get to St Margrets where we could see
the White Cliffs from.

Dover Cliffs

At St Margrets we could walk right to the edge of the White Cliffs and look across to where the main part is. Just beautiful.

We then decided that we would overnight in Folkestone which is actually just 5 miles from where we stayed last night.

We are overnighting at “Little Switzerland” where our camper is situated half way up some white cliffs and we are surrounded by lush forest, we look out on the ocean over some shrubs

Canterbury / Capel-le -Ferne

A Rainy Drive to Canterbury

Our RV

Yesterday we first went by tube to Upminster and then mini cab to the depot to pick up our RV.
Had a too clever guy that would not see us before three but then warmed up to us after we started the check in.

Richard Learning A New Trade

A Country Lane

Richard is not too bad a driver after all and handles the RV well.
Packed all our goodies in the RV and had a delicious supper with
Clint and Tacita.

Canterbury Town & Cathedral

Today was rainy but this was not going to stop our adventurous natures.
The M25 took us toward Dover and we had to stop at Canterbury. Canterbury town is way larger than I thought and the Cathedral is
magnificent.
Tonight we are at a site called Capel-Le-Ferne after the
navigation system took us up and down country lanes that were beautiful.
Tonight is stir fry night while we learn to use all the gadgets in the RV

London

Debton

At last Thursday was here and we were off on our London trip.

Tower of London

We need this holiday after all the court cases and the stress that goes with all that.

We did Uber for the first time -  Warren organized our trip to the airport and off we went.

We flew Ethiopian Airways and after a bit of trepidation, thoroughly enjoyed it. The planes were empty so each time we were told we could take our pick of seats. 

Tower Bridge

Arrived in London on Friday morning and took the tube to
Debton where Clint lives.

Today, Saturday we did the London tourist thing.

Tower Bridge

We had never been to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London  loads of tourists around and food stalls from every part of the world.

St Cathrine's Marina had a boat show but not the style we are looking at.
We did enough walking at that stage and decided it was beer time.  

The weather is beautiful and everyone is getting out to get into the sun.