San Marino 7th - 11th June

I have spent my days ambling about this enchanting city.
There is no end to the alleys and lanes that twist and turn in every direction.
The history that dates back to the year 301 and then the Towers that were built in the 13th Century and something that I will always fondly remember.
We would walk to one of the highest restaurants on the mountain where we could look out on the valley and drink house wine and eat pizza.
Every day we learn a new Italian word and I am sure if we stayed long enough we would be able to have a decent conversation.

One morning I could even explain to the lady that I wanted a fried egg and not scrambled as they usually do. I get a special breakfast each morning as I come down after all the shooters and jury have left and she is just full of smiles to see if she can improve her English with me.
Thursday morning we woke up to fog (or so we thought) right to our balcony door but we are so high that it was the clouds passing. It is damp weather but it cleared a bit as the day went by. Did not stop me from wandering off into the town.
Thursday Evening we also had a special invite to a fancy restaurant in town. We took a walk and as usual it was ups and downs to the restaurant. We were met with champagne and cheesy flat breads and then it was just wine and food after that. There were seven courses in all and they were all fish except for the desert. Every now and then a sorbet as a palate cleanser and then more fish and more wine.
Everyone really battled to get up for the last day on Friday after we only got to bed at midnight. Again it was a long day for them as the the finals took them to after seven 'o clock.
Saturday all was packed up and we are taken back to Bologna for our flight to London.
It's been beautiful but very long, as you can see the entire city in five days but I did get to relax and just chill.
British Airways is nothing to write home about and after an hour delay because they could not line up the tube with the plane they brought some stairs and shooed us all out as they were then running late. Customs took forever and we were so lucky to get onto the last tube to Debdon. Only got to Clint after one in the morning.
It's been lovely, even though our weather was up and down but it is good to be on our way home.

San Marino 5 & 6 June

Some Of The Flags

Richard Doing His Job

On Monday I went with to the shooting for the Mens Double
Trap.
There are approc 400 shooters from 78 countries taking part over these 10days.

Electronic Scoreboards

Shooting Range Seen From Hotel

It is a loooong day for this jury. If you are a referee you are at least busy most of the day but the jury they just keep
checking all is in order.
Scoring is done electronically and at any time you know exactly
what you have shot.
 The sun was out and there was some very good shooting and then a black cloud came over the mountain and the heavens opened.
The final was delayed for an hour.
We only got back to the Hotel at about 7:30 and didn't even go out for supper we were so bushed

San Marino - 2 - 4 June

Supper At The Hotel

The Shotgun Jury Members

Richard had to get straight to work this morning so he has
breakfast on his own and I amble down a bit later.
There are so many winding paths to explore and each time a new view pops up on another side of the mountain.
Last night we ate at the Hotel Cesare were we are staying but it is awfully expensive, especially when we convert. Our portion of the meal was 70 Euro,

Falconry Show

Falconry Show

making it R 1 207. That was not splashing it just a main meal and we had a glass of wine.
We have a lovely room with a balcony overlooking the
countryside of San Marino. We do have the smallest shower I have seen in a long time and Richard has quite a battle with the walls and the shower door - all you hear is the banging and the cursing when he bumps his elbow and doesn't have anywhere to put down the shampoo. I just have a good giggle.
Thursday evening we went to the official opening ceremony held at the shooting grounds. All the dignitaries from Tourism, Olympic Committee Members and ISSF Presidents gave speeches that had to be translated. There was also a Falconry display and we had buffet at the Club

San Marino - 1st June

Scene In Town

The Alps From The Plane

We were up and about early and off to Heathrow on 1st June and then at the airport we had an upheaval about our hand luggage. The top zipper pocket was too fat to fit into the luggage sizer so they wanted us to let it go into the cargo luggage but then we would have to pay 65 pounds extra for each bag. We did a bit of repacking, went back and all was okay and then she tells us to let it

View From Our Balcony

Taking A Walk

go into cargo anyway. Didn't understand that!!
We sat on the runway for about  45 minutes before take off but we
are on holiday so.......
ISSF staff pick us up at Bologna Airport ad it was a 2 hour drive (Italian style) to San Marino.
It is absolutely fairy tale stuff. This town that was built on Mount Titano is seen from miles and the climb to the top is spectacular.
San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional state in the world, as the continuation of the monastic community founded on 3 September 301 is still functional.

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