We're Here

The rain in Spain falls 'mainly on us'! Santander emerged out of grey skies and low clouds after our comfortable voyage with Brittany Ferries 'MV Pont Aven' at midday. Reassuring throb from engines but enforced jollity from entertainers and piped music a touch wearing. Dinner in restaurant quite excellent with wines to match. Provisioned at a local Carrefour (marvellous fish counter) before Fiona Bruce's bossy electronic voice guided us to our first site at 'Cabo Mayor'. Her Spanish pronunciation didn't help. Site pretty deserted so no danger of privacy being invaded.
M1 just about recovered from the major panic at Portsmouth when he couldn't find any of his travel documents. The consequences were dire but M2, seeing M1 in a blue funk, searched the rucksack again and there they were! Disaster averted but pain still attached.
Not many people on campsite but in view of rain ate modestly in site cafe and first night sleeping aboard the stately home.

Left to right: Pont Aven at 20 knots; Al in the cabin; First stop - Cabo Mayor; Snoring facility

The "would be stowaway" in Macclesfield

28th April 2009

Grand Depart M2 from Macclesfield

13:30 Al's family (son Keith, Ann and son in law Jon). We don't see young Joshua in this picture. He fell in love with the van and did not wish to come out preferring, as any discerning gent might, to travel with his Grandpa or at least stay dry. However, it was nappy change time and I don't do nappies. Just wait till you are older my boy.

The weather was not kind for 'le grand depart'; more biblical in proportion - sheets, stair rods, cats and dogs - but Chatsworth coped magnificently and I thought I drove rather well through it all; as ever, modest. Happily the bikes are still with us, well Chris's would be as it travels first class inside the van, while the McD transport has to cling on to the rear. Ah well.

Grand Depart M1 (Chris) from Hoylake

10:30 Chatsworth loaded and ready to go. What a beauty she is! Not bad for a 16 year old but will she last the journey? We'll soon find out. Annie accompanied me on this first positioning phase to collect M2 at Tytherington. The toy dog is a joke by the way!!

The Concept

Hatched up over many glasses of wine during the previous 18 months, Moore and McDicken [M2] are embarking on a European venture on 28 April. Themes are:

• Battlefields
• Vineyards
• Golf Courses

Starting in northern Spain and following the the British Army's retreat to La Coruna in 1809, the initial weeks will then follow in the footsteps of Wellington's army from the Lines of Torres Vedras, outside Lisbon, through Spain finishing the first phase in Toulouse where Wellington defeated Napoleon's army in 1813.

The itinerary will develop from there through France, Belgium, Germany, northern Italy before turning north again for eastern Europe, the Baltic states hopefully finishing with a run down through Sweden and home.

It will be terrific to have no deadlines and we can dwell wherever takes our fancy and for whatever reason: weather, festivals, museums and galleries, the local culture. Our language skills will survive France but elsewhere we will rely on the good old British habit of expecting everybody to speak English! Our aim is to complete the journey 'on a shoe string' and be as self sufficient as we can. Hence the old banger of a camper van which we have christened 'Chatsworth' as it is more of a stately home slightly long in the tooth with bikes, walking boots, tent and golf clubs on board.

Let the journey begin!