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!