Wickham, England, U.K. – Mar. 24-31, 2012

More Pictures!

There comes a time when a little extra money spent is worth its weight in gold.  If not gold, then certainly counseling fees.  We encountered this moment on the first full day of our eight day stay in Wickham.

We had come down to southern England to prepare for Salt & Pepper’s arrival.  We knew we had to deal with propane tanks, black tank dumping solutions and the electrical change-over.  So we came in a week ahead of S&P with a primary mission to visit as many RV Supply stores that we could dig up.  Unfortunately we had the added task of visiting the local Sony store as my laptop had stopped working unless plugged in.  But before I get into the compelling details of our errand-running, first a few words about the delightful town of Wickham.

With no intention on our part we landed ourselves in quite a yuppy town; rounding out the English village requirements of tea-shop, butcher and baker, is a wine bar, two (yes two!) Indian restaurants and a barber, all attended to by happy people hopping out of their Porsches.  Plus on Thursdays a Fishmonger comes to the central square with fresh fish from Portsmouth.  (We bought salmon yesterday.)

But back to work:  On our first day we headed out to Portsmouth in Curry with the intention of visiting at least three if not four businesses.  Now, I’ve already written about how tiring it is to always have to find your way around, but add to that driving a rather large vehicle (Curry) down narrow streets (Portsmouth) and then trying to park the darn thing (blimey!) and we were just about dead after only two stops.  After the third, I had had enough.  We stopped for a quick lunch and then headed directly to Enterprise Car Rental. 

We assumed it was going to cost a fortune but at only £14.00/day our small, black, almost completely round car (immediately named The Peppercorn) turned out to be the deal of the day. 

So for our final errand we zipped down the M27 in Peppercorn, leaving Curry parked along a side road outside of Portsmouth.  What a treat!  It maneuvers!  It picks up speed reasonably quickly!  You don’t hear the dishes banging around!  The Noses, too, were thrilled as they no longer had to worry about the Kleenex box flying down on their heads while en route.

So Peppercorn has become a part of our lives.  Taking a day off of errands (there is a lot to do, believe me, and most of it involves trying to locate the stores) we headed up to Stonehenge for the day.  A nice short drive landed us in the area just before lunch.  It being another (incredibly) sunny day, we stocked up on some picnic supplies and headed to the site. 

Alan was fortunate enough to visit Stonehenge many years ago when you could actually walk among the stones.  Those days are long gone.  We were prepared for the new walkway around the outside of the stones but we weren’t prepared for the fact that the path was about 20 yards away, they didn’t allow dogs, and it cost £8.00 per person.  So we opted to gaze at it through the chain link fence for free.  Alan said, “I feel like The Cheap Tourist” earning my retort, “I feel like The Smart One.”  You have to be able to make each other laugh to enjoy this lifestyle!

The picnic area was full so we opted to drive a few miles away to Woodhenge, a lesser known heritage site where archeologists had uncovered wooden pillars which had been set in a swirling circular pattern.  The wood pillars have long since been replaced by cement, but it was interesting none-the-less. The parking area was near empty, dogs were allowed inside and so we walked around the pillars a bit then sat in the sun for a nice picnic.

Heading home we stopped at Sarum Castle and I developed my first English Pet Peeve:  They shouldn’t have signs saying “Castle” unless you can actually see a castle.  Live.  Not just in your imagination.  Sarum was mostly an imaginary one, although the hilltop setting was beautiful and we were allowed to run The Noses through the fields much to their delight.

Our home for the week, the Caravan Club Rookesbury Park, has the most incredible dog run—it is almost the size of a football field and fully fenced.  In addition, the park is nestled next to the Bere Forest through which we spent many happy hours romping around.  I’m not sure The Noses will enjoy our move to the Novotel Hotel in Southampton for our remaining Salt & Pepper-less days, but I know I will!

Hoping to pick them up on the 3^rd – 4^th at the latest.

-K

Edinburgh, Scotland to Lake District National Park, England – Mar. 21 – 23, 2012

More Pictures!

In planning our limited time up north we initially ranked both these locations as “ok to pass by.”  (Even despite receiving multiple recommendations to visit the Lake District.)  But as luck would have it (or more specifically, as gaining knowledge would have it) we made better time heading south than we thought; thus opening up time for these two delightful stops.

You see, we have discovered there are different types of “A” roads and, the really great part is, we are beginning to distinguish them on the A to Z!  We have found A roads to be anything from relaxing two-lane highways to a harrowing single lane shared in both directions, sometimes with no center line.  But with our new map reading capabilities, our trip south was much faster than our trip north.

Thus we earned one night in Edinburgh at the delightful Edinburgh Caravan Club Site.

We woke in Edinburgh to the first cloudless day we have had in the United Kingdom.  Our plan was to drive to the Lake District as soon as possible, but with such nice weather and a bus stop only a half-mile away we decided a quick tour of downtown Edinburgh was a requirement.   It was very quick, but definitely worth the trip.  Dogs were not allowed into the castle, but that didn’t stop us from taking Rosco’s picture out front to the amazement of our fellow tourists.  They just couldn’t believe he would sit there all by himself so calmly.  I, on the other hand, knew I was safe unless he spotted the UPS van coming up the hillside.

Pictures and bus tour accomplished, we hit the road for the Lake District National Park and what a treat that was!  I realize I have to stop relating everything as “gorgeous” otherwise who will continue to believe me?  So I’ll move on to stunning.  It is unbelievable how quickly the geography changes as you leave the middle of England and head west:  From low, flat farms to the seemingly endless Cumbrian Mountains snuggled against each other, and it all happens in a matter of a few short miles.

With our late start from Edinburgh, we didn’t reach Keswick (an almost cute town) until around 5:00 p.m.  We had no reservations and it being a warm and sunny Thursday leading into an equally promising weekend we knew we might have trouble securing a spot.  So we carpe pitched ’em at the first caravan park with an opening; indeed, gaining their last pitch.  The English are rightfully crazy about this National Park of theirs and with the sunny weather they were nearly out of their minds with delight.  Happy, hiking people were everywhere.

We weren’t thrilled with the campground and realizing that we would need reservations for our Friday night stay, SP spent some time finding us the delightful Gillside Farm Campground for our second night; conveniently located just minutes from the jumping off point of our hike to Angle Tarn.  That task accomplished, we gorged on driving day pizza and went to bed early.  We knew we needed an early start for our mountain hike.

And what a great hike it was!  But let me tell you, the English are a much tougher hiking clan than we Americans!  Not only are their “moderate” ratings much closer to “strenuous” but they do not use switchbacks. So if the hike gains elevation it does so by simply going straight up.  And that’s what we did for a good three miles – but check out those views! 

On the way up we survived The Great Sheep Herding Incident of 2012:  Forgetting that we were crossing pasture land in the beginning of the hike, we let The Noses off leash.  Unfortunately, they spotted some sheep before we did and took off after them.  The sheep were no fools and immediately escaped across a small waterfall-filled river but with The Noses in hot pursuit.  Rosco’s pursuit was so hot he almost ran himself off a giant boulder and down a 20’ waterfall.  Stopping with a squeal at the cusp just in time, he apparently decided that was enough and (finally) heeded my calls to return.

After that we kept them on leash until we were sure we were out of pasture land.  But that didn’t stop River from jumping up and down every time she caught a whiff of sheep.

The hike was delightful in the hazy sunshine and low 60’s temperature; I only wish the day had been a bit clearer.  In the pictures you can make out the silhouettes of the mountains layering their way to the coast.  On a clear day it must be spectacular.

We loved our little spot on Gillside Farm (purchasing some fresh eggs and milk while we were there.)  A short walk into Glenridding for coffee the next morning was a perfect ending to our Lake District adventure.  Definitely a Must See but not a Must Return due simply to the crowds; we thought Friday was busy, but the endless arrival of hikers on Saturday was stupendous.  And this wasn’t even the peak season!

After an incredibly long day in Curry (we did try to stop on the way but everything was booked—still sunny, still crazy, still a weekend!) we arrived one day early at our site near Portsmouth, the Rookesbury Caravan Club Site.  Thankfully, they had a grass pitch available—one of only three spots left—and we set up for the night.  The next day we moved to a gravel pitch where we will remain for the duration of our stay. 

Eight glorious nights in one spot!

-K

Scottish Highlands & Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, U.K. – March 18-20, 2012

More Pictures Here!  (But remember, it is Winter so the trees are bare and the heather has not flowered.  Can’t imagine how stunning it will be in a few months.)

Surely the painter who named all the earthy colors did so while sitting in Scotland.  Driving through the Highlands you discover a patchwork of colors likely seen on any palette:  The Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber hillsides sprinkled with Davey’s Grey rocks;  the pastures of Hooker’s Green dotted with white sheep; and, when the clouds part, a sky so completely Cerulean Blue it makes you wonder if you have ever seen a blue sky before. 

Was that description too artsy?  How about envisioning endless rolling hillsides running up to snow-packed peaks, with towns nestled next to rushing rivers or calming lakes?  (And let’s not forget the scotch!) Scotland has the beauty of Switzerland (and you know I love Switzerland) with the rustic feel of Spain topped off with the friendliness of Italy. 

Unfortunately, it has the weather of Iceland.  (Indeed, Dalwhinnie is tied with Iceland as having the coldest average temperature at 6° Celsius.)

But it wasn’t only the scenery that marked Scotland as our first Must Return location; we just didn’t get to see as much of it as we would have liked.  As I mentioned before, we have been somewhat stymied by the time of year (not a lot of caravan parks are open yet this far north) and the inflexibility of Curry.  There were so many tempting roads leading into the valleys of Cairngorms National Park that we would have jumped on in the Pepper (after detaching Salt, of course) but could not even attempt with Curry. 

As for the drive up, we left Faskally and headed across the Glen Spean area of A86 (a Must See) and over to search for Nessie in Loch Ness.  Alan had hunted up a couple of caravan parks that advertised “Open March to September” so we thought we were safe.    But apparently “Open March” really means somewhere near the end of the month; one place we stopped at opened the following day (19^th) the other opened on the 23^rd.  So we had a nice long drive around Loch Ness before heading to the site that advertised, very definitively, “Open All Year”, at Granton-on-Spey.  (A reminder:  All our camping sites are further described in the Campground page at the top of the blog.)

Now the town of Granton-on-Spey doesn’t rank terribly high in the cuteness category, but it makes up for it with its useful stores (butcher, baker, money maker [bank]) and welcoming people.  We took many a long hike from the campground up into the hills, crossing pastures, meeting horses and tiring out The Noses before heading into town for a half of Best.  Okay, a full of Best.

It was during one of these morning walks that we met some fellow travelers and fell into a conversation.  I felt like I hadn’t spoken to someone in such detail for ages!  Then I realized what it was; they were English and not Scottish.  Therefore we could actually understand what they were saying thus making for a much more interesting conversation.  It was from these nice people that we learned the European description for what we are doing—it is not a Holiday but a Gap Year.  (Incidentally, the Europeans are not shocked at all that we are on a Gap Year.  It seems traveling abroad for a year or more is much more common over here.)

If it wasn’t for S&P’s imminent arrival (or so we hope) we would have stayed much longer.  There is a fantastic system of trails that link the towns throughout the valley and we were disappointed that we did not get the opportunity to hike to any of them (bussing back, of course.)

We are on our way down south now, one night in Edinburgh at the gorgeous Edinburgh Caravan Club site (the US had a lot to learn about RV Parks) and two nights planned in the Lake District.  Including a quick visit to the Airstream dealer. 

Upcoming postings include a Scenic Drive of the North York Moors National Park (if I can ever get a strong enough internet connection to get it uploaded) and details on adjustments we are planning for Salt’s evolution from a US Travel Trailer to a European Caravan.

-K

Isle of Arran to Killin, Scotland, U.K. – March 14-17, 2012

More pictures here!

As it is with all travel, some experiences don’t live up to your expectations while other, seemingly innocuous experiences turn into fantastic memories.

The Isle or Arran falls into the former category; I would rank it up there with Iceland on the marketing scale and the experiences were much the same.  They are both islands, they have incredible scenery and wonderful hiking, but neither lived up to their marketing material when it came to picturesque towns or gourmet restaurants.

Both nights on the island we stayed at the functional Lochranza Campground (and golf course) and managed one hike.  Most people hike up Goat Fell (the highest peak on the island) but we decided to hike the Gleann Easan Biorach trail mostly because it started about ¼ mile from the campground and wound its way along a river and back into a valley.  I love a good valley hike!

It started out as a great hike but quickly turned to a slog- and bog- fest.  The recent rains (and snow) had left portions of the trail in deep quicksand-like mud.  We often sunk to depths over our boots and the dogs were black up to their stomachs.  Not being in this for torture, we turned at two miles, returned to Curry, got cleaned up (washed the dogs in the outside shower) and hit the Arran Malt Distillery tour.   Following the tour (and tasting) we loaded up on two bottles; one that was finished in a Port cask for me (it is a delightful apricot color and a bit sweeter than the others) and a more traditional single cask number for Alan.  We made it back to Curry just in time as the rain and wind set in for the night.

It was a long and mostly sleepless night with Curry swaying around in the wind (these European motorhomes are so light it doesn't take much to make them move.)  So we were up early and ready to hit the ferry.  A quick stop at the local bakery in Broddick garnered us a delicious loaf of multigrain bread and two sweet pastries. 

Now, a side note here:  There are lots of great reasons to travel in the off-season (like touring a castle by yourself) but it is much more difficult in a motorhome as most of the camping areas are closed.  So we knew we wanted to head to the Highlands but couldn’t find an open campground along the way until Killin.  In Killin, after a long day that started on a ferry and involved many highways and by-ways including the busy traffic through Glasgow, we decided the caravan park that was open just did not look comfortable enough so we backtracked to the very comfortable looking Bridge of Lochay Hotel.  And this became a prime example of a destination that exceeded our expectations.

The Hotel itself was charming with a large sitting room where guests mingled, cocktails in hand, around the fire before enjoying their gourmet meal in the restaurant.  For our dinner, we had to sit in the “back bar” so The Noses could participate but we were cozy next to the wood stove and perfectly happy with our homemade pumpkin tortellini and Scottish beef fillet.  The presentation too was gorgeous and the service perfect.

After a great night's sleep, two long, hot showers and an equally delicious breakfast of free range eggs and porridge (Alan is still practicing how to pronounce that after being given a lesson by our waiter who was sure he kept saying, “poached egg”) , we set off to hike Sron A’ Chlachain, a one mile trail straight up the hill overlooking Killin and Loch Tay (apparently the hearty Scottish do not need switch-backs.)   The hike provided us with stunning views and a great way to work off that delicious meal.

Leaving Killin we headed north toward Loch Ness and had no stopping spot in mind other than to find a caravan park that was open.  If the road doesn’t give you a heart attack, the views will along the A827 between Killin and Aberfeldy surely will.  And if you are in the area during the right time of year (which seems to start April 1) there are two excellent caravan park options one in Killin (Margowan) and one in Aberfeldy.  Both are pretty parks with nice big gravel pitches and sit along a river within easy walking distance to town.  If either of these had been open we would have stayed in the area much longer.

As it was, we continued north and when the clocked chimed 4:00 it was time to carpe pitchem:  We have an agreement that if we are on the road at 4:00, we must take the first open caravan park we find--no debating.  So we stopped in Faskally at a completely serviceable caravan park.  The following morning I discovered another unexpected joy:  It had a great trail along the river that I enjoyed in the frosty early morning sun with The Noses.

-K

Practicalities:

-        As I mentioned, most caravans use a cartridge system for their black and grey water, but we are finding quite a few places that are starting to put in “Motor Home Dumping Points” which, at a minimum, allow you to drive over and dump your grey tank water down a sewer connection.  Still hoping to find one that accepts the same process for the black tank.  Salt time is near!

  

 - For hiking, most people rely on "OS" Maps (Ordinace Survey), they are easily found at all tourist information sites (for a small fee.)

Maidens & Culzean Castle, Scotland, U.K. – March 14, 2012

More pictures here!

A day that begins by watching newborn lambs frolicking on a hillside and ends on an island off the coast of Scotland just deserves a posting all by itself. 

Making our way to the Isle of Arran in Scotland, we opted to stay one night in Maidens, a small town near the coast.  The Scottish are a very friendly people and Alan was warmly greeted by the owner of Thomaston Farms.  They had a nice conversation during which Alan thought he had communicated his needs, but as they began walking toward the camping area, the farmer looked up at him and asked, “Well Laddie, wha ken I do for ye?”, leaving Alan wondering just what he had agreed to during the previous conversation.  And thus began our first struggle with a foreign tongue.

The farm was a lovely place to stay surrounded by pastures full of sheep on one side and views of the ocean on the other.  When I woke up, I looked out the window of Curry and watched as two newborn lambs ran down the hillside, kicking up their back legs as they tumbled along. 

We wanted to leave for the ferry by 10:30 so we quickly made our way down to visit Culzean Castle claimed to be “Scotland’s favorite castle.”  It certainly should be Scotland’s dogs favorite castle as they are welcome to run around the grounds off leash as long as they are under voice command.  (Although The Noses have mastered the art of selective deafness, we decided to let them off as we were completely alone.)  The castle was a short walk from the campsite and the interior doesn’t open up until the end of March but the grounds were open and we had a great time enjoying the sites on our private self-tour.  (Rosco too was running around like crazy which made us all feel even better.)

On the way back to the farm we saw a lamb on our side of the fence.  I held The Noses (now on leash, thank goodness!) while Alan walked ahead to attempt The Great Lamb Rescue of 2012.  But the lamb wouldn’t have anything to do with him and kept running along the fence, trying to force his way back to the other side.  Meanwhile, the anxious mom was baying like crazy from the hillside.  Eventually the little guy found his was back under a railing and took off as fast as his new legs would carry him up to his mother where he received a sound sniffing.

A quick change and making of coffee for the road and we were headed to the ferry port in Androssan right on time.  The crossing only took 55 minutes during which we decided to try some ferry food.  Studying the menu, I was happy to see a “Curry of the Day” and had planned on selecting that when I reached the front of the line.  But guess what it was?  Lamb.  I opted for the Scotch Broth soup.

Docking in Brodick, we had a short drive (mileage wise) to our campsite in Lochranza but we had one stop to make along the way:  The Isle of Arran’s distillery.  After all, we had been in Scotland for more than 24 hours and were scotch-less!  What better place to start than in a local distillery?

Opting to take the tour on another day, we purchased a sample pack of four to enjoy during our evening celebration of local foods:  Scotch, potatoes from Thomaston’s Farm (£1 for five pounds of freshly dug potatoes!) and fresh eggs from a farm in Robin Hood’s Bay (£1.50 for 10.)  And for entertainment?  Wild red deer and domesticated sheep walking right up to and around Curry.

The Noses just couldn’t figure that one out.

-K

PS:  I have one scenic drive video queued up for YouTube, but a solid internet connection is difficult to come by.  Coming soon to a computer near you!

North York National Park, UK – Mar. 10-12, 2012

More Pictures Here!

(For “Practicalities” jump to the end.)

Having no plan for where to visit in England, we thought we would start by visiting some National Parks; figuring those areas must be something special to have garnered the designation.  Interesting fact, though, is that England’s National Parks all sit on privately owned land.  It sounds odd and it is a little odd to those of us thinking national parks are wide open expanses void of houses and villages (not to mention sheep, herding dogs and chickens.)  However, once you get used to the English idea of a national park, it’s really quite nice.  Perhaps the best part is you are never very far from a pint!

Incidentally, I think this is where a lot of misconception comes in around camping in the U.K.:  People in the U.S. often comment that, in England, you can just drive onto a farmer’s land and ask permission to camp in their field.   When you camp in the national parks, you are indeed camping on farmer’s land—land they have set aside to host caravans (at a fee, naturally, although the cost is very low) and I wonder if this is how that belief got started.  Indeed, it is quite frowned upon to camp anywhere other than a designated campsite particularly when in a caravan or motorhome.

But my favorite part of the British plan is the “public footpaths” winding their way from village to village.  Yes, they too cross farms and you quite often see signs to “please latch the gate” as you cross from one pasture to another.  We saw one yesterday that encouraged you to “beware of bull.”  There is actually literature published to help you understand what to do if you are charged by an angry cow:  You are supposed to let your dog off leash as the cow will chase the dog and your dog can outrun a cow.  Obviously, they did not intend this advice for terrier owners; you can all guess what The Noses would do with a cow.  Running for sure – just not away from the cow.

We learned all this and more with our three days in the North York Moors.   It all started with us following our GPS directions, up a gorgeous, winding road right to a sign that warned, “Vehicle clearance 10’3”."  Not knowing how tall we were, we got out and (ahem, making use of one of the many tools that I gave Alan a bad time for bringing along) measured the Curry which came to roughly 10’4”.  Time to turn around.  So utilizing good old-fashioned maps, we routed ourselves through the lower portion of the moors to Robin’s Hood Bay.  This heavenly little spot is #1 on my Do Not Miss List.  Hook’s Farm, the caravan park at which we stopped (a farmer’s field but it did have electric hook-ups!) sat atop a hill with a stunning view down to the bay.  Such a treat after our longest drive day in Curry; over 200 miles.

We enjoyed a quick sundowner before leashing up The Noses and walking into the cute old town, about a mile from the campsite.  (There is a “new” portion of town at half a mile but it doesn’t hold the charm of the lower, old portion.)  Hungry after our long and stressful drive, we stopped in at The Dolphin, a local pub for dinner.  Rosco immediately curled up next to the blazing fire while River claimed a spot under the table and Alan fetched us two pints of the local bitter from the bar.  Everyone is adapting so well to this lifestyle!

The food was English pub-y and we enjoyed a Curry Chicken dish (Alan) and the Homemade Pie of the Day (me) which turned out to be steak and kidney encrusted with the richest, most delicious crust I have tasted since Granny’s.  Undoubtedly they probably share the same secret:  Lard.

The next day we set off on the Cleveland Way Trail from Robin Hood’s Bay to Ravenscar, hoping to only hike one way on the cliff-side walk and bus back.  Alas, it was a Sunday so the buses were not running from Ravenscar and we were forced to do the return hike.  Unfortunately, Rosco had taken sick (we are still not sure what is wrong with him) and he began to pant heavily and drag behind.  So we took turns holding him in our arms (for those of you who know him, you know he isn’t one for dramatics nor for being sick, so we took this quite seriously) until, tired of our aching arms, we emptied Alan’s backpack (into my hands) and stuffed The Scrunch inside.  He was only too happy to ride in there, a further indication of his illness.  It was during the loading of Scrunch into the backpack that he yelped (another experience rarely heard from him—the last one was when a skunk blasted him right between the eyes) and we knew something was really wrong.

Alan hiked the remaining way home, about four miles, with Rosco in his pack, much to the delight of the townsfolk.  Tired and hot (we have had wonderful weather, up to the low 70’s!), we stopped back in at town and dropped the packs for an ice-cream.  Rosco opted to stay right where he was and we gently laid the backpack on the sidewalk where he continued to sleep.  (Pictures of all of this are in the link above.)

We had planned to stay three nights and hike the next day too, but with Rosco sick and us needing a laundry, we opted to drive through the moors to the other side, gathering all our nerve and venturing down a “B” road.  (“A” Roads are larger, a full two lanes most of the time whereas “B” roads are mostly single lane although the traffic remains two-way.)  Alan did a masterful job of navigating the roads and utilizing every inch of the pull-outs.  We stopped about mid-way and had a picnic lunch at the top of a hill overlooking the moors, farms and grazing sheep.

We spent the night at Cote Ghyll, a full service caravan site in Osmotherley, simply because it advertised a laundry facility.  The view isn’t nearly as wonderful as Robin Hood’s Bay, but our clothes sure smell better!

Next we are heading to Scotland.  We received the news today that Salt & Pepper are expected to arrive March 27^th, and I can hardly wait!  It is difficult having one vehicle; you get tired of driving so you want to just get into your pitch and relax.  But then you realize you are (mon dieu!) out of wine and to remedy that you would have to drive the entire rig out.  So we go without.  Sad but true.  (Maybe more likely is, “unbelievable but true”!)

A shout out to Chris who suggested we purchase a trailer and tow vehicle rather than a motorhome last year.  Priceless advice!   And the wine country of France will be indebted to you.

-K

Practicalities:

-        Having seen two now, we can confirm that at “full service pitch” is indeed what most Americans would look for as far as hook-ups.  Two in-ground exit pipes (one for grey, one for black) and water and electric at the pitch.

-        Health food!  Great selection and even better prices at Holland & Barrett.

PS:  On The Scrunch:  He is moving better every day.  We have thoroughly searched him cannot find anything intrusive.  We think he is having an arthritic flare-up or maybe got bit by some kind of spider while sleeping at lunch during our hike.  I’ll keep you posted.  He is still eating and drinking like normal, so that is a good sign.  (Plus River doesn’t kick him out of the good bed anymore . . . a plus for Rosco.) 

Hunstanton & The Norfolk Coast Path, UK – Mar. 8-9, 2012

More pictures!

When we were getting The Noses ready for this trip, I would tell them that the flight might be difficult, but, “You just wait until you are in Europe!  Everyone loves dogs over there.”  Well, this was not true in London.  Indeed, people on the street would shy away from us when passing (causing River to become even more interested in them, of course.)  But starting with the rental staff at Amber Leisure where The Noses were loved and loved while we completed the paperwork for Curry, the attitudes have changed dramatically.  I can almost hear River saying, “It’s about time.”   Rosco, of course, could care less.  But I am getting ahead of myself; there are two days to cover before we find The Noses relaxing next to a cozy fire in a country pub.

Our trip from Cambridge to Hunstanton was a short 50 miles but also Alan’s first day of driving.  He did rather well, if I do say so, but I am partial to the skills of his navigator.  It is all in the preparation, you see.

The drive went so well that we were confident in our ability to navigate off the A10, through two side streets and into Dickie’s Pet Center to secure some wheat-free food for The Royals.  I mean The Noses.   Having accomplished this major task in record time, we found our destination close at hand and the day still young so we decided to pass by our reserved caravan park in King’s Lynn and head into Hunstanton to check things out.  I knew I wanted to either start or end the Norwalk Coast Path hike somewhere around the area and thought it would be a good idea to check out the parking situation.   What a great idea it turned out to be!  On the way we saw multiple signs for caravan camping as well as the very promising sign: “For the Coasthopper, follow the signs to Cliff.”  Being Coasthoppers personified, we did just that.

It turns out there is a bus that goes up and down the coastline which would enable us to ride up to a jumping off point and hike back.  Thus a new plan was born:  We scrapped our reservations in King’s Lynn and checked out two caravan parks in Hunstanton, thus saving us 15 miles of driving.  We booked two nights in Searles Leisure Park opting for a full-hookup site so we could see what that entails.  Ahh, if we only had Salt!  It would be the perfect spot for Salt with her grey- and black-tanks able to drain at will after being connected to the pitch’s in-ground receptacles (the first we have seen in England.)  However, Curry, as previously noted, has a cartridge system for the black waste and a grey tank whose exit valve requires you to position the camper over a dumping area in order to drain the water directly down; i.e., there is no hose from Curry’s grey tank to hook to an in-pitch drain.  So . . . the pitch was worth something for the experience (and at £25 per night it was within our budget) but we were only able to utilize the fresh water filling hose and, of course, electricity.

After setting up, we leashed up the dogs and took them over to the beach where we enjoyed our first look at the edge of England while The Noses were frantically running off leash and playing with other dogs in the sand.  I didn’t bother taking any pictures as I “knew” we’d be walking along the coast the following day.  (From now on Carpe Pictum – I will not make this mistake again!)

The next morning, we got up early and walked a half mile to the bus stop.  We picked up the Coasthopper and took it along the coast through a variety of charming old towns (check out Burnham Market if you want posh and charming in one stop) to our jumping off point, Burnham Overy Staithe.  (Don’t ask me to pronounce these names!) 

The hike started in a field of what we think was potato plants but soon changed to just open fields.  Here we were confident in letting the dogs off leash—much to their enjoyment.  We hiked for over three miles and never saw the ocean let alone a beach.   At a little over four miles, starving, we walked into Brancaster Staithe and found The White Horse Inn (and Pub.)  Alan went in to see if dogs would be allowed and was assured they were.  I guess so!  After we sat down, at least four other dogs came rambling in, owners in tow.  But what a delightful lunch!  Guiness and fish and chips right next to a blazing hot wood stove.  (It is not very cold here – about 50 degrees but there is a strong, cold wind which chills you to the bone.)

After a lunch that fattening, we made ourselves hike some more and continued down the Norwalk Coast Path to Brancaster, chalking up over eight miles in our first day out!  We had a 45 minute wait for the bus (Dorothy, we are not in London anymore!) but arrived home in time for a quick stop at Tesco for groceries before showers and sundowners.

Due to my lack of carpe pictum and the lack of shoreline on our hike, you will not see any pictures of the coast (yet!)  Next stop are the moorlands of the North York Moors National Park where we hope to log many more hiking hours!

-K

Cambridge II, UK - Mar. 5-7, 2012

More pictures here!


Quick Note:  I have added a section at the bottom of the post for "Practicalities"; items we have discovered or learned that might be useful for other people attempting to adapt U.S. RV'ing to European Caravanning.


Our second day in Cambridge yielded a huge rain storm but that didn't stop me from taking The Noses on a much deserved long walk, and mostly off leash too!  They had a great time racing around the woods playing hide and attack.  Unfortunately, Rosco lost his bright white city look in exchange for the muddy country look but picked up a wide smile in the exchange.


We all took the bus back into Cambridge in the afternoon and, as it was a torrential downpour when we hit town, we decided to stay right where we were (upper level of the bus) and cruise around the bus route until we (1) saw a home depot type store or (2) the rain stopped.


You see, the time had come to search out an RV supply store; Alan attempted to fill the fresh water tank by rolling over the giant tub of fresh water only to find that the pump wasn't working.  


So we hopped off to check out B&Q which was just like the U.S.'s Home Depot, and Harlford's which is more like a sporting goods store.  No supplies to be found at the former and only a few at the latter.  Alas, not the pump for which we were searching.  But it was getting on in the day and we still needed groceries and dog food so we hopped back on the bus and headed to Cambridge.


A quick stop downtown yielded a SIM card for Alan (utilizing the strategy we developed in the U.S., he purchased service on a different provider than mine so as to maximize coverage), groceries from Mark & Spencers (just like Trader Joe's in the U.S. and equally as frustrating a place to shop if you are a cook and not just a re-heater) and some fresh trout from the market.  Still no dog food.  Looked like The Noses would have to eat the cheap stuff again--which they love, of course (think Lucky Charms and you'll get a picture of this food.)



We are on to King's Lynn near the Norfolk Coast.  Tomorrow will be a nice long hike on our first National Trail System route, right along the coastline.


-K


PS:  For those of you worried about the dog's diet, I found a real live pet store and we'll stop there on our way to King's Lynn.  As long as it can be seen from the A10.  Just kidding.  A little.


Practicalities:


1)  Black waste:  Largely dealt with via a cartridge system (you pull out the cartridge when it is full and clean it at the "Chemical Toilet Cleaning Station".)  As they would say in Twitter #gross.  Cannot wait for Salt!


2)  Most RV parks pride themselves on their "Shower & Toilet Block" and now I see why.  Thank goodness Cherry Hinton did not disappoint.  (A reminder that our stops in campgrounds will be reviewed in more detail on the Campgrounds tab at the top of the blog.)


3)  Ice cube bags!  There is a picture of one of them in the photographs--simply fill with water, turn it over so the self-closing system starts, freeze it and then bang it around.  Voila!  Ice cubes.  #fantastic.

Cambridge, UK – Mar. 5-7, 2012

“Ooo La La!”, as my favorite BBC personality would declare, driving a motorhome in England takes some nerve.  And all of mine were shattered upon arrival at our first Caravan Club site, Cherry Hinton, just outside of Cambridge.

We picked up Curry (since Salt & Pepper are two separate vehicles but our rental is one we named it Curry) around noon and left the city of Luton barely breathing.  Alan was still sick, so I was driving (much to the amazement of the men in the rental yard) and trying not to panic.  I don’t think I have ever taken so many deep breaths in one day—heck, in one hour—as I did during that initial drive.

Sadly for everyone involved we had left the rental office without having lunch.  So not only were we driving a seemingly huge vehicle down narrow little streets on the left hand side, but we were starving.  This does not make for a joyful drive.  Indeed, there was one, “Don’t yell at me!”, retort when Alan exclaimed, “Careful!” over something.  I’m still not sure to what he was referring.  Things were happening way too fast.  Drivers coming toward me must have been highly entertained (if I wasn’t causing them to panic) when looking into our windshield seeing two huge eyes set in a very pale face.  And that was just Alan.

I pulled into the first service station I found, backed (yes!) into a spot (ok, two) and ran in for some food.  I was shaking with hunger and nerves by now.  After fueling our bodies and resting for a few minutes, we bought a road atlas, studied our maps, consulted two GPS devices, gulped down more air, and headed out again.  You see, it’s not just the left side of the street, the large vehicle nor even the sounds of the dishes and pans clanking around behind you that are so stressful, it’s the fact that you cannot simply turn down just any old road if you get a bit lost—that road might contain a bridge that you cannot fit under or a road so narrow that, well, I just didn't know what that was and I hoped never to find out.

Unfortunately for Curry we did find out:  Just before our turn off for the campground we entered one of those incredibly narrow roads.  Cars were coming down the other way so I had no choice but to hug the left as far as I could.   “Why can’t I steer all of a sudden?!?”, I asked in a high pitched, not very controlled voice, “Your tires are hitting the curb”, was Alan's reply.  Oooo La La. 

And that wasn’t even the first Oooo La La Moment:  There was the moment about an hour earlier when, stopped on what must have been the only hill in Great Britain, I complained about the gutless motorhome when it came our time to move up the hill.  It wasn’t until I almost burnt out the clutch (oh yes, did I mention it is a manual transmission?) that I realized I had it in third gear.  I almost stalled the poor thing.  Say it with me now, "Oooo La La."

But we managed to get into our pitch and I was so happy to see grass and trees after the concrete jungle of London that I let the dogs run free for a bit.  Such a joy to be back in the country! 

But ahh, today was our first full day in the Cambridge area.  We did what we imagined every day in Europe would be like (if we weren’t hiking):  We took a bus (avec chiens mais bien sur!) to the “cute town”, i.e., Cambridge, found a pub that allowed dogs inside, had a nice lunch, saw some sights, shopped in an outdoor food market, stopped at a local wine shop and bussed back home.  A delightful first day!  

Probably more delightful because it didn’t involve driving.

-K

PS:  More pictures of Cambridge next time!

London, UK - Feb. 28 - Mar. 4, 2012

More Photos Here!

It is really difficult to believe that we are really in London. Part of it is, I am sure, the jet-lag affect, but there is more; we have The Noses which just seems so unlikely.  

But first, some housekeeping items:  The Presidential Apartments in Kensington were a bit of a disappointment for me.  The entry and hallway carpet was a dark shag, the hallways narrow and scuffed and the sofa in our room had a giant rip in the cushion.  Anyway, our one-bedroom apartment turned out to be a god-send as between the dogs and the food prices, constantly dining out would have been a nightmare. 

As previously reported, on our day of arrival we walked the dogs down to Kensington Garden Park.  You know I love a large city park and this one catapulted over New York's Central Park to my number one spot with its off leash policy.  

Just so The Noses didn't get too comfortable, on Day 2 we took a deep breath and hopped on a city bus with both dogs in tow.  (Dogs are welcome on public transportation in England, including the subway, but I much prefer a scenic bus ride than jetting through tunnels.)  Climbing to the upper deck we enjoyed a great view of the city as The Noses slept.  

We hopped off at Picadilly Circus for a quick snack of bruschetta and red wine before hopping on another bus to see Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.  Unfortunately, we hadn't yet purchased our bus route book so heading home we got a bit lost.  Truth be told, I was trying to work up the courage to ask the two French ladies next to me if I could use their bus route book (en Francais, mais bien sur!) but didn't work up enough nerve before they hopped off.  A side note here:  They, unlike most Londoners, were thrilled to see The Noses.

So we had another nice long walk in between stops before SP navigated us to the appropriate bus route home.  We arrived home exhausted and in the dark, but successful in our desire to see some sites and remain awake all day.

Day 3! Oh the excitement!  The Noses had a much anticipated (by us) grooming appointment at the Pet Pavilion, about a mile from the apartment.  With the dogs in the groomers, we were free for three full hours!  (Is this how new mothers feel when they finally get some time alone?) Having decided the best way to spend our dog-free time was in museums or galleries, we headed toward London's trifecta of museums;  the Natural History, the Victoria & Albert, and the Science Museum, all conveniently situation together.  SP hit the Science Museum while I visited the V&A.  And wasn't I hugely disappointed to discover that the fashion through the ages exhibit was closed?!  Bummer!  I did get to see one awesome period dress and about a million other lovely items, including a tribute to the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee.  SP and I joined up for the Natural History Museum and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit on Scott, the British explorer who tried to be the first to reach the South Pole (the Norwegians beat him.)  Amazing photos and video, with actual equipment on display--including an old tin of Digestive Biscuits!  I am not alone in my desire for these devils!  (Sadly for my diet, they now come dipped in chocolate.)

Unfortunately, Day 4 found SP sick with whatever ailed me back in Texas.  So I headed out with The Noses to the Abingdon Veterninary office to exchange our gazillion pieces of paperwork for a European Pet Passport.  Delightful office staff and Veterinary, they took care of us in less than a day.  And yes, the passports look like human passports complete with (optional) photos.  You can bet we'll get ours populated with pictures as soon as possible.

I returned the Noses home, made SP lunch and then took off on my own for some errands.  Post Office, exchanging the rest of our USD for Sterling (ouch!), buying a SIM card for my phone (unbelievably cheap at 20 Pounds for 30 days of service, 300 minutes, 300 texts and 500 Megabytes of data.  Why oh why are plans so expensive in the U.S.?)

With SP still sick on Day 5, I delivered the dog crates, via taxi, to the Vet where they will be donating them to the local animal shelter. Then I walked back home, prepared a quick lunch and headed out with The Noses back to Kensington Gardens Park.  We walked and walked and walked and I even got up the nerve to let them off leash for about 2 1/2 minutes.  They took full advantage and raced around like crazy; Rosco doing his crazy eights in super tight turns with River leaping over him again and again.  I only had one "Come" treat (and only that one thanks to a fellow terrier lover, she out walking her Airedale) so I had to hook them back up after the first command. I think we walked five miles that day, it was delightfully cool with partially sunny skies, I could have walked until dark.  

On our final full day in London, I was drawn to visit Big Ben; I have no idea why.  I am not a fan of tourist-y locations, but for some reason I wanted to see the big guy in person.  With Alan still sick, I took off alone navigating my way there on two buses.  The day was cold, windy and rainy, not at all a good day for walking around but it was our last day so it was now or never.

My bus route took me through Sloane Square where the freedom of being without The Noses and the CFO added additional temptation to visit the gorgeous shops but, fortunately for our budget, not tempting enough to overcome the weather.  By the time I reached Parliament Square, the rain had reached downpour status so I hopped off, walked in a giant circle, took four or five pictures and jumped right back on the return bus.

Stopping to pick up some French pastries, Italian wine and chicken soup, I arrived back home to take care of my Loml.

Next up, the rental of Curry (our temporary motorhome) for three to four weeks of touring the rest of the U.K. until we meet up with Salt & Pepper.

-K