# Final preperations



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The hounds Teddy has been washed, so what ? you say, well you didn't see the mankey thing , a little more stitching is in order, before it enters the van

Not because of shadow but because Winston my grandsons dog treats it with less consideration when I forget to hide it , and we can't leave it behind, the neurotic hound would go into meltdown , nothing new there then :surprise:

Lots of wires belonging to various things have been stared at, and all the electronics gadgets tidied up and hopefully matched to their wires 

Carpets shampooed and replaced , garage sorted, hounds bed washed and replaced 

Just perishable food to put in the fridge and the clothes 

Air con works both in the van and on the van 

Sirloin ordered , it's a tradition , vacuum sealed its fine to mature for up to three weeks in the fridge, some to give , some to share , some to freeze as the hounds chicken is emptied from the freezer 

So most is sorted, except our journey 

We think we will do Brittany and down to the dordogne, obviously depending on weather

And on alberts scan results , his scan is on Thursday and we will be gone before the results 

But christies will contact us by phone if they feel we need to come back 

Brilliant care and none of the bureaucratic" phone this number to change your appointment to three months down the line " 

If we can accommodate you:grin2:

Sandra


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Have a wonderful time you 3, you deserve it, I will be thinking of you whilst I am grafting at work.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

No sympathy you young Adonis

Work hard, one day you will be old and decrepit like us

Then you can laze around and travel 

Now where did I put my Zimmer frame ???

Love to you both

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

From one decrepit old fahrt to another, enjoy your holiday, we have been away for one week now, my invalids are doing well, but I'm worn out >
No chance of us bumping into you, we are miles away from France in Ober Pfälzer Wald.
Relax Sandra, we all need you.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Jan you need to rest love

So I suggest you and shade curl up and sleep 

Invalid two, cooks 

cleaning well who cares , dust settles 

Next year who knows we might just bump into each other 

Enjoy your trip

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Sounds like it's all coming together so wishing you both a great and safe trip. I think your plan sounds like a good one and a bit more relaxing than your usual continent crossing agenda. 

Week 9 for us and I'm now a proper bronzed Adonis surfer kayak scooter dude. Been in Provence for a while now which is my favourite place in France I reckon. So laid back and a bit hippy. Currently back on the Cote D'Azur where it has been Stunning weather if a tad scorchio inland.

Our paths may cross who knows. We plan to head up into the Pyrenees but may end up in the dordogne on the way home early October if we don't go to Brittany.

Safe and happy travels and good news from Christies.


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

Hope you have a good relaxing trip, free from worries and too much pain and mobility problems. 

We're currently on the M1 heading for Portsmouth and then the ferry to St Malo tonight. Who knows, we might even bump into you in Brittany - though not literally I hope. We might go south as far as La Rochelle but we only have two weeks, so who knows.

Chris


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Have a brilliant time the pair of you 

Safe journey down, don't be doing too many miles, enjoy yourselves 

Hope that knee has eased off 

Sandra


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Hope you have pleasant untroubled travels and good news from Christies.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Whenever I see you mention Christies Sandra my first thought is your flogging an antique:laugh: goes without saying I also hope the news is all clear.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well I sort of am Jan >>

Sandra :grin2::grin2:


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Smiling away here thinking of your preparations and anticipation, and looking forward to crossing your path somewhere between Dordogne and Brittany. Don't eat all the Shergar before I get there. 

I'm already in meat withdrawal due to a diet of bacon, ham, veal sausage, and one little fillet steak and one lamb chop. Don't do chicken except roast or curry (if I have choices), so don't worry to string out Shadow's rations on my account.

Safe journey, Sandra and Albert, Jan and Hans, Chris and John, Barry and Michele and everyone else on the move. Fingers crossed Christie's won't phone.

My younger son had a BCC removed from his back a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully they don't/it hadn't spread. Very small, but one can't stop watching out. I sometimes wonder if Swiss people are immune to skin cancer. My do they brown themselves off here!!


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Happy days Sandra!

Actually it sounds as if MHF is decamping to the continent - and I shall be joining you all about a week after Sandra. Can't wait!

All the stuff I'd taken out of the old MH into my son's garage, I was hefting back into the new van yesterday - boy was I tired and sore :-(

And actually, it wasn't all - I've weeded out a fair bit (of necessity as the new van has a lot less storage than the old).

And, reading the forum tonight I realise that I don't need to take my small oil-filled radiator or halogen heater as I now have 240v on the boiler. Every little helps


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

have a wonderful time all xx


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Hi Sue have you anything planned ?

Not seen you posting much but I guess you've been busy with the school holiday and the grandkids

Hope you both are well

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We've put the crossing back to the 6th of Sept 

Albert will be at the hospital all day tomorrow for his scan , a day of prep lost

Hey we are organising the gardens etc as well 

The greenhouse is full of tomatoes , not yet ripened, bugger, the kids will get them......again :crying:

We are just as not as fast as we used to be , so we have a two day reprieve , cost £6.50 a day to change the ticket 

So we will meander down to the tunnel as befits our royal status :grin2:

And maybe the scan results will be through 

And our megs is going to London for the weekend so I'll see here back safe Sunday night before setting off on Monday 

I know don't tell me, but I'll worry if I'm not there, I'm a cup half empty person and her mum is away on holiday

Not that really matters her dads here , and enough aunties and uncles surrounding her to sink a battleship 

And there I go again I can't help it 

I just feel I'm chatting to friends 

Sorry to those I'm boring

You could just press that ignore button 

But then again sometimes I'm really really argumentative , and I hold my own 

You want to miss that moment ???

Well press it >

Sandra :grin2:


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

And so you are, chatting to friends that is.
We will be home before you leave, I am not enjoying this break, too many things not right.
We are 550 km from home going by Motorways so today we are breaking our rule of no motorways.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Really sorry to hear that Jan

But I know what you mean, some trips just don't work out

If Hans is like me when I have a joint problem I find the MH makes it worse, if it's off level in the slightest it aggravates the joint 

I hope shade is ok, worrying about him won't be helping

You'll soon be home, best place to be, there is always another day another trip

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We have stopped for an exotic lunch of Heinz baked beans on toast :grin2:
Travelled all of 18 km on the motorway and that was too many.
Now on the main roads which will take longer, but more enjoyable.
Hope to find a nice quiet place to spend the night, not possible on the motorway, we will then be home tomorrow.

Shade and Hans are my worries and poor little Motley has had no decent place to play, therefore nobody is really happy. We know where the best place is........home.
P.S.. now it's tiddling down with rain.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I'm on the same level Jan, enjoying a less than hot fish n chips in Ikea. Getting my MH storage sorted. I got a large box yesterday that was a perfect size for the space under the side seat. But I couldn't get it past the table leg :-(

Hope things improve once home. 

Your Hans sounds a bit like my late husband - he just had to sample all the medical facilities in just about every country we travelled in!


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Thank goodness he doesn't make a habit of it Jean.

We've had a nice rest, will be off again soon, it's just stopped raining.


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## icer (Dec 11, 2006)

We are also off on the 5th but on the boat.
Picking up 2 electric bikes from a Dutch bike shop in Belgium on 6th. The bikes are made by a Dutch company called Sparta.
Then onward somewhere for just over 6 weeks.
Sandra Our tomatoes just keep coming faster than we can use them and we eat them like apples. Normally we take them away greenish.

Ian


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Ian our greenhouse is not ideally placed for sun 

But we have no choice, they are just beginning to ripen 

Mind you I love fried green tomatoes 

The tomatoes, the healthy bit offset the frying bit 

Well that's my take on it anyway >

It was in Holland we first saw electric bikes 

If you are into serious cycling you've made the right choice 

We have electric bikes, Albert prefers the exercise so uses non electric, and he can use mine if it's just a shopping run, and we have two batteries to play with 

I'm a nervous cycler , afraid on roads , but happy off road to potter along 

I need the electric bit to start off without wobbling and to give that extra push on hills 

Interestingly my grandson has dyspraxia, cannot ride a bike , balance and peddling defeats him 

But he can balance on the electric bike and I'm hopeful one day he will have the confidence and balance to actually peddle it 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Albert loves baked beans on toast with a poached egg on it 

Fits perfectly with the 5 2 diet 

I'm not so keen on baked beans 

What you describe Jan is often what we find with shadow when we travel ,he has no place to play

He's not good with other dogs so we worry, he's off the lead only if we have a clear view 

He loves to swim and in that case has no interest in dogs around , but we need clean water or the sea 

He will run with the bike and I'm sure Albert keeps a keen eye on him but he's 9 , no longer a youngster 

The van remains out of bounds , and more more I feel we need to put him in the garage, we've put an opening window in it 

He goes mad at pedestrian crossings in the van , we couldn't fill up at garages without stopping to put him in the back before we get there , anyone approaching the van sets him off

Away from the van he's great with people 

But even in towns we couldn't sit down for a meal or drink 

At an instant he can feel we are threatened , what triggers it we don't know 

Perhaps the close tables 

Always we need to have him controlled 

And off course we do 

Sandra


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## icer (Dec 11, 2006)

Sandra

Actually saw some dutch guys on similar bikes from sparta in germany and decided they would fit our lifestyle quite well. allows us to stay further away from built up areas but brings more bits within reach. Have gone with 600w batteries that have a range of 280km on eco mode. 20 gears and can be ridden as a normal bike, albeit heavier.

We will suck it and see. Do not use many campsites/stelplatz so will have to see what problems charging them causes. Will prob have tto stay on more.
Interestingly we are buying in euro's and have secured 720Euros by 2 discounts on the bikes in belgium

We keep trays of tom's in dark with a ripened one or two and they come on.
Last year they lasted us 6 weeks!

Havwe a good Hols

Ian


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You are going big time , Ian 

And so you should

We charge when traveling via the inverter

If we are not on electric hook up 

Whenever we travel the inverter is on and everything is plugged in

Sandra


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