We bought a caravan 6 years ago and our first long trip was down to Ampolla on the Med. Super friendly campsite across from the beach. Great. We then drove up to the Nort of Spain to Haro and parked the van in our friend`s garden. We left it there and daughter and family then went and stayed there for a week, visiting the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao as well as vinyards and old monastries in the area. We vollected the van end of August for my 75th birthday treat. I.e drive across northern Spain, through Madrid and with a 2 night stop on the way arrived at a campsite just South of Lisbon. Again facing the sea, glorious sunshine, fabulous.
when we were due to leave, my wife went to pat while I got the caravan closed up moved onto the road and hitched to the car ready to go. She came back, walked round the van to check windows were closed, lights worked and off we went.
Only a short drive through town before getting on the motorway and heading back to the Med coast. after 2 hours drive or so we pulled off the motorway and looked for somewhere to eat. Knowing that the dogs usually wake up once on small roads, I casually said "the dogs are quiet for once", my wife turned round and sharply replied "where are the dogs?"
Whilst getting the van ready to go I had tied them to a tree, and left them there at the campsite.
We stopped at the first restaurant and asked in my best yorkshire variety of Portugueses, which happens to be fine as most Portuguese, certainly in restaurants speak English, if we could leave the van wile we went back for the dogs. Menwhile my wife was frantically trying to fine the phone number for the campsite to make sure the dogs were OK. They were. In fact the owner had decided if we did not go back he would keep them.
We continued our holiday with only minor problems. Auto gearbox overheating and stopping. We`d done about 3 hours drive when temp was nearly 40 degrees, than turned off the main road and attemted a steep climb to the campsite. At which point the car simply said "Gearbox hot" and stopped. I opened the bonnet and stepped back while the hot air blasted out from around the engine. Thank fully after about 5 minutes the car restarted and we gingerly made our way onto the campsite. The rest of the holiday was without any furter problem. It was only a month later we got a love letter ftom Spain with a speeding ticket, that while towing the caravan!!
Our trip to Spain last June was ot of the same calibre. It rained down by the Med, we had a 2 metre long gash carved down the side of the caravan, punctured tyre, and a 10 hour drive home as the campsite where we wanted to stay was still flooded from earlier storms. 3 days later we both ad Covid.
In between our first adventure and this year we have had the pandemic. Result, my wife missed out on any special party for her 70th and we missed out on any party for our Golden Wedding.
So, the quandry is what to do this year? My wife will be 75 in August. We want to go away in may-June time, here in France. OK We have been invited to my niece`s 60th birtday bash in July, back in UK, expensive travelling, and we have my sister`s 90th birthday in October, again in UK.
What do we do? Forget the first birthday in July and simply go away oureselves, without the caravan this year and still go to UK in October. Any other suggestions would be appreaciated. Thank and have a good day everybody, Chris.
Just a little story I wanted to share with you.
Phew! And breathe ...
elderly and not going out
A week in the life of a Blackbird 
Happy Friday 😘😘😘
