993 – Wednesday 21st February: Adria Athens
Lovely lie in – as we could! We drove to Adria Athens (lovely people) … a few minor jobs and booked to have rear air suspension fitted . We had to hang around to check that delivery will be at a time that suits us. This was rather spontaneous, but it had been at the back of our minds, that the springs on motorhomes do not get the chance to spring back and relax like on an unladen truck. Rear air suspension is also supposed to help with the ride and handling.
Onto Accorinth … ancient fortress covering an extended hill top near Corinth, which we had not visited with the Aged P’s. It was shut by the time we arrived, but amazing views. Little did we know the visit would change our lives…..
Our parking at Accorinth.
994 – Thursday 22nd February: Corrie
Oscar tells the story better than I can – albeit with his slant – see the end of this post. Our new family member is a poppet – and quite domesticated – doesn’t pee or poo in the van but waits patiently for her outside visit. Aged Ps think we are bonkers – they’re right! So far, we’ve bought a house and two motorhomes on a whim – so why not adopt a doggy? She has passed the blood tests (no Leichmanoisis, which was what we particularly feared) and vet exam – spaying due for Monday. Then Pet Passport process. We will be coming back to the vet in Corinth a few times! As well as being several hundred Euro lighter! Now, they are known as CO2….. we expect more carbon dioxide to be spayed – no, sprayed around Jez.
Onto Korfos … pretty fishing village, but a boozy night with Jac and Scott (motorhomers from Derby) whom we met on our stroll – we then parked next to them – lots of vino – and some white rum – producing some K-rum results…….
Corrie. A real heinz 57, but definitely some Greek shepherd dog in her.
She watches everything.
Korfos.
995 – Friday 23rd February: Hang Over for Ancient Epidavros
Slight sore head in the am for K ….. we walked it off into town for coffee. We gained a wine glass from last night – cheers S and J. We filled with water at Epidavros Ancient Theatre (K had spotted a tap when we visited here with the Aged P’s); thankfully as showers are due soon. Here we discovered that our Corrie barks at dogs approaching near our Jez – maybe more of an ‘alarming’ dog than young Oscar?
On to the coastal village of Ancient Epidauros and our super overnight parking. Minor nanny nap walk along the front – spotting running routes for the morrow. Now K freezes meals and takes a meal out of the freezer in plenty of time for it to defrost. Pork and prunes due for tonight and it came out of the freezer last night. We know it would have been yummy, but we were not to eat it. It had already been eaten overnight … so that was the plastic bag shreds that J found on the floor this morning. Note to self, move all defrosting items out of Corrie’s way! No dog friendly restaurants – so supermarket tinned meatballs for supper – rather yummy too!
Our view out at Anc. Epidavros.
996 – Saturday 24th February: Why Move?
We both ran in the morning – new system as we need to break Corrie in slowly to running ….. J runs first alone and then K with Oscar, whilst J breakfasts with Corrie. A meander to the small Greco-Roman theatre – fresh excavations – along the nearby beach to site of a sunken city . 6-Nations rugby in the afternoon – Ireland narrowly slid past Wales keeping a Grand Slam hope alive…. England will play Scotland tomorrow. K: No comment on this, as we know how it ended …. badly!
View back from the far beach where we ran to.
Walk to sunken city … funnily enough you can only see it on Google Earth as it is underwater!
Didn’t expect to see a flock of geese on the beach and even more surprised when they set sail on the sea.
A bit of cuttle fish … must think she’s a budgie!
A local cafe … more signs of getting ready for the season … both dogs managed to get in this pic.
997 – Sunday 25th February: Corinth CamperStop
Destination Corinth Camperstop as Corrie will get spayed by the local vet tomorrow – fingers crossed… The approach roads are very narrow and twisty – and uphills on a wet surface – traction control engaged – a successful, if scrabbling, landing. The site: good pitches, lecky, waste and fresh water, chemical wc emptying, wc and showers – all for €10 per night!!! We booked for 3 nights. The owner pressed a load of sweet and seedless grapes on us.
Being on electric, I got the electric hob and slow cooker out. Leek and potato soup, vegetable Korma and Greek spinach with beans (a feature on menus that Mum and I particularly liked) all cooked, bagged and heading for the freezer.
998 – Monday 26th February: Vet
A short drive to the vet. We stayed with Corrie whilst she had the sleepy, followed by the antibiotic and pain killer, injections … right up to when she went right under with the drip.
We asked when we should come back. Now, one would expect, being used to British vets, that the answer would be late afternoon. No, only 40 minutes. We removed ourselves to Jez for a coffee. Hardly had we drunk this, but the vet appeared at our window waving us to come in so that we could be there as she came round. Quite similar to taking a child down to theatre and being in recovery when they come round. We have instructions and medications that J walked to the normal pharmacy to buy. I was expecting an Elizabethan collar to stop her licking the wound, but the vet said this distresses the dogs, so unless she keeps worrying at it, best not to have one. Very happy with that … not to mention how awkward the collar would be in such a small space 🙂
Back at the Corinth Campserstop, we settled Corrie into her bed, but she eventually decamped to Oscar’s. Not sure how he will take that tonight, as he used to sleeping beside me! She has been out on unsteady legs for a pee and eaten scrambled egg and rice … the vet said street dogs normal eat much quicker than house dogs. But very docile and sleepy. She will go back to the vet tomorrow for another pain relief injection; good just to have the vet check her over again too.
Being settled for the day, I took O for a long walk and did laundry; the twin tub has sooooo been a worthwhile investment. A neighbour told me a medium load here is EUR8 … well, I just saved EUR16. James cleaned Jez inside and did the engine levels checks. A productive afternoon.
The said neighbour is British ex-forces driving a small and ancient, but rusting Winebego. He has driven from the UK with his massive drooling Mastiff, with the intention of buying land and erecting cabins in Crete. Given he doesn’t seem that fit and is advancing in years, this seems somewhat challenging. However, the real story is that his vehicle insurance expired on 1st Feb and the insurers refused to renew … something about not paying taxes there. I am sure there MUST be a lot more to it, but he is now looking at registering himself in Greece so he can import the vehicle and get it taxed here. He mentioned the vehicle is worth £2,000 on a good day, but the importing will cost £6,000. Fellow motorhomers, Carol and Mike had mentioned another character here, who we have yet to meet … A Hungarian looking for a temporary bride … I forget what the reason was. You do meet them on a trip like this.
Oscar’s Diary (Renamed CO2)
Well, well, well (and well again). Me flabber is feckin gasted!!! If you’ve ever had yer blabber fasted, you’ll know wot I mean. The owners have gone totally bonkers! To cut a short story long…. James took me for my morning walk (and the other thing too) – off the lead (he’s learning well). This little pixie dog appeared – Wild Thing (there’s a song about that). She wanted to play – now I never pass up a chance of a bit of ‘RolyPoly’ – so we gamboled along nicely….. Then J called K to see the little rascal from the van door – she looked at it and said “shall we adopt her?”. J answered “yes”. I thought K wanted an ‘adaptor’ from the garage so I was cool. Bejaysus, the next thing the young doggy was in my van and scoffing my food! It appears they have taken her into my family permanently!!!!!
K has called her ‘Corrie’ as she comes from Corinth (ancient). How original is that, you say? Not. They could have called her Rover or Trixiebell or TrollyDolly or Wildthingiewotsit…. but no – blinking Corrie! Mind you, she’s cute (that’s what K calls J – and he biffs her bottom!) He likes a bit of bottombiffing…. no comment from me, there. She is ok (not K but Corrie) and takes orders from me – which is the most important thing. We took her to a local vet and she is perfectly healthy (I didn’t want to catch a dose of fleaze or wormz) but she will need the ‘chop’…… It’s good that she’s no pussy (remember Mrs Slocum?). Sparky enough – and would yez believe it? She has snow white eye lashes!!! What is the world coming to? Any road up, she can stay as long as I have the power of Tito – sorry, vito…..
Corrie here, readers…. I was out minding my own business and playing with this stud Oscar (he wanted his legover – but I never do it on the first date, anyway) – in my wildness area. Before I knew it – I was dognapped! Well, it means regular nosh and a nice bed in the warmth of something like a big tin can with wheels…. the owners are ok – J is a bit of a greco-roaming ancient – and K is a bit of a posh bird (she thinks). They tell me I’ll meet doggys called Poppy and Boo (queer names) and Kenzie – in other countries – I’ve never been past Corinth. I had a family once but the Recession meant I was turfed out, like 1 million other Greek dogs – tragic. I really wanted to be called Madonna or QueenBea, but Corrie is quite catchy (named after a street in somewhere called Manchester, I believe… Oscar thinks he can order me around – now girlies – how many men are similarly denuded, sorry – deluded?
Yours in shox – Oscar and Corrie – next time it will be Corrie and Oscar.
Yassus, caramera and efharisto – and yackyda (Welsh for his nibs).
Clune Gap Years 
I leave you alone for a few weeks ( ok, a few months) and suddenly you have a new play mate!! Well that’s it…. we’re over! Love Kensey xx
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Kensey, you sooo brushed me off. What was a dog supposed to do? Pine and whine? But you’ll always have a corner of my 💔. Oscar x
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Hi Guys
Hope it’s warm in Greece and welcome to the family, Corrie!
Sorry to bother you but we have now started thinking ahead to our year of travel for next Sept (2019) and we are having a nightmare trying to insure the motorhome (not breakdown cover, just the actual vehicle cover).
I have phoned Comfort insurance who seems to be recommended on all the motorhome forums to ask for advice. They have said that to have a normal policy which would cover me for up to 9 months European travel (which could work as we may do 3 months touring the UK first) we need to have a registered address and be on the electoral roll, plus have a utility bill in our name – they said we have to own a property or have a rental agreement for 9 months and can’t let out our house full time. I asked about having lodgers instead and they said that I would still be letting out my house. I said we would still have one locked room in the house where all our personal effects would be stored and could put up a separate post box outside for our post – but they still said NO and that I would need to have a Full timer insurance.
However our W reg Auto Roller falls short on their no vehicles older than 2005 stipulation (and that’s for now let alone in 18 months time) and has to be worth more than 25K and although I would love a new van buying one that expensive is not in the budget and we would be in a similar position if we wanted to repeat our year away in a couple of years time as obviously vans age and devalue.
I thought that vehicle breakdown insurance would be difficult now that ADAC aren’t taking on any more UK customers but little did I imagine that the insurance for the vehicle would be such a stumbling block.
So we can either not let our house and lose £12,000 of income or spend another £20,000 on a newer van! Any suggestions on bending (but not breaking) the rules would be appreciated or an alternative insurance company – we are currently with Adrian Flux and they will only allow 60 days total a year in Europe. My parents have said they can put us on their electoral roll and have our post redirected to their house.
Take care and carry on travelling, try not to pick up too many cute dogs along the way.
Kind regards – Sarah
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Lovely!!! Lovely to face time with you as well! Xxxxxxx
Sent from my iPad
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You must be barking! We did meet your neighbour in the Winnebago, but we haven’t (yet) met the Hungarian bloke looking for a temporary bride!
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I must be muddling stories I’ve been told … so yes, barking … age and alcohol!
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Oh Wow! What a wee cutie. She looks beautiful and wonderful for Oscar to have a playmate. x x
P.S. Some of us thought that the rugby was fantastic! 😉
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I know, a bit out of the blue. The dogs can’t play at the mo, as she was spayed yesterday. Such an invasive, but necessary, procedure.
The Six Nations is turning into a fab competition this year. J reminds me (regularly) that only Ireland can get the Grand Slam.
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