About Clunegapyears

Travelling around Europe with James in our motorhome

South and West

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Clunegapyears

29/07-05/08/2023

A bit of a big drive from Dalbeatie to Bristol, but no traffic issues … yay. Just rain.

*We stopped off at a favourite butcher / farm shop just off the M6. One purchase was chicken parmo. That great northern* *delicacy is* *well-known* *known for its* *diet qu*alities!

Our normal free overnight parking site near the Severn Bridges was inaccessible as the Environmental Agency is building flood defences. Fortunately, we have previously used a 5 pitch very close by. Good for us, but not for the owners, all the campsites are under booked so have space.

I should have cycled to have lunch with Mark in Bristol. Actually, given the rain, I’d downloaded the Uber app! Unfortunately, he was poorly, so we had an easy morning and headed off to near Taunton to meet up with Robyn and Glen … a pretty free parking spot along the Sedgemoor Drain. Robyn’s birthday, so we had cake with candles.

Another big meal the next night. Chez Lin in Exford. Actually, it was extremely boozy too! I reckon I was just keeping Craig, Lin’s son, company. J had the good sense to bail before me …I made it to bed at 2.20. Poor Corrie really wasn’t happy with Evie who is a young and bouncy Cypriot Hound and doesn’t give up.

*Having occupied Evie’s bed, Corrie snarled at Evie every time she came close*

Leaving Lin and Craig we dropped into one of our houses and collected a few items from the shed. Thence onto Totnes to meet with Brian and Zoa. We always thought Zoa very bouncy. But after Evie, Zoa is positively calm. Brian keeps odd hours and had us walking at 0600hrs. I remember doing something similar last year. I really should have had my ‘I need my beauty sleep’ argument ready.

*Totnes about 0730 before the nonstop downpour*

Our next big meal was with Frances and Edward in the New Forest. And we parked on their drive, which meant we got to use their loo … ours was getting rather full after several nights free camping. Now, we do have a spare cassette, but it’s still in its virgin state, and we’d like to keep it that way. Again, we over ate!

A couple of hours drive and we were back to Chichester. J took the car and the crochet blanket to meet Sinead and baby Kylie for a late lunch. I shopped and took the van to Woodlands Farm. Filled with water and emptied the now full toilet … I don’t usually have to do this job, thank you J! Aged Ps came for an easy supper.

*Kylie, J’s 5th grandchild sporting my* *crochet* *effort*

Two of my oldest friends turn middle aged this coming September, so 4 of us lunched on Friday in Teddington. Lots of gossip! Love it!!

Then Saturday was the joint family BBQ and slightly early 21st celebration for my niece Zozo. Rain fortunately meant we stayed indoors so we didn’t have to freeze outside!

*Birthday girl and a white chocolate cake … 😋*

*I’d made canapés but they were quite over shadowed by* *Jordan’s* *foccacia.* It *is NOT* *a competition.*

Nothing Dumb in Dumfries

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Clunegapyears

26-28/07/2023

Actually, Danny was remarkably clever in Dalbeatie. We are the technical numpties. Lisa had acted as postal receiving office for my waterproof, which I’d left on Jim and Pat’s narrowboat in Northamptonshire, two taps and a Dometic fridge connection brick. J and I had a go at replacing the fridge part … the engineer who’d diagnosed the fridge on gas problem over the phone, described it as DIY / replace each wire one by one. Sounds easy, right? We did quite well, in our book. Got so far, then struggled to get thin plastic blocks out. Danny, who is actually a trained refrigeration engineer, stepped in. Described these blocks as the lazy way of connecting wires. A quick trip to Halfords in Dumfries, and suitable female whatsits ??? purchased. And we are now the proud owners of a crimping tool!

Then Danny got on with the task of replacing our leaking bathroom sink tap. Actually, he had to first find all hidden screws to remove the whole sink! Very pleased to report that fridge works on gas. The cupboard under the bathroom sink is now dry. Danny is just one of those incredibly able people and just gets on with it. So van wise, we just need to replace the kitchen tap; no leak, handle broken off but usable. Once we drop the van back to storage at the Adria dealer in Andover, they can establish why the hot water and heating don’t work on gas.

It wasn’t all jobs whilst we had 3 nights with Danny and Lisa. We walked both days. Tried to find a route to a ruin, but barbed wire fences prevented that. Then, the next day along the Solway Firth. We determined to come back via a hill top. I was navigating… why do people think I’m competent? I led us up a mountain bike track …some clambouring involved!

*Danny the dog whisperer* on *one of the easier* *bike track sections*

*Corrie is being much indulged even having her own place at the table*

*But actually she* *much* *preferred snuggling* up *with Jesus* *in his bed. He* *was* *somewhat disgusted* *at having* *his space* *invaded* by a *black and* *white spotty* *tart.* *Definitely* *one-sided love*

Lisa and I trawled a few charity shops … another pair of jeans and cookery books. And we spotted a smart wedding dress shop. Lisa and Danny will wed in November and I will be ‘mother of the bride’ (I can’t be THAT old!) Sept 2024. And I will definitely NOT be wearing a typical mother of the bride frock and short jacket … perhaps Queen Camilla will lend me one of her long jackets.

We even managed to BBQ each evening although we ate in Jez! And if you’re ever in the area the campsite in Dalbeatie was great. Basic but clean with hot showers.

Callander & Cycling

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Clunegapyears

23-24/07/2023

We obediently did a 5 point turn in Callander as the road to the destination car park said no motorhomes. The main town carpark had a cluster of motorhomes, but signs clearly saying no sleeping in vehicles, although apparently some do. Paying for parking was a pain … none of the machines accepted cards or cash. It had to be done through a parking app. What annoys me is that they charge an extra fee so £3.40 became £3.70 for 24 hours … but no staying over night!

From here, we walked up to the Brackinn Falls and then a loop to Scout Pools … amazing waterfalls.

*I’d read there had been two fatalities … common sense would tell you not to swim. No chance of Corrie ever volunteering* *to get* *wet!*

*Scout Pools calmer and we did see people swimming here.*

Great help and leaflets in the tourist information centre. We shall bike ride tomorrow. Oh, did I mention that we had 2 ice creams each! Including tablet and macaroon flavours.

*Overnight for 2 nights was a couple of miles north of Callander with 3 other vans in a large carpark with paths signed.*

We’ve not cycled for over a year, other than my riding for 2km to the supermarket in Kelso! So bikes checked, and helmets worn. The first stretch around Loch Venachar was loose stones, up and down – nothing major but not fun. Our ebikes are big and heavy hybrids but not designed for proper off road. Additionally, the dog trailer doesn’t have brakes, affecting descents and especially descents with a turn. I’ve hit the deck a few times as a result. I asked J if he was enjoying it, not much either, so we dropped down to the road … easy peasey! Thereafter, we were on much better firm cycle or vehicle tracks. Except for one section through bushes to look at a dam.

Stopping first at Brig O Turk for coffee and cake. Then, a short ride to Achray Farm for homemade ice cream. The flavours come from the garden, so today was meadowsweet and blackcurrant swirl. The milk from their own goats. Just delicious. Despite our sugar filled stomachs we still managed to stop later for picnic lunch.

We only had time for a shorter bike ride the next morning. Our bums were grateful. We headed up past the Falls of Lenny. J asked where we were stopping for coffee and cake … it seems to have become a daily feature! No cafes on our route today, I said! I was wrong. So coffee and brunch at a Forest Holidays cafe/shop. I googled … a 2 bed chalet is £2060 for a week in August! OK, so it has hot tub and BBQ, but even so, it’s still a shed! Our 3 double bed house in Devon is discounted to £1650 for a week in August and still several weeks vacancy.

*Falls of Lenny … more a series of rapids*

First stop was Stirling retail centre for the supermarket and Dunelm. How can it be profitable to sell long and lined curtains for £65 and duvet sets for £24? Our bedroom in Crete sorted and a spare duvet set for the spare room. 😀

We drove to Livingston to stay on the driveway of some fellow motorhomers … should have been near Paisley seeing another friend, but he is poorly. Sarah and Mac read our blog, and had spotted we were nearby. Lovely supper and chat, and we hope they’ll come out to Crete. A plane seems so boring, so possibly on a motorbike or train … planning stages!

Not a Dollar More

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Clunegapyears

22/07/2023

It was another slow start 😆. J ran laps of the park whilst I did pilates … in the sun 😲!

*Alva overnight … Corrie does like to get involved*

Did you know a little mashed potato, egg and cooked onion makes an amazing potato pancake? A first for us and served with cheesey scrambled egg. A good start to the day! I did my 2 day shop at the local butcher and Coop … every town has one. Eventually we set off for Dollar. Detour via the Stirling Outlet Centre … 5 outdoor shops but a little short on stock, but picked J up some walking trousers.

Roadside parking in Dollar as I didn’t like the look of a shrinking road and narrow hump backed bridge. J nanny napped whilst C and I did another Glen walk. A bridge had collapsed, so we were diverted onto the road past the car parks. Just as well I’d parked on the edge of the town as Jez would’ve struggled to get in. Sometimes my instincts are right!

*Castle Campbell. I didn’t go in, but Corrie snuck in whilst I was looking at a map.*

*This lad said the water wasn’t cold! His mate* told the truth … freezing!!

Our overnight was a 5 pitch CL called Powblack Farm. At £20 with EHU, but no other facilities, it made Carr’s Hill £25, with washing machine, dish washer and fab bathrooms, seem really good value. I know some people don’t have much money, but there really is no need to have your farmhouse so untidy and messy that we thought it was uninhabited. Judgemental. Yes, totally!

Ochil, the Hills!

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Clunegapyears

21-22/07/2023

Should I start this post either “another slow start”? But actually it wasn’t, we were up and at ’em. Whilst at this lovely CL camping, we needed to make the most of the facilities. And we’d put off cleaning yesterday, which now had to be done. And so it was … that sounds like a biblical phrase! I should mention one of the shower blocks … the bathrooms were the size of the average kitchen. Sink, loads of space to put your stuff, toilet and ….. drumroll a double shower. Luxury.

The mistake I made was to not read the sign above the site’s washing machine, instructing me to use programed 2 or 7. I was washing bedding so selected a 60C programme. After I’d seen the sign, I realised this was a 200 minute programme. Grr, we were captive. Realising we were overstaying the departure time, I apologised to the owner. And we waited. Waited some more. Had lunch. And waited.

We drove to Alloa, a town in the Ochil Hills. The area made it’s money from being a major sheep and wool area. There were lots of mills using water power in the Glens. We parked roadside near the Tower, Scotland really isn’t a junta parking. There is a Tower Trail, but from what we could see, once you’ve seen one Tower… Not much else to report other than our coffee stop. We spotted a sign for Give a Dog a Bone charity shop and cafe. Coffee and biscuits (chocolate 😋) for a donation. They ran the cafe to support lonely over 60’s who all made us welcome and a made a fuss of Corrie. They also help senior folk afford to rescue a senior dog.

Next stop was Alva. We walked up the Glen, where there had been 11 mills. Very little remains.

*Alva Glen,* one of the spots *where water was harnessed fo*r *the woolen mill*s

*Smugglers Cave – seen pix of folk swimming but it must’ve* been *a rare sunny* *day. Not today!*

We stayed in Alva, having moved from one car park to an adjacent one due to the glass recycling to another more open area, by a lovely manicured Park. Super quiet.

Clune Gap Years

A journal and reflections of our motorhome travels

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