The South Coast.

You've gotta love MacDonald's.......

Ok so we all know about their ethics, and the way they brainwash kids into thinking that their food is ok while slowly killing them, not to mention their dubious politics.... No lets not mention that...

But, the coffee is ok and right now, I'm writing in the van, about 200 metres away from the Newhaven ferry terminal branch of MacD's enjoying free wifi. Now that's generous and worth applauding :) I'll kip here tonight in the company of 4 or 5 other vans of assorted shapes and sizes, ready for the 10:00 ferry in the morning, possibly after a bacon roll and coffee......somewhere.....not sure where....................?

Last night was a pleasant but rather snowy night in the car park at the Dog+Partridge at Disley after I'd had a training session at Stockport wall..... I like the pub stop over..... feels sort of secure. I did look at a layby but really didn't get a good feeling for it so headed for another car park only to find the snow getting progressively worse. I passed this lovely looking flat car park behind the pub and a short while later I'd done a U turn and drove in, through 3 or 4 inches of wet snow and slush. Ordered a large red and got permission from the boss to sleep over with the added bonus (once I'd crawled the van a few metres close...) of using their wifi too. I had a shower :) A good shower in the van, Oh yes !!!  By the time I'd fallen asleep the snow had turned to rain and in the morning I sorted myself out and headed south.

First stop in the potteries. Its really pretty there. I drove past Joderall Bank. Those dishes are huge and really impressive!! The houses around there were very nice and the road was good, sweeping curves and super wide, and great for cycling. I thought as I approached Stoke how close I was to where I grew up in the Midlands, around Staffordshire. A short while later, just for a moment I even though about nipping off the M6 to Cannock for a look. But the pull wasn't strong enough. It wouldn't be the same anyway. 

I saw familiar signs for Telford, and Redditch. All names from a distant past from a distant life. I managed to dig out some memories while the miles drifted by. Robert Willets, Stuart Lewis Evans, Neil Colley.. Oh no.... Ruth Atkins, Brantwood Avenue, Biddulph Park, The Woolleys, The Gibbons!!! Jane, Lorraine, Uncle Keith and Aunty Jackie, Barbera and Ken, Ruth, Angus, Nathan, and the fun at the fish shop.

My Dad's down here still. 

I think. 

This was home. 

Until January 11th 1977 when I did this journey in reverse, in a blizzard of Antartic proportions!!

Home. I've started thinking about that a lot recently..... Another time for that though.... 

Anyway, I changed my half empty UK gas bottle in Stoke for a full one and toddled off again. Its a long drive, passed Brum, Oxford, and onto the dreaded M25, which went very smoothly and with no hassles. Then its down to Brighton and here I am, Newhaven. Can't go any further south for now.

What have I learnt so far then? 

Sleeping. Its important, and I'm still not very good at it yet. Its a feeling of vulnerability perhaps? In the van.... I need to switch off the fears and worries a little, to relax and pretend all is well, while keeping my senses alive to the feeling for potential problems, when and where I park to sleep. I need to feel happy that its ok, that I can actually let go and relax. It's never really been a strong point this sleeping thing... I'm hoping that my natural body clock will slowly kick in after years of shift work.

Tonight I'm going to try not to worry too much about driving onto the ferry. About France, my schoolboy French, or the lack thereof, driving on the right, and the distances involved. It's a big country France you know! I will try not to dwell on those things, or the fact that I'm parked on a side street next to a small retail park on a Saturday night.

Good night. I hope :)

Take Two!

It feels right.
This time, it begins, properly!

The van has a years MOT now and a new timing belt and I feel able to thrash it with gay abandon now! Not that thrashing a motorhome seems to make any difference!

Its amazing how my state of mind has changed. I now feel much more positive and 'ready' than I was before my trip to Kalymnos. Maybe I just needed to soak up Themi's positivity, or maybe I was just feeling a little nervous. Whatever. The weather gave me an incredibly good excuse, perfectly valid I have to say, and an easy decision in the end. Its time to wing it, to let life show the way and see where the journey takes me.

This time things seem to have clicked into place like a jigsaw puzzle. The gas bottle folks in Yorkshire have said I can stay tomorrow night in their compound, so I'll drive over to Thirsk after I've been to Keswick to spend my wonderful NATS leaving present in Needle Sports. Then Alpha Batteries in Rochdale have 2 new 110 amp lumps waiting for me. After that, maybe a visit to J and J in Brecon if there's time, and once I've been to Sunstore in Worthing for a sexy solar panel, my van armoury will be complete.

After the storms in the UK all of the ferries to Spain have backed up so it appears after much checking and phone calls to experts, the earliest I could get across the Bay was the 11th of Feb. No way! Now I have the bit between my teeth, look out France, here I come.

So from Worthing, its only a tiny drive to Newhaven and a cheap ferry to Dieppe. Ok, so its 2 or 3 days of driving instead of a relaxing mega sleep on a 24 hour ferry (or much nausea, not sure which), but the Euro is down.... Fuel prices are down, AND I can use the phone as normal with 3 all through France.
Its not all bad :) The added bonus of Lloyd, and Dave in Toulouse makes France begin to look like a good call.

Still, there's Steve, Gerd, and maybe Armando and perhaps Ritchie to meet up with in Spain, not to mention those I haven't met yet, new friends and climbers, all there for the same reason, and the sun is shining by all accounts.

Right now.... I'm sat once again in Glasgow, watching the snow slowly accumulate on Fearghas and Zoes driveway... Debating whether to join them at the wall or write a bit and tidy up the van. All in all, maybe another rest day is called for as at the moment, the aching elbow is there, and the 'now not so sore' leg is steadily improving.

Here's to the journey.

Heading South.

 Happy smiley snowy 'sparky' :)

 The view from climbing sector Kastri, on Kalymnos.

The gorgeous one is Themi, the other one is me! Wearing my best 'silly selfie' face....!!

Injuries...

Its been 10 really good days on Kalymnos with Themi. During that time we climbed a bit, in climbing terms it was mostly relaxed on-sight climbing to ease the injury into real rock, but on Thursday I had a blast at a new, sharp, brittle 7c at North Cape. My fingers were tender after pulling on new rough broccoli slopers, flakes and nubbins, so I figured best leave the red-point for after a rest day.

We also had a family birthday, and generally lived a normal life, including a visit to a really nice accountant, and the marine agent for boat licence details. Its been wonderful. All the time I kept an eye on the weather both here and in the UK to see when would be the best time to head back and sort out a few things with the van, and then set off for Spain.

We chatted about the MOT too so all things considered, I decided to book tickets to Edinburgh, pick up the van from Glasgow, and head up to see Sami and hopefully Kyle too, my Mom, and also book the van in for some work and the test. Next week here looks very stormy (last night we watched the movie 'Powder', then had an awesome real life thunder and lightning storm right overhead.... spooky), while in the UK it seems that normal service is about to resume with milder, wetter weather coming next week.

These past few days I've had an aching right knee. I bashed the underside of the knee cap on the pillion peg of the scooter..... Since then I've had a cramp like feeling in the knee, I'm not sure if that's related or if the back is playing up again. Thursday I started to feel sore down the outside of my right leg. Its got gradually worse. Yesterday I booked the flights but by evening time I was wishing I hadn't as the pain down the Tibial Band was so bad I could barely move. Last night I managed only a little sleep, I couldn't find anywhere comfortable to rest the leg. This morning its a little better after some heat, and the decision was made, sensibly, not to climb today even though the thought of sending Le Mur d'Epicure was very very tempting, in reality, I doubt whether I could have had enough freedom of movement in the thigh to relax enough to climb at all.

So I'm committed to leaving now with a gammy leg. Theory is it will 'recover' while I'm travelling... Fingers crossed. On the plus side, the golfers elbow has enjoyed real rock and feels so much better than it did when I got here.

I'll admit, its really tempting to stay. Life with Themi is so wonderfully easy and I sometimes can't wait to begin it full time. I'll also admit that now I'm heading back, those fears about life in the van have returned, but Themi is always encouraging, always supportive, and always full of love. She has been, as always, amazing. I love her more each time we're together and I miss her more each time I leave.

Finally..... If you have the chance to travel and explore in your 20's, a gap year or something..... Take it!!! No aches, no pains, no injuries to worry about..... Freedom in every sense, except maybe financial. But then there's always the bank of Mom and Dad :)

13/1

Oh God, this weather!
After a relatively calm but cold day today, the wind is picking up again and its snowing on and off.

The forecast for overnight tomorrow into Thursday is appalling and I have everything crossed that the flight to Athens will go....
A delay would be ok, but a cancellation would be shit, as well as expensive :(

Now that I've committed to going to Kalymnos I feel much happier.
I'm not sure, but I have sore swollen glands on the right side of my neck and I feel a little bit under the weather (!). Having said that, today after posting my papers to HMRC, I had lunch at the wall, then a climbing session with Fearghas, Michael, and Raymond and felt good, almost strong!!! My golfers elbow was painfully reminding me it was still there, but other than that, all was well.

At the wall I overcame that embarrassing feeling of saying hello after I'd said so many goodbye's and just got on with things. I reckon they all think I'll never leave. GCC has been my second home and I will miss them all. Many off the staff I've grown to like and think of as friends. Eve I shall miss, Liam the amazing chef, Celina, Pres, Matt et al... And Toddy. I like Tod, always smiling and happy, I'd like to have got to know him better.

I began thinking about how I felt generally, Inside. About the kids and what they must think of their daft dad? I miss them. I hope more than anything else they take the plunge and come and visit once I'm settled. Most of all I send them love. I hope they don't think I'm REALLY crazy haha!!!

I thought about how these last few months and why I've been so clinical about leaving work and leaving the flat, even the car, my awesome little VRS... When he was driven away I just turned around and got on with things... Am I cold? Or is this how commitment feels?
Do I believe so strongly in what I'm doing? I like to think YES to that. My goal is a clear one and my new home, when I get there so warm and welcoming. The journey, the climbing trip, the adventures along the way.... Its what life is all about, maybe what I've missed.

Ridding myself of so much of life's rubbish has been a liberation... Even my wheels. I don't miss TV (though I have wifi to check the weather, so far). I don't miss the car, haven't even thought about that till now.

I will admit though, when I drove the van away from Mansionhouse on the 8th.... The penny finally dropped, that's it, no more flat to go to, I'm in van! Laburnum House is a long way away for now.

I did think to myself, What the fuck am I doing?????

Koon, Raymond, John and Fearghas.

 Thanks Patrick, excellent coffee :)

Its the 12th of January....

I left work on Christmas Eve, quietly I think, but I was touched by the generosity of my work mates and friends there. Thank you. I moved out of my flat on the 8th of January and began life in a van.

The last 2 weeks have been exciting, scary and nerve wracking, all the arrangements (I constantly feel like I've forgotten to do something, or to tell someone), the packing, the goodbyes.... Except the goodbyes have been repeated several times now. Its funny, the Glasgow Climbing wall can't get rid of me....!

The Scottish weather, mother nature at her worst has sent deep lows, one after the other across the Atlantic on a super fast Jet Stream bringing us storm force winds, heavy showers, snow and everything else you could imagine!!!!

Driving the motorhome in this is difficult and at time just dangerous in really strong cross winds and my plan to cross the Bay of Biscay directly to Spain would be crazy in this weather. So down England and through France perhaps...? The weather is affecting the whole of the UK, and over the weekend looks set to move south as the jet stream hits France through into next week, so no... How about East coast ferries across the North Sea? Hahaha... So I'm being frustrated by the weather. My desire to get to the nice settled weather in southern Spain has to balanced with caution and common sense for a little while.

Thanks to Sarah and Derek and their trip to Austria, I have been house sitting for them, looking after Moley and Tootsie, mopping up the latters copious voms....poor old thing.

Now, thanks to the wonderful generosity of Fearghas and Zoe, I'm parked on their drive writing this, riding out the current storm, making plans and keeping warm. Its not rocking too much with a nice big house to shelter beside :)

So.... I have decided to fly to Greece and spend some time with Themi and let this weather calm down. That's assuming mother nature lets the flight go ok. The forecast is utter shite!!!

Thanks again to Fearghas for offering his drive so I can leave my home here without worrying too much about it. Thanks also to all those that have offered a refuge and a place to park. Its nice to know there are so many good people out there still.

And, I know you probably won't appreciate this baby, but thanks to you too for all the support and encouragement and love. You continue to amaze me gamoto :) xx

 The family gathered for my birthday / bon voyage party.

Dunnotter Castle. So cold!!!