taraabit

May 18th 2018.

This is a very pleasant and well maintained campsite, a lovely flat field with the grass cut short, the toilet/ shower block is both adequate and acceptable being kept spotlessly clean, there would be a draw back in cold weather as there is no heating.

We spent the afternoon sitting in the sunshine and watching people arrive at the site, there is an Agricultural Festival taking place this weekend at the show ground here and as a result the site is busy.

There are a reasonably equal distribution of the number of tents, caravans and motorhomes with people groups ranging from people on their own, retired couple, family groups etc so a good eclectic mix. It was as is often the case very amusing watching people set up. there are those who within 15 mins are set up and sitting outside with a cuppa, caravan era whose cars seem to be rammed with everything under the sun which is the carried into the caravan. A couple putting up a tent with the canvas inside out and another couple who had obviously an important pole to their awning missing and had to take it back down where it was kicked under the caravan. The units where it appears to be the mans role to set up and the woman waits on patiently, VW owners who seem able to pull up and throw down a check blanket sit down and immediately look at home. Where do we fit into that, I would say the first in the list, the electrics are plugged in, the kettle put on and if the weather is ok, the chairs put up, we try to be organised.

Builth Wells is in the Welsh county of Powys at the confluence of the River Irfon and the River Wye. It’s history dates from post Roman Times and there has been a settlement here consistently since that time. The river is fordable here and it became a strategic military post, the river is now spanned by a bridge which was built in the 18th century. There was a motte and bailey castle built in the 1270’s the mound of which is still in the town now, we did try and visit it today but there are sheep roaming around and it didn’t seem wise with Layla. The town has links with Llewelyn Ap Gruffud, Prince of Wales who was killed here in fighting by the Normans.

The town still retains it character, the shops are small and there are retailers for most things you need, there are no large supermarket outlets, plenty of cafes and pubs and a few take aways. We enjoyed a pleasant time walking around this morning concluded with a coffee and a raspberry muffin.

May 17th 2018

We have a 36 hour gap with no commitments so as the sun is shining we have escaped in Homer to White House campsite right in Builth Wells.

The journey here was easy and joy, oh joy and joy again what a difference driving Homer is with a working turbo! We cruised along in 5th gear, shot up hills in 4th, accelerated when we needed to and overtook a tractor on a short stretch of road.

The camp site borders the River Wye and we are camped up about 10m from the river with its glittering surface framed in our windscreen. We took Layla for a walk along the river and she enjoyed a long play in the water which was good to see as she seems to be a bit off colour today. We haven’t walked the few hundred metres into Builth Wells itself as we are saving that delight for tomorrow.

The sun is shining it’s wonderfully warm so after another walk with Layla I think it will be an evening sat outside with a drink or two, cheers.

May11th 2018

Things have seemed quiet since our last foray ended on the 25th of April on our return from France. Our next trip is planned to commence at the end of May.

We decided to use the time in between to achieve a few tasks, our eldest daughter is getting married on May 26th and this has been taking up some of Michelle’s mental energy as we look forward to the happy day.

Layla had reached an age where a hard decision had to be made, should she be spayed or not? In the end we decided yes, we didn’t want to breed from her and if she should come into season whilst we were on our travels it could cause some problems and attract dogs from miles around. So 10 days ago she had the operation, for the first few days she wasn’t quite herself but I’m happy to say she is now fully back to her mischievous self, tomorrow she has her final visit to the vets to make sure all is well.

Our day to day vehicle a Peugeot 3008 developed a knocking noise from the front near side wheel just before the May Day bank holiday weekend and so we had to wait 6 days before the Peugeot dealers could repair it, this somewhat curtailed our chances to take trips out and so we spent the time readying the garden for the summer, thankfully the car was covered by its warranty.

As mentioned in previous blogs we never make speedy progress in Homer and driving up hills requires a degree of patience, I came to the conclusion the Turbo was at fault, googling the problem came up with a few possible problems and I hoped a replacement Turbo wasn’t going to be need as that would be very costly. I took Homer into a local garage we use regularly and went home with fingers crossed, a few hours later I had a phone call to say it was sorted the pin on the waste gate valve lever had snapped and they had welded it back together. A huge sigh of relief and it only cost £85, many thanks to A J D Motor Services. We took Homer for a test drive and we flew up a hill in 4th, wow.

April 26th 2018

We are back in the UK after a 20 hour journey home, the journey up through France went smoothly and we tried a new ending of the journey to Le Havre by staying on the motorway, it was further but quicker. Then of course we hit the UK and road works with motorway closures, driving in the dark and rain along detours that didn’t seem to lead to our route home became a problem, but using the Sat Nav we eventually rejoined the correct route and arrived home at 1.30 am.

Our time in France was made pleasurable by lovely weather and it was great to spend our time in T shirts and shorts and refresh the tan, at the house we did a few jobs and took rubbish to the tip, we mowed and weeded as much as time allowed. It is quite normal to help other house owners out here and I spent one (very hot) day helping Peter with a problem with his sewerage system which saw me with my head down holes in the ground and in fosse septic tanks, thankfully we discovered the problem and Peter will be able to solve the problem once he has sourced a new water pump.

We joined friends on two occasions at two different restaurants for quiz nights, at the first in Beaupoyet, after a tie breaker we came second and at the second restaurant inEgyurande, we were the winners getting vouchers for a reduced meal at the restaurant. We enjoyed a visit to a vide grenier and I bought a new item to convert into a lamp.

Layla settled in quickly at the house and in the field, it was her first experience of hot weather and she developed her own strategies for staying cool, one favourite was to squeeze under the settee and sleep there cooled by the wind blowing through the house. Her hunting instinct came to the fore as she chased and caught flies, wasps and flying insects she also enjoyed ants and beetles, bees weren’t safe but I fear she will learn the hard way about stings!

April 19th 2018

We decided to have a day off from chores and grass mowing and head out for the day instead.

We headed west towards the coast and made our way to Cap Ferret which is in the Gironde and is on the end of a long peninsular which separates the Atlantic from the Bay of Arcachon. We had been to Arcachon before which is a pleasant town on the opposite side of the bay from Cap Ferret but it was our first visit to the peninsular, as you travel along you drive through small pretty towns that string along the coastline.

Cap Ferret is famous for its oysters it has sandy beaches and isn’t commercialised, there are a few pleasant shops and restaurants. Unfortunately like many areas of France dogs aren’t allowed on the main beaches here, so we had to walk out of town a way until we found a spot that Layla could play on the sand. From the beach at Cap Ferret you can look across the bay and see the famous Dune du Pilat, well worth a visit if you are in the area, and well worth the climb if you have the energy.

One the reasons for selecting Cap Ferret for a visit was because it’s known for its lighthouse and I looked forward to visiting it and taking some photos from the top, however we fell foul of the French life style and arrived during their extended lunch break to find it closed. Another time maybe, we would like to return in Homer so we could spend more time exploring.

We called in at the town of Ares on our way back and had a walk along it’s beach front, took the scenic route home skirting Libourne, passing St Emilion and driving back along small roads bordered by rows and rows of grape vines.

April 17th 2018

We often drive through Saint Aulaye on the way to one of our favourite places, Aubeterre sur Dronne, today we decided to go to Saint Aulaye itself and have a walk around.

Saint Aulaye is a small bastide town in the north of the Dordogne region and was built in 1288 by Pierre de Bremond. It has a 11th century Romanesque church and 13th century Renaissance chateau which is now the town hall.

Below the town runs the River Dronne and a beach area has been created here with a picnic area, bar and restaurant and during the summer months is a popular family spot with safe bathing in the river. On the opposite side of the road is the municipal outdoor swimming pool, water slides and an aerial walkway through the trees.

Whilst in the area we visited a traditional garden centre, ie one that only sells only plants, we have been there before and it sells good quality trees, shrubs and flowers, we bought two new shrubs for our garden.

Sunday 15th April 2018

Unfortunately I’m one of those people who suffer from hay fever, mostly caused by tree pollen. Every year in the Spring I arrive in France and begin the round of itchy eyes and sneezing and then when I return to the UK I have a few weeks of respite and then it starts up again there as the season gets under way, as we often are here in March and then May this means I go through the cycle twice every year and this break is no different as I try to carry out tasks with watery eyes and a handkerchief permanently at the ready. The weather has been warm and sunny since we arrived and we have been able to have our meals outdoors something we rarely achieve in the uk.

We have been here four days now and quickly slip into the familiar routine of French country life, we have helped the economy by spreading our money across several supermarkets and DI Y stores, we have visited a local market and to our own surprise a vide grenier at Gardonne where we didn’t buy anything.

There’s always a list of jobs we feel we have to try and tackle if time and weather allow, so far we have rehung the front door and increased security on the drive gates to prevent Layla wandering off. We have almost one hectare of grass that needs mowing and as it’s been a wet winter the grass in some areas is 40cm high, so that keeps me busy, Michelle spends her leisure time weeding her garden.

Layla is having an interesting time, she is able to wander at will but doesn’t go further than 15m from the house, she has developed an appetite for ants and other insects and has met a small grass snake which thankfully I was able to remove before Layla decided to play with it. She has on a second visit across our field struck up a friendship with the donkeys in the adjacent field and they have rubbed noses through the fence.

Peter and Alison friends from the uk that we motor home with arrived at their French house today and this will lead to a more active social life.

Our evenings are spent in front of the log fire toasting our toes and partaking in a glass of wine or two, bliss.

Wednesday 11th April 2018

Well last night was entertaining to say the least, checking in and getting aboard went smoothly and after going to our cabin where there was a dog goody treat bag waiting, I went down to the bar and got us both a night cap. After we had sailed at 23.30 we decided to settle down for the night, now normally Layla sleeps in her dog crate settling down quickly and sleeping all night, of course we didn’t have that so we settled her on her blanket and switched off the light.

During the night she was quite restless and at differing times made her way up onto our bunks, eventually she settled by my feet so I left her there until an or so later I awoke to find her sitting by my head drinking my glass of water which was on the bed side table, needless to say she was again placed on her blanket. Later she joined Michelle and thankfully slept until it was time for us to stir.

The journey today was 381 miles on a mixture of A roads, dual carriageway, motorway and some minor country roads, it took us 8 and a half hours which included 4 stops which added up to approx 90 mins. We had completed 170 miles in the UK on the way to Portsmouth so we have covered some miles in the 23 hours since leaving home.

We were last here at our French house in December 2017 so there is always some trepidation after a long break when we arrive as to what we will find, we had intended to be here early in March but because I had fractured my wrist we had to postpone until now, I’m pleased to say there were no major problems . After lighting the log fires we are warm and cosy. The field is very wet and boggy and it may prove impossible to mow some sections but fingers crossed we will have some warm dry weather and it will dry out.

Layla thinks she has found heaven, since our arrival she has been zooming around and around the garden and field, the choice of sticks is too great and that has caused her some concern. After her excellent behaviour on the journey where she slept most of the time curled up by Michelle’s feet it was good to see her burn off energy, now at 9pm she is asleep!

April 10th 2018

At 23.30 this evening we will be sailing aboard the Brittany Ferries ship Etretat from Portsmouth to Le Havre.

We use this crossing regularly as it is a no frills economy service and cheaper than the other routes serviced by Brittany Ferries, The Etretat was built in 2008 and is 186 metres long, has 8 decks , it carries 375 passengers and 200 cars. It has 103 ensuite cabins including 13 pet friendly ones.

Tonight is the first time we will have travelled abroad with Layla so a new experience awaits us, her suitcase is packed with her essentials and her passport with photo is with ours. It has certainly bumped up the price of the crossing with the cabin costing more and having to buy a ticket for her but I’m sure it’s worth the experience.

April 2nd 2018

Exactly twelve months ago today I made my first tentative steps into the life of a blogger, I had for sometime been following the blog of Jason and Julie of our tour.co.uk and their journey around Europe in their Hymer. When we bought Homer the family commented we would be disappearing more than ever and as it is a standing joke that Michelle never answers her texts they wouldn’t know where we were. I’d spoken to Steph our youngest daughter about a blog and she encouraged me to have a go, her partner Will had used WordPress to post blogs walkinsideways.co.uk so I tentatively created our domaine name taraabit which is local dialect for see you later and then created my first blog which looking back in the blog at archives was very short.

Now twelve months later I have posted 120 blogs and the blog has been viewed by 600 visitors and had 3,824 views. I’m always amazed and curious about the range of countries that the readers log on from, over the past year we have had readers from:

UK, USA, France, Canada, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Guernsey, South Africa, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Most weeks I have a hit from the USA which is very intriguing, I would love to know whereabouts ie which state, so if your my regular reader please feel free to email the blog site I would love to know.

We now have the blog listed on ourtour.co.uk and also on clubmotorhome.co.uk where we have received a further 246 views. A friend who reads the blog commented he didn’t know how I managed the time to write the blog or found the ideas, I have to say I don’t find it difficult and I suspect reading other motorhome blogs others don’t too.

Here’s to the next year of blogging.