Now I have heard the word blog loads of times since I took part in The Great British Bake Off in 2018 but I never had a go at writing one until today. Its like a diary I guess, except its not top secret like when you are young writing “Dear Diary” and exposing your secrets to nosy siblings!
Thing is, this year 2020 the pandemic called Covid19 has kiboshed everyones plans great and small and we have all had to manouvre our mindsets around the “new Normal” We were going to Britanny with the Caravan and Motorhome Club in June, cancelled of course, we rebooked for September, cancelled of course,so here we are in the Great British Staycation. Is that a new word? I decided to stretch myself a wee bit and see if I could navigate myself around my under used website and blog our trip, for my own records and amusement really but you never know, other folks might enjoy my antics.
With me so far? great, seat belts fastened lets get this road trip rolling! We keep our ancient caravan in a storage yard as we cant fit it on our drive at home so this week we took a couple of trips to get it ready. It was pretty grubby and we cant get any access to water down there so we had to fill the water carrier up at home and armed with our kitchen sweeping brush off we toddled to give the van a spruce up, That done and all possible checks done we collected the van and hitched up and away.
Last trip I took the decision to have a bash at towing, and I did in fact cope, even on the M25 but our first leg of this journey it was over to John and I was co pilot in charge of operations like choosing the music, tearing up mouthfills of egg sandwiches and popping them into his bouche as we drove from home in Wakefield to our first destination, the Caravan and Motorhome Club site in the Malvern Hills. Why is it I wonder that when we go on a long trip it is always egg sarnies. They have to be the smelliest and least travel friendly option on the planet, well maybe sardines might slot into that category too. The answer my friends is that when you go away on holiday you inevitiably have eggs at home that need using up, hence egg butties!
We arrived at the site without problems. The drive uneventfull but exciting as we could see that hump of Britain called the Malvern Hills getting closer, bit like who can see the sea first and you know your desination is minutes away. We were welcomed into a very Covid secure reception and off we toddled to choose our white peg pitch. We found one, started operation set up, legs down, unhitch, electric cable plugged in, usual routine and I went back to say which pitch we were on only to find that is was spoken for, by that a motorhomer had got it but had jiggered off for the day without marking their pitch as taken. Oh dear, back to John, “stop stop” says I and explained the score to him. Anyway, we moved and lo and behold found a pitch with the best view of the Malverns, so there we go karma!
When I am away in the caravan I love to challenge myself to cook and bake just as I would at home. For our first meal of the trip I needed to use up some fresh tomatoes and mushrooms brought from home, waste not etc!! So I bought some chicken thighs and a bit of chorizo and put together a pan of Spanish Chicken. All very well but part way through the cooking of it I tried the lights, typical, two of them not working. We always, always have snags when we first get pitched up. Already John discovered he had forgotten a bit that he used to connect the water, he grappled with that and came up with some sort of solution so now to the lights. Mini argument as I say “leave it until tomorrow I am cooking now” but no. Toolbox out, electrical checking gadget out, lights taken to bits, drinks cabinet emptied to unscrew an access hatch. I was simmering along with the chicken. No can fixie. All put back together and then we try a switch we rediscovered by the door, that switch works those two lights!
Now for many years John and I worked as a maintenance team for a holiday company, John was engineer, I his assistant, you wouldn’t have thought so how we framed with that issue but hey ho, we got there in the end.
Finally we relaxed into the evening, ate the very tasty meal, John said it was a bit spicy, but nothing new there. Then I got the munchies. How is it that when you go away from home it is so difficult to watch your calorie intake. I am on a Slimming World programme and doing OK. Lindt Chocolate teddy bears however are not on the plan. I had spied one in the shop yesterday and bought one for our almost four year old grandaughter Silke. Lovely thing in gold wrapper with a red ribbon and red heart around its neck. I only bought it in the afternoon. I ate it!! Oh no, why oh why did I give in to it. Somehow all those eat carrot sticks if you feel snacky go out of the window. Oh well, there were plenty more on the shelf in the shop!
