Wander Lost

Blog

  • Back to a ‘normal’ life

    After Patty flew back to Argentina, I was at a crossroads with a number of options.

    1. Lady Cindy had not sold with the Italian brokers over the summer so I could return to the boat, work on it over the winter and sail or sell her next Spring.

    2. I could stay in the van in the UK over the winter and replenish funds with temporary work, like I did at Tescos a couple of years ago.

    3. Get permanent work and settle down again.

    4. Pick a country and fly there.

    I decided to start looking for work in the Southampton area (to be near family) and let fate decide.

    Fate has decided option 3 by presenting me with a job advert for trainee bus drivers in Southampton and allowing me to succeed in the application process.

    So, for the next two years, at least, I will settle to a normal working life. I have already found a flat within walking distance of the bus depot and move in next week. I hope my holidays in the next few years will be exploring the world, and I will blog those trips. But, for the most part, that is the end of this blog.

  • Back in the UK to Lands End

    On returning from our month in Indo China, we settled back into van life and completed our circuit around the UK by travelling to Lands End and back. This was to be Patty and my last trip together. Patty wants to return to, and settle in Argentina. I will be staying in the UK until the right direction for me reveals itself.

  • IndoChina

    After our camper van trip to John Ogroats and back, we flew to Thailand for a month long tour of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. On the second week, we met and travelled with Jet and her family.

  • John Ogroats and back

    After returning from Europe, we traveled up the East Coast of the UK to the top of the Scottish Mainland, John Ogroats and then back down Western Scotland and England back to Southampton.

  • Slovakia, Austria, Czechia and Germany

    After leaving Hungary, we travelled through Slovakia, Austria, Czechia to Bavaria in Germany. We only stopped in Bavaria.

    Bavaria was stunning, I would not have been at all surprised if Hansel and Gretal had come skipping down the street holding hands. We had a meal at a local restaurant. What could be better than eating sausage and sauerkraut in Bavaria? Well, maybe it could have done with a little less of those tummy bugs. I was sick for 24 hours, luckily Patty ate something different.

    We had a short drive the next day for obvious reasons. We stayed at the Grimm’s family farmstead. A working farm with a restaurant and selling their own wine. I had bread and water, Patty had a flan, which turned out to be a thin crust pizza.

  • Budapest with Ed Sheeran

    We left Slovenia for Budapest, it’s a beautiful city, we found campervan parking within walking distance of the arena, we had tickets for Ed Sheeran.

    John went to the house of terror. It’s a museum dedicated to telling the story of Budapest under the Arrow cross (Nazi afiliated) when Jews were rounded up and sent to a gheto and then on to extermination camps and later when they were ‘liberated’ and came under soviet control. This was a time of fear, suspicion,  reporting your neighbour, people disappearing, anything but free. I have often wondered how much of the news we heard in the West of soviet oppression was western propaganda, and how much was true. I have no doubts now it was as bad as we were told, if not worse.

    On a lighter note… Ed Sheeran was great.

  • Slovenia and Croatia

    We have decided that Slovenia is by far the nicest Country we have visited so far. It’s beautiful, clean and well cared for. Most residents seem to take great care over their gardens and window boxes.

    We visited some limestone caves and a castle built in a cave entrance. The caves were massive, they use a train to take you deep into the mountain, then there is a 90-minute guided walk through a labyrinth of caves.

    The castle was 9km away and equally spectacular.

    Next was Croatia. The plan was to cross the border, stay in Zagreb for a day or two, and then on to Hungary and Budapest. After the beauty of Slovenia, we were unimpressed by the dirty, industrial, graffiti ridden Zagreb. We stopped long enough to get something to eat, wander around a market, and drive back to Slovenia.

    The bright note about our day in Croatia was seeing a billboard advertising an Ed Sheeran concert. Patty found out he was also playing in Budapest Saturday, and she managed to get some bargain tickets online.

    We have spent the last two days at a winery, and we plan to cross to Hungary tomorrow.

  • Dolomites to Slovenia

    We spent about 4 nights in the Dolomite mountains walking, relaxing in the river and skinny dipping in a water hole.

    We are currently at an animal sanctuary near Ljubljana. We plan to cross Slovenia from West to East and go into Hungary toward Budapest.

    Slovenia has been really nice. It’s clean (it scores well on the Patty clean scale), it has well maintained roads, and it appears to be doing well economically. The scenery is stunning, and with only 2 million people, 60% forest coverage and lots of mountains, it’s stunning.

  • Verona and Venice

    Continuing our travels North, we visited the beautiful but very different Cities of Verona and Venice.

    Statue of Juliet in Verona

    Verona is where the play Romeo and Juliet is based, you may of heard of it, it was written by a guy called William Shakespeare. We visited Juliet’s House (probably not original) with the famous balcony (definitely not original) and a non original replica statue of her outside, apparently the original was removed because of wear from too many boob grabs. The shop however was selling original souvenirs made in China.

    Juliet’s Balcony

    In the evening we went to my first opera. It was in the old (original) Roman arena, so in the open. About half way, the rain started, they paused the show so the musicians could save their instruments. 10 minutes later the rain had stopped, they were back and the show restarted… for about 10 minutes. A few spots if rain…. the show stopped again… then they came back and restarted…. rain and stop again… we gave up and caught the last bus back to the van.

    Next was Venice… now we had low expectations of this, we thought it would be very touristy, smelly and dirty. It wasn’t, it was touristy for sure but the way the city runs with boats and hand carts instead of cars and vans was fascinating. Even DPD and DHL have their our boats. It was also very clean, something Patty especially liked.

    We are now on the Southern edge of the Alps at a beautiful area alongside a river. We will stay a few days before moving on to Slovenia and possibly Croatia.

  • Van problems and touring mid Italy

    In the last month we have been touring Italy, meeting friends and family, and waiting for the van to be fixed… again!

    Touring Italy

    After spending several days with Patty’s son Julian and his partner Sommer in Rome and then Florence, we then traveled up to Cinque Terre.

    Next, we travelled South to meet friends in Agropoli and then back up to the boat in Fiumicino. Lady Cindy has been lifted out of the water.

    Lady Cindy in Fiumicino

    On the way to Fiumicino, the clutch started making a noise when the pedal was pressed. In Fiumicino we had the clutch replaced and they found missing bolts on the clutch spring plate. The clutch was replaced when the engine was replaced when we were in Wales, so obviously they did a bad job. This is not the first problem with the van since that engine change so you can guess how we feel. But we will put it behind us and optimistically move forward.

    We did a day trip to Rome while waiting for the van. Saw the Spanish steps, visited the John Keats museum (next door to the steps) and the Villa Borghese park.

    Spanish Steps, Rome

    We are now moving North, we are in San Marino at the moment. Its a small Republic surrounded by, but not part of Italy.

    Our plan is to go to Verona, Venice and then travel up through North East Europe.