All right on the Isle of Wight

After a walk round charming Lymington on a hot and sunny morning we were soon boarded on the ferry which threaded its way through the moorings of Lymington marina and forty minutes later pulled up at Yarmouth.

A quick whizz across to Wootton saw us parked up behind the Woodsman's Arms and off on the bikes down to Ryde where the remarkable hovercraft over to Southsea still runs regular passenger services directly from the beach. We locked the bikes up and were amazed at the way the huge craft arrived in a flurry of spray and roaring engines before settling down for the front door ramps to open. We were soon onboard and secured window seats for the ten minute flight. The fast ride felt like a plane rumbling along before take off and soon had us deposited at Southsea where we walked through the rather tacky amusement arcades and along the defensive walls towards Portsmouth where the Spinnaker Tower lorded it over the city. This combined with an incoming cross Channel ferry had me looking forward to future trips and reminiscing on those before.

Another exciting return to Ryde followed by a speedy ride back to the van gave us time to freshen up before the pub served us an excellent meal and we slept well in the quiet field.

Blue skies and sunshine greeted us as we set off back to Ryde calling at the beautiful Quarr Abbey with its brickwork soaking up the heat. Better photos of the hovercraft were taken before we cycled round the shoreline to Seaview and then grabbed coffee and an ice-cream at Duver before taking the causeway across to Bembridge. The mill was shrouded in scaffolding and tarpaulins for renovations so we carried on to Sandown before picking up the old railway line, now a cycle track, all the way up to Newport. Heading up the east side of the Medina river we passed the rusting hulk of a paddle steamer and then cut across back to Wootton after a stunning day.

We had booked tickets for the IOW steam railway just ten minutes walk from the pub and arrived in time for a look round the small Wootton Bridge halt before the steam hauled train puffed in to view. After watching the loco run round and couple up we jumped in to our First Class compartment and were instantly transported back to a different era of rail travel. Plush seats, ornate decorations, mirrors and lights combined with drop down windows to create a sense of travel as it used to be. We had the six seater compartment to ourselves as we headed towards the company's main centre Haven Street where we alighted to explore the museum, workshops and other displays as our train headed away south. We caught it again later to maximise our experience of steam travel by returning to Wootton Bridge and then all the way back via Haven Street to Smallbrook Junction where the mainline is joined. We decided to hop on the train to Ryde and enjoy the experience of riding out along the pier to the ferry terminal. We then returned right through to Shanklyn and walked along the seafront back to Sandown after taking the lift down. At Sandown we looked at the forlorn ruins of the burnt out Ocean Hotel that rather blights the seafront before the comfy train took us back to Smallbrook and a final steam hauled ride in another empty First Class carriage back to Wootton Bridge.

We moved on that evening to a lovely camp site at Queen's Bower where we had hook up and good views courtesy of Yasmin and Sean. Next day we rode down to the cycle track again and cycled through to Sandown, along to Shanklyn for fish and chips and then enjoyed the deep fern and shrub lined valley of Shanklyn Chine.  The Chine had been used for the route of a remarkable war time project called PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean) which pumped essential fuel under the Channel to support the Allied forces as they liberated Europe. This link will give you more information on this remarkable project Here We climbed out at the far end to enjoy Old Shanklyn with its thatched cottages before enjoying a large bowl of mussels at the Fisherman's Cottage Inn right on the shoreline. After a steep climb out we followed the coast path which involved some steep wooden steps and eventually reached Ventnor with its harbour and IOW shaped paddling pool. Steep Hill cove was reached by another path after which we climbed back up to the tarmac and followed the quiet road round to St Catherine's Point. A return over the downs to Godshill put us back on the cycle track to the site and included a good view of a red squirrel.

After another run along the cycle path we reached Newport and stopped at the Bargeman's Restaurant, a huge linear pub with a sunny terrace, for hot chocolate before continuing up the west bank of the Medina passing the large wind turbine blade factory and reaching Cowes with its narrow streets and range of shops. On the marina we absorbed the busy scene as yachts sailed in and out, the Red Funnel ferry headed over to Southampton and a team were carefully lifting out a number of training yachts for winter storage, each receiving a good jet wash before being lowered on to bespoke trailers. We got talking to an Ozzie guy working on his friend's super yacht which was due to be transported down to Greece for the winter aboard a cargo ship at a cool £70k....A good 'hot soup and a roll' deal in the waterside caff set us up to cycle round to Gurnard with superb views across to the mainland. A curious reproduction vessel, the Nao Vittoria from Spain, passed by before we dropped back to Cowes to cross to East Cowes on a small passenger ferry which was temporarily replacing the larger chain ferry that was undergoing maintenance. We squeezed aboard with the bikes along with a gaggle of schoolchildren and then returned to Newport along the opposite bank and then back to the site via the cycle path once more.

An early start saw us getting laundry done in Sandown before we arrived at the hugely impressive Roman mosaics at Brading Villa which entertained us for a couple of hours. 

Osborne House, the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was very accessible with endless rooms full of their treasured collections of art, sculpture and furniture topped off by the opulent Durbar dining room which reflected her love of and connection to, as Empress of, India. Mature trees in the grounds below the formal gardens led to the jetty and private beach where the family had played and a little further on stood the Swiss Cottage designed by Albert to reflect his German roots, as a play house for their nine children. Finishing off with the walled garden we again returned to the Turfcutter's at Wootton for another good meal and a quiet night.

Returning to Godshill the following day we found the Model Village absolutely fascinating with the detailed models and layouts enhanced by carefully trimmed bonsai trees and bushes. A model railway trundled around, music came from the churches and many of the sights from the last few days were faithfully recreated in miniature including the Chine and local houses in the village.

Up at the real church we admired the interior decorations and grounds before heading off to a lofty lunch spot up on the Downs with panoramic views over Ventnor and the container ships out in the Channel. We had seen the Arcadia and Disney Princess Cruise liners heading to Canada and Spain respectively and appreciated how much more we enjoy our self contained and flexible approach to travel. Down at Shanklyn we had an evening meal before returning to the Chine after dark as it is illuminated and at this time of year has a number of Halloween themed 'enhancements'. 

Returning to the Downs we had a quiet night with another van nearby and then moved on along the south coast to Freshwater Bay. Here a lovely old character from Huddersfield provided simple camping for a tenner a night on his sheltered two acre field alongside the Golf Club. Witty had retired here twenty years ago but after losing his wife earlier this year was considering a return to Yorkshire so his rather tired bungalow was on the market for almost £700k. In his early 80's it seemed a daunting prospect but he was a lively character and we wished him well.

The newly refurbished Rock Hotel looked out over Freshwater Bay and from the bus stop nearby we caught the open topped Needles Breezer in to Freshwater village and then through Totland and out initially to the rather tacky Needles Landmark Attraction. Riding the open topped upper deck was as ever great fun, offered good views in to homes and gardens and set the pulse racing as we squeezed through narrow lanes and up to the Needles Batteries high above Alum Bay. We stayed aboard as far as Yarmouth and then had a good look round the small town spotting an immaculate VW T2 van before getting the last but one bus back. On a stunning evening this gave us time to walk over Tennyson Down to his granite monument before returning to base.

Next day our 24 hour ticket gave us time to return to the Needles on the bus and from the Attraction hop on the cable car down to the coloured sands of Alum Bay. Here we were tempted to jump aboard the RIB for an excellent journey along the foot of the cliffs and out around the Needles lighthouse. Close up when back onshore the sands of the cliffs were of a remarkable range of colours and bright white chalk pebbles rounded by the seas were scattered around the beach.

After catching the chairlift back we walked up to the National Trust run Needles Old Battery looking across to the New Forest beyond Hurst Castle Spit. As expected it was all very well presented with access to various rooms, a long tunnel out to a searchlight point and of course the five huge gun emplacements that had guarded the Solent and its approaches. The cafe in the Lookout Tower had stupendous views and energised us for the walk up to the New Battery and Coastguard look out passing a rocket testing station that had been part of the UK's early forays in to nuclear weapons. 

From here it was a rolling walk over the downs again past Tennyson's monument once more and back to the van after a varied day.

Yesterday was our final full day on the Island and began with a short ride up to the Dimbola Museum and Galleries located in the former home of Julia Cameron, an early female pioneer in the field of photography. Much of her work was on display along with early photographic equipment and a rather bland range of photos from the IOW Photography Society. Of more interest were photos from Syria and elsewhere capturing mosques, temples and monuments from across North Africa, many now destroyed by conflict. The lovely Orchards Stores grocery provided some basics following a visit to the thatched church after which we had an early lunch back at the van before setting off over Compton and Brightstone Downs on superb flowing grassy tracks with wonderful views. We dropped in to Brightstone itself for a drink and then picked up the Military Road to head west and back to base. We stopped at Hanover Point but failed to spot the dinosaur footprints as the light was fading so will head back there later today before our evening ferry back to Lymington.

From there we will move on to Frome tonight to leave the van for a week whilst we embark on King Alfred's Way, a 240 mile ride round Wessex, mostly off road following the Ridgeway, Kennet and Avon Canal and some of the South Downs Way over 5 nights and 6 days.

The IOW has hugely exceeded our expectations and given us many great memories and experiences including 10 different modes of transport all enjoyed in superb weather.

Extras as always...

Still busy!

 As the memorable summer slowly transitioned in to Autumn I joined Jan and two friends from Brecon on a short visit to Moel Prysgau bothy with the drive from Lower Chapel over the Eppynt to Beulah and then through Abergwesyn and over the Devil's Staircase being as enchanting as ever. Tree felling has altered the landscapes and opened up the views and there is still a fair amount of windblow from Storm Darra last year.

We parked up near Nantystalwyn and took the higher route above the Towy before descending alongside a patch of clear felling that had rather obscured the old footpath. Laden with rucksacks and some coal we were glad to arrive at the bothy with the final river crossing made easy by the low water levels. Paula and Daisy were intrigued by their first bothy visit and I was relieved that it was in good order following the recent Bank Holiday. We spread out our gear and set off up the track aiming for the source of the Towy but more windblow and a setting sun prevented us from reaching it.

As we returned to the bothy three lads were lugging in loads of kit and said they were going back for their bikes. These turned out to be unregistered off road bikes, something of a no no in the NRW forests but they were decent enough guys and happily took up the space in the vacant half of the building. After tea and a chat I shuffled off to sleep under the trees down by the confluence leaving the girls some privacy for bedtime. I wanted to test a new bivvy bag which I had been assured would be waterproof and breathable (it wasn't) and slept soundly on 12 inches of dry sphagnum moss.

After waking I walked up to the bridge where the lads had parked and noted another van with a guy crashed out in the front. Back at the bothy all was well and after breakfast the bikers had to push one machine that failed to start back up to the top track whilst we walked out to the bridge and then followed the river back to the van. Again low water levels led to largely dry crossings and we collected almost enough 4x4 parts to build our own vehicle.

In Brecon I got a refund for the bag and then headed out to Sennybridge to collect pills and mail from friends before we all headed down to the excellent Shoemakers for a meal.

I the headed over to Priddy up on the Mendips for a couple of days resting during a spell of unsettled weather enjoying the huge range of channels from the 1000' high Mendip transmitter. Down at the Hunters Inn I enjoyed a cauliflower cheese washed down with two Butcombe in a place almost unchanged in my 45 years of visiting before heading over to another old favourite : Watchet.

Here my mate from Lynton joined me for a night and we caught up with a year's news at the excellent Spice Merchant before the sounds of a small folk group encouraged us to return to the Pebbles Tavern for a few more beers. After a look round the art collective Greg headed home as they are in the early stages of moving house and I enjoyed a second quiet night in the van. The West Somerset Railway had suspended steam services following a line side fire over the Bank Holiday weekend but the replacement classic diesels were a throwback to my early trainspotting interests in the mid 70's.

I returned to Priddy for a final night before moving on to Rock Farm at Shelton Mallet where Gavin was again hosting a work camp for the Greenways and Cycle Routes charity that is currently working to complete the Somerset Circle and connecting routes including the historic Strawberry Line. It was lovely to meet up with so many of the talented and hardworking people from last year and enjoy the excellent catering from Chris and Clare under the welcome cover of a large marquee.

Over the next week dozens of volunteers put in hundreds of hours on various tasks with work focusing on fencing and enhancing a new section cut in to the embankment of the former line, constructing an all weather shelter, installing four concrete cattle crossings, building numerous gabions and for Pete and I tackling the construction of two types of seating made from ekki, a West African hardwood that had been a wharf in Holland until it's arrival here. The Simplicity bench was certainly that in design and concept but the assembly and installation proved anything but as the solid ekki was heavy to handle, almost impossible to drill and needed more substantial brackets than initially expected.

However with the help of two volunteers from Bristol we had one installed by midweek which would have been more level had anyone spotted the extra packer in time. The gabion, dam building and fencing teams had done sterling work despite a day of torrential showers and the sociable evenings around the firepit warmed cold extremities and eased tired limbs. As always I was grateful for the shower and heater in the van which also transported a wheelbarrow, 6 bags of concrete, two 20l jerry cans of water and various tools in to Shepton where Pete and I finished off some minor snags on the bridge installed a year ago. We called in at the cemetery to see how much the walkway and pergola had settled in to the landscape over the last twelve months before returning to walk up the cycle path and inspect progress. A small diversion saw us recovering a Tesco's trolley from the deep valley beneath the viaduct (later repurposed as a frame for filling sandbags).

Two excellent examples of the innovative approach to path building involved the repurposing of nearly 200 250kg concrete railway sleepers to form a striking bridge using RSJs and a retaining wall along a new section of track : genius.

On the Thursday most of us walked the proposed onward extension over a normally locked viaduct and on to the Showering's factory where cider production has replaced the once famous Babycham. The family may eventually allow the cycle path to cross over the magnificent 26 arch viaduct that curves high above the beautiful Kilver Court Gardens where they kindly gave forty of us tea and cake during a visit.

That evening the inspirational John Grimshaw who started Sustrans over forty years ago gave us a talk covering much of the work carried out locally and across in the Wye Valley and reminisced on the successes of the last ten years of work camps. The original team of John, his brother Chris and wife Clare are all in their 80's now but do have a younger cohort (largely 60+!) to pass things on to and Gavin and his family have kindly extended an invitation for their home to host another camp next year.

Friday saw a flurry of activity to get the new track finished off with the fencing contractor laying stock fence at speed with an ingenious tracked machine, Mark, the roads and surfacing contractor, covering the retaining gabions and making good whilst we collected up the tools and equipment to return to base. A large team repointed a retaining wall with the mortar being hand mixed as the petrol mixer refused to start and two friends of Pete's from Frome joined us to install the second Simplicity bench plus construct two others of more conventional design. I managed to get a splinter from the ekki which became infected over the next couple of days but fortunately I still have the Doxycycline left over from Mauritania to fall back on.

Friday night was the last night and saw fewer numbers, probably a good job as the water supply failed temporarily and we'd had the odd power outage as the demands on the supply were high at times and I was away first thing on Saturday to fill up at Tesco's before heading to a washing machine at Cheddar. En route to Highbridge Station to collect Mandy I called in at a couple of motorhome dealerships but nothing caught my eye.

A few boisterous youngsters were heading up to Bristol and I wondered if any would eventually ride the completed cycle path, perhaps with families, and even begin to appreciate how much hard work and good will goes in to such projects

A quick run across the Levels saw us back at Priddy to join up with Bill, Nick, Dale and Pete for another catch up session in the Hunters followed on Sunday by a walk over to the mast and down towards Wells. Lunch just before the heavens opened was timely but we all got soaked heading back and the others were soon away to warm up and dry off. Earlier we had heard the sad news that our friend Jan over at Lower Chapel had lost her beloved Major a 33 year old horse and companion of 25 years that we have all known so well.

We fired up the Eber and hot water and had a relaxing evening in before on Monday walking over the fields to Priddy for lunch at the Queen Vic, which now has new owners, and then calling at the camp site shop for a few bits and pieces. Monday's BBC2 quiz night was as intellectually challenging as ever....

We said goodbye to Dorothy who looked much brighter than a year ago, despite losing a daughter earlier this year, and headed in to Shepton so Mandy could admire the works of the previous two years. We stayed in the quarry and walked up to this year's projects where a few local volunteers were still hard at it and met a guy who is currently living in an eco retreat adjacent to the main quarry that we knew nothing about.

In Shepton the following morning I grabbed a much needed haircut from a young Kurdish/Turkish lad whose home town was Diyarbakir, one of the highlights of our visit earlier this year and who knew the superb Lake Van.

A visit to the now closed Shelton Mallet prison was fascinating and thought provoking with plenty of history as well as descriptions of modern prison life until its closure in 2013. Walking the huge wings was like being on the set of 'Porridge'... Norman Stanley Fletcher.....

Finally we moved down to a pub outside Lymington where the excellent Turfcutters Arms were happy for us to overnight. We enjoyed some of the best food in recent years there and had a quiet night before heading to Lymington for our planned visit to the Isle of Wight .... Full details next time!

Meanwhile extra pics are here

A Busy Month Back In The UK.

 After a night above Sennybrdge for a catch up with friends, a session in the Shoemakers and  dealing with mail I gave the van engine bay a good clean with Muck Off but must have been too enthusiastic as next morning heading in to Brecon the revs fell away and the glow plug light started flashing. Nothing else seemed amiss so I parked up with the bonnet open in full sun and after a few false starts the issue resolved itself. I drove north to near Dethick and stayed on a P4N listing that is no more than a lovely quiet field above Whatstandwell, the owner is currently heading to Georgia in his van so I pinned a tenner under his picnic table and left the following morning to give the van a much needed jet wash before Mandy arrived by train. We stayed at Dethick overnight for a catch up with friends I'd last seen in France and had a good meal at their local.

In Sheffield with time to spare I decided to tackle a small issue with the van loo. The original mild steel mounting plate had corroded away at the base so I cut away the sealant, identified a number of screws to remove, disconnected the flush electrics and carefully eased out the complete unit, fully aware that 25 year old plastics are somewhat brittle. Having no DIY tools anymore required some ingenuity in cutting a replacement panel from a sheet of aluminium and fabricating the necessary folds and tabs : for ingenuity read an old chisel and a lump hammer !

The panel was a good fit and the loo itself went back in without issue so I resealed everything and left it to cure.

We met the Dethick friends again at a pub near Froggatt Edge and later enjoyed a walk with superb views across the White Peak to the Dark Peak of Kinder away to the north.

After a good catch up with Penny over a curry, a ride in to Sheffield gave us a chance to explore the rivers and canals including out at Tinsley the remarkable canal boat art work : Invention. We had stopped in Kelham Island, fast becoming the trendy area to live in for young professionals, and passed through Victoria Quays on the city centre section of the canal. Earlier we had been amazed to see an adult deer bounding through an industrial estate near Meadowhall where we stopped for coffee at a quirky cafe nearby.

We joined a friend and her husband for a ride on the Trans Pennine Trail up to Dunsford Bridge, a great adventure for her on her recumbent as she is profoundly disabled. However new horizons await as they have ordered a tandem that with luck will enable them to travel even further afield.

Decathlon in Sheffield gave us a reasonable buy back deal on Mandy's bike that we had bought in Spain last year after the thefts. As she now has an excellent titanium Sonder from Alpkit we spent the vouchers on a few accessories and nipped in to Go Outdoors for other odds and sods. 

During an interesting walk near Hope which started in the rain as we climbed Cave Dale to emerge above the caves around Mam Tor where the sun appeared we spotted the open top double decker negotiating Winnats Pass and decided it would be worth doing. However it was too late in the day to do the full trip so we left it for later in the week.

On the Monday I dropped the van off for a timing belt change, a squeaking pulley had been a source of concern since Armenia back in April and some 6,000 miles ago. I also asked them to investigate the possible cause of an alarming creaking and groaning from the front suspension. The courtesy car was a new fangled Polo with far too many bells and whistles but we used it to go and visit family where Steve is processing a heavy haul of repurposed jarrah for winter fuel. All was well with the van but even after another test drive with the mechanic Sod's Law dictated that the groaning failed to materialise.

Tuesday gave us the chance to jump on the open top bus at Bamford, enjoy the run through Winatt's pass despite the rain and eventually arrive at Chatsworth where we hopped on to the other circuit down to Bakewell. After a couple of hours in town we arrived well in time for the return bus which didn't appear. The driver of the next bus said it wouldn't have waited at the town centre stop which is why we missed it. Unfortunately the later bus arrived after the last bus back to Bamford had left Chatsworth so we ended up getting a bus in to Sheffield, and then realised that if we hopped off at Totley we could save time by getting the train back to Bamford, complicated but successful.

So it was time to head south and after packing up the van we drove to Ellesmere, parked by the lake and after a decent lunch we cycled along part of the Shropshire Union canal to pick up the largely derelict Montgomery canal that reaches Newtown eventually from the junction at Lower Frankton.

Down at Brecon we parked up at the Promenade alongside visitors from Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands and enjoyed a very peaceful night. Foreign vanners are amazed at the lack of provision of water and waste facilities, and given that there are public conveniences alongside this really should be easy to address.

On the Thursday evening we drove up to the Black Mountains Gliding Club above Talgarth as Mandy had arranged a surprise glider flight for me and staying overnight in the van was permitted. We met some of the very friendly members and decided to walk up the steep scarp slope of Mynydd Bychan for the extensive views.

The following morning we took a look at the various gliders being prepared and the checks being made on the tow plane before, earlier than expected, Andy came over to say it was time to go. He explained the four point seat belt release mechanism as this would need to be released before in an emergency my parachute could be deployed and then helped me in to the front seat for a bird's eye view. Within minutes we were being towed up to 3,000', then released to begin a remarkable 50 minutes of soaring and gliding over an area I know so well. Ridge lift enabled us to climb repeatedly back over the escarpment with views across the Beacons to the Severn Estuary, the Cotswolds, Malverns and almost beneath us the bothy at Grynne Fawr. Unfortunately trying to take photos soon had me feeling very nauseous and whilst I held it in until landing I was grateful the van was nearby ...

It was a great experience and for insurance purposes I am a member of the club for 3 months so hope to go up again soon before November.

At Lower Chapel we helped Jan and Ian get exhibits in to the flower and produce categories in Lower Chapel show, watched Jan show a friend's Exmoor ponies and get the top award and later enjoyed the barbecue as we watched the speed shearing competition where a time of 16 seconds to shear a well grown lamb seemed unreal.

We met friends in Brecon on Sunday morning to see the Shantymen perform at the Rugby Club as part of Brecon Jazz before enjoying a ride along the canal to test the bikes which included a good lunch at the Royal Oak in Pencelli. Another ride on the Monday took in Mynydd Illtud common, the NP visitor centre and then a section of the Sarn Helen out towards Ystradfellte which reminded me of the many Brecon Beast Mountain Bike events we had routed that way.

Returning past the Maen Llia standing stone we dropped through Heol Senni to Defynnog where both the Welsh Rarebit cafe and pub were shut. Even the garage cafe had just closed but we bought some sandwiches before returning along the back road through Trallong to Brecon and then parking up back at Pentrefelin. Leaving the van there the next day we cycled across to Tirabad and picked up quiet lanes as far as Cynghordy and then Rhandirmyn before calling at the CACC site for snacks as the pub was yet to open. The superb road round the Llyn Brianne offered amazing views and a spot for lunch before we headed to Soar y Mynydd chapel and a final pull up to Tregaron before the exhilarating descent to the Talbot Hotel whose Garden Suite room provided excellent showers and a chance to rest up before dinner.

Three top quality courses revived us for a walk round the small town that saw the birth of banking as drovers on their way to London, Birmingham and Manchester sought to protect their wealth. A friend from the Mountain Bothies Association had been in touch and was planning to stay at nearby Moel Prysgau so we arranged to join him on Wednesday night after our return. Following a hearty breakfast we headed to Ffarmers via Llandewi Brefi and then back over to Rhandirmyn before reaching Llandovery for lunch in the Pengawse cafe before the steep climb above Myddfai to reach the Roman Road high above the Usk reservoir. From there we dropped to Trecastle and tackled the final few climbs back to the van after 90 miles and 9,000' of ascent.

Following a quick turn around we retraced some of our steps back round the Llyn Brianne and arrived at the bothy at dusk to find Chris and Frank settled in with a fellow visitor. They had removed a pickup full of other people's rubbish, an all too common problem at bothies these days, but retained three brand new tents, two camping chairs and half a dozen double inflatable mattresses. The tents and chairs could be repurposed but the mattresses were grubby and punctured so would need to be ditched.

On a drizzly Thursday we painted the interior walls of the snug, Chris treated the windows he had made 40 years ago which are as good as new and Frank and I created a brash and barbed wire barrier to prevent quads accessing the bothy from the Towy Track 4x4 route. We think it is the unauthorised vehicles that bring in most of the rubbish left behind so they have even less of an excuse not to take it all out with them.

After a peaceful night in the forest we headed out via The Devil's Staircase and Abergwesyn to reach Brecon via the Epynnt for food shopping before arriving at Jan's in Lower Chapel once more. Pete joined us for the weekend as we tackled the challenge of removing an old railway goods waggon roof, renewing many of the timbers and then fixing the six unwieldy replacement curved sheets and one of the iron structural supports. It was quite a challenge and presented a number of logistical issues but eventually the job was done and everything looked much improved.

Before Pete left I used his grinder to remove the 8 hook bolts that hold my fresh and waste water tanks in place, installed new ones with protective plastic in place and tightened everything up as there had been some play before, not surprising after the many rough roads of Georgia and Armenia but this still did not resolve the creaking and groaning. I put new front pads on and copper greased all points of contact, similarly to no avail and whilst underneath renewed the brake fluid. One of the bleed screws was getting rounded off so I have ordered four replacements and I greased the handbrake cables and operating mechanisms for good measure.

After badminton in Brecon on Wednesday we parked above Heol Senni for a walk across to Fan Ghyrich via Fan Nedd with more astounding views and then returned to Lower Chapel for an excellent meal. On Friday Jan and Mandy caught the same train from Abergavenny with Jan leaving at Shrewsbury for the BH Folk Festival and Mandy carrying on to Sheffield.

I stayed on with Ian at Lower Chapel to give the bikes a good clean and service and then

finally in a long overdue sort out I got all my tools together and sorted out the various spanners and socket sets to give me one comprehensive set in one place and repacked the space under the single rear seat to go through what was lurking in there.

A rotten old window frame in Ian's shed offered little resistance on removal and we used the casement window as a pattern to build a new frame. This was then fitted and the existing window reinstalled with new sealant before the surroundings were repointed. Half a dozen sturdy frame fixings will resist the winter weather and all Jan has to do is renew the old putty at some stage.

Thus as the title says a busy (but productive) few weeks and all hugely enjoyable.

I will move on down to Brecon tomorrow and may join a small group going in to Moel Prysgau midweek for one night, partly to test out a new bivvi bag, after which if the weather settles down I will return to the gliding club.

Beyond that in early September there is the Work Party for the cycle path at Shelton Mallet, a gathering of friends at Priddy and then we hope to head to the Isle of Wight for a couple of weeks as Autumn arrives.....

Extras

Finally back in the UK......

So after 7 months away I am back a week early and occupying my familiar haunts in and around Brecon.

A couple of weeks ago I had found a quiet park up on the Rhine far from the busy Bavarian Alps and enjoyed a couple of rides along the bank with one incorporating one of the substantial locks where I watched two huge barges enter the lock, descend gracefully and continue on their way. A small yacht coming the other way looked very insignificant in the deep chasm.

In France I stopped in the understandably popular town of Colmar with it's traditional houses covered in flowers and a tranquil canal passing numerous restaurants.

Heading on in to the Vosges mountains I parked up at an old station at Vagney on one of two 'voies vertes' that provided me with a couple of memorable rides through wooded valleys.

Fireworks at night to celebrate July 14th were augmented by a thunderstorm but the days returned to dry conditions for two excellent rides on well marked mountain bike routes. The temporary fix to my saddle clamp held up and I started planning my route up towards Nancy and Metz for more rides.

However whilst nosing around on Auto trader I spotted another T4 based Topaz van, two years newer than this and with almost half the mileage. I rang the vendor based outside Gloucester and decided it would be well worth a look. Dunkirk was only a day and a half's drive away so I booked the DFDS ferry (£103) and passed steadily through Northern France, Luxembourg and Belgium before parking up in France again half an hour from Dunkirk.

The ferry crossing was only two hours with the White Cliffs looming unexpectedly out of the mist to the delight of the various Europeans travelling over. 

A reasonably quiet M20,25 and 4 brought me to just south of Gloucester where the Pilot House Inn allows overnighting and I settled in with a pint and a pizza.

Round at the motorhome and caravan dealership I parked up and wandered over to inspect the van which was in good condition, had the correct mileage, a very comprehensive service history and a washroom area that looked unused.

Unfortunately though they were very reluctant to let me remove a couple of inspection hatches to check the Eber, water pump, water heater etc or test the batteries or other systems with the gas connected or on hook up. As apparently a test drive was also out of the question I decided to leave it be. They cited insurance cover as the stumbling block and looking at all the paperwork I don't think they had anything to hide but as always caveat emptor.

So with the rest of the day free I trundled across to friends at Sennybridge to collect mail and meds and join them for a pint in the Shoemakers. I had given the engine bay a wash and clean with Muck Off but had obviously been a little heavy as on the way through Sennybridge the following morning the engine lost all power and the glow plug light started flashing. Fortunately after a few repeats of the same symptoms things cleared themselves and I headed up to Lower Chapel to collect an aluminium sheet for a small repair project. Tucked away in Llandefalle Woods gave me the opportunity to ride out over to Erwood for refreshments at the old station craft centre but I got caught out by heavy showers on my return so as always the opportunity of a hot shower in the van was very welcome.

Tuesday saw me completing the stunning circular route over the Beacons, starting at Brecon, heading to Pontsticill via Talybont and returning over the Gap Road in dry conditions. I was joined by Luke who is over visiting Jan with his family from Switzerland and I joined them all for an excellent meal last night before returning to Brecon for an eye test today and badminton tonight.

The next few weeks will see catch ups with more friends, the timing belt on the van being done and then a return to Brecon for much of the second half of August.

Looking back over this trip which began just before Christmas it has been a hugely enjoyable and varied experience with many many highlights. My main pleasure has been meeting people from new countries and cultures and realising yet again how much we all have in common, especially with regard to the essentials of life.

The next few months will be largely UK based as I begin the early stages of planning a significant trip starting in September 2026.

Final phew here!

Heading West ...ISH....

My night on the pass passed peacefully with the noise of inquisitive cows and their bells rousing me from my slumbers. It was a foggy morning with quite a chill so the Eber was fired up for the first time in weeks, given the altitude it roared in to life after a couple of false starts - apparently a high altitude kit is available but as I've found in Morocco and elsewhere it does seem to manage without it.

Descending soon brought me out in to warm sunshine and I passed through the Marmures area of Romania which due to its relative isolation up against the Ukrainian border has retained a more rural and traditional feel although increasing visitor numbers are allowing farmers to diversify. One of the main attractions is the Mocanita Marmures, a still commercially viable narrow gauge forest railway that extracts 50,000m3 of timber per annum down the Vaserului Valley. Whilst the loaded waggons largely run downhill by gravity small diesel locomotives are used for braking and to haul the empties back up.

However passenger services are still hauled by steam engines that take a couple of hours each way to rattle their way up to an old station where a mixed grill is provided. I arrived on a sunny afternoon to find the carpark full but the station and adjacent areas virtually empty. Basically everyone was on board one of the three daily trains that leave in the morning half an hour apart and return around 3pm. The very helpful staff said it would be fine to stay over and I booked a ticket for the first departure on the Monday at 09.00 including refreshments before taking a look round the goods yard, engine sheds and a fascinating display of old standard and narrow gauge steam engines. A blast on the whistle heralded the return of one of the trains and happy looking families descended from the open sided wooden carriages as well as a couple of enclosed ones. I watched as the loco ran around to get back to the front and then remove the whole lot to sidings to allow the next arrival to use the platform. After a walk round the town I returned for a quiet night, ready for an early start.

It was only when I saw the engineers loading logs on to the tender that I realised the locos are wood fired which is unusual and then I watched as things were coupled up, noting with some concern that there were no vacuum brakes or breakaway cables. The first departure was less than a third full and in the cool of the morning most people had opted for the enclosed carriages with padded seats but I had brought along a sit mat and had an open sided one more or less to myself apart from the brakeman, one of whom was allocated to each carriage and in charge of a large wheel that applied the brakes as necessary. We were away on time with food and drinks loaded in to a goods waggon and clanked steadily up a lovely valley passing traditional houses that soon petered out as we hit the mountains proper. After an hour we stopped at a small halt where the loco filled up with water, our vouchers could be exchanged for coffee and cake and the bizarre Transit van mounted on railway wheels overtook us taking staff on up to the lunch stop. We arrived there an hour later and enjoyed a substantial mixed grill at a remote spot in the middle of nowhere. Whilst looking round the small museum our train moved off to make way for the next arrival followed after another half hour by the third after which it was time for us to board for the return journey. It was all very well organised and hugely enjoyable and by mid afternoon we had rattled back to the station.

I carried on and stopped to visit the Happy Cemetery where in a tradition more of us should adopt the departed are remembered with cheerfully painted crosses and graves alongside an exquisitely decorated church. Nearby a new wooden church has been recently finished and I noticed that inside the frescoes are nearing completion with scaffolding in place for access to the last empty panel. After a night on a riverbank next to a small circus I crossed back in to Hungary with the abandoned border buildings reminding me of similar structures on the Spanish/Portuguese border near Marvao. The freedoms of such a huge area as the EU are remarkable and I still feel our exit was shortsighted and irresponsible. 

I stopped for a walk round Debrecen in hot sunshine and had a good look round the main church including access to the roof top where there was a cool breeze, passing a huge bell on the way up before moving on to Lake Tisza created after the construction of a large hydro electric scheme. There was little shade from the fierce sun but it was a peaceful spot and later that evening I walked back over the dam to observe the remarkable fish ladder. A series of walls, rocks and weirs has created a route for fish to bypass the dam and  just below the final haul through a series of stepped pools thousands of fish were lining up to attempt the climb, a remarkable sight as they broke the surface and shimmied around.

The lake is popular with fishermen and boating and other watersports enthusiasts but is a large enough area for everyone to enjoy the space. Cycling around the perimeter is possible so I set off on initially a forty mile circuit but found it so enjoyable that an extra option tempted me and I returned late in the evening after 106 miles with just one stop for a schnitzel at a very nice restaurant.

Moving carefully on the next day I stayed north of Budapest, having visited a couple of years ago and instead pulled in at Szentendre on the banks of the Danube where I tucked away almost invisibly under trees for the night. The arty town was well worth a walk round and I found the 70's Retro Museum collection fascinating if a little too familiar for comfort. A Guinness in an Irish pub added to the disorientation before I headed back to try and find the van......

In Gyor further west I stopped to try and get a much needed haircut which proved surprisingly tricky as most of the barbers were shut or required an appointment but as it clearly was hardly a huge undertaking one place agreed to squeeze me in and I returned to the van for a sweltering night with little breeze. A Dutch lady in a van mentioned the necessity of a vignette which although aware of I had thought I could avoid but she reckoned the extent of the tolls had increased fairly recently. Although I was directing my sat nav to avoid tolls it's quite possible that the older Aguri device is out dated so there may be a surprise in the post when I get back.

As I was entering Austria the next day I decided to risk it and was soon over that border as well. The gradual change in various countries fortunes from right back in Armenia through Turkey, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Hungary came sharply in to focus in Austria with smarter cars, neater houses and almost no littering. A small free aire including hook up did me very well for the night, shared with a couple of other vans and I had dealt with the loo before people turned up to organise a music concert on the adjacent sports field.

With a thousand or so miles across to Dunkirk and lacking a guide to Austria I decided to pass through fairly quickly and leave it for a future visit so enjoyed a few hours driving through stunning scenery before parking up above Eisenerz. In the pretty village preparations were underway for a performance here as well so I returned later, ordered a beer and sat with a number of others as a traditional Austrian brass band struck up some old favourites. Unfortunately dark clouds had been welling up and before long a most spectacular downpour accompanied by thunder and lightning saw us all huddling under the large parasols to escape the worst. Several inches of water pooled around the band's feet so they climbed on to chairs and kept going to rounds of applause. However the rain was relentless and after an hour or so people began to get cold and drift away, myself included so I felt sorry for the young rock group due to appear later as there would have been few hardy stalwarts.

I got soaked dashing back to the van where the bouncing rain had come under the skylight and wetted a few things. However a touch of the Eber and a hot shower soon saw me warmed up and in bed as the storm continued until well after midnight.

As expected, it being July, I found that the Austrian Tyrol and Bavarian Alps were far too busy and understandably popular and decided to leave both areas for another time. Much of the last six months has been spent in the emptier and quieter places that I much prefer where the creeping demonisation of van life has yet to be felt. Sadly that may change in the near future and whilst I fully understand that the explosion in camper van numbers of all types creates issues the steady erosion of wild camping opportunities forces people on to sites charging upwards of £50/night with many, and even the paid for Aires, already full booked until the end of August.

So I am now focused on heading back although a number of options for voies vertes cycle routes in Eastern and Northern France will I hope provide more memories as I head to Dunkirk over the next few weeks, whilst with luck avoiding the crowds.

I have the van booked in for a timing belt at Autohaus Dolby for the first Monday in August but will need to get back to Sheffield a few days earlier as there is a lot of cleaning and emptying of the van to do.

 Last night and tonight I have been in Germany near Munsinge, west of Ulm, where a cracking little aire has provided a smart park up with excellent WiFi and metered power for 10 euros a night with water and waste facilities also available. I cycled down to Bad Urach via Seeburg for coffee and cake and then spent time this afternoon trying to get a malfunctioning seat post clamp to do its job. A temporary fix seems to be OK for now but I may try a bike shop over in France where I am slightly more au fait with the lingo.

The weather looks set to return to warm and sunny, although the cooler temperatures of the last couple of days have been very welcome.

More flics..

Moldova, Transnistria and finally heading West.

 An elderly couple on a horse and cart passed me during the evening on the Danube but otherwise it was a quiet night and I returned across the toll bridge to head east towards Braila where I had considered staying overnight on the opposite bank of the Danube but as I arrived early I decided to head on to the border crossing in to Moldova. This was very straightforward and I purchased a month's insurance (the minimum) for £60 plus a ten day vignette for £5. These costs were immediately recouped at the filling station as I put in almost 80 litres at around 80p/litre and then stopped in Cahul where two friendly girls in the Orange shop sold me a SIM and 20Gb of data for £2. They set it up for me and by chance I won a bonus 10 GB - remarkable value. An ATM dispensed £20 worth of Leu and I was all good to go. Moldova uses a dialect of Romanian plus some Russian and in the north Hungarian and whilst a separate country it has a long history with all its neighbours and seeks admission to the EU although this may follow a reunion with Romania in due course. Although apparently at an economic disadvantage to Romania Cahul itself seemed somehow brighter and more affluent and the streets were certainly cleaner. A turning off the road to the capital Chisinau provided a memorable night having taken a dirt track down through maize fields to the meadows alongside a large salt lake where although the number of flying beasties was remarkable the salt meant that mosquitoes were thankfully absent.

Passing through rolling farmland I reached the capital but thought the park up was rather too busy and as cities really aren't my thing carried on to Orheiu Vechi.

This turned out to be a very good decision as the historically long inhabited valley contained much of interest and offered a choice of places to park up. At the reconstruction of an earlier fortification I paid my £2.50 park entrance fee to a young lad keen to practice his English and then had a look round the ramparts and small museum before dropping in to the valley and driving through the old village of Butuceni with its traditional houses, ornate wells and accommodation options in various low key eco resorts. The revived Aguri sat nav that had temporarily replaced the Garmin sent me up a track that I would have found challenging on a mountain bike but yet again the van amazed me with its ability to tackle the steep uphill of mostly loose scree to emerge on a grassy plateau. Unfortunately the actual place to stay was 10m away horizontally but a good 100m lower down on the river bank. I could have stayed on the plateau for the night but as I intended to remain in the area I decided to aim for the proper spot, fortunately finding another way down that was less challenging. Out by a complex of ancient thermal baths I saw that the route to the suggested spot was in fact blocked by three large tractor tyres and a sign saying no vehicles so I returned to the visitor centre where the staff said staying on the large, empty grassy parking area right by the river would be fine. I settled in with the solar panel doing its bit and later walked up to the spectacular church that sits on a ridge above the Raut river that meanders through the area. The three shining domes caught the late afternoon sun whilst inside the walls and altar were richly decorated in stunning frescoes. Combined with immaculately kept gardens it was a stunning spot and I had the place to myself. A steep path down the limestone cliff brought me to the river where the carved monastery could be reached after a short climb and as elsewhere on this trip I was amazed at the extent of the excavations to provide a ten room complex plus meeting room, church and storerooms. A return along a little used path by the river had me back at the van for the last of the evening sun and a very peaceful night.

The following day I got the bike off, pumped up a rear tyre that must have a slow puncture, despite being tubeless, removed the road dust and oiled the drivetrain in preparation for a day in the saddle. I followed the Raut on a good track down to the Danube and Criuleni and then picked up a return route which seemed to climb steadily on a very corrugated gravel track for miles. Eventually however I could drop down to Mascauti where a tiny shop provided a very cold and welcome fizzy orange juice and a rare ice-cream. Outside an ancient motorbike and sidecar was obviously still in regular use and I soaked up the atmosphere of this quiet corner of a quiet country tucked away in some of the furthermost reaches of Europe. Winter would be tough here and each property had a large wood pile outside with some having a gas connection as well and the small simple houses are no doubt a cosy retreat from the worst of it.

I arrived back at the van after perhaps 40 miles, enjoyed a cool shower and then soaked up the afternoon sun before an early night. The following morning I walked through the village to visit the two houses restored in a traditional way with exhibits about daily life, the various trades and crafts and finally at a small cafe a welcome coffee. At the modest visitor centre I looked around the museum which had some interesting displays on the archeological techniques used on the various finds from the area before checking it would be OK to fill the van from the nearby tap. Thus after 3 fascinating days and two comfortable nights I was away north to a planned riverside stop at Ribnita.

As I crossed the bridge I saw a barrier and various booths either side and suddenly realised I was inadvertently heading in to Transnistria, a pro Russian breakaway state not recognised by any other nation or global organisation. It would have been daft to try and turn around so I stopped as requested by border officials in uniforms sporting the Russian language and was soon issued various pieces of paper and directed to stop at another building for the vignette and insurance. Google translate made this process easy and before long I had both valid, for a fortnight, for a fiver. I had no intention of staying more than 24 hours so didn't bother with currency and as I was staying on the banks of the Dnister river my phone still picked up the Moldovan signal. It was a very strange experience seeing all the signs and shop fronts plastered in the Cyrillic alphabet and I drove carefully through small villages to reach an idyllic spot on the river bank having passed some very fancy houses. Transnistria is very much Russian leaning although its eastern border is in fact Ukraine and it separated from Moldova during the break up of the Soviet Union. The area prefers to be called Pridnestrovie and although it has some autonomy it relies on Russia for military and other support.

Next day I travelled north for an hour before returning to Moldova at the bridge south of Camenca where again the officials were helpful and friendly. They are not allowed to stamp your passport so a Migration Card is issued and then cancelled on exit. The Moldovans just watch you go past...

Up at Soroca I stopped to look round the castle which has been extensively restored, did a supermarket shop and then decided I really should start heading west so on a hot afternoon benefitted from the aircon as I drove to the Moldovan/Romanian border that sits on the huge dam on the Prut river that has created Costesti Lake. Moldova is trying to build it's way out of a dependence on Russia for energy so this hydro scheme and a new national grid are part of the process to link in with a network more aligned with Romania and the European grid. A €4 toll for crossing the dam allowed me to continue to the Moldovan passport and customs checks which were a bit slow as the staff were dealing with two full 52 seater coaches.

Eventually I was away across the dam to the Romanian checks where fortunately they didn't think to check the fridge as my recently purchased meats, dairy products and even fruit and veg were not supposed to come in to the EU. Being back for me meant my UK insurance was valid, the O2 roaming was live and as I already had a month long road tax vignette I was free to go. I drove through Drochia with its remarkable church as far as Botosani where a quiet parking above the leisure centre was only interrupted by dealing with numerous mosquitoes and a brief tap on the door at 1am from a friendly enough police officer.

Today I visited two of the famous painted monasteries out of several in the area north west of Suceava. The first was heavily clad in wooden scaffolding as a new shingle roof was being installed but down at Voronet the full majesty of these buildings could be appreciated with stunningly detailed and colourful frescoes adorning both internal and external walls with meticulously kept gardens adding to the overall scene.

A twisting road through the Carpathians has brought me to a park up at 1500m above the high Prislop pass with the last remnants of winter snow lying in shaded clefts and the coolest night for weeks to look forward to. Further up the tracks shepherds are grazing their flocks and a few cows are wandering freely, some with calves so it should be a quiet and memorable night with superb views. I have about 2000 miles to go and whilst I have a slight concern about a chirping idler on the timing belt, some creaking noises around the front suspension have been resolved by the application of a silicone spray. I think the bone dry conditions of the last few weeks are the main cause of this. The shower tray has developed a small crack, hardly surprising after 23 years and sustained use over the last 8 so I have repaired it with some gorilla glue and will look at a relining kit when home in a month or so. There are always things to be done especially after such a long trip as this one (fast approaching 7 months) and my list of jobs to prepare for the next one includes the following - new timing belt, discs and pads all round plus brake fluid renewal, Eberspacher service, shower tray repair and possibly glow plugs, a new engine battery and rear coil springs although these are not a priority.

So west we go with Hungary next followed by Austria, Germany, Belgium and France so I will post again shortly.....

Odd ones