The Bathroom Job (not the Italian one)

With tapping fingers now on overtime mode a few bits on the bathroom overhaul. As you may or may not remember (as there has been so much drivel written here since we started) the toilet was very small and if you were over five feet five tall your knees were up round your chin somewhere. The bathroom was interesting in as much as when you showered you banged your head on the water heater (five feet five theory again) and the tiles in both rooms were hideous see pix above. The bottom 2 are the original bathroom and toilet the top 2 are where we are now.

We decided to make them one room, another wall demolition job. Once the wall was down the five feet five theory was gone - in the toilet at least. So what to do next, move the water heater to remove the other five feet five theory. So far so good. With walls down, heater moved what next. As the walls have gone this now left a nice hole in the ceiling where the walls used to be so it was new ceiling time - yipee!! More dust filth and sh*te coming down from the loft and yes it certainly came down.

With the new ceiling now up Mrs D who is now an accomplished demolition expert on both tiles and walls is now painting the new ceiling. We did the ceiling yesterday - Saturday and it was so hot even in the house that we were dripping sweat off all day. It was fairly intense heat yesterday and our little sun trap at the side of the house - not that we need one - was 43 degrees! Today for the painting task there is a bit of a breeze making it easier for the painting department to paint and I get some time off today to wear my finger tips out on this keyboard. I am not complaining though.

We have ordered a new window, fly screen and shutters for the now bigger bathroom window which will be here on Thursday and we have to block off what was the bog door this week. Once we have done this we can then start thinking about tiles.

Don't be thinking we are grafting here all the time we are still managing to cycle down to the sea for a swim every other day, have the odd beer with friends and get out to Acharavi once week to sit and have a coffee and get a few supplies in.

Sorry but the weather here is excellent up in the high thirties most days. We have been watching the UK weather on the net and hearing the tales of woe on the radio. It really is another washout of a summer for you guys, it is dreadful.

Mrs D's veg plot is doing OK with Toms, Beets and Lettuces all looking good. I continue to do battle with the bamboo which grows faster than I can cut it down - think I will get a panda. Hmmmm could be an island attraction, will have to sort the bog out first tho'.

Well its sign off time now, hope everyone's OK and please keep in touch via e-mail, this blog and also now on Skype - we do have the technology. Will keep you posted on our antics.......

There and back again - sadly not a hobbits tale . . .

All this talk of hobbits and tales whats it all about then? Well we have been back to the UK to sort out a tenancy problem! We had just got settled back in here and then we got some news which sadly meant we just had to go back. Reg was here so we had to wait 'til his jolly was over - we couldn't just hoof him out!

We managed to get ourselves on a budget flight home with easyjet, middle of the night jobby. We had a taxi waiting for us in Manchester and we arrived back in Middelton in the small hours. For some bizarre reason (lucky on our part) we left unsettled and wet weather in Corfu and enjoyed sunny gentle days in England.

We had little over a week to sort out the problem, catch up on some folks and get the bike taxed, tested and insured as were going back to Corfu on it. It also gave us some time for a pork pie, fish and chips and a Timmy Taylors fix!! (There were some benefits from the visit.)

The diary was as usual chocker going here there and everywhere but it is always good to catch up with everyone and enjoy a pint of Tims. With problems resolved and in capable hands, bike ready and ferries booked off we set again this time on two wheels. The forecast was good along some of our route - particularly the UK section - Corfu was still under cloud and rain so e-mails from over there were telling us and away we went.

We left home on Thursday down the A1 then onto the world famous giant car park of London the M25, which sadly was living up to its name. Even on the bike we could not get thro' as everyone was out of their cars with the doors open - most inconsiderate. We took to the lanes and by some small miracle ended up on the Dartford bridge past all the mess.

We stopped off with Marian again at the splendid little Dover link hotel she runs in Winchelsesa and had a couple of good nights there - avoided Kwikfit Hastings after bad taste they left last time. We were on the 0800hrs Saturday ferry to Dunkirk, forcing down as usual a last full English for a while. The crossing as good and Mrs D once again hung onto her breakfast.

We rode down through France on the toll motorways - a great way to eat the miles across France and had a night in Verdun again as we liked the place and the site so much last time. It was then up early for the long haul to the Tirol across Germany. Unfortunately the roads in Germany were not like the French ones. Heavily congested and very slow although we did get the odd stretch where we could tailgate the Germans for a change as we were on the bike (like they do to us when we are in a full car!!) The weather was also changing and it was becoming cloudy and showery.

We arrived in Reutte in the Austrian Tirol early evening after a long ride and several numb bum stops. A lovely site nestled among the mountains. We were on a rest day the following day so that we could regain feeling in our bums as it was a 360 mile haul that day.

Weather now wet and cloudy and so that we had to walk into town and buy a couple of brollies so we could have a walk during the day - all part of the adventure you know. Mrs D now happy as we could walk into town and back again instead of the bike.

Later that day three English guys and a girl on bikes camped next to us and we ended up having a few beers with them at a bar in town. It was an entertaining few hours hearing their travelling tales. They went off every year for three weeks somewhere across Europe. Usually with a bit a of a tale to tell.

Next day it was early start as it was Alps crossing day. Fern Pass, Innsbruck, Brenner Pass, Dolomites down through Cortina to Venice for a night before the ferry. The Alps crossing was damp and grey for the most until we started to drop down from Cortina where it got drier, sunnier and hotter. By the time we arrived at the camp site we were dry and far too warm.

The camp site was very busy and the mozzies were the worst we have ever had. They were at us as soon as we had got off the bike. We were bitten to death. With this in mind it was a beer some food and into the tent to get away from the little t***s!!

Its ferry day again, its July and it was chocker. When we booked there were no air craft type seats left so we had to book to kip on the deck. This usually means find a piece of carpet somewhere on the ship and get down with your sleeping bag and your rolly mat. Not the case this time - too many people had already nobbled the best bits of carpet so we had to kip under the stars out on deck. Which wasn't too bad 'til the disco cracked up which was underneath us. It was good fun singing along to the better stuff whilst looking up at the stars from your cozy bag. It didn't matter it was very warm and a still crossing - always good, particularly for Mrs D of the sea sickness. However no sea sickness was had, but a reasonable nights sleep was.

We finally docked in Corfu at 1330hrs and after a very quick shop we arrived home at about 1430hrs. Now we have the bike here, the car and several pushbikes we have to start thinking about how we get all these back to the UK. A nice problem to have I suppose but hopefully a way off from now so we will put that on a back burner and think about - The Bathroom Job!! - more later. Y'all keep in touch now.......