It's been a long time since I've done this so here we go!
Journey back from Corfu to UK was interesting to say the least. The car heater plugs must have packed up over the summer. Not a problem in Corfu as it is warm and will start. All OK 'til we leave the warm climes.... as a result as soon as we hit the winter wonderland of Germany and the road home the car took ages to start every morning! It was a shock (first time) then a damn nuisance after that. Getting another car was on the list as first job when we got home but there was ne need for it to remind us all the way home. It was if it was giving up on us. Heater plugs first, then the heater wouldn't blow down to the feet so we had cold feet, then the radio packed up. This in addition to the drivers door window not closing fully, the passenger door not opening easily and one or two knocks and bangs from the front it was an entertaining journey.
We were only off the ferry in Venice 20 minutes when we hit traffic, ice and snow in Italy. We managed to do 54 miles in three hours and twenty minutes! Once this cleared it was foot down over the Brenner pass to Innsbruck to try and beat the snow across the Alps. We hit Innsbruck as the snow started and were worried about the second pass - the Fern - over into southern Germany. This proved slippy and very snowy, we just got to the summit of the pass as we started to slip about on the snow. We were very steady down the other side to Reutte in the Tyrol before hitting the snow covered motorway into Germany and Altenstadt our first stop. Never been so pleases to see a hotel!
Next day car wouldn't start and I had just spotted a guy on a fork truck at the end of the road to assist when the old tub fired up. Off again, no snow today just -8, lovely on the feet. We had a good run across Germany but had an unexpected run around Karlsrhue trying to find the way out! We eventually got to Leige in Belgium for stay number 2 where there was no hill to run the car off the following day!!
Next day another marathon car starting episode then off to Dunkirk and the 2 o'clock ferry to Dover. A good drive and ferry crossing got us back to Dover and a short run to a good friends in East Sussex. The car had two nights rest as did we then we headed north the day London was gridlocked through snow and ice. It was a very long day and we finally got home around 9pm.
So really it goes without saying, the first job was another car!! We did our homework and found exactly what we wanted but it was in Edinburgh. At this point Edinburgh had just had the worst snow for years and all roads were blocked. Now I made the announcement to Mrs D about the car and where it was and I will not publish the response here!! After a calming whiskey, we began a dialogue with the garage and watched the weather. An ideal opportunity arose and for the last time we fired up the old tub and drove it to Scotland. It was a lovely drive and the car as usual went very well. We got to the garage and drove onto the forecourt through a two-foot high wall of snow. A deal was done and the old tub was put out to graze in Scotland!! We drove home with warm feet, doors, windows and radios that all worked. It was quite a sad moment leaving the old VW as it has been a super car and served us well back and forth across Europe. I really shouldn’t have asked but I did “so what will you do with the VW then?” The reply was quite sad “she will go where all good cars go at this age,” (the scrap yard, I was gutted!)
The new car seems to be going well, not that we went far in it over Christmas because of the weather. We had a quiet Christmas at home with Reg and Buffalo over, around Christmas time. We did manage a few socials with friends here and there. All in all the year end festivities came and went successfully.
So into 2011 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
The New Year and time to start thinking about where we want to be and to go. We anticipate going back to Corfu during May, we already have folks lined up to come out and we haven’t got there yet. Always good to see them though’, we are not complaining.
We have a few trips lined up between now and then, places we’ve always wanted to see and we can do in short breaks. In January we are off to London for three days, at the end of January we have our annual pilgrimage to Butlins at Skegness for the rock and blues weekend. In February we are off to Iceland for three days, then March we head to Windermere and the Lakes for a weekend away with friends. Lastly we have just booked a few days in Dublin so Mrs D can do the Oscar Wilde stuff and I can get lost in the Guinness brewery! More on these as they happen.
Well that pretty much brings us up to date so y’all keep well and I will rattle off some more rubbish soon.
Journey back from Corfu to UK was interesting to say the least. The car heater plugs must have packed up over the summer. Not a problem in Corfu as it is warm and will start. All OK 'til we leave the warm climes.... as a result as soon as we hit the winter wonderland of Germany and the road home the car took ages to start every morning! It was a shock (first time) then a damn nuisance after that. Getting another car was on the list as first job when we got home but there was ne need for it to remind us all the way home. It was if it was giving up on us. Heater plugs first, then the heater wouldn't blow down to the feet so we had cold feet, then the radio packed up. This in addition to the drivers door window not closing fully, the passenger door not opening easily and one or two knocks and bangs from the front it was an entertaining journey.
We were only off the ferry in Venice 20 minutes when we hit traffic, ice and snow in Italy. We managed to do 54 miles in three hours and twenty minutes! Once this cleared it was foot down over the Brenner pass to Innsbruck to try and beat the snow across the Alps. We hit Innsbruck as the snow started and were worried about the second pass - the Fern - over into southern Germany. This proved slippy and very snowy, we just got to the summit of the pass as we started to slip about on the snow. We were very steady down the other side to Reutte in the Tyrol before hitting the snow covered motorway into Germany and Altenstadt our first stop. Never been so pleases to see a hotel!
Next day car wouldn't start and I had just spotted a guy on a fork truck at the end of the road to assist when the old tub fired up. Off again, no snow today just -8, lovely on the feet. We had a good run across Germany but had an unexpected run around Karlsrhue trying to find the way out! We eventually got to Leige in Belgium for stay number 2 where there was no hill to run the car off the following day!!
Next day another marathon car starting episode then off to Dunkirk and the 2 o'clock ferry to Dover. A good drive and ferry crossing got us back to Dover and a short run to a good friends in East Sussex. The car had two nights rest as did we then we headed north the day London was gridlocked through snow and ice. It was a very long day and we finally got home around 9pm.
So really it goes without saying, the first job was another car!! We did our homework and found exactly what we wanted but it was in Edinburgh. At this point Edinburgh had just had the worst snow for years and all roads were blocked. Now I made the announcement to Mrs D about the car and where it was and I will not publish the response here!! After a calming whiskey, we began a dialogue with the garage and watched the weather. An ideal opportunity arose and for the last time we fired up the old tub and drove it to Scotland. It was a lovely drive and the car as usual went very well. We got to the garage and drove onto the forecourt through a two-foot high wall of snow. A deal was done and the old tub was put out to graze in Scotland!! We drove home with warm feet, doors, windows and radios that all worked. It was quite a sad moment leaving the old VW as it has been a super car and served us well back and forth across Europe. I really shouldn’t have asked but I did “so what will you do with the VW then?” The reply was quite sad “she will go where all good cars go at this age,” (the scrap yard, I was gutted!)
The new car seems to be going well, not that we went far in it over Christmas because of the weather. We had a quiet Christmas at home with Reg and Buffalo over, around Christmas time. We did manage a few socials with friends here and there. All in all the year end festivities came and went successfully.
So into 2011 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
The New Year and time to start thinking about where we want to be and to go. We anticipate going back to Corfu during May, we already have folks lined up to come out and we haven’t got there yet. Always good to see them though’, we are not complaining.
We have a few trips lined up between now and then, places we’ve always wanted to see and we can do in short breaks. In January we are off to London for three days, at the end of January we have our annual pilgrimage to Butlins at Skegness for the rock and blues weekend. In February we are off to Iceland for three days, then March we head to Windermere and the Lakes for a weekend away with friends. Lastly we have just booked a few days in Dublin so Mrs D can do the Oscar Wilde stuff and I can get lost in the Guinness brewery! More on these as they happen.
Well that pretty much brings us up to date so y’all keep well and I will rattle off some more rubbish soon.
Picture is our old car - what a hero!!!
