One week on

It's now Saturday 11th June and we are starting to see some order and some parts of the garden! It took us a few days to get everything to its place and about a week to clear the garden and get to the apothekei. An hour a day in the evening to be precise (when it had cooled down a bit.) Did we mention the sun has shone daily and it's been hot too?

No snakes discovered this time when trimming the weeds back (still a big area to do yet so might report differently later.) We can now park the car, which incidentally did very well on the journey across Europe loaded up to the hilt we are very pleased with it. I digress, back to the garden. There is now room for the car and also for the bike to park now and we can get to and from the apotheki with all the stuff we put in the house for the winter.

The bike, well theres another tale......I had to replace the subframe of the front fairing and when I was reassembling it I accidentally put one of the components back upside down which rendered the machine unable to start causing, headaches, stress and much swearing (Mrs D learned some new repairing expressions.) However I left it for a couple of days and went back to it again, knowing it was something I had done as it was working when I took it apart. I just happened to be leaning on the handlebars staring into the abyss of wires, cables and tubes when I noticed something read "Top" the wrong way up. Quickly I put it right to find this was the cause and what a plonker I was not to notice it in the first place. With bike all working again the next thing is more dealings with Greek officials to get it insured and taxed with my new Greek plate on it - more on the beuracratic nightmare later.

We have had a night out at the quiz - which we won!! Also caught up with a few friends and all is pretty much as it was. We have many things we brought from the UK to finish off the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom so all these will be first jobs before we start on any of this years projects.

This year it could be a paint job for the house, doing out the sitting room, building a partial roof over the decking to keep the sun off and whatever else we find needs doing along the way.

We've now finished the kitchen - hooray!! It looks great too. A few things for the bathroom to fit and a couple of bedside cabinets for the spare room to knock together.

Had our first day in Corfu town which was a bit of a failure on the business front as we are having to go again next week. Still it keeps us busy and out of mischief. Been busy to day so will probably be a movie night in tonight and maybe an evening in Sidari tomorrow to see whats on offer in the way of entertainment this season.

Well best get on and see where Mrs D has got too, been quiet for a while........cheers y'all and keep in touch.

A couple of updated garden pix below.

Back in the sun..

Well – we made it. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the temperature is hot – and the weeds are high. In fact they are reaching for the sky themselves, well past the roof of the car. So first jobs first meaning D has to start strimming furiously just so we can get the car into the garden.

Anyway a brief report on our journey over here and we both agree that it was the best crossing of Europe yet. Obviously the weather helped as it was beautiful in Germany and across into Austria. We camped for a couple of days in the Mosel Valley in Germany, next to a cycle-way but sadly we didn’t have any bikes so we had to walk instead, then we moved on, driving across the country (this was a long day of 350 miles) and into Austria, specifically the Tirol region. This time we camped in a place called Reutte where we have stayed before. It’s a beautiful little town surrounded by the Alps. The weather made the scenery here even more stunning and we managed a cable car ride up into the mountains then a steady walk along the tops. What a view! We also visited the spectacular Neuschwanstein Castle which was built by an eccentric Bavarian king but you may be more familiar with the fact that it was used in the filming of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! After 3 days we had to move on to keep to our schedule so a 150-mile drive brought us to our final campsite in the Dolomite range.

I have to tell you that the most exciting part of this day was our finding an accessible C&A in a place called Telfs! We parked up and rushed in (don’t you just love C&A, I remember being devastated when they closed down in England) and as always D bought more stuff than me! Best shop there is for cheap T-shirts. Anyway back to our journey and our last camp always needs to be within reasonable driving range of Venice but preferably not actually in Venice (the campsites are expensive, mozi-ridden and too populated for our liking) so D had done his research and found us a lovely place in Toblach – ideal for walking in the Dolomites had we had time.

We left there at 8am the following morning and arrived at the Venice ferry terminal at 12.00 where (because our budget doesn’t stretch to cabins) we crammed sleeping bags, rolly mats, water, beer (obviously), butties, crisps, tuna-salads and minimum-sized washbags into two ruc-sacs and two cooler bags ready to be hauled onto the boat for the 24hr crossing. It wasn’t too bad sleeping on deck, we have done it before and know what to expect and as long as you are not too fussy you can usually manage a few hours sleep to the sound of the sea …… still we were glad to ‘disembark’ at Corfu harbour and drive the last part of the journey back, via the supermarket of course and it was a huge feeling of relief when we eventually arrived back at our house. After turning on the water and electric we set about unloading the car and as ever I just cant believe how much stuff we managed to bring.

So we will be continuing to unpack, re-arrange things and strim the garden area for at least the next few days. Still its not all work, in case you were worrying (!). We went down to one of our local bars and had a beer with a couple of friends and we plan to go to quiz night in another or our bars on Tuesday where it should be a lively night as it’s the landlady’s birthday. More later....Mrs D

pix below are from top - Mosel River, camp in Mosel, 2 views from Tirol peaks, camp in Reutte, sunset in Tirol, 3 of Neuschwanstein Castle, 3 in the Italian Dolomites and 3 in the garden we arrived.

Two weeks to go............................

So its that time again – count down to departure date and I am just about to assume ‘panic mode’.  The pile of goodies awaiting transportation to Greece is no bigger than it has been – but it looks huge;  the number of last minute social visits we have to make is no greater than before – but they seem to number more than the days available and the number of last minute jobs that we have yet to complete is definitely not bigger than last time – but it seems to be when we put pen to paper and compose our penultimate list.

We seem to have been in England for a long period of time – we have endured a cold, dark winter and seen the seasons blossom into a beautiful spring of blue skies, warm sunshine, newborn lambs and flowers galore.  If the old saying needed re-iterating ‘Oh to be in England now that spring is here’ I’m happy to do so.  During our time here we have managed to work through the cottage decorating each room and fixing things that needed fixing.  But our travelling has not been completely put on hold, as anyone who has read the blog recently will know.  We have enjoyed several short trips to London, Iceland, Scotland and Dublin (sadly we haven’t managed a trip to Wales – yet!).  But now its time to turn our thoughts and our efforts into planning our forthcoming trip across Europe.  We are calling on a couple of friends on our way to the Channel ferry and by then we hope to have decided which route we will be taking through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy and where we hope to have our overnight camps along the way.

So hopefully and God willing, the next time you will ‘hear’ from us will be from sunny Corfu where we hope to be grumbling about the heat!  Now what shall we pack first – the ceiling fan, the bag of toiletries, the new chip-pan, the replacement curtains, the tins of tuna, the set of sheets, the bag of clothes, the new dinner service …………..

Bye for now.

Mrs D

Not long to go now.......

I think we've finished gallivanting about for now. We have roughly six weeks before we set off back across Europe and to the sunshine of Corfu. As usual as soon as we hit May, time will just fly and we will be rushing around for last minute stuff.

It will be our first trip in the new car so that itself will be an experience. There's the roof bars and box to fit, a whole host of cabinets, cupboards and motorbike spares to go in as well as all the usual supplies.

We haven't decided which way we are heading across Europe but we have a couple of stops on the way down the country to see friends in Trowbridge and then onto our favourite hotel in Winchelsea in East Sussex before the ferry to Dunkirk.

A few things happening between then and now so more on the trek across Europe later.

Barony Castle

It was our anniversary earlier this month and we had a few days in a Scottish castle to celebrate (another Travelzoo deal.) We stayed at Barony Castle which is just north of Peebles in the Scottish borders. Lovely castle with pool, sauna and extensive grounds.


I always think the drive north west from here is a very pleasant one. Up towards Kendal then up through the lakes and Howgills and on into the borders. Never a busy or stressful drive. Our journey up went well with good weather. We arrived early so we had a wander round the grounds before we checked in. We were given a wee dram of whiskey on our arrival and our complimentary tickets to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith docks outside Edinburgh.

The afternoon was a local stroll then back for a swim and sauna then a couple of Guinness (again) before dinner. Dinner was very nice, very arty and a very long time coming. However there was enough and as I say it was very tasty.

Following day after breakfast (which was a buffet style and a lot quicker) we headed off for Leith. The tour round Britannia was excellent, the history, the stories and the people who have been on it as guests was quite fascinating. To say the yacht is over fifty years old it is in very good condition and the obvious lack of computers on the bridge and elsewhere remind you of what life was like before technology.

From Leith we headed down to look at Rosslyn Chapel a cracking wee chapel which featured in the Davinci Code. I have never seen so many carvings in such a small chapel. You could spend days looking at and trying to understand them all, super place and well worth a visit.

After the chapel it was back to the castle for another swim, sauna and Guinness session before another long awaited dinner. The following and final day we headed back home stopping off at Peebles and Moffatt with another stop at a view point where we had a breezy stroll.

The drive back down was stunning as the sun shone and the lakeland hills were all clearly visible, arriving back home early evening.

Guinness, sorry I mean Dublin

Well what else is there about Dublin?? Oh yes, the writers museum, Wilde's birthplace, Wilde's statue, the river Liffey, Croke Park, the Dublin Spire, George Bernard Shaw, the Wicklow Mountains, Yeats and James Joyce to name but a few. Let's not forget the splendid night life too.

Our little break to Dublin (another Travelzoo special) got off well from Leeds Bradford with Ryan Air - be warned as they do enforce their 1 piece of cabin baggage rules!! The flight had barely got to altitude when we were going back down again, fifty minutes only to get there. With bag reclaimed we headed outside for the bus into town and our digs at the Croke Park Hotel. The hotel was very nice and the room very spacious and warm.

We were about 20 minutes out of the centre so as it was evening we wandered into town and had a stroll up and down, ending up in a bar in the Temple Bar area with some Guinness. Now at this point Mrs D was not a Guinness drinker so she had some Irish Ale. There was live music in the bar and a good evening was had along with some splendid Guinness.

The following day was a Mrs D day (almost.) After breakfast we headed into town and the first stop was the writers museum. An Irish writers overdose was enjoyed here by Mrs D whilst I wandered around the museum looking at some of the older stuff in their which I have to say was quite good. After the obligatory photo outside we headed off in search of Mrs Ds hero - Oscar Wilde's house. With a plaque outside to mark the address another photo shoot was undertaken before we headed off to find the statue in the park which was unveiled by Wilde's grandson a few years ago. Another photo call here (even though Mrs D was not too impressed with the statue) before we went off to find a bench in the park for some well earned butties.

Part of the deal with the hotel was that we got complimentary tickets to tour either Croke Park stadium or the Guinness Storehouse. As we were staying directly across from the stadium and frankly not too bothered about a trek round a shed load of empty stands there was no contest, Guinness won it hands down!

After refuelling ourselves we got out our trusty Dublin map and planned our way across to the other side of town to the storehouse. On the way across the city we saw some of Dublins other landmarks on a lovely sunny day.

We arrived at the storehouse, which isn't really a storehouse at all, it is the original site of Arthur Guinness' brewing testament and is now a tourist attraction and a very good one too. All the brewing is now done in todays high tech fashion so the tour takes you round the old brewing site where there are vessels, videos, loads of info, shops. history and did I mention the free pint of Guinness at the end in the Gravity bar which is on top of the factory with superb views right across and over Dublin.

The tour was superb, very informative and very interesting. It works on floors with the story progressing as you get higher up ending up in the bar on top. There is a whole floor dedicated to Guinness advertising through the years and you could spend hours in there as some of their adverts are superb. There is also an area where you can pull your own pint of the black stuff but if your going to get some at the factory let someone do it who knows what they are doing, don't spoil it!!

So we arrive at the gravity bar on top of the site and there I was thinking I was in for two pints of Guinness when Mrs D announced, after a taste, how good it was!!! I was very surprised, 'tis good of course but can't keep her off the stuff now!!

We made our way back up to the hotel and had dinner which was very nice before heading back into town for some nightlife. Now, the Temple Bar area is a sea of bars and clubs with all genres of music emanating from within. There is something for everyone here. After wandering up and down taking in the atmosphere (bearing in  mind this is Wednesday night, would love to see it on a Friday) we sat in another bar with more live music. It is simply wild down there, everyone joins in the singing, the Guinness is flowing (even to Mrs D now) it was great.

We headed back up to the hotel around midnight again and crashed out as we'd walked miles!!

Next and last day, breakfast and out down town again. Today was more leisurely and we had a river stroll, taking in the buildings and many statues that are dotted all over the place. We then wandered back into the centre where we went to a Phil Lynott exhibition. Another of Dublins sons, he may well have been brought up there but he was actually born in Birmingham!! You learn something everyday......it was an excellent exhibition and his mum Philomena was there signing books and doing pictures, lovely lady.

After the Phil Lynott experience we went and found his statue and it was my turn for a photo call before heading back up to the digs to collect our bags and check out. Bus back to the airport which is massive by the way, didn't know what to expect but didn't expect it to be that big!

The pilot announced before we took off that there were cross winds in Leeds Bradford so expect a choppy landing.......sobering thought. The flight back was done in 40 minutes, the landing as promised was bouncy but we were soon on our way home after a splendid few days in Dublin. We did have to make a slight detour on the way home to call and pick up some Guinness for my new found Guinness drinking buddy!!

The land of fire and ice - Iceland



Geyser & hot pool



Some weird statues outside the museum



The rift valley looking across to the European side



















Thermally illuminated green houses




















Reykjavik Cathedral




















Extinct volcanic ash pit





















Gulfoss Waterfall




















Site of first church with new church



Path through ripped North American plate side



Blue Lagoon




















Cathedral from our hotel


























We had a short break in Iceland in February and it was super. We stayed in Reykjavik in a hotel across from the landmark cathedral. We only had two full days so we booked on a couple of trips and it all worked out fine.

Education time chaps, please pay attention - Iceland is a country the size of England with a population of only 300,000 and most of these live in the capital Reykjavik. It is the most volcanically active country in the world, it was the home of the first parliament in the world, the site of the first and birthplace of the word geyser. The language dates back to the vikings and most can still read the original scriptures from the time. All the inhabitants can trace their family lines back to the Vikings and it is the only country in the world to get all its electricity from green sources!!! Quite an amazing place really.

On arrival we transferred to our hotel in Reykjavik then had a wander 'downtown' and had a beer (like you do.) The evening was short as we had an early start with cabs then trains planes and buses. The following day we were on a Golden Circle tour which took in quite a big chunk of the local region.

We were picked up at 8 along with a few others in a mini coach. Off we went and the landscape was so different, there was something missing and it wasn't 'til our driver mentioned that there were no trees that we realised what it was. Along the roads in addition to the usual distance signs were road temperatures, obviously you need this info when you are driving almost on the arctic circle!! The roads were covered in ice and snow, the paths and trails everywhere treacherous but life goes on as normal with gentle warnings from the driver about the conditions. Quite a contrast to the few specks of snow we get here and all is cancelled due to health & safety reasons!! All the vehicles here have steel studded tyres, you hear them going past, it sounds like they are driving on gravel but there's no gravel, weird!

We passed by one of the islands geothermal power stations and got a potted 'how it works' from our driver, very interesting. Our first stop along the way was at a village where they grow lots of flowers in green houses heated via the thermal energy. As Iceland has such an abundance of 'free energy' they heat up these green houses all over the island and are pretty much self sufficient in veg up 'til the last part of winter when they have to import it 'til the new crops start. Here was a fine example of the green houses and a coffee stop. After this we headed to an extinct volcanic crater for a wander and slip around, quite deep and large. We then moved on to a smallish waterfall where the Icelanders had built a salmon ladder up the side to the help the fishy guys get upstream to breed!!

After a brief photo shoot here we headed for the site of the first church which was built when they converted to Christianity. Obviously not the original church but a lovely building all the same, views at he back looked out over the volcano which caused so much air traffic misery last year (still smoking too!!) We then went on to the site of the first geyser, which is called geyser and is where the name came from. There was steaming vent shafts, bubbling hot pools and of course a geyser spouting off every ten minutes or so. The original geyser stopped spouting a good few years ago but there is another 'filling in' and giving a bit of a show. This was also the lunch stop for the day. We were very lucky and blessed with glorious sunshine beating down across the icy white landscape.

After some splendid Mrs D type butties we were all set for the the off to see the famed Gullfoss Waterfall. What a sight it was too, two sets of falls at different angles to each other both dropping many meters. It was thick ice and very slippy here but well worth the struggle to stay upright!! The falls are fed from a glacier a few miles further up stream and some parts of the falls were also frozen over which give it an eerie look. All in all quite a spectacular waterfall made more so by the arctic landscape.

From here we were heading up to the rift valley where the 'tectonics' come in, more education now. On this part of the island the two tectonic plates come together, the North American plate and the European plate. So far so good. Tectonic plates push together or move sideways causing quakes and land movement. At this point here they are actually moving apart causing the rift valley between the two plates. The effects of this are clearly visible as you can see across to the other plate and the valley between is approx 5 kilometres wide and has formed the biggest lake on the Island where the land between the two plates has sunk.

If that wasn't enough, also here (on the North American plate side) is where the first parliament was held at a point they call the Law rock or Logberg as it is known locally. Historically it is where a law man would stand and preach to the masses with elected regional representatives. This was the first parliament and to this day the Icelanders still go to this spot to pass many new acts of government.

From here after a good hours walking and slipping around we headed back into town and back to our hotels. We dashed out for a quick pint and we tried some local fayre for dinner. Mrs D indulged in some lobster soup followed by a whale steak, I opted for a puffin salad starter followed by breast of puffin in some wonderful sauce.

The reason for the dash was that we were being picked up at 8 o'clock for another trip, a northern lights tour this time. This was a case of driving 25kms out of town away from the light pollution and standing around in the freezing cold & dark, gazing up into the sky for two hours. Well it's good if you get a result but on this occasion we saw nothing but the full moon. (which incidentally would be a problem if we did see the lights!!) Disappointed and cold we headed back to the hotel around midnight. The deal with the trip was that if we saw none we could go again tomorrow for free to try again!!

The following day was another trip to the famed blue lagoon. An outdoor swimming pool built on a thermal resort that uses the water from a nearby electricity generating station which has come straight out of the ground. Doesn't sound too good? Well it is great, the water is at a constant 39degrees c and there are saunas and all other pool related amenities. You can stay as long as you want but it's best to keep your body in the water as when you stand it is very cold!! After a few hours here and looking like a couple of prunes we headed back into town to go to a local museum which showed the link to the viking history. Splendid exhibition it was too.

The evening was early doors, another meal then back on the bus for a second attempt at the northern lights. This time we were successful but sadly the full moon hampered the clarity of the show. (There's always a full moon when you don't want one!!) We did see them albeit a little faint but it was good. Returning to the hotel at 1am it was a few hours kip before another early start for the flight back to the UK.

A cracking place, well worth a visit especially in the wintertime as it would look so different again in the summer.