Aug 10
(See our FILES for this blog as Word document)
A friend has said our journey sounds rather hectic and we realised we’ve only been picking out the “happenings” to tell you about, so thought we would tell you about one of the quieter days on the road. Mind you, we suspect our friend thinks of the journey as a holiday, which it isn’t if by holiday one envisages a long journey to a specific place where you stay for a week or more. We discovered a long time ago that the very best “happenings” and the most special people are found along the way in unexpected places. For instance today we were stopped in a lay-by when a motorcyclist stopped to chat. This was Horst, a local farmer and fellow traveller; he and Bill swapped stories for a while (Katmandu and Indonesia etc) and he told us it is the height of the fungi season just now then he was off only to return 15mins later with bacon from his own pigs, a pot of home made jam and a tin of fresh fungi. After giving instructions on using the fungi he was off again; we did give him our card but have no idea of his address or even surname so will probably never see him again but had we been on the motorway we wouldn’t have met at all.
Now that quiet day, I will choose one back in Russia.
We woke with the birds at 4.30am as usual but there is no rush to get up, just reach out of the blankets and switch the heater on, only when the van has warmed up will one of us get up and make some tea which we’ll drink in bed. By 6.30am we are up, washed and dressed and ready for the road, we like to breakfast a little later; we’ve been parked overnight beside a field track and against a thick hedge, completely out of view of anyone on the road but now we can see a tractor working on the other side of the field – bet he was surprised when he spotted us.
We drive till about 9am along minor country roads with all the normal potholes then stop beside another field but this time in full view of the road and passing traffic. As we breakfast road workers are strimming the grass verges and an occasional truck rattles by. We shopped yesterday so do not need to find a village so decide to stay put all day; a chance to do the washing, which Bill hangs in the bushes to dry in the brisk wind, and just a little housework before Bill cuts my hair – an amusing sight for passers by. The day is sunny and warm out of the wind so it is pleasant to sit outside and catch up with our writing while watching for hares and hunting birds across the field; both of those we see but the real surprise is the number of butterflies. Bill goes off with his camera and returns with a few more unusual spring flowers to press.
A leisurely lunch of smoked sausage and cucumbers with more of the tough bread is followed by coffee and a long discussion of the route ahead – which way shall we go? Do we need much shopping? A list is made then added to after I’ve prepared the evening meal of chicken hotpot and popped it in the slow cooker (hay box type). The washing is all dry, the van tidy and we are ready to move on; we rarely stay over night in a place where we have been in full view all day.
Within a few bone shaking miles there is an interesting side track, we stop and Bill goes for a recce; “Fine” he says and eases the van down the dirt track and behind another thick hedge. Here we are beside rough grazing land but the animals are all still snugged-up in their winter quarters somewhere. The sun is setting behind a distant ridge and we seem to have almost a 360degree view –it’s fantastic, who would have thought such a glorious sight was just behind the hedge? We can see distant habitation in a far valley but nothing close by. Supper is cooked and we toast the setting sun with vodka before drawing the curtains tight to keep out the rapidly encroaching cold, switching on the heater and having a short game of cards before turning in, snugged-up beneath the quilts by 9pm.
Now we really enjoyed that peaceful and uneventful day and you may have enjoyed reading about it but if we included too many, and there have been plenty, we think the blog may become a trifle boring.
Penny
A friend has said our journey sounds rather hectic and we realised we’ve only been picking out the “happenings” to tell you about, so thought we would tell you about one of the quieter days on the road. Mind you, we suspect our friend thinks of the journey as a holiday, which it isn’t if by holiday one envisages a long journey to a specific place where you stay for a week or more. We discovered a long time ago that the very best “happenings” and the most special people are found along the way in unexpected places. For instance today we were stopped in a lay-by when a motorcyclist stopped to chat. This was Horst, a local farmer and fellow traveller; he and Bill swapped stories for a while (Katmandu and Indonesia etc) and he told us it is the height of the fungi season just now then he was off only to return 15mins later with bacon from his own pigs, a pot of home made jam and a tin of fresh fungi. After giving instructions on using the fungi he was off again; we did give him our card but have no idea of his address or even surname so will probably never see him again but had we been on the motorway we wouldn’t have met at all.
Now that quiet day, I will choose one back in Russia.
We woke with the birds at 4.30am as usual but there is no rush to get up, just reach out of the blankets and switch the heater on, only when the van has warmed up will one of us get up and make some tea which we’ll drink in bed. By 6.30am we are up, washed and dressed and ready for the road, we like to breakfast a little later; we’ve been parked overnight beside a field track and against a thick hedge, completely out of view of anyone on the road but now we can see a tractor working on the other side of the field – bet he was surprised when he spotted us.
We drive till about 9am along minor country roads with all the normal potholes then stop beside another field but this time in full view of the road and passing traffic. As we breakfast road workers are strimming the grass verges and an occasional truck rattles by. We shopped yesterday so do not need to find a village so decide to stay put all day; a chance to do the washing, which Bill hangs in the bushes to dry in the brisk wind, and just a little housework before Bill cuts my hair – an amusing sight for passers by. The day is sunny and warm out of the wind so it is pleasant to sit outside and catch up with our writing while watching for hares and hunting birds across the field; both of those we see but the real surprise is the number of butterflies. Bill goes off with his camera and returns with a few more unusual spring flowers to press.
A leisurely lunch of smoked sausage and cucumbers with more of the tough bread is followed by coffee and a long discussion of the route ahead – which way shall we go? Do we need much shopping? A list is made then added to after I’ve prepared the evening meal of chicken hotpot and popped it in the slow cooker (hay box type). The washing is all dry, the van tidy and we are ready to move on; we rarely stay over night in a place where we have been in full view all day.
Within a few bone shaking miles there is an interesting side track, we stop and Bill goes for a recce; “Fine” he says and eases the van down the dirt track and behind another thick hedge. Here we are beside rough grazing land but the animals are all still snugged-up in their winter quarters somewhere. The sun is setting behind a distant ridge and we seem to have almost a 360degree view –it’s fantastic, who would have thought such a glorious sight was just behind the hedge? We can see distant habitation in a far valley but nothing close by. Supper is cooked and we toast the setting sun with vodka before drawing the curtains tight to keep out the rapidly encroaching cold, switching on the heater and having a short game of cards before turning in, snugged-up beneath the quilts by 9pm.
Now we really enjoyed that peaceful and uneventful day and you may have enjoyed reading about it but if we included too many, and there have been plenty, we think the blog may become a trifle boring.
Penny
Norma
2008-08-10