Fri 27 Oct 9° Portsmouth - ferry to Santander Northern Spain

A lovely sunny day, after lunch we drove to the ferry terminal via Shell for LPG......none in Portsmouth!

We got a front row view of all the port ferry activity, huge trucks, containers being loaded on by small swivel cabs engines that can reverse the huge containers but once swivelled looks like they are pushing it on. All shapes and sizes of cars....ohhhh a Porche ....we are in good company haha.

Our turn to drive on and up a r.r.r.a.a.m.m.p.p. very juddery then round a corner and tucked in amongst boats and other motorhomes.

We found our cabin, good size central window, we went up on deck to explore and there was a really nice welcome with free Tapas and Sangria.

The sun was shining as we sailed out of Portsmouth into the setting sun, a grand finale to our UK adventures as we now head to Santander for our last leg of our retirement adventures.

We went back to our cabin and had a wee celebratory Blair Atholl single malt, that we bought in Scotland with Pat and Les.

The TV was showing the Catalonia Independence crisis in Barcelona....glad we are up North away from it all.

We are on the Cap Finistere, the smallest of the French Brittany ferries, there are 2 restaurants both with identical menu's and a cafe that you can buy a meal and heat it up in the microwave.  We opted for the restaurant with the waiter service, same price as the other more casual dining area. Very nice 2 course meal £20 I had seafood entre with a main of crab and linguistine lasagne in creamy sauce Tony had duck entre and main, yummy treat.

Into the main bar for a quiz night got 2nd,  followed by bingo no where near ticking all the numbers, never mind it was a bit of fun.

A very smooth crossing, hardly know you were moving.

Thurs 26 Oct 13° Portsmouth

Woke to a wet world, the car park still busy with the Health, Leisure and Racquet club, people coming all day to that and the many restaurants and cinema in the evening, a very popular place.

Gave Tony a beard trim and sorted out some Spanish stuff and did some messages and emails this morning.

After lunch we walked a mile to the bus stop £8.40 2 returns for half hour ride to the bus depot .  Just outside the modern building which is also the ferry to the Isle of Wight terminal, was the large HMS Warrior and the Emirates Spinnaker Tower.

Walked along a little bit and came to a seafood stall, cockles, mussels , whelks and crayfish tails....ummmmmm 🤔 yep had the crayfish  £3.50 a pottle.

Went into the old Historic Dockyard, different museums, Marie Rose museum, HMS Victory, Nelson's famous ship and the brand new aircraft carrier HMS Elizabeth,  not open to the public yet.

Captains cabin

Not where you want to be .....the brig

When we came out we had a cleansing ale in the Ship Ansen,   a lovely old Tudor  pub, it was showing the highlights of the West Ham match and Tony got talking to a guy watching it who was also a fan.  He and his wife were from Jersey Island, he is ex British Marines and was hoping to get on the new aircraft carrier tomorrow.

Bus back to Port Solent, yehhhh we remembered where to get off and walked the mile back to Bessie. Cooked chicken madras for dinner, it was yummy.

Good skype with Lesley great to catch up on her trip, looking good and had a fantastic time. Good to see Christine there both just out for their morning walk, you go girls 😎

Had a good chat with Pat, she had a win at bingo so is having a lovely pamper session at the city spa that she and I went to 3 years ago. Enjoy your well deserved pamper big sis xox. 

Wed 25 Oct 14° Port Solent, Portsmouth

Leisurely morning today, sunny and warm. Went to the shop to buy matching mug First Mate for me, then drove to Park and Ride to get bus into city. Arrived but it had a barrier height Restriction!  not for motorhomes so drove to old port, traffic was horrendous, school holidays, not pleasant. Drove to sea front but too far away to walk back to city so drove to Whale Island car park, but too small, not suitable for med to long motorhomes.

Drove back to Port Solent, went to Tesco got diesel £1.16 £30. Then to the huge Tesco for a few bits, Tony bought a piece of gammon £2.68 750grms 2 gammon steaks were £3.30. The butcher kindly sharpened our knife so we could slice it up. I got a new phone charger in their electric depth.

Back to Port Solent for the night, we had gammon, Brussels and little boiled potatoes.

Tues 24 Oct 12° Awesworth - Portsmouth

Wet again overnight, drove round and got service book stamped, no problems, left and on our way South.

Out of Northampton there was an accident on the road we needed to take, so got diverted towards Milton Keynes along beside the Grand Union Canal.

So many roundabouts one after the other, after the other every half mile or so, as bad as France.

We just clicked over 14,000 miles......11 months.

Diesel £20 at £1.22 ltr for 16.4 ltrs. Petersfield about 12 miles north of Portsmouth.

Arrived at Marina Keep, Port Solent,  huge car park, excellent surface, couple of other motorhomes here as well so that's good.

Walked around the very upmarket Marina, must be about 20 restaurants which were very pricey , we did look but decided to save our money for the ferry. A couple of clothing and shoe shops and a nautical shop just closed but it had a matching mug to Tony's birthday mug from Pat and Les, his says Skipper.......my one has First Mate......we will go back in the morning to buy it.

Didn't get anything out of the freezer so we had ham and cheese omelette with salad for dinner.

Elliot starts his new job in Auckland tomorrow, good luck, thinking of you, we are sure it will go well.

Mon 23 October 10° Oaktree Motorhomes, Awesworth

Raining today, 8.30 drove round to Oaktree, handed Bessie over for boiler element repair and told Dave the 2 front LED lights not working again and broken blind was not done.

We walked around to Ikea Centre,  had coffee, then lunch in Ikea,  very good value meals, smoked salmon and salad £2.75 Cod and chips  £4.50.

We bought 2 new throws for Bessie for the summer....well winter sun.

Walked back to Oaktree 2.30 all done, even got a new blind, we said our thanks and goodbyes....hope we won't need to come back again.

When we got back we checked the books and the service stamp had not been put in the service book, rang Dave,  he said come back in the morning,  not his fault we have 3 books, he stamped 2 but missed the one we needed.

Drink and dinner in the pub,  got talking to a couple of locals had a good evening.

Sun 22nd Oct 12° Lincoln to Awesworth

Tony took the dogs for a walk, this morning wet and drizzly weather, did domestics, leisure battery was down to 10.2v not been that low before so plugged into the electric for couple of hours and came up again very quickly to 14.3v.

Very tasty Caribbean chicken, jacket and roast potatoes and vegetables for our farewell lunch, yummy.

We said our farewells again and set off for to Hogs Head in Awesworth pub stop around the corner from Oaktree Motorhomes.

Thanks for everything big sis xoxoxoxoxox

Arrived 4.30 in sunshine, lite tea tonight in Bessie after big farewell lunch.

Sat 21st Oct 13° Lincoln

Pat drove Tony to Crown and Arrows pub to watch the ABs vs Aust rugby and we went to B&M, bought 2 battery led candles for Bessie and couple of bits.

Back to pub for lunch and commiserations as ABS lost.....not the best lunch either and Pat said would not eat there again.

After a lite tea, beef and horseradish rolls and blue cheese, we watched Strictly Come Dancing, then Tony watched some F1 and Pat and I watched Les Mis. musical.

Nice evening and it will be our last for a while now as in Spain and Portugal until March/ April all being well.

Fri 20 Oct 12° Lincoln

After breakfast Pat drove us to the Travel Agent and we booked our flights home. Leave Heathrow 20th May on Malaysia Airlines, arrive Auckland May 22nd.

Got back and renewed our Travel Insurance so an expensive couple of days, but has to be done.

We cooked Chinese and Thai for dinner, Danny came over and after dinner, Tony got the bus to The Plough to watch football, West HamHam and Pat, Danny and I went to the village hall for a visiting Medium, Paul Humphries £8.

We didn't get any messages but he certainly covered a lot of the people there and judging by their reactions he was spot on. Very good evening.

Pat dropped Danny off with his mates and we went home, no sign of Tony....we waited and waited......10.30 I went out to have a look and saw him walking down the road....bus only on the hour......and West Ham lost.....  so not a very happy chappy . 

Thurs 19 Oct 13° Lincoln

News from Elizabeth at home, Winston went with Labour and Greens so new government with 3 parties to try to work together. That will be interesting...

Wet and raining today.

Pat took us to doctors to get Tony's prescription then to Sainsburys for tomorrow's dinner and got the prescription filled.

After an early dinner Pat, Tony and I got the bus into Lincoln to the Theatre for an amateur dramatics comedy, musical show. We picked up the tickets £10.50 each then to pub for a pre show drink.

Good show, bit of humour and good songs, eclectic mix of costumes and abilities but generally very good.

As we came out I noticed Tony didnt have the umbrella,  he had left it in the pub,  which was now closed.....he went over and knocked on the door...peered through the window and luckily the barman who served us recognised him and opened up and gave him the forgotten umbrella.

Walking back through town to the bus station all manner of outfits on guys and girls going out for night, some so scantily clad they must have been frozen.

Wed 18 Oct 11° Lincoln

Washing day, renewed and paid Bessie' Insurance and breakdown cover.

Went to the shops with Pat

I cooked salmon steaks, stir fry veg for dinner.

Pat and Ena went to Bingo...Ena won £41!  very good.

Tues 17 Oct 12° Awesworth to Lincoln

9am we went into meet Viv and Tony for breakfast £15 for 2...dearer than our dinner...still nice company and conversation made up for it.

After we had eaten they checked out and put their luggage in Bessie and we went in the car with them to Sherwood Forest £3 for the car park, but lovely forest walks to the Grand Oak, Robin Hood and his merrymen supposedly used this asearch a meeting room.

We walked around the exhibition  centre and brought back memories of Richard Green the actor who played Robin in the 60's TV series.

We drove into the village and had coffee and the 2 Tony's had scones and cream.....Viv was very good but I had a little bite with a lot of really thick cream yumm it was a tiny cake shop cafe , very nice little village. As we walked back to the car we saw a statue of Robin and Maid Marion and Viv took our photo.

Drove  back to Bessie and farewelled Viv and Tony, they drove back to Manchester airport to fly back to NZ via a week in the Gold Coast at Tony's parents.

It was a great catch up and good to see them.

We drove back to Lincoln, our home away from home, Pat cooked a delicious roast chicken for dinner. 

Mon 16 Oct 15° Oaktree 12 month service and MOT

4.30am we woke to an alarm was going off...charging our devices on the inverter. Good job it happened today, another thing for Oaktree.

Drove round to Oaktree at 8.30am, Dave came in and we went over few things, 3 led bulbs not coming on , hose under sink leaking. The inverter alarm was flat battery it will all be  checked in habitation check.

Walked round to Ikea Centre,  Viv and Tony arrived and we had coffee and good catch up, then had lunch in Ikea, very good value meals. The sky was very wiered,  all grey haze and the sun was a small orange ball in the sky, very eerie. Maybe the remnants of hurricane Ophilia.

Dave rang about 2.30 all done passed service and MOT but they found the boiler elements only working on half so need a new element. Booked till Nov! told him we have ferry booked for 26th and he said he would ring round to see if he could get a subcontractor.

We drove round with Viv and Tony and Dave said he has got someone for Monday...whewwww. He said they checked the leisure battery and it was showing 'replace' and they are not covered on warranty,  we said we had 2.......they had only checked one.... he said if we need 2 new ones it would be £240. While we waited,  Viv and Tony had a look at some of the other motorhomers on site then went back to Hogs Head to check in etc.

When Dave came back he said it was an old fuse on the leisure battery which they replaced, when re checked both were fine whewwww.

Paid the bill for service, MOT and habitation check £499 all up, nothing else to pay as boiler covered on warranty.

We drove back to Hogs Head, tidied up as they had to get in under bed and both settees,  they did a good job of putting it all back, but we just put it straight before   Viv and Tony came in for a cuppa and look at Bessie.

Very windy as we walked over to pub for dinner.....they were dressed for warmer weather...ever hopeful haha.

The roasts had gone up from £3.50 to  £4.00  haha we all shared 2 berry crumble 's and custard and had Irish coffee's to finish the evening.

Lovely catch up, great to see them.

Sun 15 Oct 14° Lincoln to Awesworth, Nottingham

Tony washed our Bessie and Pat cooked up a fantastic brunch, eggs, bacon, chipolata, mushrooms and tomatoes, fried potatoes, baked beans and toast.!! What a feast.

After showers and ready for the off, Pat drove us to try to get some replacement LED bulbs for Bessie...no luck...didn't realise it would be so difficult...oh well service tomorrow so they should have some.

It was a lovely afternoon as we said our farewells and drove off to Hogs Head where we park around the road from Oaktree for the service in the morning.

Arrived about 4.30pm....just closing...no dinners tonight.....they will be offering sandwiches at the quiz night later but that's all......whoops and we purposely didn't stock up for the service tomorrow .....buggar.....the cupboards are bare.....thank goodness Pat cooked up a feast, at least we won't starve haha.

Sat 14 Oct 19° Lincoln

What a cracker day, warm and sunny....

We went into Lincoln on the bus, £4.20 each,  day rider, Tony and Pat bought tickets to the football £15 each then we all had lunch before they went to the game Lincoln Imps vs Cambridge United.

I enjoyed a walk around the city, it was very busy, the sun must have brought everyone out.

Pat and Tony were very dissapointed with the game, very mediocre, scoreless match.

We had light tea of home made Thai vegetables soup....very tasty thanks Pat.

We watched Strictly Come Dancing on the TV then Pat and I played 4 games of  Rummy cub, good fun.

Fri 13 Oct 15° York to Lincoln

Today is the English memorial of our family friend Ethel who passed away in NZ, her ashes have been brought home.

Sunny, dry day.....we see the sun...yeah....a blustery wind though for our drive back to Lincoln.

Stopped at Burton Rd Shell for diesel £1.17 £38 for 33ltrs....lpg 67p  £1.68 ...not a bit fill needed then haha.

Into Lidl for couple of bits then arrived at Pat's about 3.30pm, she was cooking a lovely roast chicken and lots of veges for dinner...yummy...thanks Pat.