Heading for the Channel

We've said goodbye to what has been our most permanent residence since we sold our house. Over the last six months we’ve spent 3 ½ weeks in this spot in southern France.

On Saturday morning our mates got back from the UK with tales of house-high snow piles and pack ice on the roads. It sounds hideous; we can't wait to get back. On Monday afternoon we put all our clutter back in Ken (The van has finally got a name; Kenwood - as in Chef. We think he looks like one.) and after hugs, tears and promises of boating holidays next year, we set off, all-be-it slowly towards Calais.

This trip has been amazing in ways that we could never have dreamed of, but we miss England.

Since we left work and set off on this adventure every new day has given us chance to wonder at the diversity of what we’ve found around us. We’ve tried to make the most of every opportunity and we don’t regret a single minute of any of it. It has been a journey of extremes; from the joy of seeing dozens of beautiful dolphins leaping out of the water in Gibraltar to the despair of finding a hole in the radiator and all the coolant gone. We’ve leant on the wind on top of mountains, skinny-dipped in natural steaming pools, been too hot, too cold and soaking wet, but above all we’ve had FUN!

In January we’re off again to the other side of the world, 5 weeks in New Zealand followed by 6 weeks in Australia, if this trip round three countries in Europe has been such an adventure, imagine how brilliant that’s going to be! There will never be enough adjectives.

Before that we have two weeks in the UK visiting as many friends and family that we can fit in. We’re having Christmas day with Frankie and Harry in their new flat, we can’t wait. They inherited our Christmas decorations when we sold the house; that’s going to be a bit weird.

For now though we’ve got 3 days travelling left before we stop being foreigners.

Of course we’ve now got lists again; a present list, a Christmas card list, lists of things to pack for Aus & NZ, lists of things to do before we fly.…..becoming listless is taking a while.