The journey commences – at last!

The journey commences at last – well sort of.

We only had the last few bits and bobs to get ready before departing around lunchtime. These included the last load of laundry to get washed and dried and for me to replace the halogen bulb in the back garden PIR security light with one of a bit lower power. Unfortunately, as the PIR light had been in situ for well over five years when I took out the 500 watt bulb the spring contact had so severely corroded that the new bulb simply wouldn’t make a connection. There was little to be done but to make a hasty trip to B&Q and buy a new one.

So a new PIR light has been fitted and commissioned.

The time is now 16:00, the weather is fantastic, and at long last we’re off and heading north – me in the ‘van and Elaine following in the car. The plan is to spend the first few days in Snowdonia, then to travel to visit our friends in Kirkcudbright in the Borders before arriving in Edinburgh for some culture in the capital. From Edinburgh we’ll head up to Fort William, where we will leave our car at my Mum and Dad’s. The idea being that every three months we’ll travel back to the Midlands in the car to check on the house. Thankfully we have friends who are kindly looking after it for us – but as dutiful “landlords” we want to make sure everything is working out okay for them.

Thankfully the trip to Snowdonia was uneventful and was only accompanied by the spectacular autumn scenery. We “wild camped” just outside of Betws-y-Coed. Once you’ve shut up the blinds of the ‘van for the night, turned on the gas heating, made some dinner and opened a bottle of wine, you could essentially be anywhere.