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Topics - Tai-chi wanderer

#1
Van Conversion / Shock therapy
August 14, 2015, 10:32:57 AM
Just put the van in for it's MOT and found out I need £600's worth of welding, shite.
Can't get past it, just wish I could do the job, it's one skill I don't have.
#2
Weaving in and out according to wi-fi reception, calling in at St Malo Monday then off to Carnac.
Will keep foto's coming as and when internet allows. Anybody else in Brittany?
Probably stay in France for a couple of months, want to chase the Cathar castles scenes and Knights Templar faiths.
So starting at Carcasonne and tootling across to Andorra and then back to Provence, according to weather vagureys may choose Spain instead. When you have van one can travel anywhere, in your own time, simples.
August is out, too hot too crowded, so will turn about and head for home.


Regards Patrick
#3
Common Room / Load and lock.
March 27, 2015, 01:39:48 PM
Ferry paid for, g/kids coming to stay for the week, took my last class of Tai-chi n yoga, bye til October students.
Yeah, a bit of finagling with the van, fill her with water, put the mattress in and we are away. Euro is the best it has been for yonks, let the sunshine in!


Her indoors is already packed.


Next year it's a trailer and I will take the Bike.
#4
Hi lots on the Forum about building and planning, can I put down horror stories straight away. Most are coming from peeps in flimsies (custom/A class motorhomes), so already they are travelling with a huge target on their sides.  Look at me £80k m/home and all the valuables inside.

Mark will poke me for being negative but after living/traveling the roads for over 30 years we have a cautionary tale. It will never happen to us, hmmmmmmm.
We let our guard down, last year in September.

Okay horror story..... It happened to us.
Down a tiny country lane, nr. Gueret in the Limousin region, heading for St Dizier. Rain coming down, skies low, Tom Petty on the cd.
Pulled over because a huge Mitzi Animal was storming towards me, it barrelled past and took off my wing mirror. It was quickly followed by 2 more big 4 x drive vehicles, and 2 small cars.
My mirror was gone. no more, blank hole, empty scenic space. I pulled off slowly, bewailing that would cost me.
5 minutes down the road all L erupted behind me, flashing lights, horns blaring. I thought it might be an ambulance, (Brit thoughts akimbo) It could not pass so I pulled as close to the ditch next to me and tried to breath in. Still the lights flashed and mud was being churned from the adjacent ditch as the vehicle could not pass. I stopped.
Now we are seasoned travellers and have done Spain and Italy for over 30 years, first rule, don't stop, second, have camera handy, third, have a can of hairspray to the fore, forth, baseball bat down the side of the door (masquerading as a door handle lift, to pull you up the step).

My passenger rolled down the window, wrong side of the road don't forget. He was almost pulled  though the window frame by a hairy Frenchie, about 6.4 tall, wearing a boiler suit. I stepped out the other side, and ran around the front. Immediately I was spat on and shouted at, possibly exceeding 120 decibels. I had 2 elderly passengers, we had booked a Gite to stay for 2 weeks. My wife was in the back, unable to see what was going on.
In seconds I was surrounded by about 10 guys, my passenger says 14, I did not count. All the cars had turned about and chased me down the lane.

So I was lost in France 14.00 hrs, gendarmes at lunch of course and me defending 3 elderly peeps as an only driver ..... With my rough French, I sussed out they wanted 100€ for their smashed mirror. Walking over to look at their damage, I looked in the cab a saw 2 rifles and a shotgun propped up against the dashboard.
Wrong move, I've lived in France, out of season hunters, pink caps and raiding somebodies 'chaise' plot. Then I got a thump on the chest by mister big n hairy. There was a horse fair we had passed further down the road, so hunters and gypsies on the make from Johnny tourist.
I'm pretty fiery and teach tai-chi and contest taikwondo, but here I was going to get a good kicking, too many.
Even tho I was tempted to demonstrate the Glasgow keees, because his spitty face was bent so close to mine and my knee was so precisely aimed.

His spiel was, we Brits always had a sob story about how broke we were and how we hated their country and the French and yet made a mess of it by visiting, etc.

Rather a long thread so I'll cut it there. Unless you want to hear the end.
Time this was set in, September 2014. Moral..... do not stop, just drive to the nearest town, village, whatever.
Never been stopped before, never had any trouble. Do not relax your guard, always be sensible about parking.
We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
#5
Common Room / Echoooooo
February 16, 2015, 04:53:42 PM
Hello anybody here, bit quiet today.
#6
Common Room / Dumbed down
February 12, 2015, 03:59:24 PM
Can someone tell me how to put piccies on, every time I touch the icon i just get [img] now what do I do?

Perhaps I'm missing something and do I have to re-size?
#7
Common Room / Hi Peeps.
February 11, 2015, 12:41:58 PM
Just mail to say I'm human, although my sig. other half sometimes wonders.

Regards Patrick
#8
Common Room / 2 penny worth.
February 07, 2015, 02:25:35 PM
I can't see any provision for peeps homebase coming up on intro. Would be good to see if anyone with probs or need help are in your locale.
Have put mine on my profile which can be clicked on. I'm not adverse to popping over to a fellow builder and lending a hand. Sometimes another pair just help shift you speedily onto the next stage.
#9
Common Room / Trundle along
February 05, 2015, 01:18:46 PM
May be a bit early for some folks, if you are a newbie to Euro travel and you want to dip your toe in the water, with help. We are oft to jolly ole France in May (18th), as we live in Dorset we will be using Poole to Cherbourg.

Anyone who would like to accompany us is welcome, we will be using aires/freeparking and cheepo c/sites when needed. Ie: washing clothes etc.
If you are coming across anywhere else could arrange a meet-up point. In the UK or France.
We have booked this early to take advantage of the rip-off ferry prices across what constitutes a pond. Especially if you have a van, early to mid season can be a nightmare to book and gets expensive.
Primarily 2 months away, but we do get sidetracked, 2013 we took 7 months away. Got lost! Met great peeps and wandered hither and thither.
That's what's great about carrying a snail shell around, not tied to a schedule and retired.
Also not to much strain on the budget it's only food and diesel, the fuel, we try not to cane it.
#10
Common Room / Bon,Hola,hi
February 03, 2015, 08:41:26 PM
Just become a newbie.
Looks like you's all into discussing travelling as well as building. Good o.
Lived in France for a couple of years running a yoga retreat in Cahors.
Lived in Spain for over 7 years.
Booked time out for 2 months to re-visit friends in Potes, Spain, in May. May meander across France and get into Spain, and get out again before August when the great mad rush starts.
Ardent Biker, Honda 1100xx Blackbird. Would like to trailer it down South sooner or later. Then I'll have the best of both worlds. Somewhere to eat n sleep and something to scratch around the great roads in the sunshine.

Looking forward to chewing the cud, drive and ride save. Patrick.