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Retired and galavanting Read more Wickhambrook, United Kingdom
  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 22

    We are home

    October 1, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After the very nice hotel we came back to reality at a budget hotel which had goats in the back yard, it was very near the port of Dunkirk. The town in which it was located was called Loon Plage. It had an interesting history a nice church and patisserie.

    Up this morning at 07.30. A quick breakfast then to the ferry for a smooth crossing. Dover was under cloud as we set off in the car and soon we were at a stand still in the M20 for road works. The roads were surprisingly busy for a Sunday and the road surface on UK roads is one of the worst.
    We got home at 4pm having stopped to buy food for tonight's meal.

    21 days since we left Malta.
    2200 miles
    71 UK gallons or 322 litres of petrol.
    Half a litre of oil is all Blubelle used.
    I've already drained the oil while it was hot and will treat her to new oil and filter.
    No breakdowns at all, just a squeak that appeared then disappeared after a couple of days.
    The same as on the drive to Malta we used exactly one tube of toothpaste.

    We have had such a good time.
    We made new friends and even met friends from previous adventures.
    There are many new memories and photographs to look back on.
    Thanks to all who followed our adventure, it was nice thinking you were there. Maybe we'll do another some time.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 20

    Tournai Belgium

    September 29, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Every day we begin by putting a destination of between 3 and 4 hours and it always takes 6 or 7.
    Today we started with the hood down in cloudy weather and after an hour we stopped and put it up as we approached heavy rain. . We drove through it and stopped at Givet France which is surrounded on three sides by Belgium. We had lunch and a look at the river Meuse and the Charlemont castle. Very pretty.
    90 minutes later the next stop was for coffee and to book a place to stay, we were short on options and the weather was changeable so I said one more hour driving. That last hour was on a motorway with lots of cars but not many trucks and thankfully no rain.
    This hotel is better than we usually choose. It has a restaurant and I noticed many tame rabbits walking about.

    We could get to UK tomorrow but it would be a long day so we will drive close to Dunkirk and get a ferry late Sunday morning. The roads will be easier in UK on Sunday.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 19

    Longwy France

    September 28, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    A lovely breakfast followed by a nice farewell from our new German friends. The sat nav was programmed to take us to Völklingen steel works which was the first industrial world heritage site. First opened over a hundred years ago it was amazing just how big it was. We took some great photos and Mandy looks forward to producing a painting from one or two. We stayed a couple of hours then sat and decided where to stay tonight.
    We are in France having passed through part of Luxembourg and even into Belgium for a few minutes. Not long before arriving here we were stopped by police who just wanted to chat about the car. They then stopped all the traffic so we could leave. It has been a good day.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 18

    Oberhausen Germany

    September 27, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Germany is not as forward in accepting card payments as I thought. Last night the restaurant insisted on cash and today as we tried to check out of the hotel the Booking.com payment didn't go through so I offered 2 cards. The machine wouldn't accept either so I had to go into town and draw can then come back and pay.
    Today's drive was nearly all motorway. The sat nav said 3.5 hours. It took nearly 6 with stops and traffick issues.
    I needed petrol and bought some at the wrong place. I've never paid so much 2.37 euro per litre. Then 4.50 for a coffee
    .
    We are in a lovely place tonight which is half the price of last night's hotel. We met some nice German people and had evening meal with them. The hotel has a vineyard so we will buy some wine in the morning before we leave.
    Not many good photos today as the motorway was boring.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 17

    Wertach-Haslach. Germany

    September 26, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    It was 6c when we woke this morning so I dressed for it. Within 10 minutes of leaving the hotel we were in a road works traffic jam which took nearly half an hour to clear by which time it had warmed. It has been a perfect day to drive. Lovely weather, even the notorious Brenner pass was not busy.
    Later we went over Fernpasse which was easy compared to yesterday's pass.
    We stopped for fuel and to buy a vignette for Austria. As usual people photoed the car so I let a pretty woman sit in while her husband took photos. I said you look like a film star as she posed. He said she is. In Austrian TV programmes.
    Later we meet some English bikers on Harley's only to have them all beep and wave as the passed us later in the road. An hour later we stopped and there they where again.
    Now we are in Germany at a rather traditional style hotel next to a railway station and level crossing so the train gives a loud beep as it moves. I noticed on the map it is also next to a place called Wank. ha ha
    We will decide tomorrow morning where to go next.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 16

    Valdaora Italy

    September 25, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    It was great to wake up to sunshine this morning at Lake Bled Slovenia but I wasn't expecting 8c temperature. By the time we left it was 11c. I drove with my thin waterproof over my thin jumper and was fine. The route Mandy chose was just great. No motorways, quiet roads and a couple of challenging passes one called Wrzenpass which has a very long downhill at 18% so it was second and third gear for a long time and I still had to brake quite a lot. As usual Blubelle was great. I've uploaded a video from the second much easier pass.
    We stopped for a coffee and noticed a clothes shop across the road. Mandy bought me a nice winter jacket, a wooly hat and a pair of gloves. She also bought herself a nice jumper.
    So now I'm prepared for the cold.
    Of course soon after buying a jacket it warmed up and I took it off.

    We started the day in Slovenia then crossed a border into Austria then another into Italy which is where we are now. Tomorrow we will probably go over the Brenner pass then into Germany.
    This hotel which in winter would be a ski resort town. Very nice. We walked into town for a pizza which was good but we both thought the red and white wine at 1.30€ glasses were watered down.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 15

    Lake Bled Slovenia

    September 24, 2023 in Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    The strong wind of the Bora died by morning so we packed and was in the car by 9.30
    It was noticeably cooler and not long after we began driving first we had gentle rain then it got harder and harder and colder so we swapped to the motorway to try to outrun it but unfortunately we didn't so we had 4 hours at 12c and at times strong wind combined with very heavy rain. .
    We both had our jackets, long trousers and jumpers to try to stay warm. Water was dripping from the top of the windscreen down the dashboard then into my right leg. We stopped a couple of times for coffee and in one we had a good chat with locals as they prepared to play cards. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant come military museum with all sorts of memorabilia and what I thought was soldiers food.
    At 3pm we arrived at hotel Preseren on Lack Bled which we booked at 1pm. It is right on the bank of Lake Bled an old traditional but popular hotel with only 8 rooms. It has good reviews for meals so we look forward to that The setting is looking understandably alpine with a castle on a hill and a church in an island as we are close to the border with Austria.
    It was only after we checked in did I realise I was really cold. Tomorrow the forecast is saying 20c and no rain. So we will continue north.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 14

    Senj Croatia

    September 23, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Today was very much influenced by the weather as we tried to outrun the Bora. A Bora is a katabatic wind which is cool air from the mountains meets warm air causing the wind to plummet down from the mountain at very high speed to the Adriatic sea. There are only a few places in the world where this phenomenon happens. It causes roads and bridges to be closed and often results in damage to house. It is known to be strongest and coldest wind in Europe. One is forecast for tonight.

    We could see bad weather approaching from behind us as we left Sukosan. We got as far as Senj traveling along the coastal road which is one of the most renowned motorcyclists roads in the world. We had two hours of continuous bends on a perfect road surface. We wanted to get further than Sinj but the weather caught up and a thunder storm stopped us in our tracks so we quickly booked a place to stay that has covered parking for Blubelle. We are not out of the Bora's influence so we hope it will not be a severe one.

    The historic coastal town of Senj was settled in the second century BC by the Romans. In 1184 it was given to the Knights Templar by the then king of Hungary. It has a nice fortress still standing that was built in 1548. We enjoyed a walk around as it was not overrun by tourists.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 10

    Still at Sukosan

    September 19, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The drive from lake Peruça was a real pleasure. No traffic no motorway nice roads and small quiet towns. I did notice the steering of the car was becoming a bit iffy, the free play on the steering wheel needed adjusting. It's a VW steering box so I made a note to do it after Mandy had gone.

    Mandy needed to fly back to England to attend an open day at the Royal society of marine artists because for the first time they are exhibiting one of her paintings. I'll attach a photo of it. She really is very good. On the 21st she flies back to Zadar which is why we chose a place near the airport for me to wait for her.

    After Mandy left for the airport I adjusted the steering. The apartment we rented includes covered parking, a swimming pool and nice rooms. The job was straight forward, I jacked up the car so there was very little weight on the wheels as I made the adjustment. Then I went for a walk to the marina which is 15 minutes away. A short rest, a sandwich then a 4 hour walk along unmade tracks to get to a place in the hills high above Sukosan from where Zadar was shelled during the war. I got to within 100 meter and there was a fence stopping me. I was exhausted by the time I got back as a lot of the walking was hard going.

    Next day
    I've taken the car out for an 11 minute drive to the place I didn't get to in 2 hours each way walking yesterday. It was closed.

    On the way back I stopped to fill Bluebelle's tank with petrol as I pulled in I was followed by seven cars all with Belgian registration. Five were Lamborghini's with a couple Porsche's. I chatted to the owners, the black car next to mine in the photo has 650 horse power. My MG has 53. I was first to pay for my fuel, there were 3 Lamborghini owners behind me so I said in a loud voice mine is the nice one and the attendant guessed correctly. Then he asked if it is an old Lamborghini.
    The sports car owners came and listened in awe as I started the engine to leave. They were a friendly bunch.

    On the subject of mistaken identity, since we left Malta I've been asked three times if Bluebelle is a Rolls-Royce twice if it is a Morgan and once if it is a Jaguar.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMalta to Uk not direct.
    Day 8

    Sukosan near Zadar. Croatia

    September 17, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Sukosan near Zadar

    We visited the Eye of Croatia which was beautiful. It is the source of the Cetina river and is over 150 metre deep and very cold.
    As usual many people wanted to photo the car including one very pretty girl from Poland who I let sit in it. I thought she was really nice until she asked how old is the car then asked if I've had it from new! Her family had a drone and offered to send me footage of the Eye and my car and then we met again at the church of the Holy Salvation. A few kilometres away.
    I don't have the footage yet. I will add it when it arrives.
    A beautiful drive back to our accommodation included crossing a river that was so pretty.
    When we got back Mandy went to paint and I took the wheel off the car to find why it was squeaking just a little. The wheel bearings where very well packed with grease so it isn't that. I cleaned the drum and put it all back together. It still squeaks but it is so gentle I'll just put in my ear plugs. That'll fix it.
    After a cuppa I went out in the kayak which was so difficult to manage in the currents that I didn't stay long.

    This morning I came to check out and the man said cash only. I didn't have enough so we agreed on a bank transfer which wouldn't accept his IBAN number. In the end I used PayPal which did accept it. Problem solved.    Read more

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