Another week

How time flies! It's August already - how did that happen! But thank goodness the weather has returned to more seasonal temperatures and that golden orb in the sky is well and truely back. It was simply dire until the middle of last week, but I did manage to grab a nice little 10km run up on the Plateau de Sault along the Cathare Trail on Wednesday during a brief interlude. I think this photo sums up quite nicely the kind of skies that have dominated recently!

Then on Friday I hopped on the mountain bike for a wonderfully fast 35km circuit from the house, using as many tracks and trails as possible but avoiding the excessively muddy sections that make riding unnecessarily hard work. I pushed hard all the way round and felt well-worked when I arrived back home after under 2 hours in the saddle. Full stats on the usual site. I love my mountain bike. Hopefully more riding in the course of this week.

The past two days have been spent making the locker and cupboard doors (all 20 of them!) for Sadie and doing many little jobs that have been on the list too. Having locker doors will make such a difference in the van as everything will obviously be securely stowed away rather than flying out when we go round a corner too fast! We need to acquire another 3 push button knobs but otherwise they are done. Don't they look great?

Travels end

We left the Quantocks and headed to mum's in Dorset where we had a lovely few days doing final bits of shopping, washing and generally getting caught up with ourselves before we contemplated the journey home. Taff enjoyed his last walk across the tracks from mum's....

... but then we headed in the Portsmouth direction ready to catch the ferry at 08.30 Tuesday morning. I found a cracking overnight spot on the wildcamping.co.uk website which was perfectly situated at the end of the road from where the foot ferry goes over to Hayling Island and just 10 minutes from the Channel ferry terminal. Perfect!

The ferry trip to le Havre was uneventful but from there we relied on the GPS to take us down towards Alencon avoiding toll motorways. This wasn't the best move for various reasons so I took control of the map and directed us without a hitch. I knew roughly the area that I wanted to head for (The Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine between Alencon and Le Mans) but didn't know whether we would be able to find a wild camping spot at which to park up for the night. But I spotted a lake on the map. Where there are lakes there always parking spots. This one, near the village of Sillé-Guillaume, was a cracker and clearly a well-known spot for motorhome and campervan overnighting! 

Just across the road was the lovely little lake...

... plus a little restaurant from which we enjoyed a takeaway pizza. There were waymarked mountain bike circuits from the lake but unfortunately a decidedly dicky tummy prevented me from doing anything vaguely active while we were there, which was a shame. We parked up for 2 nights and then decided to make the big push for home in one go .... a push of over 8 hours of driving. Fortunately, driving conditions were good.... it wasn't too hot and the autoroutes were as empty as they always are... and we were home by 7pm with the evening ahead of us. We had been away for 6 weeks. The fact that we had only planned on being away for 2-3 weeks says a lot. Sadie has been such a pleasure to spend time in. I can't wait to go away in her again, although that won't be before September when the temperatures drop and the holiday season has come to an end. The French Alps are on the cards and then we are intending to spend some considerable time down in Spain over the winter. Fun times!

But back at base, unfortunately, over the 6 weeks in which we had been away, some adders had taken up residence around the woodpile in front of the house. The dog was our main worry, so we had a go at trapping them and releasing them well away from the house. The biggest one escaped but the one that we did catch was a decent size!

We also caught some smaller grass snakes from around the woodpile and likewise 'rehomed' them away from the house. I don't like snakes! But they weren't our only concern. I was not best pleased when I took a shower and realised that the water was not draining and the shower tray was filling with worryingly brown water. Plunging the plug hole had no effect whatsoever. There was clearly a blockage somewhere down the line! We eventually unearthed (literally) the waste water pipe where it exits the house. It was not connected to the pipe which looked like it should carry waste away from the house and it was filled with all kinds of detritus. A good rodding eventually cleared the blockage and the water eventually ran clear. Relief!

The travels continue

Well, highlights of the last 10 days in the North of England have included ....

....parking up for 2 nights in a wonderfully secluded spot on the Whinlatter road near Keswick with Bassenthwaite Lake below...

... where there was the most amazing old oak tree ...

... and from where we rode the Whinlatter Altura Trail (North Loop) and Quercus on the mountain bikes which was some of the most technical riding I have ever done and great fun! The views to Skiddaw were wonderful before we got drenched in a downpour on the way back

Highlight 2 - catching up with my sis and going for a lovely walk with her up on Askham Moor where we parked up for the night... an idyllic spot by anybody standards....

We were however rudely awakened at 04.50 by a Lowther Park warden asking us to move on, which was a surprise considering how wild the moor is, but it wasn't for us to argue! Move on we did.

Highlight 3 - parking up for 2 nights at the Walna Scar parking spot in the shadow of the Old Man of Coniston and with a view of Weatherlam before us

Of course we had to do the run up to the Old Man with Levers Water looking lovely in the sun....

 ... up to the top with far-reaching views to the East...

and then back down via Goat Water beneath Dow Crag

It was a cracking run out in perfect weather!

Highlight 4 - a cracking mountain bike ride in warm sun in the Howgills where we have spent the past 2 nights.  The horrendous push (literally) up was more than rewarded by stunning views and spectacular scenery

We rewarded ourselves for our efforts with a pint at the pub! Now, I do miss my real ale, it has to be said.

So, we have 'wild camped' in some amazing spots but we have also spoilt ourselves by staying on sites with 'facilities'. We avoid the big camping and caravanning sites like the plague, choosing instead small farms where they have facilities for emptying waste, where we can top up with water and, if we are really pushing the boat out, where we can also have a shower without worrying about our own gas and water consumption and ideally from where we can also walk to the pub! It's great fun!

The downsides so far? Well, at times it has been a right royal pain in the butt trying to find somewhere to pull over that also has a 3G signal for mobile internet. This is the problem with running an internet-based business. I have to have internet access. The Central Lakes and the Yorkshire Dales are particularly problematic from this point of view, which has meant we have been unable to take full advantage of the parts of the country that most appeal to us.

But tonight, we are parked up in a farmer's field just outside Ingleton - water and waste disposal are available and peace and quiet are assured - what more could you want for a fiver!

Sadie's adventures

Yes, people, I am still here! It has been 2 weeks since I last blogged and what a hectic 2 weeks it has been. Thanks to a last big push on the van, we finally got away and started the drive up through France to Le Havre. We hadn't had the chance to test Sadie out properly before we left and there were still a number of jobs that would need our attention, but the lino was rolled up and stowed in a bed box, a box of tools likewise and off we headed regardless. We made it up to Chartres before finding a quiet spot on the outskirts of a village where we pulled over for the night.

We had a bite to eat before setting up the oh so comfy king size bed in which we both quickly fell into an exhausted slumber, enjoying the best night's sleep either of us had enjoyed for quite some time. I was going to enjoy sleeping in Sadie!

We caught the superfast Norman Arrow from Le Havre to Portsmouth and rocked up at mum's in time for dinner on Friday. So so good to see my laddy and mum again - it had been 9 months since my last visit which is just too long. We had 3 full days there during which time Andy fitted the Thetford cassette toilet and carried out other work which he had not had time to do before we left France. We seemed to do an incredible amount of shopping for stuff that we needed for the van and soon it was time to head up to the Peak District where we hoped to catch up with friends and do some running and biking. The weather was glorious and we stumbled across the Shillito Woods parking area at which turned out to be a perfect overnight (unofficially) spot between Baslow and Sheffield with fantastic moorland, tracks and paths on the doorstep.

However, before we could relax, we had to tackle a leak from the shower mixer tap fittings which involved far too much time being spent in the B&Q car park in Chesterfield. It had been a nightmare finding the right French fittings to fit the different hot and cold plastic pipes that Andy had bought in the UK, but fortunately he was eventually able to find a solution and eventually we were able to use the shower for the first time - hurrah! We celebrated by having a late afternoon trot round a short 8km circuit from Shillito Woods. 2 weeks without stretching however meant that my legs were tight and aching but it was fantastic to be back on the wonderfully dry Peak District trails again, albeit briefly. 

Our next overnighter was at Redmires Reservoir just outside of Sheffield - a lovely spot, despite the late night comings and goings of the city's chavs in their souped up cars which I found quite disconcerting. Fortunately, once they realised that there was a motorhome parked up for the night, they quickly turned around and retreated and we were left to enjoy the peace and quiet

I decided I had to try to loosen up my legs if I was going to enjoy any running while we are away. Past experience has shown that biking does that very job. So, before leaving the Peak, we had a quick 2 hour/25km blast on the mountain bikes in the Ladybower reservoir area which included some tricky riding up on to Rushup Edge. It was stunningly beautiful, the weather was warm and sunny and the ride sorted my legs out wonderfully!

Unfortunately, I just wasn't able to coordinate myself sufficiently to meet up with people that I wanted to see, but hopefully we will have a couple of days back in the Peak on our return trip when it will be a different story. 

As far as living in the van is concerned, we are learning very much 'on the hoof'. Amongst other things, we have learnt, by running out of water, just how far a full tank of fresh water will go and therefore how frugal we need to be in our water usage. We have learnt roughly how frequently the toilet cassette needs emptying and that, if there is the opportunity to empty it we should take it, before the red light comes on! And we have learnt that solar panels are the business for keeping the leisure batteries sufficiently charged for us to run our various electrical apparel without any problem whatsoever! 

We had a wild and windy night, parked up on the moors above Skipton last night which didn't make for the most restful night's sleep

But we are now parked up at a mate's house near Skipton before heading up to the Lake District on Tuesday. The adventure continues!

Sadie, flowers and old stuff

The pressure is on. I have now booked a ferry for next Friday afternoon back to the UK for a long overdue visit to catch up with family and friends. Sadie is almost finished. Almost. The kitchen just needs drawer fronts to be made and then the drawers can be put in and the overhead storage box also needs doors making, but isn't she looking posh?!

The structure of the cabinet that will house the entertainment controls (TV/Audio/Satellite) and the fridge plus electrical controls and leisure batteries is now also in and awaiting the addition of a routed front panel and doors. By Wednesday, she needs to be ready for full testing of all electrical appliances and the water system and then we can load her up and be ready to head off first thing on Thursday! Excited? You bet! And I know of one person in particular who will be especially relieved to have finally completed this challenging project and to finally be able to enjoy the fruits of his labours.

Despite the old legs feeling pretty fantastic following last weekend's race, I admit to not having felt particularly inclined to head out for a run at all this past week. Extreme exertion and effort tends to do that to me! I did however have a bit of a pootle up around the Mont d'Olmes 'ski' resort with the pooch on Wednesday which was a nice little stretch of the legs. It's always strange seeing ski resorts devoid of snow - but it's still a very pretty corner of the Ariege.

I took Taff out for a bit of a walk above Belesta this afternoon and I spotted this pretty vetch

... and also an orchid along the way 

The wild flowers in the Ariege are just beautiful at this time of year! Just by way of contrast, I spotted this old piece of abandoned agricultural machinery during the walk. My mind can't help but wander back to the day when it was used, probably pulled by horses, breaking up the soil ready for cultivation by some wirey and wrinkled Ariege farmer who knew nothing but toil and sweat in his life, in the days before the introduction of mechanisation into the farmer's life. But I can't for the life of me remember what such a tool is called. Can somebody remind me?

Looking good!

Work on Sadie has been pretty full on for Andy over the past week....but look at the progress. Bathroom door hung (white plastic-coated on the inside), trim framing done, handle nicely fitted and light switch affixed ... oh, and the gorgeous varnish job is all my own work ;-) ;

The major job over the past 2 days has been making the overhead storage boxes (minus the doors which is another pain-in-the-backside job, I am informed). The kitchen is almost completed... just some silicone sealing to do, some finishing-off to the two side panels

The overhead boxes to the rear are up, carpetted on the underside and looking neat (I should take a better photo really)

We've got 10 days before we are supposed to be heading back to the UK. We're waiting for a couple of electrical components to be delivered which is holding up the work on the unit that will house the electrical control panel and fridge, but hopefully we will receive them early in the coming week.

I seem to have sorted out my weary legs, thank goodness and enjoyed a good undulating run on Thursday which put me back on track. I was hoping to be down in Cucugnan for the Trail des donjons tomorrow but am probably going to stay local and do the Trail de Dalou instead which is 16km/600m+. It is currently raining so the going should be soft!

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our first visitors to the house here in Fougax. It was lovely to see Paul again and also his girlfriend Susan who we had not met before. They were en route to the Corbières where they would be spending 2 weeks on a Workaway programme but had time to spend 24 hours here, during which we enjoyed a gentle bike ride yesterday. Apparently, seeing Paul and I riding alongside each other was quite a funny sight. I have no idea why!

Sadie update

We have a Plan. It is an optimistic one, but a Plan all the same. The Plan gives us 2 1/2 weeks to get Sadie into a fit state to be our home for a prolonged period on the road. We are intending to head back to the UK to see family & friends that we haven't seen for far too long. So we, or more accurately Andy, has been working like a mad man and progress is good;
- Bathroom - shower tray now permanently fixed in place & plumbing completed, curtain rail and shower curtain hung, door hung and exterior wall varnished. Inside of the door needs to be clad with plastic, silicone needs to be applied to the plastic sheeting joints to make the room watertight and finally a door handle affixed. Then it's done
- Electrics - the electrics control board and battery box are now in place and wired up. The solar panels are now charging the leisure batteries....

... he has made some classy brushed aluminium plates into which the light switches are seated and these are now wired up, in place and working in the van

... the vent for the fridge has been completed and the safe is now very securely fixed in its place (home for our laptops & valuables while we are out on the bikes!)

 

...the frame for the unit for that side of the van is now done with an opening for the fridge that will be installed and plenty of drawer/cupboard space and today we did the last big bit of carpetting which was to the sliding door and on the battery box wall has been completed. We have also cut out the ply sections for the overhead box bases and fronts which means Andy is now able start construction of the boxes themselves which will give us much needed storage space for prolonged trips away. Still a fair bit of work to do, but it's all coming along very nicely :-)

Updates

We have been working on the bathroom in the van today. The God-awful contact adhesive has once more been deployed to put up the gloss plastic cladding which enabled us to then put up the shower head, ceiling vent and lights.

We will eventually silicone the edges and joins of the cladding to make the room properly watertight but next we need to make the supports for fitting the shower tray and put in the rail for the shower curtain. The door frame has also now been clad on the inside and permanently fixed into place.

Andy has also now completed what, to me, is a complicated electrickery board and leisure battery box into which the mass of wires & cables will eventually be attached

Progress indeed!

An update after yesterday's race. The full scratch results are now in and I am chuffed to bits to confirm that I came in 12th woman out of 107 and 6th woman out of 51 in my age group, which, for a mere punter & not a club runner I am quite pleased with! I have got some leg discomfort today, but nothing untoward and I know that yesterday's exertions will have made me stronger for future events. Bring it on!

Getting there

It's been another hectic week since I last blogged. The weather has been glorious, a much more seasonal and amenable 20 Deg C, and the prolonged dry spell has successfully dried out the tracks and trails which made last Friday's final long run before the Trail des Citadelles a real pleasure to run. Andy accompanied me on a rematch with the 20km/850m+ circuit that we first attempted back in December. It's a lovely circuit with beautiful views towards Montségur and Pic de Soularac as a backdrop

 On the last occasion, we walked more of the circuit than we ran, with me hobbling the final 5kms back along the road with severe ITB discomfort. It took us around 3 1/2 hours. But on Friday, we were back in just 2h34m, with the final steep descent back down to the road a real blast to let loose on! I managed to run the final 5kms at a good pace and with no discomfort this time, which I was delighted about. The course profile....

... and full stats on the usual site. Unfortunately, the dry weather is set to end before the weekend which means that the Trail des Citadelles on Sunday could once again prove to be a mudfest! What fun!

Yesterday, whilst the good weather continued, we hopped onto the roadies for a hilly circuit from Fougax up to the Col de Montsegur, down and then up to Roquefixade, through to Foix and then back along the Herm Valley to Lavelanet and on home. It has been some while since I did any hill work on the roadie so naturally my legs wondered what I was doing to them, poor things. But it was a lovely circuit of 76.5km/1250m+ which we got round in 3h33m. Stats on the usual site. We were plagued by a head/cross/any-which-way wind for the whole of the return leg from Foix which made it damned hard work, even with Andy doing his best to shield me by riding in front. I was shattered when we finally made it home.

I shall be doing loads of stretching and taking it easy over the coming few days, so that my legs are fully recovered for the weekend. Then hopefully I will have a good race.

Other news.... we actually received the European Cert of Conformity from Mercedes for Sadie on Monday. Hurray! All I need to do now is take along the masses of paperwork to the Prefecture in Foix and get a French reg document for her and her French transformation will be complete. It has been one of the most exasperating experiences that I have had, particularly since we didn't have this hassle and grief when registering the other 2 vehicles here. But that's France for you!

Talking of Sadies, I have been working on her curtains whilst Andy has been doing the gas and electrical work over the past week. We're getting there!