I’ve been everywhere, man, I’ve been everywhere. Well, maybe not everywhere, but in quite a few places. When last we spoke, we were back at Kippford due to an impending storm (Barbara). We then took off again on 24th December, returning to base here at Kippford on Tuesday last week – since when I have significantly failed to find time to update this blog. What I have managed to complete, albeit sketchily, is the record of our travels over at Two Snails.
- Christmas at Moffat
- In the Borders
- A sojourn in Northumberland
- Traveling down to Pock
- New Year in Pocklington and after, into Derbyshire again
- Back at Chatsworth
- Our new obsession with Farm Shops continued
- A scenic route home
There were lows (Italian meal at Moffat, locking ourselves out of the van at Poolsbrook, a frozen waste pump, Ikea at Warrington, the M6 in fog) and highs (a better Italian meal in Pocklington on our wedding anniversary, a night in the wild at Megget Reservoir, a few fantastic scenic drives, cod and chips more than once) some excellent breakfasts and some poor ones, there were hills, beaches and forests, there was rain, snow, sunshine, frost and fog, there were good sites, poor sites and so-so sites, and there were plans that worked and plans that didn’t, not to mention plans that had to be cancelled or reworked as we went.
We spent a lot of time without phone or wi-fi, sometimes both at the same time. We did not get much puzzling or treasure hunting done.
It was of course a large adventure and we had fun. Mr L also had a cold, from which he is still suffering.
We arrived here last week to find the snowdrops out and daffodil shoots six inches high. The Forestry logging operations that happened whilst we were away have left the forest muddy and largely unappealing but so far I have been out for a reasonable walk every day. The promised snow did transpire on Thursday but not for long. It was beautiful whilst it lasted, with large sticky flakes drifting down. Nell had the fright of her life in the night when a pile of snow slid off the roof of the van, quite noisily! There has been a degree of frost too, with the forest mud becoming quite slippery underfoot but the weather is now mild again and I have been walking without a coat for two days now.
We have not been anywhere since returning – not even to Colvend for supplies as I had a Tesco delivery on Thursday. Luckily it arrived just before the heavy snowfall. Clever planning means that I do not need to venture forth before Friday of this week. Then again, I may just get Tesco to come to me again. I am going to miss that particular convenience once I am home on Sanday and have to waste chunks of my life going out to shop once again.
Speaking of going home, we had not been back here for 24 hours before we began to outline plans for the journey home and also for a series of short breaks here before we leave. It’s not really a case of itchy feet, we both quite like being in one place for a while and establishing something of a routine.
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