Flying solo

The_Dragon

good luck with the journey!

fallenwiccan

Safe journey

Rainbow_Bridge

Safe journey from me too Robin, and best of luck with figuring out the sat nav, we don't want you ending up in the wrong country xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

Safe journey Robin Xx

Fudgefund

Hi Robin

I'm ashamed to admit i've only just read your diary (I have trouble concentrating on the long ones, the prospect of getting through them puts me off!) but I'm so pleased I did. I'm really sorry to read about PC passing away, you've done so amazingly well coping with it all I feel quite in awe. I hope you have a fantastic time away and will hopefully get this message at some point (I think I've just missed you!). Thanks for taking the time to post on my diary when you have so much going on with you. xx

*Robin*

:hello: Hello Everyone and welcome to Fudgie :hello: Thank you all so much for sending me 'keep safe driving' messages - they're working!

I had a bit of trouble with the satnav at first - it wanted to send me on a very peculiar route to Portsmouth. I knew the first half, so ignored it - and found myself crawling through thick fog at 30mph, for hours.. So maybe it was being cleverer than I expected by telling me to set out driving west rather than south (which would have avoided the fog, I found out later).

We had a lovely smooth crossing, and made new friends both two- and four-legged among the other lucky members of the "dogs club" - not one of the dogs who were in cabins with their owners made any fuss, unlike the unfortunate captives in the cages who howled and yipped continuously - pity the poor folks trying to sleep in the cabins beneath them.

Today the satnav took charge, sending us along a route I've never driven before. It appears to favour 'paige' motorways and never misses an opportunity to tell me I am passing a nearby Macdonalds - but I've never patronised MacD in my life and am not about to break the habit now!

Instead, Daft Dogs and I are now reposing in a truckers' motel where we have all eaten well - the truckers' portion was more than enough to feed the three of us - and for entertainment, as you can see, we even have free wifi.

The rain in Spain has fallen plentifully upon the plain today, but now south of Madrid I appear to have outrun it. Already my warm jumper - so necessary until yesterday - has been consigned to the suitcase, closely followed by socks. Finding my sandals was a job that amused the off-duty truckers for half an hour though, as I searched through the luggage jam-packed in the back of the van. Who was I to begrudge them the sight of a well-padded backside wiggling between piles of boxes, bags and a hoover? (The Dyson follows Daft Dogs everywhere - if you met them you'd understand why!).

And now, dear friends, I think I shall take advantage of the on-site 24 hour bar - where David the barman has already demonstrated a happy willingness to provide 'tea Ingles' on demand, in trucker-sized mugs, no less.

*Robin*

..Well the free wifi turned out to be a tad disappointing - took me over an hour to send the post above successfully.
But while waiting for my tea to brew I remembered the dongle, managed to find it and lo - not only does it work, but at 4G no less - don't think I've ever been blessed with such a fast connection (on a long cable hanging out of the window - good job it's stopped raining!).

Forgot the local world is an hour ahead though, so really should try and get some sleep before the truckers fire up their rigs which are less than 15mts from our beds, and will remind Daft Dogs that a new day has dawned and bladders are full...
:cool:

Listerbelle

Lovely update.

A quick tip *Robin* - type your post/s in word, and then copy and paste into a reply on here. This will should save your "air" time

Safe travels!

Rainbow_Bridge

*Robin* wrote: »

Finding my sandals was a job that amused the off-duty truckers for half an hour though, as I searched through the luggage jam-packed in the back of the van. Who was I to begrudge them the sight of a well-padded backside wiggling between piles of boxes, bags and a hoover?

LOL :rotfl: , you made their day! I love your adventurous streak, and your fearless approach, PC would be proud of you xxxxxxx.

*Robin*

Good evening Diary and MSE friends,

The sound of rubber humming on wet roads has faded inside my head, to the point where I could hear bird-song this afternoon; very welcome as it signified the end of the rain storm which fooled me into thinking it had been left behind in Madrid.
Instead, it raced ahead then beat all the filth of the road off the van. Many times. Overall, about 80% of the journey was accompanied by the metronomic swish of the windscreen wipers.

Still, we made it in pretty good time and safely. Am at the old house, where DS3 and Ex are living (and hosting my other two very old dogs). At least I could be sure of a warm fire and a ready-cooked dinner; a dinner moreover not featuring white bread and pork products (the staples of Spanish roadside bar cuisine).
My expectations were not disappointed; the dogs were delighted to be reunited (although DH's old girl is not surprisingly somewhat subdued, since realising that he is not with us).

Today I'd intended to rest, but one of the old 'uns was clearly in need of help for his arthritis so a visit to the vet could not be postponed. Am a tad miffed that it was not done earlier - think the poor dog may have been in pain for several weeks. But already after one pill he looks brighter, and both old 'uns managed a little dance of delight when they realised that their diet is back to my choice as opposed to Ex's - rather better quality and not as rock hard as the kibble he gives his dog.

Tonight I have the place to myself as everyone else has gone out to dinner. I cried off - much preferring the option of spending some time catching up with my thoughts, and watching the moon.
It's lovely, all of it; will soon be thirty years since we first saw this house and in many ways it is still more "home" than any other I've had to date, even though I haven't lived here for several years.

Tomorrow a couple of strong young men have volunteered to unload the van. The question: Where? ..Has been answered by the fact that the keys to DH's place are not instantly available; so my cottage it is then. Wonder what I will find? It's always a bit of a surprise opening up a house that's been un-lived in for a while.
I suspect that 'phoning the firewood-man will herald a second very spendy week.

Later on, I'll add up last week. Hopefully that will encourage me to remember MSE ways.