Flying solo

missrlr

Ha ha ha ha bless CD and her tactics that wonderfully visual story has cheered me right up today.
Safe travels and what about these kittens?!? Has CD adopted some furball babies?

*Robin*

Good evening, from the gateway to Andalusia! :hello:

At last, a decent internet signal!
Ah, the kittens, Missrlr - the first time we left the motorway - getting out of the way of a truck driver who seemed determined to run us off the road - I heard a strange rusty squeaking as the van rolled to a stop. Thinking dark thoughts about bearings and ball-joints I looked around the van, but couldn't see anything amiss. Then CD stuck her head inside a rear wheel arch, resulting in a loud hiss - a grey kitten was hiding on top of the tyre! A movement caught my eye - two more dashed under the van and disappeared somewhere in the chassis!
CD and I went for a walk to give them a chance to get away, but the kittens were still in situ on our return. Eventually they allowed themselves to be tempted into moving to a safer location, courtesy of some of CD's minced beef and a bowl of watered milk. But as soon as I went around the back of the van to shut off the gas [prior to driving away] they dived back underneath!
We gave up and spent the night there. In the morning Mummy-Cat turned up, devoured another plate of meat and called her babies - thankfully! ..I'd thought they'd been abandoned as so many kittens and puppies are here, and was trying to work out A) how to catch 'em, and how on Earth I could carry them in the van safely without a proper basket? (These were fierce wild kittens, not cuddly domesticated ones - but too small to survive alone).
CD contributed the rest of her packet of mince to the cat family's welfare, and I drove away with a sigh of relief.

The next day was one of eagles soaring, steep ascents and frequent halts - CD has forgotten that she used to enjoy travelling and wants to stop at least once every hour.
Today she has coped better and at last we are back in the land of olive trees and cicadas, and it's warm enough not to need the heating on tonight.

Very bad weather forecast from tomorrow afternoon, so an early night beckons; fingers crossed we can get back to the Nest ahead of the deluge..

Spends:
Fuel - 47€
Toll road - 21.50€

*Robin*

Confession time re:

*Robin* wrote: »

Spends I can remember:
Fuel - £60
Groceries - £103 total (includes £50 worth of M@rmite).
Van kit - £430
Replacement dongle - £66 (IP should repay this plus excess fees run up by the faulty gizmo - eventually).

Offset by selling spare organic virgen olive oil and various items I won't need again including satnav - £400 back into a/c.

£400 of that van kit expense was buying the specialist satnav I mentioned earlier.
..It was a great decision! Made getting through Madrid sooo easy - could not have done it without getting lost a dozen times and having a nervous breakdown otherwise.
Also came with a parking-sensor-kit freebie to soften the blow of the high price..

Right. Back on the road again, now I've got that guilty secret off m' chest! :cool2:

patanne

If it saved you stress and will avoid future stress, then it was worth every penny.

Sun_Addict

Have a safe journey back to the Nest Robin. CD's reputation goes before her - at least she got you special treatment

Dansmam

Well CD you certainly deserve the name of clever! How lovely that the purser had been on board that day and remembered you both - confess to slight disappointment to find kittens aren't travelling with you, but they do sound pretty wild and will be happy with mum. Safe journey and hope you beat the weather back to the nest

Bubblesmum

Waving... Hoping you are continuing on a safe journey home.

Commiserations re lost family items - and admiring you dealing with it with grace.

amusement at CD's story and I too wish the kittens were with you X

*Robin*

Good evening everyone, :hello:

We're home!
..Well, as close to the Nest as it's feasible to get in camper-van, anyway. Actually parked in the pueblo on the fiesta-grounds, with the sound of happy chattering villagers all around - they're celebrating the Day of the Dead.
Divo Three has got the keys of m' Spanish van and he's A) gone out to dinner with the in-laws, and lost his mobile, so I've left him a message to come and find us tomorrow. Will need the other van to get back to the Nest, and camper-van is going to live at the secure lorry park for the time being (want to check that the track isn't too overgrown before trying to take her up - it's a terribly stressful experience having to come down backwards if she can't get through!).

CD has been holding court outside, accepting cuddles from passers-by, but she's just come in - because it's started to rain. Ha - we beat it by two hours!
Hopefully we're high enough above the river not to be at risk of flooding (fingers crossed).

Am glad the kittens' Mum turned up; they would have been a nightmare loose in camper-van although I wouldn't have left 'em if they had been dumped by a human owner. The one hiding on the wheel made it quite clear he did not want to be handled - I've got the puncture wounds to prove it, lol.

Mmm, smells like dinner's ready. Better post this in case lappy's battery dies while I'm distracted.

Spends:
Fuel - 55€ (but still have 3/4 of a tank).

*Robin*

Well, purple rain the weathermen promised, and purple rain is what's happening outside (incidentally, rain greeting an arrival is considered a very good omen in this oft-parched land ).

Dinner was delicious. Then CD wanted to go outside; I discovered that we were parked in a shallow lake just in time to prevent her jumping straight into it.
:eek:
The way out had turned into a turbulent stream I was not confident camper-van could navigate, leaving us only the builders' access ramp as a possible egress. We took it, at a rush, and made it to the road where fortunately nothing was coming (it's a blind exit due to building works).
There is a national holiday tomorrow, so hopefully the Mayor will not be inconvenienced by my borrowing his personal parking space, which has the twin advantages of being horizontal [unlike most of those this mountain village has to offer] and well above river flood-level.

Brightspark87

Hi Robin

Sounds like you did the right thing with the kittens - wild ones need specialist handling!
Glad you are safely back nearby if not in the nest - sounds like that sat nav was a wise purchase. The last thing you and CD needed was a stressful end to the journey.
xx