Blowing in the Winds of Change

chevalier

HI Robin
really glad to hear from you though :eek::eek::eek: to the van problem. That is awful. glad you have been able to confirm your suspicions re the dog. Good on you for keep him an eye on him.

Hope things are more settled for you now. Are you on the way to the nest, or back there yet?
cheers
chev

Dansmam

Yay Robin you’re back! Safe travels, may the van run smoothly for you and hope you’ve not got the freezing high winds we’re getting oop north. How many dogs are you travelling with? Just Musketeer or is grand pup on his travels too? Glad you’re back, was worried - you’d been quiet for a loooong time x

maddiemay

Great to hear from you stay safe on your travels.

MM and Miss Border Collie.

*Robin*

Hello from the Ocean Waves! :hello:

Aww, thank you everyone for being so kind, saying I've been missed in Diaryworld. Fuzzy warm feelings.. :happyhear
Am very sorry to have been absent for so long, but when too tired m' brain turns to mush and I can sometimes not even speak coherently, let alone type.

Chev - thank you for your pm, much appreciated.
Yes, we're on our way South at last, although I may not move back into the Nest - New Neighbours are champing at the bit to buy it, DS3 has been looking at alternative more manageable properties for me, and so it may be less of a wrench if Dear Dawg and I stay in camper-van while all the changes take place. Haven't decided yet - mind you, I haven't even chosen which route South we are going to take when we get off the ferry; depends how the weather forecast looks as I'd rather like to have a mosey around Galicia and North Portugal - who knows, the perfect summer hideaway could be there somewhere (have still got DH's cottages just up the road from the Nest, although would prefer to stay in the village whose delightful inhabitants have taken our family into their hearts).

Dansmam - reckon I got out just in time, again. Weather looks pretty bad in the UK for the next few days at least - living in a camper isn't ideal when it's snowing! :rotfl:
Just travelling with Musketeer this trip, Grandpup joined his parents a few weeks ago (GGF's Dad took him, they flew).
M has had a wonderful time at Dogs' Club on the boat, and thoroughly approves of the pet-friendly cabins. Ha - we almost had a disaster on the way in though, as the people in the cabin next door were having trouble getting their key-card to work. We squeezed past, M in front, then saw they had a cage full of rats on the floor behind them - M has very definite opinions about rats so I practically had to drag him past them (the cage looked pretty flimsy)!

Ah - time to stop and post this - we're being called to put the dogs back in our vehicles. It's pouring with rain outside, no sign of the coast yet but heigh ho..

stepuptothepl8

Safe travels to you and M.. lovely to 'see' you posting here again

*Robin*

Good morning MoneySavers, :hello:

Well, so much for Robin and Musketeer escaping winter!
..The Spanish Met Office put out a severe weather warning for Galicia and the Northern Spanish mountains last night. This, coupled with several FB messages from folk in our "home" village, urging me to get back there a.s.a.p, decided the issue of which route to take.
Didn't get as far along the road as I'd have preferred - darkness, fog and sleet saw to that - but quite by chance we ended up in a pretty sheltered spot; at the back of a petrol station / bar complex which appears to have been built in an old quarry. We're even under cover; they have open-sided shelters tall enough for HGVs, so as all but two were vacant that's where I pulled up.
The mountains around us are covered in snow, and there are also large heaps of the stuff piled up around the parking area where the tarmac has been cleared. Musketeer was very wary last night when he discovered his paws sinking in to the strange, freezing surface!
Dawn was a gloomy, foggy affair today, but ten minutes of camper-van's heating on full blast has pushed the temperature inside up from a nose-chilling 8'C to a toasty 20'C, although I've still brought m' first cuppa back to bed where am writing this update. M only moved from his place at the foot-end to snuggle up next to me, he's in no hurry to look outside this morning! :rotfl:

The weather is set to deteriorate this afternoon, so I've found an open camp site about eighty miles South where hopefully they'll have room for us to wait out the worst of the incoming storm - our van is tall enough for me to be very wary of 100kmh winds! Especially as last night's drive took more energy than I had available - woke up headachy and twitchy enough to reach for painkillers already. _pale_
So it goes - nil desperandum!

Right; breakfast, more tea, a quick trot around outside for M, fill up with fuel to thank our hosts for their hospitality and we'll get on our way.

Dansmam

Morning Robin- I was about to suggest a couple of Portuguese stopovers, but see you’re sensibly adjusting plans to the weather! Icy here but no snow - as yet anyway. Lurcherlad’s had his coat on for the first time this winter - he hates wearing it but it stops him shivering. May the van stay cosy and run smoothly to your next stop, ooh look a van emoji ��

Sun_Addict

A work colleague moved to northern Spain just a few weeks ago. It's done nothing but snow since he arrived!

kazwookie

Robin

Please take care on your tavels get in some where out of the snow and icy if you can,or just stay parked up and warm

Best wishes to you and M

Kaz

*Robin*

Hello MSE World, :hello:

We made it to the camp site, although the first half of the run was terrifying with gusting cross-winds coming from first one side then the other. Satnav tried to send us on the shortest route, but I've done that road before; single carriageway, winding through the mountains - so no thanks, better 30 miles longer on the motorway where at least help would turn up fast in case of real disaster!

Booking into the site, I was reminded why I love this country. The contrast between the palava of a UK site and the laid-back attitude here:
UK: Pay in advance over the 'phone, no choice of pitch or direction of parking. Strict rules for Dear Dawg. Long trek to facilities (and expected to carry toilet tank over for emptying!). Dog-walking area in appalling condition - am still sore now from having to negotiate it without falling. Fobbed me off with a dodgy gas bottle.
Spain: Welcome - here's a map of the site, park where you like, there are plenty of power hook-ups. Of course you don't have to pay until leaving. What a handsome dog - would you like another map showing great walks for him - all disabled-friendly. Come over to the bar when you've settled in - first drink is gratis! Let us know if you need help at the drive-in service-point..

Musketeer and I were soon snug and warm, watching driving sleet and howling gales setting the trees around the site dancing. Woke up several times during the night when particularly strong squalls rocked the van even though this place is really very sheltered. The weather is still unsettled so I've decided to stay another day - well worth 19€ for the opportunity to explore the locality a little [with the help of our dog-walk map] and rest up for the next stage of the journey South.