Malibu Molly

After a quick in and out at fat club we were home for breakfast. Never eat before standing on the scales!!! We eventually got away around 12.20pm. The trip should have taken about two and a half hours. It took more like three and a half. That included a stop for lunch at Cobham Extra Services and the TomTom wanting us to go off on the A3 or the A320. In the end we wound our way to Bracknell a different way to the usual M3 route. Scenic though Virginia Water and Ascot are, they aren't all that direct. There were holdups on the M25 and that may be the cause of the rerouting. Although to be honest, TomTom seemed to always want us to go the opposite direction to Google Maps. At least the latest upgrade has solved (it would seem) the screen blanking problem. Once on the M4 it was a steady drive to J13 and the turn off to the CL (certificated location). We are on a hardstanding pitch, #3, with water and electricity. The cost is £25 a night. We chatted with the owner when he came around. ...

We enjoyed the last  Campers & Coffee in June and decided to sign up for the September event. Once again we can only go on the Sunday as I have Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday.  It will be a busy weekend and we have Luke Combs UK the night before in Herne Bay! We'll need to set off earlier this time and make sure Malibu Molly is nice and tidy... Just in case someone wants to view inside.  I cleaned her before Malvern, and she still picked up a load of dirt and flies off the road.

EL CARRITO DEL AHORRO - Emergency Light V16 B | Connected Beacon with Geolocation in Spain | DGT Approved | Free Connection until 2038 | Water Resistant and Alkaline Batteries. These are for use in Spain from January 2026. It's open to debate whether they are just for Spanish registered vehicles or for us visitors as well. For the outlay of £41 it seems that having one in the van isn't that much of a chore. If we don't legally need one, it will save getting out and placing a warning triangle up the road. Plus.  This version is the new one that also has the geolocation automatically sent to the authorities. It's also a Spanish one... Seems easy enough to carry one? 

After a recent upgrade to the software we have had a problem where the Camper Max screen blanks as it makes the transition between the longer distance screen and the zoom in for a junction.  This usually results in a last minute panic as it does it right on the verge of the turn. When it restarts itself it goes back to start the route from the beginning and then jumps to the place where the GPS shows you to be.   There are lots of posts on the TomTom forums about this and they go back to late 2024. TomTom have removed access to the helpdesk so everything is done through the forum. It seems that they have moderators, some are quite reasonable but one is what can only be called a "rude wanker". Today there was an upgrade to the software and I downloaded it and then created a short route with a waypoint and a destination. The route was to the Aldi near where I live with a waypoint at Tesco in Cheriton .  As we were going to both it seemed an easy route to follow a...

 ... and we will be deep into France and on our way to Spain. After the birthday celebrations (let's hope the French do zero alcohol beer and wine!) we will be setting off for the first campsite. I know that "real" vanlifers would be looking for a wild camping site or the very least a bit of scrubland to park up for the night.  We won't be doing that at all.  Why not?   Because it's our holiday that's why not! I have nothing against the occasional wild camp. We do it at Motor Caravanners Club Rallies and at some festivals. But when we are on holiday I like to be able to switch the kettle on and not rely on gas (LPG!) or the Bluetti AC70. Not all the time anyway. So we have chosen, or rather I have chosen! When I say we it's usually me that does the planning... We have chosen Camping La Gaviota near Roses not that far into Spain in the Girona province.  It's not the cheapest at around €33 a night, but it's well placed for walks and is dog friendly....

The route southwards in France is pretty much sorted now.   With three stops at Camping-Car Park (CCP) aires planned,  I decided to book the first night in advance. By the time we arrive in France it will be around 2pm.  No doubt we'll want to get some shopping done on the way.   I have chosen the CCP aire at Formerie as the first stop. It's around 100 miles from Eurotunnel. It's only got 6 emplacements so booking might be a good idea. Just in case.. Photo by me!  Taken in May 2024. To book in advance rather than taking pot luck, you need to pay for the " PACK'PRIVILEGES" subscription.  Mine runs out on the 4th October. So I was able to pre-book this stop and if necessary, the following two.  It's debatable whether it's worth the €29 to buy as it doesn't really give anything but pre-booking.  It may be worth it for high season. With the app installed on the phones we can check the area and choose an aire that has plenty ...

The slight change is that we are no longer going to fit in a visit to Claire's friend near Saint Etienne.  It's simply to cut down some of the mileage involved and free-up a few hours on the road. Another change and what could be called a spanner in the works is that John, whose "surprise" 70th we are going to for lunch on Sunday, emailed to say that we shouldn't be too late arriving on Saturday as there is a dinner!  We were unaware of that! And it's not a surprise. He also said friends in the village had offered to put us up in their house (or apartment) whilst we are there. The problem we have is that we will have a fridge full of stuff bought on the way down, including Reggie's food that we can't keep frozen in the freezer compartment unless we are on an electric hook-up, or using the LPG onboard. It's not safe to leave a van with the gas burning when you aren't near it! We will need to address that nearer the time.  It may be that we can p...