Lena's blogs
Good Morning!! 29/4/2009
Well good morning to you all. We are on the ferry and pulling out of Portsmouth as I type. The journey down started at 6.06am. THe Cotswolds looked lovely in the early morning sun. Its not a time any of us often see.
The first surprise came when we received a text from "the car behind" on the way into Stow. It was the Orams on their way to Oxford. Charlie waved to Sam as the whizzed by on the road to Burford
We enjoyed the open road in front of us for the rest of the way. We were towing a trailer and our speed was only 50mph. For this reason we experienced what I call the "Morris Minor Effect"; something I enjoyed when I used to drive that car between Cheltenham and Oxford. When you drive 5mph slower than everyone else wants to, its the rear view mirror that fills and anything that passes is soon way ahead.
We had a lovely breakfast with Karina and Tim (Thanks!) in Portsmouth and then jumped onto the ferry.
Sea all around 30/04/2009 am
We were all completely pooped after yesterday's early start and so turned in at about 8.30pm GMT Sleeping arrangements were moderately comfortable, or would have been if Charlotte had decided to practice monkey-moves from the top bunk, via the ladder to the floor. Even in sleep she found it tricky not to stay still and managed to strip her duvet of its cover. A rather disgruntled Libby, who started the night top to tail with her eventually opted to moved across to the more sedentary Abigail's bed where she then slept soundly until about 5.30am.
Libby and Lena went on deck to whale watch at 6.30am. The rest of the family eventually joined them and a bottle nosed whale was spotted at about 9am. Unfortunately this was when Lena had just nipped to the loo!
We have a few videos and pictures to upload but seem to have left behind on crucial cable. I am sure we can lay our hands on one when we get to Spain but you may have to wait a few days to see those clips. Ooops!
Austria(by Lena 26/05/09)
One of the reasons we have made this trip is so that the children can begin to appreciate the distances and differences between places. Driving from Spain to Austria has certainly made us realise just how far this is and much empty space there is around, something that you can forget in the UK.
The side effect of all this driving is that we are all a bit tired. We have driven through France and Italy to Austria in just over a week. There are so many bridges and tunnels it makes you wonder how slow it must have been before the moterways were built.
As we went through one of these tunnels we went from France to Italy. Although the topography on either side was very similar the feel of the places were so different. The style of the churches and houses is so characteristic; even the way the land was terraced and cultivated looked different
Anyway we have been unwinding in Filtzmoos for three or four nights, staying in my sister and brother in law's flat. Its so beautiful here. We've been on loads of lovely walks looking at the mountains caves and forested valleys.
Nick joins us in a few days time when we will start the long journey home
auf vedersein folks!