Day 1 of my big adventure. I suppose I should count from Thursday, when I cleared out my room at the farm and went to spend the evening at Johnny and Ingrid's, but then I could go a lot further back, and where does anything start, or end, really. So I've spent the weekend saying my goodbyes. Got up this morning and had a fight / argument with Johnny about Labour and antisemitism (we - "the extreme left wing" - are all Jew haters and holocaust deniers) and he came out with the latest Telegraph / Spectator wheeze, which is that Jeremy Corbyn is thick. If he is and they've only just noticed after two years, what does that make them?
This (the Chrome) refused to wake up which was just as well or I might have spent 2 hours faffing about on it. Instead I went upstairs and meditated and came down to say goodbye to Johnny. Felt a strong urge to give him a hug, but we just shook hands and he went off to work. I left a note for Ingrid and went to the garage to try and pay the bill for the Astra. They still hadn't done it so I left them my email and asked them to send it to me with their bank details. I've still no idea what it all cost but for some reason my bank account has £2,000 in it so it shouldn't be a problem. Enough to get to Greece if I want to.
Went back to the farm and packed up the caravan. Did a biroed number plate and stuck it in the back window - why have I spent nearly two months not getting a number plate for the caravan? Replaced the rear driver side bulbs, but still none of them worked. Eventually I realised I'd plugged the wrong cable in from the Astra and everything came on apart from the right hand indicator. Momentary panic at the thought of taking the car back to the garage to try and sort out the electrics. Said good bye to Andrew up at the chicken shed and asked if I could take the jig saw which he said was fine. Then goodbye kisses for Laura and Esme and a big hug from Ted and a kiss for Diana, who threatens to come to Naxos. I was still thinking about stopping at Fram Tyres to see if they could do anything about the wheel bearings and brakes but decided I'd just wing it. Dropped in on Ingrid and said goodbye. I realised I have never towed a caravan before and it's fifteen years since I've pulled a glider trailer, but it was fine, I just took it nice and easy, along the A1120 to Stowupland and onto the A14, heading for Bedford, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Swindon and Bath. Google said it's 208 miles and 4 hours to Felicity.
The caravan started weaving quite badly when I got on to the A14, but I got it under control and worked out how to calm it down (the opposite of pulling a glider where I used to accelerate to straighten it out; with the caravan it's better to ease off until the weaving stops and then up the speed - by the end of the day, on the M4 from Swindon, I was doing 60 quite happily - as soon as there's a hint of a weave starting you just ease off). I stopped in a layby on the A14 after about an hour and checked the bearings - hot enough to fry eggs. So I rolled a fag, and set an alarm for half an hour, and then reversed along the layby for a bit thinking that might unlock the brakes. Kept stopping every 40 minutes or so, and mostly the hubs were just warm, so the reversing trick seemed to be the answer, and not braking too much. They only really got hot on the last bit down the narrow steep lane to Dog Kennel Cottages, which was fair enough as I had my foot on the brake the whole way down. Met some prat in a little car, who watched me trying to reverse into a tiny space, and finally reversed himself the 5 metres back into a much bigger space. One of his wheels went into a puddle and he looked like he thought he'd broken his axle. And he couldn't reverse to save his life. I gave him a thank you wave but he looked very pissed off (probably embarrassed by his reversing skills). I left Framlingham soon after 12 and got to Felicity's about 7pm, averaging 50 all the way, and stopping for a poisonous Upper Crust baguette at Leigh Delamere services. Some idiot followed me in to the car park and tried to sell me a telly for the caravan while I was trying to park and talk to Felicity on the mobile. He wouldn't take no for an answer.
The car was great, the caravan was great. I used slightly over half a tank, possibly 50% more than I would have expected normally, but I was pulling a couple of tons of loaded caravan, and I had a load in the Astra as well (wood burner and batteries). Definitely try and get the wheel bearings looked at before I head on to Portsmouth and Bonnevaux. And fix the indicator and get a proper number plate. I don't look too much like a traveller (I'll put the bike on the roof rack to enhance the impression of someone off on his holidays, as opposed to emigrating with all his worldly goods.) It feels great to be under way, and for a successful first day. And the driving really wasn't too bad. I seemed to be able to stay relaxed, but focused. Not having an in car sound system helps, and meditation / mindfulness. And stopping for 10 minutes every half hour or so. Base Camp achieved. 2,300 miles to go.
Said hello to the girls. Oscar had gone to bed. Felicity and I had pasta. Steve was working all evening in the shed. Building a robot arm to load dishes into a dishwasher. They're both very keen for me to stop at Bonnevaux (Naxos is impossible to get to). We'll see.
Day 89 Wednesday 4.iv.2018
Slept on the floor in the sitting room. I might sleep in the caravan while I'm here - I can smoke, and not be disturbed in the morning. Just need a light of some sort. Felt rather pleased with my handling of the caravan - hooking it up at the farm before I set out, and parking it in a narrow little bay at Felicity's when I arrived. Did it on my own, as I will have to do when I set off from here, and managed everything quite well. Need some more reversing / manoeuvring practice, it's trickier than a glider trailer, the wheels being so much closer to the car, you get stuck at right angles very quickly.
I've unloaded my tools and the tables to work on. Felicity has rejected Sal Goldsmith's picture, so I'll take it to Bonnevaux, or Stuart's, or just hang it in my caravan somewhere anyway. Thought about dropping in on Sal before I left and seeing if she'd like to sell it again, but couldn't bear to delay my departure. I've left, and I never thought I would. Now it all seems possible, like achieving lift off.
This (the Chrome) refused to wake up which was just as well or I might have spent 2 hours faffing about on it. Instead I went upstairs and meditated and came down to say goodbye to Johnny. Felt a strong urge to give him a hug, but we just shook hands and he went off to work. I left a note for Ingrid and went to the garage to try and pay the bill for the Astra. They still hadn't done it so I left them my email and asked them to send it to me with their bank details. I've still no idea what it all cost but for some reason my bank account has £2,000 in it so it shouldn't be a problem. Enough to get to Greece if I want to.
Went back to the farm and packed up the caravan. Did a biroed number plate and stuck it in the back window - why have I spent nearly two months not getting a number plate for the caravan? Replaced the rear driver side bulbs, but still none of them worked. Eventually I realised I'd plugged the wrong cable in from the Astra and everything came on apart from the right hand indicator. Momentary panic at the thought of taking the car back to the garage to try and sort out the electrics. Said good bye to Andrew up at the chicken shed and asked if I could take the jig saw which he said was fine. Then goodbye kisses for Laura and Esme and a big hug from Ted and a kiss for Diana, who threatens to come to Naxos. I was still thinking about stopping at Fram Tyres to see if they could do anything about the wheel bearings and brakes but decided I'd just wing it. Dropped in on Ingrid and said goodbye. I realised I have never towed a caravan before and it's fifteen years since I've pulled a glider trailer, but it was fine, I just took it nice and easy, along the A1120 to Stowupland and onto the A14, heading for Bedford, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Swindon and Bath. Google said it's 208 miles and 4 hours to Felicity.
The caravan started weaving quite badly when I got on to the A14, but I got it under control and worked out how to calm it down (the opposite of pulling a glider where I used to accelerate to straighten it out; with the caravan it's better to ease off until the weaving stops and then up the speed - by the end of the day, on the M4 from Swindon, I was doing 60 quite happily - as soon as there's a hint of a weave starting you just ease off). I stopped in a layby on the A14 after about an hour and checked the bearings - hot enough to fry eggs. So I rolled a fag, and set an alarm for half an hour, and then reversed along the layby for a bit thinking that might unlock the brakes. Kept stopping every 40 minutes or so, and mostly the hubs were just warm, so the reversing trick seemed to be the answer, and not braking too much. They only really got hot on the last bit down the narrow steep lane to Dog Kennel Cottages, which was fair enough as I had my foot on the brake the whole way down. Met some prat in a little car, who watched me trying to reverse into a tiny space, and finally reversed himself the 5 metres back into a much bigger space. One of his wheels went into a puddle and he looked like he thought he'd broken his axle. And he couldn't reverse to save his life. I gave him a thank you wave but he looked very pissed off (probably embarrassed by his reversing skills). I left Framlingham soon after 12 and got to Felicity's about 7pm, averaging 50 all the way, and stopping for a poisonous Upper Crust baguette at Leigh Delamere services. Some idiot followed me in to the car park and tried to sell me a telly for the caravan while I was trying to park and talk to Felicity on the mobile. He wouldn't take no for an answer.
The car was great, the caravan was great. I used slightly over half a tank, possibly 50% more than I would have expected normally, but I was pulling a couple of tons of loaded caravan, and I had a load in the Astra as well (wood burner and batteries). Definitely try and get the wheel bearings looked at before I head on to Portsmouth and Bonnevaux. And fix the indicator and get a proper number plate. I don't look too much like a traveller (I'll put the bike on the roof rack to enhance the impression of someone off on his holidays, as opposed to emigrating with all his worldly goods.) It feels great to be under way, and for a successful first day. And the driving really wasn't too bad. I seemed to be able to stay relaxed, but focused. Not having an in car sound system helps, and meditation / mindfulness. And stopping for 10 minutes every half hour or so. Base Camp achieved. 2,300 miles to go.
Said hello to the girls. Oscar had gone to bed. Felicity and I had pasta. Steve was working all evening in the shed. Building a robot arm to load dishes into a dishwasher. They're both very keen for me to stop at Bonnevaux (Naxos is impossible to get to). We'll see.
Day 89 Wednesday 4.iv.2018
Slept on the floor in the sitting room. I might sleep in the caravan while I'm here - I can smoke, and not be disturbed in the morning. Just need a light of some sort. Felt rather pleased with my handling of the caravan - hooking it up at the farm before I set out, and parking it in a narrow little bay at Felicity's when I arrived. Did it on my own, as I will have to do when I set off from here, and managed everything quite well. Need some more reversing / manoeuvring practice, it's trickier than a glider trailer, the wheels being so much closer to the car, you get stuck at right angles very quickly.
I've unloaded my tools and the tables to work on. Felicity has rejected Sal Goldsmith's picture, so I'll take it to Bonnevaux, or Stuart's, or just hang it in my caravan somewhere anyway. Thought about dropping in on Sal before I left and seeing if she'd like to sell it again, but couldn't bear to delay my departure. I've left, and I never thought I would. Now it all seems possible, like achieving lift off.
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