Just Humans Being...

The day after we arrived in the Alps, we were driving up a mountain pass near our campsite & the power steering in our car failed. The steering wheel suddenly became heavy & it was quite terrifying... We were high up, the pass was steep with severe bends and it seemed like we were stuck. Luckily, there was a lay-by & enough room on that bit of the pass to gradually turnaround. Sime switched on our hazard warning lights & we very slowly crept back down the pass. At this point, Sime believed our holiday was over, or at the very least - our car had had it...  I, on the other hand remained optimistic, all would be fine & felt sure a miracle would happen! I also thought it might be quite nice to extend our holiday while the car was being fixed. The main thing was - We were safe, the car was still in one piece & we had got back to the campsite. Here's what happened the next day... We didn't know at the time, but we were watching two golden eagle

Our wonderful overnight residence in Chaussin, Jura... We loved this little campsite & intend to visit again in the near future - it has tipis & safari tents for rent, as well as these fab little caravans. The owners are quite alternative & the site just has a great feel. They have a natural water source which is solar heated for the sinks & showers & there is a great emphasis on recycling.  Saying goodbye to the horses in the field next to our caravan... Beginning the climb into the mountains of the Jura... So many stunning gorges... And quirky villages... Great to get off the beaten track, after 2 days of motorway driving... It might not look it, but it's a long way down! On the other side of the mountains, we hit Nyon on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) & headed to Lausanne. Very nice... After avoiding Lausanne city centre, we moved on to Montreux - following one of many electric trams... And eventually c

Hello! Can't believe it's a month since we last posted... Since then, we've had a fantastic holiday - a road trip through France, into Switzerland, Italy & Germany. We returned home to a broken desktop computer & a laptop that wouldn't work properly, but Hugo clicked on a couple of things & here we are! We have tons of photos & videos to share, the weather was incredible from the moment we set off, the scenery was breathtaking, the mountain passes were terrifying, but it's been an amazing adventure! Kay & Sime xx

We are off on a European road trip soon & are feeling quite excited! When we first organised the trip - we visualised a gentle run up, a slowing down of work & an immaculate house... Instead it has become chaotic & the complete opposite!  We have taken on extra work & can't believe just how crazy life has become (of course those of you who have read our blog for a few years will know this is pretty normal for us), but we had hoped this time would be different... Not only is there work, but there's Bebe in the mix... Little does she know that we will have to take her with us to do a couple of jobs at the weekend, yes we are going to be working every day until we go away with little time to organise Bebe's clothes (which need labelling, as previously - lots of her clothes have gone astray), then there's all her medication to be ordered... Our sleeping bag needs washing, stuff getting together, food for our journey (not so easy when you live &

We have had a crazy few days... A dash up to Stoke where the weather was a little different to home. Yesterday's view from our hotel... Bebe & a smiling Sime... We have had lots to do - went up to visit & do stuff, talked about Bebe moving down to Cornwall, but after 2 days of long hours together, we really feel unsure about caring for her full time. We did it for Nan, but are we ready to do it all over again? You need a huge amount of patience with someone who has dementia & Bebe's is progressing the same way as Nan's... For now, her care package just about covers her needs & we'll just keep reviewing it.  As we set off from Stoke at 3pm yesterday, the temperature had climbed up to 2C & travelling down the country we noticed it getting warmer - arriving in Cornwall last night it was a rather nice 10C! We had lovely sunshine this morning... And the lilies are thriving! It has been a fraught, tiring few days t

Another visit to Stoke...  Mainly to spend time with Bebe... As well as Grandad Gerry & Nana Stip-Pep Festival Park Marina Drawbridge   One of our dreams is to live on a barge... Trent & Mersey Canal Sime's plate of vegetables, complete with vegan gravy Our hotel, not quite in Stoke - but it's a chain we use in France & Sime really fancied staying there... It was very nice & only £18 a night! The only time I'd agree that Sime's feet are big... They're very small really! Nobody's ever told me that only one eye goes cross-eyed... But one of the kids is the same! This is taken from the mural in the Potteries Shopping Centre. Jabez is a character from The Evening Sentinel - a  man who speaks in pottery dialect. The man who created Jabez also wrote three books. Sime met him in 1973 & still has the first two books which Wilfred Bloor (the author) signed. The author used the pen name A. Scott, a reference to the north Staffordshire vill