The only way I can describe the rain today is biblical! It started in the night and all I felt was snuggly in my bed…. A lovely start to the day.
The scamps didn’t wake up until half 8, and when they did they were happy to chill in their pits till 10…. When we eventually got up! Stew went for a run, and penny went to the shop for the bread! Stew was running past a lovely field, probably owned by the chateau, he got into a head to head with a bee!

3 coffees later (from the new handpresso!!) I timed my trip to the shower to perfection…. The trip back involved a run down a muddy hill wearing nothing but a towel in biblical rain!!! It’s the only way to describe it!

*After applying my intensive hair conditioning mouse* (Tracey this bits for you…. And I really did it!) we got the van ready for a trip to the supermarket.

The supermarket needed some attention, as we have to buy a regional prouduct from everywhere we stay for a dinner next week… So salted caramel sauce it was, squeezed over crepes. We also invested in some of the fruit beer from last night. Yum!

More biblical rain meant our bacon sarnies for lunch were an inside affair, followed by some competitive uno. Whilst it was raining we hatched a plan that no other people would go swimming in the rain… So we went to the pool, penny swam 10 lengths and they played whilst we read.

We stuck the fan heater in the van to dry the washing and the scamps snuggled in and watched a film, I picked some blackberries and stew tinkered with the van…. Lovely relaxing afternoon.

An early evening let up in the rain meant a chess lesson outside the bar was in order. The candleabra (essential camping accessory) is now flickering whilst the children sleep and we finish a bottle of wine. We are watching tens of bats flickering around over head…. Very strange sight….

Tomorrow we head towards noirmoutier, and hope the sun comes back!

So, after what felt like 5 minutes sleep, Brittany ferries played us some melodic music at wakey time! I unfortunately had a slightly sore head from half a bottle of red wine so it felt a bit rude! We got up and showered, ready for a picnic breakfast of croissants and jam and got ready to get off the boat.

I have a theory that all the interesting campers get put together in a corner in case they don’t start…. So none of the vans let the side down and we were quickly off the ferry, destined for French France, first stop Pontchâteau.

We headed to our destination and only got really lost once! I successfully navigated us to the wrong place completely!

Once we found the campsite it was great. A lake, a pool and trees always makes for a hit with team adamson…. Add a trampoline and a bar and we are all sorted.

We have been on the pedalos twice, been swimming, a bike ride, yummy lunch, read some of the holiday read (Danny champion of the world) and made some friends. All in all a great day.

The scamps are tired tonight and so we are sitting watching the rainfall on the lake, with a bottle of Bordeaux and relaxed minds! Cheers!!!

So… Holiday day one is done. We are all aboard the ferry destined for saint malo.

I eventually packed the bags and loaded the van. It was all a struggle as i hurt my shoulder over the weekend and whilst having a few wines. I decided I needed to get my hurty shoulder looked at before we went away. I went for my appointment, described my situation, and realised that I’d actually slightly dislocated my shoulder! The honest tale us that whilst enjoying a party I’d decided (arguably I’ll advisedly) to do some cartwheels. On reflection it was a bad descision! The dislocation was reduced and I was allowed on my merry way provided I don’t lift my arm above my shoulder or sleep on it! Clearly this man had never been in a camper van!

We left home following some minor tweaking to the bike rack as the brake lights were not working quite right. The run to Portsmouth was completely clear and the sun came out in time for our departure.

We found our cabins and then headed to the bar, and had a picnic before popping up on deck…. As we went past the round turret near the entrance to the docks we could see mum and dad who’d come to make sure we left the country! Lots of waving and shouting!

We enjoyed some “entertainment” for an hour before settling the scamps in to their beds… We had a girls room and a boys room! Stew and I then sat out in the corridor, with bathroom mugs and shared a bottle of wine and watched all the goings on….. Which included the boy 5 rooms down getting locked in the bathroom, the baby 3 doors up not wanting to go to sleep despite his parents best efforts, and many slightly squiffy elderly couples reminiscing about how they used to do the same! It was really quite fun!!!

A great start to the holiday…. Tbc

The count down has begun….

We’ve made it home.

My plan is tonight I will be brief, and at some point over the next few days I’ll post our map and the photo highlights… It’s been such a truly amazing journey, and I’m blown away that so many of you have shared it with us.

We woke up really early this morning, packed the van and set off watching the beautiful sunrise over the little French towns we passed.

We made it to Saint Malo by 8:30, in time for a quick supermarket sweep to fill any remaining gaps in the van with wine, beer, coffee or oysters…. We also got some nice bread and pastries to have a final feasts in our cabin. We made it through to the ferry port with plenty of time and sadly waved goodbye to France.

We passed the time on the ferry, and even went to the on board pantomime! (I can’t tell you how dreadful it was, but the kids enjoyed it!).

Off the ferry we gambled with the petrol, making it home on fumes…. The children are in bed and we are sitting in the sofa, waiting for a Chinese to be delivered. Our adventure behind us all feels like a dream…. But the planning for next years trip will start tomorrow. I’m booking the ferry in the morning for freckles adventure 2014 – who wants to come?

Apologies for the lateness of this post! A lack of battery on devices and the solar panels being packed in the trailer are to blame!

After our mammoth 12 hour drive through the traffic jams we were ready for one last relaxing day. The children were completely amazing in the car, and given the constant traffic jams, the holiday mood continued and it didn’t really seem to matter. I got bored about 10 hours in and trawled eBay for a set of boules so we can enter all the competitions that were happening in each campsite through France! I also looked for a candelabra, an airstream caravan and cheese and bread that are calorie free!

We spent the day chilling, the kids played with holly and Ella, and we polished off a bottle of port over lunch. Dinner was lovely, with us being treated to a night of come dine with me as an ongoing competition between the gales family was hotting up.

Early bed to prepare for a very early departure on the last leg of the tour, the adventure continues for just a little longer….

Not sure exactly where we are tonight!

12 hours driving today, so a few wines and bed needed!

More tomorrow!

Sleep well scamps!

Today has been our last proper day of holiday really. We’ve not had our luck with the weather and been through 794 differing plans of how we will get back. Mid morning we were leaving today and heading north to the sunshine. We decided to do the main part of the packing and then take a trip to stock up the wine cellar. A quick trip round lidl gave us a good start on our stock, and it was quickly squirrelled away into holes in the van! We had a quick gsme of table football, which as im sure you can imagine quickly changed from a family game to a cut throat head to head between stew and I! I’m not telling you the score as I didn’t win!!!

This afternoon, Fraser decided it was time to perfect the art of cycling. Stew and I could not be more proud! He can now start, stop, ride in circles and blow raspberries at the onlooking parents! It was like he just decided enough was enough and he would get on with it! Some more cycling followed, with penny’s already competent cycling bring tried out on the cycle Into town and back. She managed to negotiate the twist turns and other cyclists and even riding on the road safely sandwiched between stew and I. We had gone to town to hire a pedalo that was promised by stew! In actual fact whilst stew tried to maintain the children wanted to hire the super deluxe with huge slide version, it very quickly became apparent that it was him! Up and down he went, with the kids occasionally being allowed a turn!! We headed home to shows and change so we could head out for our last moules a la plancha! A great chance to reflect on our wonderful adventure! Fraser notes his favourite part was having his dinner out whilst, then remembered some of the other stuff was pretty cool too!

Home and a late bed whilst stew loaded the bikes on for the start of the journey home. 2 more French sleeps to go, as penny tearfully noted… We are really going to miss France!

Next stop… Emily And Colin and their gang near ploermel…. The adventure continues!

Today has been a really long day. After the excitement of moules a la plancha, I somewhat over indulged in the vino….. And we got invited around to our neighbours, who whilst being lovely also had the ultimate camping accessory…a candlabre! It’s now on my needed for next year list.

So when I woke up this morning I was feeling slightly under the weather… And not entirely up for the planned bike ride.

By half past 11, enough was enough and I needed to go back to my bed…. Luckily I am married to a wonderful man who knew that e best solution all round was to take the kids out for a bike ride! Off they toddled and came back with a really beautiful bracelet for me. How lovely!

The plans for the rest of the day took a similar turn, owing to penny starting to run a temperature… Where Fraser takes himself off to bed, penny likes to make as much noise and spread the misery! Bed time was welcome, after some oysters and mussels from the local chap who comes to the site and makes moules to order.

I’m now sitting nursing an orange squash looking forward to my bed time!

Tomorrow is our last proper day of holiday…. Boooooooooo we start the journey home on Saturday, but we have decided that really we’d rather like another week!