The Glass of Wine, The Campfire and The Awfully Big Adventure

[notwavingjustironing]

We've all blethered on pleasantly on Seashells' lovely previous thread and, with the school holidays approaching, lots of us are about to start our summer adventures( not all of which are in tents....!) This thread is for us all to check back in and generally keep in touch. So we've packed up our Icey-Teks and our Tarps and our Death Socks, gently doused the burning embers of our planning campfire and rinsed out the wine glasses.

We're ready for our Awfully Big Adventure.

Come and talk about yours here (even if you're staying put!)

We've only got one, a ds of almost 3 and a half. So, whilst it makes traveling easier as only him to consider, it's starting to get to the point where he wants others to play with. He did suggest we "go to the baby store to buy us a baby", but also said he wanted a big bike to transport all of his friends in. He might be getting a trailer bike then...

Oh, and yeah yeah yeah re bunting. Blame your friends, we know the truth.

Lost-your trip sounds amazing! I went to the Newport near Cardiff for a weekend earlier this year. Gorgeous hot weather :)

So cane toad-is that where caner or caned comes from? We always used to use for people that smoked too much marijuana...

Sal, we had a wet day, but it's finally cleared to a gorgeous evening, did you have that sunshine all day?

Yes, lovely day here, sun still shining! It's one of those weekends where you know you really should have gone away, but as we're both pretty shattered (dh only arrived back from work trip half twelve last night, me no reason really), it's nice not to have had to do the whole camp packing drama. We have nowhere to store, but I would have loved a trailer that you could keep packed permanently, so just needing to grab clothes, food and go.

We went blackberry picking this morning - got a whole 1.3kg of it! Am attempting jam in the slow cooker, as looked less hassle than stove top and reviews seemed ok. Not getting much thicker at the moment, so might need to tweak it a little.

We were blackberrying too, ds finally cracked eating only black ones and picking high up, so he was covered in juice!!

Haha. Good times!

Hello all. The sun did finally come out, revealing the sparkling crystal blue sea.

Losty, we are in Le Lavandou. Where are you? The site we are on is a few steps from the beach. It's a very hush-hush word of mouth tucked away kind of place, with lots of folk settled in for the season, with awnings full of electrical applicances and gas BBQs. We are guilty on all counts m'lud. I see your Icey-tek and raise you a full-size domestic fridge-freezer chocful of Intermarche cornettos, beer, chilled rose, and creme caramel.

BTW does anyone know the hierarchy of French supermarkets? I reckon Cora is at the cheaper end, along with Lidl, but where do Casino, Intermarche etc rank?

Today's tip: buy a cheap rubber dinghy and let your DC drift to north africa 10 metres from the shore while you read Jean de Florette supervise from a beach chair under a parasol.

We're back from Cornwall! It only took us 7 sodding hours...

Campsite very clean and pretty, hot showers and lovely people running it, but it was... sterile. The field we were in was full of caravans, which possibly accounted for it, but it didn't feel like 'real' camping. Lots of windbreak-shielded fiefdoms and glowering at passersby. And there were times it felt a little like going round Asda in Beckton (simmering undercurrents of violence, lots of tattooed overweight women with Croydon facelift hairdos - sorry, that sounds awfully snobby of me, but it's true), but that wasn't the site's fault, per se. Had one kid and his mum walk past, look our tent up and down and go 'mum, that tent's fackin' horrible' 'yes, son, it is'...

Someone left a note on our car one night. It read "Sort out the fucking snoring!!!! PS We know where you camp!!!!!!" (which says a lot for their intelligence, given the car was parked on the pitch... but then I've heard it said that you can deduct several IQ points for each extraneous exclamation mark used...)

So that was nice (yes, DH snores, but really?). We used the swimming pool at the site a few times but there was no way on God's earth we were entering the seventh circle of hell clubhouse for cash bingo and cabaret. Thankfully the weather was mostly gorgeous and always warm so we spent most of the time offsite.

Main good thing was the location - some beautiful, beautiful beaches and a few lovely country pubs helped ease the pain. We also sussed out some lovely small scale sites nearby to go back to, as we did enjoy the area a lot.

I'm really looking forward to my weekend in Bedgebury next month as an antidote, now!

Sooo, how's everyone else? I've just read the last 10 pages and am still giggling at Emperor Freakin' Palpatine with pockets....:o

Where in Cornwall were you lovecat? Snoring is surely a risk of a holiday under canvas? Can't believe the note left for you

further proof that a clubhouse = a certain type of camper

Morning (ish)!

This was our first proper week-long camping holiday and being so far away from home we thought having other stuff onsite would help if the weather turned bad... well, we know better now! To be fair to the site, I gave the note to reception and they were honestly horrified, said they'd increase security patrols around our area at night, but it left us feeling a bit disturbed.

Yep, I think I am a campsite snob too from now on...

northender, the site was just outside Holywell Bay. What was really galling was we discovered that 5 mins down the road was a small (70 pitches) site, with a pool, across the road from a gorgeous pub that would have been perfect, had we known it existed! Well, we'll know for next time...

Am going to go and put some photos of our 'fackin' horrible tent' on the profile so you can see it all glamped up...:o

at note. How rude. Mind you, DH and I had a bit of a tiff last night, and he slept in the awning, and the way he snores...maybe I should look up the translation of 'stop the effing snoring' in French, Dutch and German.

These continentals certainly holiday in comfort, which makes me fear for Slubbers and her low-tech ways. A chair for every occasion must be carried, it seems. Lafuma loungers for the siesta, folding chairs for eating around the table, low-slung beach chairs (which I scorned as being for the over-60s until I tried one), a folding stool for perching on whilst doing chores etc.

Also spotted:
custom-fit covers for parked cars
washing line accessories - those multi-peg dangling wotsits for ones smalls
marvellous waste- and fresh-water container gadgetry with wheels and handles
entire pitches covered hedge to hedge with groundsheets.
one of our neighbours even has a road-going beach buggy trailed behind the campervan.

The amount of clobber is extraordinary

ooh, waiting for photo - your cakes are fab, lovecat!

Definately no buntingcupcake glamping going on here, just lovely efficient camp-erage. I bought a sunday times today (five euro ) and there was Johnnie Boden grimly trying to crack the French market, whilst saying how much he doesn't even like the French. Very odd. I was tempted to send him photos of the DC cavorting on la plage and le camping in Boden's finest prints. All the french wear sports labels.

I forgotten you were one of the fabulous cake makers on mn lovecat!

I'd love a "clubhouse and pool" but the sites they are on always seem to be too big/raucous/too manystatics. The site you saw sounds very good though!

Photos uploaded :) DH refused to move, so imagine a neatly made bed like the other 2 instead of him wallowing...

The other site was Trebellan and Treago also looked nice.

Dear Lord lovecat, how deeply unpleasant (the note, not your tent). I am an unashamed camping snob, your tale is just another nail in the coffin for campsites with club houses for me. Nobbers.

Glad It didn't spoil your trip. Is great that you have found alternative accommodation for next time you go.

Love the photos btw. Your dh looks tres relaxed if even if he is lying under a firey death trap.

Chippy I know I know. Our utilitarian ways will be sniffed at but do these people all have trailers? They must do. I am currently trying to decide which bit of kit is going to be allowed in the roof box . The comfortable arm chair (1) or the windbreak?

Oh Lovecat, what idiots! I love your tent. I'm outsnobbing you all, but my take on it: If someone with those manners thinks your tent is horrible, you should probably take it as a compliment. It's like someone with really long, bright red, hmm, perhaps even with a diamante tip on the ring finger..., says your (normal) nails are short and boring. Uhm yes, not having the same taste is probably a good thing.

Chippy, love hearing tales of continental camping essentials. It's the ideal ammunition to use if any of our dhs every complain about having too much stuff again!

Read through the list of provided equipment of our Dutch camp the other day (we're going ready pitched). Honestly, I think they've got more things in there than I have in my actual kitchen!

Hello! I am crashing onto the thread reporting in with the news that I have had my first worthy voyage in the big yellow kayak. Breeze and rain did not stop me, neither did the black shadow that cruised under the craft in deep water but revealed itself to be a seal which popped up and stared at me. Even the three jolly chaps from the border agency in a sea rib so cool that it is black (suitable for sneaking up on jolly coves at night) - they were well hard, wearing fully black rubber diving gear. No frisking was offered though.

I hope all of your camping is going well and that preparations for big adventures going smoothly and mouse free.

Waving a chilled crabbies from ipad2.

Chippy, they make me sound lightweight in terms of kit! We discovered the joy of taking camping chairs to the beach this year and are never going back...:) We were sitting on the beach in our chairs, drinking a nice cup of tea from the little hut by the lifeguards while DD denuded the shore of shells, and decided that we are middle-aged and deeply uncool but we no longer care...:o

DH thanks you for his concern, Slubs. His relaxed stance belies his terror at the prospect of fiery yet glamorous death...

Gorgeous tent lovecat! I really hope the loons didn't ruin your trip.

Bramblechooks-which kayak did you get, was it the decathlon one? (or did I confuse you with someone else?!)

Sal-thanks so much for the Durban info, dh are discussing possibilities-I suspect we won't do it whilst the dc are so small. The air fare alone will get in the way of me buying a third tent (of the bell tent variety)

Pleasure SeaShells. If you want any more info, just shout (or pm me if you wish). I'm always in two minds over this - it's SO much cheaper not having to buy an over-2 ticket, but of course that means you're flying with an under-2! For what it's worth, easy flights, even though long, as you have no (well, 1 hour) time difference, so no jetlag. Also, you get up here in the evening and arrives first thing in the morning, so if possible for them to sleep on plane, it's easy really. Then again, a bell... Ha, I love your choices, actually - brand new cool tent or wonderful holiday in the clean Natal air!

Ds being hard work this weekend, stampy feet, grumpy and baby voice when not getting his way... Just as well almost bedtime, or we'll have a serious problem with each other before the end of the day!

Bramblechooks, kayak sounds so cool.

MissSal I prescribe a strong gin for the toddler tantrums. It makes them SO much less painful!

lovecat I to oand shocked at the note. What twats. Or to quote Slubber ' 'Nobbers'. I did snigger at that which will probably tell you how high brow my humour is NOT!

Liking to the red nails with a diamante on the tip example (was that you MissSal?)! Agree that if nobbers like that don't like your tent its most definately a compliment and I would have been sorely tempted to look them up and down disparagingly and said 'why thankyou'. Although then they might ahve fire bombed your car instead of just leaving the mote...

Seashells if you want advice on flying long haul with a toddler I can get lots of top tips from my sister - she lives in NZ and comes back every year on her own with 2 (5 months and 3) and her dh who doesn't have much annual leave comes out to join them and then they all fly back together. So it can be done! One of the easy things about South Africa is that at least you don't have jet lag to contend with...

Well at this rate we are going to be the ostracised campers with the coughing child! Ds2 (who is sharing a room with dh and I at Mum and Dads) has a horrendous hacking cough at the moment so dh and I are pretty shattered. He's not ill at all though so I don't want to not go based on that. So maybe I'll get an even more polite note that lovecat to share with you all! Fingers crossed it improves soon.

We're off to Longleat for the day tomorrow so the boys are very excited! Me too! Then one more day chilling here before camping on Wed...

Have been stalking the long range forecast as it changes minute my minute and currently Wed looks good followed by a LOT of rain. So any top tips for things to do in a wet Lake District will be much appreciated! There was one amusing weather forecast from the never to be trusted metcheck which predicted 350mph winds on Wed pm!!!! Not entirely sure I'd have managed to pitch a tent in that!! Other sites were predicting 4mph so hopefully thats more realistc

Anyway off to have tea and wine now - hope all is good with you all and may be back later for more chat...

Haha. At 350mph, stuff the tent, just take a couple of kites and you'd be able to holiday in the tropics within a couple of hours!

Back from weekend trip. Twas great. Kids filthy & exhausted

Will catch up now with the thread.

pmsl MissSal

Glad you had a good time Jetli

Back to the wine....