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!)

Sorry Kings thats what you get for speed reading!

We've got a Coleman fold open thingy with two burners and it's great can do two things at once, although in the UK we are more portable BBQ types. Coleman is great for a brew though and MiL bought me a fab fold down kettle for my birthday before we came away 'tis fab.

Suffering from french pool police for the first time this hol. DH has mid thigh length speedo's and mighty fine he looks too but the man in charge today deemed them too long so he is currently in the pool wearing DS1's trunks, more of an extreme sport than swimming but acceptable by pool police

Right off to a ( soggy) tent away from wee fee, next time I post will be in England! (and don't think I didn't notice the Welsh water dig slubber).

heh heh

Hahaha Lost.

You lot will be happy to hear I did my best anti-rain dance and have made peace with them rain gods moodily granting unwise wishes left right and centre. Rain have stopped. I am of course utterly grateful that an agreement could be reached and they are most wonderful and everything just in case they're stalking our thread, which seems to be a real risk

Evening all.

My entrance ticket to tonight's talk is to say gas canister stove for weekends and dual stove with grill for longer camps.

Today we had a bracing Coastal cliff walk the highlight of which, apart from not losing ds2 (waif) in a sudden gust, was getting very close to seals sunbathing on rocks. There were two huge ones lounging and four young ones playing in the sea. We have decided that tomorrow we will kayak around the head to the seal beach, pull in for picnicking and then snorkel in the shallows. I have consulted the tide timetable for the appropriate time to embark on the adventure. Thoughts of using my spark steel to light a driftwood fire have been dashed by the number of local artists gathering every last piece to create quirky seabird sculptures.

Hope the packing is going well slubber.

at the speedo gendarmes

Sounds heavenly brambles

Yes, popping back in to say hahahahahahaha at the speedo gendarmes. My dh is threatening to don them. Fortunately he has none. Neither does he have the rather fetching (if you are Clint) straw cowboy hat he went rather keen on in the canary isles. I told him that the speedo/hat combo was only suitable with cowboy boots and two tickets to an Ibizan foam party.

:o @ Ibiza foam party

I daren't tell DH about the speedo rule at French campsites or we'll never get to go. Mind you, he did have a pair of speedos when I first met him (and a Russian fur hat with flaps and a hammer & sickle badge - I don't think he ever wore the 2 together). They were bright yellow and I 'lost' them moving house.

Brambles, your adventures sound wonderful. Hope the weather keeps fine for you.

Now, Sal seeing as you and the weather gods are on speakers, please can you ask them for some good weather on Saturday and the week to come? I have had an idea for cleaning/reproofing my mildewy tent but I will need at least 48 rain free hours for it to work...:)

The speedo gendarmes only function in France don't they? We won't get this sort of grief with the Germans will we?

bramble mate you are forgetting the time when your dh turned up to the family fun night in the hat/speedo/boot combo. And what a fetching sight he was serving up the rice salad.

Have a safe journey back lost

and Sal, while you are sorting good weather for lovecat, can I put in an order for sunday night:North sea:calm as a Mill pond. bitte

Re stoves we have a sunncamp double burner with detatchable legs (no longer made I think) and a cadac go grill. Also have suitcase stove for brews on quick weekend camps when we have cold breakfast and pub for dinner.

Please send anti rain dance to Weymouth as we head there for 8 nights on Sunday - just mums and dc's - dh's only come down to set up big tents and then go home to work for the week.

Then home for a week before heading off with huge outwell tent for 12 nights in the Vendee.

Depending on the weather I may even try to squeeze 2 nights at the c&cc THS at Wellington Country park in the week at home in between long camps.

If all goes to plan I have 8 nights at home vs 22 nights camping until the dc's go back to school. Am hoping that it's fun rather than an endurance test

This anti-rain dancing and sucking up to them there rain gods is exhausting business, and I, therefore, as a responsible adult taking warnings of dehydration extremely seriously, have turned to the most sterile liquid I could find. Wine. All for health reasons, obviously.

Btw, I think I've got the weather requests kind of covered, but just wanted to confirm: Lovecat, you mean a week dry?? In England?? I must be misunderstanding your request.

The thought of grown men in Speedos freak me out, frankly. I don't know why, but it's just a bit, well, in your face and all. Eww.

Camping stoves I'm of no use on small sized ones, sorry. When going proper camping, we take Cadac. Dh's toy really, but I have to admit it's brilliant - we often do paellas (well, cheat-paella with instant rice, but close enough), chilli and rice, bacon & eggs etc on the wok, or grill on the, well, grill. I'm trying to go back to basics for overnighters (for fun, not really space as I take loads of other rubbish anyway), so we took nothing except Storm Kettle and foil with for last 2-nighter. Was brilliant cooking over an open fire, I'm going to try that more often. And no, I didn't live of marshmallows alone. Mostly though

True slubbs. Wasn't it at the time that he and your dh were going through the rather fetching walrus moustache and Amish beard combo?

I shouldnt read this thread whilst drunk. I'm stuck with a mental image about a guy I don't know wearing yellow speedos and a fur hat. Traumatised I tell you...

Safe trip home lost!

I'm not looking forward to dealing with 2 small children whils hungover tomorrow....

I can second the cadac (using my Pa's safari chef this week). Brilliant for speedily grilling - had DH's signature marinated pork chops last night. Might try fajitas in the wok tonight, also done sausages (yummy chorizo-flavoured), steaks etc.

From not-so-covert beach observations I can confirm that frenchmen favour the speedo away from the pool also. There's quite a lot of wearing speedos under the surf shorts, which are then whipped off for swimming and posing. DH has the biggest pair of bright orange shorts I have ever seen, even on 6'4" dutchmen. No chance of tanned thighs, or even knees. I finally chucked his 'emergency budgie-smugglers' after 10 years of never encountering the speedo police.

Keep it up Sal, keep it up.

Bramble, your memory serves you well. It was indeed family fun Amish beard night.

Well today was meant to be mostly packing but I have to schlepp all the way back into town today with my drivers licence as it seems you can't buy euros without ID. ggr

So weather has cleared up then Chippy?

Cadac whilst obviously inferior does sound like its doing a sterling job.

Main advantage of Cadac is that is does not count as a BBQ and can therefore be used without fear of setting fire to the campsite and surrounding foret .

Mustn't grumble, but the weather is too good. Nobody wants to do anything, so despite various sight-seeing plans we have failed to go further than a stroll into town, and a hop in the car to the supermarche. The bare boobies of St Trop, and the Monaco F1 circuit will have to wait for another day. I may visit local market for Provencal gifts, but since I have a copy of Homes & Gardens listing fab little places in London which sell the dream in pounds sterling, I may not bother. The sterling:euro rate is so crap, we feel like the poor relations. Thankfully wine and diesel are cheap .

Thank you ladies. I think I may start with the trusty campinggaz thingy.
Whilst I am annoying you all with my amature camping newbie nonsense. What things do you absolutely need and which are not that neccesary? It does seem that you can buy all kinds of stuff and it is hard to tell what is actually essential and what is a luxury!

France is lovely, mil lives near st Emillion. Beautiful but not much to do for small people.

Morning! Sorry I made no contribution last night but I was out karaoke'ing till 2am!

Which I accept is not kayaking.

Not a normal state of events but it was a treat for all concerned - be assured

Hello, team lost still officially abroad as we are in England . After all the driving we've done the thought of the M4 round Cardiff at 5pm on a Friday was too much so we are in a lovely hotel just outside Windsor marvelling at sitting on sofas and watching TV!

Chippy if you want to see any tarmac in Monaco go early, by lunchtime the place was gridlocked, cannot understand why anyone would want to live there (but then it's a long time since I've earned enough to pay tax, that could make a difference!) The oceanarium was a top visit though, not cheap but good. Like the mental image if your tall strong ductch man in his voluminous shorts, I have become ridiculously fond of the Dutch over the last couple if weeks . (although as DH is very trim and relatively fit he looked ok in DS1's shorts, he's got lovely legs, even if they are encased in dark blue shorts with an embroidered dolphin on!).

Home tomorrow, broadband and a lap top, wow. The technology we have is amazing though, I booked the channel tunnel on Weds using my iPhone and when we turned up this morning before we did anything the booking in screen showed 'good morning Mrs Lost', I know that the scanners on the way in read the car licence but it was still a bit spooky!

Almost welcome home lost. Wow car reg scanning does indeed sound most impressive. Cannot wait to see The Dutch in full canvas action.

As you wend your way home I am stepping up a notch in packing mode.
I just cleaned and sorted my pegs. oh yes. Very shiny they are now and all sorted into separate little peg bags within the big peg bag. It will be just like in theatre. Dh bent over calls for "ground peg please" "thank you" "now a delta please" and I or a child will hand them over without any fart arsing about in the bag.

Bloody hell, wonders never cease - both kids are down for a nap at the same time.

Is it too early for a celebratory gin?

Love the Dutch - ever cheery at the pot wash and I have fond memories of a slightly pished middle-aged Dutch lady trying to convince us that a cat was really a fox at about 10pm on a Eurocamp site in Burgundy. DP kept washing the tree sap off his car every couple of days & they took much delight in pulling his English leg about it. Also the Drinking For Holland crew at Le Mans - drunken dutchmen

Welcome back, Lost! Hope you're having a lovely day - I love that Windsor area.

Slubber,good luck with the last bits of packing. Not that you sound like you need any help, of course, but still thinking of you. Not long now, you must be so excited.

Jet, love your Dutch tales.

Sorry, Seashells, for that indelible mental image. DH has asked me to inform you all that a) he was 22 and had a 34 inch waist, a Greek island tan and a full head of hair when he last wore the bright yellow speedos and b) the Russian hat was only for winter, summers were a navy blue Greek fisherman's hat.

I hope that clears things up for you

I am now considering the packing list for our weekend in Bedgebury in 3 weeks' time, which is more like only 2 weeks as it will only be weekends that I'll get a chance to do any packing! Half the gear is still in the car from last week....

Nearly welcome home, Lost! :)

Lovecat, we're doing the same - half our stuff still in the boot. Every now and again I forget, so comes as quite a shock when I want to fill it with shopping bags...