Homeward bound 😃

 We’ve arrived home - back to our lovely house in Stoney Middleton 😃

The drive up to Calais went well - despite Dave needing to cross his legs for the last 50 minutes due to the closure of most motorway Aires on the approach (French attempt at managing migrants). Again there were very few vehicles travelling - so after sailing through Pet Reception we boarded an earlier train home. 

But we couldn’t pass through Kent without calling in to meet our old friends JJ & Judy’s new puppy Benji  - absolutely adorable 🥰 (not sure Rubes felt the same though 🤣). Lovely to catch up with everyone, and Jessica too.

Benji

The long journey home gave us plenty of time for discussion and reflection on our trip - here are some of our thoughts and feelings…..

What a privilege this trip has been, on so many levels. Really grateful that we had the capacity and the means to do the trip, and together - all 3 of us 🤣 Crossing borders was also not difficult for us, and again mindful of the challenges that this poses for many others - and probably fair to say that we were very warmly welcomed in all three countries we travelled through.

Each country we visited has its own charms, as well as its downside. In general we found the Portuguese people to be the most spontaneously friendly. Not that we didn’t experience welcome in Spain and France - perhaps that people there are a little more reticent at coming forward. Totally surprising also that English seemed to be the most widely spoken in Portugal, more so than in Spain and France. Perhaps most disappointing in Portugal was the food - not that we didn’t experience some nice food - but on the whole it was fairly limited, and disappointingly bland! Costs were quite cheap (for us), increasing as we travelled onwards into Spain, then France, then the UK 🤣 Think we hadn’t really appreciated how wet it was likely to be in Portugal at that time of the year - have certainly reflected on the difference in being around the Mediterranean as opposed to the Atlantic Ocean 😃

In Spain we found new, mountainous regions that were previously unknown to us - and we loved them! As with many of the places we visited in Portugal, these places seemed quite authentic, and not given over to tourism - although tourists were extremely welcomed, and catered for - we will be back! We really got the sense of a socialist ethic to what we heard and saw in Spain - mainly in how individuals and communities appear to be supported to thrive, e.g. access to affordable public transport, community education, community leisure facilities, older peoples’ residential homes being centrally located in towns and villages - a real sense of inter generational inclusivity. The thing we struggled with most in Spain were meal times - it definitely doesn’t work for us going out to dinner 8.30 onwards 🤣

In general the roads in Spain and France are a joy to travel on - so much quieter than when we hit the M25 on the way home! Parking is often free also, as in fact are visiting many tourist attractions - very different from what we experience in the UK. Walking routes are so well signposted in all 3 countries - which makes it so much easier and accessible to explore areas - display boards with marked routes for walking and biking are often centrally located in towns and villages, complete with length and timings - so different than in the UK. As previously mentioned, outdoor community gyms are everywhere, and appear well used - interesting that while we were away we received notification that Stoney Middleton is planning an outdoor gym - perhaps the UK is catching up!

Think France has to win hands down when it comes to food, and meal times 😃 Something we hadn’t appreciated at the outset was the less developed culture of travelling with a campervan in Spain, compared to France - so much more capacity in France,  although Spain is starting to catch up! Although sad to leave Spain we felt a sense of familiarity and comfort on arriving in charming France, and as always, was completely struck by some of the amazing architecture and buildings we saw in the few towns we visited. 

Time is a funny thing - on the one hand it seemed absolutely ages that we have been away, when we think back to all the experiences we have had - then on the other hand it felt like only yesterday when we were saying goodbye to friends as we left on our travels. But we do feel that we have seen and experienced so much these past 3 months - probably far more than we had imagined 😃 At the outset we had felt a little constricted regarding the 90 day travel rule, but in reality this amount of time was probably enough (though we did come home on day 87 just to be on the safe side 🤣). Maybe that felt ok because we knew we were coming home, so obviously adjust mindset to that, but I think we are ready for a different focus, for a while at least. The last 3 months has been all about exploring, adventure, and in that respect self indulgence- it’s been wonderful waking up each day and just thinking about what we want to do, and how we want to “entertain “ ourselves. Think we are now ready for a bit more of an outward focus, with a purpose beyond us - perhaps a bit more giving than receiving 😃

Interesting though that many people we met, and saw, were on much longer trips than us - 6 months or longer. Many (more northern) Europeans decamping south for the winter. Think for now we are happy with 3 months - but just don’t like the restricted of not being able to travel in Europe again now for the next 3 months - should we wish to 😃 

For now we are really happy and excited to be at home. We both have things we are interested in and are planning to do - I’m picking up my voluntary work with City of Sanctuary, have joined the Stoney Middleton Allotment Management Group 🤣, and have plans for more writing, and walking. Dave will be developing more with Men up North, is planning on doing some writing & coaching, and also some creative woodwork. On top of this we of course have the allotment to develop - which sadly doesn’t seem to have survived the winter 😞 And we have already embarked on a major overhaul and redesign of the garden - so a major project ahead for us! 

Really looking forward to seeing friends, catching up on all the news, and of course keeping our fingers crossed for an early Spring 🤞🤣

The end of a fabulous trip

And Rubes has loved it too 😊