We make a break

 Saturday 12th March

Not quite spur of the moment decision as we had planned for a trip away to Cornwell. I think I mentioned the Eden Project somewhere in a previous post, but anyway we had sort of decided to leave on the 11th for a week but even the best laid plans can be well and truly scuppered. It was MB that let us down! MOT was due, and our confidence was right up there assuming it would sail through. T'was not to be though, and it was all because the emission light wouldn't go off. Those doing the test had no idea on why and suggested we take it to someone who would know. Phone calls to several garages all said the same thing, it was a specialist job! We eventually found one near Hucknall that would do a diagnostic on it and of course the quote just for that was an arm and leg but, as the saying goes, if needs must....Anyway the van was booked in for the Wednesday just gone, the pennies were being deducted from the holiday fund when Ian had a light bulb moment and, I might add, not quite in the middle of the night.  It was very dark and only a head torch to light his way but he was determined to give it a go. He had read on a forum a suggestion that might do the trick. Long story short, he disconnected the battery, reconnected it again, turned the key and yea it worked, no emission light. So Thursday a retest was organised (it passed this time) and today (Saturday) and only a day later, we managed to set off.

 With it being just a week away not much stuff to be stored, so MB was loaded quickly, water tank filled, loo set up and by 10.45 we were on the road. The glorious sunshine as we set off was soon to be replaced by cloud and then came the rain the nearer to Exeter we got. The wind had also picked up and boy was it strong! At least 50 mph according to the Met Office. Crossing the Avonmouth Bridge, MB kept being buffeted and Ian had a job to keep her from wandering across the lane! Scary or what! After 5 hours we eventually arrived at our destination, a fabulous rural working farm but the lane getting to it was really, really narrow. 3 attempts to get up a short straight uphill section only to be thwarted by cars appearing over the brow on the way down. Then because the weather was abysmal and because the pitch allocated to us was on grass, we got well and truly stuck! The farmer had to pull us out with his pickup and find another suitable place for us to park. This he did but in front of his barn and because of the inconvenience, he reduced the site fee, gave us Wi-Fi and got us hooked up to the electric. No TV though cos the barn was in the way of our satellite! Never mind, we have a Roku dongle so Netflix and Prime will be our viewing for the next couple of days. 

 

If the weather improves tomorrow we may get on our bikes and head for the Exeter Ship Canal. "Only a couple of miles of up hill and down dale" said Ian, "How hard can that be"? Hmm, I'm yet to be convinced.

And today's wildlife,