That's it, we're leaving!

[Brock]

HUGE RESPECT! Sounds amazing will you have some mechanism of keeping us posted as to your progress?

I'll attempt to keep some sort of blog yes, I expect most entries will be along the lines of:


"3 months on the road, somewhere South East of Calais.

Decided to stay another night at this camp site. Spent our weeks budget on wine last night, didn't wake till lunch time, going to lay down now."

 

[friedel]

Hi Brock! Great to hear about your upcoming adventure!!! You are going to have such a great time. Email me, we have some really good friends in France, just south of Millau. You should definitely drop in and see them (they're on the warm showers list). Campsites might be an issue out of season unfortunately although the good news is that most tourist bureaus publish really good guides to which ones are open when and heck, just do more wild camping. Save your hard earned money for the wine

 

[Brock]

Thanks Friedel, I had expected to have to do a bit of stealth camping but I hadn't considered the fact that it meant bonus wine tokens for the following day!
A friendly face by the time we get down to the Pyrenees might be most welcome, mail sent.

Did you ever finish that 'fermented spicy carrot juice'?

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

...erm this might be controversial but on ehting I realised on my trip this year was how easy would be to use the shower facilities etc at campsites on route without actually camping there. Not all but several I stayed at would never have known. Just saying...whecash is tight..it's an option.

 

[Brock]

I suppose you could, although if I'm rolling into a campsite needing a shower it's usually because I've had enough for the day.
You're right though, could probably blag a free shower at a lot of campsites without being noticed..
Think I'd rather just whip a baby wipe round my sweaty bits and have a face splash in the next coffee shop or friendly bar really.
The trick is not worrying too much.. I'm sure Andrew and Friedel often go for two or three weeks without washing, you can always use a twig to rough out the worst pockets of cheesy secretion after all.

 

[vernon]

Thanks Friedel, I had expected to have to do a bit of stealth camping but I hadn't considered the fact that it meant bonus wine tokens for the following day!
A friendly face by the time we get down to the Pyrenees might be most welcome, mail sent.

Did you ever finish that 'fermented spicy carrot juice'?

I always rewarded myself with treats the day after a stealth camp. In the UK it might be a fish and chip dinner and a pub supper plus beer because the saving was so large.

In France the savings are not that great, cheapest campsites were around €3-€4 or as high as €12 but that buys a lot of wine and few nice comestibles from a local patisserie

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I only wild camped once last summer and that was on the beach at Holkham in Norfolk, superb beach.

 

[Abitrary]

I'll attempt to keep some sort of blog yes, I expect most entries will be along the lines of:

"3 months on the road, somewhere South East of Calais.

Decided to stay another night at this camp site. Spent our weeks budget on wine last night, didn't wake till lunch time, going to lay down now."

In your blog, rather than a purely geographic thing, I'd expect experiences of how to buy / nick cheap food. For example:

"Brock Log: August 15 2008. Hotel Atlantic, Nantes.

Our early night paid off. Being first up for breakfast, we alone were presented with an array of cheese, ham, cereals and jam that we realised we could fit the entirety of into all the baguettes, and that would keep us going for 4 days, when fitted into the pannier we'd brought down to breakfast specifically for that purpose. We paid 40 euros each, so who cares?"

... and stuff like that

 

[postman]

On a wet cold afternoon in Leeds,i wish you both a safe and enjoyable journey.Not being a computer buff,but will you do some photos and a diary if it is not too much trouble.would love to follow your journey.

 

[bonj2]

I suppose you could, although if I'm rolling into a campsite needing a shower it's usually because I've had enough for the day.
You're right though, could probably blag a free shower at a lot of campsites without being noticed..
Think I'd rather just whip a baby wipe round my sweaty bits and have a face splash in the next coffee shop or friendly bar really.
The trick is not worrying too much.. I'm sure Andrew and Friedel often go for two or three weeks without washing, you can always use a twig to rough out the worst pockets of cheesy secretion after all.

how many campsites do you imagine have attendants guarding the showers?

 

[Brock]

how many campsites do you imagine have attendants guarding the showers?

Most campsites I've been to have people keeping an eye on things. You generally have to come in through an entrance with some kinds of gate house. Like I said, at most sites you could probably creep in and get away with it, but at others, such as one in Littlehampton I stayed at which demanded a ten quid deposit for a shower block key, you wouldn't.

Generally I can't really imagine a situation where I was desperate enough to risk the embarrassment of being caught trying to take advantage of someone's facilities without paying, but never say never eh

 

[Brock]

On a wet cold afternoon in Leeds,i wish you both a safe and enjoyable journey.Not being a computer buff,but will you do some photos and a diary if it is not too much trouble.would love to follow your journey.

Thanks Postman. I'll post when I've got a blog link for our blitherings.
In the meantime, for a far more exciting and impressive adventure, have you been keeping up with Andrew and Friedel who have made it to Iran? Fascinating stuff.

 

[Brock]

In your blog, rather than a purely geographic thing, I'd expect experiences of how to buy / nick cheap food. For example:

"Brock Log: August 15 2008. Hotel Atlantic, Nantes.

Our early night paid off. Being first up for breakfast, we alone were presented with an array of cheese, ham, cereals and jam that we realised we could fit the entirety of into all the baguettes, and that would keep us going for 4 days, when fitted into the pannier we'd brought down to breakfast specifically for that purpose. We paid 40 euros each, so who cares?"

... and stuff like that

hehe.. You want me to incriminate myself for eternity by admitting online to breakfast buffet blaggery? I have in the past waddled out of a costa resort hotel with pockets full of rye bread and mini baby bells, but that's all I'm admitting to here

 

[domtyler]

Have you thought about going slightly further afield, say India?

*He says as he orders tonight's takeaway! *

 

[Brock]

Have you thought about going slightly further afield, say India?

*He says as he orders tonight's takeaway! *

I haven't thought about India no. We really aren't hugely experienced at this sort of thing so I think France and Spain is going to be all the adventure we need for the first few months... Beyond that? Who knows