We had been working very hard to get The Rosabella habitable in time for a trip away at Easter. The plan was that we would spend Friday in Bristol with K's family, celebrating her dad's eightieth birthday, and then carry on down to Devon, to the site at Bolberry that we'd visited and enjoyed last year.
There were a few last minute jobs to do, nothing important, just fitting the sink and cooker, so T, having been unable to escape from work early, carried on when he got home from work while K organised the bedding, supplies, kitchen ware, clothes and so on.We set off at about 9.30, very tired but excited at the thought of our first trip since August and, once again, camping wild in The Rosabella, although there was also some trepidation about whether the new set up would work and be comfy, and about The Rosabella's mechanical state - the suspension needs some work.
Fish and chips in Bishop Castle and then on down to the Forest of Dean, where we'd decided to try and find a 'wild' site, as recommended on a website. Nothing doing, apart from a herd of deer crossing the road in ghostly fashion. We turned into a lane which became progressively narrower and narrower, T more and more stressed until we were saved by TomTom directing us to a main road which we recognised as the one we'd turned off half an hour before.
Friday 2nd April
Awoke to see the ruins towering over us and storm clouds gathering on the hilltops. We were up and off early and stoped at Aust services for brekkie and use of the facilities. We rang K's dad to sing him all three versions of 'Happy Birthday' before making our way to their house at Bristol for hot showers before the celebration lunch at Arno's Court. A good time was had by all despite the quarrels over the 'Bristol' quiz (including K's mum's outrage at T's interpretation of the Bristol motto). K's brother couldn't make it but, nevertheless, K's dad seemed to have a lovely time.
We were on the road again at five-ish, heading to Bolberry. After a long but relaxing journey we arrived on the almost empty site tired and looking forward to bed. We opened the bubbly and toasted K's dad, Colin (who just landed a job) and The Rosabella. We settled down for the night with heavy rain pattering on the roof and The Rosabella rocking in a heavy breeze although it would have taken a fully fledged hurricane to disturb this pair of weary travellers. We both slept well in the peace of Bolberry.
Saturday 3rd April
Tea and biccies in bed, as per usual, and T decided, before breakfast, to get on with one of the jobs that needed doing - drilling a hole in the floor for the drain from the sink. He had a look from inside and, deciding that he didn't want to drill through any brake pipes or electric cables, thought he should drill up from underneath. Measurements were taken and he duly pushed a probe drill up into what he thought was roughly the right place. "K, can you have a look and see where the drill has come through please?" "Erm... yes.... you've drilled straight through the water tank. It's pouring out!" Many expletives later, when the mopping up was done, T admitted that it would have been a good idea to remove the tank first. So now we had no water OR drainage! Parking right next to the tap proved to be handy so, unperturbed, we tucked into Millionaire's Brekkie - scrambled egg with smoked salmon, washed down with Buck's Fizz.
A decision to head for Salcombe for a mooch (and a visit to the chandler's for hose and, now, a replacement water tank) was initially thwarted when we bogged down after a couple of yards - the outcome of the heavy rain of the last couple of nights, added to by the contents of our neatly drilled water tank. K called Fiona, the site owner, and together with her son they managed to push The Rosabella to dry land and away.
Salcombe was duly mooched, the essential purchases made (including a bargain Fat Face top for T) and a good lunch in an old, friendly pub.
K's Strogonoff for supper, a fully functioning water system, and the best night's sleep for many months put the cap on a very pleasant day.
Sunday 4th April (Easter Day)
What a lovely start to the day! Dozing in the sunshine, breakfast of hot-cross buns and easter egg, listening to the Malaysian Grand Prix on the radio (won by Sebastian Vettel incidentally) and then a lovely walk along the coast path to Hope Cove.
T was still sawing and screwing when Jac arrived and we eventually set off at about 6pm. It's a lovely route up to Porthmadoc from T's, via Welshpool (chips!), Dolgellau and Trawsfynydd and it was a beautiful, bright spring evening. We arrived at Neil's house, on the promenade at Pwllheli, at around 9pm to find the wine flowing and the curry bubbling. We were introduced to Tim, a friend of Neil's and Sue's, who 'had a surprise for us tomorrow'. We went to bed overlooking the beach, tired, full and intrigued.
Sue spotted a dolphin a couple of hundred yards off our port side and Tim steered towards the spot. Suddenly we were surrounded by the whole pod, probably 10 animals, Bottlenose dolphins of various ages. They swam between the hulls of the cat, jumped and rolled all around us and generally entertained us for about fifteen minutes. Everyone was so excited at such a close encounter with these wonderful creatures - a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
