Brittany calls!

While we were away in Dorset, we had a call on our mobile from Brittany Ferries to let us know that our crossing from Poole to Cherbourg, on the Saturday High Speed Ferry service,  had been cancelled for technical reasons. I immediately pulled in to a lay-by, contacted them and our sailing has now been arranged for the Thursday, saving us £124 and giving us a further two days in France...shame!!

However, as there always are, there were ramifications, the main one being that the RNLI College where we had intended to stay on the Friday evening could not accommodate us on the Wednesday and we are now on a waiting list if there is a cancellation. This has been a disappointment particularly as they offer relatively secure parking for cars, but we live in hope that someone will cancel, in the meantime we have reserved a room at the nearby Premier Inn.

Wheels off ready for cleaning and greasing

The extra two nights we are going to spend at the Hotel Rigourdaine, http://www.hotel-rigourdaine.fr/ overlooking the Rance Estuary, just north of Dinan. This is a place we spotted a couple of years ago and kept its details for future use. It has excellent Trip Advisor reviews and we think it will be a cracker.

From Dinan it is a 170 mile drive to Fouesnant, near Benodet, where we are staying in an apartment for the week, close to the Holiday Park where our youngest daughter is staying with her family.

So preparations for our next adventure in the Morgan are gathering pace, presenting, as they always do,  interesting logistical questions. How can we reduce the amount of clothes we can fit in without the risk of smelling by the end of the week, will the G&T fit in the picnic bag and will that go at my wife's feet in the passenger footwell? Could we possibly take two bottles of gin? etc.,etc. It's a very worrying time!

Not only that, but in typically French fashion the French Government have decided that we now need to carry two breathalisers on our visit this time, they must have known that we were returning!

It's just a question of trying to make sure that everything you should have is on board, indeed as I write this I have just remembered that I haven't put my minimal tool kit in the car. Everything else is there, luggage straps, reflective vests, spare bulbs, warning triangle, spare spectacles, first-aid kit, headlight deflectors and so on.

Sparkling again!

Yesterday, it was dry so I decided to get the wheels off to clean them, using a cleaning solution that I bought locally from an industrial cleaning and valeting company, using it instead of the expensive 'Wonder Wheels' or cleaning kit recommended by the stainless wheel manufacturer. It has worked extremely well and at £12 for 5 litres I think it is a snip!

Needless to say, while the wheels were off I topped up the grease in the sliding axles, checked tyre pressures and then, on replacing the wheels, gave the car a polish.

 It's looking good and I am getting just a teeny bit excited....stupid boy!!!