Sunday 30 August 2015

OOOOP North

Wild Flowers
Running the BMX track
Visiting Skittle
So off we went.  Happy to be back in the van.  We had missed Nona.  We stopped off to look at some wild flowers, have a cup of tea,run up and down a bmx track and have a wee.  All the good things in life.  The great thing about the van is that we can pull up anywhere and we have a cafe on wheels.  Then we carried on and went to visit Uncle Skittle in Stoke Manderville. 
After that, we went in search of goats.
Looking for goats
I looked everywhere for them.
Finding pigs


That ponio nibbled my fingero

Here they are
Don't spit
We found the Bucks Goat Centre.  They had lots of animals there and I had a nice time.  But the best thing of all was a small pink plastic car that I could ride in.
Can I ride you Sheepio
And everytime anyone went near it, a small person called Oliver chased them away or burst into tears.  So all the small people wanted to ride in it.  Mama kept trying to distract me but I wasn't having any of it.
Our Camping spot
Daddy had found a great camping spot at a pub called the Black Horse in Great Missenden.  There were lots of rabbits.   Then, we went to visit my Uncle Marcus.  Mama had a shower there thank goodness.  Uncle Marcus drove us around in a car with no roof and then made me the best pizza.  He kept sying that the only rule in his house was that there are no rules.
Showing him how to do it
Mama got a text from the Mama of a friend of mine so we went to visit them. And I had a lovely time.
My friend Luca
And then we headed oooop North and it started to rain.  Bucket loads.


We parked up in Whalley in the centre of the town and hung around Whalley Abbey for some shelter.
We even hung around a pub for Daddy to have some ale and for me to have some red drink.

Whalley Abbey
The next day I went to see my Grandma Brenda and I was very happy to see her. And happy to see Ganggang Geffers too.
Grandma Brenda
We went for the first of many ice creams with him to Slaters ice cream shop.  The cream of the North!
Two visits Slater
We also visited Daddy's Aunty Jean and I played with cousin Peter.
This isCousin Peter
And we did a bit of walking and got the switch mended on the fridge and went to see my aunties who made a big fuss of me.
Aunty Jayne and Aunty Ping
They took me to a playground and a pub with a playground and then lit a big fire in the evening.  Mama and I slept all night through. 
A view

Dingly Dell
And we went to Mama's old house and looked at the land Grandpappy used to garden.  Mama saw all the trees he had planted as nobody has changed anything after all this time.  She even found his logan berries which had grown wild, so she put the rest of his ashes there.
Grandpappy's loganberries
After that, we picked up Ganggang Geoffers and drove up to Hawes.  He camped next to us.  It was very exciting.
How many men does it take to put a tent up? (2 and a half)
We did lots of walking and the sun came out for some of it.
Walking with Granddad Geoffers
It was very beautiful.  Quiet and beautiful.
On another hike
We visited the Wensleydale cheese factory which I liked.  We ate lots of cheese which I like too.
ohhhhh Gromit
And did some more walking.
It's grim ooop North
The campsite was Blackburn Farm and was beautiful.  There was only us and another van there.  It was so dark and quiet at night. (Apart from the rain banging on the roof).
Ponio
There was a fabulous ponio in the next field which would come and say hello every morning.
A view from a Bridge
And lots of streams and waterfalls. 
Glorious cousins
We left there and went to drop off Ganggang and met up with my Uncle and my cousins who were very brave and had walked miles and miles and miles with tents on their backs.  We had a party in the van.
Looking for Christopher
We then went to meet my Ganggang Philip's son Christopher and had a nice walk with him and some lunch and then started heading back to Nana's.
Blackberry pie
We picked blackberries on the way and stopped in Tring to see and wonderful museum there.
Tring museum
None of the animals moved.  We called in to see my Uncle Roachy and his wife made the most wonderful roast dinner with amazing stuffing.
Uncle Roachy
Back in Dorset
All that in two weeks.
Daddy says Mama packs too much in.
And now I'm back with my Nanny. 
One more week and we're off again.

Sunday 9 August 2015

Helloooooo. Anyone home?

Up a Dune
 We free camped for a while not far from Bilbao in Loredo.  They had very big sand dunes there and I ran down them and fell on my face.
Waiting for my boat
 We spent the night before the ferry in the port at Bilbao.  It was very strange.  Daddy got the table and chairs out and we had dinner in the car park.
Back to Blighty
 I liked the boat.  They had a play ground and I made a meercat sand sculpture for Nanny and had a glitter tatoo of a mermaid on my arm which wouldn't come off.  Daddy didn't feel to good but Mama was up for all sorts.
Mad Mama
 She even took me swimming in the pool.  The water was sloshing about and there were big waves and everyone else was staring at us and I wasn't too sure about it but Mama looked to be having a good time.
Blighty
 We arrived back in Portsmouth and it started raining.  It's the first rain we have seen in months.  Mama was hoping it would wash the van.
NANNNNNEEEEEE
 I was so happy to see Nanny and Ganggang in Dolly Dorset.
Butterfly
 It is so green.  My uncle Marcus says that if it is green - it's because it rains and it's been doing a lot of that here.  We found a fabulous playground in Dorchester.  Complete with a steam roller.
Steam Rolling
 Then we went up to London to check on the flat.  It was very strange.  I remembered all the playgrounds.  I met my friend Kaviya.  How I have missed her.  Mama ate rice and curry for 4 days.
Me and my friend
 And then Uncle Lollo came to meet us and I let out a big scream when I saw him.  He didn't stay long and I miss him.  He brought me a lion which he says is called Cecil.
My Lollo and Cecil
 Then my cousins came to see me and we spent all day together flying a heliplopplop which Nathan eventually landed on a roof.
Me and my cousins
 And we went to visit my Aunty Marion and my cousins Jessica, Myles and Big Joe.  Big Joe gave me a car
Helping Aunty
and my Aunty Jessica sat next to me at dinner. Uncle Al made a great chicken curry and Mama ate too much.  Then we drove back to Nanny's and built a den in the forest.
The Hobbit Hole
 Just as I am settling down again - we are off up North on Le Grand Tour.  Then we are coming back here to look at a school and then off on our travels again.  I miss Nona.  But then I miss everyone too.  The worst thing about travelling is not being able to bring everyone with you.