I’m not sure if this means that I have definitively entered old age, or if once a hippy, always a hippy. Then, there’s always the possibility that I was elderly in my youth.
Since my life is never straightforward, this wasn’t either.
The van that Significant Other had fixed his gleaming eye on was not close to home. In fact, it was 500 miles away in the south. In addition, we had only just adopted an unweaned kitten, who would need to travel with us, in a car, to the extremely hot temperatures of the south. Plus the dog, but he goes without saying.
People reading this who have bottle fed a kitten in a petrol station at 9am in the morning in 35º heat, after a 10 hour drive, then stimulated its orifices at the other end, and then walked a frustrated whippet through adjacent olive groves, keeping it at bay whilst having a piss oneself, will sympathise.
The people selling the van were somewhat surprised when we all stumbled, sweaty, dirty and variously barking and wailing, from the car. Have you ever sold a car to people who carry a week-old kitten and a dog with them when test-driving the car?
The deed was done, the van bought. Then, because it had been tame so far, we drove the vehicles home through driving rain at night on a motorway under continuous reconstruction with flashing lights and lane changes the entire way. Bliss. It gave us the excuse to stop halfway home and sleep in the new van, surrounded by the toilet paper of those who had been before (joyfully retrieved and either chewed or offered as presents by the whippet).
All in all, a good omen for future trips.
OMG an HILARIOUS tale!! You do put yourself through the mill, don't you?!! Well done on buying the campervan though. They do look fun. Is it a VW one or something a bit more sophisticated?
ReplyDeleteI need a drink after just reading that.
ReplyDeleteWe did see a lot of RV type vehicles/trailers going to and from Galicia in August. Never seen so many over here before. Crisis effect?
Are you sure you didn't have Mr. Fly with you?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds so familiar....
If that's old age, bring it on! Pressure under grace. Nice!
ReplyDelete@ Sarah: It's an empty Fiat Ducato, if that means anything to you. Lots of space to fill, lots of time to spend "personalising". I have come to the conclusion that my Significant Other doen't enjoy using things so much as altering them.
ReplyDelete@ Coco: I had several drinks, I must admit. I'm not sure if it's a crisis efect - it'd take years of "saved" hotel bills to recoup the initial cost. Personally, I just think it's a nicer way of travelling (and allows me to take the dog with me).
@ Fly: They do seem to have a lot in common, don't they? You won't be surprised to hear that the purchase has been followed by a stripping down and building up process "requiring" my collaboration....
@ Ellie: Wasn't that "grace under pressure"? Maybe you got it right - I felt pressured, but not very graceful...There was a lovely moment, though, washing in a warm southern mountain stream surrounded by oleanders with sheep bells ringing in the near distance...
Ah, masochism! nothing like it! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I think you were probably graceful ... you just seem that type of person, that's why I inverted the expression. I think over consumption of wine made me think I was very clever. :)
ReplyDeleteHave fun - it will get easier once you've done the makeover. We love our little campervan, though we've never yet travelled with a kitten and a whippet!
ReplyDelete@ Jenny: Hi! Masochism makes for "interesting" travel, certainly.
ReplyDelete@ Ellie: Thanks for the compliment! I obviously hadn't had enough wine when I read you comment to appreciate it fully.
@ Perpetua: So far, the makeover has consisted of wedging an Ikea sofa bed into place, and unearthing a folding table from the depths of the garage. It works fine. We had a lovely maiden voyage to Portugal last week.