Travelling again - not unusual for us, I know.

Travel plans have been made for the rest of 2016, with ferries, flights and accommodation mostly booked.  Once our tax returns had been submitted, we set our budget for 2016/17.  And then the travel plans fell into place, so as to speak.  Such a good feeling to be organised, finally.

The caravan has had a good wash, which took quite a few hours.   It was very dirty, after spending six months outside.   The roof was especially grimy, black with dirt and leaves from the hedge at the back, and green with algae where the sunlight had not reached parts of the roof. 

A very wet and cold job, standing precariously on the top of the stepladder, in order to reach the roof top.   We are definitely buying a caravan cover before next winter. 

The caravan looking clean, and shiny white, in the photograph below.   All ready for the first trip out, in order to make sure it is running perfectly before we take it to the Netherlands in May.  

And we have taken it out since the photograph was taken, only to find the hot water system worked sporadically.   But it is very difficult to book it into anywhere to get it fixed, at this time of year.   But at least we know about the fault.  There will be no showers in the caravan, in the meantime.

We are intending to travel to a new country this year.   Well new, for us anyway.   And it is with some embarrassment that we have to admit that after living here for twenty four years, this will be the first time we have set foot on the most beautiful of green countries, the Republic of Ireland.   People have told us we will love the country.

 So in June, we will set forth on the ferry from Fishguard in Wales to Rosslare, which is near Wexford, and about 140 kms south of Dublin.   So with maps, the Lonely Planet guide, and a camping book, we have researched our trip.   Sadly, not enough time to see everything unfortunately.   Ireland appears to be overloaded with important sites and attractions to see, so we have had to cut it down, otherwise we will be constantly on the move.

Our plan is to drive up to Dublin for a few days, then across to Limerick, and then down to Killarney, where we will base ourselves while we visit the Dingle and Kerry Peninsulas.   Hopefully we will find a road south to Bantry that will take a caravan, so that we can base ourselves there in order to visit the Beara Peninsula and the rest of the south coast.   Finally we will visit Cork and Waterford before returning to Wexham.   Of course there are many, many other places we will visit once based at the relevant camping grounds.    

It would appear from perusing the maps, and talking to people, the minor roads are very narrow so we are planning carefully.     We do not want a repeat of my embarrassing panic attack when faced with a large coach on a very narrow one way road in Norway.   The time when I found that I could not reverse the car and caravan back down the road.  

Also, after the initial mistake I made regarding Rosslare, which I thought was by Cork, we need to be extra alert, when travelling in Ireland.   As always when planning a trip it is difficult getting one's head around the place names.   But my initial error with Rosslare resulted in having to replan the whole trip again.  Thank goodness I found the mistake before we set sail from Fishguard.

So Ireland, here we come.   That is, after Scott's visit here, our trip to the Netherlands, and perhaps another small trip to the Netherlands.     Always on the go.