Day one
When you get walloped with bad health you lie still looking at the ceiling thinking what will I do if I ever get out of here? Go to Borneo to see orangutangs in the wild was first on my mind. I have never seen them and I’ve been talking out its since I was 12. Unfortunately my particular lurgy was lung related so I can’t fly. I confess in the aftermath of my health scare when I received this news it was with mixed feelings. Bummer I can’t fly. Closely followed by ‘Whoopee I can’t fly!’ as I have always hated it anyway. Of course everyone I know flies everywhere they go. It’s fast, safe and cheap. So as recovery trudged on for months and months, so did my thoughts of sunshine. I have to get away. Its been over a year I need vitamin D and hot UV heat and light on my bones and my bluey white skin I am not asking much just enough to start reaching a normal Scottish pinky colour.
So with my 81 year old mum one day I spat it out.
‘I want to go somewhere hot.’
‘So do I’ piped up mum.
‘Well it’ll have to be train, boat, bus, bike and Shanks pony’ I said pulling no punches
‘Fine’ she said not bothered at all. ‘I’m game’.
So the idea was born 2 weeks ago.
The challenge? To get to sunny Spain to have a holiday without taking off.
Eurotunnel is the obvious choice but of course…but I can’t do that either! Something to do with the pressure change. So let’s google boats. Lordy…..a grand tour.
But first let me tell you about our 3rd member of the tour. Geordie El. She also hates the flying machine and we have talked about going on a Thelma and Louise style trip together for 22 year –(22 years!? yes we have known each other since before we were born). She dramatically broke her back sledging two years ago so has also been in that prone staring at the ceiling contemplating life position. She is now up and about but cant lift stuff. I can’t lift stuff. Mum can’t lift stuff. So here we are. Three non lifting, hurpling dafties are off.
The team is complete. Step one…… train to Newcastle……. Look who’s in the same compartment when we arrive? Only our best pal Fraser on his way South to do Underbelly Business….and his constant and considerably more intelligent companion Issy. As you can see we love Issy. The most laid back dog in the known world. We love Fraser too but only because he looks after Issy or is it the other way round?
Being married to a restaurateur he does not like to think of us on tour without food and drink so he wrapped something in a dishtowel and handed to Ellie before we got on the train and lo and behold we started with a toast to us and our overland adventures
…well we’re off….Excitement of the overnight ferry coming up mañana……