Mabel....

Mabel....
In all her glory

Sunday 17 April 2011

Omnisat

I'm having a new satellite dish, I'm having a new satellite dish, ....how excited at I, how excited am I...
I've been told it should be here by Good Friday but don't think HI will have time to fit it until after our next trip...
We're off to Saint Nectaire :o)

Sunday 10 April 2011

Val de Loire

We arrived at parc_du_val_de_loire at about 7.15pm, It had been a pleasant drive, not too tiring for me and HI was pleased with the general improvement in my performance... Did comment to HERI about me making a funny noise when in 2nd gear, think he might look out for a newer gearbox for me, that'll be exciting.
The kids had been well behaved but it was sooooo hot that even late at night it was 20C, HERI went into the reception and found our pitch.
 She left HI to get me levelled and comfortable while her and the kids went swimming, the nice owners left the pool open a bit later than usual and they were the first swimmers of the season.  I was plugged in to the leccy and had my awning out and HI was enjoying a drink when they all came back....
HERI was very pleased with my fly screen, said it was lot more private and even made me a bit warmer.
All enjoyed a picnic tea of baguettes and crisps with cake for dessert. Then they left me to have a rest while they went to the play area and bounced on the bouncy castles.  My outside LED light worked a treat and they found their way home ok.
HERI seemed to have finished off a bottle of Kriter and was quite merry by the time she got to bed, the kids went straight to sleep and HERI fell asleep watching good wife....
Morning came, Jacques went on his bike to get the baguette, he had to do 3 journeys the poor love, HERI really needs to make a baguette bag for him, his rucksack is just too short to fit in a full Pain, he was very proud of himself and posed for pictures, don't think he's got much road sense though, hope another van doesn't run him over....


 Lovely sunny and hot day so it was decided they'd go swimming and play table tennis, leaving me to have a sleep in the sun, to be honest with you it was nice to have a bit of piece and quiet, I'm not really used to being woken up so early and they were jumping around getting their swimming costumes on.



Doesn't the pool look lovely, after swimming all morning, they'd worked up a hunger, so out came the cadac and aperitifs.... I burn't my table abit because they forgot to put the cadac legs up ;o( but they should remember for next time.  BBQ with Jacques's pain and salad.









More trips to the play area, bar and HERI went for a swim with Jacques late in the evening while Amelia had a nap, she'd been a bit grotty with a cold and was exhausted poor love.








 As it was the last night, I was all packed up, tidied up and awning put away, just left plugged in while they went out for their last night of play areas...it was very dark and the kids were too much excited about being allowed out so late in the evening.




Here's a picture of Jacques on the Sunday morning at 8.30am,

and one of Amelia just waking up....









HI had popped to the loo and bought croissants for breakfast, have you seen the mess they make on a floor, Crumbs everywhere, not what I like, they swept me out though before we left so that was great and rubbish was emptied and recycling done.

We were back on the road by about 9.15 and just as well because the weather had taken a turn and it looked a bit miserable and damp.

Arrived home after a brief stop to empty my waste tanks at about 12.30 so I was unpacked, cleaned out again and ready for a long rest by lunchtime :o)

Friday 8 April 2011

Just a quickie

Just a quickie cos herI is running in and out trying to pack me up,
the excitement of today WE'RE GOING ON VACANCES....
A weekend trip to the Loire Valley, we're off to Parc du Val de Loire indoor pool and lots of things for the kids to do plus a good test run for me.
They were saying we might go to a chateau a few km's away but her indoors looks like she could do with a rest so if the weathers good I think I should stay on my chocs and stay put
Time to test out my wifi aerial too as theres wifi at the bar, wonder if I can reach it from the pitch
Ok time to get some water onboard....

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Cruising to Celon

Yesterday I got all excited when I had visitors (Her indoors mum and dad) but it was only to see what my new LED lights were like :o( 
I kept thinking they weren't going to ever take me out, then HI started me up, I puffed a little tiny bit but then I was cold and haven't been run since my bits were replaced, can't blame me. Then he drove me around the block, it felt good to have a good stretch, seem to be going a bit quicker too and my wobbles are much better, just a little bit on my wheel when I'm clocking up to 60. He took me home and parked me up

THEN.... excitement of excitement, the kids got in and put their seatbelts on... what did it mean, we were going out. I had my cupboards checked and they wrote on a list that I have to have one of my catches replaced.  Then the gates opened and HerI came with a bag of sarnies, crisps and coke. I was told we were going for an evening drive and picnic to test me out. On best behaviour I cruised to Celon, it's about 15kms and the national road. I really enjoyed the drive, they all seemed really happy and we stopped in a parking area beside a football pitch. There is an aire there but we didn't need it because I didn't need filling up with water or electricity



HerI got the sarnies out and the kids played outside while the adults were inside, writing lists and eating. Was a beautiful little spot and we watched the sunset. HerI drove me home and was surprised at how smooth I drove, what did she expect most of my steering has been replaced.  HI realised we'd lost one of my new wheel trims so I'm upset about that, perhaps they can go look for it tomorrow.

Monday 4 April 2011

Will honking my horn work

Am just about to settle down for the night, am a bit upset as HI hasn't been to finish fitting my sump back on, I'm getting a draft down there if you know what I mean :o(

He did repair my diff yesterday with, would you believe it a can from tonic water !!!
he had to cut them out and pack them in (shimming) is the technical word... I'd have preferred to have coke or fanta, but slimline had to do :o(

I'm getting cold now and they haven't put my external screen/window covers on.... think i'll get damp spots inside, serve them right too it would !!!
My tyres still aren't on and I'm resting on pieces of tree trunk, can feel them creaking beneath me, least the weather forecast is great for next week, I'll be able to heat up nicely and flex my body

If I honk my horn do you think they'll come and put my protectors on and make sure i'm nice and warm.

Friday 1 April 2011

New outside socket

HI went to caravaning-limousin 
to pick up my new 12v/220v/tv aerial socket but while she was there, she looked at some *whispers* New motorhomes... I was really worried they were going to put me in *shudder* PART EX.......
but luckily when she came home, she said that they were lovely new vans but not suitable with the kids and not enough room to walk about, I can tell you now, I breathed a big sigh of relief, I like my new family and want to take them on lots of new adventures, they are being so good to me and I know I can take care of them and show them lots of lovely places

Thursday 31 March 2011

Chenille

I'm awaiting a Chenille curtain to stop the nasty flies and mossies annoying me and the family, they bought it from ludospace along with my new outside light.
Wonder what colour it'll be, I'm hoping it's the brown one to go with my interior, the grey and white one is a bit tacky for my old bones

Monday 28 March 2011

Lots of new bits...

I've been feeling a bit creaky and jumpy, them indoors realised this and after my fanbelt shed on the A20 in August, HerI (her indoors) wouldn't drive me much and my wobbling wheels made her a little bit nervous so it was decided I was to be fixed....

HI (Him indoors) firstly thought my rotules (wheel bearings) needed replacing... I was trying to cry out when he was bashing me that it wasn't that....I had pain running through my arms....

They visited an online shop called Oscaro and bought lots of goodies...
I had new glow plugs, a very nice new cambelt and my pullies, which were feeling the worse for wear are now nice, shiny and round.
My engine mounts were making me feel all whooshy inside, everytime I went over a bump the engine would jump up and down, their quite lucky they didn't break totally... I'd have been stuck then :o(
so HI changed all 3 of them... was feeling much much better... until HI tried to change my oil filter...they'd bought the wrong one and it was too small but my other filters fitted and I could breath easier almost immediately...
I craftily leaked a bit of oil while HI was watching from the sump... he realised and went and ordered me one from a shop in Chateauroux called

Faic Fournitures Automobiles Industrielles De Chateauroux

HerI told me she didn't like the shop, but I think it's a very nice shop.... except they didn't have my gasket in stock so I had to wait a week. 

While he was looking underneath me, he saw my aching swing arms and so they ordered me two new ones, how lucky am I, I feel like a teenager again, I'm all shiny and new underneath
I wasn't very nice and HI got whacked when he was trying to undo a big bolt and I've given him a poorly eye....
Not only that, after giving me lovely new clean oil I hit him on the nose with my seat button and nearly broke his nose :o( I tried to tell him I was sorry but don't think he quite understood why my door closed trapping his legs... 
So now, I'm just waiting for my sump to be bashed about and put back on.... think HI might take me out for a little drive then, don't think ill be smoking as much now my lungs and filters have been cleaned.


Got lovely new lights for inside too, all my interieur lights have been replaced with LEDS, a new shiny outside LED light... I don't use as much of my battery now as I used to. They bought me a new battery too over the winter, so I've got more energy, aren't I a lucky motorhome.

Am hoping if I behave very well when HI takes me for a drive I might get to repay all of their niceness and take them on a nice holiday somewhere.
Wonder where they'll want to go, I know Amelia wants to see a Chateau but in April it might be too cold


Friday 18 March 2011

Finally French

After a trip to the DRIRE in Chateauroux, a nice man measured me inside and out, played about with my mirrors, checked me all over and then told my owner I had to have some stickers put near my seats











and a new plaque putting next to my engine plate...Her indoors made my stickers on the computer and he came and stuck them on me, took some photos and then I understood he emailed them to the nice measuring man....



Then her indoors went to the prefecture and came home with some nice shiny registration plates, I am no longer English.... feels a bit weird as I started off as a German van, then became English and now I'm French... will I end my days as a Frenchie.... hmmmm