The Plan

The Plan

Tomorrow my wife (Susan) , my son ( Charlie) and I set off on a 3 month trip around Europe in our little VW camper van.

So where did it all start ?...................Just over 2 years ago I was talking to a colleague in my office at work about 'really going away' and doing some proper travelling. To my surprise he started telling me about when, only a few years ago he told his work that he wanted to take a year out to go and do something different...a few months later he had......he had upped sticks, set off and did exactly that. 

It got me thinking and in the car on the way home I realised that we could possibly do something similar. Summer 2014  was the obvious time. Our son would be be starting school in Sept 2014 and as he then wouldn't be leaving until 2027 this was our one shot !.... 

The plan is pretty loose. Tomorrow we take the Friday night 'booze' ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. Our next fixed appointment is some 9 weeks later in Denmark (Hirtshals) where on July 9th we will catch the Ferry to Norway ( Kristinasand) to visit some friends for 4 days in Stavanger. 

My daughter Katie (18) and Jack ( 15) will fly out to join us in Stavanger and the 3 of us will then be 5. 

We catch the ferry back to Denmark( Hirtshals) on 14th July to then catch the 15th July ferry again from Denmark ( Hirtshals) to Iceland. 

2 days at sea will see us arrive on Iceland's east coast at Seydisfjordur for a 2 week thorough exploration. Back on the ferry for a 3 day stop over in the remote Faroe islands before baording the ferry to return again to Denmark....On the home run now we will drive down to Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and end up in France to load the van up with 'fine wines' before taking the final ferry from Calais to Dover and on to home.

  

Richard, Katie, Jack, Susan and Charlie....plus van

9 weeks with no plan ? not exactly...we have a very rough route from Amsterdam, Germany, Czech republic( Prague) , Poland ( Krakow), Slovak republic, Hungary and into Romania to the Black sea.......where next?.. we are not too sure but it may be to Bulgaria, Turkey or straight over to Albania and up through to Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and on through the Alps and Germany to Denmark for the 9th July.

So, van packed, ready for the off.....3 very excited and very lucky people.....2 more to join post school and exams....as someone once said

Sometimes we are just too busy running to catch planes, running to catch cabs and trying to stop running long enough to catch lunch.

Well, it’s time we realized this isn’t a dress rehearsal. This is our life.