Got it! Not quite the first night away we had planned.

[Epigram]

The timing for picking up the vehicle was not the best for us.
We keep a few sheep and one of the ewes was lambing just as we left. By the time we arrived in Salisbury a couple of hours later she had produced twins.

Our sheep aren’t pets but we give them names for identification and choose a theme each year; real ales, chocolate bars, wines etc.
Needless to say, names for lambs this year are based on camper vans: twins; Marco and Polo, Mercedes, Californian (Cal) etc.
For reasons I won’t go into Marco (the lamb) is having to be part bottle fed. This means he will be become tame and more friendly. Let’s hope this is a good omen !

The downside is we can’t go away for several weeks because we are tied to lamb feeding. It’s worse than having children, at least we could take them with us.
So, two days later later our new purchase is parked and hooked up on hard standing by the garage but we are stuck at home on the Bank Holiday and celebrating its arrival over a bottle (or two) of wine to compensate.
We didn’t order the lower mattress but we have an Ikea mattress topper that fits and I wonder how comfortable it is. My wife suggests I go and try it out and promises me a bacon sandwich in the morning.

I jump at the suggestion. A win - win.

My wife gets a good night’s sleep without me snoring and I get to listen to the dawn chorus and wildlife.

My early morning is marred only by occasional sounds of aircraft that have taken off from Heathrow or Gatwick a hundred miles to the east. I pity the passengers who have probably travelled several hours and spent a similar time in crowded check in and security.
I feel cool air on my face and the sun warming the van and I drift back to sleep.
The side door opens.
No bacon sandwich, another lamb has arrived and I have to get dressed.

Ah well, not bad at all and we haven’t even gone away. I will get my travelling and wild camping yet!

Wildlife interest. After all it is a deer van.

 

[Monner]

The timing for picking up the vehicle was not the best for us.
We keep a few sheep and one of the ewes was lambing just as we left. By the time we arrived in Salisbury a couple of hours later she had produced twins.

Our sheep aren’t pets but we give them names for identification and choose a theme each year; real ales, chocolate bars, wines etc.
Needless to say, names for lambs this year are based on camper vans: twins; Marco and Polo, Mercedes, Californian (Cal) etc.
For reasons I won’t go into Marco (the lamb) is having to be part bottle fed. This means he will be become tame and more friendly. Let’s hope this is a good omen !

The downside is we can’t go away for several weeks because we are tied to lamb feeding. It’s worse than having children, at least we could take them with us.
So, two days later later our new purchase is parked and hooked up on hard standing by the garage but we are stuck at home on the Bank Holiday and celebrating its arrival over a bottle (or two) of wine to compensate.
We didn’t order the lower mattress but we have an Ikea mattress topper that fits and I wonder how comfortable it is. My wife suggests I go and try it out and promises me a bacon sandwich in the morning.

I jump at the suggestion. A win - win.

My wife gets a good night’s sleep without me snoring and I get to listen to the dawn chorus and wildlife.

My early morning is marred only by occasional sounds of aircraft that have taken off from Heathrow or Gatwick a hundred miles to the east. I pity the passengers who have probably travelled several hours and spent a similar time in crowded check in and security.
I feel cool air on my face and the sun warming the van and I drift back to sleep.
The side door opens.
No bacon sandwich, another lamb has arrived and I have to get dressed.

Ah well, not bad at all and we haven’t even gone away. I will get my travelling and wild camping yet!

Wildlife interest. After all it is a deer van.
View attachment 415View attachment 416

Lovely piece. Have you thought about travel writing? I've recently done a creative writing degree and this really fits the bill. Just a thought, hope to read more perhaps?

 

[Epigram]

A wet day and seeing a response to this post provides an excuse to update on Marco and Polo - the lambs that prevented us from getting away when we took delivery of our MP:

After a month of bottle feeding they were capable of looking after themselves and we left them and their cousins California, Mercedes, Columbus, Winn(i)e and Bego etc. Togo to go on our travels.

Like the vehicles they were named after, they now independently roam in the the fresh air and open spaces with a certain amount of competition and rivalry. Having been bottle fed Marco and Polo are semi tame and come up to us even despite our absence.

More to the point, we have now had six weeks away in southern France, where we followed parts of the Tour de France caught up with friends in our winter base in the Serre Chevalier valley. Once there by deliberately longer route than normal, we have used the MP as a day van and occasional overnighter for activities in the mountains.

It, or rather I, can now negotiate the tortuous tight corners into to our garage which is 3 stories below ground level and the MP has survived without a scratch on the tight corners......just! The proximity sensors go berserk and the 360 degree camera has difficulty distinguishing grey concrete walls against a grey flooring in poor light so I rely on good old fashioned glass mirrors.
The mirrors need closing to get into the garage and, like the French, I use the tow bar to park by just touching the back wall of the garage. I then know I have just 2 cm clearance to close the door.

So much for technology but at least the MP can sit in the cool rather than the summer heat, even though it’s owner still works up a sweat getting it in and out.

During our time away we have come to know our Marco Polo better. There are minor design I irritations and things to be fixed on warranty, but on the whole it is achieving its purpose and is becoming part of, and enhancing, our lifestyle.

I am quietly envious of forum members who sometimes mention in passing that they have, or are ordering, a 4Matic. I still hanker after a 4WD version which is not available in the UK, so that I could keep the MP out in Serre Chevalier during the winter ski season. However, I am not sure how happy I would be driving such a heavy vehicle down steep snow covered mountain roads. Having used the vehicle for some (but not enough) camping in the mountains my lasting fear is getting stuck in mud and wet grass following a change in the weather.

The MP may therefore spend the coming winter ski season tucked up in the relative warm in the UK and SORNed. After all this will be a good way of recovering part of the punitive first year Vehicle Excise Duty from the chancellor and could go towards a few vin chaude. Perhaps that’s just sour grapes. We shall see.