It's a bit brass monkeys...

Just tying Izola to our car, I've pulled worse!

A couple of days before we set off on our journey back to the UK we were recruited, along with several other brawny chaps, by Tony to help erect the mast on Izola.  Doing it the manual way rather then get a crane to lift it into position.  Unfortunately that's what had to happen as the laws of physics proved why they are laws and also I got two head wounds into the bargain.  Never mind Tony we are all a little wiser now!

Just entering Venice.

We set off for the UK at about 5am with the couple of hours drive to Igoumenitsa.  We were slightly apprehensive about the trip as the car had been a little awkward in the past week and if it's going to go wrong it'll go wrong when then there's a ferry to catch. The old girl was a little difficult to start and the car wasn't much better but we made it with time to spare.  The ferry was about an hour late and the trip ended up being quite long although I suspect the this particular ferry, "Kriti II" is slower than the ones we have had before.  The sail from Greece to Venice was 27.5 hours on the boat and we were fast embarking and disembarking.  Note to self, check it's not that ship for the next crossing!

Now what did I do with that spare top gallant sail.

 The car problems actually got a little worse en-route through Europe and we were hoping that nothing would go seriously wrong we had resolved to change her after going down to London for the games.  The games was now being thought of as dispensable.  Towards the end of the trip from Venice to Germany the engine management light came on, we stopped started again and it went off, another twenty miles and it's on again.  Stopped again and checked all the fluids etc. and it looked OK.  No strange noises but that could be famous last words!

Out with the crap.

 From Germany to Zeebrugge the light wouldn't go off and we had a slight noise coming from the turbo but we decided as we were so near to getting back to Blighty we would risk it and get our mechanic to have a look the next day when we arrived.  This we did and with some sucking of teeth and scratching of heads he agreed to lend me his car while he looked at it.  Two hours later he brought me it back saying that he had fixed the diesel leak (I had that all the way home but knew what it was) but he suggested that if I was changing the car to do it sooner rather than later and definitely not to put it under any stress in the meantime!  We went out later that day and found another car, so it seems that pulling the caravan is now out of the question.  I hope Allen and Jean aren't too disappointed that we won't be going to the Olympics.

Lawn tidy and summer home erected.

New car - not up to towing the van though!

The car is a Renault Clio diesel £35 road tax so it won't need sorning when we leave it here next year.  It claims to do over 70mpg so we should be better off all ways but we'll wait and see with that one.




Anyway that out of the way we have been temporary dog owners since we arrive back in Yorkshire.  Dino, our youngest son's dog is home alone while they are on holiday, well not actually alone as we are house sitting as well.  He been great, follows me everywhere I go unless I shut the door in his face, I can't do with being watched on the toilet!

Man's best friend - Dino.

We managed to go and see Maureen while we still had the big car, didn't want to put all Marks stuff in the new one and break the suspension.  We went to the new house and only saw Maureen but she looked really dapper in her blue boiler suit!  We will go and see them again when they have actually moved house in a couple of weeks time.

We have got our caravan all set up ready for us to move into in another week and also had a good turf out of rubbish in our garage, so I get to have a good bonfire and keep warm as it's only about 15 degrees here a week or so ago we were in the 30's.  Looks like were're set for a few more days rain before (big assumption) things start getting better.