This weekend saw our second trip into Lulu vanlife- it’s harder than I thought!
Friday evening, 24th July, thought we were organised- just goes to show how wrong you can be!
We decided to stay close to home this time, so opted for a C&CC site in Rhandirmwyn, (review will be in our new CAMPSITE REVIEW section later), 35 minutes from home. Finished work at 5:00pm on the dot! Still didn’t arrive until 7:30pm!
Got ourselves all checked in and set up and the heavens opened. Marley seemed a little unsettled and grumbly, so I took him for a wee walk (in every sense of the word). Back at Lulu, settled down for tea and cake, Marley still whiney so Kev took him for a walk, via the river.
Ten minutes later, Marley STILL not happy, (we now have a wet, whiney dog). Took him out again.
We finally sat down for our pasta (“we’ll just have veggie pasta-it’ll be quick”) only to discover that I had forgotten to pack cheese. And herbs. And patience!
By bed time we were so tired we opted for the single bed configuration, with doggo sleeping down the middle………..
4:25am
Marley needs a wee…..
Couldn’t open the sliding door (turns out I hadn’t shut it properly! OOPS!) Kev now up as well, but can’t open the back doors either. By some miracle of sorcery Kev gets the door open and off we go, dodging frogs as we go.
The valley is stunning! It’s just getting light and the surrounding hills are shrouded in mist, which cocoons the valley, encapsulating the sounds within- the soft breeze, the rain on the leaves, and the first awakening calls of the birds, divine!
Then the torch batteries run out!
We get back to Lulu to find Kev up and about, having dismantled my bed, with an offer of his bed (yep! This one’s a keeper!) I creep in and fall into a warm, cosy light sleep.
5:30am. WEE TIME! This time Kev takes him. All the doors work, and when they get back I’m still warm and cosy, and asleep.
6:45am. WEE TIME!
At this point we are having breakfast and going straight home!
We have a couple of rolls, with good thick slices of bacon, and a cup of strong fresh coffee, the rain stops, the wi-fi decides to work after all, and suddenly it’s a whole different day.
Boots on, coats and water packed in the rucksack, and off we go. Two peaceful hours of strolling at our own pace, through lush, green, Welsh countryside, and all is well with the world.
Back at the site, cold beers and quiche out in the open, great music wafting out of Lulu’s new Bluetooth speaker, and the sounds of the country. Sitting outside our lovely little van, listening to the wind, the rustling of the trees, the birds and the bees, and the hushed voices of our fellow campers and all is well with the world.
There’s a chance we will call up the local later, but probably not. We’ll grab an hour on the sofa, have an early dinner, maybe see if Netflix will work, and start preparing for our next vanlife adventure, two weeks from now. I plan to be more organised. I might even pack some cheese!
Vanlife- it’s easier than you think!