after months of careful planning it's underway - indeed, the very first week of my sabbatical is all but at an end. And what a lovely week it's been!
Our journey begins
Saturday morning sees us climb aboard our new charabanc, Veronica the Van. She's loaded to the gills by dear mrs electrofried, my long suffering wife, and in true Easy Rider style we get our motor running and head out on the highway. Well, the M5 actually, and the slow lane to be precise.
I'm afraid to say a fully laden VW Transporter propelled by a miserly 1.9 turbo diesel does not for fast acceleration make. Nonetheless, with calendar poised to chart our 0 - 60 mph performance we strike out boldly toward Cornwall.
A singular mistake
We make good progress until a rash decision to visit Castle Drogo, a National Trust property nestled in the heart of the Teign Valley accessible only by a winding single-lane track.
Less than half-way up our folly becomes clear as we meet a small black Nissan coming the other way. It's helmed by an elderly grey-haired lady who shows absolutely no intention of giving way in observance of the Highway Code. Instead, she applies the handbrake and continues to smile sweetly leaving mrs electofried little option but to spend the next twenty minutes backing slowly downhill.
She's not best pleased!
Walking on the wild side
Undaunted, we press on to Roadford Reservoir, conceivably the UK's least imaginatively named stretch of man-made water. Mrs electrofried reminds me the last time we visited our youngest was little more than a precious bundle in a baby sling. She also recalls, with a wry chuckle, that we surprised a geriatric couple parked-up in the otherwise unoccupied car-park 'in flagrante delicto' and oblivious to our nearing steps.
Given some eighteen years have since passed I suggest a return to our van to re-enact the scene in question. Wisely, mrs electrofried eschews my offer, settling instead for a nice cup of tea and a short walk to the shores of the reservoir.
I take several photographs of sombre shrubbery dipped in sun-dappled waters and am over-powered by a sense of peace I have not experienced in some considerable time. The sabbatical has begun.
The new arrival
Meanwhile, mrs electrofried goes shopping. On our return to the van she unveils her latest purchase, a life-size cuddly toy guinea pig that bears an uncanny resemblance to one of the fast growing bonsai piggie herd we've left back home in the capable hands of our eldest daughter.
We decide Letitia will be put in charge of guarding the van, and suitably attired in a pair of rather fetching sunglasses she assumes pride of place on the dashboard.
And now it's onwards once more to a rather lovely camping-site at Mevagissy and our very first sleepover in Veronica. Much to our delight we're able to set up the bed comparatively quickly and plug ourselves in to the on-site electricity supply.
A good book, a glass or two of something white and chilled and it's soon time for lights out. We leave Letitia to man the gun-turrets and settle down for the night. Our first day over ...
yours as ever,
electrofried(mr)
