Well it's not the best start to a trip, we've both caught colds and spent most of the night snorting and coughing. €12 buys us two coffees in paper cups and a shared croissant (breakfast at the buffet would have been €15.50/head!) A crew member escorts us to the car deck and by 08:15 we are out of the port and joining in with Rotterdam's rush hour traffic. Early morning mist shrouds the landscapes, the odd windmill shadowed in grey. It is fairly industri...

Ali and Chris take another trip into Leighton Buzzard while Paul finds more things to do on Mary*Lou. We have egg and bacon sandwiches for lunch then service the van and set off around 14:30 bound for Harwich. It's congested and ugly through Dunstable and Luton but from there the scenery improves as we go east. We reach the ferryport just as darkness falls and have plenty of time to cook supper before check in begins. This is our first experience of Stena and...

Another bright Spring morning so we decide to go to The Globe at Linslade for lunch. There is a delay trying to fit Nick's wheelchair into the car and after trying all ways we give up and take a push-along that they keep for Chris's Mum. Although it is sunny there is a cold breeze off the water as we head along the towpath. Lots of people are out walking, jogging and cycling. There are many narrow-boats, some with colourful flower pots on the rooves. Fisher...

Bright sunshine when we eventually wake up. Ali and Chris go for a walk in the lanes then go to Leighton Buzzard where Chris knows of a very good wool shop. Nick and Paul stay behind and Paul finishes some of the little jobs we couldn't do before leaving home; replacing halogen bulbs with LED, fixing security latches to the LPG locker and screwing buckles on the buggy rack to secure the cover. In the evening we have some champagne and a lovely chicken casserol...

Although we're up early and ready to go, Mary*Lou has different ideas. Nick turns the key but the engine doesn't respond, so time is wasted getting the jumpstart pack out and set up. We get away around 10:15 in bright sunshine. Traffic is light and Bodmin Moor looks beautiful in its spring clothes with lush green grass and fields of young lambs. After a lunch and fuel stop at Sourton we continue in sunshine, passing lots of caravans and motorhomes heading for...