Day 13 of UK Trip
July 17, 2009

I think it is official now – it has rained every day we have had the motor home.  Today started off with the sun out and it looked like it had cleared but as we headed further south so it became more overcast and by the time we had found the caravan park for this evening and settled in, it started to rain again (to be more precise it started raining just after Helen got back from the toilet and I was in the toilet).  Then it cleared up again later this evening and it was quite a nice evening but it started raining about 30 minutes ago (just when I needed the toilet again) and while I type this it is raining again.  It hasn’t spoiled the time we have had but it would have improved our enjoyment of the trip if we had better weather (meaning less rain).

This morning I was dreaming that an elephant was about to crush the motor home and I woke up with a fright only to realise that it was Helen jumping off the top bunk above me (I am going to pay for putting that comment in!).  It was 8:30am and everyone else was still asleep but Helen figured it was time to wake everyone up and so she did her Ninja impression by jumping off the top bunk.  It did the trick as everyone soon woke up and the morning routine kicked in.  Helen went for a shower and then when she got back, I went.  We figured that the Brits/Scots shower in the morning (their weekly shower) and obviously today was a popular day because we both found the showers to be quite full.  Even the basins were quite well used with those people not showering washing themselves in the basin (sans clothes … no I am not exaggerating).  When I showered the water pressure was so low that I wondered if I would be successful in getting the shampoo out (but I was fortunately otherwise it would have ruined my day).  All the time I was showering I kept telling myself not to leave the soap and shampoo in the shower and then tonight when Helen asked where the shampoo and soap were, I suddenly remembered that I had left them in the shower.  Fortunately it is the last evening so we will all follow the British example and skip showers tonight and tomorrow.  Hopefully they will let us check-in to the hotel in Edinburgh tomorrow despite the collective smell.

As I mentioned above, we drove south again this morning until we came to Oban.  Oban is a town directly east of the Isle of Mull and is the ferry port to Mull.  We thought we might go over to Mull but as we only got to Oban at 11:15 and then spent about one and half hours wandering around (and having ice creams and all buying an article of clothing – watch out for the kids Scottish shirts), we decided against it and rather started to head inland (east) back to Edinburgh.  We had driven through a nice town on the way out last Saturday and Helen had discovered it had 2 caravan parks, one of which was rated the best park in the UK in 2003.  That doesn’t really say much because I always wonder why they weren’t the best park in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008?  But we decided to head there anyway.  We stopped on the roadside for lunch which works really well except that when truck or another motor home pass by the whole motorhome shakes from side to side.

We got to the park at 3:15pm and found a good spot.  Probably the “levelest” spot we have found so far – we had kept the best for last (or we are getting better at picking the spots).  Helen and I decided to do some “reading” on our beds and when I next looked it was 5:45pm and I had only managed about 5 pages (I must learn to concentrate better).  The kids had occupied themselves with soccer, spying and who knows what while Helen and I ‘relaxed’.

Supper this evening was Spagetti & Tomato and cheese (one of my favourites) and we also had sauteed vegetables with Brie cheese (you probably can tell we were using up the last of the food).  We have done quite well with planning meals and supplies and I think tomorrow we will flatten most of the rest of what we have left before we drop off the motorhome.  Everyone is now asleep (as they should be, it’s 12:30am!).  We are only about an hour outside of Edinburgh so tomorrow morning will be spent packing up of things before we head out.

We discussed the trip today and everyone agrees that it wasn’t as good as our Irish motorhome holiday.  We think the reasons were:

1. Weather was better in Ireland (hard to believe but there we had 6 straight days of no rain vs 6 days of rain in Scotland)

2. More to do in Ireland (we stopped more often, drove less as there was more to see and do)

3. Nicer motorhome in Ireland (this one has been quite cramped and not as well designed)

4. Nicer campsites in Ireland (every Ireland campsite would be rated 5-stars here in Scotland – actually they might have to introduce a 6th star for Irish campsites)

It is not that we haven’t enjoyed ourselves, it is just that we enjoyed Ireland more.  The Irish trip is one of our top 3 all-time best holidays as agreed upon by everyone so it is hard to beat and it won’t be displaced by this trip (the other 2, for interest, were our Namibia trip last year and our Kruger trips – pick any one!).

This evening after supper I got a lot of instructions what I need to include in today’s update.  Helen wanted me to include that she never had a place to sit because Stephen, Michael and myself were always using the table with our laptops (she really does like to find poor things to complain about), Michael wanted me share something that I did which isn’t repeatable in writing (my parents might disown me and cut me out of their will), Stephen liked Michael’s suggestion (I still didn’t and still don’t) and Chloe probably wanted me to tell you how Michael keeps kicking her at night.  So hopefully that has sufficiently covered their wishes.

Good night (it is thundering at the moment and Helen has worriedly asked about being parked under a tree) … If you don’t hear from me tomorrow you will know why …

And watch out for the special guest appearances tomorrow through Sunday … you will have to wait and see who they are!

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