Well we've made it ! I'm writing this by the pool listening to the secada Beatles and its been one hell of a week with lots of highs and lows. 05:30 Monday up and pack beds , wash linen and pack my lovely wife's dept, last of the stuff in the skip and off it went less what the skip rats took , sorry recycled. Then the circus came to town star attraction Topsy aka the stuff for the car ( VW touran ) now I had planned for this with a car pile in my office keeping a strict eye on the size of the pile but Topsy has been on the buns and had been hiding stuff so my ever so patient daughter and I started to fill every pocket and cubby that the Germans could cram in , then the bigger stuff after a few go's it was all in and on the road just in time for the movers to arrive. For a change it was our turn to sit and watch :-) them load the 150 items on the manifest a few signatures and they were gone , pass the papers lets have a look I cried , their list was hand written and detailed lightly , our excel spread sheet of described items , numbered and valued became plastic box different number , cardboard box different number , Arr after a tot up our 150 items had slimmed to 148 but nothing in the house ? a call to HQ - I bet they put some items together ! But Which ? I suppose we'll find out next week. Then my dad arrived to collect his bits and shed some tears on the newly hoovered floors (blagged a Hoover sold ours ) and they where gone right time to go , no my bro and girl friend arrived no tears just wanted to know which air port was close ! Right time to go , no Topsy need a snack as the lovely wife arrived with more bags and just as I was discussing the merits of putting a square plug in a round hole I was struck by something , the blagged Hoover nozzle , teach me for borrowing it ! So the problem was discussed clearly just in case the neighbours could offer any help ! So we unpacked and binned stuff and our daughter got a few more gifts for her compact flat then had another go , then the lovely wife arrived with dessert for Topsy with even more stuff I thought she was taking the mick but no it's all essential items if your moving to the Sudan or somewhere less well served . So after 2 hrs its 3pm and we're off so more tears , the lovely wife didn't stop until Leicester Forrest services. An easy run to Portsmouth for the ferry arriving 2 hrs early so from rush to sitting. Now due to all the delays with team manaña we could only get a ferry to Caen with reclining seats so after a nice meal it was time for no sleep as the lounges where busy and lots of comings and goings , so we tried to nap in the un comfy chairs dotted around after all its only 6 hrs to France , now those canny ship builders managed design a chair that's low in the back and fix it to the floor just far enough from the wall so you can't rest your head a good plan if your selling cabins but not so when they've all gone. So 06:30 and where refreshed with lots of good coffee and ashore showered with gifts by the province of Normandie , well a bag of flyers and a broken biscuit. So we went all three of us , the lovely wife me and English tim chirping in with useful advice. On we went regular stops and dips in the pack up the occasional nap in the really good service areas . Then the thunder and lightening for hours and rain so heavy we had to stop again so another nap , more butties then on again , Ooo the speeds changed down to 120 kph must be Spain ! So on we go , stop , drink , feed n go at 00:30 Wednesday near madrid , enough was enough and we crawled in to Mirasierra hotel , after a shower we agreed to be off before 08:00. So at 09:40 we arose , as we were the only guests and not asked for breakfast it was back to the butty box and we go, an easy run through to meet our agent and on to the villa at 17:30 , so happy and knackard we had to almost push the agent out of the door as he could talk for England ( or is that now Spain ? ) so we could get stripped and fall in the pool. After 60 hrs and only 8 hrs in bed WE'RE HERE !
Was it worth it ? Yes I really think it was, this is no holiday this time we're staying .
Many thanks to all the EOS members who have offered sage advice or just support in a shared goal it really helped at times. This is as I have said before not the end , just the beginning so big lad will be back.
For the nerds the 1.9d VW Touran did 53.4 mpg over 1434 miles fully loaded doing the speed limit when ever poss, not too shabby for a 53 plate with 102k on it. Time for a trade in soon.