Groningen, Netherlands

After safely arriving at Heathrow, negotiating the National Express and local buses, we arrived at Hemel Hempstead for a few nights, which would allow us to get over any jetlag. One of the benefits of visiting friends is that there is no need to do anything – in other words, if you just need to vege, then that’s fine! So, thank you to Rob & Linda for allowing us the space and time to relax…!

As retirees, we had totally forgotten about Easter, which meant that we couldn’t pick up the Troopy when we had hoped. As a result, we changed our plans and decided to stay in the UK until after Anzac Day. But what would we do??? Well, when Nick was doing his original research, he came across a blog written by a Pom who had bought a Landcruiser in Australia and drove it to his home in Devon! So Nick started an email correspondence with Graham, and we decided that, if possible, this would be a perfect time to meet him in person,

So, it was off to Devon we went! This was when we discovered that our knowledge of English geography was pretty pathetic – I didn’t know where Devon was! It turns out that it is the county below Somerset and next to Cornwall! So off we went to explore Devon in a rental. On our way there, we stopped in Wilton for our first English Pub lunch (this trip) and then did a quick side-trip to see the Fovant Badges – which are a set of Unit badges that were carved (or dug?) into a hillside. Amongst the badges is the Rising Sun of the Australian CMF (depending on the era, that can be either the “Commonwealth Military Force” or the “Citizen Military Force”).

Thanks to the generosity of fellow-travellers, we spent a couple of nights in a really pretty village in Devon and started to explore. We had the chance to sit talking about maps, what there is to see and generally getting plenty of suggestions – as well as talking about past travels through Russia, Mongolia, Australia and many other locations.

We also have had to chance to start to use our National Trust membership! At the suggestion of Rob & Linda Van Geene, we took out a membership to National Trust in the UK, which will give us free entry and free parking (where applicable), so after consulting the NT Guide Book we chose our first NT property to explore – Coleton Fishacre, near Dartmouth (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre/). This house was built by Sir Rupert D’Oyly-Carte and lived in by his family until 1949. When National Trust got the property, they returned the property to how it was when lived in by the D’Oyly-Carte family and it is decorated in the most gorgeous Art Deco style. As well as restoring the main house, they also restored the “Downstairs” as well, so you get to see how the staff lived and worked. And then there are the gardens… ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. We have realised that we are visiting the UK at a great time – it’s springtime and the flowers are starting to bloom. We’ve seen daffodils, jonquils, bluebells (English and the interloper – the Spanish Bluebell), native garlic, rhododendrons in the most glorious colour! And there is still the rest of springtime and summer to go.

We also went for a walk along the Historic Quay which doubled as Liverpool in the 70’s TV production “The Onedin Line”. The only downside was the weather – wet and cold! But we managed to thaw out with a nice meal in a hotel near the University – our first experience of a Wetherspoons Pub.

Thankfully it was sunny again on Monday when we got up so we head up to the Northern side of Devon and visited our second National Trust property, Arlington Court (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/arlington-court/) which also houses the National Carriage Museum. We then decided that we would drive back via Exmoor and discovered the Lynton-Lynmouth Cliff Railroad, which is a Victorian water-operated railway that runs up and down the most amazing steep cliff between these two towns. We walked down the cliff path (oh my aching knees) and caught the train back up the cliff.

We then continued on our way across Exmoor National Park, driving along some very narrow roads, always encountering oncoming traffic or cyclists at the most narrow section, so we can confirm that Murphy is alive and well in Devon! Nick was very concerned that we were going to have a Midsummer moment when we stopped at a small local Pub (The Badger’s Holt) for dinner – he had a Roadkill pie (his words, not mine) and I had a Stilton & Vegetable Hotpot with a pint of Cider! Very yummy!

We are now ready for our last University breakfast – one of the best breakfasts we’ve had in a long time! And then it’s off to Stonehenge. Nick visited Stonehenge when he came to the UK with the Army, in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year but it was my first trip to the Standing Stones. Nick certainly noticed a huge difference in the tourist interaction – he got to walk amongst the stones whereas this time, we could only walk around the outside of the stones. But it was another Must-See item that we got to tick off.

And then into London for a couple of nights – because we were coming for the Dawn Service on Anzac Day, we managed to find accommodation close to the Memorials, near Hyde Park, but ouch! our bleeding wallet! On our first afternoon in the Big Smoke, we walked around Hyde Park and saw Squirrels, Peter Pan, lots of swans, and explored a great park. With a day in London, we did the Changing of the Guard – the weather was kind, sunny but not too hot and then we walked, and walked, and walked! So two more Must-Sees ticked – what a sense of accomplishment!

2014 is the Centenary Year for the start of the First World War and the 99^th Anniversary of the first Anzac Day. We started our day by attending the Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner. All the ceremonies today were hosted by the New Zealand High Commission but, for the first time, everything was done jointly with the Australian High Commission – apparently as a trial for 2015 (the Centenary Year of Anzac Day). Whilst we were waiting to catch the bus to Hyde Park Corner, another bus off-loaded a group of Australians and Kiwis, in fact we were surprised at how many people were at the Dawn Service. After we checked out of our hotel, we headed to the Cenotaph for the Wreath Laying Ceremony and then on to Westminster Abbey for the Memorial Service, which was a huge buzz – attending a service at the Abbey, listening to the Organ and Choir and being surrounded by all that history. But by the time all the ceremonies were over, our feet were sore from all that standing!

Another first experience that we tried on this trip was catching the overnight bus from London to Amsterdam – and it’s an experience that we won’t be in a hurry to repeat! The only benefit was that we arrived in Amsterdam early in the morning of 26 April, which is Koningsdag (King’s Day) and it would have to qualify as one of the craziest days! Everyone wears orange-coloured clothes, people seem to clear out their homes of old or useless stuff and sell it at roadside stalls. Lots of stalls where you can buy food, drinks, orange clothes and/or hats, all sorts of old stuff.

We seem to have had a very successful first couple of weeks – we have achieved a number of ‘Must-See’ activities, enjoyed beautiful weather, experienced Anzac Day and Konengsdag and then got to the Troopy!

When we went home in January, we took heaps of souvenirs that we had bought on our travels but had to leave some things behind because we ran out of space. We were stunned when we got to the Troopy and looked inside – where did all that stuff come from? And how were we going to fit out luggage into the car??

We did a few maintenance jobs – checking the tyre pressures, replace the broken windscreen wipers, install a new auxiliary battery, replace the broken horns, replace the electrical plug on the bike carrier, picked up our repaired tent, repacked the back of the car, did a grocery restock and attempted to collect our new bicycle cover. We managed to achieve all of these tasks expect the last one – we had ordered a new bike cover before we came home but it was made too big. What they made for us would cover a pair of elephants on bikes!! So they have to fix that and we will have to wait another month before we can collect the cover – Nick is not a happy camper!

But, as of tomorrow morning, we will officially be back on the road – it will be time to head to Denmark and see if Princess Mary is at home!