I had an entire, and fairly nice Aire to myself last night, just outside of Bayonne.
I rearranged the car so I had the back seat to myself, which was still pretty uncomfortable, but I did get a broken 7 hours or so, which is reasonable.
I had a comedy moment when I wanted to get going around 6.30 - I'd locked myself into the car and the key had somehow jumped out of the doorwell and I had to find it in the car in the dark moving all the stuff around me. Thankfully it hadn't completely disappeared.
The transition into Spain was as seamless as one of the regular French toll roads, in fact all that was at the border was a toll station - had the road signs afterwards not been in Spanish I wouldn't even have known I'd left France.
I don't know whether it was the mountains in Northern Spain (there are a lot of mountains, it's really very nice!) or whether my phone is just crap, but I didn't get any 4G until my 3rd stop (I was stopping to see if I could get a signal). I didn't want to risk switching my phone on and off again in case my Google Maps satnav wouldn't be able to find my route again!
Besides some torrential rain and an unexpected road works diversion off the main road (I ignored the sat nav and just sat behind the convoy of trucks knowing they'd be rejoining the motorway eventually) the journey was uneventful.
Something about Spanish service stations is this: they are pretty grotty affairs IMO. I stopped in a few and didn't really feel like staying in any of them for too long. It took me ages to finally find one with a nice shady camping area for a proper stop.
I basically just drove all day - with several short breaks and made it as far as a cute little town called Cuidad Rodrigo just this side of the Portuguese Border.
I did have one shitty thing happen - the hotel I'm staying in has this hideously tight entrance to their car park and I proper scraped the side of the my car up.
Thankfully it's only cosmetic, and I will be able to sort it out myself, it's just a matter of tracking down some sandpaper, primer and the exact colour spray paint for my car.
Another skill to level up, but I figure I can leave it a few days without too much damage occurring to the body work.
Oh and the hotel room has a bath! so I had my first bath in six months, and dozed off, as you do. Bliss!
After bathing I went out for a wander into this beautiful old city earlier, it's kind of sad seeing it so empty, the handful of people wandering about with face masks (which I've guessed are compulsory in Spain wherever you are).
I pointed the camera in the direction I think I'm headed tomorrow (roughly) - if it looks empty, I think that's because it is. There was hardly any traffic on the roads from Valledolid excuse spelling) onwards, and that's about 200 KM North East.
I've booked an Air B and B apartment stay for the next few nights so I can settle quickly and establish some routine in my life - I haven't left the UK to do touristic things, I've left it to carry on working, although in some ways it's a bit of a shame, it really is very easy writing just spieling out what you've done with yer day!
I'm hoping by the time my AirBnB runs out I'll have sorted out some cheaper medium term accommodation to tide me over until I can buy some land, which might take a while!
I could do with having a cheap October too, what with car costs, hotel stays, and my rental prep costs mounting up my slush fund is pretty much out!
To think the last bath I had was when I was staying in a hotel in March for work for three nights, just before Lock Down one happened. Then those baths were about de-stressing after long-days and that bizarre early corona-vibe, with the queues at the supermarkets.
Today's bath, OK it was about de-stressing from a long day's drive, but I feel as if all that 'proper' work shit, and all of that covid shit are not just gone from my life, and it's a celebration of a new, more creative chapter!
Anyway, time for bath number two!
Congrats on making it out of the UK! I hope that you find exactly the kind of land that you are looking for!
Hey cheers, it may take a little while, but I'll get there!
I'll be doing buildy posts sometime soon too hopefully!
!ENGAGE 20
Excellent! Looking forward to seeing your build process. I am always available if you ever need consultation with stuff.
Oh hey I shall keep you in mind for sure, thanks very much!
Yeah man! I would be more than glad to help! I am still unclear exactly what your goal is with the land but am assuming that you will be homesteading or something like that.
Homesteading is the general idea - as self sufficient as possible in water, energy, food (well if I get to 50% there I'll be happy) - there's something of a network of it around here!
ENGAGEtokens.Looks like you just drove up north and are somewhere in Tameside, near to Yorkshire. 🤣
The similarities aren't lost on me!
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I didnt notice that until you said but you're spot on! I will nail it down further to somewhere around Uppermill!!
Uppermill would be spot on. Should I disclose I've lived in Mossley?
Only if I divulge my father in law from my first marriage played for Man U and died in a retirement home in Mossley lol.....
I am however, from Leeds ;-)
Gosh, you must have hated him. :))
Not as much as I hated his daughter lol....but joking aside, it was interesting to hear the tales he told of life in the 40s and 50s as a pro and his adventures with England.....oh, and his thoughts on the current generation of pros, which weren't exactly complimentary although I would suggest from remembering his tone, there was just a tinge of regret that he hadn't had the financial benefits.
He did however, enjoy the glory back in the day and enjoyed the fact he had his own seat in his local surrounded by old clippings . Right until his death, he used to receive fan-mail and requests for autographs.
Before my time in Tameside. Would have loved to hear those stories. Thinking that back then they played for a fiver or tenner a week. And those were the top players, but he was an England national so probably was paid. Doesn't seem he moved out of the area though while playing?
ManUtd was a reason for me to move in that area, I developed vast sympathy for Oldham too. I guess that's what happens if a colleague is Scholes' neighbor.
!ENGAGE 40
ENGAGEtokens.ahhahahhahah! Enjoy your second or third bath there...btw, you are in a zone on which the food and wines are really good
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The sky in the photo is impressive in its beauty. Have a nice trip. Thanks you.
It sounds like a lot of driving. What do you listen to in the car? Shame about the scrape. You are missing some torrential rain here today. Have a !BEER and chill.
I just put on the local radio - cycle between them to learn the language by osmosis!
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Good idea. When I lived in Germany I listened to the local radio even though I could get the World Service. Mind you, a lot of the music they played was in English.
Kiss FM is like that, it amuses me!
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BEER.Hey @revisesociology, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @steevc for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.Wonderful, I'm glad you made it! A flat tire, a scratch on the car body... all just testaments of the start of a new era. Congratulations, and enjoy your bath. :-)
Another completely unrelated question: Do you happen to know where I can find a HIVE - HBD price chart? The Hive Wallet has a nice market depth, but it would be nice to see how the price has changed over time. Right now it's pretty clear: cheap as! But is it an ATL? If not when was it? Anyway, if you know, send me a link. I appreciate your help.
I'm not sure about where to find the price comparisom chart tbh - maybe an external site like coingecko?
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That's where I've been looking, but without much luck. Thanks anyway.
I'll have a dig around now I'm more settled.
I just tend to sell mine for Hive (or Leo/ Dec) as I earn it!
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What a brilliant road trip!! If it were me, I'd just keep driving. If you'd have traded the car for a Berlingo or similar sized van, you could have just lived in it!!
Really glad you went for it. Best wishes!
I'm quite attached to my car, silly I know, besides the plan is to buy some land and settle rather than travel around!
Great to see that you're nearly there!
did you know......
google maps has a function to download the maps on wifi and use them offline when there is no interwebz?
this might be helpful dude!
I think my phone may have done that automatically the other day!