Circumstances have changed but our thirst for adventure has survived the long period of Covid lockdown spent in France, the selling of our London house and buying a smaller pad with a view, the mothballing of our beloved Landy (Landcruiser) and the commencement of a new chapter in our lives.
Sonia’s hip replacement has necessitated some changes to our transport and we are now proud owners of a rather large fearsome 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter (2016) for travelling, with more dials than you could shake a stick at.

The irrepressible Jim has dropped his previous plan to enter Georgia via the Ukrainian/Russian border, and has cobbled together a new plan to get us there, via a Castello in Italy and a beach in Greece, and a trek across Turkey, which is probably less ´Overlanding’ and more intrepid camping. His planning and logistics involve border crossings, this time, with our 18 year old cat Tigger. He is a European passport owner, which does simplify some of this.

For some Reason he is sitting in his cat tray!

And yes this trip is happening during a period when the Russians are invading Ukraine and inflicting such trauma. We cannot help but wonder what will transpire in the region and we hope and pray for an outbreak of peace as soon as possible.

The Sprinter itself has been intrepid in the past and we are very grateful to its original owners, the Goulds, who have been ceaselessly generous in providing us with advice and support as we grapple with a steep learning curve. We became regular visitors to Cornwall for electrical prepping. « Is it not working or are we just stupid? » is a constant refrain!
We also had to get a new underslung LPG tank fitted and unbelievably, the only way we could do that was to park on people’s driveways in Surrey and Kent, because the very aimable fitter would not enter the M25 motorway ring! So thanks folks. Fortunately the camper plumber would, and leaks have been fixed at Burrells Wharf!

Our three month trip will give us a chance to get used to the Sprinter before going further afield. We will let you know more as we make progress Eastwards. What I can say, is that Jim and I have never let ignorance get in the way of a good journey.
We have now driven the Sprinter to France where it is waiting for us to rejoin and pull off. Oh my, it is so comfortable to sleep in. I can almost forgive it its 5 ton weight! More photos of our new beast will follow, but this is a first glimpse to whet the appetite.