An affair of the heart...

[GrannyJen]

Even though Albert and I had met briefly earlier, it was only in January that we were formerly introduced. It was not love at first sight, indeed as Queen Victoria must of felt when meeting an earlier Albert, the one whom this Albert is named after, he appeared to be rather coldly efficient. Very handsome, very clever, technologically up with the times.

We went away to Cornwall to ferment a deep and meaningful relationship and it was during one of those terrible storms of January that I started to fall in love. Having been kept awake all night by 70 mph winds battering the sides and roof bellows I wondered if we would survive in one piece, and even then would I be able to get the roof down to travel home. I need not of worried. All was intact and despite the ferocious winds the roof lowered without drama.

On another of our trips I found myself in a tight spot, literally. Albert, with pinpoint accuracy, squeezed between a rock and a hard place, well.. two stone walls, same thing!

I have felt warm and secure at night, protected even.

On this trip though the teutonic efficiency came into it's own. I had ventured off road on the llyn peninsular, down a narrow track ending on Llandbedrog beach, to meet with my niece holidaying there. I took the wrong track. It got narrower, the stone walls either side higher, a sharp bend and a 20 degree plus descent into ... a cul-de-sac! I had to make the decision, reverse or turn round. I chose the latter, in a space barely bigger than Albert's length. A multiple point turn that required me to trickle one front wheel so that part of the tyre was overhanging a 10 foot step to the beach, then reverse so the other corner was within a couple of millimetres of stone. All against a backdrop of a broken, in places slippery, surface at a 20-25 degree angle.

Albert was all cool efficiency. The manners impeccable, the control immaculate. Totally brilliant. My knuckles were white, my face red, but the vehicle performed amazingly well,

I'm sat here now, Grange over Sands, went off for a 5k run whilst my slow cooker simmered my lamb casserole, a pleasant shower courtesy of caravan club facilities, now snug and warm in my friend.

I'm in love .

 

[2into1]

Oh I'm just going to miss you (assuming you are still heading North). I'm at Silverdale tomorrow.

 

[GrannyJen]

You might meet me coming back

I am driving the cumbrian coastline before ending up on the M6 at carlisle and heading back to west sussex, via a stopover just south of Lancaster.

I hope the weather is better for you than today, it was lousy when I got to Silverdale. A strong, cold wind and intermittent rain.

 

[2into1]

Do stop for a look at the estuary in Ravenglass if you get time. (Good C&CC site if you've time to stay!).

 

[GrannyJen]

I stopped at the ccc site today.

Needed to clean myself up and as I was a member they let me use the bathrooms even though I was not stopping.

Two miles earlier, on the twisting, wooded part of the A595, two motor cyclists coming the other way, one clipped the bank, lost control and hit the car three cars in front of me. :cry:

It was horrible. Air ambulance had to be called. Not much any of us could do, except in my case make lots of cups of tea for everyone as we were there for an hour.

Some days I just want to hold my children and think about how lucky I am.

 

[777111]

The A595 must had some bad karma that day...
At about 3 am that same day on that same road I was obliged to drive back from a nice CC site near Gosforth with acute pneumonia. 2 days in hospital and today first day I feel human again.

The value of the present tense.