Camelford

With the travel restrictions lifted and the reopening of campsites we decided to have a few days away.  This is the first time we have used the van in 7 months although I have taken it for a couple of runs to keep the battery charged up.

We went to North Cornwall for 3 nights before the main school holiday rush starts and stayed in Camelford.  A very quiet village, just a few basic shops but on a bus route.

It was strange, in that not slept in the van, or been far in it for 7 months you had to think twice about some of the basic things needed to be done in the van when setting it up on site.  

One of the places we visited was Wadebridge, downstream on the Camel river.  We used to come here 40 years ago for holidays and rented this house for a couple of weeks.  The house then was owned by the Vicar of Bideford and was his intended retirement home, so it wasn't a holiday let as such,  more of a home from home in that many of his books and personal stuff was in the house.  

Here's the house, but I suspect the vicar has now passed on.

The bus service in Cornwall like all bus services has a restricted timetable so there is usually a longish wait.  To pass the time I wandered around the hedgerow snapping the wildflowers.

On public transport you have to wear a mask and most people complied with it, although there were very few people using the bus.

Another day, a wet one, was spent going to Tintagel, famous for its links to the Arthurian legend.  Again a bit of a nostalgic trip because at one time we were thinking of moving here and running the post office and shop.  Looking back thankfully that didn't happen, as most post offices in small villages have now been decommissioned.  On reflection I wouldn't have enjoyed living here with it being busy in the summer  and very quiet in the winter.  It's interesting though to look back and think how different things and life could have been. 

This is the very old and original Post Office in Tintagel, now a National Trust property......not the one that we were looking at.

 

This is the new bridge leading to the King Arthur's castle !!!

All in all it was good to get away and see how the Covid restrictions work in the campsites , on buses and in restaurants.   When you haven't mixed and done the "normal" things for months your confidence can take a knock and it takes time to resume normal service but as I said most people in all the places we went to obeyed the rules.

Lets hope it stays likes this as we certainly dont want another spike and another lockdown .  

Meeting up with family

This is the first post I've done using the new Blogger and it takes a while to find your way around.

I thought it was time to do a fresh post and one not about bikes or bits of bike.  Most of the time during lockdown has been taken up with DiY stuff around the house, like many others I guess, and also because the weather has been kind, there has been ample opportunity to get out on the bike. [See the Strava panel]  Although most of the rides have been solo, in the last few weeks we have gone out in pairs which is good as you get fed up of talking to yourself!!

With the relaxing of the travel restrictions in Wales, last week was the first time we have seen the grandchildren since March, so it was good to spent time with them, going for walks and just playing around.  

Bug hunting is always a good way to get kids enjoying a walk .

As we were in Hampshire an interesting place is the Danebury Hill fort .  

Its also a good wildlife and plant reserve.

Picture from website.

 Hopefully the restrictions will continue to ease, campsites and facilities  will reopen and we can go away in the van.

Fingers crossed that with moving back to normal there isn't a big second wave of the virus which coincides with winter flu and we have to enter into a lockdown again.