Truckie is sold

It feels like the end of an unbelievable chapter of our lives but yesterday we sold our beloved Truckie. We had realised a while ago that it did not make sense just keeping him for occasional holidays. He is designed to be lived in full time and to undertake long journeys across continents. So ultimately it was a decision of the head not the heart. He has been part of our family for nearly six years, or as Lucy would say for more than half her life so it was really sad to part with him. The couple who have bought him have big plans for adventures of their own so we are happy that Truckie will once more be exploring the world. We would like to wish them well on their adventures and hope they enjoy them as much as we enjoyed ours. We spent a long time choosing what we felt was the right vehicle for our journey around the world and having completed it can say with absolute confidence that Truckie was the right vehicle for us. He took us over mountains, across deserts, along beaches, through hot weather and through the freezing cold too, whether it was on tar roads, gravel or dreadful muddy tracks he hardly missed a beat. Bocklet, the company that built him, did a fantastic job and after over 4 years living in Truckie there is very little that we would change. In fact, if we were all setting out again Truckie is exactly the vehicle we would want. As I parked Truckie up for the last time (after having driven him for nearly 200,000 kms) and handed the keys over to the new owner it was hard to imagine I wouldn’t be driving him again or spending another night parked up in some beautiful spot. It really brought it home that our trip was over more than any of the other things we have done since we returned to the UK. I am sure there will be more adventures but the trip with Truckie is completed. With that it also seems an opportune time to close the blog. When we started this blog we asked ourselves why we were writing it. After a while we realised we were writing it for ourselves, the family as a memory of the fantastic trip we undertook. We were delighted that our wider family and friends read it and that over time it reached a wider audience. The comments and feedback we have received have been fantastic and we have really appreciated the encouragement and support. Last weekend we spent our last nights in Truckie at the Overland Show. It was great to meet so many fellow overlanders as well as people who have followed our travels and are now planning trips of their own. It was hard though knowing we were selling Truckie as just talking about other people plans made us long for our own adventures. There will be more we are sure. So as we sign off we would all like to say a big thank you to everyone for all their support and to anyone planning a trip we would like to wish them well on their own adventures. If you are thinking of doing something similar, the hardest decision you will ever have to make is the decision to commit to doing it. All we can say is “Do it”. You will never regret it. Steve, Gilly, Alisha, Lucy and Truckie  

Europe : The Final Frontier

I know that technically for the last bit of our time in Turkey we had been in Europe but as we crossed the border into Greece and back into the EU it felt that we were really now on the homeward stretch and back in Europe. Not that we would be spending much time crossing Europe, it was always going to be a bit of a whirlwind tour. The last week it has seemed as if we have been crossing a border every day, partly due to the countries all been relatively small and partly due to the speed at which we are now travelling. Greece was a bit of a blur really. We joined a smooth motorway and followed it all along the coast. Every so often there was beautiful glimpses of the sparkling blue Agean and of lovely sandy beaches trying to tempt us down but unfortunately we didn't have time and by the end of the day had turned inland into the wooded hills. We eventually stopped for the night near the border with Macedonia in a clearing down a forest track. It might not have been as beautiful as the coast but it was a lot quieter. As we return to Europe we realise just how much we enjoy finding solitude and camping by ourselves with just nature for company. As it's peak holiday season in Europe we could see how popular the main sights and the coast were for obvious reasons. This was a lovely spot and we treasured it as we don't know which one will be our last on this journey. The next morning it was another border this time crossing into Macedonia. Not that the Greeks like the country being called that, as they have there own province of Macedonia on their side of the border. It gives rise to rather confusing signs as the first says "Macedonia says goodbye" and then just over the border there is a "Welcome to Macedonia" sign. Still the good news were that the border was very smooth and despite going through two passport controls it took less than 10 minutes to cross. We were heading for Lake Ohrid but on the way passed by the much less touristy Lake Prespa. We headed down to a spot by the lake for lunch and as it was so nice decided to spend the rest of the day there. Again there was hardly a soul around although unfortunately from the amount of litter around it must have been a popular spot at times. As we drove through the Balkans we could not but notice the amount of litter left lying around and overflowing dust bins. Fortunately we had a quiet night and the next day headed over the mountain pass that lay between the two lakes. The views from near the top were fantastic. As we descended to Lake Ohrid the traffic picked up and by the time we arrived at St Nam's monastery it was decidedly busy. Mind you we could understand why. The lake was set beautifully with the mountains around and every so often churches or monasteries dotted the shoreline. We headed into the main town of Ohrid itself to see the castle and some more picturesque churches. We were hoping that we would be able to find our own quiet spot around the lake but no such look so we thought we would check out the campsite. As soon as we entered we decided there was no way we were staying it was just so dirty so we turned inland and found a quiet spot by a stream to camp. It had been a lovely day and we did not want to spoil it by camping somewhere horrible and for once we hadn't crossed a border. The next day though it was back to crossing borders as we entered Kosovo. We followed a lovely mountain road that gave great views as it twisted and turned through the valley. Again we were able to find a quietish spot by a small river to camp for the night. When we arrived there were a number of picnickers but they left in the evening so we had the place to ourselves for the night. Following the road down through the gorge we arrived in Prizren. From the castle above the town we could see the interesting mix of the town as it was dotted with both Serbian Orthodox Churches as well as Mosques. Unfortunately this coexistence has not always been peaceful as big clashes broke out in 2004. As a result many of the churches were burnt, as well as people's houses. It was hard to imagine as we wondered around the picturesque town enjoying its sights but is a reminder that such violence is sometimes never far away especially when it's whipped up by certain politicians. After enjoying a leisurely lunch by the river we debated whether we should cross another border. As Albania was only 20kms away and it was only 3pm we thought why not, so off we headed to our fifth country of the week. Again the border crossing was really quick and we were soon gliding through the mountains on a smooth motorway. We had thought about finding somewhere to camp in the mountains but before we knew it we were near the coast and things were much busier. We had read that Camping Legienda was a nice campsite with a pool and decided to give it a try. We were really pleased that we did. It was a pleasant campground with a lovely pool to cool off in the heat. We enjoyed it so much we decided to stay an extra day rather than pushing on to the next border. This gave us the chance to visit the castle that overlooked the town of Skhoder but more importantly enabled us to get some jobs done that we needed to do before heading back to the UK. We had been planning on doing these at a campsite in Montenegro but you never know we may still find some last wild spots to camp alone. Here's hoping.

Idyllic Island Life

As the ferry crossed the short stretch of water between the mainland and Bozcaada, Alper, my former work colleague, said people either love or hate the island. It didn't take long to decide which category we fell into. What was there not to love; the deep blue of the sea, the lovely little beaches, the vineyards and olive groves dotting the hillsides, the cool breeze while watching the sun set into the ocean. Or was it the lovely fresh sea food, the slow cooked lamb or the locally produced wines. Maybe it was just the pace of life, yes it was busy in parts with tourists enjoying the beauty but it was easy to get away from it all. Maybe it was just the islanders themselves. We met a number of them during our short stay, all wonderfully hospitable, some had been living there for years others returned to the island each year being pulled back by its beauty.  In particular Nejat and Umit who ran the Baghane guesthouse where Alper was staying could not have been more gracious hosts. Each morning we were invited for breakfast. As we traveled through Turkey we had seen Turkish breakfasts advertised and were keen to try one. Here we were spoilt for choice; freshly baked bread, local olives, juicy plump tomatoes and homemade jams together with an assortment of cheeses and local delicacies. All washed down with great conversation and company. We were fuelled for the day. We would never have gone to Bozcaada if it hadn't been for Alper. I had worked with Alper for a number of years in Central and Eastern Europe and he had just retired. He had been visiting Bozcaada for years and had recently bought some land on the island where he had planted olive trees. As he had seen we were passing close by he had invited us to stay. We were a little concerned that the truck might prove too big for the small island but the ferry was a breeze and once we had negotiated the narrow street of the only town on the island we easily navigated the country lanes. And Alper had the perfect place for us to stay, on his land with the tiny olive plantations. It was just perfect. We parked on a ridge with views down to the sea. There was a lovely breeze to cool the hot sun and we had the perfect view of the sun setting into the the blue Aegean Sea. We spent a wonderful few days on the island with Alper, swimming in the clear but cool sea, tasting some of the local wines, meeting many of the locals and enjoying some wonderful Turkish seafood at the local restaurants. It was great to catch up with Alper, to hear what he had been up to and what his plans were now he was "retired". It was a perfect end to a wonderful week in Turkey. The beginning of the week had been quite different and was all about the Romans. We had travelled from Sagalassos to Pamukkale. Pamukkale is famous for its gleaming white calcite travertines over which spill warm mineral waters. The waters have been bathed in for centuries as can be seen from the wonderful ruins of Hierapolis just above the travertines.It was here that we started our tour wandering around the ruins and the spectacular roman theatre. But it was to the travertines that we gravitated as thousands of people had before and the day we went was no exception. Who could resist paddling or bathing on the waters on the glistening bright white terraces especially as it was baking hot. After enjoying a nice soak, we had a choice to make. Should we head on a short distance to some more Roman ruins or should we head up the hill away from the crowds to a campsite with a swimming pool? The baking sun overhead sealed the decision, it was up to the campsite we headed for a relaxing afternoon by the pool. The next day we headed to one of the largest Roman cities, the fabled city of Ephesus. Ephesus is close to the sea so we looked at camping right on the beach but decided we just couldn't face the crowds so instead camped underneath the castle in the nearby town of Selcuk. From here it was only a short walk to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis. Unfortunately only one of the 127 columns is still standing. It did though wet our appetite for the main show, the ancient Roman city of Ephesus. The ruins here were on a grand scale and certainly were the best Roman ruins I have seen outside of Rome. The Great Theatre once held 25,000 people and you could not fail to be impressed by it. Then there was the Library of Celsius which had been extensively restored and whose facade was just stunning. All along the way there were temples and arches and it was fascinating wandering the marbled streets of an old Roman city. At the end we entered a separate section, the terraced houses where the houses of wealthy families had been preserved and restored. Inside here you could see mosaics on the floors and paintings still on the walls. It was a wonderful insight into ancient Roman life. While we were in Ephesus there was another special event we had to celebrate. Alisha's 12th birthday. It was the 5th Birthday that she has celebrated on the road and we are really proud how she has developed into a delightful young lady. She has celebrated birthdays on this trip in Canada, Bolivia, Botswana, Malaysia and now Turkey.The campsite where we were staying was an ideal spot for a birthday celebration. It was a cross between a campsite and a farmyard so Alisha shared her birthday with the geese, goats, sheep, chickens and a particularly friendly cat. As is customary, Gilly and Lucy baked a delicious birthday cake. It was then a long drive up the coast to meet Alper for him to take us to the idyllic island just a short ferry crossing across the Aegean. A delightful end to a fantastic week. Perhaps we should just stay!