Though I have had my licence almost fifty years, it is only the last 7/8 years I am driving a camper.
First because my dad needed someone who spoke French and could drive, to come along to say goodbye to loads of places he had been to with my mum, who unfortunately had demented thus that it would be completely irresponsable to take her with!
So I offered and he accepted and off we went for a Tour de France, our style!
His camper was somewhat longer than the one I own now, but it was also smaller and lower.
My father’s style was going somewhere to eat and accompanied it with loads of alcohol, mostly red wine. So we arrive back from dinner and he would do a crossword and fall asleep soon after. Mennn, could he snore!
But he taught me within a week how to manage a camper!
Meanwhile he and my mum died, the camper was never given as originally promised, but sold and burned two days later, but the pleasure of making use of it, had been such, that Eric and I decided to buy one for ourselves!
Probably with an initial thought of Happy wife, happy life, but he started to see the advantages of having “everything” along and still being able to go and sleep where and whenever we wanted to!
We have done the whole Somme area, in Poland we did the Mazurian lakes looking for General Sokamoff monument, which we eventually found after 24 hours, driving the same road for the Seventh time.
We lost a dog, due to the fact that a hybrid wolf came to near to our camper and both dogs had to chase it.
It was all a bit too much of an adventure, even for me, let alone for Eric who hated adventures!
Thank goodness we spend the christmas holidays visiting our oldest in Lisboa and after a few days to quickly drove down to The Algarve for some sun and somehow found our way to the camping where my parents used to overwinter for decennia.
Never even looked for it, did not have a clue, but turned off somewhere and stood in the middle of the night in front of the gate of the Campismo!
We were welcomed ever so friendly and even somewhat recognised by Reception, so that warmth was the reason we came back again and where I now have a more permanent place to spend the winter in comfort!
So now I try to spend the winters there and drive my camper around The Netherlands and Germany in order to see my kids, my grandkids, Eric’s mum, my friends and other family and I am grateful that I can do that because I have in principle everything with me, my bike, my dogs, warm clothing, summer clothing and all I wish for is that I will be doing this for a very long time!
Because I totally love it!
Bordeaux, May 28 2024
Colette Pastoor