Roadtrips, Festivals, Breakdowns and an Engine Rebuild, Part 2.

It's the reason you own a campervan, right?

To park it in a field and call it home. Loaded with food, beers, blankets. iPod full of music. It's a place to chill out in between exploring and enjoying what ever festival you're at has to offer. Yea, driving is cool. Parking up at a show is cool too. But the greatest, best thing a campervan does is become a home.

Doris was our basecamp at the Hay Festival, in Hay on Wye. We remember it as possibly the best camp out we'd had in Doris so far. In fact, to this day it is still the last camp out we've had in Doris. 

I have big withdrawal symptoms.

Hay is known as the town of books. Its festival is a place for lovers of books. Certainly a place for Kirst, she was quite literally in her element. She met Neil Gaiman, having ended up sitting right next to him whilst we watched his wife Amanda Palmer perform on stage. A special little moment. There was folk music, good food, antique markets, fireworks and gin. The gin was good. 

We spent our days exploring the town and our evenings soaking up the atmosphere. We used Doris's little gas burners for all our breakfasts, lunches and dinners, sourcing extra ingredients from a cool deli we found. 

The mixture of exploring, being entertained by festival goings on, and heading back to the bus to relax was just perfect. Good times. 

An awesome time was had by us both. Doris treated us well. Cool and relaxing in the day, warm and cosy at night. She took on the Welsh terrain, got us to our festival and became our home for nearly a week. What more could we have asked for?

Well as a matter of fact, getting us all the way home would have been nice, but things don't always end perfectly, do they? Blowing up her engine on the motorway was not part of the plan. 

Part 3 soon, oily guts and all... 

Roadtrips, Festivals, Breakdowns and an Engine Rebuild. Part 1.

Vanlife. That simple romantic fantasy that many of us crave.

We ditch the regular pace of life. We jump in the bus. We go. We Enjoy.

I bet that paints a sweet picture in your mind. Sunsets, beers, mountains, river crossings, star filled skies. Got it? Good. Let me spoil it for you. I'm jumping out of the bus with a fire extinguisher. It's limped to the roadside, smoke everywhere. It's a dual carriageway and the sun is setting. The bus is dead. More on that later.

Summer 2015 promised so much. Faith in the old bus was high and 5 adventures in, we were really getting into it. We'd arrived. Plans were ambitious. Road trips, festivals, camping spots in woodland and cities alike. Doris's tailgate was proudly branded with the Charity Route 67 logo; John O Groats to Lands End. This humble little blog was gaining followers.

Late May. Our destination was Hay On Wye, for the Hay Festival. Our camping spot, a small site just outside of the village. The journey was to be split it two parts. Nottingham to Shropshire for a stop over at Kirst's parents, then onto the winding roads of Herefordshire and Wales.

I cannot stress how enjoyable the narrow winding lanes of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Wales are when traveled via camper van. The trip was seriously enjoyable.

(Yes, I enjoyed the side mounted go pro experiment)

After a couple of phone calls and a bit of guidance we arrived at Gypsy Castle campground. From our spot we could see some of the Hay Festival tents, teepees and marquees. We popped open the roof and set up what would become our tiny home for the rest of the week. Our camperbus.

The camp site was perfectly perched on the hillside. Our neighbours for the week were close, but that wouldn't bother us. Everyone was like minded, chilled and ready to take in the sites, stories and tales that lay waiting for us. 

Part 2 soon... The Hay Festival, Camping, Cooking, enjoying the sweet life.