We have been on an austerity drive, money here has been tighter than I can remember it for a long time.
So anyway, when the chance to go to Brittany presented itself, austerity ruled and away we went.
Actually there was a bit of method in the idea, we have this new money making idea involving the compressed wood yard waste. So a van filled with compressed wood yard bricks headed back from Brittany.
Of course getting there had to happen first, after the seminar of course. I was supposed to be helping with a seminar at uni. Got there, right time right room, now let me see what was missing???
Oh yes, people. Having sat there for a while, I decided to go and look, sure enough the dean confirmed the session had been cancelled.
Not a problem, university was on the way to ferry and student had needed to be in uni to engage in some handing in type things to do with her essay.
Of course, this disruption to schedules really helped, with so much time spare we were able to drive at austerity speed. Keep the T4 down round the 60 mark where it's brick like aerodynamics could not count.
The VW was really running well and despite the team slow approach we ran into Plymouth on the seriously early side of early.
There was a slight issue, a packing oversight left herself slightly short in the knicker department so it was time to stop off in Sainsburys on the way in. As we arrived i noted a huge line of cars trying to get in and a huger one trying to get out.
A not going to happen moment then so I thought.
Time to ask the squawk box on the dash for alternatives.
As someone once said: "if you want to get lost - get a map, if you want to be totally screwed - get GPS"
We selected a Branch of Asdas and the GPS was totally utterly insistent the only way to get there was going through the one way system - the wrong way.
No matter how far we went - it insisted we turn round so we could go up the one way street.
No hope here then - we enjoyed a tour of Plympton, somewhere I have never been, most of which involved narrow one car streets with a robot in robot mode directing me hither and thither.
Eventually, we called it a day and demanded directions to the ferry.
This took us another bizarre route and eventually we didn't get to the ferry but somewhere else - close but not there.
By now the student had remembered she hadn't had breakfast - she went a step further and said she was a famine victim
So we headed for one of our normal Plymouth haunts the Westward Hoe, getting there was another mess of GPS noise but we got there - and it was closed.
Heads were scratched and we realised the Italian was open
This was not austerity thinking and we took non austerity to a limit.
OK the Trattatoria Pescatorria in Plymouth is not cheap.
But it isn't expensive either, because what you get is exquisite Italian cuisine done by a fantastically talented chef.
Really, if you are ever in Plymouth,make sure you go there.
So it was on from there and on on the armorique, our original booking was for a 2 berth hovel as usual.
These had all run out so it was a 4 berth club class with telly kettle and free coffee
In Itself that virtually wiped out the difference - every morning we need a coffee to wake up and in this cabin they were included in the fee.
On we went and actually we did save a bit, took a bottle of wine with us and watched telly for the evening.
The cabin was spacious and lovely so we had a decent nights sleep which does not always happen.
Off the ferry, first off again and down to the house where we did a pile of shopping saving ourselves pile of money. The moule were on special offer 2 E a kilo, so into the fridge went a couple of kilos of those too.
Filled the van with the processed wood which might also make us a pile of money.
By now it was lunchtime so it was trois marchands and an austerity lunch for 11.50 a head.
Fueled up for 1E.30 a litre van doing a quite amazing 39.7 miles to the gallon. Drive to Roscoff with the hugest of huge loads in the back - 34 mpg.
Into Roscoff and one of our favourite eateries Ty Sauzon, a big worry here as the old man and Lady who ran this for as long as we can remember had obviously retired. Can be a difficulty - not in this case, they had obviously trained up their successors. Lovely to see a speciality not on the menu, included because they had acquired some local wild mushrooms and added them to the menu for that day. A lovely piece of austerity.
Back on to the ship and with austerity in mind I upgraded cabin to another 4 berth, this time they gave us one that looked out over the bow of the ship (pointy bit if you are nautically inclined). This austerity was really becoming a style I could grow into.
Next morning, yet again, one of the first off and away we went up the motorway heading for home. I had been aware of a bit of vibration in the truck for a little while, I wasn't sure where it was coming from. On the trip up to Dieppe I had this gut feeling that maybe it was the rear nearside hub but nothing I could be precise about.
Anyway as we were half way between Exeter and Bristol, there was a colossal BANG, the truck lurched and, in the mirror, I could see all sorts of bits flying out from under the rear wheel arch. This was not good. The tyre had let go. For those who don't know, the correct thing to do if this happens (assuming you have the room) is out of gear feet off everything and let the car roll to a halt. Hazards on and onto the hard shoulder I went. The tyre had not actually let go but the tread had completely separated from the carcass across about half it's width.
Not good news then, but actually not as bad as it could be, changing a tyre on the hard shoulder with trucks whistling past a couple of feet away was just a bit more excitement than I felt like having. So we limped along the hard shoulder at snail pace to the next junction, found there was a small services there and changed the wheel in their car park.
Might as well have breakfast then - or not. Nothing there I would want to eat so back on to the motorway and risk the next services.
An austere full breakfast and it was onwards for home.
Arrived in time to help the student cook a fabulous moule marriniere which was complimented by French bread bought the day before so that by now it was ever so slightly stale making it ideal blotting paper for sauce.
I think we could really get used to this austerity - trouble is the austerity we could be in together is Osbourne and Camerons - not the grinding poverty they will cheerfully impose on the poor.
R
So anyway, when the chance to go to Brittany presented itself, austerity ruled and away we went.
Actually there was a bit of method in the idea, we have this new money making idea involving the compressed wood yard waste. So a van filled with compressed wood yard bricks headed back from Brittany.
Of course getting there had to happen first, after the seminar of course. I was supposed to be helping with a seminar at uni. Got there, right time right room, now let me see what was missing???
Oh yes, people. Having sat there for a while, I decided to go and look, sure enough the dean confirmed the session had been cancelled.
Not a problem, university was on the way to ferry and student had needed to be in uni to engage in some handing in type things to do with her essay.
Of course, this disruption to schedules really helped, with so much time spare we were able to drive at austerity speed. Keep the T4 down round the 60 mark where it's brick like aerodynamics could not count.
The VW was really running well and despite the team slow approach we ran into Plymouth on the seriously early side of early.
There was a slight issue, a packing oversight left herself slightly short in the knicker department so it was time to stop off in Sainsburys on the way in. As we arrived i noted a huge line of cars trying to get in and a huger one trying to get out.
A not going to happen moment then so I thought.
Time to ask the squawk box on the dash for alternatives.
As someone once said: "if you want to get lost - get a map, if you want to be totally screwed - get GPS"
We selected a Branch of Asdas and the GPS was totally utterly insistent the only way to get there was going through the one way system - the wrong way.
No matter how far we went - it insisted we turn round so we could go up the one way street.
No hope here then - we enjoyed a tour of Plympton, somewhere I have never been, most of which involved narrow one car streets with a robot in robot mode directing me hither and thither.
Eventually, we called it a day and demanded directions to the ferry.
This took us another bizarre route and eventually we didn't get to the ferry but somewhere else - close but not there.
By now the student had remembered she hadn't had breakfast - she went a step further and said she was a famine victim
So we headed for one of our normal Plymouth haunts the Westward Hoe, getting there was another mess of GPS noise but we got there - and it was closed.
Heads were scratched and we realised the Italian was open
This was not austerity thinking and we took non austerity to a limit.
OK the Trattatoria Pescatorria in Plymouth is not cheap.
But it isn't expensive either, because what you get is exquisite Italian cuisine done by a fantastically talented chef.
Really, if you are ever in Plymouth,make sure you go there.
So it was on from there and on on the armorique, our original booking was for a 2 berth hovel as usual.
These had all run out so it was a 4 berth club class with telly kettle and free coffee
In Itself that virtually wiped out the difference - every morning we need a coffee to wake up and in this cabin they were included in the fee.
On we went and actually we did save a bit, took a bottle of wine with us and watched telly for the evening.
The cabin was spacious and lovely so we had a decent nights sleep which does not always happen.
Off the ferry, first off again and down to the house where we did a pile of shopping saving ourselves pile of money. The moule were on special offer 2 E a kilo, so into the fridge went a couple of kilos of those too.
Filled the van with the processed wood which might also make us a pile of money.
By now it was lunchtime so it was trois marchands and an austerity lunch for 11.50 a head.
Fueled up for 1E.30 a litre van doing a quite amazing 39.7 miles to the gallon. Drive to Roscoff with the hugest of huge loads in the back - 34 mpg.
Into Roscoff and one of our favourite eateries Ty Sauzon, a big worry here as the old man and Lady who ran this for as long as we can remember had obviously retired. Can be a difficulty - not in this case, they had obviously trained up their successors. Lovely to see a speciality not on the menu, included because they had acquired some local wild mushrooms and added them to the menu for that day. A lovely piece of austerity.
Back on to the ship and with austerity in mind I upgraded cabin to another 4 berth, this time they gave us one that looked out over the bow of the ship (pointy bit if you are nautically inclined). This austerity was really becoming a style I could grow into.
Next morning, yet again, one of the first off and away we went up the motorway heading for home. I had been aware of a bit of vibration in the truck for a little while, I wasn't sure where it was coming from. On the trip up to Dieppe I had this gut feeling that maybe it was the rear nearside hub but nothing I could be precise about.
Anyway as we were half way between Exeter and Bristol, there was a colossal BANG, the truck lurched and, in the mirror, I could see all sorts of bits flying out from under the rear wheel arch. This was not good. The tyre had let go. For those who don't know, the correct thing to do if this happens (assuming you have the room) is out of gear feet off everything and let the car roll to a halt. Hazards on and onto the hard shoulder I went. The tyre had not actually let go but the tread had completely separated from the carcass across about half it's width.
Not good news then, but actually not as bad as it could be, changing a tyre on the hard shoulder with trucks whistling past a couple of feet away was just a bit more excitement than I felt like having. So we limped along the hard shoulder at snail pace to the next junction, found there was a small services there and changed the wheel in their car park.
Might as well have breakfast then - or not. Nothing there I would want to eat so back on to the motorway and risk the next services.
An austere full breakfast and it was onwards for home.
Arrived in time to help the student cook a fabulous moule marriniere which was complimented by French bread bought the day before so that by now it was ever so slightly stale making it ideal blotting paper for sauce.
I think we could really get used to this austerity - trouble is the austerity we could be in together is Osbourne and Camerons - not the grinding poverty they will cheerfully impose on the poor.
R
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2 comments:
Austerity being a certain paucity of content? Or is my display playing up?
I like the sound of this sort of austerity
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