Guzzi Overland

Current News – Still in Homer, Alaska enjoying a few days off.

In the blogs we are now heading home for a whistle-stop break. This was during April.

Blog 255 Welcome Home (albeit briefly) 9^th – 22^nd April 2013

Having left the heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur we arrived to a grey, cold Heathrow airport and after the realisation that we needed some cash to get anywhere there was a frantic 10mins of finding old cards not used for three years, remembering old PIN ( personal identification numbers) and juggling monies from various accounts. We then paid what seemed like a huge amount of money to catch the bus to Gatwick and then the train to our home town of Horsham, where we were greatly relieved to find in our absence a lift had been installed in our 1930′s Art Deco railway station. With 30kg suitcases each we were dreading carrying them up and down the many stairs. “Welcome Home”

Horsham’s 1930′s Art Deco station.
Horsham, West Sussex, UK

 Our trip home was obviously to catch up with relations and friends where we could and we apologise to all of you we didn’t have the time to meet with. We have missed quite a few weddings now but we managed to catch up with some of Kev’s best mates in a local pub while they were planning a stag trip to France for Brian’s wedding.

We also had a lot of organising to do in a short time frame, updating our inoculations, dentist, opticians, doctors etc all the things we haven’t done for three years. The good news we are still in fine health. (See travel is good for you).
In the last picture it may be dark but here is my best friend Donna and her dogs.

Ed, Kev, Brian, Alex, Andy with me in the front .

Donna and Karen sharing the sofa.

We had approximately a week of rest and fun between my (Karen’s) sister Julie and my parents houses. Julie had managed to get us some holiday work so Kev became a window cleaner and I helped Julie clean the holiday lets. Here in the UK we could work to boost the funds a little as we have previously been in countries with no working visa.

Here is Julie’s dog Suki, us enjoying a candle lit night in their garden and a night shot overlooking the town.

“When I’m cleaning windows”

Suki the Saluki.

Candle light in the garden.

Julie and her partner Casper had since moved house from our home area of West Sussex to Devon (over four hours away) while we had been absent so we explored their village, then we had a BBQ on the local beach where we found Sticky a great bit of driftwood almost human in shape, lots of fun was had with Sticky round the fire.

Karen and Julie.

Karen, Julie and Casper

Julie, Casper and Karen

Kev and Karen in Devon

Here are some of our photos from Devon where they took us on some good trails. This was walking to the Hunters Inn across some fabulous coastline.

Casper, Kev, Karen and Julie.

A hard climb!
Kev, Julie and Karen.

There was a resident peacock strutting its stuff to impress his lady friend in the grounds of the inn.

 Our route back took us on a slightly higher elevation down an old drovers track, amazing to think these were used by horse and cart on a regular basis. Along the track we found this great knarly tree. Here’s Julie and I doing our twisty tree impression.

Can you see me.
Karen, Julie, Casper and Kev

Julie and Karen and the twisty tree dance.

My parents still go out for rides on their motorcycles regularly and they were away for the weekend with the Mojacar club, a riding group they have been friends with for years. As they were not miles away we all met in the pub for lunch at Hartland, Bideford. It was a good family gathering and we also found another walk down at the quay although the wind was cold that day. The rocks here reminded us of Kaikora in New Zealand.

L-R, Lyn, Karen, Kev, Julie, Pete, Arthur and Mike.

Arthur, Lyn and Mike

Arthur, Lyn and Karen

On the way back to Horsham we planned to stay with my parents when they returned from their weekend away. This meant we had one more day with Casper and Julie, it was great to spend some time with them. Our walk of choice was Bagge point. Here we found the remains of a whale vertebra bone so weathered it now resembled rock, the sheep on the path were not that bothered by our presence. We walked back to the Rock inn at Georgeham and had another pub lunch where Harvey the Labrador was a regular. Georgeham is the place Tarka the Otter was written, the author lived in the house in the last photo.

Whale bone

Harvey placing his order at the bar…

Home of Tarka the Otter writer in Georgetown.

Our last walk in Devon was also our strangest we left Morthoe village to follow the coastal trail to Bull point lighthouse, set high on the cliffs it was windswept with big drops down to the ocean. In town we had made a fuss of a small ginger cat who then thought we were his new best friends and proceeded to follow us (well actually lead us), the whole couple of miles down the trail to the lighthouse and back. What a great guide, he even wanted to come home with us but we found who owned him and ensured his safety.

Julie and Karen heading through Morthoe.

Julie and Karen sharing a seat with the Bull point guide.

Julie and Karen with the Bull point guide.

Bull point

Bull Point

Bull point

Next up – More from England.

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