Blog 1 -Thu 20 Aug 09

So…..we're FINALLY on the road!3 years of planning, one year of delayed departure & it's finally here.You have no idea how excited we both are.

We have had an amazing couple of months build up… with Valmanya full throughout with friends & family.We have had a wonderful send-off, so now it all feels slightly surreal.It was brilliant to see everyone before we left: the Shirley's (sorry Vics, but you will be one soon!); the Moores'; the Starts; the Murrays; Theresa; Mum & my favourite big brother, Jezz! I'm sure the locals now view us as the primary source of entertainment and amusement in the village!

We left Valmanya on Mon 17th - driving in convoy down the mountain with Jezz in his Elise.He turned North at the bottom of the road & we turned South…

We have managed to drive 700+ km, but are still only 50km for the French border!How does that work? The drive West along the Spanish Pyrenees has been amazing & we have to keep pinching ourselves to remind ourselves that this is only just the beginning & that we are, in reality, still on our doorstep.

All has gone well - apart from a small hitch today when a crazy Spanish bin-lorry driver decided to see if he could squeeze his massive lorry through a gap approximately 3 inches narrower than the truck!Poor Itchy was in that gap & is now missing her front left window; the snorkel mount & has a few 'sporty' stripes etched into her side that weren't there this morning! :o( Hey-Ho…worse things happen at sea.Clive has already fixed the snorkel mount (thank God he didn't leave that pop-riveter at home!) & the window is being replaced in Pamplona tomorrow (well, they said 'manyana' with a shoulder shrug, so here's hoping!) before we head down to Madrid to see Mouse!

The next week should consist of a few more Spanish adventures, before catching the ferry to Morocco on the 26th Aug.Keep tuned…… ;o)