Days out in the campervan in October 2026

We had a night in Newport ahead of a parkrun and our great niece's 3rd birthday.

 

Peter went off for a walk and I carved a pumpkin and made a couple of hedgehogs from some old books.

There is obviously a reason why they feel the need to make the signs like this, but it really irritates me. If you can drive a car/campervan/RV then you're a grown up and shouldn't need a silly little cartoon.

However this one could save your life. Even in the winter the cable needs to be fully unwound and so many people don't.

The rest of the camping trips were solo around parkruns and football matches.

The campervan is perfect for this. Campsites are a fraction of the cost of hotels and the facilities are outstanding in most cases, it's just the short walk in the dark and the rain that can be inconvenient, but when it gets really cold and wet I just take the portable potty with me and as we've got solar panels I don't actually have to leave the van.

After a false start with there being several camping spots in Fontygary, the southern most tip of Wales, I did indeed set the van up in stealth mode, top down and stayed inside until there was a break in the storm.

 Once the storm calmed for around an hour, I set up the electrics and explored a little before it got dark. I didn't pop the roof up and it was hard work configuring the bed without being able to stand up straight.

I didn't use the facilities but there was a shop and deli, cafe, two take a ways, a restaurant, swimming pool, bowling, mini golf and soft play.

The campervan was just behind the forest caravan. If I'd wanted to park any closer to the toilets and shower block it was an additional £6.

I'd not come across a toilet/shower block like this before. If you wanted to use the toilet, then shower, then use a sink to clean your teeth or dry your hair, you had to use three separate rooms to do so.

Apart from the chair there was no where to put your toiletries, no shelf or sink, so once I'd finished showering I had to go to another room to brush my teeth and out my make up on.

I use these flower pots to keep my toiletries in, in the shower room, often it just hooks over the door.

Not being able to pop the roof interfered with my dinner plans. I quickly scrambled some eggs and cooked some toast and made a cup of tea. I need a new gas bottle for the stove that is built into the van. The toaster is a little too close to the canvas above so I had the back door open while I was using the camping stove and the toaster with the fire extinguisher at hand.

It was a rough night weather wise and not much better the following day parked up in Barry Island. The Porthcawl parkrun had been cancelled and I chickened out of the Barry Island one.

The people of Barry are optimistic.

At the end of the weekend my coat ended up in the bin as both it and the campervan sprung a leak.

Despite having waterproofs on, everything was soaked through from the rain. I'm thankful for the diesel heating in the campervan and a change of clothes.

After drying off after a day on the Island, I headed into Barry and up to Jenner Park for the football which was televised for S4C and met up with a friend to watch the game with.

It was on then to Monmouth for the night on my friends drive and I did consider stopping on the M4 services for the night as the weather was atrocious and speed was restricted to 30mph in parts. With a high sided vehicle it was a challenge.

I'd saved the washing up in. bowl under the sink and took my wet towels in to go through the dryer.

The final night of the weekend was in the Forest of Dean after spending the weekend in my old neighbourhood at a halloween party with the grandchildren.

The storm had passed so I could pop the roof for the night and was able to clean and tidy and dry the van out properly and make dinner without worrying about setting the roof on fire.

Back home for a few days and time to restock and suss out the leak which was a broken seal in the back drivers window, typically not covered under our extended warranty. No time to get it fixed, so cupboard stuffed with towels and off back to the Forest of Dean for an afternoon by the river and another halloween party with the grandchildren.

You'll see more posts through the winter with the campervan being used for just days out which it is perfect for, especially with me travelling for park runs and football matches. I love having the space to catch up with some work, write blogs, read, have lunch and brew up and basically just dry out and warm up in after a walk or a run.

My set up at night time when I'm on my own looks a little scrappy. I don't bother with the window linings in the front, it's a struggle on your own leaning over the front seats, so I just hold these blankets in place and when I go to sleep the bed base holds them in place.

My friend is the end house in a cup de sac so I'm tucked out the way.

And from this angle you'd never know I was sleeping in the middle of a housing estate.

Week 33 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

The negatives

Although I know I can't buy souvenirs and send a postcard to Stephanie it's still upset me. Migraines and food choices.

The positives

I've managed a couple of runs while we've been in Crete, it's been hot and my time has been improving.

Saturday 15 August It's the day of the Virgin Mary in Greece and we were advised that many places may be closed and the roads busy, so we opted to spend the day on the beach. It was very windy and the sea was rough so we went to the harbour beach which is sheltered but there were no sun loungers. I did have a swim and spent a bit of time beach combing for litter after getting attacked in the water by a bag for life. I prefer to have my main meal during the day and Peter had a bowl of soup. Back to the hotel for the afternoon in the pool and reading. Down to the village for dinner for Peter and I had a cocktail and a dessert. Walked back in the dark and watched some TV.

Sunday 16 August I don't join Peter for breakfast as I can't eat much, so I have tea and and cereal or yogurt and fruit in the room. We then walked into the village for coffee and were back poolside by 11am as it was too windy for the beach. We had snacks throughout the day and at 6pm we headed back into the village for dinner at a restaurant over looking the harbour. Back to the hotel at 9pm. Dinner really is a relaxed affair. 

Monday 17 August Our last day trip and off to Chania on the west of the island. A beautiful and colourful City with so much to see and do and of course a Starbucks. we didn't have a lunch, but I'd taken a gluten free sandwich and Peter bought one and we walked around eating them. I also found a gluten free cake shop and bought a rose flavoured cake that we took down to a park near the sea to eat. On the 90 minute drive back we stopped at Koumos Lake for a swim, there are fresh water turtles there and a variety of restaurants where we had some cold drinks and explored local potteries also. We were dropped in the village, enjoyed dinner and saw an amazing bright red sunset, before walking back to the hotel.

Tuesday 18 August A lie in as I woke with a migraine and I needed time for my tablets to take effect. We went out for a coffee and sat in the shade watching the world go by. I then went for a swim in the sea while Peter watched the bags and then back to the hotel to laze by the pool. Back to the room around 2pm for a late lunch and a rest, then into the village in the evening for dinner. It's getting hard to find something to eat every night without repeating the same thing. I miss just being able to have a jacket potato or a toasted sandwich.

Wednesday 19 August After breakfast we caught the bus to Rethymno and explored the the fortress and the old town. It was really hot today as there was no cloud cover or breeze. I had gluten free pasta for lunch, there were lots of drink stops and after we got back to our village I stopped off for a coffee and Peter returned to the hotel to get a spot by the pool. I joined him and we read for a couple of hours, with me floating on my giant inflatable. We then returned to the room and watched TV while doing our packing and in bed around 11pm.

Thursday 20 August We had a lie in and checked out around 11am, leaving our cases in the hotel and wandered down to the village for a coffee, dropping off the books we'd read in a lending library which was a shelf on a wall in the street. I had a swim in the sea and we had a late lunch and returned to the hotel for a swim in the pool and to read our books. We were given another room we could use able to shower off and get changed and spent the evening reading our books on the veranda waiting for the bus to pick us upper our transfer back to the airport and our flight home. Smooth collection on time, if you've flown in and out of holiday airports you'll know what I mean when I say it was a long wait. CSKA Sofa football team were there after their match against Crete in the Europa League, they caused a bit of a stir because no one knew who they were but had loads of security. I just googled their kit sponsor and football and fixture list and word got round lol.

Friday 21 August A good flight home, we dozed a little but no real sleep. landed at 4am, bags, got a train to New Street and had a coffee while we waited 30 mins for the first train home. I left Peter at the station while I fetched the car for the cases. The cat pleased to see us, case unpacked, everything in the wash, had a bath and we both had 3-4 hours sleep then went out for a food shop. Deforsted a home made curry from the freezer and Peter put dinner together while watered the pots, most of the garden is dead, but we do have a glut of tomatoes and peppers. Whilst we ate we caught up with some TV. I then went round the neighbours to fetch the cat home, several times, the kids brought her back several times. I was in bed by 9pm.

On the blog this week:

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week

Word of the week - Colourful in Crete

My garden in August Part 1

Managing a food diet on holiday - Gluten Free

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Managing a food diet on holiday - Gluten Free

Managing any diet is tricky, you can't rely on eating the same things over and over without checking as manufactures regularly change ingredients as I've found out to my expense and restaurants often don't know what they're doing and the servers often don't understand how an allergy and cross contamination can affect you.

Yes, I can hear you, they should, yes, you've had training, but it's not everyone and when it's not just mild bloating or discomfort and can land you in hospital as is often the case with me, it is very serious, in some cases with allergies it can lead to death. For me it's an intolerance and cross contamination doesn't affect me, however a build up can. And at the end of the day it is MY responsibility to check it out and if I can't or I'm in any doubt, I just don't eat and lack of food can make me poorly as well with migraines.

So here we are on holiday for 2 weeks in Crete, eating out every day.

I have two weeks worth of breakfast cereal, porridge oats and I brought bread rolls and biscuits and crackers with me. We have a fridge and small freezer in the room and have bought cheese, fresh fruit and salads as well as tins of tuna and I brought a cool bag, picnic cutlery, plates and a small kettle, milk frother and take away pots so I can make sandwiches, salads, lunches etc for the day. But the room is NOT self catering.

On our 2nd day here we booked a trip into the city for day 5 so I'd be able to stock up on some gluten free products as the shops in the village where we are staying don't stock any alternatives, other than products that don't contain gluten. I'm fortunate that it's only wheat gluten I can't eat, so we bought some Ryvita to eat with the salads.

We're eating a main meal out every evening and there are some amazing restaurants to choose from, I think we've eaten in everyone the village has to offer. But not one of the restaurants has been able to offer anything gluten free unless it has been naturally gluten free and if the meal has had a sauce, we've not been able to establish if it contains gluten or wheat flour and even with the help from google translate and our phones we haven't had much luck. So unless the meal has been plain (looking at the pictures) I've not ordered it) then every single meal has been served dripping in butter, oils, covered in herbs and that's caused me stress as I've also got gall bladder stones and have been avoiding surgery with a well managed diet and being gluten free causes gall bladder issues, so I have to avoid fats and red meat and ice cream and watermelon and this country is nothing but all the above.

We found a restaurant in a local town that was able to swop out the pasta for gluten free, but it's over an hour away by bus and I don't want to eat the same thing every night. We'll be going back again before we go home.

But I have found plenty of fresh fish to eat and have managed to communicate 'no lemon' no herbs, no oils' I like to taste the fish.

I love sea food in anything and everything and this is the most amazing risotto ever and I don't care how rude I am when I grab my plate and move it away from the parmesan as they try to shovel it over without asking me.

Grilled vegetables will always be eaten and I love balsamic vinegar thankfully, but again, why isn't it listed as an ingredient?

My hunt for gluten free puddings and cakes led us to a shop in Chania that didn't disappoint, initially. They had 3 cakes to choice from, rather than the standard pre wrapped brownie.

Sadly though, it turned out to be a mousse and was chocolate caramel and not rose flavoured, the only rose thing about it was the rose petal that wasn't edible.

And whilst I can't eat the watermelon, sometimes there is cantaloupe melon on offer.

And there is always room for an ice lolly.

I get so disheartened with eating, full stop. I can always find something to eat when we're out, but it's not the same as looking at a menu and deciding what I want to eat. I have to discount all the pastas and pizzas, anything with a sauce, then of course I have preferences, we all do.

I'm looking forward to getting home and being able to prepare my own foods. Eating out for 2 weeks has been difficult and hard work with a food intolerance, it's not just as simple as avoiding gluten,  it''s about making sure my diet is balanced and I'm not just eating junk food which always seems to be the alternative, filling up on crisps and chocolates.

Our next holiday will defiantly be self catering eating out for two weeks is just too long with dietary requirements. 

Word of the week - Crete

Crete

Such a beautiful island and definitely somewhere I would come and visit again, although we do try and see as much of everywhere we can when we holiday as if it is the only time we visit. We are staying in Panormo, almost in the centre of the Island on the north coast, half way between the two airport. Chania in the west and Heraklion where we flew into in the East. 

Cost

Having priced up a fortnight in our campervan with awning to be near the beach coming in at around £1000 and then still having to use communal showers, we decided to book a last minute holiday to Crete for not that much more including flights and transfers with Tui.

Cases

In our cases I packed an extension cable as the plugs are never anywhere near the bed and there are never enough, but we've got plenty in this this hotel and there's even a light over the mirror. I also brought with me a pool float from Aldi that was £5.99. They're on sale here around €20. I packed beach towels bought on a previous trip to Greece and a bath mat for the shower room. We've got 9 books between us and I'm already 4 down.

Clothing

I've packed shorts, t shirts, 2 dresses, swim wear and one set of running gear and packed in cubes. It's all been worn. The beach shoes have been invaluable as the beach is rocky, flip flops as slippers in the room and for going down to breakfast. Both pairs of Birkenstocks to match my outfits and and the trainers for travelling in.

Catering

We're bed and breakfast, but have a small fridge/freezer in the room and we brought a small water boiler and a battery operated whisk so I can make lattes using our espresso maker. I also packed some breakfast cereals, bread rolls and biscuits as I'm gluten free and found a bakers in Heraklion on a day trip and purchased bread and a cake for the second week. We eat out once a day, fish and salads and the other meal is salads with tuna, cheese that we also make up into picnics with fresh fruits and crisps etc using ice blocks made with frozen sponges in zip lock bags and freezing our water bottles. We found a restaurant that made me some gluten free pasta.

Coach Trips and Culture

We booked three coach trips as we discovered on arrival that the Train Station as advertised by Tui 1000ms from the hotel was an actual bus stop for the 20kms to the centre. 

The centre being Rethymno. There is a bus that runs every 30 minutes and tickets are bought from a little shop, you need to buy 2 for each journey and it's called the No 20 Hotel bus. It's a beautiful town with everything you need, an old town and harbour, market on a Thursday, a more modern shopping area and beaches.

Our first coach trip was out to Knossos, the trip was badly organised with a late collection, we had to queue for our own tickets which took almost 40 minutes as the cruise ships were in on the Tuesday and  the tour guide changed the collection time but didn't inform us and took no ownership, then made an announcement on the coach at the end of the trip thanking those for the positivity for not spoiling his day. 

Knossos was absolutely packed, you could hardly move for us tourists. Heraklion city was beautiful, we had 3 and half hours, enough time to explore the Venetian Harbour, have lunch, wander round the shops, sort out some banking, buy souvenirs, get Peter a couple of new t shirts without logos on, find the gluten free bakery, check out some historic sites and grab a Starbucks.

The second trip was a 4 hour hike in Imbros Gorge and a swim in the Libyan sea.

The third trip is to Chania next week. I'll let you know how that goes. We are wondering if we will bump into our neighbours who are there. Peter's oldest friend's daughter is staying not far from us also.

Coast

Our immediate beach is not a good one, it looks pretty and calm but you need to be a strong swimmer just getting out. I am, but without a life guard or other people around I'm not prepared to take the risk and just me and Peter in the shallow water up to our waists we really struggled with the power of the waves getting out as it was rocky and slippy under foot. It was also a very steep and shaley route to get to the beach and access was through another property and a broken fence, not like the images shown on the Tui website. As we can't travel round the Island as we'd hoped forth beach has now become a bit of a priority for the second week and there is a lot more walking to do to access the one in the village.

Cats

Absolutely everywhere and very well cared for, as are all of the islands animals. Sheep, donkeys, dogs and goats and there are so many adverts on local TV, radio and posters around the towns and cities.

Calamity

Thankfully we flew from Birmingham the day before the luggage fiasco, where people waited several days to be reunited with their luggage, the shut down and re routing of flights from Bristol and the problems on the M25 with fires that delayed people getting to Heathrow along with train disruptions over the weekend and the eruption of Etna causing flights to be cancelled.