The Somerset Hotel Weymouth

So this is it. In a week we will start our great adventure, so we thought we would write a lil goodbye message whilst in Bournemouth.

Obviously we have nothing to write about at the moment because our lives are dull in England. But make sure you keep checking up with us ...

Bournemouth has a very funny layout.. the two main streets of the town go up both sides of the hills that lead down to the park and eventually to the famous Pier.

I was a bit down in the dumps this day.. I think because I was watching all the families and couples having some fun. It was mid term break so there were heaps of kids around and the entrance to the Pier was packed with amusements and ...

... a lot to see when your on them.

So we decided on a next stop as Lyme Regis on the South Coast to break up our journey back to London. It's a nice place at the start of the Jurassic Coast which we did not have time to explore. Kim impressively went for a morning run even though it was rainy and windy and I stayed tucked up in bed!

... we went into the club. Where they were just finishing off the kids club show. We had a three piece singing group and then two comedians. I think the entertainment startedabout 9 and went through till about 1. In the club they had a kids amusement centre, with pool tables, dance machines and arcade games.. we went through a lot of 2p coins than night!! I was really surprised at the amount of entertainment there. A lot of fun for a big kid like me!!

... a smashing roast at the White Lion Carvery in Crewkerne.

Sad to leave this morning, Art went off to work in Bridport at about 8.30 am and we were so imersed in chatting with Thurza that we didn' get away til 11.45 am.

Arrived at Wayne & Julia Stonehams new pad at about 3.30 pm after stopping for lunch.

Hoping to catch the England v Croatia World Cup qualifier in about half an hour live on ITV!!

... is closed" Music to my ears, we turned around and flew back down all the up hill roads we had just cycled up. We took a few photos of the beautiful countryside and we will return to the village, next time checking when it is open and finding a better route which does not contain a 20% hill!!! We then cycled to Wareham, there was a nice little pub that had tables and seats outside, I had just returned with our tea and coffee when the heavens ...

... spent 3 or 4 hours sending out e-mails to various people, organisations and media outlets. this bore fruit the next day. Rugby World magazine are keen on doing an article on our forthcoming match. this is just a start. the Preston, Osmington and Sutton Poyntz Parish magazine also want an exclusive. I've gone one better than this today. Wessex FM phoned me and I did a pre-recorded interview with them ! well, if that doesn't bring the sponsors in, nothing will.

... The good news is that they are happy to bill me £1000 for the bus and £700 for the wheels. this could be useful when I need to apply for a carnet de passage as I will need a bond worth 8 times the value of the vehicle in Egypt. I've just worked out that this bus is about 29 years old. It's a V reg first time around. that means no Road Tax !

Way back in 1973 my wife and I were living in Hull, East Yorkshire, from where we set off in our tiny Datsun Cherry loaded with camping gear to look at 'The Continent'. We went via Dover ferry to Belgium, Luxembourg, France & Germany to Switzerland. We camped beside Lake Thun, at Gwatt and after a few days respite decided to go over the Grimsel and Furka passes into Italy, then France and return via Netherlands. Unfortunately the Grimsel and Furka, even in mid June were both ...

... into my little shop and chatted about having lived in Switzerland and about what we had missed! He invited me to borrow his videos showing the Swiss Railways systems in all their glory. From then on we were compelled one day to go back !

So this is the travelog of our return to Switzerland after nearly 40 years!

We decide that rather than take our car again, we would go by rail ...