Cabin : Club Location : Devon Posts : 53 Join date : 2013-06-25
Subject: New Member Tue Jun 25, 2013 2:37 pm
Hello, I am Wheatypete and the proud owner of Peaches (2009 water cooled), an orange and white Brazilian.
Living in Slovakia with my family we make annual trips to the UK and back in the summer, finding a new route each time. This has taken us to Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Leichenstein, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Hungary. Slovakia is a fantastic location for roadtrips. We are within half an hour of Austria and Hungary and an hour from Czech and not much more to Poland. So pick your direction, an interesting sounding place, or check out where the sun is and off you go. Not to mention the delights of this very under rated country. I always keep a road trip diary and one of these was published in VW Camper and Bus magazine, so have very nearly become close to being the travel writer I'd always wanted to be!
This is a great site, with information a plenty so I am delighted to have joined. I thought us modern VW owners were shunned by other owners who see other people's opinion of their bus as more important than the pleasure the life on the road gives. So it is great to find some like minded souls here.
Hours on the road gets your mind wondering at times and when the others drift off to sleep, this is when my roadtrip diaries are written. Here is an example/extract:
Traveling out of Liechenstein with my Satnav (Marilyn)
I need to be more assertive with Marilyn. Mollie, at three, thinks of Marilyn as a real person living in that little black box. I argue with Marilyn constantly - especially when she tries to send us out of Liechtenstein via Switzerland and its wretched year’s worth of motorway fees. She bangs on about the“highlighted route”, with me shouting, “WE ARE NOT GOING TO SWITZERLAND, MARILYN!” It all gives Mollie the chance to indulge in her damn-beloved “Why?” questions.
“Why Baba cross with Marilyn? Why Marilyn her not answer me, Mama? Why Marilyn want us to go there?”
Eventually Mollie elects to support Marilyn and starts to shout at me on her behalf.
“Baba! You made Marilyn sad! Now I’m very cross with you!” Marilyn goes silent and for some reason there are no more voice commands until we get to Belgium. I think Mollie may have been right about Marilyn being a real person. She is actually sulking! I wonder what she is wearing and how old she is? My wife, for her part, and because this musing was unfortunately vocalized, will tell you that this is all just part of a mid life crisis. But I am still with Mollie when it comes to Marilyn. She is real to me.
Do you ever fantasize about “The Sound of Music”? Bear with me, it’s about a road. Are you impressed by Cheddar Gorge, or are pine clad mountains your thing, or do you actually dream of running naked, hand in hand with Julie Andrews (or Christopher Plummer) through upland flower meadows, with her(or him) intoning softly, “Oh Pete… why did I ever even bother with that surly, sour-faced loser Von Trap when there are men like you in this world… come with me into the forest!”? Obviously, it goes without saying, I am not one of those people; only the worst kind of sick, perverted, menopausal mind, with no regard for the feelings of his wife and who was clearly smack bang in the middle of his sad midlife crisis would ever even dare to fantasize in such a way. But if any of this ticks even a small box, then the E31 between Freiburg and Geisingen will be the road for you to take through Southern Germany.
Austrian service stations! In the UK they a bit like a cattle market with their teeming fast food joints, but at least you may get a Marks and Spencer’s, or even a Waitrose if you are lucky. In Italy they are like a cattle market conducted in a Reliant Robin. But the Austrian version is more like a stately home with rare breeds roaming free in the landscaped grounds. The food is fabulous, served by smart waiting staff in a rarefied atmosphere of wood panelling, china lanterns hanging on chains over each table, ceramics lining shelves between double curtained windows overlooking a lovely lake. For once I am glad to have listened to Marilyn. All is forgiven. We are friends again.
TimV Admin
Cabin : Flight 001 Location : Brighton, East Sussex U.K. Posts : 14334 Join date : 2009-09-27
Subject: Re: New Member Tue Jun 25, 2013 2:51 pm
Haha welcome Pete and thank you for the extract.
But what I and I imagine a lot of others here want to know is what do you say to Peaches on your travels?
________________________________________________________________________________ Max SportsKombi - The Bay Racer @brazilianvwbay
dazdub
Cabin : Exec 012 Location : wales Posts : 3114 Join date : 2009-10-16