Betty (Whoa Black Betty, bam da bam da bam...)

Hi all, Realised haven't done a blog in ages, and have a few spare minutes! To carry on from the last blog, the camper we'd been waiting a month to see was a washout. Leaky and rotten as an old man's undies. We then had a look at another which was in mint condition, but the guy couldn't get anything, no gas, no electrics and no gas to go! Then it was off to see a camper coming back into London from a winter Europe tour (all three campers in the same weekend!). And it was then that we met Betty. Betty is a 1989 Fiat Ducatto, don't think you get many of them back home! Her campervan parts are a Hobby 500 whatever that means.

Betty is white and grey, sleeps 4/5, and has all the essentials to be considered a home on the road for 4 months - couple of gas elements, mini fridge, sink, small wardrobe, heaps of cupboards, a table, porta toilet/bathroom bits etc. A caravan that drives itself really. She has a bike rack, solar panels on top and a roof box. She comes ready to cook and sleep in and came with two bikes as well. After giving her our usual thorough once over, taking her for a spin around the streets of London&talking to a man about a dog, she was ours. We parted with some cash&suddenly our Europe adventure took a giant step forward! She's an old duck, almost 20 but we'll love her&hopefully she'll do the same back.

Buying Betty (she came with the name, and we don't wish to tempt fate and change her name!) has meant, bliss of bliss that our weekends are now weekends again. Perversely, the first free weekend we had after acquiring Betty, we both worked, me to make up time off sick, and Ryan becuase as per there's a push on to get the job finished. After all our tripping about from the start of the year, we stayed put at Easter and generally got some R&R. We had intended to 'camp out' in Betty on the street in front of the flat to get a feel for this camping jazz, but alas it wasn't to be. Ryan spent the weekend tinkering with her inside doing what men do with vehicles I guess.

We've started thinking about what countries we want to see in Betty, and the list is rather long. We're looking at going as long as the dosh will last us, hopefully somewhere around 4 months. Holland, Belgium, Germany, Swizterland, Czech, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, France... Jealous!?