Broke down again in Portugal.

Ok, so I'm a fool for setting off in various beat up vans but I actually know someone who has kept his day job and is tinkering and rebuilding his van so much his work friends say he will never set off! I think he, will but you get the point, life never provides the ideal window to do stuff you want. No adult dentist ever got that letter from the tooth fairy "Dear, Dentist, Good job, this year you don't need to be a dentist anymore, I will be taking on all your responsibilities and funding you through school, so you can go be a dancer like you always wanted! Go rock the world of hip hop!" You have to do it anyway! Similar with the learn to drive a manual idea, sure I will, others have said Tim should learn and have two drivers, wait till we can buy a brand new van... Some people wait till they retire, some are then too scared or unfit. We met a guy in Javea who got second hand bikes cheap in his shop often, he said people planned there whole life's to come down in a camper and bike around the country, then they arrived and found they felt too scared of a fall at there age, truly tragic.

So my van is back in the garage and the trip is not quite on plan...and my last trip didn't go to plan, come to think of it I'm not sure my life at home always went to plan!

I'm in Portugal, in a town so historic it took 15 years to get planning permission for a Mc D here. I've never been here before, nor have the kids, we have been helped, we have been surprised, we have been sad, we have been frustrated and we have been high!

My daughter talks about places she will travel with her friends and then kids when she has them! My son says  "I love mine holiday!"

I have become completely used to driving a big vehicle and driving in Spain and Portugal sometimes in pretty bad conditions. We have all learned more Spanish, and about three words in Portuguese!

If I get the van going again for a sensible amount we will pick a campsite on the south coast and make day trips for the worst of the weather and because the van is being unreliable. That is only about 3 hours away. We have been traveling well over a month.

We have missed all the terrible flooding, storms, snow and danger Spain and Portugal have been having. We have been impressed with the warmth of people and the beauty around us. On balance defiantly worth it even if it ends today, but don't wish that for me. X