saturday 8th july - romania

arrive in bucharest on blue air. hungover, but its 36 degrees and dry - which feels lovely.  i am being driven by a dark skinned gypsy, who speaks no english at a frightening speed, past stalls of watermelons and small plots of various crops. we are heading to brasov and then on to prince charles guest house to meet Paul Lister and the rest of the team.

on the road

Elie with Merlin Hawk

the wagons - mid build

Our start point . The Listers - Lychett Matravers

love these lyrics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdrG4tZf4uw

. My comforts of bed bath and toothpaste feel like a cheap exchange for the wonders of life on the road.  black jack louis back in his field seems too far away and my car seems far to fast - moving slowly is like reading a book - you get the detail and really notice things... Most importantly the magic and wonders of this bleSsed isle....a

homeward bound

left east chisenbury this morning heading towards upavon. stopped in the petrol station for a coffee at 50p! plodded on towards woodbridge. poor black jack louis feeling a bit tired. fed him a packet of polos and some apples. after we turned off at woodbridge he suddenly recognised where he was and picked up speed.  now with the view of the pewsey white horse on the hill above we have stopped at the barge for our final lunch on thiss trip...

salisbury plain

got to amesbury and parked the wagon outside an old fashioned hotel and had tea. Much colder today. Crossed 303 and headed onto the plain passed bulford and along the little lane. That takes you up past netheravon and all the army ca$ps - well som - saw some paras.o  the plain is so wild love it. now at east chisenbury - knocked on the door of the mansers - friends who live at the priory and have camped in one of their fields annd went to their pub the red lion and had a very smart dinner! ... back to the wagon and black jack louis and the dogs.....shhep bleet outside along with the sound of some shunuks on night exercise...

avon valley

stayed last night in lower woodford. A village st amongst water meadows on the avon. (The avon thar runs from pewsey to salisbury) it was so pretty. Got found by the gamekeeper once we d made camp but I smiled sweetly and he let us stay. Had a breakfast disco before packing up. Spent today following the avon valley up through the woodfords - a valley I never knew about.t

b

stopped for lunch at pub parking the wagon and black jack next to entance and fed him a bag of carrots. then wandered  up the road to some water meadows. washed my hair and clothes in the river and sunbathed to get dry. feed dogs and watered us all.

Pick lots of wild garlic to chew on. this eve have made camp in a field onthe edge of an ancient ox drove overlooking a steep escarpment. black jack wanders loose in a field of plentiful grass. sun sets. bliss

stopped for lunch at pub parking the wagon and black jack next to entance and fed him a bag of carrots. then wandered  up the road to some water meadows. washed my hair and clothes in the river and sunbathed to get dry. feed dogs and watered us all.

easter day

stopped off at a village shop to get breakfast before making our way through the winding lanes of wild flowers up some steep chalk downland hills - black jack louis a bit stiff struggled and we had to get out and push. break not working brilliantly. tried  tightening it.

saturday eve

Last night we made camp in the village of witchampton near the ruins of an abbey and the river allen.   very tranquil. woke up at 5am with black jack louis breaking the fence trying to itchhis bum.  we were out of there

on the road!

we have left the listers at lychett matravers and are on the road!!! Yippeee. Black jack louis going like a dream and wagon travelling smoothly on new tyres!!! e

turns out with rust on the inside of the wheel had cut through the inner tube... !u

the wheels come off

we have borrowed a 4x4 from mike and cathy lister are amazing hosts . the drivers door doesnot open so we have to climb out the window. on the way back with our new tyres one starts hissing ..... back to the tyre shop.  its now 10.20 and boiling.

st georges day

Last night we took all the wheels off and put the wagon on bricks. Now we are proper pikeys! Woke up super early and took wheels to tyre garage. Even at 9am its v hot. The said the tyres were over 50 years old. Nice.a

ready to finally set sail. all aboard onto road. suddenly bang! the tyre busts. its bank holiday good friday at 5pm - not a hope in hell.  aa will not do road side rescue! off to the pub!

carriages, coloured ponies, dogs, children .... elie helps me out with getting sorted.  we fill up water carriers, wash down black jack louis, eat a corneto.
Harry still not back from the pub.
A st george flag wripples in the breeze. its st. georges day tomorrow.

good friday

Over looking the isle of purbeck, the sun beating down on us  mark puts the finishing touches to the wagon.  the break is tightened, glass put in the windows, the running board attatched and there seems to be a missing bar....a vital part!!! its 3.30pm and we are rather behind schedual.. but that maybe no bad thing given the heat.  we will have to travel into the evening to get to first campb

This time last year, I rode, with friends Martha Sitwell and Lucy Holland sidesaddle from The Savernake Forest to Pylewell near Lymington for 'Too Many Women' a breast cancer charity set up by my friend Harry Becher.  Here we are trying to read the OS map.  No mean feat whilst sidesaddle on a frisky thoroughbred and a gust of wind!

This is 'Black Jack Louis' pulling the rag and bone cart last summer

leaving for my first journey in my new gypsy cart tomorrow. its been built from an old rag and bone cart by my friend Mark who lives near Poole at a place called Lychett Matravers.  we will set off from there (if the wagon is ready in time!) and travel to Alton Priors near Pewsey.