The long drive over.....

We had driven to the UK 2 weeks before we made the move over to BG. On the way we had arranged to drive the mares Luna and Baby and leave them in France to be collected by a Bulgarian Team. That in itself would make a blog entry, but in the end the girls arrived and not too many issues apart from very, very tired!

Not like me at all but I decided to not make a date to leave by! This seemed to remove any stress and we would leave when we had done everything at The Orange House that we needed to! Rich constantly saying "when we leaving" bless him he just wanted to get on the road.

3,559 km or 2200 miles! 7 countries! 

Now, we normally row like cat and dog before a long trip, but this time no drama at all, I do think the lack of date helped! Rich was very busy getting the horse box ready and I was busy packing as much as I could into the campervan! It is like a bloody tardis and the more bags I bring out the more they disappear and the more I can fit in!

My home from home becomes a Tardis!

Rich also fitted 2 large roof boxes on the new roof rack we found at a bargain price in the UK. Great place to put the large saddles that we need to move over! Rich moaning about me taking coat hangers, but you cant do without them and they are light and I have 1000s so in they go!

The start of June rolls around and looks like we are ready to set off, we decided on the Sat afternoon when the heat has gone from the day, we know Dooley will be a star but not so sure about Indio. Rich had been doing work with him, but on the day you know they can do whatever they decide!

He WAS a tit as we expected, he broke a head collar and Rich hurt his hands when the rope ran through too quick! I passed the lunge line behind his arse once we caught him again and this time in he went!

OK, back up to the house with the jeep and we are all ready to leave! NO we are not the bloody van would not start. Rich back up the hill, unlock house, get the key to the jeep, drive the jeep back down the hill, jump start the van and start all over again! Van starts easy and after a false beginning, we leave the Eco House.

And we are off! NOT!

Strange moment and I have massive doubts that we are not doing the right thing! Normally my gut just makes me do things without any worries. This time feels different and I am really surprised at my thought! I keep most of that hidden, but I do feel something!

I am the first to start and the van does feel very bouncy, boys moving around the back and the roof boxes must make a difference, once on the motorway it settles down and my sick feeling has gone slightly! I drive for 5 hours after stopping after the first hour just to check the boys, we decided to take the motorway the whole way there, more expense we know but worth it when the small roads would be a pain in the arse and make the journey way too slow! As I pull over I realise I am in the same spot we stopped when taking the girls to France. We check the boys, give them water, open the door for fresh air and fill up the hay nets. We then get our heads down for some sleep.

5 am wake up and all is good and quiet in the back, hay gone so boys are eating and they both drink. Trying to get 6 dogs to pee not easy, but after a few running under the van we manage!

My turn to drive again and Rich stays asleep whilst I get 4 hours under our belts! I like the morning sessions and am happy listening to Radio 2 on the ipad using free roaming! This will stop when we leave Spain and France so I downloaded hours of podcasts to keep us busy when we leave the free zones!

Lunch time in France now and time to do the big afternoon stop and we talk about letting the boys out. Slight concern as Indio could be a tit reloading and this time we would have an audience! We find a nice service area with just picnic tables and decide to try it as the boys do need to get out!

Easy out and we rig up a rope system so they can move around, eat grass and lie down if they like, which they do!

Happy boys in France munching grass!

We stay around 3 hours and when heat gone again we set off to try to get out of France and into Italy.

I put two headcollers on Indio this time and we tie one lead line to the outside of the van, so if he backs out he cant go too far! This worked perfectly as he did back out, Rich did let go, but he stood still very fast! Second time hardly any pressure on his bum with my lead rope and in he popped, big relief!

Had we known how bad the road would be getting into Italy we really would have stopped whilst in France, however we didnt and what a mistake! The roads are like bloody race tracks and it was a complete nightmare. Rich was tired and we had to travel maybe 2 hrs along the most horrendous 2 lane motorway, tunnels, very narrow, everyone driving like nutters and each service station perched on a hillside so no way we could stop! Poor boys in the back!

Eventually the land opens out and we find a quiet service station and stop, water the boys and fill nets again and this time crash out!

5am. Me up early again and Rich stays sleeping, this becomes the pattern for the whole trip and worked well. Slight headache and the one and only fallout as I scream at him that I am leaving him at the service station, Coffee at 10am and breakfast and we are talking again! We are nearly through Italy and head into a new country for us both as we cross the border into Slovenia great motorways lovely skies and we stop when it gets hot and the boys are unloaded again!

Rich watching a movie whilst boys munch and I sleep! 

Off we head when it cools down and we head over another border into Hungary which has the straightest motorways ever and super quiet! The whole podcast thing goes well, although Rich moans abit when I want to listen to Womens Hour! The only other drama is when we try again to find a place to sleep on the last night before we arrive at Bucharest. Rich says it is the worst driving he has ever done in his whole life!

We drive through this very long windy valley, and I have to agree is was very dangerous. The truck drivers seem to have a death wish and they over take on blind bends at high speed and beep their horns and flash their lights at you, as if they expect you to just stop and let them get past! I offer to drive but I am rubbish at night and am glad when he says no he can manage! He did amazing actually and I could see he was scared! Never again will be come that route at night, and boy are we happy when we leave the valley and find a service station near Bucharest. Last night in the van!

The following morning up early again, everyone seems ok, horses now look a little fed up and Indio has a sore on his bum, we take a cushion from the van and tape it to the back door so he can rest his bum, we think he is doing that to stop him moving around too much. Not long now guys!

Bucharest ring road is exciting and we then get the first major border issue as the border is a bridge over the Danube and it is single file, its 10 am but still too much traffic. On the bridge we see other cars overtaking and after 20 mins Rich shouts " go, go" what the heck, so I do go and overtake the trucks, they do leave spaces for the cars and we are lucky that one guys saw the horse box and also let me get back in! It takes an hour in total and I suppose its not that bad!

Into Bulgaria after Rich has to run back over the border to take some cash out as we don't have any cash to pay the taxes on the bridge! Credit card has paid for the whole trip so far!

Afternoon and we arrive at final destination our new home! Parked under the barn and relax!

And stop driving!!!!!!