We are a family of nomads, the Browns. My youngest brother Ash, introduced me to long distance cycling nine years ago. He said, why don’t we do a cycle trip? Where? lets do South America, he says!!! Hang on. the last time I rode a push bike was in 1962!!…
Hi! Folks, we are back in a new hotel room tonight, exhausted from walking miles around this amazing city. Back to the beginning of the day. We had to hurry back to the garage by 9am this morning as I had managed to leave there last night with the wagon…
Late start as we didn’t wake up until 9.30, after a great sleep. By the time we’d cooked porridge, packed everything up, collected the washing, which has been hanging on a line in the forest overnight and Dennis had given the old girl a clean, it was almost midday before…
We have found a lovely spot to camp this evening. It’s about 100m from the main road through a band of fir trees and about another 50m to the railway line and we are camped between. Fortunately there is not much traffic noise reaching us and the railway line has…
A great night’s sleep. It’s heaven in our wagon. Well, today is a very special day. It’s Georgia’s birthday. Georgia is one of our eight grandchildren. Georgia is a whole 10 today. She is a beautiful and very talented young lady. She is the daughter of my eldest daughter Deirdre…
Awake bright and early…3am!! Thankfully some more zzzzzz’s till around 9am. The designated ‘man’ was around at 10am to collect the rent. NZ$30, but the interesting thing is how a young girl is latching onto the potential to rent out her apartment for what is probably a couple of weeks…
The day started well. After breakfast, the hotel staff had good news. The garage had rung to say our car was fixed and we could pick it up in 15 minutes. Hooray! Tatyana, the receptionist had said the previous evening she would walk there with us and translate, as it…
Hi! Folks, after talking with the waitress last night I asked her what the chance of buying insurance for the vehicle was? Straight away she is on the phone to her husband for advice. This morning she arranged for the overnight receptionist to take Jen to an address in town…
After a hearty breakfast, we braved the elements (wet, driving snow and a biting cold wind) and set off to find a shopping mall. Armed with a Murmansk city map, all in cyrillic script, of course, it didn’t take long. Emblazoned across the entrance was an ad for, of all…
I wouldn’t be making an overstatement if I said we are delighted to be here. What an interesting day! Jen had been reading that you could buy vehicle insurance for Russia, at the border. Well, on arriving at the Norwegian border, Jen asked if this was possible, to be told,…