Day 2-3: UK, Bromsgrove

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Route	Sutton Coldfield – Bromsgrove, UK
Route Details
Overnight stop	Mill House Caravan & Camping
Overnight Costs	£22, incl EHU, water (Beautiful, next to river but no motorhome service point, no mobile signal, no WIFI)
Diesel / litre	£1.257 (Asda)
Exchange rate	–
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Family – there’s nothing nicer.

After Tracey’s Full English with a twist – starting with fresh fruit salad and yoghurt – and joining them for little retail therapy, we are now Costco Converts.  What a store!!!  It’s difficult for me to go in there and not come out with anything.  It’s like the Middle of Lidl…..but on steriods!!! 

What I can absolutely recommend is the sushi (please don’t think this is the only thing we bought LOL).  We’re not talking “quality” sushi here, of course, but definitely some of the best supermarket pre-made we have had. 

One thing that we find on the road, is that meals are when we are hungry and tend not to fit in with traditional breakfast, lunch & supper.  This was for lupper.

So nigiri and maki rolls were with deliciously fiery, clear-your-sinuses, fresh wasabi & rich soy sauce and some Ponzu sauce (Heston Blumenthal’s version of savoury lemon & soy sauce) that I made before we left home.  Have I mentioned that we really love sushi and sashimi and, given half the chance, it will be first choice for a meal.  If it’s the first time you’re reading this, it won’t be the last, I promise!!!

Our mini Tranquil Pines meet

We’ve been burning the candle at both ends for these last 2 weeks as we’ve prepped for our adventure and prepared the house for Aiden & Lucy.  So it was totally understandable that last night we collapsed at 9pm.  The earliest we’ve been to bed (by far) for what seems like an age.  We surfaced at 6am this morning feeling decidedly chipper and opened the blinds to a gloriously clear sky predicting a lovely hot day with the last tendrils of mist dissolving over the river just 20m away from us.  But an hour and a cup of tea later, we were back asleep to finally surface at 9am.  Since then the gorgeous Mr T has spent several 20 minute sessions lounging in the sun, sunglasses on, his chair set to snooze, feet up on a stool, gently snoring to himself …. although he swears he wasn’t asleep Sure, doll!

Mini-me, the smallest but the most perfect and well-travelled braai (Pronounce: “bri” as in “pie” although I don’t think I need to translate this but JIC it’s a BBQ), has been with us since 2009-2010 when we did our first big adventure driving Manchester to Cape Town and southern Africa. 

MIni-me, because she is the little spitting image of our weber kettle braai (see above ). 

Anyway, the gorgeous Mr T gently took her from her bag and her towel nest this morning, reverently screwed her together and prepared her with a roaring hot charcoal fire.  By 1pm we were sitting down to lamb steaks (Costco) in olive oil, garlic & rosemary marinade (me) and pork rashers with savoury, spicy seasoning (Costco – did I tell you it was an amazing store!) accompanied by griddled aubergine, my favourite, and the gorgeous Mr T’s favourite, potato salad.  All washed down with a Hendrick’s Gin and soda stream tonic with plenty of ice and a slice of cucumber.  I think the soda stream is going to be a great buy!!!

We spent a couple of hours watching Malia running off surplus energy – she’s always busy and never sits still.  And a last couple of hours with Cameron & Vikki before waving them goodbye.  And the gorgeous Mr T slipped on his sunnies, tilted his chair back, put his feet up and started gently snoring.