Hello! We are currently on my favourite road in the entire world,
the A87 between Invergarry and Kyle of Lochalsh. So there's enough of looking at me,
let me turn the camera around, look at the road, and then we'll get on with the video.
[music]
So the purpose of this video really is to catch up with you. It's just a bit of
a monologue, a bit of a chat, about the trip we just had which was, as many of
you will know, to Portugal Spain and France, and then about what we're up to
now. So to go back to Portugal Spain and France; that was a two-month trip and
what I wanted to talk about... about that, was that two months was for me - it was
a long time...it felt like a long time... it felt like a long time to be away from
the UK which I call home... on my own, and to be honest one of the issues we had on
that trip (when I say 'we' I always mean me and Dougal, or the' Royal We' - just me!)
but either way, one of the issues I had on that trip was loneliness. Because even
though I've got some great friends, and as you know I was with Shanna in Portugal,
I met up with a couple of friends in Tarifa, and my friend Kim in Bourg
St Maurice, there was a lot of... I didn't know the
people or the culture... the language, and yeah it got a bit lonely and what I
wanted to talk about was Brits abroad. Now, Brits abroad generally have a bad
reputation, especially when you think of marauding troops of yobs going through
popular resorts like Benidorm - never got a good press. I would like to turn that
around I would like to say that in certain parts, Brits abroad were my
saving grace. And when I say that I mean the lovely people who were on the
Camping and Caravanning Club rally at La Manga and the people who were setting
up for the Motor Caravanners' Club Rally at Bonterra Park. Even though I wasn't part of
their rallies, I would often walk along the lines or pass their caravans or the
motorhomes, people would stop and chat and it was just nice sometimes just to
talk about the weather and just know that there were people around who could
not only speak your language, but were nice people friendly people, and it really
made such a difference. So my take away really from that trip is that if you are
going to do a long trip like that, especially to a foreign country, then I
think he would do really well to consider joining a guided tour or a
rally. Because the other thing I noticed is that while there were activities
planned on the rallies, there was no... there seemed to be no obligation that
anyone had to join in with everything; you could just pick & mix as you wished.
As I say, I think in future if I was to spend a long time overseas I would
definitely definitely consider doing a rally or a guided tour, or at least part
of my trip would be doing that. So really that was the main take away.
It was a long time. I don't think for me personally I'm going to rush back and do
that again. I missed the UK too much. The best bit I
think as many of you will realise looking at the videos, was definitely - for me -
was the French Alps. I loved it, but it was expensive! That camp site, Huttopia,
was best part €30 a night, the lift pass even though it was a half-day lift
pass a four-hour lift pass on the first week of the resort opening, that was €35.
So you could imagine it must add up very quickly; not the kind of place you
could spend a long time before running out from money! But I really did enjoy it.
So I went back to the UK with my mum for Christmas. Some of you will know we had
some very bad news, and that is just after I got back to the UK, two days
later very sadly my mum's dog, her Doberman Casper, he sadly died of a heart attack.
Some of you may remember Casper from when I do videos of coming back from
trips overseas where I have to take a plane and Dougal would meet me at the door,
Casper would be the dog he was staying with, the brown Doberman, so obviously
that was really really sad and I spent longer than anticipated down with my Mum,
obviously because she was upset. Anyway so that was unfortunately... (it) put
a bit of a damper on our Christmas celebrations. But we've... we're finally on
our way and no prizes for guessing that I'm back up in Scotland,
my beloved Scotland, and I have to say just driving along this road now, it
feels absolutely magical. I know it's raining, I don't care, it's just magical.
But to get here we obviously had to drive all the way up through England,
Scotland, and the highlight of the drive here so far was definitely the Lake
District. The sun shone, the light of the hills was just amazing so let me take
you back a couple of days to that wonderful drive through the Lake
District up here to Scotland...
[piano music]
So that was the drive here, and now as I say we're on the A87 and we're heading
into the Isle of Skye; we're going to stay the night. Tomorrow I get the
ferry to the Outer Hebrides and I just cannot wait! And get this:
SsangYong wanted their car back! I mean, what a cheek! I really wanted to keep it, you
could probably tell I really liked that Rexton. But no, they wanted their car back,
so we're back in the truck and the plans now are really just to chill out for a
bit but also on a personal level, 2019 marks the year that I will be 50. I'm
hitting my half century this year, and there is one thing left on my Bucket
List, just one, that's it. Because as you may remember in 2018 I ticked off
probably the biggest one for me which was seeing the Northern Lights when I
went to Finland and
went along in that Caravan on skis, the Adria Action, and saw the Northern Lights.
That for me ,well it was obviously the highlight of 2018 hands down without
question. But also it was one of two things on my Bucket List. So we are now
heading to the Outer Hebrides to probably do the last one. I'm not going
to tell you what it is folks, I'm going to leave you in suspense. Yes I will be
vlogging it, I really hope we get some nice weather so that we... so that
the filming comes out really nice. So that means that the next vlog might be a
little bit delayed while I get that filmed and edited - don't worry about that.
And then other than that I've also got some videos lined up. Now a lot of people
have asked me 'How do you do the filming of the drone shots when you're driving
the car?' so that is obviously a video I need to make and that's going to tie in
with a very small mini series, probably about three videos, about how I vlog, the
equipment I use, the the way I film things, and then my process. That's really
the plan for the next few videos on this channel which is really going to be my
Bucket List trip and then which... probably somehow... I'll warn you now, a lot of you
might think 'Is that it? Is that it? Is that all it is?!' so don't get your hopes
up folks. And then the others I'm hoping to do while I'm over in the islands if I
get the time (because I really do need a break) is to to do those vlogging videos.
So I'm going to leave that there for a little update, it's not the end of the
video yet because all I shall do now is keep the cameras rolling until we get to
the Outer Hebrides and take you with us on our trip over to my special place.
But I can tell you now, I feel just so happy, so so happy to be
back in my special place. I just... anyone who is Scottish by birth or adoption
completely will get how I feel right now.
[music]
[Ambient ferry sounds]
[piano music]
There, you're happy aren't you? Happy aren't you? Happy yes happy! Dougal, come on!
So here we are, we've made it to the beautiful island of North Uist. As you can see
because it's the Outer Hebrides in the winter, of course it's raining and windy
and stormy...
Apparently!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy that journey over with us. I'm gonna relax now
for a few days and look forward to my bucket list trip next week - we're gonna
take practically every single form of transport available to get to where
we're going ,so I hope you should come back and join us again soon. In the
meantime it just leaves me to say from Dougal and from me, from the beautiful
island of North Uist...
Thanks for tuning in!
[piano music]