Christmas Message 2007

Without planning it, 2007 has turned out to be a bit of a pivotal year for us. New jobs, a return to studies, finished projects and even bigger things on the way.

The year started as 2006, with me in Finland and onboard a nearly finished cruise ship as both project manager and electrically responsible for starting up Scanships systems onboard. Mrs VL began her distance learning Masters in Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health. Despite my minimal time at home all the way through to early May and Mrs VLs studies, we managed to finish our office project, which has been put to good use ever since. Other than this the first 5 months of the year disappeared without any other significant events.

May turned out to be an important month career wise for both of us. I had a long and tough time in Finland and felt like I had met the brick wall, so when I recieved a phone call saying that another company was interested in me I agreed to send my CV. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it I was sitting at the table with an offer in my hand I couldn't refuse! 3 months notice here, so I began at Flowtite at the start of September. I am their first in house dedicated electrical/automation person, and it's a new position which leads to an exciting and challenging job. Flowtite deliver Glassfibre pipe technology and are involved in building and running factories all around the world, including India where I am not long since back from after a 2 week visit.

Mrs VL also had big news in May, feeling that she was in a rut in the small animal practice in Sandefjord. She had applied for a PhD at the Vet School in Oslo, at the time uncertain if she had a chance and uncertain if it was what she really wanted. During the interview she went from an "uncertainess" to a feeling that she would be dissapointed if she didn't get it. Being the clever girl that she is, she did get it and by the end of May it was all decided. She began her 4 year joint Scandanavian project studying the validity of the animal health recording systems for dairy cows. This fits brilliantly with her Masters course and despite the early start and long bus journey she is thriving with the new challange.

Early in the year we decided that we would be enjoying the Triumph, at that time nearly finished, around Europe in August. Bravely booking ferry tickets accordingly. Again, in a repeat of 2006, my summer dissapeared in the garage. This time without so much help from Mrs VL, who was buried under her heavy study load. Unlike 2006, we suceeded with the Spitfire and enjoyed nearly 2000 wonderful miles and 2 fabulous weeks driving around Europe , meeting up with old friends on the way.

And now for the BIG news, for those of you who have bothered to read this far! On returning from our European tour mid August we were faced with another and very unexpected surprise. All being well, early April 2008 will see a new arrival to the Longship household, this time with 2 legs and not 4 (or 3) as folk have become accustommed to. Just as well we managed to enjoy the Triumph in 2007, it could be a while before we can go off galavanting in a 2 seater sports car again!! Now that we've got over the initial shock we've got used to the idea and may I dare to say almost looking forward to it.

Anyway, that's enough for this year, Here's wishing you and yours a very merry christmas and all the best of luck and happiness in 2008. Hope that we get to see some of you in the course of the year!

M and A

Sert Day 14

Pouring Down The Finishing Straight.

Oslo Ferry Port - Sande - Haugtuft

Distance: 67 Miles

Pretty much day one in reverse, but without the sunshine. Instead the torrential rain on the E-18 was the only time that is wasn't so much fun driving the Spitfire. The weather was horrendous. After stopping for petrol I had to drive up on the pavement to avoid submerging the front of the Triumph in the lake that was on the exit road.

We popped into the in-laws chalet again on the way back, arriving home to four, happy to see us, cats early afternoon and set about preparing ourselves to slowly come back into our everyday life.

After 1937 miles, the car was more complete, working as well and looking better than when we left. The only times that we opened the bonnet were to tighten the fan belt, check fluids, show off and install the winscreen squirter pump, that I'd borrowed not long before we left to get the Land Rover through it's test.

We had a fantastic time, saw some wonderful places, had a good time with friends and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I can highly recommend doing a tour of Europe in a classic sports car, especially one that you've restored yourself.

Sert Day 13

Heading Home

Vordingborg - Rødbyhavn - Puttgarden (ferry) - Keil

Distance: 101 miles


We took an early start to make sure that we were in good time for our early afternoon sailing on the "cruise ferry" MS Colour Fantasy. We allowed extra time knowing that we had to also take the Rødbyhavn - Puttgarden ferry back into Germany. It was on this ferry that I saw something I've never seen before, a train on a ferry..... As Photoed

It was grey weather all the way so the top was up for our last day of driving outside Norway. We made the ferry in good time.

We enjoyed Colour Fantasy's various luxuries, eating to our hearts content in the excellent buffet, taking a session in the gym (mostly in the sauna, steam room and jacuuzi) and spent an amount of time on the excellent massage chairs. It pains me to say this, but your's truly even endured the musical show for the sake of his wife. Apart from the Andrew Lyodd Pain in the Arse bits some of it was actually pretty good.

We took to our cabin feeling content, in the knowledge that the old girl had got us all this way and would take us back to Norwegian shores. A fantastic adventure and very enjoyable holiday was nearly over.

From Seized engine to this in many not so easy steps.

More later on more-power. It's been a bit of a fight, finally I'm a happy man that owns a 1971 David Brown 880 Setect-o-matic that runs!





For those of you who havn't been following progress on more-power you'll find the photos here with some comments and blog posts here.

Kris Kindle 2007

Has a year really flown past since the 2006 Kris Kindle post produced 90 comments and a huge amount of hilarity amongst the extended clan.

Well, this years letter has arrived and due to the fact that the the kris kinlde syndicate will be spread far and wide across Europe on Christmas day and not congregated in the hallowed halls of Beeston, this year it's organised for couples not individuals.

The rules are very simple, the price limit is 100Eur, this can be as one joint present or 2 presents, one for each partner. In the case of Kid Sis and London Son two 50Eur presents are expected, understandably and fairly enough..

The shopping is to be done as a couple and to involve plenty of coffee stops and thought is to be given to the delivery service (Our Parents, who will be touring europe bearing gifts),

As ever, it's all hush hush so nobody is to divulge or find out who they are buying for or who is buying for them. For this reason I once again open this yearly forum for subtle hints, suggestions, general abuse and hilarity.

Non-Syndicate members are also invited to come with suggestions, but easy on the abuse, as imaginations often need a little kick start..

Sert Day 12

Vordingbourg - Køge - Stenløse - Vordingbourg

Sun - Sea - Sand and Cake.

Distance: 147 miles



Our only full day in denmark started with fantastic sunshine and a walk around Vourdingbourg before we headed off on our way to our mid afternoon date with the wedding planners and their new arrival.

We had good time and relatively speaking not all that far to go so we headed onto backroads towards the west coast of Sjælland in search of a beach. It's the Norwegian way, if the suns shining and you're near the sea then you go swimming.

Here's a photo to prove that, as much as I was enjoy our only day without the car laden by luggage, I didn't do all the driving. Here's Mrs VL in overdrive top at approximately 11:05 in the morning. If I'd ever got round to setting the steering wheel straight we'd maybe even know how fast she was driving! I'd extimate about 53Mph.



Anyway, we did find a beach, we did swim (which was splendidly refreshing), we did play frisbee and here's a sight that you don't see to often. An white, sunbathing English man. I think you can see that this is one body that doesn't see the sun too often.



Shortly after our beach visit came one of the few occasions that the bonnet was opened. Don't panic though, it was only whilst we gave the car a thorough and badly needed clean before we arrived, almost bang on time, at the wedding helpers. Here we said hello to a their very peaceful and sweet young son and admired a patch of missing paving slabs (quite an achievement, I'll tell you).



As you can see, we were offered (and ate (in my case)) a very good selection of Danish cakes.

It was top up on the way back to the expensively mediocre hotel as there was the threat of rain. This didn't materialise until later. When it came it really came and we were glad the car was under cover. That was the end of the sunshine, the wipers were on for the rest of the trip.

When in Rome.

The old Opel is sadly way past due a one way trip to the scrap yard, in essence it still goes but there is a load of rust and quite a number of niggles which it has been difficult to bring myself to do anything about. We can't complain though, we got it for nearly nothing 2 1/2 years ago, it's done 70,000Km odd in that time with minimal cost and maintenance.

Anyway, we got a replacement a little over a week ago. Standard Scandanavian Issue, Volvo 940 Estate. Leather Seats, 2.3L 16V engine and a load of miles on the clock.



Obviously the first thing I did with it was to take it apart, as one does when one gets a new vehicle in the fleet. It's had new shocks, bottom ball joints, track rods ends, brake pads and a full service. Very pleased all in all, pretty sure it'll be needing a new clutch in the near future, but with the miles we'll be doing in it that'll hopefully wait until the summer.



More pictures and technically biased blog posting about this job and all sorts of other mechanical goings on on more-power, the website.

Of course, I won't be enjoying it's luxury all that ofter as it's really Mrs VLs car, she'll be using up and down to the bus stop mostly.

Not Guilty, maybe.

Fetched by it's loving and devoted owner the day after the other cold one arrived we had had "the elephant" visiting for around 10 weeks before that.

"The Elephant", on good days, downgraded to "The Horse", is really a sweet hearted beast. It's just that being a 40 odd Kilo Rodesian Ridgeback, having a load of energy and being a little boistrous you notice that she's in the house, quite unlike Peggy who you could easily forget is in (or out of) the house.

Anyway, to the point of the story. "The Elephant" has a habit of moving things about the house, sometimes chewing them for good measure. Needless to say, shoes and the like were kept locked away from temptation.

However, on a number of occasions, the items on the front door step (wellies, daffodil and tulip bulbs, shoes and the likes) had a habit of spreading themselves around the lawn. On a number of occassions we really were surprised by how much "The Elephant" has managed to move when she hadn't really been outside unattended for any significant period.

It became increasingly difficult to blame "the horse" (downgraded due to mis-suspicion) for the items spread out across the lawn as she was in fact 200 miles down the south coast and items were still being spread.

Some detctive work has derived the theory that the culprit is in fact some what longer haired, bushier tailed and more cunning (and most definately not 3 legged). The real farmers, next door, have lost a sweeping brush, there more pragmatic approach to the problem involves a trap and a rifle. Harsh, but they are vermin and that's life out in the country.

Sert Day 11

Catherdrals, Marzipan, Ferries and Frisbees.

Lubeck - Puttgarden - Rødbyhavn (ferry) - Vordingborg

Distance: 111 miles

After a hearty and badly needed breakfast and knowing that we had some time in hand we decided to start the day with a tour around the Marzipan capital of Europe, Lubeck.

What a wonderfull and beautiful city it is, full of history and fantastic architecture. One of our stops was the Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church), which was substantially damaged during the second world war. You would hardly know that now but for the bells that lie exactly as they fell on the night of the 28th march 1942.

Here are also a couple of gratuitious organ shots for the benifit of Our Father who art in Cork.

Don't ask me why, but Lubeck is also famous for its' marzipan, so we couldn't leave without trying some. That was after an outdoor lunch in the sunshine, looks like I enjoyed it in all.

After Lunch it was onward into Denmark via the Puttgarden-Rødbyhavn ferry, with a plan to find somewhere for our final two nights which was an OK round trip to pop by the wedding planners and also not to far from Rødbyhavn for our early morning trip back to Keil.

Deciding we had gone far enough into Denmark we left the motorway immediately after we came across the bridge onto Sjælland, the Island on which Copenhagen is situated. We found ourselves and expensively mediocre hotel in the pretty seaside town of Vordingborg, enjoyed a spot of Frisbee in the large park and some reasonable food in a local resturant.

Another good day on the road as the Spitfire European Road Trip near it's end.

Sert Day 10

A Long Long Way.

Breitungen - Eisenach - Muhlhausen - Lubeck

Distance: 295 Miles

The day started with an unsuccessful trip to a beach/swimming place on the river, which dispite sign posts never materialised... I wasn't so dissapointed as it was a little grey and overcast and not all that warm, Mrs VL on the other hand was, as she had been ooking forward to her "morning bathe".

Knowing that we had a long drive ahead of us, we had to resist the temptation of stopping at the various sights on the way.

I had to lay down the law as, after less than 45 mins on the road, we came into Eisenach and discovered that it was not only J.S. Bachs birthplace but also the location of the fantastic Wartburg Castle, as photo'ed below.

Martin Luther also lived in Eisenach and was resident in Wartburg castle whilst he translated the new testament. We had to miss out on the bus ride up to the castle, with such a distance to cover we had to get some miles behind us.

We continued northwards up the very enjoyble German A- (and sometimes B-) roads, stopping for lunch at Muhlhausen, a very pretty town. Bizarrely we had been searching for a frisbee (no ordinary frisbee but one to match London Sons one that we had so enjoyed in our earlier trip to Our Parents in Ireland ). We were so glad to find finally find them that we bought 3, two different ones for us and one for the neighbours lads.

After lunch, other than a frisbee break, we continued northwards to Lubeck, finally arriving mid evening (around 9:30 p.m.). Fortunately we had also stopped at a supermarket for some bread and cheese a little earlier because finding a hotel wasn't all that easy and in the end we missed out on dinner. Don't panic though, I still had some Belgium beer in the boot so I didn't go completely without nourishment!

The hotel was good, and we slept soundly knowing that the last long days driving was behind us.

Thanks to TOCO

The other cold one arrived Friday week ago (my how time flies) and was so enthusiastic to get on with some projects that we were out in the garage doing a couple of Jobs on the Suzuki that same evening....

As ever there were 100 jobs to chose from and if we were going to get anything acheived we had to narrow it done to a couple of projects. The 2 we chose were to continue work on the David Brown and to get underway with building new doors for the middle barn (One openings never had doors and the others, flimsy as they were had been blown to bits by the wind).

Saturday morning and half the afternoon dissapeared, as it has a tendancy to do, without any real construction being completed. We did however manage to get to the shops on time to buy the neccesary materials. The Landy proving it's worth as ever as it was loaded up with over 150Ms of planks.



For periods of the weekend we had another couple of pairs of helping hands. I am also grateful for the help from the neighbours sons, especially handy with heavy jobs like trial fitting and painting...





TOCO was very keen and by the end of Sunday we had 4 doors painted on one side. On monday we took another trip in the Landy to fetch replacment door posts, the old ones were rotten, and TOCO got on with drilling holes for hinges whilst I started grindnig the valves in on the David Browns' head.



One week on, and I am ashamed to say the doors are not yet hanging. There has been progress though, the new door posts are completly drilled, chisseled and painted, just got to screw them in place now. The inward folding doors are painted on both sides just needing one more coat and they're ready to go up.

It's not the first time I've been in debt to a member of the family for fixing/building barn/garage doors. The blogs forth post back in july 2005 reported our father repairing the middle garage door, which I am pleased to report is still just as solid over 2 years on. I'm also confident for the longevity of TOCO's doors.

A Load off the mind...

After being told that I wasn't even to consider acquiring a plough and a harrow (part of my mechanised farming plans which may well be blogged seperately) before I'd thrown out some of the junk that's been in the top of the barn since we moved in over 2 years ago and other assorted rubbish, I made the effort Saturday before last to do a tip run.

As you can see, the ever useful Landrover was suitably full and I even brought myself to throw out some things which one could quite possibly have considered useful.

I can almost certainly fill another similar load and as we need to move everything out the basment to do the insulating work down there soon I probably will do so...

They're Out...

And not before time....

What a battle it's been, but the posibility of Haugtuft becoming a "2 tractor farm" has taken a huge step forward. After literally years of trying, I've finally unstuck and removed the pistons from the David Brown.





If I can get the bits in time, Myself and "the other cold one" will be building engines this coming weekend....

Sert Day 9

What a Museum.

Ingelheim-am-Rhein - Sinsheim - Breitungen

Distance: 256 Miles.

Back in the car and straight on to the Autobahn, heading south and east towards "Sinsheim Auto-Tecknik Museum" . After many days overdosing on historical buildings, vinyards and so on, I needed something more techinical, and as the Nurburgrings opening times didn't fit at all this seemed like the perfect thing!

What can I say, an incredible collection, 5 or more aricraft on the roof, all of which you could go in and including, as you can see over, not only Concord but also the Russian attempt, the Tupolov TU-144, "Concordski" which first flew on the 31st of December 1968, two months before Concord. It was the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2, and the fastest commercial airliner ever (Source of information Wikipedia, so it should be correct!!!!).

In addition to the aircraft there is a huge collection of war machines, cars, bikes, farming equipment and rather bizarly cinema and theatre organs. Sorry about the poor photo quality below, I had the camera on the wrong setting and most of the things I wanted to show you didn't come out. There was a very smart Triumph TR6, btw.

Anyway, well worth a visit. If I get the chance I want to go back. Maybe next time we visit the vets in Ingelheim, I can sneak off for the day..... We had a good 4-5 hours at the museum, but between the energy sapping heat and the enormity of the museum there was plenty we didn't get to see.

Just 40Km from Sinsheim is the sister musuem "Speyer Tecknik Museum", where they have no less than a Jumbo Jet on the roof. That's also now high on my list of places to visit....

Leaving Sinsheim marked the turning point, now we were more or less on our way home, heading Northwards through Germany, ultimately towards the ferry in Kiel, although we still had a short diversion a 100 or so miles into Denmark planned to visit "the wedding helpers" (Mrs VL's Bridemaid, Husband and their recent addition, a 1 month old boy).

The car performed faultlessly in the blistering heat on the way up through what used to be the East German countryside. We desided to stop early evening, and after a little to-ing and fro-ing found a pleasent and cheap hotel in Breitungen.

After a large portion of traditional fair and a couple of local beers we took a walk around the village before retiring, with a long drive ahead of us the next day.

Sert Day 8

Little (Big) Cats

"Around and about Ingelheim"

Distance: Some Miles (On Foot), a very few miles (in car)

The day started as the previous one, with an ample, very tasty and leisurely breakfast. The plan for the day was to go for another walk.

Knowing from the previous day that our hosts had slightly different "afternoon nutritionaly requirements" to ours, a certain member of the party (who shall remain nameless) insisted that we didn't leave the flat without a substantial packed lunch in tow..

So, happy that my stomach was catered for, we set off into the vinyards behind and above Ingelheim. This photo looks out over old Ingelheim and for those of you who can be bothered looking closely, on the top of the hillside beyond, above and slightly to the left of the Church spire there's an old tower. That's where we were heading, not just a great view but also some Bengal Tiger cubs in the Tiger zoo beside it.

So, we ate our lunch, and headed past the church and into Old Ingelheim

before walking onwards up the other side and arriving just in time for "play time" when the Cubs were taken out into a seperate enclosure and pretty much left to get on with it. It was fantastic to get so close to these magnificent animals, and uncanny the similar behaviours with our own Bengals (albeit a little bigger!!)

The did at least look like they were even more trouble than our lot!!

After a quick "Shandy" and a trip up to the top of the tower we headed off back.

As it was blazing hot, we headed off to the local outdoor swimming complex, Boys in the car on the way down and girls on the way back! Spirits were high and we were all suitably adult to make the most of the slide and daft enough to jump of high diving platform... The boys got to ride the bikes back up the hill, and despite my worries for leaving the car in Mrs VL's unsupervised hands for the first time, it was infact me that broke Mrs GV's bike... Oops, sorry, I hope it's been fixed!!

More food and drink and a relatively early night, the GV's back to work and us back on the road the next day. Many thanks to the GV's for a wonderful weekend, our door is open, feel free to come and visit anytime.

Lost count.

Either we've got too many cats or the Bathroom heated floor's set too high (although it's doing a good job for the fermenting beer in the background)...



To see so many at one time is a rare sight, one of these is "only visiting" and the father and son don't really get on all that well...

The Office. Part 9 - Finally Finished

Well, this news is a couple of weeks old now. First I had to wait until our bi-weekly visit of our (cough) cleaner before the office was suitably photogenic and it's taken me another week to find time to blog about it...

Anyway, the office has been without drawers ever since Easter when we moved in. Finally, after a quick session with "partner in crimes" table saw and a bit of routing, sanding and varnishing I was able to build the drawers. It took a little bit of fiddling to get them to fit. I can't complain with the result though.

Sert Day 7

A "short" walk

Schloss Johannisberg - Eberbach Monastery - Schloss Johannisberg

Distance: 10+ Miles (On Foot)

The second and final day of the trip that the Spitfire didn't turn a wheel started with a more than ample breakfast after which, as I was determined to taste and purchase some local wine, we all headed on foot into Ingelheim.

Our local guides new exactly where to take us and we headed straight into "Weingut J. Mett's" open courtyard and shop. We were on the red side of the valley so we where immediately presented with three reds to taste. After a little swirlling, gargling, inhaling and all of that, me and Mrs VL agreed on the "2005 Dornfelder" as a bottom of the range, drink whenever alternative.. Wanting to add to the wine cellar, I also chose a "2004 Blauer Spatburgunder" which has won various prices. Obviously, given the space limitations in the car and the potential for more purchases during the day, two bottles was all we dared to take.

Back to the flat and onwards, in the car and across the Rhein towards Schloss (castle) Johannisberg. We had our lunch in the car, but as we were only going for a little stroll, we didn't take it with us.

The first thing we found at Schloss Johannisberg was more tractors, and again, the narrow version of another of the nieghbours vehicles as shown below.

After a breif stop to look at the fish, we headed onwards towards the destination of our walk, Kloster Eberbach. It quickly became apparent in my mind that this stroll was more of a walk, lunch time was approaching and passing and we were getting further from our food. I must confess to a degree of hungry consternation when we past a signpost stating that the mid point of our walk was 8Km away.

It wasn't long before spirits were raised as we came to this fantastic "Wine Fridge" open to all with a price list and an honesty box. This wouldn't work anywhere in the world, but it seemed to here on the "Rheinstig".

Refreshed, we headed onwards towards the 12 Century monestary of Eberbach. The journey was slow, not helped by the active model club at their airstrip, where yours truly had to stop and watch them flying their planes for a "little while".

When we finally arrived at our destination the question was asked if we should eat first (in the resturant) or have a look around. You can imagine the reply!! So with some local beer and very tasty grub in us we headed on for a look around the fantastic closters and grounds. Those of you who have seen the film "the name of the rose" have seen the inside of these buildings.

Not suprisingly they made wine here through the years (and still do), here are the incredible presses that they used. Just a note for "Partner in Crime", after our bumper crop of grapes this year, we might be needing one of these.... A couple of bits of Oak and a few evenings in the basement, i've got some more detailed shots!......???

More tasting and the purchase of a reisling before we set off on the quick stroll back to our Lunch (stopping at the fridge for refreshment), arriving early evening and back to the Vets flat where my inventive culinary skills were put to the test, making an acceptable Pasta sauce. Highly appropriate for the excellent red wine from the wine cellar....

Mechanised Farming.

Well, it's a first. I've successfully attach a piece of rotating farm machinery with specific purpose to the back of my tractor and used it for that purpose of which the machine is intended....

The extra few inches I needed were readily available at rediculous expense from our local farm machinery shop in the form of a power-take-off extension, and look like this...

and not really surprisingly attach here

So that you can connect up the drive shaft between the PTO and the Potato harvester like this.

That was the easy bit. It took a little while to work out which levers I needed to put where, how to keep it at the right depth (the grounds not exactly level so there's a fair amount of adjustment under way) but after a little practice on a row I had already dug I set to work on a half dug row, with considerable success as you can see.

As I have previously stated the harvest is a little on the low side due to complete lack of care and weeding during the growing season but after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing I manage to harvest the rest of the short (double) row that I had already started digging.

The other rows are longer and slightly flatter so I hope with a little adjustment and better technique it will go better and faster and there'll be a tick on the jobs board before you know it..

If only I had another couple of inches....

What a difference a couple of inches on you shaft makes (OK, I'l stop it now, but it's sooo tempting)....


But anyway, if it was a couple of inches longer then, maybe just maybe, I'd have harvested the rest of the potato crop by now. We've been eating our own spuds since we got back from the Sert. The meals per plant rate is a little dissapointing, but given the neglect and the amount of weeds it's not surprising.

This particularly old and evil looking piece of equipment is an old fanshioned potato harvester, and it's been lying around in the barn ever since we moved in.


Not surprisingly it would appear it's only ever been used on the David Brown, which regular readers will know has been seized solid ever since we got it (with the property) and is in bits.

I've filed it with oil, greased it, got it moving freely and as you can see, managed to hitch it up to the Zetor but the drive shaft is too short.

I hope to be able to find a not too permenant solution for this, as I hope to get the David brown working before next summer, and it fits best on that.

I really would like to try this now, if it works, it will impact future plans for the layout of the veg garden....

Sert Day 6

Verticle Vinyards in the Mosel Valley

Remich - Trittenheim - Marienburg - Ingelheim am Rhein

Distance: 159 Miles

The day started, as planned, with a trip to "Cactus" the local supermarket and drinks shop to take advantage of the incredibly low prices in Luxemboug. I came away with a bottle of Luxembourgs finest (hopefully!) pink sparkling and a medium range single malt, Glen Elgin.

I also purchased a small and very cheap rucksack for the tool kit to minimise the number of poly bags that we had to carry in and out of our accommodation each morning and evening.

By now we were expert at packing the boot and putting the hood down, so we were making our way up the Mosel valley in no time. Fortunately we were also expert at putting the hood up as not long before this picture was taken there was a sudden downpour, which was the last rain we saw until the 2nd last day on the way back to Kiel.We had an early and slightly extented stop at a gardening/DIY/motor shop to get some glue suitable to attach the Triumph Badge back on the back bumper (the 30 Year old glue had given up during the heavy rain duting the night in Bastonge), some screws and crimps to sort out the washer pump, which I had borrowed for the Landrovers test some weeks before.

We got the badge glued back on and Mrs VL polished some chrome while I got the washer pump mounted and wired back up.

Feeling ever more complete we continued up the fantastic Mosel Valley towards our lunch stop at Trittenheim with Mrs VL behind the wheel. "When in Rome", we enjoyed our very traditional lunch of Bratwurst and saurkraut with some very nice grape juice. During our short after lunch walk we spotted this tractor, which we had to get a photo of as it's identical to the Neighbours, only in minature. There were lots of these narrow tractors about, designed, obviously, to fit between the rows of grapevines.

It's amazing the steepness of some of the hillsides where they grow these grapes, almost everything apart from verticle rock was covered with rows of grapevines, a truly amazing sight, the photo doen't quite do justice, but it's the best one we got...

After a diversion away from the valley due to a closed road, and quick stop for ice creams at the very beautiful town of Marienburg we left the Mosel, and heady cross country through small villages and towns before finally plonking ourselves on the Autobahn towards Frankfurt. We arrived at our hosts, "The German Vets", fantastic appartment early evening, as planned. The day was capped off by a balcony bar-b-q, some good wine and local traditions and very good company...