What Peak really means

This is the first time Paul and I have holidayed during peak season and so I think we were blissfully ignorant of how crazy things get when the children break up from school and everyone heads South, it must be a spectacle that viewed from the air would rival the mass migrations across Africa.

Due to a combination of our size and the French school holidays just starting, we could not get a site in the South of France, but took a site midway near to Vienne, just South of Lyon. We have been delighted with this lovely woodland site and were still optimistic that we could continue with our general head South, across through Italy into Croatia. Sites on the continent seem to have quite small pitches along with some very tight approaches. Paul managed to squeeze The Tin Pangolin into our pitch in front of a crowd of onlookers - 'perfect' commented the warden.

Our trip now has to take a different turn as apparently Italy is even worse than the South of France for being full and not allowing long trailers, so despite several days of trying, unfortunately there is no availability for a big rig like ours during peak season.

After much head scratching and peering at the map book we have a new plan, we are still heading East but on a different route. We have even managed to book sites for the next 17 days. We will travel to Switzerland then Austria and onto Slovenia. I am desperate for a beach with sand and salt in my hair, and a bit disappointed that Italy could not find room for us, but an adventure is supposed to be full of the unexpected and our route is certainly providing that.

We did have some good news recently, I have a school place for Sebastian for September at Moulton, yippee!