Richard was able to give some attention to the wiring, starting by undoing the mess left behind by the Spanish mechanics.
To our relief, once the relays had been removed (the silvery taped up bundle on the left, installed by the garage in Logroño) the management system detected that the wiring was back to normal and the lights came back on without having to have it reset by the Fiat dealer.
The next stage was to thread a power lead down the length of the van, to install 'El Kit' that we'd bought in the Logroño Fiat garage and get the trailer socket working as it was meant to. If only that had been done at the start.
There are a few other jobs to do on the van; one of the high cupboards needs some reinforcement and we need to track down and cure a nasty taste in the water system. That taste has been coming and going since we got back to Europe – we're starting to suspect the smart new hose reel we bought in France.
Stella has signed up with a supply teaching agency and discovered that not only can she remember how to teach but quite likes it. Richard has set himself to learning the skills he'll need for self employment, spending most of last week learning about WordPress and creating a website announcing our intention to start making laser engraved wooden postcards. In time, this will be one of several websites promoting different products.
Today we've been celebrating the Jubilee bank holiday weekend by meeting up with friends in Ashford in the Water in the Peak District and going for a long walk from pub to tea-shop to pub. No photos of us, we all look too bedraggled, but at least the cool weather and light rain is keeping the well dressing in top condition.
Our tenants are moving out on June 10th, so we can finally go properly home where we'll have space for all the things we're missed during our travels – space to plant out our pumpkins, space to work and, most importantly, space for a dog.
