A LITTLE ABOUT US...
‘Should I stay or should I go…..?’ That was the title of a book I started to write back in 2002! (and never finished) I dedided to go……….
Since leaving school, where my careers advisor recommended that I became either a Diplomat (highly unlikely), a racing driver, join the Armed Forces or drive a milk float, I decided to take matters into my own hands……
After working in the family business for 2 years, I quickly realised it wasn’t for me. Men’s workwear was just not cutting it! A good friend was setting up a jet ski rental business in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, so off I went to help him. As the season came to a close, I was looking forward to my first ski season in Courmayeur, Italy as a chalet girl. By the time I was 25, I had worked 3 ski seasons, spent 2 interesting summers on Kibbutz (including being issued a gas mask when Iraq invaded Kuwait) and had a fantastic year in Australia travelling and working as an au pair. I thought I was ready so settle down so I got myself a ‘proper’ job working on the Hull ferry! Although my shifts gave me a bit of freedom, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant workplace, so I applied to work for the National Blood Service and was fortunate to work there for 3 years. I suddenly got itchy feet……
I’d bought a house and had just finished renovating it when I asked my then partner if she fancied an adventure… If the house was worth more than a certain amount, we would go! A few months later, I sold the house and off we went to our local caravan dealer. We picked up a Belgian touring caravan for £3000. Bearing in mind neither of us had ever towed one before, we were a little apprehensive setting off to the ferry terminal 2 weeks later with our trusty Fiat Brava which went on to do 330,000kms. After 2 years living in Le Grand-Bornand, Morzine and Lourdes, I bought a 17 bedroom hotel in the centre of Lourdes. This was not my plan, but I needed my own bathroom and laundry and now I had 17 bathrooms and a huge laundry! Unfortunately, that relationship didn’t work out…..
Alison and I first met in 1995 and ‘rediscovered’ each other in 2009. She then had to make the same decision, should she stay or should she go…..? She chose to go and joined me in France. I sold the hotel with the full intention of leaving Lourdes but the seasonal life drew me back. I loved working hard summers and being free to ski in the winter. I also had good friends and contacts and persuaded Alison that we should stay. In 2011, we bought a bar! For 3 years, we fed and watered the locals and visitors to Lourdes with English breakfast, fish and chips and homemade burgers. In our 2nd season, we were number 1 on Trip Advisor, but it was hard work….. Upon our return from a holiday in Spain, where we had spent 3 months enjoying the winter sun, we were asked if we’d like to sell our business. Of course we would! Isn’t everything for sale??
We made the decision to go and live in Portugal where we spent 6 happy years in the Algarve. With Brexit looming, we then had to make a decision on where to live and France won our hearts……so here we are! Starting a new chapter that we hope you’ll enjoy sharing with us. Janine
Yep…..this is me…..on a seesaw…..just a northern lass with a love for travel, music, taking photographs and anything arts and crafty!
Born in East Yorkshire, most of my family holidays were on the East Coast of England. Caravan holidays in Hornsea, bed and breakfasts in Scarborough…..day’s out to Bridlington and Whitby….I just have this love for traditional seaside towns with that salty sea air, an ice cream by the harbour and a bag of chips in hand dodging the seagulls in waiting, ready to swoop in and steal one!
My first holiday overseas was at the age of 12 when my Great Aunt and Uncle won a holiday competition through the local newspaper. They decided to pay a bit extra and take me with them, so we headed off to Lido de Jeselo in Italy. The warm air and huge pizzas were enough to give me the taste to travel. Over the following years, I visited Spain, Holland, Tunisia, Belgium and travelled the length and breadth of Egypt. It was in 2009 that my life was about to change…….
Janine and I reconnected after our last meeting way back in 1995. Fast forward to Boxing Day 2010, I’d left a good job, sold my house, sold my car, grabbed my 2 dogs and headed to France to start my new life with Janine. My only possessions were my dogs, a few personal items and my vinyl records! I was 40 years old…..what was I doing??? We bought a bar in 2011 and 3 years later, sold up and moved to Portugal for 6 years. We worked a summer on a campsite in Labenne (Landes, France) and I worked a ski season in Morzine (Haute-Savoie, France) at the ripe old age of 47, we’ve both taken up sailing, so what next??
We moved back to France in 2020 to start the next part of our journey. In our time together, we’ve driven from Gibralter to Geneva and many places in between. We’ve cruised to the Caribbean, took a train to Venice and we’ve explored Croatia. We’ve sailed the Amalfi Coast, caravanned in the Côte d’Azur and visited the Christmas market in Cologne. We’ve travelled on a budget and we’ve also had a little luxury on the way too. Living in SW France really is a fantastic location for travelling around mainland Europe. We’ve visited so many places, we wish we had documented our travels years ago, so why not start now? My life has changed so much and I am living proof that it’s never too late to start again, fulfil your dreams or try new things. I come from an era where ‘gaming’ was playing Pacman, the internet didn’t exist and £20 bought your drinks all night, got you a take away and a taxi home….and still have some money left! We hope you’ll join us on our journey and maybe we can give you some inspiration and ideas for your next trip too! Alison