Sunday, July 12, 2009

Data dump

In the last five days have driven through:

  • Kent
  • Surrey
  • Hampshire
  • Wiltshire
  • Somerset
  • Wiltshire
  • Dorset
  • Wiltshire
  • Hampshire
  • Surrey
  • Middlesex
  • Greater London
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Oxfordshire
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Oxfordshire
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Middlesex
  • Surrey
  • Kent

We covered: 620 miles mainly on the M20, M26, M25, M3, A303, and M40.

We got lost: Three times because I thought I knew better than my sister’s sat nav. Let’s be honest, Sat Nav, when it comes to the route to Shepton Mallet, I really did know better… (turn right on to A344 at Stonehenge, drive through Chitterne.) I do, however, accept that you would’ve found your way two miles to the M40 from Bicester instead of going all the way to Aylesbury on the A41 as I did.

I narrowly avoided hitting: a deer between Dorchester and Warminster at 9.30pm and a very large coach doing something silly outside my children’s old primary school in Buckinghamshire at 3.30pm.

My favourite bit of motorway: was on the M40 between High Wycombe and Bicester, where I saw about 15 red kites in two days.

My favourite scenery: was looking over North Dorset while driving past Compton Abbas airfield from Shaftesbury, not on the A350 but from the B3081. Completely stunning: I wondered if I will go back to Bangkok.

11 comments:

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Sounds like a very busy few days.

Pat Posner said...

So are you back home now, JJ?
If not, are you coming anywhere 'oop north'?

Jenny Beattie said...

It was Debs, but fun too.

Pat, back at my parents' now in Kent. That was my Southern Tour. Next weekend I am in Manchester... though we don't have plans to tour in quite the same style! Phew.

HelenMWalters said...

Blimey - that's impressive mileage Mrs!

Lane Mathias said...

That's a lot of counties! Hope you're having a good time. x

Queenie said...

I love seeing the red kites on the M40 too. I did similar mileage last week and was glad to have a few days in one place over the weekend.

BEAST said...

All this talk of East-West motorways reminds me of that Comic Strip film, Supergrass. With Adrian Edmundson (aka The Young Ones), who avoids driving east on the A303 as he usually falls asleep and crashes.

Bad taste? Maybe, but funny in context.

Chris Stovell said...

Gawd! I thought I had it bad when we go back to visits the folks, but you win!

Carol said...

Oh, I remember doing the 'must fit everyone in' thing when we were over on holiday!! It's absolutely knackering isn't it!! (Still, I'm glad that your finding time to fit me in on Thursday :-D)

C x

Jenny Beattie said...

Helen, and I'm now knackered!

Lane, in and out, in and out, of those counties, we went. It was fab!

Queenie, they're beautiful, aren't they? I have a fab picture of one I took when I lived there but suspect it's in Bangkok on another computer....

Bea, I thought of that all the way down...

Chris, but you probably have to do it more regularly than I do!

Carol, can't wait til Thursday.

Susie Vereker said...

Good about the red kites, JJ. We have one here too.
It's a strange life, the expat one. You hardly know where you belong.