Albert the Albatross

19/12/2025

#474 #21 Stonehouse Christmas Function

A night out at the work Christmas function. A great venue, entertaining night and so much drink. A bit windy overnight, and those bloody seagulls in the morning... thankfully my boose fuelled sleep made it palatable 😴

That's

26/08/2025

#470-473 #17-20 Tunes in the Park 25.

Early arrival to secure a good camping spot meant a 4 night festival 🫣. The weather was hot, the drinks were flowing and the acts were pumping. There was some good bands, some great bands and then there was Craig David and Boy George (both were punp) but luckily the second stage didn't disappoint, filling the void...

A great festival, with amazing friends. Garth, Dawn Lily (Fri only) and Erin danced the weekend away. It is accepted that Garth needs a new liver, some sort of dress sense and better dance moves 🕺🏻 but he doesn't care as long as he's having fun.

That's

21/08/2025

Woop woop, Albert is festival deployed. The Taylor's advanced party is set up and ready for a 4 day liver beasting. We even have our own special view of the toilets 🤣.

The Expresso Martin bar will be open from tomorrow. Do you think 3 litres will be enough for the weekend 🤔?

20/08/2025

#469 #16 Last day of holiday

Having packed most of Garth's admin the night before, the dynamic duo was able to go for a last morning run before they departed the campsite. It was a trot along the seafront to the main town, passing beachfront properties and beach huts on wooden decking. If daily PT, cruising in the motorhome, and drinking red wine is a snapshot of retirement... I'm ready.

Final admin was completed and they were on the road, a quick 1 hour and 40 minutes to Roscoff. They stopped to fill up with cheap fuel and purchase plenty of red wine to keep them stocked until Christmas 🤔.

Their final Aire of the trip was situated in the port, which was ideal for an early check-in (7 am). The plan was to walk into Roscoff for a nice final meal, but unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Thunder, rain, and a rather windy afternoon and evening prevailed.

Dawn stayed safely locked in the warmth of the van, determined not to wear her puffer jacket. Meanwhile, Garth headed off to fish—or rather, let's call it standing and looking into the water, hopeful that a fish might take pity on him and commit su***de 😞. It's official: his trip remains Fish-0, Birds-1. He claims it's more about mindfulness and that he doesn't really try 🤣.

Cold and ready for food, he returned empty-handed. He could have brought back large spider crabs if he'd bothered to get wet (there were apparently loads under the pier). He returned to a lovingly prepared warm meal and hot tea. With nothing else to do, Garth watched a film while Dawn played games and listened to music on her phone. The end of holidays is always anticlimactic and full of waiting.

They are now onboard and waiting to depart. It will be lovely to see the girls and Bella dog. It was an amazing time with just the two of them, but luckily they have Tunes in the Park on Thursday, with the "terrible duo" Lily and Erin tagging along. They may banish them to the awning 🙏🏻.

Another amazing adventure in the life of , and that, folks, is what it's all about .

19/08/2025

#468 #15 Beach Day

Paddle boards pumped up by Garth, he dragged a reluctant Dawn out for a trip around the lagoon. The weather was warm, very little wind and the water was clear. Perfect conditions to enjoy a 2.5 mile paddle.

A post lunch return to the beach, Dawn sunbathing and reading her book whilst Garth snorkled, and messed around trying to do neutral turns and surf the smallest of waves on the paddle board.

Dawn cooked a chicken curry whilst Garth packed the van ready for the morning departure. A last crepe and glass of Grimbergen before bed.

A slow but enjoyable day, that's

18/08/2025

18/08/2025

#467 #14 Another day in Paradise.

🟢 Bike ride with a stop for the most amazing cheese cake and coffee ☑️
🟢 Getting slightly lost on said bike ride and then having to pedal back up a rather large hill ☑️ (apparently a ploy to burn off cheese cake 🤔).
🟢 Snorkeling and fishing at the beach (Garth didn't catch a fish but caught a bird 🫣, he released it again☑️
🟢 A dip in the pool followed by a couple of pints of IPA ☑️
🟢 Garth cooked 2.8 kg of Moules Mariner and we didn't get food poisoning 😅, most likely because the amount of wine consumed ☑️
🟢 A tasty couple of cocktails at the bar with a side of Belgium waffles, yes please ☑️

A busy but chilled day, that's

17/08/2025

#466 #13 Cap Coz and Camping du Letty.

We had an early start, leaving the Aire behind. It's a place we'll definitely return to, as they're upgrading the area and hopefully the Aire itself. Since we couldn't get into our campsite until 3:00 PM, we decided to check out Cap Coz, a spit of land with the most beautiful long golden beach.

Despite the 2.5-ton weight limits all around, we weren't deterred. We followed the most accessible roads and found the only possible parking spot—a future location for a return visit, with a perfect view of the harbor.

With some time to kill, we put on our running gear for a gentle but warm run around the local beaches. A quick shower in the van was followed by a leisurely stroll to grab an ice cream. As our check-in time approached, we did a quick supermarket sweep before the 15-minute drive to our campsite.

Once we were booked in and set up, we headed straight for the pool. We spent a relaxing afternoon sunbathing before cooking a delicious BBQ, complete with Dawn's amazing feta salad all washed down with some cold Grimbergen beer. Our post-dinner walk took us to the beach and then the on-site bar, where we indulged in another Grimbergen 🍻 and eventually managed to get a crêpe 🙏🏻. We ended the day with a quiet night of reading and talking before bed.

# that's

16/08/2025

#465 #12 Concarneau

An early morning bike ride to burn off some of the cheese and beer led us to Pont-Aven, where we stopped for a croissant, coffee, and orange juice before heading back. A cooling wind helped keep the heat down, and the roads were smooth and free of traffic unlike the UK.

Consuming another lazy lunch (I'm nearly done with bread, cheese and meats), we went to the beach and had a dip. It was then that we remembered the Aire was only for 24 hours. "When did we arrive?" Oh, that's right, we had already been there for 26 hours. Conscious that we might have a ticket, we headed back to the van. We were in luck—no ticket—so we packed up and decided to move anyway.

​It was only 30 minutes to Concarneau. We had been there before with the girls and liked it. On arrival, the Aire had changed; it was full, and it looked like we would have to find alternative parking. A nice chap offered us his space as he was leaving, and we were in!

​After a couple of pre-drinks and showers, we headed into town for a nice meal. The harbor was throbbing with people, and it looked unlikely that we would get a table. A chance wandering down some back streets led us to a delightful restaurant with street dining. We had fish soup, moules pomfret, and a dessert before a wander around the old town.

​Back at the van, it had been 34 degrees before we went out, but luckily it had cooled for a pleasant night's sleep. Tomorrow we head to our campsite for the last three nights of our holiday. 😞

That's

15/08/2025

#464 #11 Beach Time.

After finding out Lily's A-level results 😊, we packed up and hit the road. It was an hour and twenty-minute drive to our next stop: a perfectly situated Aire that was a short walk from two beaches. We made a quick stop at a supermarket to stock up for the next couple of days before heading to the beach.

We found a beautiful golden cove with crystal-clear water. Garth, getting bored of sunbathing, decided to try some fishing. His attempt was less about catching fish and more about trying to untangle his line from the seaweed, and, of course, he didn't catch a thing. He has to be the worst fisherman ever! After his failed attempt, we went for a lovely, cool dip in the water to escape the heat.

Later, we returned to the van for burgers and beers. Post dinner a walk around the local village where we tried to get crêpes again, but our attempt failed because the place apparently "fully booked." That's a load of bull-🤬; there were empty tables everywhere. I think they just don't like the British. Maybe next time I should tell them I'm from the Isle of Man! Gaelic Nations unite 🇮🇲. We finished the night with a late evening walk to Tahiti Beach (great name, nothing special) to enjoy a beer and the evening light. We spotted a Russian sub that turned out to be a similar looking island 🤣.

It's just another day

14/08/2025

#463 #10 Huelgoat and Huelgoat Forest.

Early-ish departure from Morlaix and a short 30 minutes to Huelgoat. A mythical landscape full of tradition and the birthplace of many Celtic legends, Huelgoat forest is known for the curiosity and beauty of its rocks: heaps of rounded boulders with a chaotic arrangement that inspire many tales.

An Aire was secured, with electricity for €13, next to a small lake. The weather was overcast and slightly cooler in the rolling hills. We put on our walking kit and set off to find adventure—well, that's code for wandering around in the forest, mostly in circles 🤔🤣.

Scrambling, jumping, climbing, and exploring was a beautiful way to get some exercise. After yet another 'are we there yet?' from Dawn, we arrived back in the village. We returned to the van for an early dinner of French packet chili mix; there was nothing spicy about it 😕.

A evening walk to find crepes failed, and we returned to the van for an early night (10 hours sleep)—well, for Garth at least. Dawn complained about his heavy breathing, snoring, and shouting out in his sleep 😴🤩🤔🙄.

Tomorrow is another adventure, that's

A couple of videos in the comments.

13/08/2025

#462 #9 Pointe du granite rose and Morlaix.

Up and at 'em, a morning run to Pointe du granite rose to see the lighthouse and the beautiful pink granite rock formations. Our first run in at least 12 months was gentle, slowed by a lack of breath and other walkers on the trail. Passing through a harbor resort, Staint-Guirec, we followed the coastline and its unique beauty. The sun was warm, the wind cooling, and the sights were worth it.

Admin complete, we departed our carpark sleepover and followed the coast to Morlaix. A pleasant drive with beach views and rolling countryside. Our destination was a new Aire 300m from the town center; there was a bit of jostling for a parking space, but we were in. Lunch was a lovely charcuterie and a nice bottle of rosé; we were feeling on holiday now.

A short walk into town, a stroll around the shops, the harbor and marvel at the viaduct that dominated the town—wow, it was hot. A refreshing ice cream and a quick drink in a small pavement bar.

Hold on, did I say quick drink? Grimbergen (6.5%), Delirium (8.5%), and Saucisse Sèche 🍺🍺🍻. A relaxing couple of hours watching the world go by and then staggering up the hill in our flip-flops to have an early night in a very warm van.

That's