After lending a hand in a smooth and successful housemove, we said our goodbyes to the uni-kids, to the tree-lined streets of red brick houses, to the hustle and bustle of York City and hit the backroads in the direction of the scenic Yorkshire Dales. Just before the Dales Proper is an area called Nidderdale,… Continue reading Why Brimham Rocks (or, What’s in the Bag?)
With recent temperatures hitting 28° daily (and much higher we're sure, inside this insulated tin can) we're spending more and more time outdoors here in Yorkshire and I have not been writing much as a result, the long warm evenings are designed for strolling, by tree lined canals and in dark forests, creating our own… Continue reading Houseless is not Homeless (or, Why We Won’t Work for Google)
Another day, another excuse to bake something here in the Backwards Van as we cruise slowly but steadily around Scotland, in and out of all the nooks and crannies along the way. We crossed the Firth of Forth over the brand new Queensbury Crossing and swung a hard right, shunning the busy M90 in favour… Continue reading The Unconventional Oven: Dundee Marmalade Chocolate Cake with Oaty Orange Sauce
It is the middle of June and we are still in the middle of Scotland. Our vague plan to hit the Northern wilderness of the Highlands was derailed by something not so common around here in the Backwards Van, something called ‘sense’. As we rolled away from Falkirk the lines on the map parted and… Continue reading Surveying Scotlands Back Pocket (A week in East Neuk of Fife)
Dixie the Fiat Ducato has driven us on and off umpteen ferries in the last 10 months, from the little 4 vehicle roll-on-roll-off type across a tiny inlet in County Waterford to the bigger car ferries from the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland and she has even thrice sailed across the Irish Sea onboard massive… Continue reading When Your Ship Comes In : Dixies DOs and DON’T DOs of Sailing the Seas
Since the Backwards Van published a post about money last month in an effort to disspell the many myths about the true price of vanlife, we have been inundated with even more questions about cash (you can read that post here, it's been our most popular yet, read in 36 countries worldwide! https://wp.me/p8WlP3-ln ) It… Continue reading 28 Days Later (Notes from a Budget Meeting)
We got lucky when we decided to buy a van to live in, as it happened Dixie the Ducato was only the second vehicle we saw and we happily parted ways with our savings as soon as our eyes met her headlamps. But we had done our homework on the subject and knew what we… Continue reading Stand By Your Van (A Rough Guide to Choosing a Van For Life)
Counting our belongings back into Dixie after her cosmetic facelift is a great opportunity to reduce, reevaluate and reorganize our things. I was struck by the volume of soft furnishings we had accumulated and therefore had to remove from the van before we started work, it turns out most of the things we own serve… Continue reading Moving Back In (or, #Vanlife: The Essentials)
Let's stop calling this renovation that ceiling related name now that it has grown so much bigger ok? Ok. 😊 Day 4 was warm and bright. After late breakfast (and another sad goodbye to the uni-bound offspring ) we set out with shopping list in hand to pick up what hopefully was the last of… Continue reading Sealing the Ceiling no more… let’s just call it Day 4!
Look at where we have found ourselves on the morning of Day 3, Dixies walls were gleaming brightly. With rain forecasted for most of the day and grey clouds hanging over Dublin we had limited time to finish the painting and air the place out well before it got dark. Luckily both colours dried well… Continue reading Sealing the Ceiling – Day 3
the backwards van 