Less than 3 weeks to go until my grand tour of Europe in the Sooty van.  I’m currently finishing off some of the last jobs like the detailed route plans and rules for each country.  This now runs to some 22 pages and has taken a big chunk of the weekend to put together.

Time has gone quickly and I can’t believe there are less than three weeks to go.  I’ve now put bookings in for the last of the campsites, there are ten in total.  I’ve tried to book sites near to the centre of the City I’m visiting which has met with varied success.  Prague, for instance, is 15km out of town but Nuremberg is a short walk from the City centre.

The final dollops of currency have been ordered.  Fuel and campsites can be paid on the credit card but cash will be required for beers, souvenirs and maybe the odd gondola.  Would you believe that I need six different currencies?  To save you working them out it’s British Pounds, Euros, Czech Koruna, Polish Zloty, Croatian Kuna and Swiss Franc.

I’ve even bought a cheap clone of a dictaphone (remember them?) so I can make voice notes as I go along, otherwise I will forget things.

Anyway, all my paperwork is done and the van is in top shape complete with new welding and a replacement differential.  I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures of the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia with its turquoise lakes and stunning waterfalls.