A JOURNEY TO ENGLAND - DARLING & ERIC
At the end of 2009, after thinking, planning, searching, we made a desicion to try and get Ch.E. Pamplona Bring Me Sunshine as a stud dog for our Darling. It was before his great success at CRUFTS 2010! You can only imagine how intently we were wathcing CRUFTS, being a little bit worried that our plans, having in mind his success, might had been made in vain. But Mr. Michael Code and Mr. Geoff Corish have proven that they are people who keep their word and so we had our first real (not only by e-mail) intrduction with each other in May 2010, when we set up all the details for mating and started to wait for Darling's "signs". And it happened, after all snow bilzzards, so we took off to our journey beginnings of February. Everything has been planned carefully, but only after having our first break, out of Croatia of course, we noticed that we had forgotten to stick a HR sign on our car! So it looked like this:
| BINI'S hand made sign of the country... |
...but there was no mistake who was i the car... |
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Nevertheless, we carried on travelling through 7 countires (Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Luxembourh, Belgium, France and finally U.K.)
| Darling was peacefully leeping in the car |
...until the first longer break before leaving Austria |
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From the Austrian-German border trafiic was very heavy so we were anxiously following the signes on the road, asking ourseleves how many kilometers we will make that day and shall we make it on time the next day to board the train for the La Manche Tunnel
| ...and kilometers were behind us... |
...as we were getting closer to the next border... |
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After having travelled 900 km, finally at the hotel
| here are darling and Lada after 900 km |
the next morning we carried on towards La Manche |
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Darling was enjoying herself all the time
We had to make breaks travelling through plane Luxembourg and Belgium
| ...mmm, something smells very good! |
...and it is nice when Lada takes you in her arms... |
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As we were approachng the next border, we became a bit nervous regarding the "control point". Are we going to be on time, are we going to have all the necessary documentation, how long will the checking of the dog will last? We have to be in England before dark, and spend the night in the U.K.
| ...we are in France! |
... and here is the sign for the Tunnel! |
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And the border is here, so we have to go to the "control point" FIRST, and after that all the rest.
| ...here we go! |
... and proudly out, with the NEW stciker on the car! |
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And now the train
| ... queue at the entrance... |
...getting closer, we are after this one... |
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Inside, it looks like this - well, it is forbidden to take photos, but...
| ...our car... |
...with the famous HR sticker! |
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FINALLY ENGLAND
| Panics - left hand drive! |
...in London -"rush hour" .... |
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We managed to get out of the busy traffic, and Darling must mark English plants
| ...see, this is a new type of grass... |
and then, the sign for PRESTON - THE GOAL!!! |
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We did not frequently go out of our hotel in Preston. We were told that the left hand drive in England is O.K. as long as you get to a "rond about". To us, a strange calculation of exits! So, as we had a fitness room, a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and we had to go to Pamplona kennels every day, we prefered to stick to our lap-top and TV - which we finally understood (it was in English)!
| ...any mesages, planning the route... |
...Darling, relaxed under the table... |
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The hours we spent with Mike and Geoff were great, educational, friendly, and the hours our dogs spent together, we hope, successful. After the first meeting, fitness and the swimming pool, relaxation at the hotel lobby. And we met some people from Slovenia at the hotel!
| ...pounds, pennies, who knows... |
happy after a successful day, relaxed after the pool... |
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The next time, Darling was impatient to meet Eric
| Where is he? |
Here I come, Darling! |
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and afterwords - kisses
| ...well, we are not dressed and groomed properly... |
...but we love each other!! |
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this time, Lada and I did not forget to take a photo with Eric
| Lada also has got a kiss - thanks for Darling! |
...and happy me for holding such a great dog! |
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The time has come to go back
| the train again and back to the right hand drive |
...and home, as fast as we can go! |
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We travelled cca 1000 km the first day, the night caught us somwhere close to the Belgium - German border, we did not know where we were, after being driving hundreds of kilometers without seeing a single petrol station, we took off the motroway to the first village and reached Heaven! A cosy hotel, warm dinner, the dog could come with us into a restaurant...
| Lada even could smoke in the restaurant |
...a tired face but a glass of wine for relaxation... |
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and the last part of the journey, through Germany and Austria
| the next morning we found out where we had spent the night |
No, it is not Switzerland, it is Schweich in Germany! |
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We still had good weather, crossing the part of Gemany with thousands of bridges
| one of the birdges |
across the Danube |
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Althoug we had planned to spend a night in Austria, adrenaline did not keep us there, we continued to drive to Croatia, this time from Graz almost to our homes - through snow!
| snow in Austria |
nevertheless, Darling has come home |
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Happy becasue everything has been as we planned with no problems at all, we now are waiting for the results form this journey and we hope that the next sequence of this story will be under "PUPPIES"
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While waiting - Darling is getting used to the "new home"
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