35 Essentials for a week's camping in Europe with a car

When we went to Germany and France camping recently, we were really well-prepared in some ways and shockingly remiss in other ways, so I thought I'd share some essentials we needed and think are useful for camping just in case you too decide to drive to Europe to camp.

Leave me a comment if you think I've missed anything!

1. A spare towel. Don't just take one. My towel got really wet at the Spa we went to (should've hired one but didn't think to ask) and I was stuck with a sodden towel in all that rainy weather. Grim.
2. Washing-up liquid - trying to wash up in a camp sink with only water is no fun. Siphon some into a small old cosmetics bottle to minimise on space.
3. Washing up sponge - take one in a tiny lock-n-lock container- you won't regret it when trying to wash up in that cold water.
4.  Bread knife - we were in France. Bread knife = essential!
5. Knife for chopping tomatoes and vegetables
6.  Duvet and PROPER pillow - The ground is hard and even in summer, it gets cold at night- CBC moaned at me for taking one but he kept trying to steal both.
7.   Bed socks- it can get surprisingly chilly no matter what time of year and trying to sleep with cold feet is no fun.
8. Hat, scarf and gloves for the same reason. I never regret taking a hat- if you sit and cook outside in the evening or even chat, it gets cool quickly.
9. Tin opener/bottle opener- very useful.
10. Phrase book- to avoid being the English muppet.
11. Lantern- it was rather annoying trying to see by torchlight all the time.
12. Kitchen-roll- we took some and it was so useful.
13. Loo-roll- you don't want to get caught without it.
14. Foldable light rucksack - we did a few treks and it was really useful to have this to take the essentials out with me but be hands-free.
15. Light-long-sleeved cotton shirt - you might find that obvious but I regretted not having one for when we were walking to easily put on and take-off, tie around my waist I had cardigans, tops, vests and jumpers but not this vital in-between layer.
16. Croc-style shoes or plastic  pool/deck shoes- yes, I know they are deeply unstylish, yes I know you might look chavvy, but frankly you can get nice shoes ruined in the grass in the morning dew, let alone trying to put a tent down in the rain.  You want to be able to get out your tent to go to the loo in the middle of the night, or put down the tent easily and grappling with wellies, walking boots or slipping dangerously out of a pair of flip-flops is no fun. I've been going camping more than twice a year for the last twenty years and my £2 Tescos Croc-style shoes have been a godsend for that or to put on in a shower when you're worried about verrucas. They can be run under a tap and mud and grass can be removed easily. They don't go mouldy like other materials. I've had then 10 years and I also have them by the back-door for nipping into the garden and they are still going strong.
17. More pants- you can never have enough knickers/pants
18. Chopping board- for the knife and food combination- you will need something to chop on. We took my own broken Joseph, Joseph chopping board that had lost its handle.
19. Lock n locks- for storing extra bits of food.
20. Sugar sachets from restaurants.
21. Camera Spare battery
22. Travel wash- the item that is dirty is the one you always want!
23. Travel washing line- I bought one in Poundland. It would have been so useful for when we had damp things.
24. Waterproof-bottomed picnic rug - you can sit out on it to eat with and also it's much nicer to put in the porch of you tent than sitting on the cold plastic.
25. Tea bags - always want tea to wake up to.
26. Trangea/Jet Boil- much less scary than one of those gas canisters which you put things on top of.
27. Extra sealable gas can- we ran out. They last a while so if you don't use it, no problem.
28. Matches- stove but no way of lighting it???
29. Enamel mugs- for the aforementioned tea. Very durable.
30. Cool pack- would be good for keeping your food cool.
31. A bundle of carrier bags - we always needed carrier bags for putting wet things in, for collecting rubbish, for many purposes.
32. Large bottle (5 litres) of water- in case you arrive late and it is hard to find the tap in the dark, it is always useful to have a large supply of water.
33. Enough cutlery for everyone.
34. Swimming clothes- you never know, whatever the weather, whether there might be a great swimming opportunity, be it a wild swim in a lake or a luxurious spa when the weather is awful!
35. Scissors!

Have I missed anything out? Do share if so, or if this is helpful!

Oh and an Audio book for the epic car journey would be entertaining for the driver!

BEDM 14: Top tips?

Er- I was a bit stumped for this prompt for today's blog post?  I'm not sure I am an expert in anything that might be interesting to the general masses.  I've already done a post on tips for parents thinking about starting their child off on an instrument if you want to see it here. It's very comprehensive and full of sensible advice which is a rarity in this here blog!  I have nothing to add to advice about blogging, charity shops, clothing, crafting, photographing, waffling that you don't already know and Grandmother already knows how to suck eggs!

So, hmmmmm, what shall I talk about?

I know!!!!

It's time for a bit of Cloud spotting!!  This post should really be entitled 'What is it? #31?' but I'm hoping to trick some people into reading this post  who would otherwise ignore it thinking I'm a twit (you know who you are!!!!)  and then they'll feel guilty about the fact I AM HIGHLY OFFENDED that you usually shun it, and hence join in!!!  ;-)


So, above, is a cloud. Yes, that's right. It is a cloud. BUT BUT BUT, it is a cloud that resembles something other than condensed waterdroplets SO to join in, please leave me a comment below telling me what you believe it looks like? This one is reaaaaally clear methinks!
To give you some ideas of what my lovely imaginative commenters thought last time, let's look at
What is it? #30


I thought this looked like a couple of people's heads, leaning backwards like reclining in a chair. To the right is a character with a quiff hair, bulgy eyes, large nose and pursed lips with a pointy chin. It reminded me of the character Wendelina from Wallis and Gromit. To her left, is an old, bald gentleman with a short wrinkled forehead and fluffy eyebrows.  He too has a large nose and his mouth is open guffawing at whatever show they are watching!

 There's an ingenious selection of opinions from the audience below:

11 comments:

1. 
   Julia1:06 a.m.

   In this big fluffy cloud I see a man's face on the right side. he has deep furrows on his forehead.
   Hope your having a great weekend.
   Hugs,
   JB

   ReplyDelete
2. 
   Imogen1:53 a.m.

   The last picture is the best!! You always have the best pictures of pretty clouds.

   ReplyDelete
3. 
   Shamu Boo4:16 a.m.

   At the risk of showing myself two times in a row for the complete nerd that I am...Iron Man's gauntlet, palm open with the repulsor ray in the middle.

   ReplyDelete
4. 
   Melanie5:27 a.m.

   Why off course this is a couple looking up and to the right, to about 2:00. The woman's silhouette is behind the man's silhouette. ???

   ReplyDelete
5. 
   Denise Sabs2:40 p.m.

   Call me crazy :) but I see someone inside an ethereal atmosphere, trying to think of life and meditate a bit - there's an open eye inside, just peeping at what the world, to make sure she is still alive. OMG, I am kind of crazy today!
   DenisesPlanet.com

   ReplyDelete
6. 
   Helen Fielding6:47 p.m.

   The top cloud looks like two sea otters floating on their backs!

   ReplyDelete
7. 
   Elizabeth Rebecca1:52 p.m.

   Side on image of an elephant.
   
   Lizzie Dripping

   ReplyDelete
8. 
   Nicole Marie Story2:15 p.m.

   I see a My Little Pony darting out from the centre of the cloud, ready to play!

   ReplyDelete
9. 
   Nevena Krstic2:50 p.m.

   Hahaha the shark is so funny! I'm not sure about this weeks one.. I sort of see like a little bunny or small animal on it's back with it's little paws in the air :') And now I sort of see a gummy bear, who knows haha! xx

   ReplyDelete
10. 
    bevchen10:14 a.m.

    I see a troll trying to punch his way out of a heap of snow that's fallen on him. You can see his head and one arm punching on the right - the rest is still buries. Above him there is what looks like 2 fat arms, so maybe somebody else got buried as well?

    ReplyDelete
11. 
    Pink Haired Princess9:11 p.m.

    I'm really not seeing anything today : ( There's good symmetry going on at the right hand side of the cloud, but I can't depict anything sadly.

    ReplyDelete

There's some great ideas here. Most in tune with me were Julia with her man with furrowed brow (Julia often sees the same in clouds as me) and Melanie who got it spot on with her couple, woman behind man!)

I'd LOVE it if you joined in! DO leave a comment if you like!
And I've thought of a tip from my very special area of expertise.

How to find pictures in clouds.
You need find a day when there are big fluffy clouds, possibly cumulus, cumulostratus and cumulo nimbus types where there are gaps in the sky. The sky generally needs to be blue, not grey- I never see anything on grey days.  I don't see much when we've had Cirrocumulus or Cirrus-stratus clouds.Not sure what these are? Check google search here.  Look for lone clouds or edges of clouds, particularly when you can see some gaps or darker patches- these often suggest 3D detail.  Chances are, you'll see faces, shapes, animals, particular characters. I saw Miss Piggy in a cloud once!!!!
Early evening, around 5.30-6pm is often a good time, particularly on days where the sun is streaming through the clouds towards sunset in the evening- especially those orange and red clouds. Have a look and see what you can see!

xxx

P.S.
Here are some older clouds I saw as examples

Shark

Wicked witch (of West sans hat) profile with Toto

Giraffe head

Pecking pigeon

Zepphelin/Catfish

Pacman/Animal from Muppets

Cartoon poodle

Emaciated Oriental gent

Zeus shooting fireballs

10 things to think about when you feel disheartened about blogging

We all get a bit disheartened at times. You have taken ages to put together a post, written something you  are really proud of but no one reads it, or hardly. Or, that lovely, lovely blogger who writes so many nice things to other people never ever responds to your comments.  Or you get struck with a sudden bout of the collywobbles and doubts about your writing and why you're doing this?  A favourite blogging friend recently posted about her blogging insecurities and it struck a chord, so I thought I'd share a few ideas to think about on the subject.

1.  Why did you start the blog?  Chances are that you wanted some creative outlet, be it for expressing yourself through  zany outfits,  blogging your faith, your crafting makes, writing about your days, If you are using your face, then you are exercising your creative mind which makes you happier!

2.  You just never know who is reading that post and how it may have touched them.  It is, of course, good blog etiquette to comment on people's posts, but they may not have had a chance/time to comment.  But think, hope and believe, that you may have just changed their day: made them smile, inspired to wear something, made them think about something they do. It might not be NOW, but someday, someone may read that particular post and be touched.  You've put it out there into the universe and it will remain there to inspire at some point.  I use this analogy to think about it: I've often played my flute, sang or taken a choir to sing at Senior Citizen's care homes where the residents may not be able to speak anymore.  But you are there speaking them in a language that physical barriers can overcome. I have seen tears on a wordless face.  It can affect them though you may see no sign of it at that time.

3.  Look at the comments you've received in the past- treasure them. Maybe copy them into a document to see the nice things people have said. Make a positive collage of them,maybe in MS Publisher in bright colours.

4.  Go and find a little blog, someone who also may be feeling disheartened at a lack of response. If you feel disheartened, try to find a blog to share some love with. Make them feel good about themselves and be proactive, look for other blogs for new friends!  Try hitting the 'Next blog' button for some random new friend! Love breeds love!

5.  Why not try and think about different ways of doing what you do. I don't mean to branch out in a way that is not true to you but approach it in a new way. E.g. Are you posting about your cards of craft. Why not plan and draw a design before you begin and then do a before and after and talk about its benefits. Posting about outfits?  Try drawing what you think you'd like to wear.  Lifestyle or advice blog? Brainstorm and write a list of possible topics you might write about and see if you can get votes for what order to do them in?

6.  Join one of the motivational or networking blogging courses. I know there are a few around. This could be e-courses or actual meet-ups. The Grow-your-blog event is currently happening and the lovely Elizabeth at Rosalilium has run Blognix and BEDN/BEDM (Blog every day in November or May)

7.  Try, try, try not to compare yourself unfavourably to others. It just serves to make you miserable or lack confidence more.  If you find it hard still not to, why not look and see what it is you want that those other bloggers have? More followers? Go and follow some new people and be supportive and lovely.  Prettier blog?  Learn some html? More diversity? Try something new.

8.  Make your settings friendly for visitors.  Get rid of word verification and try to use a comment/follow setting that is friendly for all settings and blog types and doesn't make people feel like all their comments can be viewed in one place.  I use plain blogger comments, allowing all comments including anonymous and Other.  Some blogs only allow Disqus or Google and that forces you to sign up for something you might not want to; I personally don't really want a big stream of all the comments I make up there somewhere (which happens with both of those types of comment settings) where people can read them. I'd also prefer not to have umpteen logins!

9.  Think about the fact that perhaps it is JUST a busy time for people, they may be going through other things and they don't intentionally mean to snub you! Go and send some love on someone who may not have posted for ages. I often do this and people always are grateful and often, even though busy, show their gratitude.

10.  Be proud of your tenacity in continuing with the blogging. It shows good character and you never know what the next day brings.  Be patient and believe in yourself.

Do you have any tips  for when you feel the blogging blues?


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10 Tips or pieces of advice about beginning to learn or choosing a musical instrument

I thought I'd share a post here for anyone whose children are thinking about learning an instrument or even YOU, the adult,  are thinking about it. As a music teacher, I have seen the pitfalls over the year of children learning instruments and how parents deal with it and thought I'd put together some tips based on my experience.

1. Go to a concert and watch- is there any instrument you particularly love the sound of? One child fell in love with the sound of an oboe after hearing it in a concert and a girl in my primary school started learning the flute after hearing me play. I heard one of my flute teachers play the flute when I was about 5 and longed to learn the flute. I play a myriad other instruments but the flute remains my true love.

2. If you are worried it might be a short-term fad and don't want to get involved too soon, investigate your child's musical ability by seeing if there are any local music clubs? The music school I went to as a child ran and still runs recorder clubs for all ages and abilities, singing clubs and choirs and since my time, has begun musical clubs for all ages including a musical Kindergarten and music for parents and babies. Here is a link with all the local authority music hubs in the UK.  Local churches or nurseries sometimes hold these. Also, sing together, listen to music, encourage going on music sites such as www.nyphilkids.org or the BBC music sections. A love can be built by gentle exposure.

3. You can sometimes go to music shops to try the desired instrument. My sister tried the bassoon at Footes in London as a teen. Some music shops run a hire scheme too. You can also get special interest free loans for buying instruments too.

4. DON'T buy a violin in Argos, Ebay or random locations. They come without being set up (i.e. on a violin, the strings and the bridge are not on the violin so you can't play it, the staff in the shop will have no idea to set it up and I imagine you wouldn't either.) It might seem cheaper, but in the longrun, it really won't be. It's a false economy.  Go to a reputable music shop. It's worth it. If there is something that disheartens children learning, it is having an awful instrument. A girl in my orchestra had a terrible violin with pegs that kept slipping so it was out of tune ALL the time. I spent most of the rehearsal retuning it- I hated that violin and so did she.  Or ask a teacher for advice.  Same with that colourful brand-new Ukele in the charity shop- chances are it will be out of tune and the strings will break.

4. Organisations such as the Wigmore Hall in the London, Spitalfields festival, The London Symphony Orchestra and many of the orchestras (For outside UK and America- look at what your most local profession orchestra is and see what outreach they do) offer workshops and family days you can get involved in. The Southbank centre in London holds children's gamelan lessons and often there will be opportunities to try instruments.

5.  Think about your budget. Some instruments work out more expensive than others. The oboe is a great instrument and we need more players of these but the reeds are quite expensive (and the instrument) and they wear out and beginners find it hard to take care of them at first. Bear that in mind. The flute and violin are relatively cheap although when you get good you will need to changes string and bow hair more often.

6. Often parents don't want their children to learn the cello because they think it will be too heavy for their child to carry to school.  (I've heard this lots of times) Really? Are you planning to bring it to school every day then? You'll probably only have to bring it on lesson day and I'm sure your child will like to build some muscles. Small cellos are lighter anyway!

7. Can't bear the sound of beginner violin playing? The cello sounds much less squeaky!

8. Instruments WILL sound dreadful at first. But the pain will go away with determination and practice. The instruments that sound the worst are: the violin (strangled neutered cat), the oboe (rancid duck with megaphone), the saxophone  (sick cow), cornet (demented magnified wasp combined with klaxon). But they can end up sounding the nicest.

9. When your child (or you) start/s learning, it is not in your/their natural inclination to want to practice. You need to support them in it. Sit with them, make it fun, earn stars. The number of parents I've heard go to the music teacher and say, "I want her to give up, she never practises." Of course she doesn't- she's a child and needs to be helped into good habits! I certainly didn't practice without support.  If you're a grown-up- yes, you need to practice if you want to get better. Don't be lazy and say, "Oh I'm just not musical.". Musical learning is a mixture of natural talent and just plain hard work or just needing a bit more hard work.

10. Try to find an opportunity to play with others. One of the greatest joys of music-making is the sociability of it.  My teenage friend Marianne's Dad learnt the Bassoon from the age of around 50ish. He did the above and practised and he got good fairly quickly. He then joined a local windband which was wonderful (not least because he played the bassoon and bassoon players are less easy to come by). As a child, I played at church, ran mini-concerts with my friends, played in school orchestras and clubs and the suchlike.



Let me know what you think and about any experience you have had in learning an instrument? Or what you think of these tips. Forgive me if I say anything which you disagree with or sound remotely patronising- not my intention!x

If you need any advice, just ask!

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