For once, I’m not behind Gloria’s wheel so can enjoy taking my eyes off the road to drink in the views of gorgeous swaying maize fields and endless lines of grapevines, along with the occasional picturesque tiny French village. I’m sat in the back of Kevin’s car, attempting to make out the odd word of French whilst reflecting on how my mad, crazy roadtrip which has incorporated five detours to Los Angeles has somehow just got even crazier! I’ll come to how I ended up travelling with Kevin later but, in the meantime, let’s pick up from Basque Country – one of my favourite regions of the entire trip. Not knowing when I would ever have the opportunity to travel to these more distant parts again, most of my time has been spent in the Iberian peninsula, leaving me with a serious stretch of driving ahead. However, with an excellent audiobook to keep me company and constantly changing panoramic views, the miles just melted away. After a big shift on the road, it was good to spend an afternoon in Bordeaux to stretch my legs – although they didn’t get much stretching as yet another mode of transport was discovered; the electric scooter. And after all my city sightseeing on the trip so far, I’ll admit to having a slight case of ‘cathedral-fatigue’, so a couple of laps of it at 25kph was the perfect way to experience it……and is now officially my favourite way to see a big city! Most of the time though, I was just zooming up and down the river with a huge smile on my face…..I’m a convert!!

That night was spent amidst the grapevines within a small vineyard in the middle of nowhere – a perfect spot with just a short stroll to the evening wine tasting. Motorhoming midst wine country is just such a perfect combination, thanks to the generosity of the vineyard owners – so much better to buy a couple of bottles of wine than pay for a crowded campsite….. a win-win solution!

Time to return to work and Gloria is (lovingly!) dumped in Poitiers Airport for the return to London – the flight to Stansted being considerably cheaper and shorter than the train ride down to Sussex, which just never makes sense. Poitiers has very few international flights, so this time Gloria is parked up just a few minutes from the arrivals hall – at least I won’t have the shock of seeing her being driven along at speed by some random man when I get back!!

After yet another flight to Los Angeles (other Virgin destinations are available…..just clearly not for me right now) and it’s time to return “home” to Gloria for the last chunk of the roadtrip. Catastrophe strikes on the journey to Stansted airport as the Dartford Tunnel is blocked. Disaster! Surely with all the miles driven and flights taken in the past few weeks, I’m not going to fail at the final hurdle?? Sweating in the passenger seat, trying to find an alternative route to Stansted, my chauffeur (a.k.a. son – thanks George!) suggests, cool as a cucumber, checking Gatwick flights. Turns out there’s a flight to Nantes and the decision is made just one minute before reaching the M25 to go the opposite way; it might just work, despite having no clue on how to reach Poitiers……I anticipate an adventure ahead.

Public transport options aren’t great; train the following day (5 hours) or bus arriving at midnight (7 hours). Gloria, however, was being driven away within 3 hours, her driver having caught a bus, two trams and seen some of Nantes centre too. Intrigued? It’s all thanks to Blablacar – a ride sharing App that hooks drivers up with passengers; a great facility, especially in these environment-conscious times and something from which the UK could really benefit.

My day in the Loire Valley was spent in a bit of a jet-lagged haze with one castle rather blurring into another. It really is the most stunning place with so many opportunities for great bike rides and kayak trips, so is yet another destination that has been added to my ‘places to revisit’ list. The highlight of the day was hiking out from yet another small vineyard that evening to experience the sunset from the banks of La Loire.

My final day on the Continent was spent hanging out with a friend in Vitré, yet another intriguing medieval town with a fairytale castle and old half-timbered houses.

Before reaching the ferry, there was the all-important wine run to undertake (as if I hadn’t filled Gloria up from all those vineyards on the way……but she’s a portly old girl with a rather ample rear which can accommodate a serious number of bottles) along with a final bath (just love the ease of using the self carwash wands on the Continent); Gloria is going to have to look her best for the days ahead. Little does she know it, but she is being put up for sale as soon as she arrives back on English soil. Feeling like a farmer taking one of their favourite cows to market, the closer we’ve got to the Channel, the more I’ve been aware of Gloria’s blissful ignorance of her impending fate.

Does this foretell an end to my days of roadtripping? No, absolutely not – it is, without question, the most liberating and satisfying way in which to experience this wonderful world of ours. And, as a solo female tourer, it has also been an empowering and enlightening experience. I’m not displeased with Gloria in the slightest – on the contrary, she has excelled in her duties in keeping me safe on the road and whilst I slept. No, it’s simply due to her large yet well-proportioned fulsome body and curves being simply too big for me; she’s at her happiest when transporting excited children around the country and it’s time for another family to experience life from her arms. As for me, a smaller, more lightweight and svelte sibling of Gloria is on the cards in a year or two, but before then it’s time for me to dream up my next adventure. Will this one be experienced from the road – or maybe from the air or over the sea?! Only time will tell – but one thing’s for sure, my days of “Wings, wheels and keels” are not over…..not by a long way, the world has certainly got many more adventures still in store for me!

FINAL ROADTRIP SUMMARY:

• 9,000 miles in total through 10 countries over 14 months

• Not one single crowded, noisy campsite on the return – just wild camping with views to die for!

• Too many beaches of exquisite beauty to number

• A large number of vineyards too!

• Many, many miles by foot through fascinating towns and stunning countryside

• A few electric miles on two wheels

• One extraordinary game of pelota

• Hundreds of wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Gloria has opened my eyes to the joys of roadtripping and also to the extraordinary beauty of the intriguing countries that lie just across that small strip of water. Thank you for everything, Gloria – I hope your new family love you as much as I did!