We spent a couple of days exploring the seaside to the south of Brest. These days were the last of the streak of sunny weather we've had since entering France so we made the most of getting in plenty of walks.

North of Brest the geology changes and the coastline becomes a tumbled field of rose-coloured granite boulders.

We're now making our way to Le Havre where we'll catch the five-hour ferry tomorrow morning to Portsmouth back in the UK.

For the last 10 days we've been entirely off-grid and relying on solar and driving to keep the leisure batteries topped up. France provides lots of free parking and service areas for campervans and so this gives us the freedom to stay in some lovely spots. Every three of four days we have to empty our waste and top up the fresh water tank.

It also brings the price of a holiday right down; in the last 10 days we've paid for overnight parking once and that was only €2 for the night. Best of both worlds really -- we wake up to sunrises on the beach and have all the comforts of home at the same time.

After nine weeks on the road we're still loving every minute of it and dreading having to think about work in the coming weeks.

We're back in blighty. After the ferry from Le Havre to Portsmouth we drove to Sandhurst to catch up with Sally's old workmate and stayed the night there. From there up to Collingham to Sue and Nick's (Nick was away for the weekend watching the cycling in Harrogate) for Thursday night and then on to York for the reunion with my old flatmates.

Really enjoyed the evening out in York. Ate too much, drank too much but that was to be expected. We stayed in the car park of an inn right in the city centre but the entrance was through a very narrow and low archway where we literally had a couple of centimeters of room which made for quite an invigorating bit of navigation.

After York yesterday we drove toward Manchester and stopped off at New Mills at the marina campervan park which we have to ourselves. We really like the town and the area so will stay here perhaps until Thursday. Sally has a little bit of work to do and it's a nice opportunity to get some maintenance done and chill for a while.

Ten weeks living the the van this week! Still loving it.

[edited to add some figures for posterity]

We spent 45 days in Europe travelling a total of 4500km. We spent €209 on accommodation and €585 on diesel giving us an average of €4.70 on accommodation and €13.00 fuel per day. In NZ dollars that's $365, $1022, $8.20 and $22.70 respectively.

We went for a walk on the hills just south of where we're pitched up at the moment and came across this. A quick search uncovered the interesting backstory here.

There's another walk we're planning on doing which is nearby called Kinder Scout. It's the site of the Mass Trespass back in 1932. Sounds like our kind of thing!

Ally and John (and Jess) were down this way and so we spent a couple of days with them hiking in the hills nearby. On the first day we walked up to Kinder Scout and then had dinner in a pub and spent the night there.

Kinder Scout is the location of the Mass Trespass from back in 1932.

On the second day we wandered around the hills and lanes of Mellor which is where John grew up and later had BBQ dinner back at New Mills Marina. Roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts and sausages followed by apple crumble and homemade custard. To use up the egg whites we attempted (and failed) a pavlova on the BBQ.

We're in Wales for a week. Spent a couple of days in Conwy and today climbed up Snowden. Not great views from the top.

We foraged these mushrooms yesterday. We pretty sure they're Princess mushrooms (closely related to field mushrooms) and safe to eat. They smell good. We're going to have them for dinner tonight so if you don't hear from us again within 24 hours there will be an orange van up for grabs somewhere on the side of the road in Wales.

We're still alive! They were lovely with butter and garlic. Will keep an eye out for them in future.

This week we're continuing to take advantage of our unemployment and the good weather to complete a few more of the top 100 walks (of which we've done 11 so far). Above is going around the Gordale Scar which was a bit too waterfally for us to climb. 12km with some lovely views of the Yorkshire Dales.

A popular place to jump going by the Samaritans hotline signs dotted around.

Lots of autumn leaves, mossy rocks and waterfalls. Today we did a short 7km walk around the Ingleton Falls. Yesterday an 11km circular walk around Stocks Reservoir in the Forest of Bowland.

This is Pendle Hill. I first heard about it in the History of English podcast where it was explained that it was originally just called 'Pen' which means hill in Cumbric. Then at some point in old English they forgot the meaning of 'pen' and made it Pen Hyll which evolved into Pendle. Then later still it became Pendle Hill. So, "hill hill hill".

Also from this area came the Pendle witch trials of 1612 where ten people were executed.

We're still wandering the Yorkshire Dales. It's a perfect time of year with all the autumn leaves. We have the place to ourselves.

This is Brimham Rocks near Glasshouses; a bunch of rocks on a hilltop teetering on top of each other. An early morning walk before watching the final between England and SA.

A little side-note about stiles in Yorkshire; because every fence is a dry stone wall they build the steps into the wall itself with a little spring gate.

Today we walked the Bronte Way/waterfalls. Here's the farm house that inspired Wuthering Heights out on the wiley, windy moors.

Heathcliff it's me, Sally, I've come home.