No transport

There has not been anything to blog about the new van because it has been in the garage for nearly three weeks.  Sigh...  I have only driven it about 5 times.  Pema the Peugeot began to become increasingly difficult to start with confused displays coming up on the dashboard.  Eventually it was diagnosed that the ECU was water contaminated and the cradle in which it rested was totally corroded – both would have to be replaced.

This is both good news and bad news – bad, because we've only just bought the van and it is frustrating to not have a functional vehicle, having part-exchanged a totally reliable car for it; good, because it is in the warranty period.  Knight Motorcaravans have authorised the repair and will be paying for it.

So is delight possible without transport?  In fact it has been quite an enjoyable few weeks.  The weather has been bright and sunny and I have been enjoying walking and cycling more than usual.  It has been lovely to notice and appreciate things I would not have seen in a car – such as the tulips in front gardens, magnolia blossom; and also enjoying haphazard meetings with people while out on foot.  It has also been frustrating of course, and there have been a number of commitments I have had to let go.  There is also the extra expense of taxis.

First Auto Engineers have promised that the parts will arrive this week – assuming there is no more volcanic ash in the sky, we don't suffer a Welsh earthquake, or a giant cockroach doesn't appear from a crack in the universe and consume the suppliers of Peugeot parts.