27th April - off to Bristol to collect our camper van, a VW T5 Royale. Since she is a royal, and the queen of camper vans, we've decided to call her Brenda, which is Private Eye's affectionate name for our Queen. It was a grey day which matched the colour of the van. Our first choice - a cheerful sky blue - wasn't available but there you go, "you can't always get what you want" as the song goes.  We don't intend this to be a portent for the rest of the journey. Besides, we won't always know what we want out of this trip but we figure that's probably the best way to start out - no specific expectations, except perhaps bluer skies, friendly people, comfortable nights, safe roads and a safe return, with glimpses what everyday life is like for other people and memorable experiences to reflect on in-between.