Europe on a budget

Chicago, remember that blog? Ok it's only a page back, but it's been several weeks.

After talking online with two women for several years, I was very hesitant at meting them. Would they be the same in real life, just as fun and interesting or would they be totally different. More importantly, what would they think of me? I needn't have worried, Kay and Linda are just the most wonderful women I have ever met and I'm happy to say I count them as two of my closest friends. So it's no surprise that a second trip for the golden trio is currently being prepared.

Europe! Well it started off as London, but with Paris being a 2hr 30 min train Journey away, it opens up Europe. So here I sit on a Sunday afternoon, up to my elbows in books and with papers thrown all over my study. Most of it scrunched into little balls and huddling around the litter bin. Still can't throw to save my life. Nine scrunched up balls of paper and only two ended up in the bloody bin!

Yes I have a computer, I have two in fact. A windows netbook (bleurgh) and a gorgeous Apple Macbook (wonderful). But I still use a pen and paper for my ideas and notes. Hence the screwed up bits of paper. My early itinerary consists of two pieces of A4 paper with a list of cities (London, Paris, Zurich, Vienna, Prague etc) and train routes between them. At the top in a circle is a note of things to do in the city or places to go, it's an early draft so most of it says "see list", apart from the one over the final city. That one says "keeping boxer shorts on". Yes, I will do that for you, but I'm telling you now, the boxers stay on!

So, the holiday fund? It's just taken a major hit. Driving home yesterday and  the car decides to just not start after I parked. Nothing. Just some ominous clicking and the usual lights on the dashboard. Hmmm, must be the starter. As usual in times of crisis I head to Twitter (not that they need to know, but it seems to induce a state of catharsis) A Twitter reply, from a woman (ha, a woman and cars!!) 5000 miles away informs me "It's your battery". I think not, the starter has obviously gone. Pfft, as if it's the battery!

10 minutes later, a truck driver stops, looks under the bonnet as I try to start the car and goes off to the truck, returns with some jump leads, connects them up and says "Try her now". Success! The engine revs into life and I get out to thank him. "It's your battery mate, it's flat".

"Um, not the starter then?"  I ask.

"Starter? Don't be silly. Flat battery". And with that he returns to his truck.


So the upshot is, the alternator is knackered and wont charge the battery. A quick phone call results in a quote of £400/$650 for the repair. So yeah, the holiday fund has taken a hit and I need to start saving again.

Europe on a budget? How about Europe on bloody sod all!!