Le Hotel Bell

When we started off on our adventure, we always knew sleeping in a van would give us a different outlook on lots of things we take for granted.  When you are used to a nice place to live, with all the mod cons then you jump in a blue Hiace, which has no a/c or power steering, things will change.  One camp ground we stayed at had a sign as you entered the shower: "PLEASE WEAR APPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR". For the uninitiated, that means it is strongly advised you wear rubber thongs into the shower!!  Yeah that takes some getting used to.  Communal toilets are par for the course, but gee you do miss having a little privacy!  

Cath and Jamie....and a real Glass!!

As we mentioned earlier, we did try and bring our nice GLASS wine glasses, but they were short lived.  Drinking out of plastic is just another small sacrifice we have had to make. (I know, I know...poor us). One-pot cooking is also a novel way to prepare meals.  Again Jamie & I are pretty keen on our tucker, and I have a knack of using every bowl, dish, pot and pan when I am cooking.  So cutting this back to one pot and a pan is tricky.  Slow cooked casseroles or my favourite, risotto, is pretty much a thing of the past....

...unless you have access to a comfortable, spacious, swanky house.  Which, thankfully, we do.  We refer to Archie & Cath Bell's lovely abode as "Le Hotel Bell", because honestly that is what it is like.  The Bells are the nicest people you could meet.  Nothing is a bother and they are probably both nutters, which happens to match perfectly with us.  Oh...and they love a drink....out of GLASS!  Say no more.  The house is freshly renovated, with a heated pool, our own toilet and a shower which is a thong free zone.  There is a massive outdoor area with Fox, BBQ and Jamie's favourite, a heater!  They let me cook and make a mess, so it is very hard to leave.  Oh and they are smack in the middle of the Sunny coast, so its sensational.

Uummm.....yep! Ramon, Harps, Arch & Cath having a social drink?

But the real reason we love it here is their "kids", Bruce & Betty (Boo Boo) - the Staffies! Who, just when you thought it couldn't be any more blissful, have just had 3 of the most gorgeous puppies which reduce adults to goo!  So while we are able to go away for our little adventures in our van and take in all the Sunshine Coast has to offer, it is great to be able to slip back into some normality and use a kitchen, have a shower sans thongs and then play with the pups until they pee on you.

Handsome Bruce at the card table

Love your work Brucey!

Betty cuddling up with mummy's boy Razz.

Dinny, Toy & Razz.