The RV in a Friend's Driveway

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by Jim Humberd

In our travels in Europe, and in the USA, often when we visit family or friends, we spend the night in the RV in their driveway. We don't have to "mess up" a bedroom, and we have our clothes, the lights are set so we can read a book, and there are our goodies in the refrigerator. Plug in the electrical extension cord, and we are set for the night, or two, or more.

In 1970, in Bracknell, England, we spent a night with Peggy, Emmy's WW II pen pal, just west of London. We arrived at her home about 9:00 PM, well after dark, and visited until 1:30 AM, talking with Peg, husband Don, and son Tim. Don works for the Royal weather bureau. The Lindas slept in the VW in the driveway, while Emmy and Jim slept in the house.

In 1979 as we crossed Belgium, the Dodge motor was running very rough so we looked for a mechanic. We found one, but he was too busy right then, and said come back the next day. He had parking space next to his house, just in front of his garage, and gave us permission to plug in our electric cord and spend the night next to Garage Peters.

In 1979 at the American Express office in Madrid we retrieved a letter from Emmy's friend Linda E, saying she would be at her home near Malaga, Spain, where they had purchased land, and were building a home. They really like living here, and have met people from Spain and from other countries, who visit the area. We just plugged in our extension cord, and slept in the camper in their driveway.

In 1989, while on the Isle of Pátmos, we met Peter and Uli, a German Army Colonel and his wife, passengers on our ship (SS City of Rhodes), who shared our taxi from the St. John Monastery, down the hill to the Cave of the Apocalypsa, near the spot where St. John received his divine Revelation. A couple of years later we spent the night in our RV, parked in the driveway, at the Colonel's home in Buschhoven, Germany.

In 1995 we stopped at an antique show near Champniers, France, where Emmy found some brass and copper pots she was interested in buying. She had a problem with negotiations, so people nearby helped. John and Arlene were from Scotland, and invited us to spend the night in the driveway of the nearby French farmhouse they had refurbished as their summer-home.

Check out Jim and Emmy's web site to buy the books. Click here!