So what's this all about then?

Well, we're off again - 2 adults, 4 kids, 1 Nissan and a pile of maps - on a road trip that will take us from nearly the southern-most part of Europe to nearly the northern-most.  We've learnt our lessons from the 2009 trip: update the GPS (don't want to end up driving round and round Belgium again) and check the tent for holes (that was a very wet night in the Alps...).  The route's a bit different this time - sailing to Venice rather than Ancona, just so we can glide in majestically at dawn (OK, 8a.m.) and the kids' first sight of the city will be from the sea.  Then half a day's drive straight to Innsbruck and a night camping 12 k.m.s to the east of the city.  And the next day we'll drive up to Strasbourg, where we'll spend a few manic days with the cousins, and celebrate Leda's 6th birthday too.  Then it's the long hard slog up to Yorkshire, via Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, with a late ferry on the 20th from Dunkirk to Dover.