Goodbye, Bijou.

What a busy time this has been for us! We arrived in Paris on March 1st after leaving Ecuador, retrieved Bijou from her storage at the farm, and parked up at Les Rives de Paris Camping on the outskirts of Paris. We had six weeks to get her emptied, cleaned and ready to sell, so we got busy.

Look at that bruise on the side of my face. Steven popped me. Not really, I had new crown put in and it bruised my face! 🙂
This is the day we arrived. The organization began immediately. There was literally no way to unpack and have a place to sit down. The only place we could get any rest from jet lag was in bed. Steven is totally conked out, so no place for me to go without crawling over him.

On April 13th, we were turning Bijou over to Euro Camping Cars (ECC), the same company that assisted us when we purchased her in 2019 (although the company is under new ownership for several years now). On April 15th, we were flying to Istanbul.

We had a lot of stuff in Bijou, as you might imagine, given that we lived in her fulltime for five years. So we had to choose one of four categories in which to put every little thing: ship, donate, trash or pack it and take it with us to Istanbul and then home.

This is how we lived for weeks until we were able to get the shipment together and picked up.
As soon as the shipment was picked up, we drove over to the French equivalent of Goodwill. We had absolutely zero business bringing Bijou into their very small and crowded parking lot, but somehow we made it. That huge crate is just some of what we gave them. They had to bring over a pallet truck to move that thing it was so full and heavy. See Fifi the Instant Pot in there?
Now it was time to focus on packing suitcases to take with us to Istanbul. We needed a couple of new ones, so we went to this place in Paris. Now we have two gigantic suitcases we will probably never use again.

This last option was the least desirable, but it was the cheapest. Turkish Airlines gave us two bags each, 20 kgs. max with our tickets from Paris to Istanbul and then on to Dallas. That was 176 lbs. of free shipping, so we felt it prudent to avail of it.

For the shipping option we used a company called “Send My Bag”. They pick up your bag(s) and send it door-to-door in about four or five days. Because these items have to go through U.S. Customs, there are a ton of regulations to follow. Every item (and I mean every item) needs to be listed and a value added. There is also a 30 kilogram limit on each bag, so we packed and repacked at least 10 times trying to get it all right. Eventually we sent one large suitcase and two duffle bags, which was a total of 90 kgs. or 198 lbs. It cost $660, which is why those free suitcases on Turkish Airlines suddenly became so valuable to us. As much of a pain in the ass it was to carry them with us, it was the better choice financially. All told, including backpacks and carry-on luggage, we returned to the U.S. with about 450 lbs. of our stuff.

As this was going on, Bijou looked like a bomb went off. We spent weeks climbing over stuff, duffle bags that resembled dead bodies, and not an inch of counter space to prepare a meal. Steven took off to Dublin for eight days to visit his family, which was actually a relief to me because it gave me more room to operate and a chance to really go through stuff. Once the packing, donating and trashing was all finished, Bijou got a very thorough clean. We drove to Sens to spend our last night in the little aire that provided us safe haven back during the Covid storm, and the following morning we turned her over to ECC. It was very emotional, as you might imagine, leaving her behind and getting on that train back to Paris. We really could not have asked for a better home during our European tour, she was just about perfect in every way. We not only turned her over to the company, we also provided a buyer, who we had been in touch with since we listed her for sale on the Hymer FB group while we were still in Ecuador. Three days after we dropped her off, she was under contract.

Steven with his family in Dublin, Mom, Dad, brother Philip and sister Deirdre.
Steven’s brother and his family, Sophie, Lauren and Jackie.
While Steven was gone to Dublin, I had to empty the toilet cassette. For five years I had managed to avoid this task, but it caught up to me in the end. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I wouldn’t want to make a habit of it.
Our campground in Paris is on the Marne River, which overflowed a few times due to the heavy rains that came several times during our stay. There was actually a sunken boat just in front of that dock. We watched as they salvaged it.
This is what our shipment looked like a few days later when it was delivered into my parents’ dining room in Abilene.
Poor little Birgitta had no idea what was going on. She just tried to stay out of our way and not get thrown in the donate pile.
Finally, all clean and ready to be delivered. We left a few things for the buyer, but not too much. We didn’t want them to be responsible for getting rid of our stuff.
Just after we arrived back in France, we put Bijou in for service for a couple of days and we stayed in this Airbnb. We had to walk up 95 stairs to get to the little apartment, so needless to say once we turned Bijou over for good, we did not rebook this place given all the luggage we had with us.
The great thing about staying in Paris for weeks at a time is that eventually friends show up for their own visits. On the left, Laura and Kevin, who live in Lisbon. This is the second year in a row we have celebrated my birthday with them, as we were in Lisbon last year. I keep asking what world-class city we’ll be celebrating in next year, but they are not very forthcoming with plans. 🙂 On the right we are with our friends Dan and Sherrie from Sammamish, where we all lived on Pine Lake for years. They are now living more north of Seattle and since we are spending our summer in the PNW, we hope to see them more often. We really thought we’d see more of them during our time in Europe, but Covid had a way of ruining plans.
Our last night in Bijou, at our favorite aire in Sens. Bittersweet.
Can you even believe this??? Poor Roman has not been well cared for. Who would stick a broom in him for no reason at all? I was going to work on him to try and fix him, but I just ran out of time. Maybe someone will come along and give him a little TLC.
Goodbye, Bijou.
On the train back into Paris after leaving Bijou. We had these four suitcases to take with us to Istanbul. Quite the load, let me tell you!

Leaving Paris was a relief. It represented the completion of a lot of hard work and letting go of a big responsibility, and we were ready to relax. We love Istanbul and though our trip there, our last in Europe, was primarily to take advantage of their fantastic medical facilities and doctors, we still had plenty of time to do some touristing.

Our lovely Airbnb near the Galata Tower. I call that street “Instagram Alley” because it is one of the most photographed places in the city. It was fun to just walk out our door and go to a cafe or coffee shop. We really love Istanbul.
The New Mosque.
Istiklal Kaddessi, a famous shopping street in Istanbul.
Spice Bazaar.
Darkness falls after the rain outside our Airbnb.
Nighttime rooftop view from our Airbnb.
Istanbul is the only city in the world which is built on two continents. Here we have taken a ferry over to the Asian side where we had a great day of walking, shopping and eating.
Istanbul is famous for its cats. They are revered by the people and well taken care of.
Street food is available everywhere. This is one of my favorite things about walking around, just smelling and seeing all this delicious food. And if you can translate some of those names and prices, you’ll see it is not very expensive.
While in Kadikoy, on the Asian side, we walked and walked until I saw a restaurant that appealed to me. I chose this one, called Ciya and ordered the mixed grill. It was one of the most memorable meals I’ve had in a long time. So much, in fact, that when we returned to our Airbnb I went online to learn more about it. It turns out that the chef, Musa Dagdeviren, is very famous and is featured in the Netflix series “Chef’s Table” in the Istanbul episode. I was so blown away by the food, that Steven bought me the chef’s cookbook, which features 550 recipes.
There’s no way I’m going to make it through 500 recipes but I’m determined to try a few. I even brought back a couple of Turkish ingredients.
On the busy streets and in the shops throughout Istanbul, there are lazy kitties soaking up the sunshine.
Click on the image above to see Steven’s movie of the wonderful sights of Istanbul.

If you’ve followed us for any length of time, you might recall that during our time in Europe, we have availed of medical care in several countries at a miniscule cost compared to what we would have paid in the U.S. For Steven, two trips to the Emergency Room, one in Rome and one in a tiny town in Spain, cost $0.00. Before we left Paris we both saw our doctor, one we have been going to annually for three years, for RX refills and bloodwork. In Istanbul, we had further visits and took the opportunity to make sure we were both in good health before returning to the States. In Ecuador, I got a teeth cleaning, a new crown and gum surgery for $880. I shudder to think what that would have cost at my dentist in Abilene.

Once we boarded our flight from Istanbul to Dallas, our European adventures came to an end. It was a long flight, during which I slept most of the way. Once we arrived and whisked our way through passport control, our friends Bill and Kelly were outside waiting to pick us up and head back to the ranch where Ruby Red was parked and waiting patiently for our return. Bill and Kelly (RV Energy Solutions) had already been at the ranch for a few days installing Ruby Red’s solar system. She now has 1600 watts of solar, 600 AH of lithium batteries and a Victron solar charge controller. Ruby Red already had a Magnum inverter installed when we bought her.

Barely made it out of the airport before stopping for our first burger at Sonic!
Bill is on the roof of Ruby Red inspecting our new solar system. The rig to the left is B & Ks 5th wheel.

So as I type, we have left the ranch and are making our way to the Pacific Northwest where we will spend the next few months. More on that, next time!


Next up: Hitting the road in Ruby Red!


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21 Comments

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      We are going to miss our European travels, too. But we still have some big trips coming up, so that gives me something to look forward to. 🙂 Thanks for commenting, good to hear from you!

  3. Diana and Jim
    Reply

    What a trusted friend! It was fun to have been able to spend a sliver of time with Bijou in Ireland! I remember all too well how hard it was to let go of our fifth wheel Clara in Kentucky, even though we had a shiny new rig waiting for us. Great memories!

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      It is crazy how attached we become to our vehicles, and our things. Bijou was really special, considering she provided us with a safe home when Covid hit. We thought the world was coming to an end, but we were home, so we felt things would work out. We haven’t even seen your new rig! We will look forward to that, and your cabin. I got a heads up from Jodee that you built a gorgeous home. 🙂

  4. Wheelingit
    Reply

    Ouf…i knew this post was coming, and I might have gotten a bit of leakage in my eyes knowing you’ve ended your European motorhome adventures. So happy Bijou found a new home. I also know you’ll have so much fun in US, and you’ll still fly everywhere. Good travels!!!

    Nina

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      There are some days it hits me hard, and the leaking just doesn’t stop. Funny, but one thing that can set me off is when I suddenly remember that I am in a completely different time zone now! But don’t forget that we have a date in Le Puy next spring!! It gives me something to look forward to and I really can’t wait!

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      Thank you, June! You are so right, we had five of the greatest years of our lives. And setting aside the terrible circumstances, we got to see much of Europe as it was before “Big Tourism” took over. Covid stopped so much travel that sometimes it was just us hanging out at a well-known place. It was kind of a shock, but what a great experience!

  6. Ingrid
    Reply

    Great to know you guys are back safe and sound in the US. Hopefully we’ll meet again in the future. I suppose you guys have to come back Ireland from time to time so we’ll catch you then. Safe travels state side!!

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      I kept thinking to myself, I really need to get a post up so Mark and Ingrid will know what we are up to! LOL, I see your photos on IG, but I just can’t make the time to post there. I should give it another go, just for you guys. 🙂 And yes, we will be back to Ireland, maybe as soon as next spring! So good to hear from you!

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      Thanks, Vern! We are actually in your neck of the woods right now, and if we weren’t on a mission to get north, I’d be looking you up! Next time, when things are a bit less hectic, we will for sure. Good to hear from you!

    1. 2chouters
      Reply

      We are happy to be back, especially being closer to our kiddos. They are beginning to settle down and it will be so good for us to be able to just pop over and be with them. But we will be on the road again soon enough, and I really hope our paths cross. Let’s stay in touch!

  11. Jodee Gravel
    Reply

    Although I’ve followed along for all of it, and certainly you’ve been to enough places and done enough amazing things to fit into five (!) years, it still seems impossible you’ve been “over there” that long!! It’s wonderful that Bijou gave back to you all the love you put into her during your explorations and adventures – and that she already has new peeps to keep her moving! No surprise at the emotional parting :-)) What a huge undertaking to get all that sorted and then shipped and finally schlepped by suitcase across the world. I’m so delighted you’re back “over here” now, and already back on the road.

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