Author Archives: maryjane678

Beating the winter blues

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on November 18th 2023. We’re just over a month away from the shortest day. For those admirable people who resolutely manage to see the light at the end of every tunnel, this can be seen as a positive date for the diary. AfterContinue reading “Beating the winter blues”

Living without a car – the story continues.

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on October 28th 2023. As some of you may recall we are experimenting with a car-free year, relying on our bikes for shorter, local journeys and on trains and buses for the longer distances. Our old campervan failed to pass its French CT,Continue reading “Living without a car – the story continues.”

Curiosity – a wonderful thing

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on October 14th. When I was a child I was always asking my parents questions. Why does this happen? How does that work? Where does that come from? I don’t think I was unusual, it was just the natural curiosity of a child.Continue reading “Curiosity – a wonderful thing”

Composting loos and designer fire pits

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on September 30th 2023. As promised/threatened last week I shall begin with an update on our composting loo. This loo is now on its third life. When we arrived it was in the shed, in a tiny space with a leaking roof, aContinue reading “Composting loos and designer fire pits”

Taking the night train

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on September 9th 2023. As promised, or threatened, at the end of the last blog I have included below two short videos of Olivia Rose out of the water and in the slings. With four hundred other boats for company she will spendContinue reading “Taking the night train”

Saying goodbye to the land of water and sky

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on August 26th 2023. On Thursday August 31st our cruising year ends. Olivia Rose comes out of the water and will spend the winter at a boatyard in The Netherlands. The end of the season always brings mixed emotions. If we have hadContinue reading “Saying goodbye to the land of water and sky”