To be honest, I hadn't even contemplated the fact it might rain. At all. I even had second thoughts about the waterproofs. They were taking up valuable space that might be otherwise occupied by floaty summer dresses or nice sandals. Our first stop in Rotterdam was a real wake up call. It poured. And poured. And poured. Even the Dutch friend who came to see (and as everyone will tell you, the one thing the Dutch do well is camping) couldn't believe it. She seemed particularly perturbed by the awning to the campervan which had a steady trickle of water seeping through it. I knew things were bad when I heard Sim say to Edie, who was complaining about the cold 'Put your long trousers on then'. 'Mummy didn't pack me any' was the reply. Cue us trying to find a cheap pair of long and warm trousers in Brussels a few days later (yes, yes a few days later. Oh come on, I had to make sure the rain wasn't just a freak of nature - it's August for Heaven's sake)
Our history with holidays and weather isn't great. The by now legendary holiday with my parents in Menorca in 1996 is still talked about. 'We haven't had storms like this for 50 years' the locals said. I lay in bed at night actually believing we wouldn't be able to get off the island. When my dad got up at 2am to see if he could stop the torrents of water rushing under the front door over the beautiful marble tiles he stepped into several centimetres of water. Oh yes, the summer of '96 was a good one in the Balearics. And I can guarantee they haven't had weather like it since. And as always happens with us, everything cleared up the day we left.
So although Holland and Belgium were disappointingly cold, I kept myself cheery with the thought that once we got into the Vendee - things were sure to pick up. It's practically the south of France. We arrived after a long, hot journey to see our friends Zak and Sarah to be told that they hadn't had rain for three months. To them it's a big deal - they run a livery stables and no rain means a hike in hay prices and no feed for the winter. They didn't need to worry. The next day it started pouring, and didn't stop - even as we left. They were delighted, we were soggy. I had an email from my neighbour Anne suggesting that we might be able to supplement our travels by setting up the 'Courtie Family Rainmakers'. Bookings available via the website.
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