Grey Wanderer

While in Missoula, we finally made a decision about an RV for Europe. We had narrowed our choices to a class B (considering vehicle size, European roads and lanes, parking, towns, villages), a Sprinter for some additional size and the diesel engine, a RoadTrek for the two-living/working-area-design, and further by price and location. Needless to say, our search was almost entirely on the Web, with a few visits to RV lots in CA. We settled on a 2008 Roadtrek Adventurous in Tampa, 13,000 miles new, with most of the features and functions we wanted. We'll spend a few days in Tampa outfitting and re-fitting it, then take it to St. Cloud at Marie's and Norm's for more outfitting, and then drive it to Jacksonville for shipping to Southampton. So I guess we are not really homeless anymore.

Oh, the vehicle is white with grey trim and interior, so we have resolved to call it the “Grey Wanderer.” (Exegetical note: Gandalf was the “Grey Pilgrim”; Wotan, in Siegfried, was “Der Wanderer.” People often ask me, “Mark, so how does Tolkien's Ring compares with Wagner's?” About like how Jaws compares with Moby Dick, I say. But I always hasten to add, in fairness to Tolkien, that nothing at all in the world of art compares with Wagner. Nothung. (As Joyce would say.))