Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round Up January 2026

Since 1st of January, we’re back on the road!

On 7th of January, we were supposed to catch a ferry from Sète in France to Nador in Morocco, but we cancelled it because of my teeth! I broke two crowns and needed a root canal, apparently, which kept us near Castelnaudry in southern France for weekly appointments until the 26th. We’re still debating whether it’s worth crossing to Morocco now that we’ve been delayed for a month, but we’ll see how we feel when we get further south.

It’s been no hardship being stuck in lovely Languedoc. The weather has mostly been bright, if a little cold, but the scenery and little villages are beautiful. I hope you’ve been enjoying my blogs about them!

Our Dutch friends, Casper and Monique, visited us in the bastide town of Revel. We have known them for 22 years – we first met on a Hogmanay walking holiday in a Scottish lighthouse – and have stayed in touch ever since. Unfortunately, they had a rotten end to 2025. They were supposed to visit us at our farmhouse in Fanjeaux, but their motorhome, Rudolf, broke down in Mende. They were stuck for the entire festive period, awaiting a part. Although we invited them to stay, understandably, they didn’t want to leave Rudolf unattended in a car park. However, like us, they are now back on the road, have reached Morocco before us, and are looking forward to a FABULOUS 2026!

Our friends' motorhome Rudolf with The Beast in Revel, southern France
Rudolf and The Beast Revelling in Revel!
Continue reading “Did You Miss Any Of These? Monthly Round Up January 2026”

Montségur: Mist, Martyrs, & Heavy Metal

I read that in cycling terms, the Col de Montségur is a Category 2 mountain pass, popular with those slender, Lycra-clad aliens who chase gradients for glory. The same article revealed it to be known for scenic views, the highlight of which is a spectacular perspective of a historic castle ruin. Perched atop a pog – a knuckle of rock rising from the land like a huge pudding-shaped dumpling – the mountain itself propels the fortress of Montségur skyward.

Map showing the routes of the Cathar castles in southern france
Routes des Châteaux Cathares in Medieval France
Image courtesy of Wikimedia. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
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From Caravan to Overland Truck: Jacqueline Lambert’s Off Grid Journey

12-volt electrical systems are at the very heart of any recreational vehicle – and it pays to understand them. To this end, I subscribe to 12-Volt Planet’s very useful and informative email newsletter, which pops informative articles, product reviews, and special offers into my inbox. They also have an excellent YouTube channel, 12 Volt Planet TV, a useful resource full of short, practical ‘How To’ guides.

As someone who started out her truck-conversion journey believing solar power and 12-volt electrics were, “tantamount to witchcraft,” I was delighted that 12-Volt planet chose to reflect on how far I’ve come, and interview me about our huge self-build – The Beast – for their website!

I shall hand you over to Joe for the introduction – and I hope you enjoy reading!

“When Jacqueline “Jackie” Lambert and her husband Mark were both made redundant in 2016, most people might have seen uncertainty. Jackie saw opportunity. Turning a love of travel into a full-time lifestyle on the road, they traded bricks and mortar for adventure and eventually converted a 24.5-tonne military truck into a fully off-grid home-on-wheels, affectionately known as The Beast.

Continue reading “From Caravan to Overland Truck: Jacqueline Lambert’s Off Grid Journey”

The First Online Self Pubfest 25th January 2026 – FREE to Attend: Featuring Adventure Travel Author Jacqueline Lambert on Non Fiction Author Panel

The first online ‘Self-Pub Fest’ festival, spotlighting authors in various genres (see below), will be held on Sunday 25th January 2026 between 10am and 6pm UK time via individual hourly Zoom genre panels with up to six authors participating in each panel.

I am thrilled to be taking part in the Non Fiction Panel at 3pm UK time with other fascinating, award-winning non-fiction authors.

Join the chats LIVE – where authors from across the globe will talk about their journeys – from WRITING the stories to PUBLICATION. Each festival panel session will last approximately 40 minutes, e.g. 10am to 10.40am, including audience questions, to allow time for setting up the next panel.

Entry to the event is FREE – this online version of the festival is listed on EventBrite but click on this link to access the Tickets page then select the relevant panel’s Zoom link.

If you can’t make the live online event, you will miss out on participating in the Q&A, however ALL sessions will be RECORDED and SHARED on Morgen Bailey’s YouTube Channel and on the Self Pub Fest website.

For further details: Click on the relevant genre headings below for further details about each panel:

Continue reading “The First Online Self Pubfest 25th January 2026 – FREE to Attend: Featuring Adventure Travel Author Jacqueline Lambert on Non Fiction Author Panel”