10th September 2011 – Tunnel sous la Manche

An easy drive from Ghent to Calais yesterday. Sussed out shopping at Cite Europe before going off into town for a look round. More interesting than I had anticipated. G. has been there before – an exotic day-trip using ‘day passports’ in 1960, when on holiday with his parents in Margate. An adventure indelibly etched in his memory as a result of the excruciatingly embarrassing experience of his father trying to indicate to a Frenchman that his flies were undone. He remembers little else about Calais.

Shopping in Carrefour. The difficulty is in knowing when to stop. Wine, beer, cassis, cheese, a couple of speciality chickens, some duck breasts, tins of confit de canard ……. Have we bought enough? Too much? Have we overloaded the van? Will we regret not buying more?

Three weeks later and here we are again, travelling under the Channel. Three weeks packed full of experiences. Can’t remember a holiday when we’ve done and seen so much. It’s been fantastic. We’ll always remember our first trip abroad in the van.

Just emerging into daylight now.  In 5 hours time we should be home.

Home

Total mileage travelled door-to-door 1875

73.07 gallons of diesel used

Average 25.66 mph – could be improved upon, but that’d mean driving more slowly.  (G. did all the driving so that meant trading economy for speed!)

Our next door neighbours had an attempted break in in the middle of the night on Bank Holiday Monday. They have a very tidy drive and burglars, thinking the house was empty, tried to force the front door while the neighbours were in bed! At the time we were obliviously tucked up in our van at Hochstahl – Aufsess. Had the burglars done their homework better, they could have emptied our house!

9th September 2011 – Ghent, Belgium

Ghent offers plenty of opportunities for happily spending a potentially rainy day. There’s The Castle of the Counts – a toy town castle built by Philip of Alsace to demonstrate his might. There are The City Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts, The Municipal Museum of Contemporary Arts, or The House of Alijin – a museum of popular culture to name just a few. So which did we choose? None other than The Guislain Museum. According to the extremely good Tourist Office brochure ‘you’d be ‘crazy’ not to pay it a visit’ – ‘A museum in Belgium’s oldest psychiatric hospital’ – ‘In this wonderful oasis you will find a permanent collection that illustrates the history of psychiatry and an international collection of outsider art or art brut.’

Suppose we should have guessed what it would be like when we arrived – the only ones there to visit the museum – all the other people were staff and patients of the psychiatric hospital. To anyone with the slightest tendency to depression my strong advice would be ‘keep away!’ G. found it interesting, but then he always takes a morbid interest in anything even slightly gruesome!  I was glad to get out. More like reading somebody’s dissertation than visiting a museum - apart from the end bit, which showed psychiatric wards and what seemed like torture implements from the hospital, unchanged from the end of nineteenth century. Only a masochist would choose this as a way of spending the second from last day of their holiday!

A brisk cycle into the city centre, and a mooch round the lovely streets had us back in holiday spirit (although we were both very conscious that our holiday was almost over so it was ‘end of holiday spirit’). Next time we’re in Ghent, we’ll stick to the more mainstream tourist attractions!

8th September 2011 – Ghent, Belgium

We prefer Ghent to Bruges – a lovely, lived-in city with endless beautiful buildings. The big difference between here and the German cities we visited (Bamberg excepted), is that Ghent escaped wartime destruction. Blaameersen campsite much better than anticipated – large pitches, nicely set-out – about 20 Euros per night. Much better value than Bruges.

In comparison to Germany, Belgium is horrendously expensive. Had wanted to eat out last night but just couldn’t bring ourselves to spend 50 Euros, including drinks – roughly twice the average paid to eat out in Germany. Cooked frozen Nasi Goreng bought for 3 Euros in Aldi in Germany then went into city on bus. City particularly beautiful at night. Lots of bars and cafes, full of students – How do they afford it?

Cycled into city in afternoon – about 4 km along the river – but about 6km using the non-scenic route which we mistakenly took. Totally different feel from Bruges – not so Farrow and Ball, but probably more, beautiful buildings. Tourist Office has made great efforts and their map and guide book are excellent. Started in the Historical Centre yesterday, cos we knew rain was forecast for today.

St Bavo’s Cathedral is elegant and tasteful and jam-packed with treasures – everything in its place – even the pink and white floral arrangements chosen to blend in with the colours of the bricks and marble and carefully sited to preserve equilibrium. An attendant rearranging chairs so that they were exactly in line. This place even made an impression on me when I was 15 – on my first trip abroad with the ‘Yorkshire/Lille Exchange’. I was staying with my French pen friend and mainly just interested in meeting French boys – so for a cathedral to have made any impression on my 15-year-old self it must be exceptional! This is the first time I’ve been back since then and I can see what made me remember it.

Woke up to rain this morning so have had leisurely breakfast, hoping it will clear up. Intend to visit museums and galleries today, but would like to go by bike.

7th September 2011 – Polleur, Ardennes, Belgium

Can’t believe that only four days ago we were sweltering in the shade of our van in the Rheinpfalz. Drove here yesterday. Very good route. Hardly any traffic on Autobahn, unlike A3 and A4. Would definitely use this route to Bavaria again, in preference to route we took down. A very windy drive over the Eifel had G gripping steering wheel to stop van veering across road. Stayed at Camping Polleur last night. ACSI site about 5 miles from motorway - almost deserted apart from a few permanent residents, a couple of Dutch vans over-nighting like ourselves and a group of teenagers with their teachers.

It looks like Shropshire and feels like Shropshire – fields, hills, woodland, shallow rivers – and about 12 degrees centigrade! Lucky I brought emergency ‘cold weather clothing’ with me (not expecting to have to wear it). Am wearing jeans and sweatshirt for first time in weeks!

Terrible storm kept us awake last night. No thunder, but very high winds and torrential rain. Van was rocking and we were worried about tall trees, bending above us. Also pitched at side of a brook - very pretty in good weather, but in the middle of the night I just had images of flash floods. Don’t suppose there was any danger at all – but things always seem different at 4am.

Off to Ghent for 2 nights. Hoping to cycle from campsite into city. Wish I’d put a plastic bag over my bike seat. Looks like I’ll have a wet behind – should have brought an extra pair of jeans!

6th Sept 2011 – Enkirch, Mosel

What an achievement! For the first time in our lives we have been thrown off a campsite! Intended to stay at Bernkastel Stellplatz yesterday. Very busy when we arrived – vehicles queuing up to enter and leave past the bottleneck which was the service point. Very tight getting in, avoiding wing mirrors and sharp dips in the ground. Stellplatz not particularly attractive, dusty, marked pitches set out in terraces, very open, little privacy, but we were only staying for one night so what the hell?  Found pitch and just trying to work out how electric worked when along came grumpy old man in beaten up old car. His attempts to be clever in English didn’t quite work as we didn’t really get his drift. Should have stuck to German. ‘Do you own this place?’ he asked. ‘No, I’m sorry, I don’t know who the owners are’. ‘Can you read? - Do I come in England and drive in your house without asking?’ Finally worked out that we should have registered before finding a pitch. Old man foaming at mouth by now – probably thinking that besides being thieving ner do wells trying to enter his Stellplatz without paying, we’re also two insolent whipper snappers being deliberately obtuse in not understanding his attempts at sarcasm in English. (Warning – unless you’re very confident and sure that you fully understand the culture of another country, Do not attempt humour in that country’s language, it’ll only end in embarrassment or worse). G:‘Sorry, we didn’t see the signs, we just followed the other vans in.’ Old Man: ‘How long do you stay?’, G: ‘Just the one night’, Old Man: ‘Get out now!’. We would gladly have done so but for the queue and bottle neck. In the event, it took us quarter of an hour to get off the site.

Ended up in the very pleasant and quaint village of Enkirch, north of Traben Trabach. Lovely, large, grassy Stellplatz along river bank. Unmarked pitches, go where you like, clean toilets and showers, very cheerful and helpful attendant.

Rode bikes back into Traben Trabach, which I’d been really keen to see, but were disappointed. Has a run-down feel to it. Not like a ‘lived in’ town, just somewhere that people drive out to for a day trip. Very few young people – most tourists our age or much older. Had hoped to do some shopping before leaving Germany. Usually there’s so much I want to buy in German shops. Not this time, I’m afraid – just cut-price shops and cheap souvenirs. Some shops empty and windows boarded up. Maybe its just ‘end of season’ – all the younger people back at school and work and everything looking tired. Glad we stayed at Enkirch. It does have a lived-in feel – neat houses, proper village shops, a village school and lots of places to eat. Ate at Gasthof zur Sonne. Most of other guests were on half-board. Nice cosy décor, good service and excellent food – the best of the holiday.

Our conclusions re the Mosel: Very pleasant, somewhere we would stay again on route to somewhere else, but not somewhere that we would have as a destination. I suspect  that many of the Dutch are en route to somewhere. The couple next to us were on the way to spending six weeks in the south of France or Spain – following the sun. Many of the other tourists here seem content just sitting outside their vans, watching the river flow by and that’s just not our sort of holiday.

5th September 2011 - Wintrich, Mosel

Maybe it’s not fair to judge on an overcast Sunday afternoon, but our first impression of the Mosel is one of disappointment. Arrived early afternoon, after a very easy drive. Headed for Wintrich because we didn’t know how full the Stellplaetze would be by that time of day, and Wintrich has a nice, big, shiny new one. 8 Euros including electric for a large pitch facing onto grass and overlooking the river. Our neighbours are almost exclusively Dutch a change from Bavaria where most were German.

Sunday, so the village was dead. Went for a bike ride along the river to see what the other villages were like. After Bavaria, the whole atmosphere seems dull. The house are not so spick and span, the gardens not so well-tended and full of flowers, even the people are not so cheerful-looking and well-dressed. The south is the most prosperous area of Germany, so maybe that accounts for some of it. G said ‘The best way I can describe it is that I’ve seen nothing yet that I want to photograph.’ We do have to take some photos though, so he took a picture of some of the grapes on the vines beside the cycle path.

Sunday evening, so difficult to find anywhere to eat. Ended up in a locals’ type place – wife acting as waitress/barmaid, husband struggling single-handedly in kitchen with Sunday night rush. Had Federweisser – can’t remember the last time I had some – maybe when I was a student - and that's a long time ago. Waited ages for food, but it was worth it – home-cooking style, very hot and fresh. Went back to van and sat out with our drinks in warm evening air, listening to crickets singing in trees. Maybe the Mosel was beginning to grow on us.

4th September 2011 Bad Duerkheim

I woke up in the night with wet feet. A massive thunder storm after the heat of the day. We had gone to bed leaving the roof light open.

We’ve started to move northwards, as we wish to tackle the journey is small chunks so we can enjoy every day of our holiday rather than spend a couple of whole days driving. Picked Bad Duerkheim because it was about two and a half hours drive from Nuremberg and has an ACSI campsite for 15 Euros. Another Knaus but much nicer than the one in Nuremberg – and at half the price! A large site with lots of neat and well cared for permanent caravans and chalets - huge pitches, set in short rows along the edge of a lovely swimming lake with beach. Children and adults were enjoying the water in yesterday’s heat. We just dozed in the shade of the van, resting after yesterday’s exertions.

Spent an 'interesting' night at the Nuremberg Stellplatz. Pleasantly situated and full with other motor homes (including some with German Shepherds), we didn’t actually feel threatened, but there was obviously a ‘family’ of permanent residents living in a scruffy caravan on the Stellplatz. The ‘family’ consisted of several young men and one older one. As they sat at a picnic table under a tree, a loud argument broke out (in a language we didn't recognise - not Arabic, but similar sounding.)  One of the young men became extremely agitated, having evidently lost something important which, despite repeatedly searching the woods, could not be found. Although Stellplatz was in a dead-end at the side of the park, cars drove down at regular intervals during the evening and transactions appeared to take place between members of the ‘family’ and vehicle occupants. Had the distinct impression that, despite their humble abode, the ‘family’ was running a lucrative business!

Our over-nighting experiences in the city didn’t spoil or enjoyment of it. The most ‘touristy’ place we have visited so far on our trip, but extremely striking. Although much of it was destroyed in the war, many beautiful old buildings remain.

St Lorenz Church was also very impressive. Probably more beautiful than St Sebald’s – again with simple lines and soaring gothic arches. Its treasures are its sculptures rather than ostentatious ornamentation.

We also climbed up to the castle for a view down over the Old Town and went on a visit of Duerer’s house – set up as number of furnished rooms, including the artist’s studio - very interesting.



By early evening, we were both tired. A huge bric a brac market had been set up in the streets – but we just bought our souvenir tins of Lebkuchen and cycled back for an evening of watching the comings and goings of the Stellplatz.

Heading for the Mosel today – taking another couple of hours off our drive home.

Total distance travelled since leaving home – 1184 miles.