Be careful what you wish for

We were not very urgent bouncing out of bed this morning, we figured we had the hang of this driving caper. So, we took our time, had some breakfast (but only one measly cup of coffee) and took care of things like filling up our water tank as it was getting low then headed off to fill up with petrol before we got into the serious part of the day’s driving. It was just after 10 as we set off with the promise of a 6 hour or so jaunt north towards Denmark with a right turn at some point to head in the direction of Sweden. When we pulled into our campsite at about 7.15 it was clear that something had gone awry.
We started out full of beans following our lovely day yesterday, amusing ourselves again with humorous names, such as an aire called Up’Bummenhalle, I kid you not. Tate even asked if Germans gave things funny names on purpose. I was forced to tell her that yes they do. Then there was a moment that was a bit of a novelty at the time but looking back now, that has definitely worn off. It was when a few drops of rain hit the windscreen, we announced it with great fanfare to the girls in case they missed it, this is what we were searching for after all in escaping the heat of home. Jess had spent some time emailing various spots for us to stay the night and had managed to secure us a place in what seemed to be a very cool spot on an inlet in a fairly calm location, so she had done well there and we felt like everything was under control.
It seems like from that point on things deteriorated. Around Hamburg there was a seemingly never ending series of traffic jams, the annoying sort where there is no apparent reason. And the rain stuck around, nothing too serious though. But with all the traffic and the stopping and starting it seemed that Jess and I had both drawn the short straw today. I have decided that tomorrow I won’t include any short straws so with any luck we should have a better drive. A long third day of driving also made us a bit irritable, in a way that only being cooped up in a vehicle while conditions seemed to conspire against you can. Then there was a 30 minute or so delay at the border crossing, so much for free movement but I guess that’s what happens when a country decides it needs to ‘control’ immigration. And then came the deluge as the heavens opened and seemingly all the rain we have missed out on for the past few months decided to pour down on us for the rest of our drive. But we kept on going and things were looking up and we were just about 30 minutes from our destination when we got an email from our accommodation to say that because of the time and the weather that they suggested we stay somewhere else. FFS!! So Jess worked her magic and despite it being about 7pm on a Sunday night with options dwindling fast had found us a spot 9 minutes away. Amazing!! So here we are in Odense.
All that remained to do was whip up a gourmet dinner and given the weather what would be more tasty than a bit of campervan chilli, even if I say so myself it was Lee Dicious and really hit the spot. Now though, the drivers are completely knackered and we have one more day of long driving to go. Just under 6 hours, sounds doable.Read more