Steph Crane

Steph Crane

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Ireland road trip Voyageur
End of Ring of Kerry
27 avril 2024, Irlande ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
Continued on with the Ring first of all heading to a beautiful sandy cove to see if their cafe was open but it wasn’t so continued on to the next stop, another deserted beautiful beach for a swim. Very cold morning (5 degrees) but the sun shining made it more bearable. Could only stand a minute or 2 in the water, my feet were numb before I’d even waded out deep enough, but felt good afterwards and I always love the sea salt hair. We’d pre-made a coffee for when we got back to the van to warm us up though I did feel chilly for a good few hours afterwards. The Atlantic Ocean working its magic. Moving onwards, coming off slightly heading to Valentia Island, a small island off the ring that we could drive on to. There is a small mountain with a view, amongst other things so thought would be good to walk up. We parked up along a quiet road about to walk up when the farmer opposite the entrance told us we couldn’t park there, we need to drive up the mountain (€10). I said I’d prefer to walk up. She said we’d still have to pay €4 each! Incredible! Mountain nazi! Scrapped that and went on to a spot where some prehistoric foot prints had been found. At a glance they just look like holes in the rock but are actually made by a tetrapod, a lizard like creature, 385 million years ago! That killed 2 minutes. Drove back out the windy roads to the car ferry to cross back to the mainland, a short 5 minute journey but good fun then onwards north bound completing the rest of the ring. Not so much of a view on the northern section and easier to drive too, less precarious roads/mountain cliffs. We completed the ring back where we started at Killarney, found our campsite for the night and walked in to the town, a lovely 4 miler, scenic stroll in the sun. Stumbled across a woodland full of wild garlic as far as the eye could see. Very fragrant and lovely. Random! Also passed a field of deer too. Wandered around Killarney town, went for a lovely curry, oldest pub ‘only’ late 1800s then cab back to the site. Chilly night ahead.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
Start of Ring of Kerry
26 avril 2024, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
We’d parked by a castle overnight so felt we should probably go and visit it after our breakfast in the village. Bunratty castle is one of the only complete castles in Ireland. Original site was a Viking camp in 970, a castle being built on in 1425 then restored in the 50s to what it is today. The grounds also contain a village of various types of dwellings, shops, school etc from different ages in Ireland. Was an interesting morning spent looking around. We then headed off past Limerick and south again to pick up the Ring of Kerry, a 179km scenic circular route around one of the south peninsulas. The original reason I wanted to do the Ireland road trip.
We started at Killarney and began clockwise round as recommended so we don’t get caught behind buses and large motorhomes. We only did a small stretch but the scenery was already stunning, shear drops overlooking woodland or vast lakes, mountains, very green. Very windy roads a lot like the Furka Pass in Switzerland. There are lots of historical/natural wonders around the Ring that we can just stop at. Everything seems very well signed which is handy as the phone signal is intermittent. We stopped for a walk through the woodland to Torc waterfall then further on stopping at a high up viewing vista called Ladies View where Queen Victoria once came. Beautiful view. We continued on to find somewhere to stay. Where we hoped to, in Kenmare, was right next to a stone circle. There were no overnight camping signs so that was a no go however we visited the small stone circle anyway. The guy running the entrance was giving out little cards to write wishes on and hang on the wishing tree by the stones. Very sweet idea. Made our wishes and thanked the goddesses as a little robin flew down and landed on the stone next to me. The symbolism of our ancestors wasn’t lost on me. I was quite touched.
We continued on and stopped for pizza in the same village. Not really anywhere to stay but the chef at the restaurant gave us some tips. These didn’t pan out so we drove further along to a motorhome stopover in Sneem, by the water. No facilities but a nice view. Popped into the local pub to use their facilities then a quick wander around the village whilst the sun set. We will complete the Ring tomorrow.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
Easy day
25 avril 2024, Irlande ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
Stayed on the most expensive campsite, taking advantage that they’re the only one and motorhomes aren’t encouraged at all in the city. Charged €44 for the night but we had to pay extra for the showers (that wouldn’t wet a mouse) and washing up, had we needed it! Shameful.
As we are a little ahead of schedule it allowed us to do a few things such as early morning run whilst observing lots of sea swimmers, much needed clothes washing and a little food shop/brekkie whilst we waited for it including a lovely chat with the Cordells. Popped into Galway city but didn’t feel too inspired. Chatted to an ‘Army fan though who had also gone to the gig in Dublin. It started to rain so we headed on further south towards the Burren region in County Clare. Quite a barren, rugged landscape but just as spectacular as the rest of the country. We stopped at Aillwee Burren showcaves. Good thing to do whilst it rained. We had a guided tour around the cave, discovered by a farmer around 1940 but he kept it a secret until the 70s. A fascinating cave dating back millions of years created by a river, mind blowing. Bear remains were found there from hibernating bears dating back 10,000 years ago. That’s a long nap! Our tour guide was really good and so were the caves. The entry fee also included visiting their birds of prey centre. It was getting close to closing time so we’d missed the displays but as we were walking around, one of the trainers asked if we’d like to view one of their practices. Of course! A young man was learning the ropes and they brought out an African white backed vulture called Dyson. I’m guessing he hoovers everything up as this was also an exercise class for him as apparently he is a little overweight (vulture fat shaming!) We got lots of information about the species and how they are (wrongly) frowned upon, their poor reputation when in fact all the good they do that is misinformed. Such a beautiful bird as it soared very closely over our heads. Amazing experience and great timing from us. We skipped off happy in to their cheese shop, stocked up on cheese and fudge then on to our stopover in Bunratty just north of limerick, right next to a castle for the night. Popped in to the local pub next door for a strategic use of facilities. An old pub dating back to 1620, lovely features inside decked out with tons of police patches from mostly US adorning the ceilings/walls and every surface. Fascinating if not random. A guy playing acoustic Irish songs in the corner was a nice touch too. Back to the van for cheese fest Ernie and Bert style - crumbs in the bed.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
Driving
24 avril 2024, Irlande ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
Yesterday was all about the driving - 250 miles, around 6 hours! We left Donegal heading southwest, mostly along the scenic wild Atlantic way route, beautiful landscapes from sea, wilderness, mountains, sheep (and lambs) everywhere . I lost count of the times I said, “this is lovely“. First stop was Dun Briste sea stack, a huge rock separated from the mainland over millennia. Photos never do the scenery justice. Gary got the drone out too for a fly around. There’s quite a few large Eire signs on the ground made from rocks around the country, one of which was here (plus at Malin Head) that warned pilots during the war that they were flying over neutral Ireland. Stretched our legs a bit then on for the next leg of driving. To Achill Island, a rugged, but beautiful island off the west coast. Banshees of Inisherin recently filmed here. Lots of lovely free roaming sheep and their babes everywhere, so lovely. Please don’t eat lamb, people!
We headed to the gorgeous Keem beach, the approach being down the mountain, a little like Spain, towards the parking area. We were so lucky that there was barely a cloud in the sky and being so sheltered it was a lovely, warm day - the bay looked like we were abroad, crystal clear, turquoise water, sandy beach.. until we got in. Was freezing! As expected. We didn’t stay in for long. Was invigorating though. Back to the van to get changed then onwards again to Galway. What with the rush hour traffic by then we didn’t get to our campsite just outside Galway until 7ish. Checked in and headed straight for the bus into town. Which didn’t show so we shared a cab with another lady from said bus stop. Dropped in the city at the Latin Quarter, where the Craic is, apparently. Bit more of a cultural vibe, reminded Gary of Hastings, true. Had a wander but really needed to eat, quite busy in the street so went a little outbound to a Thai restaurant which was beautiful, good amount of spice to our Thai curries. Went to find the oldest pub (not open) so the next on, The Quays, still 400+ years old with a live band playing modern then Irish songs whilst Gary watched the footy on the screen in the old man bar! Lovely fresh Guinness and 0% for Gaz. Wanted to see another bar called the Crane Bar, because why not but the description didn’t really match up. Was more a rough estate pub than the swanky bar that was promised. Quick snap of a gnarly, incoherent man by the pub then retreated back to the pub we’d just come from. After the footy finished we caught a cab back to the site to sort the van for the night of everything that we had dumped and run earlier.
Halfway through the trip now. Half way around the island and over 1000 miles driven so far. We are on schedule and weather has been cold, windy but more importantly, mostly dry, thankfully though I think rain is expected.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
Back in to Ireland
23 avril 2024, Irlande du Nord ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
Sad to leave Northern Ireland as the scenery has been stunning but looking forward to continuing on to discovering the rest of Ireland too. Before we left N Ireland we popped in to another derelict castle called Dunluce. Nice little wander then on through Londonderry to cross the border (with the fam) then up to the most northerly point in Ireland, Malin Head. A different, very rugged landscape. Quite epic. We walked the rugged coastline to ‚hell‘s hole‘ - 2 rock faces with dramatic waves then over to the look out/signal post/Eire sign used during the war. V windy and bracing. This point is also the start of the Wild Atlantic way, the coastal route all the way down south that we hope to follow.
Next was a bit of a drive down to Donegal stopping just a couple of times to stretch our legs including a little woodland full of bluebells and wild flowers. Very pretty. Have definitely come at a good time as there’s spring growth and blossoms everywhere, very lovely.
Arrived at Donegal, by the harbour, our stopover for the night. Ready for our dinner so found a nice old pub next to the (small) castle ruins nearby. Had a bit of a walk in the lovely evening sun around the little harbour/ruined abbey, waiting for the footy to start. By then, the car park became a bit of a drugs run? Constant stream of cars back and forth, in and out, sitting, waiting, then more car swapping, mostly men, in pairs, not all young. It was quite bemusing just how many there were. What a hub we’d stumbled across. Ironically, the Garda station, plus 2 cars is just opposite the car park! An older man pulled up next to one of the bins, lifted off the main bin and put a large red bag inside then drove off. When the council emptied the bins this morning, it had gone! It was such an interesting evening, who needs football for entertainment? It’s not even a quiet, out of the way car park. There were quite a few of us parked up, right next to the high street. Anyway, we weren’t murdered in our bed so ready for lots of driving today!En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
N Ireland sightseeing
22 avril 2024, Irlande du Nord ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
Managed to get a run in as we had facilities (shower), brekkie, water replenish then off to our first stop - Gleno waterfall, north of Belfast. Little walk around, chatted to some locals who had just bathed in it (chilly) then carrying on northbound following the Causeway Coastal route to our next stop, Cushenden caves. A lovely bracing walk along the beach though the cave was v small. Quite scenic though. Made a quick brew then on to our next stop, Dark Hedges. A line of beech trees planted in the 1700‘s along a road that have grown over the road in an artistic way as now made famous in Game of Thrones. We need to research places more before we arrive as we paid a fiver for the carpark (touristy cash cow) when we could have pulled up further/closer especially as it’s only a short visit and quiet during the week, just to take some snaps. Was lovely though. Next, bit of a hike to Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge that transverses 2 small islands that salmon fisherman used to use to get themselves down to the sea. Quite exhilarating crossing especially in the wind. We debated finding a stopover by this point but time was still early enough to carry on with the trail we’d mapped out. So onwards to a little village called Ballintoy harbour which we would’ve actually stayed at but turns out we couldn’t anyway (‚no overnight camping’ signs). The approach to the harbour was stunning, zigzagging down the hill to the sea. Another filming location and I can see why. Can’t beat a coastal scene. Quick wander around then on to Giant’s Causeway. Another bit of a trek but the late afternoon sun was starting to come out making the views lovely again. Quite impressive, the stones. As we were a little later, the info centre was closed but we researched the stones anyway. A major volcanic eruption many million years ago causing the basalt rocks to form under high pressure. Bonkers how nature works! Another long walk back up the hill back to the van and we were done! 6 stops today and around 10 miles of walking. Lovely to follow quite a bit of the Causeway Coastal route giving stunning views of the coast/sea. A couple of miles up the road was our stopover for the night, cook dinner then catch up on MAFS. Zzzzz.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
Belfast
21 avril 2024, Irlande du Nord ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Nice drive in to Belfast, so quiet around the city as shops don’t open until later in the day but the indoor Victorian market was open so we headed there first. Only a quick visit though as had a walking tour booked. Marti was definitely an eclectic character as per his own description but he was a very knowledgeable fellow giving us great background, history and detail of Ireland, Belfast, the ‘troubles’ and Belfast now and the future. It was only the 2 of us on the tour so he tailored the sights to us showing historical buildings, street art and some fascinating places. He quickly realised we knew not a lot about a lot so stopped asking us teacher style “who was” “where did” questions and just chatted. Was a great starting couple of hours introduction to the city. Marti was a nice man. We did get accosted by a drunkard but Marti handled him like a marine!
When we were finished we found a lovely restaurant for a roast then a little more wandering the city. Surprisingly still relatively quiet and barely any cars, really nice to see. Would love to come back again and visit in the evening, some great character bars and culture. Drove over to the Titanic district but didn’t do the museum as time was getting on. Continued on to our first campsite of the trip, just south of Belfast, so we could use the facilities. Did a chat with the babies, missing them all. Lucas been a bit poorly over the weekend - starting pre-school icks.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
Into Northern Ireland
20 avril 2024, Irlande du Nord ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
After another wild camp, went for brekkie.
My turn to drive northbound over the border into Northern Ireland. A very underwhelming border crossing however beautiful scenery. Headed for the Mourne mountains, reminded me a lot of the Peak District. Had a little walk around Silent Valley Mountain Park then drove on to a town called Newcastle to stop for a brew and (wedding) cake on the beach. Checked on my gran who’d had another fall - she’s ok. Trying to eat an eclair stood up was never going to end well!
Headed on to Tollymore forest park in the hope that we may book their campsite but they were full. Lovely sunny weekend so no go, The park is where some of Game of Thrones was filmed. Looked like something else was in the early set up stages of being filmed too? This was a lovely walk also, beautifully well maintained woodland along waterfalls/streams. Spring has well and truly sprung here too so lots of blossoms and wild flowers. Didn’t see any red squirrels, sadly. Drove a little more north to a village called Whiterock in County Down, right by Strangford Lough, again very scenic. Burgers for tea then a call with Alex/sleepy Leo. Gary watched the footy and I checked out the scenery. All on a Saturday night! Belfast tomorrow.En savoir plus
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Sightseeing with friends
19 avril 2024, Irlande ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Slept well in our only hotel stay of the trip, taking advantage of the shower then met up with Fredrik and Maria for breakfast. The plan being to get out in the van and visit a few of the many, many historic/scenic places in the area for our last day with them.
We headed north of Dublin to our first stop of a 5000 year old megalithic burial site though we couldn’t actually visit the actual tombs as it required a 2 hour guided tour that didn’t start until a little later - no time for that! My mistake not researching better. On to the next stop, a ruined abbey (Slane Abbey) in the dreary rain making for a more ambient scene. Ambled about on the site for a bit then cracked on to the next ruin, Old Mellifont Abbey, a little more east. Another ruin but the rain began to ease, thankfully. Couple of snaps here then onward again, to the east coast. We headed to Ardgillan Castle in Skerries which is a small castle by the sea. An actual complete building this time taken over by the council, a little like an arts centre. We had much needed tea and cake in the tearooms then meandered around the lovely grounds which also lead down to the sea front. The sun came out with force by then so made a complete contrast to the earlier part of the day. Drove on to the other end of the town to find somewhere to eat enjoying the sea and sun, Maria and Fredrik commenting on how they’re not used to the low/high tide as Sweden is a non tidal country. Had a nice dinner then took the guys back to Dublin, mindful that we had to drive on to our new stopping point before it got dark. After quick farewells on the main stretch in Dublin we drove only a little way north of Dublin to our stopover for the night and caught up on some tv. Ready to start the next stretch of our adventure - head north.En savoir plus
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Dublin
18 avril 2024, Pays de Galles ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
Woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the sea. Quick brew then headed off to Holyhead, Anglesey for the ferry. Nice easy journey across the water arriving in Dublin a couple of hours later. Whilst the van was checked at the Wales port, in Ireland, the police check was more lax - quick glance through the window “just the 2 of you?” then “ from the uk?” “ have a safe journey”! He was busy juggling 2 queues of vehicles!
Bit of a pickle trying to find somewhere appropriate to park over night but after a little negotiating the city we found somewhere suitable sized and not massively expensive.
Met up with our lovely Swedish friends Fredrik and Maria. Maria had been fortunate enough to successfully interview Justin Sullivan, the lead singer of New Model Army for her new book about how music affects you emotionally so she was buzzing. We headed off to Zizzi’s for pizza then a quick dip into Temple Bar to check out the ambiance/Irish music then swiftly moving on to the venue (Opium) stopping for a pint in the pub next door. Once into the venue, we caught the support band (sounded like the Mission to me) and checked out the merch. Band finally came on playing some bangers, some new stuff and quite a bit of chat from the singer. He must have been inspired from his earlier interview 😉. Sound wasn’t great but that was more the venue. Great to watch the lighting lady too. She was having a great time and doing a marvellous job. Mesmerising. Called it a night after the gig with the guys grabbing a quick wrap on the way back to our hotel.En savoir plus
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Ireland road trip Voyageur
And we’re off!
17 avril 2024, Pays de Galles ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
Looking forward to getting back out on the road, meeting up with friends and traveling around Ireland.
Our first trek was to north Wales for an over night stop before we catch the ferry to Dublin from Holyhead in Anglesey. Bit of an epic, just under 5 hour drive but no issues, thankfully. Couple of good podcasts saw us through. Found a lovely stopover near Conwy on the north Wales coast, right next to the sea, beautiful. Went for a walk, set up for the night, had dinner and Gary watched the footy whilst I watched the glorious sunset. We’ll be up bright and early for the morning ferry to Dublin. Let’s hope it’s not choppy!En savoir plus
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Have a wonderful time x Look forward to all the updates [Dani]
18/04/2024RépondreTraduire
VoyageurHehe thanks for following 😄 x
18/04/2024RépondreTraduire
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European road trip Voyageur
Home
6 octobre 2023, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
After a v long drive and ferry, we finally made it home. Phew!
4318 miles, 8 countries and lots of memories made.
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It’s my birthday!
5 octobre 2023, Belgique ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
50 today! Yay! Had a lovely, leisurely breakfast, eggs of course and fizz plus tea ’n cake. We then packed up and drove off to our last day/night on our epic road trip.
I was recommended to visit Kortrijk as it’s on our way to Calais.
A nice little town, easily walkable with usual historic buildings. Gary bought me a pair of birthday earrings and we had a mooch ending up in an Irish bar of all places for dinner. Decided we wanted to do something fun so went bowling afterwards. Nice little bowling alley and it was good fun then walked back towards the van.
By the river we’d seen someone earlier in the day setting up some stuff but didn’t know what. On our way back we could see there was a small machine in the water spraying fine mist of water into the air in a fan shape. It turned out it looked like they were rehearsing a light show (possibly students?). Images/video was projected on to the water mist creating a visual display visible from all angles/sides. They played atmospheric music to accompany. It was beautiful. A fitting end to my birthday. Almost like it had been planned…
Slept well on our last night. The van has been great to us. New mattress topper has come into its own, no sore hips and we haven’t really been under each other’s feet. All in all a very memorable trip that has both felt like we’ve been away for ever yet it’s gone so quick.
Up bright and early to get the ferry back. If only we could get out of the car park! (We did, finally).
Thanks for reading my blog. I’m pleased I kept a record.En savoir plus
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In to Belgium
4 octobre 2023, Belgique ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Headed in to Belgium in the morning as the laundrette we needed was not far from us in that direction, (Maastricht on the border). Shame to leave Netherlands so soon but we’re on a tight schedule. Did some last minute essentials washing to get us through whilst Gary worked for the last day this week. I went for a walk to the local park.
After a spot of shopping whilst chit chatting to Alex/Lucas it was my turn to drive southwest to our first proper stop in Dînant. An old town by the river with a citadel on the hill overlooking. We stopped at the the top of the hill to observe their small military cemetery commemorating French/Belgian WW1 soldiers plus Commonwealth graves of WW2 soldiers retreating from Dunkirk/shot down/crashed/strategic Germany raids. We then headed down into the town and walked along the river. Very pretty town but not much in the way of shopping - hoping to find myself a birthday gift. We walked to Notre-Dame de Leffe, a small abbey built in 1152. From the 1200s the canons started to brew beer for their visitor which turned out to be safer than drinking the water. This tradition has continued on and off over the years though now Leffe beer is brewed at a larger distillery with the abbey still being funded through the profits. Of course, we had to stop for a Leffe whilst we were there.
Dînant is also the home of the inventor of the saxophone, Adolphe Sax. There are 60 saxophone ‘statue’ tributes around the town.
Spent a couple of hours here then went on our merry way to our overnight site overlooking the hills (and cows) slightly north east. Lovely last day of my forties.En savoir plus
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Netherlands
3 octobre 2023, Pays-Bas ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Last day in Germany before we truck further onwards. Squeezed in a run in the countryside whilst Gary worked. He put €2 in the electric meter the evening before, get everything charged up, by the time we left that morning there was still €1.93 left, hehe. You live and learn. Germany are celebrating their German unity day. A public holiday celebrating their unity between east and west in 1990, a year after the wall came down.
Drove over another border into the Netherlands and to our first stop in Vaals, three countries point where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet. Quick photo at the point then around their labyrinth just for fun. Made sure I kept my eyes glued to Gary all the way around. We made it to the middle, whoop. Gary did exclaim at one point “we’re gonna be in here for ages” but we made it through in not bad timing in the end.
Rained a bit on and off through the morning but started to clear as we approached our next stop in Valkenburg. A nice little town with a castle on the hill. We had a short wander but we’re keen to move on to Maastricht, a short drive again. Arrived at our campsite, a 30 minute walk from the town so headed in. Again, had a little wander around, quick look for a van sticker (a flag from each country we’ve visited) and some sightseeing then pizza. Very cold and windy sitting out. Found the oldest pub so went there too, Café In den Ouden Vogelstruys, dating back to the 1400s. Ye olde inside though slightly marred by euro trash music playing! Took a slow wander back to the van. Trying to make some strategic travel plans for the last couple of days plus factoring in a certain birthday.En savoir plus
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Köln
2 octobre 2023, Allemagne ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
We made it through the night without any more sirens going off! Never did find out why. Gary began working but quickly ran out of laptop charge so we had to pack up sharpish and head out to somewhere where he could plug in. Those Monday morning emails won’t write them selves! Found a close by service station to charge/brekkie/coffee/loo so he could crack on and I just hung out.
Once work was done, driving via Leverkusen (twinned with Bracknell), we headed over to a park and ride outside Cologne (ULEZ so no getting close in a stinky diesel van). Just a swift short train ride into the city centre. The cathedral is just outside the station and is very impressive. It’s huge, imposing and so intricate. Third tallest church in the world taking over 600 years to complete! Inside is just as impressive and detailed as outside. We climbed the 533 steps up the bell tower which was a good workout around a narrow winding staircase. Great views from the top.
Had a little wander around the city, had a pitstop then got the (delayed) train back to the van.
After a bit of food shopping later, we arrived at our next stopover in Jülich, our last night in Germany. A nice camping pitch next to a sizeable park/lake/animal enclosures. May have to check these out. Gary swears he heard wolves howling in the distance! So warm last night, not dropping below 21 degrees though I believe there is a storm coming?
Gary enjoyed his bratwurst dinner then we went for a walk at the perimeter of the park (fenced off, you have to pay). All lit up with colourful lighting. Looks lovely.
Played cards in the evening referencing Kalooki on a number of occasions ;0) (ask Gary).En savoir plus
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A personal pilgrimage
1 octobre 2023, Allemagne ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Got up nice and early, went for walk around the countryside and back for a full English at the van, yum.
Off on our travels again, first point as we’re passing through anyway was Hamelin, as in the pied piper of - the town where the rats (and subsequent children) disappeared. Apparently based on fact? Must read Grimm fairy tales… Very pretty city but we didn’t stop. Onwards to the first stop, my birth town. Found the building that used to be BMH (British medical hospital) Rinteln, closed in 1997 then converted to a care home for elderly and special needs schooling. We walked around the back path still with old fencing and barbed wire, quite military looking then drove to the entrance. Nicely modernised but still with elements of military, looks a little like a prison! Interesting opportunity to see where it all began nearly 50 years earlier.
Then on towards Cologne but, again, stopping along the way to Iserlohn, my maternal grandmother‘s home town. Again, a lovely looking old town but we headed to the cemetery as Grandma had mentioned that the family were buried there. Sadly, the only name I have is her maiden name, Schwarz. She keeps everything close to her chest! We had a wander. A massive, beautifully maintained grounds. We didn’t find any Schwartz however not surprising as in Germany, you only rent the burial spot usually up to around 30-50 years. After that point if you don’t want to continue paying, the grave is cleared and reused for the next burial! A German friend of ours went and reclaimed his father‘s headstone. It’s now in his garden! Apparently you’re not allowed to scatter ashes either, they have to be buried in a cemetery too?
We paid our respects anyway and drove to our stopover by the river Lenne in a town called Altena. Another lovely looking town with a castle on the hill. More walking, dinner then whilst we were gaming, we thought it was our music first but heard a loud siren, opened the door and there was definitely a siren from out side, very loud. V scary. The same as an air raid siren. It sounded for 3 rounds then stopped. Few minutes later we heard lots of vehicle sirens go past. Apparently a few towns in Germany still have a warning system which was tested recently (similar to our mobile phone alert we had but theirs was sirens too). The alert we heard was for the fire brigade calling to warn them of an incident so not an alert for the public. There are different alerts that we should listen out for, though.En savoir plus
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More driving
30 septembre 2023, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Bit wet when we woke up, quite unusual recently. Found somewhere local in Nuremberg for our Saturday morning breakfast and headed over. Got us our table, translated the menu, ordered and paid all in the lingo. Getting more confident.
Headed on our merry way. Today’s job being to travel north and make headway to our next goal, my birth town. We drove half each aiming for a camp site I had earmarked though sadly, they were full. Another family with a caravan were hoping to stay too, on the off chance. Bit of a gamble when you’re towing a massive caravan. Maybe that’s the norm here? Did a bit of shopping and headed on a little further to a lovely old town called Trendleburg in the Kassel district. A municipality park up in the countryside, very lovely. Phoned to book in my very best deutsch again though she did actually speak English. I tried. I rescued a little dog trapped in the bushes on an extendable lead. It had gone through the bushes then gone back another way, owner couldn’t it back. I unhooked the dog and sent it back through, owner very grateful. I noticed after that I had something in my eye which I could just not shift. Took quite a few hours to dissipate, thought I’d scratched my eyeball. All clear this morning though. Bloody dogs!
Gary managed to stream the footy then we walked in to the town to look for a cash point. Lovely stroll. Made dinner whilst chatting to Alex and Lucas then watched a bit of catch up tv.En savoir plus
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Dachau
29 septembre 2023, Allemagne ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
After leaving Munich, we traveled only a few miles up the road to Dachau concentration camp. The flagship camp for all of the others. Set up in 1933 eventually seeing 200,000 prisoners from all over Europe imprisoned here and in the numerous subsidary camps. At least 41,500 were murdered. On April 29 1945, American troops liberated the survivors. A fascinating and somber memorial. We hired audio guides and it took a good couple of hours to get around. We then drove northwards, coincidentally, to Nuremberg. Went for wander in to the town and treated ourselves to a curry. It was so warm over night that we had to have the fan going. Not needed it since southern Spain.
Crazy to think we only have a week left before we return home. Mixed emotions about that. Definitely been an adventure.En savoir plus
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Oktoberfest
28 septembre 2023, Allemagne ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We left Austria and headed in to Germany with Alex and Matt on facetime joining us. Again, a little underwhelming but another country border ticked. We arrived at the north part of Munich, our overnight stopover being the Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich football club. Nice parking area and facilities, better than some campsites we’ve stayed on! Great view of the arena too. Took the underground to the city and walked around for a bit of sightseeing before we headed to the bier festival. Lovely hot day too. Security wouldn’t let us take our bags in, had to be smaller than a bum bag or something similar sized so had to put them in the cloakroom area. Saved carrying stuff around, admittedly. It was quite busy and lots of people wearing traditional clothing, lederhosen, skirts, hats, braces etc. looked really good. We had a look around the funfair section then went to one of the Bierhallen. Decorated lovely inside but so loud. The band playing Bavarian music and everyone talking to be heard. Very busy. We got seated and ordered the litre sized glasses each (one alcohol free), they’re all a standard price €14.50 per litre. The waitresses can carry an immense amount of those glasses, so heavy. Such a workout! We shared a huge pretzel each. Got chatting to the people on our table, an American couple celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary and a group of Australian lads out on a bender. Great fun to watch the shenanigans. We moved on after finishing our drinks. Sat outdoors next, bit quieter. We did the ferris wheel (Riesenrad) and I had a gingerbread heart (Lebkuchenhertz), Gary had the bratwurst. We had a great time there, brilliant experience but so very expensive. We left there early evening and found a pizza place to eat then on to a rock bar which was great but I was feeling a bit stuffed and bloated by then. Got the underground back to the van/stadium. Went to bed full and merry.En savoir plus
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European road trip Voyageur
Three countries, one day
27 septembre 2023, Autriche ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Getting packed up to leave and we noticed some hot air balloons flying over. On further inspection there were half a dozen arcing over the site coming from beyond the mountains coming in to land just behind us. What a beautiful view they must have had. One landed particularly close to our site - I’m assuming they’re a bit tricky to control? Great to watch though. Something calming about it.
We headed off on our trek to Austria passing through Liechtenstein on the way just to cross off another country.
Alex and Lucas called so they crossed the first border of Liechtenstein with us, quite exciting but turned out to be underwhelming. Barely a sign, just a couple of flags. We entered to the south at Balzers, stopped to shop at the Spar in Triesen then exited Liechtenstein border over the Rhine back in to Switzerland covering probably a quarter of the country in less than half an hour! We traveled a little further up then entered Austria and on to our campsite. There’s still a few mountains visible but getting to the end of the alps now. We stopped in Bregenz town, the very west of Austria. Just traveled over 3000 miles now! Quite a big campsite with donkeys and goats. Bit of down time today for a change so managed to get some washing done and catch some rays. Farmers bird scarer going off regularly. Thought we were being shot at at first! Went for a quick sunset walk to the local lake - a 63km natural Lake Constance (Bodensee) that is surrounded by Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein. Of course, where there’s water, there’s mosquitos so we didn’t hang about. We’ve not been able to sit out much in the evenings sadly as it’s either been too cold but mostly because of mosquitos. We already have a plan for the next day so nice to not having to be sorting that. To Bavaria!En savoir plus
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Furka Pass
26 septembre 2023, Suisse ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
This journey was all about the Furka Pass, 37km of winding, weaving roads through the Swiss Alps. An elevation of around 2 1/2 km at its peaks traveling up and down. It was terrifying, breathtaking, butt clenching and beautiful all at the same time. We both took turns driving the stretch stopping regularly along the way to enjoy the scenery, gives the brakes cooling time and let the many sports cars pass. It’s those kind of roads where when you’re turning corners on the edge and there’s only concrete posts or not even that to guide you, narrow roads, steep hills and blind corners. Fair to say I were shitting meself on more than one occasion! The roads are well maintained and not as bad as some of the mountains in Spain but mucho concentration needed. It meant that although it was only a few km, it took pretty much all day as you can’t do much more then 20-30 mph. We stopped at the Rhône glacier that is huge at 7km in length, but has sadly reduced in size due to global warming. The primary source of Lake Geneva. There was also an ice ‚grotto‘ that you can go through. Made ourselves a van brew and chatted to a bunch of New Zealand lads in a UK van. There must’ve been about 10 of them crammed in. They’d flown from NZ to UK, bought a cheap van off a woman and were driving down to Lyon, France to watch the All Blacks play rugby. The van was apparently a wreck causing them trouble most days. Much joking about swapping vans for size etc then we were on our way. A little lower down the mountain we stopped at an infamous stop in James Bond, Goldfinger to get some shots. There were some cows by the side of the road so snapped them too. All cows here have bells so the farmers know where they are so everywhere, you can hear faint tinkles. Think Gary needs one so I don’t lose him!
A Brit plate Overlander van rocked up so chatted to them for a bit too. They are our age and sold up everything to go traveling. They’ve been all over, some great stories. I follow them now on Facebook. Again, said our goodbyes and carried on downwards. We stopped at a town at the end of the pass called Aldermatt as we spotted a cable car and felt the need to do one. When in Switzerland… not cheap but great views. Not as scary as the one we did at Alton towers years ago. It didn’t travel across a gorge or anything, just up the mountain. Had a swift lemonade and back down again. Wandered around the town, very Swiss and probably completely different in the winter what with it being a skiing town. Avoided the friendly police road stop when we left, they’d parked next to us, probably already checked out the van. They just said hello and off we went. On to our over night stop in Surcuolm. A campsite for a change (toilets/showers). More mountain driving but not too far. More beautiful views and so warm in the sun then a little chilly when the sun went down. Did a quick chat with die Tochter dann die Eltern though connection patchy later on.En savoir plus
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Switzerland
25 septembre 2023, Suisse ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Up early for a run and shower whilst Gary worked again. A bit of food shopping and fuel refill once we’d started our journey again, I’d read that Switzerland can be a bit pricey, Gary drove the first half and over the border hoping to be able to buy their equivalent of the toll fee by way of a sticker called a vignette. Apparently you can buy it at the border allowing you to use their motorways. A much simpler (and cheaper) way to pay for toll than the French toll points every few metres, it feels like. My toll charge in France is going to be huge I reckon. It was £60 coming down the first part when we first got here compared to Spain around £30 and we were there for much longer and more traveling. We seem to go through toll after toll after toll this last French section.
Anyway, as we approached the border, no new country signs or welcome. Just weaved in and out of a few cones and some unmarked buildings then we were through. Back on to the motorway. Very underwhelming. So, we panicked a little thinking we hadn’t got this vignette. I know their fine for not having one is a bit costly so we pulled over and found a petrol station outside Geneva to purchase one. Easy. 40 franks lasts the year (£36). Crisis averted, Gary drove a little further around Lake Geneva then we switched over and I drove to the stopover. As we approached the snow tipped Alps it was an amazing sight knowing we would be heading that way eventually. Our stopover is near Interlaken, next to lake Brienz (Brienzee). The approach was breathtaking. Such a turquoise looking water especially with the sun shining. We found it spot for the night and went for a walk in the area finding a very high, though not very wide, waterfall. Hiked up the woody mountain a little to see some more beautiful views before heading back for dinner. Gary attempted to fly the drone but we’re near an airport so restrictions meant he wasn’t confident. We walked down to the picturesque village as the sun went down and sat on a bench watching the sun set. Surprisingly quite busy there with Korean tourists. There’s a pier that was used in a Korean Netflix show recently. Bit of an attraction. Back at our stopover, just a large carpark, a couple other vans also turned up for the night. One, respectfully leaving a gap but another shoehorned himself right into our corner. There’s loads of room here, why do people do that? I could probably take a leap from my doorstep and land on his. Eyeroll.
Gary’s looking forward to driving the Furka pass next. A long, winding, scenic stretch through the Alps made famous by the Goldfinger movie. Move over Lewis Hamilton.En savoir plus
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Driving
24 septembre 2023, France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Had a nice easy early morning before we head off on a very long drive through the best part of France towards Switzerland. We didn’t really factor in any visits as we wanted to make a bit of headway. We had to avoid Montpelier which was close to where we were. They have ULEZ charge so we couldn’t pass near. Gary had prebooked our campsite for that night which was around 5 hours away and wanted to be there for the 3pm footy kick off. That didn’t happen! I did the first section, just over 2 hours. We swapped. I managed to finish my rattle jacket for my oil bottle The town we drove through had lots of road closures so we got trapped, couldn’t get out. Exactly the same as last Sunday- must be a ’thing‘? There was us and lots of other cars just driving around in circles. The diversion signs weren’t helping either. Finally found out way out but this must’ve taken half an hour or so. A lot of time wasted. Cracked on but only for a bit as we had to swap again because the football was about to start. So I amused myself with the sights of the approaching alps and singing whilst Gary streamed the football to his phone. Not the most exciting of days but good to get quite a big hike of a drive (and France) out of the way. Arrived at our campsite for the night in La Ravoire conveniently just as the football finished. Made some dinner and went for a walk to the foot of the mountains to burn off some energy.
Bit more planning for the next few days crossing through Switzerland and the alps, a little bit of Liechtenstein plus Austria in to Germany by mid week hopefully.En savoir plus
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Two châteaux in one day
23 septembre 2023, France ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
Was cold last night, down to 1 degree as expected. We are in the mountains after all. We were organised though, nice warm duvet and jammies back on. As we left our lovely Pyrenean gorge stopover, we saw masses of people parking up and ready to hike the mountains. Beautiful, sunny day for it.
Our first stop was at one of the many, many hundreds of chateaux in the region called Château de Puilaurens, remains of a medieval castle perched on a panoramic outcrop accessed by a steep footpath, their words. And it was striking indeed. The hike up wasn’t too bad at all, of course it’s subjective but a swift 15 minute walk took us to the ruins. Great views and a little history with our leaflet. We ambled about for a bit then motored on. Roads flattened out a bit as we came out of the Pyrenees though the towns all looked like ski resort towns. It must be a different scenery in the winter.
Our stopover was Carcassonne, a hilltop town famous for its medieval citadel. And another chateau. We parked up just outside of the town and walked in looking for some dinner. Most of the restaurants don’t open until at least 6pm so we hung about for a bit, found a Vietnamese cafe, ate some chow and decided to look for a rock pub as it’s Saturday night! We found an Irish bar which happened to be showing the rugby World Cup (England v Chile) so stayed to watch that. When it had finished we walked back via the castle and citadel which was gorgeous at sunset. It has been laid out so everyone has access to roam through with lots of shops/bars/restaurants. Really nice. Had a wander then walked back to the van for tea and ice cream. More planning for the next few days. Lots of heavy driving coming up.En savoir plus
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Pyrenees
22 septembre 2023, France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
I went for an early morning run whilst Gary worked. Nice way to see the local area. Found a sign stating that the region is a starlight zone - an area of protected natural light. Great to stargaze when there’s no light pollution. It was cloudy the night before but the morning sky before sun up was beautiful and clear.
Whilst Gary worked I had my breakfast outside sat with the site owners dogs, a friendly pair. Then carried on with my crochet project - operation: crochet a ’rattle jacket’ for my new olive oil bottle! It rattles as we drive. Slightly annoying especially if I’m not allowed the music up high to drown it out.
When Gary was ready, we drove northbound out of Spain. We originally intended to drive through Andorra but realised that as it’s an independent country/principality it doesn’t abide by EU rules and therefore our phone data roaming would’ve cost us. This means no maps, purchases, messages etc. wouldn’t have been a problem if we were driving straight through but where we were headed, we would have had to turn around and come back a different way which would have meant using maps. Wasn’t that bothered. I’ll forfeit that country/sticker for now. Italy is the same but I think we can just pass straight through?
So we headed straight out of Spain though it was a much nicer drive then most of Spain’s motorways. Through the mountains. We headed towards France and the Pyrenees with our first stop being in a town called Llívia. Whilst it is in France, is still governed by Spain. It’s a mile in across the border and is completely landlocked by France. During the 1600s and the Franco-Spanish war, the Treaty if the Pyrenees agreed that the Pyrenees became the border between the 2 countries and all villages on the French side would be claimed by France. As Llívia was deemed to be a town, it kept itself as a Spanish enclave. Very interesting though nothing much to note here apart from a few abandoned cars and a very overpriced cash machine. Onward to our overnight stopover in a gorge. Gorgeous drive down through the mountains. Lots of weaving back and forth. Some spectacular views that photos never do justice. Lovely pitch up with some other camping cars (motorhomes) at the bottom of the gorge next to a stream. Temperatures have dropped considerably since we left Spain - from mid twenties to 0 degrees overnight. Had to change out of my shorts and sandals when we arrived. Public toilet is a traditional hole in the ground for the ladies. No different than squatting in a bush so I’m fine with that ;0)
We went for a good old hike up the mountain near us, hiked a mile upwards then back down, some precarious ledges and stunning views. A good work out too. Back for a fam chat (the guys all have covid!) and dinner.
We’ve been getting up quite early this week as Gary working so watched our go-to Blackadder and bed. Campers were arriving through the night. Considering how precarious the roads are around here in the day let alone in the dark, is some feat.En savoir plus
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