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Taking The Long Way

October - November 2023
This is our journey across Eastern Europe as we try to tick off more countries in one trip than we’ve ever done before. Read more
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  • 63footprints
  • 10countries
  • 54days
  • 524photos
  • 1videos
  • 4.1kmiles
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  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 6

    Fort Eben-Emael

    October 8, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We woke up at 8am this morning and after tea and coffee in bed we put the bed stuff away and got dressed and got Wanda ready for a short drive to the first of today’s stops.
    It was further away than we thought thanks to google maps working everything out as the crow flies until you ask for directions and then it plots a route and tells us it’s actually twice as far as we thought.
    At 10:30am we arrived at Fort Eban-Emael and it was packed and we found the only parking spot left in the whole car park. We couldn’t work out if everyone was here for the fort or for the hiking and biking trails.
    We locked Wanda up, leaving the top vent open as it was getting pretty warm outside already and then wandered the short distance to the entrance.
    It looks an imposing sight with its steel doors and 3ft reinforced concrete walls and as we went through the entrance we were into an unbelievably long tunnel of at least 100 meters and on a downwards slope straight away.
    Various doorways were on our left and right, most of the doors were locked but we did have access to the transformer room and the officers quarters. All of this was before we even got to the ticket office.
    Once we had bought tickets we were given a map and guided ourselves around the underground fort.
    Fort Eben-Emael was built between 1932 and 1935 as one of the largest subterranean fortifications in Europe.
    In may 1940 as the Germans advanced the Belgian soldiers had to the hold the forts at Eban-Emael and Liege for just 7 days whilst allied forces made their way across France and into Belgium. Unbeknown to anyone Hitler had been training German paratroopers in secret for 6 months previously and had assigned a special forces detachment to seize both forts at the same time.
    The forts were heavily guarded with Canons and even anti tank walls and anti aircraft guns. Nobody expected what happened next.
    On the 10th May 1940 undercover of darkness, 10 junkers bombers took off from Germany towing 10 gliders each with 10 paratroopers inside. They climbed to an altitude of 2500ft and were guided by lights over Holland and then the Gliders were released to glide 25km on their own to the destination of the forts.
    Nobody had ever seen gliders before so even though the Belgians saw them coming they just thought they were aircraft in trouble because they made no sounds.
    The gliders landed right in the centre of the forts and the Germans poured out.
    The Germans also had new 50kg hollow explosives and destroyed most of the forts outer canons within minutes and in less than an hour the fort was taken by Germans.
    The spectacular and innovative attack on the fort by an elite unit of German paratroopers on 10 May 1940 was the first airborne assault of it’s kind and marked the tragic start of World War II in Western Europe.
    Inside the fort it iextends over 45 hectares on 2 subterranean levels, with 17 above-ground bunkers and associated field fortifications. It could accommodate a garrison of 1200 soldiers and has a vast network of 5Km of underground galleries
    During the German raid 27 Belgian solders and 6 Germans were killed but there were hundreds of casualties. In the parts of the fort where soldiers had died there were photos of them on the walls the oldest was just 24.
    We were amazed at the scale of the fort and we wandered around the underground tunnels for 90 minutes before resurfacing.
    Back in to daylight we decided to walk along the top of the fort. Here you can see the real scale because all of the turrets and battlements are at ground level, we could even see the bullet holes and blast holes from the 50kg hollow explosives the Germans used. The outside walk was over 2 miles just to give you a scale of big the fort is.
    We spent 3 hours looking around the Fort and we were really pleased we went.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 6

    Maastricht

    October 8, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Back it Wanda, it had just gone 1pm but I knew it wasn’t far to get to our sleeping spot for the night so we decided to go there and then have lunch.
    It was just 6 miles to get us over the Belgian border and into The Netherlands and the city of Maastricht.
    Our original plan was to do the local Fort and caves but we have to book well in advance for the caves which we didn’t know so we’ve decided to check out the city instead.
    After a quick lunch in Wanda of Belgian pizza breads we set off at 2:30pm on foot into the city centre.
    It only took us about 20 minutes and as we got closer the traffic got busier and busier and the car parks fuller and fuller. We thought something must be going on and as we rounded a corner and entered the pedestrianised zone there were just thousands of people and it was just shoulder to shoulder.
    Our first stop was the City Square and we there were lots of what we thought were market stalls out. As it turns out it seemed like more of a cross between a crap antiques fair and a bootsale.
    From the City square we headed into the city Center and to our surprise all of the shops were open and it was full of people. Every single cafe we could see was rammed with people and some of the cafes and restaurants were huge and all of there outside seating areas were full. The shops were heaving and they weren’t cheap shops either. We’re talking designer shops like Superdry, Nike and Pandora, not to mention the independent boutique stores selling handmade stuff. It really was crazy.
    In the centre of all this we found an open cathedral, and as we love a European church we popped in.
    This cathedral wasn’t anywhere near as Gordy as some of the ones in France and Spain. There wasn’t the insatiable amounts of gold leaf which we were expecting, in fact this cathedral was quite modest by European standards just boasting a huge hand painted Muriel on the rear wall.
    From the cathedral we continued on pushing the gaggle of people and turning off down ally and walking through an open archway we found ourselves in a working water mill making flour for the bakery next door. Walking out the other side we saw the wheel being forced around by the rivers current so we decided to follow that river to the edge of the city where we had a great view of Maastricht.
    We had now walked 4 miles so we decided to turn around and head back to Wanda and on the way back we found a church that has been converted into a bookstore. We popped in to take some cheeky photos and again this store was packed, but the bookshop itself looked amazing.
    About 1/2 a mile to go we passed through a local car park and it’s still completely full, and it’s now 5pm, this is definitely the busiest city we’ve ever been to and until recently we’d never heard of it.
    Back at Wanda we had a late dinner at 7:30pm of Belgian chicken schnitzel, tonight we are camped on a piece of waste ground just outside the city centre with a few other campers and motorhomes free of charge.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 7

    The Road to Dinant

    October 9, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We had a pretty good nights sleep considering we were on the edge of the city in a run down car park. Most of the cars left by 11pm and we were left with 4 camper vans and one other Moho.
    At 8am we were drinking tea and coffee in bed waiting for the traffic in and out of the city to calm down, it was horrendous and considering it was so quiet last night the traffic never really let up.
    Just after 9am we set off back to Belgium, it took us just 10 minutes to cross the border and then another 10 miles to reach a Motorhome aire to empty our grey and black waste and fill up with fresh water. It was a nightmare to reach the aire as they were doing roadworks and the route we wanted was closed. With no diversion in place we followed a van and TomTom was trying to re-route us, then the van did a U-turn and as we went on, the roads got tighter and tighter.
    I was looking for escape route out of this tiny town and then we found the aire. Fortunately after filling up with water getting back onto the main road was easier.
    Our next stop was Lidl just outside Liège to get some fruit, nuts and milk. We also stopped here for lunch at the bakery.
    Our first stop of the day was The Invisible Church, a sculpture made of Iron and see through just outside the village of Boson, replicating the towns church. It was an amazing looking piece of artwork that was a 1 mile hike from our parking spot in the middle of nowhere off a hiking and biking path.
    Back at Wanda we set the Sat Nav and then set off leaving the Invisible Church behind us for an 85 mile trek, our longest drive since getting off of the euro tunnel. We were heading to Dinant at the bottom of Belgium in Wallonia. I had seen this place on the TV watching the bike racing during the tour of Wallonia and it looked amazing.
    Unfortunately for us, on route we realised that the free parking spot I had found just outside of the city was being closed for overnight parking so we had to find somewhere else and we found the perfect spot a few miles away next to a little chateau, but it’s still about 6 miles away from the city so we won’t be able to walk in.
    We decided to head straight to the chateau and skip Dinant for today and drive in tomorrow and find a day parking spot and we arrived just after 3pm, it is a beautiful spot with a great view but no internet so we’ll have to be on DVD’s tonight.
    At 4pm I decided to go for a bike ride and I already had a looped circuit in my head unit so I set that, got changed and then set off. Within 500 meters I came to my first climb of 3 and it was a brutal 10% gradient, lasting just 700 meters then I was on to flat ground for 1km and just as I had got my breath back the second climb came. This one was a real leg zapper starting at 3% and rising to 8% but last 1.5 kilometres. I was just under 3km in and I was already feeling exhausted.
    I started to head into some small but very beautiful villages, and that was what this route was all about, the churches in these villages.
    I passed some amazing churches, some dating back to the 16th century. I also passed some amazing Chateaus before descending out of the villages doing 60kph and then picking up the cycle path into Dinant.
    Cycling along the river I had the most amazing view of the city before passing over the saxophone bridge and along the river the opposite side. Dinant was the birthplace Of Adolf Sax, the inventor of the saxophone and there are sculptures of saxophones everywhere.
    Leaving the city I turned left and headed back into the wooded back lanes this is where I found the 3rd climb but luckily I had almost fully recovered. This climb was a brute starting at 7% and topping out at 13% over a 1km distance. It might not seem like it but from the bike it looked like a wall.
    Over the climb I was onto hilly terrain and kept a steady speed of 25kph all the way back until descending the final hill, the final kilometre was all downhill at 8% and with nothing behind and an open clear road ahead of me I took the racing line around the last 2 bends topping out at 64kph before coming back to Wanda. I had travelled 32.5km and done 510 meters of climbing in 90 minutes. I was pretty knackered but it was a great ride and luckily for me Ellie had already made dinner of meatballs and pasta and I was starving. Then we watched the sunset behind the chateau before heading in for the night and putting on a DVD.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 8

    Dinant to koerich

    October 10, 2023 in Luxembourg ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We had a great nights sleep at the Chateau and it was unbelievably dark with an incredible amount of stars out.
    We woke up at 7am and I didn’t want to push my luck or upset here so by 8am the bed was away, we were dressed and ready to move.
    At 9am we left the Chateau and headed just six miles down the road to the Royal Dinant football club, here there was a huge empty car park and we thought we’d be staying here the night after walking around the medieval city.
    We stayed in Wanda until 10:30am having cups of tea and toasties before setting off on foot into the city. It was all downhill for the 1.5 mile hike which meant it would be uphill all the way back.
    We entered the city from the south heading straight for the river that I rode past yesterday but on the opposite side, then we turned left and came to the huge and rather imposing town hall. From here we turned right and headed for the high street which for a very touristy city seemed quite like any small town high street. We popped into an oxfam shop to look for a jacket for Ellie but couldn’t find one and then went into another shop that was a little bit like Superdrug in the UK and brought some sweets to take home for Ben. Then we mooched around looking through shop windows until we turned down an alley and came across a guy making sculptures and selling them from his garage. He had some weird and wacky things he’d made like lights from chair legs and he was currently drilling through a plate when we spoke to him.
    From there we turned right and back down to the river front and here we started our hunt for real Belgian Waffles.
    Even though it was now midday most shops and restaurants were still closed but a little further up the river we found a patisserie and struck gold. They had Belgian Waffles to go so we bought one each and sat by the river eating them. They were delicious.
    From here we headed back the way we came and crossed the saxophone bridge that has a saxophone for every European country on it. Besides the Citadel itself I think this is the biggest draw to the whole city.
    Just around the corner we found the house of Adolfe Sax, the creator of the saxophone and it’s now a free museum telling the story of how the saxophone came to be with some amazing photos from the 1800’s.
    Here we learnt that Dinant plays host to the world saxophonist contest and it’s a very prestigious event for the under 30’s.
    Besides the Citadel which we weren’t going to, and the saxophone bridge Dinant had very little to offer except for how beautiful it is from the river so we started back to Wanda.
    It was all uphill on the way back and then sun was now fully out and cooking us at 22° and we had a hard 1.5 mile slog up an 8% gradient all the way back to Wanda. I couldn’t wait to get my shorts on once we got inside.
    It was now just 1:30pm but as we’d had a bit of a rush this morning we both had a little nap and then at 3pm I thought we could probably make it half way to our next destination in Luxembourg before dinner time so I started looking for a camp spot on park4night.
    Luxembourg isn’t as friendly to wild camping as a lot of other European countries but I found an aire that is free with electric, water and dump station 80 miles away in the town of Koerich so we got Wanda travel ready and set off.
    It was pretty much a straight run on a single motorway most of the way but half way along we both spotted what looked like a dead raccoon at the side of the motorway. We couldn’t believe it was actually a raccoon, but we both saw it clearly and started thinking what looks like a raccoon? It definitely wasn’t a badger.
    Ellie googled it, and we couldn’t believe it when the answer came back that this part of Belgium and Luxembourg has over a million raccoons.
    Apparently they were shipped in, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and were released for there fur. Now with no fur trade they are thriving and are everywhere.
    Now we definitely going to be keeping a look out for raccoons.
    At 5:30pm we made it to koerich and found a Motorhome aire free of charge with just 4 spaces and we got the last one. The aire is lovely and the town itself is beautiful but we are next to quite a busy road but beggars can’t be choosers and we’re more than half way to our next stop.
    By 6:45pm we had,had dinner and I had a shower as we have access to water then we settled in for the night.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 9

    Schéissendëmpel Waterfall

    October 11, 2023 in Luxembourg ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    This morning we were up bright and early not with the birds but with the Bin men emptying the bins at our little aire at 5am. We’ve now realised this is probably the busiest road in the whole of Luxembourg and it did let up for a few hours over night but not by much and having been woken up at 5am we didn’t get much sleep.
    Rush hour seems to be a constant here with the traffic passing heavily until well gone 10pm and starting to get heavy again at 5am. I don’t know what time the working day starts here but it seems really early.
    We couldn’t get back to sleep so I made coffees, put the hot water on for Ellie to have a shower and then put the fire on for the first time on this trip. It was just 9°c outside and 11°c inside. We weren’t cold but it’s nice to have a warm room to sit in after a shower.
    By 9am we were on the dump station, emptying the grey water and toilet and filling with fresh. We didn’t particularly need to but we don’t know when our next water and dump stations will be so we played it careful. Then after a chat with our neighbours who were also English and from Cornwall we left the noisiest place in Luxembourg and went straight to the gas station to fill up with cheap diesel and then on to Lidl for supplies.
    Stocked up with gas and food we had a 1 hour, 38 mile drive to our next location. Little Switzerland.
    We arrived at the car park for our first stop at roughly 11:30am. I grabbed my camera bag and tripod and we set off to photograph the Schéissendëmpel Waterfall and the trap stairway. It was just a 600 meter hike up a step stone gorge stairway until we got to the wooden steps of the trap stairway.
    It’s an amazing looking staircase made of wood but jutting out from the side of the gorge decending to the Schéissendëmpel Waterfall at the bottom, here I set up my camera and got some great shots of the waterfall and then we walked back along the road to Wanda to drop my camera stuff off and have some lunch.
    We deliberately rushed this first part just to get the photos I wanted with all my camera gear and back at Wanda I emptied my camera and one other lens into a lightweight rucksack ready for a proper adventure. Then we had lunch of Lidl bakery food, stocked up on sweet stuff for energy and then we set off on a hike to who knows where.
    Actually, I knew where we were going but I daren’t tell Ellie how far it is so I just said we would go out and see where we ended up. It was a very long way.
    At 2pm we set off from the car park back towards the waterfall via the road we had just walked up and instead of going back to the falls we crossed over and went up stone steps set into the side of the gorge. It gradually got steeper and steeper almost ladder like until we reached a plateau and came to some woods. It was a beautiful hike gradually going uphill but we didn’t really notice until we started to get to more stone steps ascending up into the gorge and as we were climbing the walls started closing in making a passage way. Before we knew it we were deep into a network of canyons, with stone steps leading us up and down and round corners. It was a labyrinth straight from the pages of one of Tolkien’s books and every turn led to an even more amazing view. The gorge sides of granite and limestone were dotted with green and orange moss and with the fall leaves on the ground it was like a multicoloured carpet leading to some faraway land that you read about in a fairytale. We were so lucky to see it like this and had perfect weather.
    Leaving the labyrinth we were now deep in the woods on top of the gorges with the river running far below us, but the views didn’t stop. We crossed wooden bridges, climbed hills and then more stone steps and then walked through more gorges that were so dark we couldn’t see each other at each end.
    Then we started to head down and out of the second labyrinth and as we emerged from its darkness back onto the technicoloured world we could see the walls of it towering hundreds of feet above us.
    At this point we were 5km in to our hike, and we continued on through the woods climbing more hills until we reached a sheltered picnic area where we stopped and had our drinks and took 10 minutes to catch our breath.
    We debated walking back the way we came, which wouldn’t have bothered me because it was amazing but I really wanted to do the whole loop I had planned, but hadn’t mentioned to Ellie. And I also pointed out that she really likes walking……apparently. So I gave her the choice of turning back or continuing on and she chose the latter.
    We continued through more woods and for the next kilometre or so it was all uphill until finally it levelled off and as we rounded a bend in the trail it started going down. We crossed more bridges, some over rivers and some of gaps in the gorges but all were incredible. At 10km in we both wished we brought more to drink but I knew it couldn’t be to much further and now we were almost back at ground level with the river next to us. Our final hurdle to leave the trail was to cross a bridge of stones running through the river. Ellie told me to film her crossing incase she fell in which I did but that also left me with 2 phones in my hand so I hoped I didn’t fall in because that would have been seriously expensive.
    Safely across the otherside we had just a 600 meter walk to Wanda and we were grateful to get a cold drink and sit down. We hiked 11.8km in total. That’s 7.3 miles in English with 200 meters of climbing, we were both pretty knackered.
    Back in Wanda I reset the sat nav for our camping spot which luckily for us was only a mile away and 10 minutes later we were parked in a lovely free aire on some grass that is a designated area for Motorhomes for 1 night. The sign actually says 12 hours, but we will be leaving it tomorrow during the day and maybe coming back to it tomorrow. It’s a great park up, and although there’s other campers here it’s so much quieter than last nights spot so hopefully we’ll get more sleep.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 10

    Hohllay Cave & Washing

    October 12, 2023 in Luxembourg ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    We had a great nights sleep compared to the night before and I felt refreshed and ready for the day when I woke up but Ellie had a tummy ache and a headache and felt like crap. Fortunately for us there are public toilets near the aire and we walked to them at 8:30am but even after using the toilets Ellie didn’t feel much better and then it started to rain.
    We had a mega hike planned for today starting at Hohllay cave and walking to the Gorge de Loup and we left our parking spot just after 9am to locate the car park which was 6 miles away.
    By the time we got there at 9:30am it was teeming down with rain so we just thought we’d sit it out, have a cup of tea and some breakfast in Wanda and let Ellie have a snooze and sleep her headache off.
    At 11am it was still raining so we wrote our mega hike off for today and started looking for laundrettes near by so we could do our first washing of the trip.
    We found a decent self service laundrette 15 miles away just off the motorway at a truck stop and services and just as we finished plotting the sat nav it stopped raining.
    Not wanting to be stuck in doors all day we decided just to walk to Hohllay cave which was about 800 meters away through the woods and we set off, it was another beautiful walk and we saw a Fire Salamander walking across the path in front of us as well as hundreds of nuthatches in the trees and red squirrels.
    It felt like we were in a dreamscape again as all of the forest had thick green moss on the floor and deadfall and even the mushrooms and fungi looked magical with the funny shapes and colours. As the trail went down thick walls of granite, covered in green moss towered either side of us reaching hundreds of feet up and then we came to a stone stairway and climbed up. There in front of us was Hohllay cave, a man made cave where you can still see the marks from the picks used to create it. On the floor were thousands of standing stones people had left from there visit. As we wandered its cavernous depths and intricate passage ways it started to rain again and this time it was real heavy rain.
    We gave up on going any further and started our way back to Wanda and then the heavens really opened and we got drenched. Thinking it was just a short walk we didn’t even think about taking coats and before long we were soaked to the skin power walking through the mud of the forest back to Wanda. The 20 minute walk seemed like hours.
    Back at Wanda we put dry clothes on and then headed straight for the services where the laundrette was to do our washing.
    The Bonjour services was heaving with people and cars and people were coming out of the services with supermarket trolleys over flowing with cigarettes. Ellie originally thought it was some black market dealership but we worked out that cigarettes are a few euros cheaper here than Germany and people are buying them here to take back. Almost every car or Motorhome was German and everyone was leaving the supermarket with cigarettes and alcohol. It was like a duty free shop.
    The washing machines and dryer were right in front of the services entrance so we loaded our stuff up, paid the €12 to wash our stuff and then went inside for some hot food. Ellie had a Giant Cheese covered pretzel and some bread thing with a crumble topping and I had a spicy sausage, with cheese and tomato heated baguette.
    Once the washing was done we then paid €6 to use the dryer for 30 minutes. That’s double the price washing anything cost us last year.
    With the washing done it was now 2:30pm and it might not have felt like we had done much but in reality we had a productive day getting all our washing done while it was raining.
    We set off back to the car park where the waterfall was yesterday and we arrived at 3:30pm. It was still raining and pretty grey and miserable and our plan was to just sit here and chill for 2 hours before heading back to the same sleep spot as last night.
    The thing is with last nights sleeping spot is the maximum of 12 hours stay even though it’s a camper place, and at 5pm someone drives around and takes photos to make sure you don’t out stay your welcome. It’s out of season so I don’t think going back is going to be a problem but I don’t want the confrontation so we’re leaving it as long as possible so they know we’ve been away all day and we’re just sleeping there. I think we’ll have to do the same tomorrow.
    At 5:20pm we’d had enough of just sitting around, Ellie had,had another snooze so we set off back to our camp spot and we arrived just before 6pm just as the van taking pictures turned up. Luckily for us he wasn’t taking pictures tonight and didn’t even give us a second look.
    Once settled it was time for dinner of Luxembourg schnitzel and they were pretty good and then we settled in for the night. This is our 10th free camping night so we have been lucky with our park ups so far, the rain has stopped so we’re hoping to get our hike in tomorrow so it will be an early night ready for a day of exploring tomorrow.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 11

    Gorges de Loup & Germany

    October 13, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    This morning we didn’t wake up until 8:10am. I wanted to be at the Hohllay Cave car park asap as it’s tiny and as it’s not raining I thought it would fill up quick.
    We quickly downed our teas and coffees and put the bed away, I said don’t worry about anything else yet let’s just get there and get parked up then we can have breakfast.
    Just before 9am we left our free park up and drove the 6 miles to the car park where we would begin our hike. We were the first ones there and reversed in to the first of 8 bays so we could just drive out when we left. Then we sat in the back for an hour drinking teas and coffees and I made a picnic ready to go on our hike. This time we would be going prepared.
    At 10:30am we left Wanda loaded up with food, camera gear and a bladder bag full of water and set off through the forest towards Hohllay Cave where we went yesterday. The temperature was perfect for a long hike, around 20°c, not too hot but not cold.
    We did visit the cave again just to get some pictures in the dry but didn’t hang around too long as we had a fair bit of walking to do. An hour later we came to what is known as the Labyrinth a steep set of gorges with a narrow passage way leading between them, the colours were amazing and because of the rain yesterday and it being so deep the air felt cold, sticky and clammy. Once again we had a multicoloured carpet of leaves lining our way and to leave the labyrinth we had to ascend a stone staircase.
    These were the steepest steps we had done so far and just as we thought we were coming to the top some more would appear. Then we started going back down on more steps and it was pretty treacherous after yesterday’s rain with the damp leaves making one wrong step possibly fatal. There’s no hand rails here, no caution signs and no health and safety gone mad. This is nature as it was intended.
    Once back at ground level we followed the stream to the entrance to the Gorge de Loup.
    I imagined this place to be a network of caves and passageways like we went through the other day but unfortunately it wasn’t. Our first task after descending a few steps to get into the gorge was climb the biggest stone stairway we had ever seen going almost vertically up the side of the cliff face, it seriously made our legs burn. Once at the top we were on a plateau with an amazing view of the valley below and there was a picnic area so as we were almost half way through we stopped here for some food.
    We had now walked 5.5km and most of it had been uphill so we knew a lot of it would be downhill on the way back even though we were going a different way.
    Leaving the picnic area we walked across the top of the plateau and then down a steep stairway that was just like the one we had come up on the other side. This took us back into the gorge and after walking around a few bends and up some more steps we found ourselves back at the beginning of the Gorges de Loup. It didn’t seem all it was hyped up to be on google so I was really glad we did the 12km hike the other day.
    From the Gorge we turned right away from the way we came and this way would take us around in a big loop back to Hohllay Cave through the forest. It was a beautiful walk with the autumnal colours and the little stream running next to us and before long we were back at Hohllay Cave and then it was just another 800 meters back to Wanda.
    It was now 3pm and we had just walked 14.1km. That’s 8.76 miles in English with 225 meters of climbing. We were pretty tired but not tired enough to go back to our camp spot we’d had for the last 2 nights so we thought we’d try our luck and try to get to another free place and get some water so we could both have showers tonight. Yesterday I had found somewhere on park4night and as the crow flies it was 35 miles away. As we’re not flying we had to use the roads and 85 miles later we were in country number 5, Germany, at a town called Polche that seems to be one huge Motorhome dealership and there is a free dump station and it’s €0.10 per litre of water.
    This is also another free place snd we got the last Motorhome spot when we arrived at 4:30pm. Wanda looks incredibly small next to most of the motorhomes here. The small ones are the size of a coach back home, the big ones are just immense.
    By 7pm we had, had dinner and we were both struggling to keep our eyes open watching TV, so I set the bed up to watch it in bed instead and then we just fell asleep.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 12

    Elitz Castle

    October 14, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    This morning we didn’t wake up until gone 8am. It was a noisy night again as just before we went to bed the wind really got up and it was also really hot. 23°c outside and 27°c inside. We tried leaving the roof hatch open but the gusty wind just kept blowing the mosquito screens inside so we settled for having the fan on. Then the rain started and we were also peppered with sycamore seeds flying out of the trees. It was very noisy.
    As we were parked up at a Motorhome dealers we decided to get some extra toilet cleaner as it’s hard to come by and popped into the shop. It was an amazing store selling absolutely everything for camping, motorhoming and rooftenting and they had all sorts of spares and repair stuff. Unfortunately anything Wanda needed I’ve already replaced but otherwise this is definitely the place to come.
    We left the park up at 10:30am and drove 11 miles to our next location, a Motorhome car park about 1 miles walk from Elitz Castle and we arrived just after 11am.
    The first thing we did was have a cup of tea while I plotted the cross country hike to the castle. I knew it was going to be hilly so the plan was to walk down the steepest slopes on the way there, take some photos and come back up the not so steep slopes on the way back.
    We left Wanda at midday and took the path through the woods, it had an incredibly steep gradient of 16% but we were going down and the only thing that hurt were our toes stabbing the end of our shoes.
    Once we got to the castle it was packed. This is the castle that was the inspiration for the Walt Disney castle and I wasn’t going to get any good photos now and the sun was directly behind the castle. I would have to come back when it was closed.
    We did the circuit of the castle and then started the ascent back to Wanda. It was only a 5% gradient but 3km longer and then we got lost in the woods before finally finding the right path out and back to Wanda.
    Back at Wanda Ellie was tired and this is a great place to go mountain biking apparently so I changed my bike wheels from the 40mm to the 50mm tyres reset the gears and got changed. Then I found a route on my app and set off. It was now 2pm and I had picked a 42km route which would probably take me 2 hours with all the climbing loaded at the back end of the ride.
    I set off from Wanda through the nearby field and across a quiet back lane and then onto a wooded track. Here there was steep decent of 20% and it was on slate so I was glad I put my big tyres on and I had my hand on the brakes the whole way down. The decent was Almost 2km long with a few hair pins and it was very technical and was super pleased with myself for keeping the bike upright and making it which makes what happened next even worse.
    I left the slate trail and came out onto a main road with a bike path running next to it. The bike path was separated from the main road with big fat white posts and the path and road ran alongside a beautiful lake. I was travelling along at a gentle pace not pushing it and enjoying the view at 27kph and I looked at the look lake rushing by thinking what a great view it was. As I looked back I had one of the white posts rushing straight at me and I didn’t even have time to think about pulling the brakes before I clipped it with my handlebars sending me soaring through the air with the bike.
    I remember hitting the floor on my right hand side and smacking my head on the floor and as I was sliding I was thinking “I’m so lucky I had a helmet on”. Then I stopped sliding and the bike continued on its own.
    A car swerved and stopped and as I was getting to my feet a lady got out and asked if I was ok and I said yes because I felt like a prat. I picked my bike up, turned around and then realised my gears didn’t work. I looked down at the rear derailleur and it was just hanging there completely out of alignment and as I bent down my ribs went crack and couldn’t breathe. Apparently I wasn’t alright.
    I walked the bike over the other side of the road and let it against the wall. And then I realised my right knee was bleeding and my right arm and shoulder were also killing me and breathing was now becoming a problem. I had to sort myself out because there was no way Ellie could come and get me so I took my helmet off, inspected it for damage and there was none. I had no holes in any of my clothes so I thought I couldn’t be that bad and maybe I have just cracked a rib so now I had to get the bike working.
    I rechecked the derailleur and realised I had completely ripped the gear cable out but it was still there so I got out my Allen keys and leatherman knife with the pliers and retreaded the gear cable. I thought if I could just get there derailleur back in line with one gear and limp home I would be doing ok but miraculously once I retreaded the cable I had all my gears back, albeit a little jumpy and Grindy.
    I set off back the way I came but pretty soon realised I had done major damage to my ribs so going back up the same hill was now impossible.
    Once I got to the track I had come down I got off the bike and checked the map. Half way up there was a road. If I could get to that road I could cycle the rest of the way on tarmac. So I started to push the bike up a 20% gradient. It was a nightmare and I’ve never struggled with anything so much. I had to go slow because if I started breathing hard my ribs would hurt and I felt like I would pass out so I had to keep stopping. It took me 45 mins to do 700 meters and all the way up I had my finger hovering over I need emergency assistance button on my GPS.
    I was so grateful to reach tarmac and more grateful of the bench at the top of the hill. I sat down. Put my hand on my ribs and as I breathed in I could feel a crunch. This was not good. Once my breathing had calmed I set the bike in its lowest gear before getting back on it and then started cycling up the 15% gradient on the road. Normally this would have been a challenge but having the bigger cog now on my back wheel I just peddled slowly knowing I just had to take my time. Finally after 15 minutes I reached the top and there was the road to Wanda. I limped along at a snails pace until I got there, shut the gps off pulled my phone and lights off and then went and told Ellie what had happened.
    Ellie helped lift the bike back on the back and then we both went inside. Ellie helped get my shoes off because I couldn’t bend down then she got some antiseptic wipes for my knee but then I told her that was the least of my worries.
    Ellie pretty much stripped me down and then we could see the damage. I had a big cut on my right knee and it’s swollen. Underneath my arm warmers which remained intact my right elbow was cut and heavily bruised and my back is covered in road rash.
    After an hour of not being able to breath properly Ellie started googling hospitals and then I nearly passed out but 10 minutes later I felt ok so I said I think I’ll be fine.
    I managed to have a little dinner, but leaning against the seats hurts and breathing hurts but I can lay on my left hand side.
    3 hours later the bruising was really coming out, it only hurts now when I breathe. Fortunately we have a nice quiet park up because I think we’re going to be stuck here for the next few days until I can properly move my right hand side. We’ll see the real damage in the morning.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 13

    Healing Day

    October 15, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Obviously after yesterdays accident on the bike I didn’t sleep well. I tried sleeping on my back where I was most comfortable but couldn’t drop off so in the end I slept on my left side with a pillow to rest my knees on to take the weight off my body.
    I woke up at 8am feeling like I had been run over and it took me five minutes to sit up and get on the edge of the bed. This morning Ellie was on Coffee duties and after the first coffee Ellie did a bodge job of putting the bed away so I could sit up on the sofa.
    No sooner was I upright I had to lay down again as I thought I was going to pass out. I put this down to low blood pressure from not breathing properly and not moving. After a 30 minute nap I felt ok and managed some breakfast then I started feeling more with it.
    We had already decided we were stuck here so we settled in for the day and put the TV on and watched the Maxine Carr series on Netflix. Then we went for a short walk and except for my ribs which are probably broken along with my pride, I felt pretty good. My knees are ok, my cut arm and shoulder don’t hurt to much even though the bruising is coming out and I can walk normally albeit a lot slower so it doesn’t change my breathing. On the walk we spotted a Motorhome with some huge black numbers down the side. NCC-1701. I chuckled but Ellie didn’t get it.
    These are the numbers for the starship enterprise from Star Trek and if you look at the side profile of these types of motorhomes they do resemble it. Wanda is the same so future journeys will now be missions and we will boldly go where no Motorhome has gone before.
    Late after came and we went for another short walk and noticed the temperatures dropping rapidly. By 6pm it was just 7°c outside. It’s 18°c inside but does feel cooler so we lit the fire for a little while and then lit our candles in the glass holders so it looks like there’s a fire on. It already feels warmer.
    I’m hoping to be mobile again tomorrow and be able to move on to somewherelse. I’m already bored with being broken and want to go exploring again and try and get my bike fixed somewhere.    Read more

  • Misadventures Of WandaTaking The Long Way
    Day 14

    Cochem

    October 16, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We were awake at 8:15am this morning and I’d had another rough night of sleep not being able to get comfortable atall. I’m currently not enjoying the trip as much as I should, and in all honesty I have considered just heading for home but I think I’m probably just feeling sorry for myself and my bike.
    My first thoughts this morning were to head back to Polche where we stayed a few nights ago and got water. I was feeling crap and knew that we had all services there and we can stay there for 3 nights for free so I set the sat nav and at 10:30am we left the park up at Elitz Castle.
    I was only 2 miles down the road and now not feeling too bad and suggested we head into Cochem which Ellie had found on Facebook last night. It has a beautiful view across the river to the old town and ancient castle on the hill and there is designated Motorhome parking where we can pay by the hour. I think if I can just keep going maybe my head will get back into travel mode and if I find a bike shop that can repair my bike I’ll probably be happy even if I can’t ride it. The back end of this trip is tailored towards the bike so it seems pointless heading there now, but we’ll see how I’m feeling as the trip progresses.
    We turned Wanda around and headed 10 miles down the road, down the 20% gradients and along the road where I had my accident and 30 minutes later we had found the Motorhome bays in Cochem.
    It was a euro an hour so we popped €2 in and thought that should give us enough time to get a few pictures and have a look around and then we set off along the footpath down the side of the river.
    Once at the town square we crossed the bridge and continued down abit further until we had a magnificent view of the old town and the castle in the background. We were lucky with the light as any later the sun would have blown the pictures out like they did at Elitz castle.
    Pictures taken, we then headed into the town Center and it was a proper medieval old town that looked like a cross between Diagon alley from Harry Potter and something from King Arthur. Most of the shops were catered for tourists so we managed to get our collectors mug here to go on our travel shelf back home then we wandered the streets and alleyways looking like tourists until our time was up on our parking ticket.
    Back at Wanda I’d already found a picnic area about 3 miles up the hill behind the castle that lots of people have stayed at for a night before and as it was now 3pm we set off. There’s only room for 2 campers here and it’s an awesome spot to spend the night aslong as we don’t get moved on. We have fantastic views across fields with hiking trails either side of us and another camper with a stupid sliding door has already joined us so this is it for the night.
    Once we had parked we went for a little stroll down one of the hiking trails and had a great view of the Mosul valley we had just driven through, then we went back to Wanda, battened down all the hatches and settled in for night.    Read more

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