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19th.September..........ITALIAN RIVIERA-
Naturally, Sunday morning dawned without a cloud in the sky so at least we had a very pleasant run down through Italy to the coast, just west of GENOVA, and the last 60 miles was very scenic. Joyfully, the overhead signs with local info gave the temperatures as 25-26-27 and finally as we turned off the motorway, a pleasant 28 degrees. And then we got a result at the toll booth ! We had joined the A26 at VARESE, for some 250 kms and when the GF popped the ticket in the machine it wanted 18.80€ and we had opted for the Credit Card lane. Nothing happened so she tried the card in every possible configuration but it kept saying 'carte illegible', so we tried 3 more cards with the same result, pressed the help button and a voice in accented english kept telling us to try another card. I got out...against instruction as I later saw...and tried all the cards again without luck and then kept my finger on the help button. Suddenly, the ticket reappeared, the barrier opened, and a voice said 'I 'ave 'ad enough, arriverderci, go,go go'So now we will a)find a charge of 18.80€ on all four cards b) be on a motorway blacklist, arrested and fined next time we use the autostrada or c)get away with it........answers on a postcard.
Our destination was a small town called CERIALE, nr. ALBENGA. The campsite is another typical Italian one (see above, except electrics are good) but the family that run it are great, especially the son, Paulo, who spends all day squeezing outfits into impossible pitches, even driving them himself when faint-hearts baulk at his optimistic assessments of what we will go where. Our first night on Sunday was spent on a pitch near the road but the place was full and he assured us that a lot would leave on Monday morning and we could have our pick. The site is very shaded and everybody wants to get a satellite siting which is the bane of Paulo's life but he seems to keep everybody happy !
15-16th September 2010 IN THE ORCHARDS
Found a nice little campsite in a village called WAHLWEIS near STOCKACH at the western end of Bodensee but not very close to the lake....there were quite nice views when we walked up above the site through the apple orchards but not actually on the lake. The weather is not exactly brilliant with chilly nights, much like late September in the UK and whilst I would like to stay here and explore, the sunshine of the south is calling very strongly. The site owners are a very nice young couple who run the fruit farm and the site is extraordinarily pleasant......harvesting is going on all around with tractor trains of apples whizzing about all around us........the climate is such that the apples are picked by hand from now until november and mainly go for juice, with lots of small producers all around but surprisingly small numbers of pickers.
17-18th SEPTEMBER 2010 LAKE LUGANO
Time to head south. The cost effective route is through Switzerland in spite of the road tax sticker because the St.Gotthard tunnel is toll free. At the border in KONSTANZ I had hoped we might slip through because we would be through Switzerland in 3 hours but we were pulled over straight away and sent to the cash desk. The daily rate is 3.50 swiss francs but the minimum charge is 25 swiss francs which gives a 7 day permit....another rip off so you pay the 25sf and smile. Ran into heavy rain up to the St. Gotthard which still only has one tunnel open...just as 2 years ago..but the queues on the Italian side going into Switzerland must have been 10-15miles. I love this route because 17km in a tunnel is interesting and it seems that you you going downhill for about 60 miles and can virtually coast all the way down to the Itailian lakes using no fuel at all..........which was fortunate when I discovered that the Italian petrol stations were on strike and I had only put 20 litres in due to the high prices of the swiss diesel..
Lake Lugano is entirely within the swiss borders but the town right at the bottom ,PONTE TRESA ,where we were headed is in Italy and our campsite did not disappoint in being a typical Italian one.........difficult, narrow entry, narrow access roads, small cramped pitches under low trees and extremely iffy electrics but with direct access onto the lake and a view to die for. Fortunatley not too many tourers around so found the largest of the pitches available and ensured that once on we could get off again without difficulty and then had a lovely walk round the bottom of the lake together with our first delicious ice cream. Unfortunately it started to rain heavily in the evening and we had a thunder storm that seemed to last all night. In the morning it was clearer and we walked into the town 10 mins away along the the lakeside walk which turned out to be charming but we had little time to really explore as the heavens opened again as we left the local Carrefour with our weekly shopping and the roads were awash. This continued for the rest of the day, spoiling what should have been a nice stopover.
12th.September 2010 CZECHING OUT
A fleeting visit to the Czech Republic but time to head south for sunny climes via the bit of the Romantic Road that we didn't do last time due to Romantic Road overload. We intend to pick it up at AUGSBERG so turned towards Germany via the pretty route over some mountains (which did not appear on the map) despite the satnav wanting to take us the long way round. If I had known that the road between ZWIESEL and REGEN had been closed and that a long detour was now necessary (which was marked very confusingly) the satnav option would have been good. But we had a pretty enough route over what I now know is the Bayerische Wald, and whilst not dramatic appears to be a big ski centre. The border is is just before ZWIESEL and the contrast between the Czech/German sides is striking. No ski resort on the Czech side, just huts advertising cheap booze and cigarettes, then suddenly,at the border, a smart german ski resort with lots of bars and hotels,cars,bikes and people.
Ignoring the messing about due to road closures, we stopped at a Stellplatz in a village called PLATTLING but didn't like the look of it, being a bit isolated and the 2 motorhomes already there looked as though they were living there permanently......then 2 young ladies appeared out of the woods holding hands and the GF decided it was time to move on....another avenue of pleasure denied me....
So we drove another 50km to ALTOTTING which had a very nice Stellplatz close to the village centre and over a dozen motorhomes parking up for the night. Browsing the Michelin Guide I was amazed to find this place rating a fairly decent mention as a place of pilgrimmage for over 700,000 people a year........and the coaches were much in evidence. So we walked into centre to find a a very pretty little place making a fortune out of its Black Madonna housed in an octagonal chapel in the centre of a ring of churches,shrines and a monastery with remains of Bro.Bernard who has been beatified or sanctified in living memory for being the monastery gatekeeper and handing out bread to anyone who knocked at his door(he didn't even have to bake it himself). The Black Madonna is another of those nasty doll things, not as gross as Santiago da Compost-heap but getting close. There was a Big pile of wooden crosses by the door and people were picking them up and then circling the chapel on their knees. The place was covered with hand painted plaques thanking the Virgin for her intercession and just the sort of place I loathe but apparently very popular and a good class of pilgrim.
13-14th September 2010 WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT
First to AUGSBERG. Stellplatz on outskirts a bit scruffy but quite busy and wanted 7€ to park overnight. As weather was iffy and a bit of a hike to centre we opted to park for 2hours (2€), walk into town, see the old buildings and cathedral and then move on down to FUSSEN.. here we found 3 basically private Stellplatz, catering for 40,50 and 100 motorhomes at 8-9€ a night plus tourist tax of 1.60€ each, plus slot meter for the electricity plus slot meter for showers and .50€ for fresh water....and by 5pm they were full but you could stay on a decent campsite for that money (if there was one). Fairly long walk into town centre but very pleasant village, lots of nice old buidings. Drove out to the KonigSchlosser at NEUSCHWANSTEIN -the whole point of being here -where mad Ludwig II built his fairytale castle and now lots of people make lots of money from herding tourists around. Entry to castle is long walk from carpark (7€) so get the shuttle bus or if you are a Good Fairy you flutter your eyelashes at gullible husband and opt for the horse-drawn carriage at 12€ one way for 2. Visting the castle is by tour guide only, so you book your language time slot and then hang around buying coffee and souvenirs until your tour is called (8€ each). Tour takes 30 mins, no photos allowed and explanation is perfunctory and then back to the souvenir shop. Took the shuttle bus back down 1€ each to find that the crowds waiting their turn to buy tickets was enormous, as were the queues for buses and horsecarts.........if you go, early is good. With 2 coffees, we spent 45€ for a very unsatisfactory visit.
Back to FUSSEN and stayed the night at a different stellplatz where the owner had a workshop and fitted a non-return valve to the water system to try and cure the minor problem I have with water seeming to run back from the hot water tank when we travel. Unfortunately this seems to have exacerbated the problem but it only cost 20€.
We shall head for Bodensee or Lake Constance and SWitzerland trying to avoid buying a motorway sticker by slipping into the country via Konstanz.
10th-11th.September 2010 IT'S NOT CALLED CZECHOSLOVAKIA ANY MORE
Having been re-powered, we looked at the map and discovered that PRAGUE was less than a hundred miles away so it seemed silly not to go and have a look. However, a bit more research than 15 mins on the Web would have been a good idea......as my mentor Von Clauswitz pointed out "time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted" and this,once more proved so true. I knew that they were not in the €zone but would accept €'s and that there were roughly 30 of their thingies to the £ and 24 to a € and thought that I would have time to figure out the best currency to deal in before I had to shell out any hard cash. Wrong. Hadn't read the section in the European Drivers Handbook on Czech roads otherwise I would have known that you have to buy a sticker for the windscreen at the border in order to use the motorway which appeared to be the only way in to the country. I took too long puzzling over the signs to actually pull over at the border into the customs area where you buy the stickers and pulled into the next service area to read the book and discover I was now liable for a very large fine which they apply with glee.....and I had parked next to a police van that was stopping lorries and testing emissions or something with a large piece of equipment in the back. Fortunately I spied a kiosk which sold the stickers so quickly proceeded to obtain one. They wanted a mere 250 thingies..or crowns ....which in £s equates to £8.33 (I realised later) or 14€ which equates to £11.62 and but was the only currency I had. Even later, the actual exchange rate that the bank charged me for withdrawing cash the next day was 33 crowns to the £ which put the sticker at £7.57 or €6.28 not €14. And this was at a government office. Welcome to the Czech Republic. So then the satnav took us through the centre of Prague to the campsite on the opposite side instead of using the ringroad as its IQ routes thought the ringroad would be too busy on a Friday.......after crawling for an hour I was not amused and dodging trams was not funny. Anyway, found the campsite which was quite pleasant. Spent the next day in PRAHA which is top city but top tourist destination and the crowds are unbelievable by early afternoon...so much so that we gave up on some places as not worth the crush. Very walkable city, which is half the problem as there are no 'hop-on-hop-off' buses,most of the centre being a proper pedestrian zone. WE walked from one side of the river to the other via the Charles Bridge and back over another bridge, finishing in Wenceslas Square (which I found very emotional for the symbolism) and even had time for an afternoon concert in a church listening to a Norwegian ladies choir singing in English. The language problem is the same as eing in Japan in that everything is unintelligble, but the people are nice and speak english....even learnt how to order a beer (and they serve very nice large glasses of Budvar) and a glass of wine for the memsahib....Tesco is big in the Czech Republic and we spent the remainder of our 1000 crowns (after 2 beers 2 coffees,a glass of wine,a map,a concert and a days transport)on beer at the one near the campsite and I still have 100 left...£33. Decided that weekend crowds being too much we will move on but come back this way again for another look at a very grand city.
1st. September 2010 PRETTY GERMAN VILLAGE.....and first signs of problems ahead...
The strange pricing structure meant that we had to be away by 8am as nights are free but days are charged for between 8am-6pm which involved finding a jobsworth to unlock a chain barrier....there were plenty around at night checking on parking tickets but they all disappeared at 8am when half the park was trying to get away before incurring another days charge.....and all of them, including us wanted to pass through the service area to empty tanks etc. This now took an hour so were not away till 9.30.
We had all decided to miss Hanover which had been on the itinerary for some reason and now headed for Hannoversch Munden, Nowhere near Hannover but in the vague direction of Berin and recommended in several guide books but without much detail
We stopped first at WUPPERTAL to gaze in awe at the overhead hanging monorail as proposed by D. but did not linger too long as parking proved problematic. Arrived HANN>MUNDEN to find lovely little town full of half timbered houses and a nice little Aire on the edge of town 5mins from centre with all facilities. D. opted to hook up to the electric for a euro/8 hrs whilst I did not, having 2 large batteries and a solar panel.......so I was somewhat miffed when the tv stopped working for lack of power-as it turned out-when I should be able to go for weeks without electric hookups, esp if we keep moving as the engine also recharges the batteries. So the faint stirrings that all may not be well........
2nd September 2010 THE PEARL OF EUROPE.......and problems confirmed
To MAGDEBURG which may have been the Pearl circa 19th.C but merely pleasant today. Some old buildings but evidence of where many were destroyed and replaced with the socialist workers vision. Nice Cathedral. Our overnight stop was on the quayside of the R.Elbe, entrance disguised successfully as no entry with bollards which sunk into the ground when 5 euros were put in a machine at the side but if you didn't know it was there you'd have missed it. We all had a nice stroll around. Batteries again ran down after a few hours so I have a problem.
3rd-6th September 2010 BERLIN-DON'T MENTION THE WAR-PLUS A BIRTHDAY
To BERLIN, a campsite near suburb called GATOW and across the road from the old British Army Barracks at SPANDAU. Bus from ouside the gate into City centre in 35/40 mins for 2.10€ pp each way although on Staurday we did buy a 3 day Berlin pass each for 22.50€.Into city on Friday afternoon for orientation as were meeting up with Katharine,Julian & Charlie who were flying in for the weekend as a 'surprise' 40th Birthday present for Julian who had already guessed anyway. On Staurday we all met up at 10.30 and organised bus passes and a city bus tour. BERLIN totally crowded and fairly manic. Hopped off the bus at the Brandenberg Gate for photo-op, had lunch at wierd asian fastfood joint, did the Holocaust Memorial which is v. good and the Reichstag. Back on bus to continue tour back to beginning. Quite interesting/amusing tour guides. Weather cool,hot,cool,wet. Drinks on the Kurfurstendam and look round the bombed-out church and replacement new one over which opinions were divided. On Sunday F and I walked from the cathedrals on the Gendarmenmarkt up to the Unter den Linden, past the Altes Museum to Alexander Platz for coffee, then caught the metro through the 'ghost stations' to meet up with family for lunch at Checkpoint Charlie and then the Wall Memorial, very informative,interesting and thought provoking, esp. the display in the old Gestapo headquarter ruins.. We then all walked down to Potsdammer Platz for the regulation beers and gaze in awe at the Sony Centre temple of technology.........
Arranged to meet for lunch on Monday at the Sony Centre but I changed the venue to ALBERTS on Karl Marx ALLEE as a fitting venue for a 40th Birthday lunch which as it turned out was not nearly so exciting as described, and its International Cuisine seemd to stop at Double Cheese Burgers; hardly a monument to a socialist workers paradise.
All in all, the whole group seemed to agree that BERLIN was worth a visit but had been over-hyped. I thought it was 'vibrant' and the tourists were like those in London. There are good things to see but take away the Wall and the War and there are plenty of nicer cities.........and you can only take in so much Holocaust info.......D&M did the new synagogue & museum, and had had there fill. We found the Nikolai quarter with old church and interesting old streets. Love the buses and metro......nobody checks tickets esp on metro, in fact saw nobody in uniform or authority at all in underground ( see Dresden Later).And BERLIN has more modes of transport than any other city...Bus,tram,metro,urban train, taxi,tour bus, bike rent,bike tours, rickshaws,tuktuks,segways,group bikes that you sit round in a circle and all pedal,the Beer BIke that is a mobile bar with draught beer on tap that you sit round and pedal, trabant safari tour in trabant convoy, hot air ballon, electriv scooters,river boat cruises and walking tours and some I may have missed.
6th-9th September 2010 RUDE SHOCK IN DRESDEN
We all wanted to visit DRESDEN and we found an Aire that appeared to be next to a Motorhome Dealership and as I have a serious battery problem this seemed an ideal location. Found The dealer with ease, and the Aire was actually a small campsite at the rear of the workshops with about 40 pitches at 11€ a night. I found the service department with a nice man called Marcus Laessing who spoke excellent english and explained that I thought I needed 2 new batteries. We found a pitch on the very crowded site and he took all the details. Couldn't do anything that day (Tues) but would have the electrics checked out next day. D&M turned up an hour or so later and with a bit of pleading we managed to squeeze them on the same pitch as us, causing a slight bottleneck in the confined space. Facilities were excellent standard but everything had to be paid for extra (water, electric,showers,waste) so no bargain. Very busy dealership and very pricey. 15min ride into DRESDEN on tram -7€ for a 2person day ticket-an Dresden is delightful and more than happy to pass that way again. Obviously rebuilt after 1945 fire-bombing but wonderful place and hardly a mention of the bombing and then only in a chronological context. Excellent place for just meandering and very photogenic. Lovely market place with food stalls and beer where we had a v.pleasant dinner to save cooking so we could play cards or something. On way back on tram we appeared to be accosted by a young girl who had been been sitting with 2 men who all looked like and were dressed like students. Far from trying to sell us the Big Issue I realised that the card she was holding covertly so that only we could see it had the transport company logo on it and she was asking to check our tickets-which were perfectly in order. She then sat down again with the men and they got off a few stops later without-and this is my point - checking any other passengers. We were targeted without doubt.....Stasi or what ? Because when D&M went in ahead of us next day, the men from the Same group of 3 demanded their tickets for inspection and no-one elses. Paranoia.
So they checked out all the charging systems on the van incl solar panel, declared everything working normally and batteries on the knackered side of good. My man is now Herr Koch, the young electrical expert. Unfortunately, german batteries are different dimensions to UK ones so we are limited to start with. They show me the catalogue and prices leap from the page in the 300-500€ range. I am expecting to pay £100 for a battery ! These are gel batteries. I ring the dealer in the UK. £120 is the price i would pay for lead acid which they fit. Herr Kock finds a lead acid battery of the right dimensions but it is 90AH instead of 100AH and the price is 199€ or £166. The choice is go home and abort trip to save 2x£46 or pay the extra £92 and continue. No choice really so we go ahead. In the end I pay 494€ which is for the testing and fitting. The batteries arrive next morning at 10am but due to local difficulties they don't get round to fitting them (10mins) until friday morning.........and when I go to pay, they won't take our debit/credit cards (only EC Maestro cards) and I have to go the local (excellent) shopping mall and get the cash....have to use 2 cards as can only get 300€ out in any one go....hey ho. D&M are heading for home, only being away for September, by way of Bayreuth and the Rhine. Jolly good last supper chez Parker after which D & I win convincingly at WitsEnd against the girls and F&I stuff the Parkers at bridge after not having played for over 3 years !!
Fond farewells and we have had a lovely time with them over the last 2 weeks and many laughs and lots of wine,beer and brandy....knocking on th e door at 8am to say goodbye was a bridge too far though..............................................
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5th.August 2010 BACK ON THE ROAD .....again
After what seemed like a week long 65th Birthday celebration...which also involved a street BBQ to include the other 2 neighbours who were 65 over the same weekend (that's an awful lot of Leo's) we were finally able to load and leave at midday on Wednesday.
First stop was the public Weighbridge at Copdock where for the princely sum of £7 I discovered that we were 35 kilos over the limit at 4040k. Not too much of a problem with a full tank of diesel at 90k and 2/3 full freshwater tank at another 60k and a fair amount of food. It does mean some careful calculations on the way home regarding Wine stocking. but at least it was not as bad as I had begun to fear. Down to Folkestone and the Blackhorse CC site to discover it was extremely busy with overnighters coming and going to the ferries/tunnel and that somehow or other I had booked for Thursday night not Wednesday. Not an auspicious start but they had room for us. Derek and Margaret arrived an hour or so later in thr rain and we a jolly night chez nous eating and drinking and planning the next few weeks.
26th August 2010 UNDER THE SEA TO FRANCE
Caught the 7.20 tunnel shuttle, D&M preferring the seasick ferry at 10.30 and headed North without incident through Belgium and into the funny bit of Holland that sticks into Belgium on the coast near KNOKKE. Destination GROEDE which was described as 'Hollands most beautiful beach'. Bit of Tourist Board over-exaggeration and the weather was overcast much of the time but a pleasant enough spot and a good ACSI family campsite.
27th-28th August 2010 A DAY ON THE DIKES
(Stop sniggering at the back)
We stayed 3 nights, took the bus to Knokke, which is a very nice seaside town and v.upmarket with lots of designer shops etc, and then SLUIS a very pretty little town but much like a designer retail outlet village ( my minority opinion).On the Saturday, by way of entertainment, we all hired bikes and rode around the dikes and polder with a picnic overlooking the estuary that runs down to Antwerp and across to Vlissingen. The bikes were very large typical Dutch ones that produce a very comfortable upright riding postion, with lots of gears for the unexpectedly hilly flat countryside....getting up the Dikes proved quite strenuous in places on account of a force 8 blowing off the North Sea. But I haven't had so much fun on a Saturday since the night in the Hot Tub in Kesgrave. Weather warmish but v.windy. Sun hot when out.
29th-31st. August 2010 DUSSELDORF MOTORHOME SHOW
One of the clinching arguments for the trip to Berlin was the opportunity to visit the Dusseldorf Motorhome Show, undoubtedly the largest in Europe and apparently a very lively affair in a huge exhibition complex which becomes a campsite for the week. Can Verify that. Arrived on the Sunday afternoon after fairly boring trip past Antwerp,Eindhoven and Dortmund to be confronted by v.large queue of motorhomes trying to access the caravan centre. Initially we managed to find the wrong queue as we decided to opt for a pitch with electric hook-up and getting into the right queue required the cooperation of 3 lines of traffic queueing for the non-electric pitches...........but everybody was very jovial about it. A strange pricing structure meant that staying for 3 days (arrive Sunday,leave Wednesday) only required payment for 2 nights and we got discounts by having joined the Duss.Motorhome Show Club for free some weeks ago so the 3 nights cost us 38€ . The vans are all parked in long rows, nose to tail and with constant coming and going required a great deal of organisation since we learnt that there were over 2000 motorhomes on site on the Sunday. The entrance to the site resembles a Filling Station but instead of fuel pumps there are rows of service points for water,waste and toilet emptying. Next to the entrance was a large collection of fast food and beer stalls plus a huge marquee,.long trestle tables, serving hot meals, lots of beer and an oompah band. We had a super time in there one night, great food, much ale and clinking of glasses with everybody around us. Good fun.
From the camping area, free shuttle buses run to the exhibition halls and back with great efficiency and we had a good day on Monday at the show which was enormous. Bought replacement LED light bulbs for a bargain 2€ each instead of £6, a couple of washing up bowls and other mundane items but not a new van as we didn't see any that we liked....(not in our price range anyway) On Tuesday caught the shuttle to the complex and then a train into the city.
The tourist office gave us a walking tour leaflet called Dusseldorf in one hour which was about right. A pleasant city, some nice old buildings, a modern housing developement around the old port and a very chic shopping area called Konigs Allee and an several hours were well spent.
