Almost Gone!

Sunday, 07 December 2008

We should be on our way the Seefeld by now, but no! we are still in Warwick. Here’s the story since last I wrote.

We finally picked up Floozie around the 18th of November and headed down towards Warwick. It was a long long drive, during the first hour of which, a truck threw a stone up into the windscreen. DOH! To add insult to terminal injury (for the windscreen) the damage was right in my line of vision. After nine hours of driving, my squint was more or less permanent! It was just like piloting a fighter airplane with the cross-hair sights. Tally Ho chaps, Mondeo at twelve o’clock! Anyhow, we got to Harbury Fields and got set up and called out the glass repair company. Terminal, they said. So we had a choice to make; do we risk it and go and hope the screen doesn’t split in the cold weather or do we sit tight and wait for the glass to come through? We decided to wait- we were told a few days ago that it would be ten days getting here. Cutting it fine and we’d have a mad rush down to Seefeld afterwards, but it means that we don’t have to worry about the glass going. A sensible move. Right now, we neither of us have the stomach to have to worry about such things. Having had all the worry taken out of the bus after her overhaul, we don’t need it replacing with something else; not yet anyway!

We’ve not been idle whilst we have been here – oh no! Amanda has embarked on her new venture – jewellery making. The idea being that we can sell it on the foreign markets during the summer. I think she’s got a good eye for design (gets it from her late Aunt) but then I’m biased. The proof will be in the sales we have next year. I have yet to decide what course I will pursue; I’m thinking contemporary cards combined with photography. We both felt that we wanted to get creative. It’s something we both used to love being and somehow we have lost our way. Already we have the satisfation of putting things together and it’ll be icing on the cake if we could make our pitch fees each week. Or a meal. Anything!! It would be great to have a little stall on a French market and be involved. FUN!

I’ve been attending to Floozie2. I have lagged all the pipe work so that she can operate in colder temperatures. We have a number of condensation issues that I’m trying to address. The wet mattress has been sorted with laths to allow air under it – before hand it was just a solid board over a cold engine cover so the condensation was pretty bad. Not any more!

Thursday, 11 December 2008

Good news! The Screen will be fitted on Monday! Bad news, Amanda’s poorly with a cold like something. That time of year I guess. Hopefully then we’ll be off to Austria on the Wednesday. Yippee! Floozie2 is looking all festive with her fairy lights and tinsel and we’ve just bought the Christmas copy of the Radio Times, so it really does feel like Christmas now! Mince pies a-go-go. Did you know that to bring luck for the coming year you should eat a mince pie on each day of the twelve days leading up to Christmas. Learnt that at the pub quiz we went to this week (and came third!)

I’ll get this posted up as well as some photos from Scotland. Cheers for now, and just in case I don’t get the opportunity later, a very Merry Christmas to all and joyous New Year.

Bang up to date

We’ve been in the UK for two-and-a-half months now, already a little longer than we anticipated. However, Floozie2 is still awaiting her MOT after having had a very thorough fettling at M-Liner. We were heading to Scotland this autumn so decided to let them have a go at it as they’re based in Alloa. So far, everything has gone well, apart from the time element, which is not their fault – parts are hard to get, as always.

For the past three weeks or so, we have been in B&Bs in Scotland chasing Amanda’s family tree, visiting friends in Yorkshire and now we’re in Cumbria, staying with my parents whilst waiting for the van to be ready. We’re ready to get back into Floozie and hit the road, nice though it has been. We are missing home.

Other highlights have included:

Staying with our friends Miv & Jay the weekend we hit the shores. We had a great time with them, going to Leeds Castle and taking part in an attempt to break the World Kite Flying Record. Not enough people unfortunately, but good fun and good money raised for charity. A trip up the Medway for Sunday lunch was great too.

The Northern Motorcaravan Show, held at Pickering. A quagmire due to awfully wet weather just before the event. It seemed smaller than usual too, but we had a good nosy around and got a lot sorted on the van and for it. Also saw Des O’Connor in concert – don’t laugh, he was brilliant; witty, full of anecdotes and with his five piece combo he sang some wonderful Sinatra type songs.

Reeth. Back home. Having felt homesick for the place for the best part of the summer, it was good to get back. It was also good to realise I was no longer homesick! Lovely to get back, see my friends, and to realise that I didn’t need to live there. We can always go back and visit and driving away again after a few weeks was no problem. Happy. Will miss my friends though!

Scotland: On the hunt for Amanda’s ancestors, we found ourselves based at a great B&B in Turriff Deveron Lodge From there we found the chapel that the Morisons built and the owners kindly showed us round what is now their home. We also traced three generations of Morisons back to 1700 and learned more about the landscape and type of life they led. It was a great four days. Then to Aberdeen to see where another side of the family, the Duncans, lived. Another successful tour around the graveyards in this very fine city. Would like to go back. From Aberdeen to Braemar just to chill out. It snowed and looked fabulous, especially when walking in the glens. Had a trip out to Glamis Castle, which is always worthwhile.

From Scotland we came back down to Reeth, staying at the glorious Burgoyne Hotel We went to a Halloween party, then went to Haworth to see our good friends Giles & Jill and their boys Tom & Joe. Always so good to see them and we were able to spend more than a fleeting few hours which was really good. Also managed to watch Lewis Hamilton win the F1 championship!

Back to my folks in Arnside. We were only going to stay a few days but we both succumbed to back and neck problems, the result of sleeping in strange beds. As we get older, we don’t do strange beds well!! So, seeing as how we were on the doorstep of our cranial sacral therapist in Kirkby Stephen Kirkby Stephen Holistic Health Centre we have stayed here enjoying familial warmth and hospitality (thanks!!!). And now it’s today and we’re making plans to go up to the motorhome tomorrow for the weekend. We’ll be able to get her sorted out ready for the off on Tuesday.

We’ve still to book ferry tickets, waiting until we know we’re ready to go. We are having a chat with the Camping and Caravanning Club on the 20th about becoming Overseas Holiday Site Wardens, which would help with finances and maybe take us to places we wouldn’t normal think of going. We also still have friends we have to see before we leave. That said, we need to be on our way by the beginning of December so that we can meander down to Seefeld via our German friends in Heidelberg.

Up to date. Crikey!

New Photos too

Click on the link to see piccys of Trier, The Dusseldorf Motorhome Salon and more.

An update with old news

Hi everyone. Here's an update of news I thought I'd posted months ago; I'm not too sure what happened, but here we go anyway. Theres more to come from our time in the UK and then I will try and keep up a little more regularly. Internet access is generally a problem as is my inability to be consistant! Cheers for now

Friday, 22 August 2008

The best laid plans of mice and men

We left Neckargemund on Thursday to travel to the Loreley on the Rhein river just below Koblenz. We picked a site out of the Big Pitch Guide which sounded ideal for some R&R. I’d woken tired and irritable and when we arrived at the site, I wasn’t much improved. The site was not what I had imagined, which will teach me to use my imagination, and really not that suitable for RVs and for a comfortable stay not really possible. The water dump and singular fresh water tap were down the tight access road to the site, so effectively blocking it whilst getting water on and off. This disgruntled the German couple who just grunted when I apologised and said it may be some while. Obviously not used to using their legs, they couldn’t bring themselves to park their car up and walk the 200 metres to their caravan and collect it when I was done, so sat glowering at me whilst the water dribbled into the tank. Paul, the owner, had pointed out a nice enough plot for us to park up on but right next to a middle-agish couple who seemed to think everyone wanted to hear their prog-rock cd collection. Things were not looking good and our first impressions put us off the place – again. It’s true what they say about first impressions and try as we might to keep an open mind and give places a second chance, those impressions last. We couldn’t even get onto our designated pitch, the gap between the bushes was too narrow, so we just parked up on a slope and decided we wouldn’t be staying. That night, all we could hear was the rumble of goods trains in the valley below. Its fate was sealed. So, we went from thinking we’d be there for a week or more to one night. So where to? Luxembourg! Route planned, we went to bed.

Got up to a sunny morning and went for a shower in the excellent facilities. It’s a shame about the site not really being suitable as it’s in a great location and really quite nice and the miserable Germans and prog-rock groupies were only visitors. Paul is a very cheerful, larger than life character and really helpful. I’d recommend it to anyone and would go back in something smaller, like a tent! We were on the road for 11am, for a two-and-a-half hour journey to Luxembourg. Half way there, Amanda’s reading the Caravan Club book and notices that the maximum length of motorhome permitted in the country is 8 metres. So, at 10.5m, we’re nearly three over then so we won’t be getting in! Plan b/ii/1a. If Luxembourg doesn’t want us, who does. France. Let’s go home! Decided to head for Metz and seeing as how we couldn’t go through Luxembourg, we decided to take the motorway via Saarbrüken. It was heavy rain and I was getting tired so Amanda was looking at a half-way stop off point and came up with Reinsfeld. We seem to have struck gold. It’s a lovely, quiet site, very big with a lake and loads of activities, a bar and restaurant, shop etc and very friendly staff. We’re all by ourselves here on a pitch so can just chill out. Looking at the info, there’s a lot to explore around here, so may just do that. So what was going to be a stop-over may just become a week long stay before heading to Dusseldorf.

Monday, September 08, 2008

And so it turned out to be! To be honest we didn’t do much but walk, sleep and eat. We did get the bus into Trier for an all too brief day visit. Trier sits on the Moselle River not far from Luxembourg, in the fertile and temperate Pfalz Rheinland region of Germany. Its location made it very attractive to the Romans, who developed a small settlement into one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries after the birth of Christ. The wealth of history that exudes from Trier makes for a fascinating place to visit.

Those who know me are fully aware that I am not a lover of cities; even small towns make me nervous when I lose sight of fields, hills and cows. But there are a few exceptions to the rule; Prague and York are two that spring easily to mind and now I can add Trier to their number. There is a vibrant, happy feel to the place. The tourism is obvious but not ‘in your face’, the town has an eclectic mix of shops and eateries and joy of all joys, the whole of the old town centre is completely pedestrianised. I immediately felt safe and relaxed and ready to do some serious sightseeing. A word of advice at this point – wear your most comfortable shoes as you’re going to cover some ground! The distance between all the main attractions is not great but there are so many distractions along the way, unless you are highly disciplined (I’m not) you’ll be wearing the soles out of your favourite loafers.

Start if you can at the Porta Nigra. This impressive entrance gate survived more or less complete as at a later stage of its life it was incorporated into a church, now removed to show the gate in all its glory. From here you can look down the medieval street into the Market Place and the church of St Gangolf behind. The Porta is breathtakingly stunning and built on an immense scale. You can say this about Roman architects; they thought big. ‘Right lads, were going to build a ruddy great gateway. Now I want the stone blocks big, around six tonnes each will do. Oh, and no mortar, we’ll stick it all together with iron rivets. OK? Go on then, off you trot’. You really do have to see it to believe the size of each stone. During its life as a church, religious reliefs were carved into the walls of the Porta, some dating back to the C11th. Beautiful and ancient in their own right, you suddenly realise that the building was already nearly a thousand years old when they were carved. If you are lucky enough, you may find a Centurion keeping guard in the area, just to remind you.

Another reason for starting at the Porta Nigra is that the Tourist Information office is right next door, so you can get all the literature you need to make your way around the city. If you don’t want to have the bother of reading, there’s an English-speaking tour that leaves each day at 2pm from just outside. We discovered this as we were having a rather fine lunch at a neighbouring restaurant, so missed it. There’s also the town museum that is well worth a look, especially if you hire one of those radio guides of which modern day museums are so fond. We discovered a lot of the old town had been destroyed in the last war; it’s amazing how well it’s been restored. It was here also we discovered that a ticket may be purchased that allows entry to all five of the Roman attractions for €6.20, a ticket that is valid for a year from the day of issue. It includes, as a bonus, two out of town visits to a medieval chapel and a Roman villa. It’s the kind of outstanding value that appeals to Yorkshireman in me. Entry to the town museum and the Rhein Landesmuseum, where all the Roman artefacts are on display, is extra.

Replete from lunch we headed towards the delightful marketplace, bubbling with activity from the traders and tourists. The narrow, half-timbered houses are a joy and there’s a lot to take in. Sit by St. Peter’s Fountain and just soak in the atmosphere. A handful of the buildings dating to the early C13th were originally required to be defensive. You can see a slightly low 1st floor window that is actually the front door with access originally being made by ladder. Made me wonder how that would be negotiated if the noble merchant was coming home in the early morning after a night out with the lads at the Frog & Groat. I struggle with the front step of the motorhome.

From the square, you can fork off to the right for the Barbarathermen, once the largest bathing facilities in the Roman empire, the Thermen am Viehmarkt, which is more or less right in the heart of the old town or the Kaiserthermen. We struck off in this direction, as just beyond is the Amphitheatre. The Kaiserthermen is again built to gigantic scale and a section of the wall still survives to a height of 19m (62’). These baths were built not only relaxation but as a meeting place of the Emperor and his cohorts. It’s mesmerising, not least for the fact that the underground network of service tunnels survived intact.

Running out of time for the day we scooted up to the Amphitheatre. It deserves the capital letter as yet again the level of preservation is astounding, despite the fact that it was used by the townsfolk as a quarry in later years. The arena is surrounded by a 4m high wall, beyond which 18,000 people could sit and cheer the carnage they witnessed before them. Beneath the arena is the area where combatants waited for their turn to face death in the name of entertainment. Two millennia later, you could still feel the atmosphere of fear. Sitting high on the bank looking down I couldn’t help but ponder on the differences of culture. But not for long as it was time to hobble back for the bus back to base.

We only scratched the surface of Trier. To do the city justice a good three full days or longer would be needed especially if, like us, you also like to sample the culinary delights on offer or sit and watch the world go by with a coffee. There are so many facets and periods of history to explore beyond the obvious Roman element that a week would probably still not do it. We enjoyed the relaxed, friendly feel, the fashionistas parading this year’s styles, the buildings and history, the food and the quirkiness of the back street boutiques. For me it rivals the best York and Prague have to offer and we will certainly be back. And within the year; the Yorkshireman in me will remind me we still have four attractions left on our ticket.

On one fine morning, the sun shone and showed up all the muck and grime on Floozie2, so I decided it was time she had a bath. Not too bad a task with a long handled brush, a hose and a bottle of Fenwicks Motorhome Cleaner. Good stuff that! Did the roof too; found a small hole where something heavy had dropped on it. Soon sorted with sealant. She sparkled in the sunlight, ready for her debut at Dusseldorf. Our time at an end at Reinsfeld, we reflected on the lovely area and friendly people. It’s a rural agricultural place and I think that always shows in the mentality and the way the locals approach life. They’re a lot more welcoming and including and even after only a few days we were being recognised and spoken to. I like that. The site is lovely despite management issues and red squirrels were aplenty. We will definitely go back.

DUSSELDORF CARAVAN SALON.

I have to start with a confession, well two actually. The first is that I have, for most of my adult life, been a confirmed motorhome anorak; a camper nerd if you will. The second is that I have never been to the Dusseldorf Salon, the Mecca for all motorhome nuts like me. Quite why I have never reasoned but it was with a thrill of nerdy excitement that I pulled off the A44 into the Messe – straight into a long queue of motorhomes. They were being marshalled, with true German efficiency, onto their camping places. There are overhead gantries to guide you into the right lane. ‘Mit Strom’ (with electricity) or ‘Ohne Strom’ (without). No choice this time; you have to get there very early to catch that particular worm and all the 800 electric hook-ups had been taken. Never mind, there were still another 2500 pitches without. Parked up nose to tail in long tree-lined rows we were soon sharing a friendly ‘Guten Tag’ with our neighbours. We paid our dues for three nights, were given the necessary papers for person and window of motorhome, and settled in.

It can’t be said that it’s quiet. The camping place is right under the flight path of Dusseldorf airport, which is next door, so you get a good view of the aircraft as they fly only feet above your head; a double whammy if you’re also an airplane spotter. Also, a marshal was sat in his truck giving instructions over a tanoy to annoy. What ever happened to the personal one to one element of these events? Fortunately he drove off to bark instructions somewhere else so we were left in relative peace for a bit. The planes stopped at midnight until about five in the morning too and the night was blissfully silent.

I didn’t sleep. Like a child before Christmas I was too excited at meeting all the elves that were responsible for making all my favourite toys. A courtesy shuttle bus takes you to the Messe and it’s a good ten-minute journey without stops. I bought two-day tickets at the kiosk, thereby gaining a significant saving (more to spend on goodies) and at the stroke of ten the assembled masses swarmed into the halls. What a sight to behold! Lots of shiny new models and smiling shrewd salespeople to persuade you to part with your pension plan. I was having flashbacks to the Santa grottos of my childhood.

We had decided to take a quick tour through all the halls to get our bearings and mark out what we’d go back and see. All was going to plan until we hit hall seven with the big boys’ toys and came to an abrupt halt. Hall seven is the hall where, if you signed on the dotted line, you would not escape with change out of £150k. Indeed, on the Volkner stand there was a Volvo coach conversion with slide out garage amidships that would stand you to the tune of €1.7m if you could hold the pen stable long enough to write your name. Oh, and the car displayed with it was another €109k and no, they wouldn’t throw it in with the deal. I asked.

Coming down from the dizzy heights of cloud cuckoo land, there were offerings from Concorde, Neismann & Bischoff, Vario and a name new to me, Phoenix. The way this company bolts vehicles together is just remarkable and the result is a range of particularly nice motorhomes with some intriguing and spacious layouts. Price? About €250k+

Needing food and drink after a hard couple of hours of dreaming, we retired to one of the numerous cafes for a coffee and cake. My wallet heaved a sigh of relief as it realised that was all it had to buy, then thought it had actually bought a new ‘van when it came to pay. Boy, do they know how to charge for naff coffee! Be warned it’s not cheap. Lunch was also expensive, but to be fair it was actually quite good, so the Yorkshireman in me only grumbled a little bit.

Suitably fortified, we hit the technical stands to see what trends were showing for the coming year. It’s fascinating to see the industry following domestic trends for décor and appliances and how there’s a company somewhere producing all the doors, windows, lights or even body panels. I swear you could have custom built your own unique motorhome from all the bits displayed there. I didn’t see anything that was a major revelation but I’d say motorhomes of the near future and going to look even slicker than they do now. Expect soft closing kitchen drawers on high line models and central air conditioning courtesy of a reasonably priced unit from Truma.

Finally, there was the accessories hall where you can shop ‘til you drop. A bewildering array of awnings (caravanners are in for a treat with some very fine new designs), gadgets and as always some chap demonstrating how his polish is the best you’ll ever use. We managed to resist and headed for the bus back to base. That evening we heard music playing in the distance and on investigation found that the camping area had its own bar, food court and entertainment marquee all adding up to a fine evening of conviviality.

Without question, the Dusseldorf Salon is an must see event even if its only to marvel at the sheer scale of it. The manufacturers must spend a king’s ransom on building their stands and customer hospitality suites, let alone the amount of carpet and laminate flooring that goes down. Hymer had the whole of one hall to themselves, fully carpeted. Hobby had real grass and flowerbeds surrounding each of their vehicles!

One of the most noticeable things to me was the fact that motorhomes are growing bigger and bigger. I am the proud owner of a 35’ Winnebago and I’m used to being the big boy on the block, but those days are numbered if what I saw was anything to go by. Sure, you can still buy a nice little compact, but the trend does seem to be ‘bigger is better’. Nearly all the major players are building motorhomes that are on nodding terms with 30’ of length and 7.5 tonnes in weight. The Iveco chassis is very much in evidence as it’s easy to cutomise with air suspension and levelling jacks. Another chassis gaining popularity is the MAN 8.18. This can be downrated to 7.5 tonnes at the sacrifice of payload, but likely as not it’ll be 8.8 tonnes. Book your LGV test soon! Frankia for one were displaying a 9m coach on this chassis whilst Concorde had a number of coaches of a dimension you’d expect to come from over the pond in the USA. I think it’s brave of these companies to be spending huge sums of money to develop and produce motorhomes of such stature and expense in the face of the prevailing economic climate. I spoke to a number of exhibitors who all said the same thing; it’s quiet this year. Whatever the outcome, these ‘all bells and whistles’ motorhomes are literally a big step in luxury and home from home living. I did just wonder though; with this trend for larger vehicles, how will the campsites cope?

As always at these shows I like to have a wander around the campground to see what people have got, have a natter and swap stories. There were probably about a thousand units parked up and what struck me most was that the majority were less than five years old and a good number of them pretty new. So maybe the industry can weather the storm, who knows?

After two days, the anorak in me was more or less satisfied and we headed away into our sunset again happy that we had finally made our way to Mecca. We were also happy that of all the vehicle we saw, there wasn’t one we’d swap Floozie2 for. She is home. We did managed to get a lot of things sorted for upgrades. We have chosen a replacement awning for the one that was ruined earlier this year and also found a company that will make a custom built porch awning that we can use in harsh winter conditions, so that’s being designed as we speak. It will be a boon, as we found we traipsed a lot of snow or mud or general wetness into the van and made a real mess last winter. Now all the nasties can stay outside. The main awning will also have front and sides to make into an outside room, as if we need the space!

I also found a producer of high line invertors that means that we will have a unit that will, using batteries, boost our electrical power if we’re on a site with a low amperage hook-up. So no more not being able to use the air-con etc. Coupled to a solar panel or two and or a wind generator, we could actually be independent of the national grid altogether. The unit was reasonably priced compared to rival brands, sweetened by a 20% discount. All in all, a very productive trip.

We made our way, via a circuitous route to France. Having programmed the satnav and doing what I said I would never do – not check the route – Amanda said ‘this road takes us through Luxembourg’ OK says I which way then? So we head north, stop for a drink, I look at the map. ‘Darling, the area’s Limburg, not Luxemburg (L/burg as she’d read it!) Mind you I was as daft; I should have realised that Luxemburg was 250km south. Anyway, we looped back round and what should have taken half an hour took two. Then in Antwerp we had an exact repeat of Rouen. A sign on the motorway had a an exploding car on it that we took to be you can’t take LPG into the tunnel. Problem is you come off the road and there’s no diversion or sign of how to get through. We worked something out, but not without getting all stressed out by it.

Finally got to Gravelines and pitched up here at the Camping les Dunes in Petit Port Phillipe. Sweet town with a lovely square. Gravelines is built on an old naval fort and is fascinating. Pooch has to go to the vet there on Thursday, so we are going to hire a radio guide from the tourist info and have a wander round. This last weekend, there was a fete to celebrate the liberation of the town at the end of WW2. A group of enthusiasts set up a camp displaying mostly American vehicles, tents and equipment. We took it that it was the Americans that were the ones to liberate the town. There was also a fair (I won two more teddies to add to the collection on the dashboard) as well as a Brocante (antiques sale) actually it was more a car boot sale, but enjoyable non the less.

And so it came to pass that our adventure in Europe has come to an end for this trip. We have been here just four months and done 2200 miles and had a great time. We really look at our trip to the UK as a bit of a break from the trip rather than coming home. More and more we feel home is in France.

Last one for now

By far the best band at the fest was Ouiches Lorenes from Paris. Terrific musicians!

Getting the hang of videos!

One of the Rheinfall in Neuhaussen, Switzerland. Mighty powerful, mighty impressive!

Going to try uploading some videos

Wish me luck!

Think I might have done it. this is one of the more original bands from the Fete des Bandas in Rochechouart earlier this year and one of the many reasons we enjoyed the weekend so much.

Loads of new photos!

Click on the link right!

An update at last!

This will be a marathon getting-up-to-date session as there’s about three weeks worth of stuff to get down. It has been a hectic whirl of sightseeing and socialising in Switzerland and now we’re about to embark on the same in Germany at Neckargemund where we are staying at the moment. Neckargemund lies on the river Neckar not far from Heidleberg. Our friends Ingo and Ilka, along with their four children live here. They were guests of ours at Rowleth End and became firm friends there. We have already enjoyed one evening of their hospitality!

But first, some events of the recent past.

TOSCA

When I left you last we were on our way to Tosca in Bregenz. We got to the huge Seecamping site and asked where we could drop our toilet and waste water. Down the drains marked with a circle, I asked. Yes was the reply from the lad on reception. So I did, only to be advised by an irate owner that I couldn’t. I explained that I had specifically asked and had been told it was OK, he said I should have asked at reception.! As far as I was concerned, the lad I spoke to was reception and if he didn’t know, he should have asked. Not the best start to our stay then. They had to get a tanker in to clear whatever it was I did drop my tanks into. Hey-ho, I’ll know for next time.

Found one of the few shady pitches on site and got hooked up and sorted out. As always, we drew a crowd. It was hot and getting hotter, so the shade offered by the trees was most welcome. We had started a new row on the camping and by teatime, it was full. Amazing the number of people and units there were. Also amazing was just how quiet it was in spite of the numbers. Everyone was very respectful and played music or TVs at a very low level. Mostly all you could hear was the buzz of animated conversation and it made for a very convivial atmosphere.

The evening drew near and we got dressed up in our glad rags (for the first time in ages – felt very strange!) and headed off along the lovely path into Bregenz to find a restaurant before heading to the opera. The network of paths and cycleways around the whole of Lake Constance is just brilliant and it would be easy to spend a holiday cycling around the lake and hardly every have to use a road. Anyway, not too far from the campsite we came across a yacht club restaurant overlooking a marina. It appeared very smart and as we were wearing clothes to match, we thought hang the expense, we’ll eat here. It turned out to be a wise move as (a) it was inexpensive and (b) it was the best meal we’d had in a very long time and we were looked after like royalty. To give you some idea of the level of service, we ordered a single started to share. The waitress looking after us had limited English to my limited German so brought a younger colleague across to explain that rather than one plate, they would split it to make two. When it came, it was beautiful and looked more like two complete starters than one shared! To go to all that trouble was just brilliant and whole meal ran that way. We will go back there when we head to the opera in future years.

And so to the main event (unusual in that it wasn’t the meal!) We entered the outdoor auditorium to be faced by the most spectacular stage set. An immense backdrop with a stage that sloped forward, with a section folded like canvas into the lake. The seats border the lake, the stage actually sits in the lake on stilts. The place holds about 4000 people and it was full. The performance began. I’m not a huge fan of opera but I enjoy the spectacle if not the singing. And this was all spectacle! The stage was truly amazing in that it revolved, twisted and turned as the performance went on. A triumph of engineering and I loved it. Amanda said that the singers were pretty good too, and she has a much better idea than me! All was not plain sailing however. Just in one of the very quiet, passionate arias, the lakeside ducks decided to join in with their own chorus. Must be a first for any diva – to be upstaged by a duck! To their credit, the audience were very restrained in their giggling. All in all it was a brilliant night.

The following day we wandered into Bregenz. It didn’t have much to offer and we had yet another second rate lunch, after which we called it quits and headed back to Floozie2.

BACK TO NEUHAUSSEN

Sunday, 27 July. Headed back to Neuhaussen on the north side of Lake Constance. Had a good run and parked up in a lay-by near Uberlingen. There was an American car show on in town and we saw a lot of really nice Yank-tanks passing by. There was a knock on the door. The driver of the lorry parked behind had sliced his finger open quite badly on a knife. Although the bleeding had stopped, he didn’t have anything to cover the wound so I gave him half a box of plasters to sort him out. Next thing, to say thanks, he had the back of his lorry open and reached out to hand me two punnets of grapes! His artic truck was crammed with them, all packaged, labelled and bound for Tesco. The driver was from Greece, he’d picked the grapes up in Italy, he expected to be in Ghent that night, before heading to the Tesco distribution centre the next day. What a tough life these drivers have. This one was a really nice guy.

Arrived back at the Rheinfall Stellplatz to be greeted by Hans-Peter and a guy who opened a barrier in the far end of the car park to let us in. The normal way is just a wee bit tight and fortunately for us H-P has contacts. In fact, he knows so many people, I’m wondering if he’s not the godfather of some Neuhaussen Mafia! The car parking attendants really were pleasant helpful people and present nearly all the time to help other campers. We left Floozie2 and went up to the house where we met Neil & Tobi from Devon. Neil & Tobi met H-P and Uli the year after we did, when they were neighbours on a camp site in Biarritz. It was the time H-P had a scooter accident and ended up in hospital. Neil & Tobi helped sort everything out and collected H-P and the remains of his scooter when he came out of hospital. We figured they would be nice people and we weren’t wrong. They are a great couple and in the course of the next week we had a great time with them. (If you’re reading this, cheers guys!)

THE FARMHOUSE

Hans-Peter and Uli have an old farmhouse perched on a hill overlooking Lake Brienz, near Interlaken in the Alps and we found ourselves there the following day. It stands on its own in a field and it’s a good ten minute walk to get to it once the car has been parked at the end of a farm track. There is no electricity, just cold water which comes off the mountain, a kitchen and two bedrooms, one of which is the old hay loft. Outside is a covered platform built into the steeply sloping hillside on which is a huge table with benches running down each side, which is where we spent our days and candlelit evenings eating and chatting. The view to the lake and mountains beyond were enchanting and ever-changing. One of the best locations I have ever been to.

In time we were joined by Uli, Rene (their son) and Neil and Tobi’s friends Chris and Ali to make a complement of nine and two dogs to see in the Swiss National Day on the 1st August. This culminated in a huge firework display from the lake just below us. A barge is sailed up the lake and it stops at the ferry quays at each town and they set off the fireworks for a very impressive display. Shortly before that, somebody let over a hundred candles set in red plastic holders onto the lake so that little red dots floated in the current beneath the fireworks. It was magical.

Except not so for Pooch. He hates load bangs and fireworks are his least favourite. He’d spent all day charging up and down the hill barking at the kids setting off firecrackers and the display was enough to send him over the top. Poor lad was beside himself and it took ages to clam him down. He was exhausted, yet still feisty. He does belie his 12 years sometimes. However, it really wasn’t good for him and we will have to think twice before going into a situation like that again. He would literally keep going until he dropped, I’m sure. Poor lad.

During the day we had been to Interlaken on a boat. There’s a restored paddle steamer which plies the waters, and we were lucky enough to ride on her to Interlaken. We thought we’d do it in style, so went first class (upper deck, waiter service) and sipped champagne (fizzy wine). It was a lovely experience and appealed to the heart of Amanda’s idea of romance! In Interlaken, we watched the National Day parade, which was really good, despite the rain, which started soon after the parade did. I was amused to see a chap with a spade following the cows and goats at the front of the parade, clearing up any unwanted deposits. Wonderful efficiency I thought, until I saw the chap being followed by cavalry on horseback, dropping far more than the cows and goats together and with no one behind them to clear up! Ooops, thought I, that’s not quite gone to plan has it? Immediately behind the horses was the marching band and to watch them sidestepping all the horse crap was a joy to behold. I must say, they did it in style!

After watching gymnasts, local attractions, fire crews and costumes past and present, we scooted for the boat back, pausing only to buy a cuckoo clock (it had to be done) and a monster ice cream each, eaten on the hoof as we scurried back to the quayside.

We didn’t see much of Interlaken, but what we did see we liked. It grew up around the British Victorian need for a holiday resort and the architecture and feel of the place reflects that. It feels “genteel” and out of season I’m sure would be a fine place to go. In season, it’s just a wee bit too crowded for the country bumpkin in me. We certainly want to go back.

THE JUNGFRAUJOCH

“The Top of Europe!” the tourist blurb announces. It sure felt like it at 3,571m (11,782) The last time I got to that height was in Nepal and it took me days to get there. Here, you take the train! Back in the early 1900s, some enterprising bods decided it would be a great idea to carve a railway tunnel through the heart of the Eiger, popping out at a visitors station just a few hundred meters below some of the highest peaks in Europe. It’s an amazing feat of engineering.

We boarded the first train of the day from Gridlewald to Kleine Scheidegg with Hans-Peter and Pooch, then on to the top on our own. It wasn’t too busy; a smart move as the later trains were crowded and the top a seething mass of visitors (many Chinese) by the time we came back down. As it was, we felt we almost had the place to ourselves. Mind you, we did have to get up at 5am to get the first train at 7.03 from Grindlewald!

But boy was it worth it! The sky was clear, the sun warm in the chill 3C air and the views magnificent. From the top of the observation tower is an almost 360 degree panorama that is quite breath taking. We could see climbers coming down from their early morning summit of Mönch (4107m) and others making their way up the Jungfrau (4158m). The air was thin and crystal clear and we had to move slowly as above 3000m, oxygen is a bit more rare! We visited the Ice Palace, a network of tunnels carved out of the glacier, with ice sculptures along the way. Bit like being in Santa’s grotto! The ice on the walls was so smooth it felt like plastic and the floors like marble!

Huskies! For 8 francs, we could have a husky ride, once around a fairly small oval track in the glacial snow, but it had to be done. We had a good talk with the husky’s owner and it was fascinating listening to him. Apparently, these huskies are quite rare (they’re not Siberian) and the breeding lines are now so tight that every dog is fairly closely related to the other. Quite what that means for the future I don’t know. Anyhow, we were introduced to the pack and had a good fuss of all the dogs. They are fine with humans, we were told, not so with other little dogs. Good job Pooch stayed behind then. The first few times around the lead dog kept cutting the last corner and had to be told off. Then he was demoted when he did it again! By the time our turn came, they’d more or less got the idea. Good fun, lovely animals.

We headed back down to meet up with H-P just after midday, fighting against the packed hordes of coach tourists. We found him sat with Pooch near a bar and we then set off for a nice little amble down the mountain and in the shadow of the Eiger. We looked but couldn’t see anyone attempting the fearsome North Face. We walked to Alpiglen, then took the train back to Gridlewald to end the day. It was whilst we were making our way down that Hans-Peter confessed that whilst he’d had Pooch in his care, he’d let him off the lead. They had passed a restaurant whose automatic doors opened as Pooch passed by. He was straight inside and straight into the kitchen! H-P chased him around the kitchen 3 times, much to the horror and bemusement of the three chefs! Ever the opportunist that dog!

Our day on the Jungfrau was magical and is a must for anyone going to Switzerland. The scenery is stunning and Grindlewald is picture postcard perfect. You half expect to see Heidi skipping down a hillside. I can only recommend that you go out of season as the crowds can be stifling. As we were leaving we took one last look at the mountains, only to see a light half way up the Eiger. There was someone up there after all!


Another excursion took us to an old military gun emplacement. As usual, I have managed to lose all the info I had on the place, but it is situated near Faulensee. It was constructed to defend Switzerland in the Second World War, and was decommissioned only in the late nineties and given over to an enthusiasts group to run as a tourist attraction. What is amazing about the place is that you would never have known that there were four gun emplacements there. The whole thing was built to look like a hamlet, with each gun in a barn or a ‘house’ all interlinked by a network of tunnels. Apparently, if the need arose, some 45+ personnel would be able to survive down there for 3 months or more. The guns (105mm) were never fired from their location, although had they been used, they had a range of 23km. What made this all the more remarkable was that there were dozens more secret locations like this decommissioned at the same time, many carved deep into the mountains. The Swiss have always been known for their engineering and I know why now. It was really interesting.

Our time near Interlaken came to an end and we were driven home via a couple of the big passes, Grimselpass and Furkapass. At Furkapass there is a glacier with a tunnel carved into it, so naturally we thought we’d take a peak. It was a sorry sight. The glacier is receding rapidly, taking the tunnel with it. Apparently, 10cm (4”) disappears each day. There are markers showing where the entrance used to be in previous years and it brings home just how much the climate is being affected at the moment. There were people on the glacier doing tests whilst we were there. As a tourist attraction, it doesn’t have long, reflected in the down-at-heel feel to the buildings and the hotel opposite. All very sad.

Our time in Switzerland was amazing and I’ve only highlighted the major events here. Hans-Peter and Uli looked after us like royalty and we had the best guide ever in Hans-Peter. We’re hoping to do the same for them one day in the UK. There, it’s in writing now guys, you have t go!

GERMANY

We arrived in Neckargemund on Thursday 7th July and got set up. Very nice riverside site with friendly, helpful and understanding owners. There’s pleasure boats and huge commercial barges passing by all the time, the backdrop is wooded hills and the old town of Neckargemund is within a short stroll of the camping. The one downside is traffic noise from nearby main roads, but you get used to it. Thankfully it’s quiet at night.

We’d were settling down to a cup of tea in the evening when in the near distance I could hear a voice singing the Swaledale Hymn, which was suddenly joined by its owner, our friend Ingo. The wine was uncorked and we sat and chatted and made plans. To explain, Ingo & Ilka and their 4 children were guests of ours at Rowleth End and have been going to Swaledale nearly every year for fifteen years. Ingo probably knows the place better than a lot of the locals and has a passionate love affair with the place. Understandable, I know! I’m pretty sure he’d live there given the chance! Anyhow, we became friends and an offer was extended to visit them near Heidelberg. When the guesthouse was sold, we were on the phone straight away!

So far we’ve had some lovely, relaxed suppers in a house full of kids (lots of friends always around!) and trying to learn a bit more German, which is quite good with kids. Mattis, the youngest at four, seems to have taken a shine to me and we have a lot of fun. He’s a cheeky little monkey, as is Emily. Nellie is 12 and growing up fast and Leander isn’t happy unless he’s running. He’s the mischief maker. In all it makes for a manic and entertaining time and is quite wonderful. They are lovely kids, energetic and creative, loving and inquisitive and a credit to Ingo & Ilka. Yes, this really is me saying I like kids!! Well these kids, anyway.

That more or less brings us up to date. Phew. Plans for the next week are open air performances of My Fair Lady and Carmen, trips to castles and vineyards and whatever else Ingo thinks up for us. Great fun and again, we have great guides and friends. We truly are very lucky people.

HEIDELBERG

Tough one this as there’s a real love hate thing for us with Heidelberg. To start with it’s a city, so for us not a good start. I guess everything starts with first impressions and that’s where it all went wrong for Heidelberg. It started with the surly, unhelpful bus driver when I smiled and asked in my best ropey German for a 24 hour ticket. I might as well have asked for the moon. Then in Heidelberg I asked another bus driver for directions to the tourist information office. ‘Behind’ he grunted, pointing beyond a waiting tram and turned on his heel. OK then, best take Pooch for a pee in the green space by the bus/tram station before heading over there to get our info. Recumbent drunks, noisy drunks, used tampons (I know, unsavoury but I gotta tell it like it is) litter, empty booze bottles and broken versions of the same. After Pooch took an unhealthy interest in the aforementioned tampon, we moved on to find the info office. There wasn’t one. There was only the tram office. So I went in and the nice lady there told me where it was. It didn’t seem to be anywhere near the main tourist area which seemed odd. It was two days before we happened upon the office down by the riverside at the lower end of the Old Town. There wasn’t a single signpost directing tourists to it. Hmmm.

I managed to get hold of a street map. To be honest, we were ready to get back on the bus and go home but we’ve had our first impressions proved wrong before, so we opened our minds and headed into the old town. It was Saturday and crowded, so to gird our loins we had cake and coffee in a side street café. Good coffee, great cake, but the pavement beneath the chair and tables seemed to be paved with cigarette butts. A visit to the loos showed that there was a running battle with graffiti ‘artists’ and damage done by ‘piss’ artists. As we wandered around in the next few hours, we tried very hard to like Heidelberg but it was scruffy, strewn with drunks and the tourist areas, which could have been nice, were unkempt and were again paved with fag ends, broken glass and empty bottles and decorated with graffiti. It is such a shame about the ‘presentation’ as Heidelberg has a lot to offer. The old town architecture is good and in some cases quite remarkable and the narrow lanes ramble away from the main street in a very charming way. The old castle, perched overlooking the city, is a romantic masterpiece in red sandstone and looks great lit at night. A funicular railway will take you up to it from the old town, then further up to a viewing area (complete with hotel/restaurant) giving an astounding view of Heidelberg and the Rhine valley beyond. Two of the churches, the Jesuit and the Heilligeist (in the main market square) are an interesting and successful mix of old and modern. We caught a visiting organist practising on the organ at the latter church and it was quite something. So too was the Gregorian chant version of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms we’d heard on the sound system there earlier. A trip into town in the evening with Ingo gave us a different insight as we were squirreled off to hideaway wine cellars and coffee shops. It all felt somewhat better, even on a rainy night, and knocked the hardened edge off our opinion of the place. Even the ubiquitous Irish Pub, a place I’d normally avoid, looked welcoming and had live Irish music wafting on to the street.

Getting around is easy too, with a regular tram and bus service. €8.50 bought us a 24 hour travel ticket for up to 5 people. The trams and trains are bright, clean and surprisingly free of the unwanted attentions of aerosol paint wielding numpties. They’re a pleasure to travel on, unless of course you have to deal with the driver! A trip on the river is a must too as that gives a different perspective of things and of course you sail past one of Steffi Graf’s houses on the way.

On balance, we went to Heidelberg on the wrong day and in the wrong frame of mind. We were tired and not really in the mood for a city which exacerbated things. If you look beyond the mess, it is a fine place to be with history and culture aplenty. If you like traipsing around shops, it’s a good place too. Definitely worth a visit. http://www.e-heidelberg.com/

It’s when you get beyond Heidelberg that things improve. Head up the Nekar valley and there are the most charming towns and villages. Nekartsteinach has four castle perched side by side more or less in the hill overlooking the river. Local gentry occupy two and two are ruins which you can scramble over to your heart’s content, with super views over the countryside. All are connected by a wide forest track. It was misty and raining when we went and it all added to the fun and romance of the place. We had a fine lunch in the “Schiff” hotel and restaurant before heading back. There’s also Dilsberg, with a fine church and castle, perched on the hill above Nekarsteinach. It’s one of only four such hill towns in the area and was able to fend off the marauding hordes in the middle-ages, when all the rest of the towns fell. www.neckarsteinach.com/downloads/burgengeschichte_englisch.pdf

SCHWETZINGEN

Heading into the Rhein valley, just south of Mannheim is Schwetzingen with its castle and, more importantly, it’s gardens. They are stupendous, on a huge scale, and a must see. Laid out in the in the late C18th they have all you’d expect of a ‘cost no object’ exercise in lavishness – and more. There’s a sweet, opulent bathhouse, formal gardens, lakes, canals, fountains, freeform woodland walks contrasting with the formality of the rest of the garden, vistas, temples, romantic ruins, hidden views, the list is endless. The crowning glory is the huge ‘mosque’ complete with it’s own gardens. When you go, take a picnic, get there early and leave late. We were there over three hours and barely scratched the surface.

SPEYER

Speyer is nearby. A lovely town in itself, with a technology museum (Big Boeing 747 parked outside, can’t miss it!) sea life centre and museums, it is overshadowed by the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Speyer Cathedral. It’s a huge building and quite simple, especially inside which is surprisingly free of adornments, and that really adds to the impact. There is the vault beneath the altar which is an original part of the C12th church and is truly wonderful. Here also lie the tombs of the Kaisers from that period. Their tombstones are replacements but there are six original bishop’s tombs, with the most intricately carved, lead sealed stone coffins. Back in the main cathedral there are small chapels and a chapel of relics, all very interesting. Again, Speyer is a full-day-out must. http://www.speyer.de/de/tourist?switch_language=en

We were invited to a BBQ last night, hosted by the Nekargemund Green Party (who says we don’t mix in elevated circles. They had invited a bat expert along who gave an interesting talk on the subject of bats, which was translated by a nice chap called Wolfgang. They were all very kind to the strange English people who were there! It got me thinking about this travel thing – it’s amazing the experiences you can have when you get involved, rather than just being a tourist and looking from the sidelines. We will have to look to doing that more perhaps.

Lastly for now, a little more culture. Wednesday night saw us at Zwingenberg am Nekar, about 40 minutes’ drive up the valley, for a production of ‘My Fair Lady’ in the castle grounds. It was all part of the festival they hold here every year and we will be back there on Sunday to see ‘Carmen’. The stage has the seriously impressive and pretty castle as a backdrop (I was itching to look around but yet again it’s privately owned) and despite the unfortunate noise of the passing trains, the whole evening was great. Even though it was in German, we followed the story and sang along in English! The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain is replaced with something about Spain being greener when the flowers bloom. The German has the same linguistic challenge as the English. If I think on I’ll ask Ingo to write it down. We’re looking forward to Carmen on Sunday, when it’ll be just Ilka, Amanda and me going.

That brings us up to date on the happenings; hope you haven’t dozed off! We’re probably heading off middle of next week, quite possibly up the Rhein to the Lorely, near Koblenz.

Fete des Bandas

Friday 4th July. We left Parc Verger to move 18km down the road to Camping Le Meteorite in Rrochechouar for the music festival; the Fete des Bandas. A Banda is similar to a military marching band in instrumentation; brass, woodwind and percussion. It does march (loosely!) but the emphasis is on playing catchy tunes with as much noise and fooling around as possible. It is wholly infectious and you can’t help but get caught up in it all.

The weekend started, or was supposed to start, at 9pm with a concert by the Rochechouart Banda (a more understated affair – great band) in the courtyard of the fabulous Chateau. True to French form, it was well past 9.30 before kick off; when we arrived, the place was like a ghost town! The courtyard had been laid out like a Parisian show theatre with tables and chairs, candles and table service all in front of the stage. This was all because the second half of the show was a “Spectacle de Music Hall” which promised to give us an “unforgettable evening of beauty, charm, grace, splendid costumes, warm lights and evocative music” involving lots of chorus girls in feathers! Which is more or less what we got. The troupe was obviously a young dance school – few were over 20 - and they danced to backing track music and a great light show. Whilst they weren’t exactly professional, they did make a pretty good job of it (there were several funny moments with costume problems- the cat’s tails being one of the best!) and what they lacked in polish, they certainly made up for in stamina. They were on and off stage for two-and-a-half hours in a show that involved at least twenty (fabulous) costume changes. It was past one in the morning when they finished.

One or two of the dancers stood out, some for all the wrong reasons. There were only four guys to the twenty odd girls and one of them was a stocky bald headed lad who looked like a very camp Al Murray (the ‘Pub Landlord’ comedian) who pouted his way around the stage. The leader of the troupe was an attractive older lady who Amanda thought was nearly her age. I reckon that’s a bit uncharitable and she was more mine. Whatever, she had a killer body, especially in the very tight costumes!! There was one young girl who moved well and managed to smile throughout the show, which most were unable to do as they were concentrating on the next move or watching the girl next door to get their placing, so our eyes naturally followed her.

In between the dancing there were two young singers. The lad, Sebastian, was an old hand with a great voice. His stage presence would have suited a 50 year old lounge singer better, but there was no denying his talent. He was overshadowed however by Marion, who was making her debut. She was a hot babe who moved with the grace of a dancer (actually better than the dancers themselves!), which would have been quite enough for me. But when she sang, blimey! Hell of a range and she would have sung most of today’s so-called pop stars off the stage. She was quite mesmeric. She and Seb sang duets and the pair of them had great harmony. It was a joy to watch them both, despite the material they were singing (typical old fashioned French stuff). We walked home very happy and having enjoyed a terrific evening of music, song, dance and champagne!

Saturday started at 3pm. We arrived in the square expecting to watch the show band “Blue Lions” in the Chateau square. Wrong again! No, they were off around the town like everybody else! There were about ten bands doing a circuit of the town, stopping off at various points to do a few tunes. We sat in bars or cafes to watch and it was interesting when one band arrived at a place to find another already playing. The resulting ‘tune’ was interesting! The Blue Lions caught up with us, so we eventually saw them. They were a formation marching band and very, very good. There were four bass drum players, each drum a different pitch and they could play with such precision it sounded as though it was one person playing them.

We were really enjoying the music and the town, when it suddenly dawned on us. If you were to take away the bands, there’d be hardly anybody there. We just couldn’t get over how poorly attended this great event was. Was it a lack of interest, or the general “quietness” that seems to be around at the moment. Whatever, we couldn’t understand anyone wanting to miss out on this!

There were a couple of other Bandas that were a bit different, more “street music”. The best of these was a band called “L’aile ou la cuisee” (the wing or the leg) who interacted with the crowd and had a lad singing through a megaphone. There was a brilliant trad jazz band and a group playing African drums but the best of the lot was Ouish Lorraine (yes it’s an ‘O’ not a ‘Q’!). They were a combo from Paris with a repertoire so varied it would be impossible to place them. They did a unique version of Brittany Spears’ Toxic! I didn’t hear them play the same piece twice in 12 hours, and they were playing a good while of that. And you couldn’t stop them. After they’d done one stint after the other on the two stages around the Chateau, I found them at the bar, jamming. Totally brilliant musicians, the drummer left me speechless (and wishing I practiced more and had such an innate sense of rhythm!) The music just went on and on. It was also busier in the evening and as the music played, we ate a repas of moules & frites in a big marquee.

We capitulated at half one in the morning and walked back to the camping under a star lit night, as the music washed down from the town.

Sunday. Up early-ish and very sleepy after the late night to get to town for ten and the restart of festivities. It was the big competition; the Bandas were playing for the big prize – a very heavy replica of the lion carved into the Chateau wall. We got to the square – nothing and hardly anyone about! Ah well, we have yet to learn about the leisurely approach the French have to timekeeping.

Eventually we heard sounds of playing from the town centre so wandered up. It was a repeat of yesterday, although it was now all Bandas and the other “fringe” bands had gone and new ones had come in. There were seven or eight bands and all were having a great time. The day went by with a lunch in the marquee, visiting the craft and produce stalls and voting for our favourite Banda. For me there was no competition – Banda Follet won hands down for sheer entertainment, especially from their band leader who was completely wired. I’ve never seen anyone with so much energy!! And the rest of the crowd obviously thought so too, as they won. After all the ceremony was over, all the bands struck up together; on stage, in the crowd, by the bar. It was a brilliant end to a brilliant weekend.

I took loads of video and hope to montage it together and post on YouTube with a link here. If I work out how to do all that! Then you’ll see what it was all about!

Rocky

Monday 7th July. Took Pooch out before returning the hire car. He found a small furry critter as his won’t but, despite the squeaking noises, the inevitable didn’t happen. When I looked, his quarry wasn’t a mouse or vole, but a tiny, tiny kitten. Black, eyes still closed, no more than a week old. Abandoned, although in good condition. There was no mother to be seen and no other kittens. I couldn’t make it out. Had Pooch disturbed the mother cat whilst she was taking the kitten somewhere and had she dropped it and ran? More likely it had been dumped as the area cried out as the type of place that would happen. But no siblings? Maybe they had already been taken by other creatures and this chap was the only one left. One thing was for certain; I couldn’t leave him there.

I wasn’t too keen on taking him back to the RV either as I knew what Amanda’s reaction would be. She would want to keep him. That however, was nigh on impossible as he would need constant care and then there’d be the problem of getting him to the UK in the Autumn. Which we couldn’t of course. Anyway, we went to the vet in Rochechouart; not much help. So we went to Oradour where we’d taken Pooch. They were more helpful, but said that there were no cat rescue places in the region and the SPA would not be interested. By now Amanda was too upset to continue and had to go back to the car. It was at that point a lovely lady who had brought her dog in for treatment said she would take him. I took one look at her and knew he’d be in good hands. And her little Yorkshire terrier was so lovely with the kitten. A happy ending to the story. I’m not sure what would have happened if she hadn’t taken him. Oh, who am I kidding, we’d have kept him wouldn’t we and worked around it. That’s what we’re like with animals. Daft as brushes. It would have made life very awkward, but pretty interesting I guess. But, the eventual outcome was for the best. At least that’s what the head says. As for the heart…..

Amanda was upset for days. She became instantly attached to him. I called him Rocky as ‘roche’ in Rochechouat is ‘rock’ and he was a fighter like Rocky. The lady said it was a good name. He was a plucky little character and will be a lovely cat with a great story. He’ll have a good life.

And so to Switzerland.

I discovered yesterday that the hire car wasn’t due back until today, which was just as well with what happened yesterday. So finally got away; I drove Floozie2 and Amanda the car to Limoges airport. Handed over the keys to car, which they didn’t want to check, so I hope I don’t get a nasty surprise on my credit card statement that I have to deal with. I’m not too trusting of car hire firms; they take advantage of damage situations. Probably just being paranoid, but the way our luck is running at the moment……..

The rear air brake gauge is acting up so I’ve had to disconnect the warning buzzer. It’s a very odd intermittent fault. On the first day we got to Cosne d’Allier. At first we didn’t think we’d get on the site as it looked too small. But the warden, a youngish chap called Frank said no problem. Sure enough, there was a nice place tucked away out of view. It turned out that Frank was a big fan of motorhomes converted from coaches and had a rally of 25 turning up in August. Not sure where he’s going to put them all! He showed us pictures of some that he hoped were coming and was very excited about looking around Floozie2, with his young son William. He took a glass of wine with us and we nattered on for quite some while. Then there was lovely family who were wandering around, so they got a tour also! It was a great way to get to talk to people.

Day two was a short hop to Luzy as we neither slept well. We landed at the Chateau de Chigy camping. They weren’t too keen on taking us despite the fact the place was huge and fairly empty. I think we suffer the fall out from Romany gypsies and a lot of places are wary when they see something like us turn up. Sometimes we notice the charge for twin axel units is more than twice that of normal ones. It’s a real shame, but understandable I guess. Anyway, she relented when she saw we were Caravan Club members and we got the most amazing pitch overlooking a lake, all by ourselves! We were there by 1pm, it was a lovely day and we sat in the shade of the trees and lazed. Lovely. In the evening we had a fine buffet salad in the restaurant and then there was a ‘turn’ singing. A lady of a certain age with a lived in look sang some good old French standards with great deftness, including ‘Non, Je ne regret rien’ which was brave and well executed.

Personally, I found the place a bit unkempt, the sanis not really up to scratch and overall expensive, including the meal, no matter how good. BUT, the location was perfect and the experience at dinner was worth it all. Plus, there was an excellent pool complex we didn’t make use of. Plus to cap it off, we put on some music and danced barefoot in the dew laden grass as the sky grew dark and the stars came out. I saw Amanda dance like never before, so free and uninhibited. It was a joy just to sit and watch her. It was a beautiful evening.

Day three. Up early with a fabulous sunrise over the lake. Took Pooch for a walk in the woods and we were away by 9:30. We were having a good run until Arnay-le-Duc when I mis-judged a corner and clipped the kerb with my rear wheel. Unfortunately it sported a metal gully opening which took a chuck out of the sidewall of the tyre. It didn’t puncture, but was too badly damaged to continue. As it happened, I ended up on a garage forecourt. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the equipment to help me, so I ended up calling the AA. A brilliant Irish lad called Colm sorted everything out and within half an hour a guy turned up. Then had to go away again to get his compressor sorted to do the job! Anyway, we got underway again 2 ½ hours later. I remember the days when I could change a wheel in five minutes. Not anymore! We got to a place called Gray, which was far from it, and settled on the camping Municipal there. It was next to the river, not much shade and it was 34C. After a long day the heat was oppressive. We ate dinner in the shade of Floozie2, only to find mosquitoes were doing the same with us so we had to retreat back into the oven we called home. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough electrical power to run the air con. That’s the problem with these RVs – they’re power hungry and the systems are inefficient so whilst we might have all the goodies on board, more often that not we can’t get the electrical supply to use them!

I took Pooch into town for a wander. A mistake: I was tired, he was a pain and I ended up getting irritable with him. Not his fault; he just gets excited with all the smells and other dogs and loud bangs. I shouldn’t have taken him if I wanted a peaceful stroll.

Gray is odd. There’s a bit of a Med feel to it with a colourful café bar/restaurant vibe going on. But scratch the surface and you notice a lot of closed shops, a lot of empty restaurants. One prime position hotel was all dark and closed up. Hmmm. Still, a distant storm was interesting to watch.

A hot, humid night and we were off again. Dropped into the Champion supermarket for fuel. €380 this time. Ouch! Noticed a hissing of escaping air. Amanda went into the supermarket to get groceries whilst I checked the hiss. Definite leak and the front suspension was deflating with the engine turned off. I found this out when I almost got my head stuck when I had it between the top of the wheel and the wheel arch trying to locate the problem! I managed to extricate myself but had a grazed ear for my troubles. I eventually found the source and thought it was a pipe that had split. Not good. Another call to the AA. I asked if they could locate a truck garage. Maybe one on the other side of town they said. Do you want to make it an official call out? No, I’ll see how I get on. The other side of town was a vast industrial zone. No garage, but a farm machinery dealer. The accounts lady there put me straight onto a garage just out of town, in the direction we were going! We were there in 15 minutes. We wandered into the reception, explained the problem and despite the fact they were busy, the next thing we knew, Floozie2 was over an inspection pit. Five minutes later we knew the problem. One of the air dump valves on the levelling jack system wasn’t closing and air was constantly escaping. What to do? No problem! The mechanic popped a strip of rubber around the valve, covering the dump holes and tie-wrapped it on. End of problem. Started the engine, the suspension rose straight up and no hiss. It’s been fine since. We gave the mechanic €5 for a beer or two for his trouble as they wouldn’t take anything by way of payment. How good is that?

And so we are now on a camping by a beautiful lake near Gerardmer. It is in Les Voges, a stunning mountain region near the German border and more importantly the Alsace wine region! We went to a wine tasting last night, which was interesting and very tasty. I like Alsace wines, apart from the reds, which are a bit too light for me. The lady doing the tasting was speaking in German when we arrived (late!). She then swapped to English for our benefit as the other participants were Dutch and were all proficient in English, but spent most of the evening swapping between the two and her native tongue, French! Whilst the wine was being sipped, the camping provided morsels of Tarte Flambe. It’s like a pizza, only with what I think is a filo pastry base with onions, lardons (small bacon pieces) and crème fraiche. After the tasting, we ended up in the café bar with one each and a punnet of chips. Totally delicious with a blanch tranche (a white beer with a slice of lemon!) So having said I wouldn’t drink today, I ended up sozzled. Amanda ended up with some bottles of her favourite wines, a Gewurtztraminer and of course “bubbles” in the form of a Cremont, the Alsace version of Champagne. We then watched The Bourne Identity (good movie) and went to bed.

We are having such a great time doing this, meeting interesting people and seeing new and exciting places. More importantly, our attitude to life is beginning to adjust and we are getting more relaxed. As far as we go together, it just gets better and better. To think at the end of last year we were about to go our separate ways! Blimey, what a rescue that was. We are having such fun!! Even the tyre incident, which in the past would have sent me into a frenzy of anger and self beratement was met with an indifferent shrug of the shoulders and a “it’ll get fixed” mentality. And I think that’s just it. There’s a shifting of thought to the spiritual again, a frame of mind I was scared I’d lost, and everything else is less important, particularly the material things that can be fixed or dispensed with altogether. It’s a good place to be, although I get frustrated that the journey is taking so long. There again, maybe I would be better off remembering the Zen dog:

He knows not where he’s going
For the ocean will decide
It’s not the destination
But the glory of the ride

Thing is, the journey to one’s own spirituality doesn’t have a destination. It is just that; a journey, ever changing, ever challenging. Making you live. Allowing you to live. And with it comes peace and happiness. At least that’s what I believe and that’s what’s important for me. I’m glad I’ve seen the light again!

What’s more, Amanda is by my side on the journey.

Pooch goes missing

Saturday 12th July. I took Pooch for a pre-dinner walkies into the woods. I ended up going a bit further than I anticipated and lost my bearings a bit. Then Pooch caught a scent and disappeared. I called for about an hour but he had gone deaf. As it was getting late, I decided I had to let Amanda know what was happening, or she’d start to fret. I found a road and flagged down a kind lady and explained my situation. She brought me back to the camping. It was only then I discovered just how far wrong I had gone. I’ve always prided myself on my sense of direction, but they say pride comes before a fall and this was my fall. By road I was a good 6km from the camping and there was no way Pooch would find his way back. So at 8pm I set off back into the woods with supplies and a torch. It took me about ¾ hour of fast walking/jogging to get to where I left Pooch. I found a group of students who were wild camping nearby and asked if they’d seen him. They said no, but took my phone number in case he turned up. I went to the point where he disappeared and started calling. I gave myself until it went dark before heading back. About 20 minutes later, a heard a jangling and a panting and turned round to see himself trotting down the path without a care in the world. It was a relief filled reunion. I took him to meet the wild camping group and of course they were all over him like a bad rash. I spent a while chatting and having a laugh, both sides laughing at their pitiful attempts at the other’s language. They were a good crowd and gave both Pooch and I water to drink! And so I set off back. By now it was past 9pm and getting dark. I figured it risky to head back through the woods as it was a tricky path in the light, let alone the dark, so had to take the long road back. My feet were grumbling, my legs were like jelly and Pooch trotted along as if he’d just started off on his walk! Little bugger! I got back to a tearful Amanda at exactly 11pm, hungry ‘cos I’d missed my dinner and in some discomfort from the screaming muscles! Pooch has always had a tendency to run off, but usually within striking distance of home. He never covers a wide area, he just keeps going and going in circles. So this time he was in trouble as I don’t know whether he’d be able to find his way back to base over that sort of distance. We have to remember also that he’s no youth any more. Anyway, the good news he’s sat on his chair as I write this on Sunday morning. He’s a little subdued because his itchy skin is playing him up again and must be uncomfortable. I still ache but I’m happy to see him in his chair. All is well!

This lakeside camping is in a stunning location, surrounded by high pine forested hills (about 280m) (No wonder I’m knackered after yesterday – went over them twice!) and pretty quiet. The lake is crystal clear and were it not for the fact the temperature has plummeted I’d be in there for a swim. The camping is the busiest we’ve seen for a while and is one of several along the shore. We got on OK having been turned away from another as we were too big (I suspect they didn’t want us) although the pitch slopes both ways so it was interesting getting level! We have a great view of the lake over the tops of all the other campers and we’re just enjoying chilling out. It’s rained quite a bit, so we haven’t ventured out much but if it clears this afternoon, I may take off on my bike and explore a bit. We shall definitely return here in the future as it’s beautiful!

Wednesday, 23 July 2008. For the better part of the last week we have been in Uberlingen. Uberlingen is on the German side of Lake Constance about a third of the way along the northern shore. It’s a pretty, vibrant little town with an interesting ‘old town’, plenty of decent restaurants, many of which line the promenade along the quayside. From here, you can board any number craft to take you to different parts of lake Constance, including the town Constance itself on the opposite shore more of which later.

We arrived last Thursday having been booked, courtesy of our friends Hans-Peter and Uli into Campground Uberlingen, about 1km west of town. It’s a pleasant enough site with friendly and, as it turned out, helpful staff. It lies between the peaceful lake and the busy railway line and road, although to be honest after a while you hardly notice them. The site is large but not suitable for large units despite what the guidebook says. The pitches they tried to get us on to were way too small and we ended up being directed to a patch of ground next to the staff ‘vans and reception – and the railroad crossing. It was a very tight squeeze getting to the pitch past the reception and I did just catch the side of Floozie, but you’d hardly notice. Another little ding to add to her character. Still, it’s spacious and with the added bonus of being able to get fresh water onboard and the grey (washing-up/shower) water off, so we can carry out our ablutions with impunity and put a wash on. Come the weekend, everyone else was crammed on like sardines, often with only a foot between units. Very cosy indeed. I couldn’t help but think what would have happened if there was a fire. Packed so tightly, I don’t think there’d be a single unit left after the conflagration. The Caravan Club would have a dicky fit if they saw the state of the place!

We took a wander into town that evening along the road and then a cut through a pleasant park join the promenade. We saw a large colonial house standing in the grounds that advertised itself as a café and reading room that was duly noted for further exploration. Along the path, over a wooden bridge that marked the entrance to a boat yard and there was the promenade. It runs for about a mile and was a hive of activity, mostly the building of market stalls and burger-style vans that look set to sell all sorts of foods and alcoholic beverages. It became apparent that booze was to be a prominent feature in the near future and all suddenly became clear when we found a poster advertising the “5th Annual Promenade-Fest” a festival of arts, crafts, food and booze. In bright colours the poster promised over 100 stalls offering all manner of hand crafted wares, convivial dining on spit roasted pork chops, live music and of course booze. This is something I really like about the Germanic mindset – it likes its booze in much the same way we Anglo Saxons do (similar heritage). The difference being that despite copious amounts of the stuff is imbibed by our German cousins, they very, very rarely feel the need to shout/swear or sing raucously at 3 in the morning, nor do they feel inclined to pick a fight on some poor innocent before vomiting heartily and pissing in a shop doorway. More decorum is displayed and in three days of revelry I didn’t see one instance of abuse, not even from the youth of the town who were the model of congeniality. We came across one group of at least 20, having a drink and chatting and listening to some music that they were playing so quietly on their boom box, I had to go over and ask them to turn it up so I could hear it.

The next three days were a blur of crafts, walks to and from the town, music of all types, speciality regional foods and great beer and wine. Amanda found a very smart stall selling fizzy wine and at once developed a problem with her legs. For the whole weekend, she couldn’t walk past it without grinding to a halt and spinning around to face it. Her legs only started working again once she’d paid for her prescription and drunk her medicine. We joined in the revelry of the spit roast on the Friday evening; it was truly delicious. I was presented with a plate upon which there was a pork chop so enourmous that I had to doggy bag some of it for Pooch. It was melt in the mouth perfection, accompanied by a potato salad and a green salad. A traditional band played traditional tunes, the massive throng chatted, sang or danced and the whole atmosphere was brilliant. True to German efficiency, the large crowd of diners were able to pay for and obtain their meal in double quick time. You had to pay for meals and drinks at a till. You were then given a receipt to claim your provender and a red plastic disc. This, it turns out, was to re-claim the deposit you’d just paid (in addition to the food) when you took your plate and glass back to the washing up area. How clever is that? You make sure that all the empties go where you want them and you don’t need loads of people to clear up or go looking for glasses and plates. I just loved that.

Suitably sated, we wandered off down the promenade again, pausing for a pirouette and medicine at the fizzy wine bar, to listen to the Beatles cover band playing in the quayside square. The crowd was huge and the band mediocre but the atmosphere of one great party made up for it. Amanda was ‘pulled’ whilst I was away getting drinks. Wilhelm sat down next to her, pinched the beer mat she’d got for me and started to talk. Unfortunately his English was a good as her German so he got nowhere and was probably miffed when I showed up. We spent the next half hour or so having a fairly decent conversation with this local character whilst he leched after the young girls walking by. He was in his seventies, but it didn’t stop him! We were, he informed us, drinking the best beer in the whole of Southern Germany. I suspect he was on commission.

We discovered one or two good eateries. Al Lago, one block back from the promenade near a small harbour made wicked pizzas. Café Anna was an up-market affair but very good. Next door was a an ice cream parlour that mad the most amazing concoctions, including ‘spaghetti’ ices, which was ice cream squeezed through a potato ricer to look like spaghetti. Cool idea in all sense of the word. We managed to eat some of the two dozen or so varieties of fish that they catch in the Bodensee (AKA Lake Constance). Zander was our favourite. Interestingly, and by the same token rather unfortunately, the water quality of the lake is improving so much that a number of the plants that used to grow in the lake can no longer do so. As a knock on effect, there isn’t enough food for the fish and their numbers have been dwindling for some years. I guess it doesn’t help when we keep eating them.

After a weekend of gluttony and sparkling wine, we were reunited with our friends Hans-Peter and Uli. This time, they had their delightful yacht ‘Moorever’ plus Stephanie, Uli’s niece and her friend Marlene, both students. Pooch was an instant hit and they were all over him like a bad rash. He lapped up the attention of course. So we sailed about a bit, went to Mainau, seat of Count ? which has great gardens and is a tourist honeypot. We also went to Konstanz which is a delight of a place. The old town is all café bars and boutiques (and bizarrely a Woolworths) and the Cathedral truly magnificent, especially the view from the bell tower. We only had a couple of hours there, but could have spent days. Especially as there was a wine festival just starting. If Amanda had brought her medications with her, we would have checked into a hotel and joined in the revelry. Still, one to remember for next year. It has also given us the idea of taking an emergency overnight pill box in case this sort of thing happens again.

Being on the water in the yacht was a sheer joy to me and even Amanda enjoyed the serene bobbing along as the light winds wafted us slowly along. We’ve never been sailing before and I’ve always preferred the idea of a motor boat, but I have to say I am smitten. H-P took me out in a fresh wind and we had the boat at a seemingly crazy angle as we cut up the lake. Sheer exhilaration and joy. Then a slow amble back down with the wind and a beer in hand. Pooch enjoyed his time on the yacht too and appears to be a natural sailing dog. He sat sniffing the wind or curled up on the bench seat and slept. The only moments of panic were when he was getting on and off, bless him. Still, he was soon soothed by the ministrations of his new found student friends!

Next stop Bregenz in Austria for an open air production of ‘Tosca’. It just so happens to be Amanda’s favourite opera and the setting is just magical. Even I’m looking forward to it!

In Switzerland

Hi everyone. A quick line to say we`re in Switzerland, spending time in the mountains and sailing on lake Constance. How cool is that? I have written loads but can`t get it on this computer, so you`ll just have to wait! Eileen & Peter (and anyone else) you can email us through the profile page on this blog now. Had to change the email address when I closed a tiscali account. Sorry

Catch you later - lots to tell!

Hi everyone.

It's been a while since we wrote on the blog mainly because I've been away with brother Andy and I'm the one that writes it. This will have to be fairly brief too, as we are just packing down ready to move to Rochechouart. It's only just down the road, but there's a festival of bands on this weekend and it goes into the wee hours every night. It's very much like the Force Basque; street bands, lively music, very much brass based. It should be fun and I'll post more next week. From there we head towards Switzerland. I've planned out a nice scenic route travelling just 150km a day. That way we we'll be able to enjoy some stops and partake of the countryside. We're looking forward to getting on the road again; it's been nice here but we're want to see pastures new.

Amanda still has her cough. It has turned out, after tests, that she's actually had whooping cough! It explains everything; why the antibiotics didn't work and why it was such a bad cough. It's been over two months since it started and it could be another month or so before it finally goes away for good. from what we can gather, whooping cough just has to run its course and there's not a lot you can do about it.

The car is fixed! Hurrah. Unfortunately, I can't get a trailer for another six weeks. Boo! So we are leaving the car in the UK until September, when we'll pick up the trailer and then the car before going to the Northern Motorcaravan Show in Pickering for the 18th. Such a shame; we got a convertible to make the most of the summer and we've not had the car since May. Hey ho, there's next year!

I had a great four day trip on my bike from here to Figeac to meet Andy. Did about 50-70kms a day in lovely weather through lovely countryside. I took all the little roads and it was just fab. No traffic!! Met an American guy who had spent a month in the saddle and had done 1500 miles! He had some tales to tell. I'll post more on the trip and photos later.

The awning you see on Floozie2 is no more. A freak gust of wind ripped it off a couple of weeks ago. There wasn't a straight bit left on it. So another wee job to do when we get home. The list is growing!

Rigth, time to get on with packing up. Catch you all later!

More news, more photos!

This morning got off to a damp, grey start and it’s not best warm. Listening to Michael Ball’s radio 2 programme online, we hear the sun’s cracking the flags in Yorkshire. DOH! Still, sunshine is not the be all and end all. S’funny though. Most of you probably know that we loved living in Reeth, the community and the people. It was the weather, the long winters, the wind and the stuff going on in the country in general that made moving to foreign shores more appealing. Now we’ve been in France a while and still very much in love with the country, we’ve been looking at little houses and ‘fermettes’. Just to see what’s available, of course! J Thing is, once upon a time we despaired that we would find the sense of community and belonging in the UK that we’d had even in the brief time we worked in France. Now, we find ourselves comparing the places we look at to Reeth only to find that, so far, whilst some come close most just don’t match up. Interesting huh? If home is a place on Earth, then at this time, Reeth is still it. If it’s where the heart is, that’s here sat in Floozie2. We love this lifestyle and our mobile home. And the best part of it is that we can go where we want, so we could quite easily spend the summers in Reeth and the winters somewhere warm and dry! Or move Reeth 2000 miles south! Not practical I suppose! Easier the first way round!

These past few days have been quiet for the most part. Amanda has spent two mornings in a doctor’s waiting room. The chest infection just wasn’t shifting and there were complications due to the heavy use of antibiotics. She’s had a blood test (whooping cough) and is going for an X-Ray tomorrow (pleurisy). The blood test was interesting. The doctor gave Amanda a number to ring, which she duly did. An appointment was made for a couple days ahead, and a lady came to the motorhome, took the sample and said the results will be ready in a couple of days. All this for the princely sum of €10.30! Which we will get back at some time. The medical system over here is so efficient and patient orientated. That does mean that it could be a long wait at the doctor’s because they will spend time with you. But the benefit is, you do feel that you have been thoroughly looked after. Anyway, she is improving slowly, so hopefully, after five weeks, she’s on the home stretch. It would be nice to think so. It’s knocked her totally sideways and we’ve not done as much as we hoped.

Pooch has also been on the receiving end of the French medical system, vet style. His usual summer malaise of very itchy skin has been very bad and he was getting miserable, so we took him yesterday. The vet was good and has given him something just to ease the itching. However, she needed a urine sample and handed us a stainless steel kidney dish with instructions to take him outside and get said sample. Well, what a performance! One of us holding the dog’s lead, one trying to place this dish under cocked legs to obtain the required liquid, without finding it halfway up our arm! We were nearly in tears laughing. Fortunately, Pooch was desperate to leave his calling card on just about everything, so the task didn’t take long!

We went to Brantome, a medieval village in the Dordogne. Lovely place, great lunch and a river trip with commentary by a card of a pilot! There are photos posted on our Picassa site. Follow the link. We visited the abbey, which was disappointing for the fact that very little was left of the original building. It had been remodelled in the Victorian period and was pretty soul-less. It was also very damp as it’s built into the rocks, so smelt unpleasant and some of the walls ran with green slime. However, the abbey does have the oldest bell tower in France, dating from the C11th, so a plus point there! More at http://www.francedirect.net/brantome.php

We then went to visit a small chateau with a big history, just on the edge of the old town. For the life in me I can’t remember the name of the place. We went in through the open gate to find an elderly French chap (the guide) and a Dutch couple with a Scots Terrier called Max. They didn’t speak French and their English wasn’t too bright. Our guide decided to do the tour in English for all our benefit. Unfortunately, he did this at the same speed he spoke his native tongue! He spoke very good English, it was just so difficult to keep up with him and the Dutch couple were a bit lost. I was having to translate English into English! All a bit odd. Whilst we didn’t go inside the house, we had a tour of the outside and the Troglodyte caves upon which it was built. It was a great history tour – if you could keep up!

Oh, yes, I’ve just remembered! We visited the Chateau de Brie, which is just a few miles away. It’s only open on Sunday afternoons but is a wonderful place. A really nice lad took us round, an enthusiast. Really amazing place architecturally, so I was in my element. The tour was fairly basic, so we had to probe for more detail, which the guide enjoyed. You can even stay there, if you want.

On Wednesday went to the market at Piejut-Pluviers again. Met up with Vicky and Daniel who are spending the summer in France in their camper, selling jewellery at markets to pay their way. Interestingly, Vicky has come up with a website called http://www.yourdeathwish.com/ . It is an online archive for what your wishes are in the event of you popping off, all done in a fashion that you should enjoy the process. Check it out. It’s getting quite a bit of media interest, so keep an eye open for it. We had a good, long lunch with them and hope to catch up with them in the near future.

That’s about it for this week. Cheers for now!