October holiday, 16 October

Linate Airport, Milan, Italy

I had, I discovered, made a total nonsense of route planning this trip and we were aimed straight at the Mont Blanc tunnel, which is eye-wateringly expensive! 

We wondered whether to go the cheap way, maybe only as far as Torino, but it would have taken forever and hairpin bends... Or maybe abandon our plans altogether and join our friends at Lake Bled? But eventually the SW said that we had never been through the Mont Blanc tunnel, and it would be An Experience. So we kept to Plan A.

The rain was away overnight and it was a lovely morning, if cold. We were glad of our hot-water bottles and the central heating this morning. The SW went for a run, so we didn't get away very early, especially once I had done the shopping.

But we were off at last and it was actually a lovely drive, full of snow-capped mountains

and a spectacular waterfall.

The tunnel was horrible, but there was no queue so we were able to go straight through and then on and on through miles and miles of smaller tunnels and it was about 2 before we stopped for lunch in an aire where there was also a big Carrefour, so I wandered round that and looked at prices (similar to France and would probably be cheaper if VAT wasn't higher) but didn't buy anything. They had some fabulous displays of cheeses and fresh pastas, though!

And then a long, long drive down the motorway - I slept for a lot of it - and ten round the Milan ring road, which was slow, but we finally got to the long-term car park where we are spending the night. 

October holiday, 15 October

Annecy, France

It is raining. It has been raining. It will have been raining. We had a very wet drive today and decided to go on the motorway as it was so very dreary.

First off all, though, we went to an Intermarché so I could shop and take some exercise (!) and I was delighted to acquire a turkey leg for all of €2 - would have been rude not  to, really, at that price.

So long wet drive on the motorway. Stopped in an air that might almost have been as nice as the Baie de la Somme on the A16 had it not been raining, and the autumn colours would have been lovely in the sunshine. 

When we arrived in Annecy, we were disappointed to find that the aire where we had planned to spend the night was full, but plan B, a car park up by the Basilica

, has a lovely view over the lake and the city

(the mountains are hidden today), and there was even a rainbow! 

And we have wine, and my turkey leg is braising on the stove.... Italy tomorrow! 

October holiday, 14 October

Nuits St Georges, France.

The trouble with a holiday like this is that there is such a lot of driving, especially if one would rather not pay French motorway tolls more than absolutely necessary.

The Swan Whisperer likes running in Chamery, so he went for a run this morning around the vineyards,

and again we didn't get away much before 10, although this did include emptying the grey water tank - there doesn't seem to be running water at the services there, so we couldn't fill up or empty the loo.

Anyway, first port of call was a supermarket so I had a good walk (such a pity the fitbit doesn't register when you're pushing a trolley, and I'd left my phone in the van so it didn't, either) while the SW bought diesel and gas and had coffee.

And then we set off across country to Nuits St Georges, although we did go on the motorway for some of it. We stopped for lunch in the middle of nowhere and again for the SW to have a break, and got here about 5:30.  We have emptied the loo, which needed it, and will get water in the morning. Services are free, which is what's so nice about so much of France. 

There is a cat in the motor home next door to us! 

October holiday, 13 October

Chamery, France. 

So yesterday we had a Circuit training event in Bellingham, near Lewisham, which is very close to the A20 and cut a good hour off our journey time. The event has been scheduled to finish at 3:00, so I assumed that we would not be leaving until about 3:30 and booked us in for a last check in time of 6:05 pm. As it was, the event finished early and we arrived at Folkestone only to be told that there was high demand for the single decker section and they were sorry but we couldn't go before our booked crossing. So that was 2 hours we had to sit in the car park! Still, we could have a cup of tea and flake out with a book, and when we were finally crossing we ate our cold supper and then we had an hour to drive in the pouring rain to Watten, near Eperleques. The aire was surprisingly full and we just got the last space.

It appeared we were just on the edge of the band of rain, and when I woke up in the night there was clear skies and a full moon, but it was cloudy again when I woke a second time.

So near the edge of the time zone, it was never going to get light much before 8, but the Swan Whisperer wanted a run so we set the alarm for 07:15 and he went off once he had had his tea. 

After breakfast I had a look round the aire, which was on the banks of the canal, very nice 

and was childishly amused by the thought of dejected dogs needing to be picked up 

(yes of course I know it means to pick up dog poo).

We set off at about 10, I think, and asked the satnav to take us non-toll. First stop was a Netto, which didn't have bread but did have those globe-shaped courgettes ee like. I meant to buy some frozen beans, too, but they sort of transformed into nougat ice cream. Oops! 

Quite a long, but not unpleasant, drive, made longer by the fact that we had never visited Laon and decided it was not too far out of our way to do that. The SW walked up to the Cathedral, but I looked at the gradient and thought not! So we had a cup of tea and then it was only an hour's run to here, where we have been several times before. Chamery is just outside Reims, in the heart of champagne country and very quiet. The weather has been lovely all day! 

Geekery gone wrong

So yesterday, after grandmother duty, I decided to be a total geek and go home by bus, as the 48 was being withdrawn from service. They have already removed the numbers from the bus stops.

With hindsight, I should have decided honour had been satisfied when we got to Hackney, and got on the Overground to Highbury and Islington and then the Victoria Line home. 

However, I didn't. And I don't know what went wrong but the bus suddenly decided to terminate at Shoreditch. And, of course, I don't know where the bus stops are there

Again, I could have got the Overground but I couldn't see the station. I eventually found the bus stop, but the 35 didn't come and didn't come and didn't come. Eventually a 26 came, who said he was going to Waterloo, but was not stopping at Liverpool Street but was going straight to Bank. 

 So I thought better than nothing and got on. Soon enough I saw Aldgate East Station and decided to get the District Line to Victoria and then the Victoria Line home. This was a big mistake as the heavens opened just as I got off the bus and although it was only about 25 yards to the entrance, I was soaked!

And what have they done at Victoria? Instead of a short flight of stairs, a very short corridor and an escalator to change lines, you now have to walk about a mile along corridors you have no idea where they are going. Okay, they now have lifts, but what's the point if you have to walk miles to find them? I was not impressed. 

I didn't quite like to ask the driver of the 35 that met me at Brixton where he had started from - I bet it wasn't Shoreditch, though.

 

And now we are off again, to Italy this time. Only as far as Watten tonight, so I'll start that blog properly tomorrow. 

... And yet another aviation museum

Two years ago, we spent the weekend in Scotland for me to attend the AGMT of the NCC.  Last year it was a one-day affair in London, but this year it was again a weekend event.  This time, in Croydon.  I could have gone as a "day girl" (and frankly, given the hotel, I rather wished I had), but it's nice to have a weekend away with good friends.  The Friday evening is devoted to socialising, and the Sunday to business and a book sale, but the Saturday is always a "day out".

This year, we started off at the cemetery in Redhill for a short service to mark the 50th anniversary of  EBD's death, and a wreath was laid.

Fortunately, the weather was wonderful, as you can see from the shadows in the picture.  We then returned to the coaches and were driven to East Grinstead, just in time to take the Bluebell Railway down to Sheffield Park. That, of course, was as lovely and relaxing as a ride on a steam railway always is, and then when we arrived at Sheffield Park station there was a choice of activities.  First port of call was lunch in the pub on the station, which was extremely good.  I had a potato and broccoli bake, which was delicious, with peas.  And later an ice-cream from the kiosk.  But between the two courses, I wandered round the station, looking at their engine shed, which was open to the public,

and then crossing the footbridge to go the small museum on the other platform.

Those of the party who had elected to visit Sheffield Park and Garden came back rather cross and footsore as apparently it had been a lot further away than they had anticipated.  "They said it was only a few minutes' walk.  They lied!" said someone.

Back into the coaches, and most of us dozed our way to our final stop of the day, the Gatwick Aviation Museum.   Frankly, after RAFs Hendon and Cosford, I was rather underwhelmed.  I'd hoped that there would be more of the history of civil aviation, and perhaps some examples of civilian aircraft,  But it appeared to be a display of fighter aircraft again, and endless engines - frankly, one aircraft engine seems to look very much like another!  Most of us were flagging quite badly by then, so we sat and ate ice cream until it was time to return to the buses, and back to our hotel for the evening's entertainment.

Going bats

Windmill Gardens is only ten minutes' walk from where I live, but it really isn't somewhere I go very often, these days.  Last time I went was to the Bread and Beer festival in May 2018.  But tonight there was a bat walk!

It's been on my bucket list for years, doing a bat walk, but somehow I never seem to be in the right place at the right time.  I've missed a couple in Windmill Gardens simply because we were away when they happened.  There was a last-minute panic when I was asked to do grandmother duty today instead of tomorrow (which I couldn't have done anyway, but the Swan Whisperer would have done it), but luckily the Boy had football training at 17:30, which meant I was able to be home by 18:15 in time to have a snack and go straight out again.

There were already a dozen or so people gathered in the Gardens when I arrived - it is only a very small park - but more arrived as time went on, and I think there were probably 40 people or so when the evening commenced.  Three of them were children, about the age of our grandsons, but these ones were all girls. The Swan Whisperer was there for the talk, but he had a meeting so couldn't stay.  It began with a talk by Dr Iain Boulton, who is Lambeth's Environmental Compliance Officer, which basically means he is responsible for knowing what wildlife exists in Lambeth, and making sure it is encouraged to stay there (I did want to ask him whether he could help with the foxes creating unwanted havoc in the garden here, but didn't get a chance).  He explained about bats.  Bats, of course, are the only truly flying mammal, with their hands adapted to make wings.  But they are really mammals - warm-blooded, and give birth to live young, which they suckle.  There are many species of bats in this country, but the ones they'd expected to see most often in Windmill Gardens are pipistrelles.  All British bats are insectivores, and they hibernate in winter.  September is a brilliant time to see them, since they are active at sunset and sunrise, rather than in the depths of the night.  Each bat eats about 1,000 insects a night, so a healthy bat population means a healthy insect population.

Dr Boulton then handed out bat detectors, and explained how to use them.  You pointed them at trees rather than into the sky or towards the ground.   All this time, the sun was setting, and although at first we pointed our detectors in vain, after about 5 minutes they burst into a cacophony of clicks and, when you knew where to look, you could follow the bats swooping round the park, between the trees.  As the evening wore on, they came more and more out into the open - I could swear one passed within inches of my face.  I've seen bats before, of course - they come over the lake in Sussex, and I've seen them around Villard-de-Lans - but in inner London?  I really hadn't expected we'd see so many, and of course it's not possible to tell whether these were the same  bats doing the rounds or several different ones, but there must have been a minimum of four or five. 

We are now wondering whether we can borrow a detector to see if there are any in the church gardens - bet there are! 

I didn't take any photos - the light was too poor, and anyway, the bats moved too fast - so here's a photo of the Oaks Bottom in Sussex, where we had tea yesterday.  Bet they have lots of bats there.....

Early Autumn Holiday, 16 September 2019

Brixton,

I hadn't really intended to post today, but we had a New Experience on our way home.  We were not able to get on an earlier shuttle, despite checking in early, so the customs people decided to inspect us.  I think it was a new machine, as we had heard it beeping all the previous evening.  You have to drive it into a sort of cattle-crush type thing, and then you get out and wait the other side, while the car or van or whatever is pulled forward and, presumably, x-rayed or CAT scanned or something, beeping loudly all the time.  Not a pleasant noise, especially as I can't put my fingers in my ears while wearing hearing aids! 

Apart from that, the M20 is basically 50 MPH the whole way northbound, largely due to 20 miles with 2 lanes cordoned off for Operation Brock, when they expect lorries to be delayed for days after Brexit.  Not sure whether they close the whole southbound section and send the traffic on the contraflow, or whether it's the lorries who go in the cordoned-off section.  Time will tell.

We got home about 13:15 UK time, very hungry, and then it was unpacking and so on until the next time!

(Photos of the Rhine, first at Cologne, second at Konigswinter).

Early autumn holiday, 15 September 2019

Cité de l'Europe

We didn't set off until noon, as the Swan Whisperer wanted a good walk (despite having had a run before breakfast) before the long drive. I didn't join him, as I'm too slow and it wouldn't have been a long walk, plus my knitting needed more attention than I could really give it in a moving vehicle.

The first hour, until we got to the motorway, was great fun - we passed a fire station having its Open Day, and loads of motorbikes passed us going in the opposite direction, then loads of sports cars, many from Belgium or the Netherlands. We passed a pub whose garden was so full of motorbikes that there was barely room for their riders.

And then we got to the motorway and after that it was pretty dreary. We stopped twice, once for lunch and once for a leg-stretch; we listened to podcasts and I dozed a bit and knitted a bit. And we finally got here about six, hot, tired and thirsty! Water first, then beer...

I finished the wrap

I've been working on all holiday and we ate fish, mashed potatoes and peas followed by yoghurt and compôte. And so to bed. Home tomorrow. 

Early autumn holiday, 14 September 2019

Nideggen, NRW

Of course, just as we set our faces homeward, the weather improves! Today had mostly been hot, hot, hot, such a contrast to two days ago. 

We were still in Wuppertal this morning, so we were able to use the services and left with the grey and the loo empty and the water tank not quite full (no point in taking more than you are going to use), always a good feeling even when homeward bound. 

We stopped off at a Rewe/Lidl/DM complex for the SW to have coffee and, more importantly, for me to do A Last Shop in Germany.

We decided, because we had the whole day, to go slightly out of our way to Königswinter and cross the Rhine by the ferry there, which we duly did,

stopping at a motorway services en route to have much in the shade of a couple of lorries. We had rather an argument with the Satnav, which didn't believe we could cross there, and then wanted us to go practically back to Köln before heading south!

We could, of course, have stopped at Düren in, wave in fact we went past the end of the road where the aire is, but the SW saw this place and thought it might be nice. There were an awful lot of hairpin bend to get there, though.

The sight is called "Schöner Aussicht (beautiful view), and we thought at first it was an offence against the Trades Description Act, as all you can see is trees, but the actual viewpoint is not far away and is, indeed, lovely.

The poor SW thought he was going to be parking by the lake, not 200 feet above it, but he went down to the dam and back up again. I contented myself with a much shorter walk!

More pictures on Facebook. 

Early autumn holiday, 13 September 2019

Wuppertal, NRW.

The Swan Whisperer wanted to go for a run this morning, but as it was nearly 08:00 when he finally headed out the door, he only had a short one. I, meanwhile, washed, dressed, tidied up and got breakfast, and then we headed out.

We were on our way to the Neanderthal museum in nearby Mettman, which was about an hour away by public transport (bus, S-Bahn and bus). The bus dropped us just outside the museum and we spent a very enjoyable couple of hours looking round, learning not only about the Neanderthals and their culture (not that they know much about the latter) but also about human evolution in general, and the evolution of culture, science, etc. Good stuff!

We finished our museum visit with a light lunch in the café, and then headed back to Wuppertal to have a ride on the Schwebebahn

We have been here before, but there have been improvements and renovations since we were last there. All the fleet is the same model

and I think the ride is smoother. It was closed for much of the past year, following an accident, but they took the opportunity for some serious renovation.

We got off at the far end and walked (via a wool shop where I got some cotton for Christmas face - flannels and resisted some seriously reduced stuff. Almost rude not to, but I have such a queue of projects....). 

Anyway, we then walked back to the previous station via an Aldi as the SW needed milk, and then got back on the Schwebebahn to the terminus at this end of the line. We had just missed a bus so had a very greedy (and rather too sweet) ice cream

before catching the next one back to the aire. 

Early autumn holiday, 12 September 2019

Wuppertal. 

It was a much warmer night last night. For - er - digestive reasons - I had  to open the window in the middle of the night and it was really very pleasant.  Today has been much milder, too. 

The Swan Whisperer decided not to go for a run this morning because he had got so lost last night. We were not away very early, as we had to use services and so on, but once that was done we headed to Altena via the nearest shopping centre.

Altena was lovely, an industrial town on the Lenne river. It has a huge castle above the town

which you reach by means of a lift at the end of a tunnel with an exhibition in it. I don't do tunnels, and the SW, who doesn't mind them, said the exhibition was wasted on him, anyway. He did go up in the lift, but I gather it was just a lift not a funicular or anything fun like that, so I didn't bother, but after lunch we went for a walk along the street that takes you to it, which surprised us by all the shops being shut for lunch, as if it were France (just as well, in the case of the wool shop which looked lovely!). I think there had been a street market earlier but this had now finished for the day.

We walked back along the river, admiring the hanging baskets sponsored by local businesses and families,

and then it was time to move on to Wuppertal.

It was the first time for several days that we had used the motorway. I must remember to take my hearing aids out when we do this as otherwise it is very noisy and echoes through your head in a very tiring way.

We arrived in Wuppertal, to the aire we stayed in last time we were here, in nice time to have a cup of tea and have spent the rest of the time planning what we are doing tomorrow.  We  know what we're going to do but it's a question of logistics. We are going to spend two nights here and then start heading home on Saturday. 

Early autumn holiday, 11 September 2019

Balve, NRW, Germany

Didn't stir until 08:45 this morning, which meant it was quite late when we set off. Our first port of call was the town of Arnsberg, where we had originally been going to spend tomorrow night, but as it was, we only stopped for a quick shop.

Then we drive to the Sorpe dam

- the third and last of the Dam-busters little efforts, and one that did not work as it was an earthen dam, so all they succeeded in doing was to take a bite out of it.

Then we had a lovely drive, first along the lake

and then cross-country, to the town of Balve, where first we stopped by a swimming-pool to have lunch and a nap, and then we drove up here, which is just out of town but in a hotel car park where you don't have to pay if you eat in the restaurant. So we did - this time of year it's all mushrooms, so I had those with dumplings, and the SW had pork schnitzel. One item on the menu I had to use Google translate for, as it was Kaninchen, which turned out to be rabbit (I could only think puppies!), but they didn't have any. 

The SW had been out for a walk between our arrival and dinner, but I don't think it was very nice as it was raining and he got a bit lost.

I am totally confused about where we are supposed to be, as the SW keeps changing his mind, so the "laminated sheet" we usually use to tell us where we are going next is worse than useless! 

Early autumn holiday, 10 September

Engelslieth, Möhnesee.

Today has been all about the Möhnesee, which is quite a big place. After breakfast, I went to the local Edeka, which was just across the road from where we parked last night, and did a quick shop - couldn't resist apple and nut cakes in the bakery, which were, indeed, delicious.

Then we drove to the Möhne dam, which was, of course, the main dam that got busted and which did the most damage, but it is still imposing, even now. The lake is huge and placid, and probably teeming on summer weekends, but quite quiet midweek. 

And although it is only September, it is very much cooler than since years, and I am regretting not having packed pyjamas and jeans/cords rather than summer nighties and linen trousers. Of course, the forecast is for it to get nicer and nicer just as we go home! But this morning it was cold enough that we needed to give the heating a blast before we got up.

After the dam, we drove  on, but the Swan Whisperer realised he'd made a mistake and we couldn't go round the South side of the lake, so we parked in a random nature reserve off a side road to have lunch, being very amused by two Dutch lorries whose Satnavs obviously wanted them to drive through the reserve....

Then we drove on, retracing our steps to the main road, across the lake and through the village of Stockum. I said I thought we'd been there before, but the Swan Whisperer didn't think so - until we saw the car park where we had stopped for lunch about 15 months ago and bought sausages from the kiosk, which turned out to be on a plate by themselves so we were glad we had bought bread!

We have ended up in an aire in this place called Engelslieth. It's free, but no services, and, amazingly, there is another British camper van here - we don't often see them in Germany. 

And because I have taken almost no photos today, here is our drive with supper cooking on it! 

Early autumn holiday, 9 September 2019

Brilon.

This morning we decided to visit a spa bath just outside Bad Wildungen, so after the usual morning chores we headed off to the QuellenTherme. To be honest, we were rather disappointed. It was badly laid out with no signposts telling you what was where, the showers were by the pool, not the changing-rooms, ditto the loos, nobody told us where we could hire robes or towels. And none of the whirlpooly bits were in use except for the jacuzzi. As a spa, it was a pleasant swimming-pool, but not a patch on, say, the Rupertusbad at Bad Reichenhall. Still, we had a nice swim and enjoyed the jacuzzi, and then came back into the town to have a look at the Old Town

and have some lunch in a random restaurant.

After which we decided to drive round the Edersee, and given that this holiday is half over and we've only seen one of the dams, it was time to move on. Tomorrow we visit the Moehne dam, which was the main one that was busted. 

Early autumn holiday, 8 September 2019

Bad Wildungen. 

We seem to have slightly run out of ideas today, so we decided to go to the town of Bad Wildungen where are have parked up in one of the nicest aires we have yet found.

However, before we did that we went for a walk around Fritzlar,

such a pretty town, using Google Translate to tell us about some of the buildings that had plaques on

- so weird to hold ones phone in front of a plaque and then read it in quasi-English!

We were able to find a bakery that was open to get rolls for lunch, and also some plum crumble tarts,

and then back to the van

for coffee before heading off to Bad Wildungen, where we had our lunch and a rest, and we were going to go round the Old Town but it rained. So we didn't, although I think the SW went for a walk - I caught up on sleep! 

Early autumn holiday, 6 and 7 September 2019

Fritzlar.

I am very unimpressed with my phone. For the past two days it has refused to find 4g signals, with the result that most of my apps haven't worked. I have now forced it to find a perfectly good 4g signal and am back in communication, but the  draft blog post I made  in WPS Office, and I know I saved, has vanished!

So yesterday we first of all did a bit of shopping (Federweisse!), and got diesel, which we were annoyed about as the service station that had been selling it at €1.16 per litre the previous day had put it up to €1.22 overnight.

We then drove to Battenberg, which was disappointing as the aire was a long way out of town (although a lovely view)

and, despite its royal connections, there appeared not to be a great deal to see or do.

So we decided to visit the source of the Ruhr, which was not far away. The nearest access road was closed, as was the car park, because of road works, but you could, and we did, park up at the ski centre which was roughly a 2km walk from the source. So we trudged up there - and it was a bit of a trudge - finding a random adventure playground in the middle of nowhere

and fording what was to become the river, dry-shod.

The source itself was pleasant,

although not exactly brimming with water,

and I was pleased that there were seats provided before the walk downhill, which was rather cold, but enlivened by making friends with this lady:

We then drove to Frankenberg where the aire was in a swimming - pool car park, and hoped to swim this morning, but it was so wet and cold we didn't even consider it, but went shopping after breakfast and then drove up to the Eder dam, or as near to it as one can get in a motor home. These drives, and the little towns one goes through or stops at, are all so pretty. Well, the outskirts are less so, with their petrol stations and supermarkets and do on, but those are at least useful! And once beyond them, the towns are lovely.

As we did not stop at Battenberg, we are a day ahead of ourselves and have come to lovely Fritzlar, one of our favourite places 24 hours earlier than expected. The SW, needless to say, has gone for a walk, and I am looking forward to one in the morning. 

Early autumn holiday, 5 September

Siegen. 

The USP of Freudenberg turns out to be the half-timbered houses in its centre, built all at once after fire destroyed them not once, but twice, most recently in the 17th century (like Blandford Forum) and modernised in the 1970s.

After we had spent a pleasant half hour wandering around, we found a large supermarket, so the SW went for a walk and I did a bit of shopping. The pumpkins are in 

but no sign of any Federweisse as yet, alas. It will come soon, I expect. 

After that, we got some beer from the off-licence across he car park, and then headed on. We wanted the Satnav to take us into Siegen on our way to Netphen, which it duly did, but somehow missed the car park we were aiming for and I send to have misprogrammed it so while we thought it was taking us to Netphen, it thought we were going somewhere else! That got sorted out in the end, but alas, the aire in Netphen wouldn't do. It was a car park for a spa pool, but alas, the pool was closed for a couple of weeks which meant that the services were also out of use. It would have been nice! 

So we came away and back to this aire on the outskirts of Siegen, which is OK but rather full. I was very tired by then and totally out of cope, so had a nap and felt a bit better. 

But why are all the museums once would like to go to never open when one is in town? There are two here, neither open tomorrow!