June Holiday: 13 June

Why is watching skating so tiring?  I was exhausted by lunch time.....

We got up at a reasonable hour and after breakfast we used the services and I did a bit of shopping.  Then we went up to the rink to watch skating on and off all day. Team GB is doing really well, including wiping the board in one class, and several other gold medals during the day. I won't name names, as I'd be bound to forget someone, but everyone who skated was a winner!

I did have to miss some skaters, though, as I got very tired so went back to the van to sleep for an hour. As the bus had been coming when I left the rink I took it for the one stop back to the camp site, and then thought that, just for fun, I'd catch it back again - it is a one-way circular route, so of course I had to sit on it right out to the first Park'n'ride car park, and then back again! Great fun.

We also missed the last two classes of the day to go back to the van and eat, and I an going to bed now!

June Holiday, 12 June

Woke up far too early to a lovely view of the Alps. The bread man comes at 8:00, so we bought rolls to have with breakfast.  Then it was to the rink, as I had volunteered to take a short service of worship - they very kindly found us a room where we could do that, and 7 of us gathered.

After the service, we hung around for a bit greeting friends, then went back to the van for an early lunch and a rest.  Then we wandered into town and met up with some Queen's/Streatham skaters and had Kaffee und Kuchen with them.  Then back again to the van - I waited and caught the bus - and I sorted out a bag for tomorrow while the Swan Whisperer went for a walk.

The Team GB dinner was at 18:30, followed by the welcome party downstairs. I couldn't hear a word of the actual welcome, but there was a very good band which played and encouraged the skaters to do a conga line.... all good fun.  We came away after a bit, and over to the main block to use the WiFi, which is free, but the signal doesn't stretch to where we are parked, and I am almost out of data.

June Holiday: 11 June

Bother, I had a long post written but failed to save it. Oh well.

We have arrived in Oberstdorf at last, after breakfast with the Niece in her lovely flat, a quick trip to her local Netto to get stuff for lunch, and a long, slow drive as far as Memmingen, where said lunch was eaten and things for supper bought.  And then only an hour to Oberstdorf and the Wohnmobilstellplatz there. Very pleasant, if rather crowded site. Showers are extra, so we will have them in the van!

We got settled and went off to the rink tu see who was around and say hi, and then headed off to the town centre to get some cash, and back, which was enough exercise for me. Supper was Maultaschen (can't link from Wikipedia mobile app) which I did in a vegetable sauce with grated cheese, and very good it was, too.  And wine!

June Holiday: 10 June

It was far too early to get up when I woke this morning to clear blue skies and sunshine, but it was too nice to stay in bed, so after an early-ish breakfast and using the services, we were away by 08:30.

We drove to a pretty little town called Cochem on the Moselle, where we parked up and did a bit of shopping and had a wander. We would have liked a coffee, but ran out of time on our parking ticket, so ate cherries instead, and then drove along the Moselle, stopping for a long lunch-break in a random car park.  Then we drove up over the hills and down the other side to the Rhein, which we also drove along - past the Lorelei - to Bingen, where we rejoined the motorway to Ludwigshafen, where the Swan Whisperer's niece lives.  We had a drink in the motor home, then went into town for a delicious supper at the local brewery, with beer (of course), and then back to where we have parked up near her flat.

June Holiday: 9 June

I slightly spoke too soon last night, as for some reason, although we had been called for boarding, we sat for about 30 minutes at the top of the ramp, and the Shuttle was very late moving off.  I went to bed, and naughtily stayed there while the Swan Whisperer drove to the car-park. Not doing that again, though, as it was very uncomfortable, especially the jolts over the carriage separators on the train.

It must have been well after 2:00 am local time before we got to sleep, so we didn't exactly hurry in the morning. After a latish breakfast, I did some shopping, forgetting to buy eggs, and also looked for new trainers. Unsuccessfully, but would you believe that two pairs have demised on successive holidays? 

Finally we set off. Our first port of call was the Auchan petrol station, and then a very brief stop somewhere for me to get some extra water out of the fridge - I have been thirsty all day - and then we got past Brussels and stopped in a services for a very long lunch break that included a nap for both of us!  After which, we did not stop again until we got to this motor home park, which is very nice, and, for the first time, I am sitting out on our new chairs to write this.

So it has been breakfast in France, lunch in Belgium and supper in Germany!

June Holiday, 8 June

I am posting this as we wait to board the Shuttle en route, eventually, to Oberstdorf. It has been a long day, taking Boy Two swimming, and then fetching the Boy and his friend from school. Took Boy Two on his scooter for the first time, which ought to have worked but I forgot about bookbags and flutes and coats.... All of which normally pile on the pushchair!  However, when we finally got home, all three children disappeared to play, and half an hour later I was free to go home, load the van, eat supper, and we set off at 8.00 pm. No chance of an earlier crossing, though, and this one is taking forever to load. When it has, I shall get ready for bed and it won't be long before we are snuggled down outside Cité Europe.

Redbridge Central Library and Museum

It being half-term Friday, we were on grandparent duty.  In fact, the Boy had spent the night with us, and so we didn't set off very early, since Granda, who had been going to get up and go to Lidl to buy pains au chocolat for breakfast, got side-tracked by the book of trees that the Boy was looking at, and I was showered and dressed long before either of them were ready to do so.

But we set off eventually, catching the Northern Line to Moorgate, and then the Metropolitan/Hammersmith and City/Circle Line (I think it was a Hammersmith and City train) to Liverpool Street, and then a TfL Rail train to Ilford.  This was great fun, as it was "racing" the longest freight train you ever did see - don't know where that would have been going, but until just before we got to Ilford, it was on the fast lines and we would overtake it between stations, and then it would catch up when we were in the station, and so on....  But it turned off just before we got to Ilford.

When we got out of the station, we weren't too sure where we were, and took some time to orient ourselves; however, eventually we realised that the railway line was going underneath the road, rather than alongside it, so we got ourselves straightened out, and soon found the Central Library and Museum which we had come to see.

The main event was an exhibition - which ended today - of the various Ice Age mammal skeletons and fossils that had been found in the area.  This was not, alas, as interesting as it had been touted, and was, in fact, very small - mostly a rather silly film reconstruction of a lecture given in Victorian times about amateur excavations in the area, and then a few bones.  I rather felt "Is that it?" when I had seen it.   But we then went up another flight of stairs to the main museum, and that was rather more interesting, being set out as a "trip back in time" in the area.  Mostly very good, but an egregious "it's" when they meant "its" set our teeth on edge.  The Boy took more interest in this, and I think he and his Granda went round twice - he had a trail of things to find.  After a bit, though, we decided we had seen it all, and it was time for lunch.  They could always go back up to search for the rest of the things to find on the trail when we had eaten. 

So we descended to the café on the ground floor of the library, which was very good despite purporting to sell "Panini's" (honestly, wouldn't you think a public library would know better?).  The Boy and I both had quiche followed by an ice-cream sundae ("But I can't have that," said the Boy, "It's only Friday!"  I had to explain what a Sundae was and why it was called it, and that it was perfectly all right to have it on any day), and The Swan Whisperer (aka Granda) had a jacket potato with something - chicken and sweetcorn, I think - and a chocolate brownie.  Remarkably good value for money.

Then they went back upstairs to finish the trail, but couldn't find any bison no matter how hard they looked (The Boy wanted to call them "bisson", and I don't know why they aren't, now I come to think of it).  I think the exhibition was being run down as it was the last full day.

And then back to his on the 123 bus - a very quick and easy journey, only about 20 minutes - to find one of the cats had been extremely sick on the floor, but luckily the Swan Whisperer coped! 

I hope the Boy enjoyed it; it's not always easy to know whether he enjoys things or not.....