Oberstdorf Plus, 14 May

Today was the first day of competition. I woke up early, feeling much better, and as I knew the Swan Whisperer wanted to go for a run, woke him up too. He went on his run, and then we had breakfast and were all cleared up and ready by 08:30 so we could be at the rink by 9 and on duty on the accreditation desk, which we did most of the day, with a break in the middle for lunch (Käsespätzle, mmmm), after which I went shopping and then round the town on the Ortsbus. Bought some red wool to make a cardigan for the other great-nephew, having finished the one for the first during the morning session. There will be masses left over - enough for sweaters for both grandsons, shouldn't wonder!

When we finished being on duty, we went and watched skating for a while, and then went back to the motor home, but it was raining and although we had our macs with us we were cold and wet! Supper was just rolls and cheese after the enormous lunch!

Oberstdorf Plus, 13 May

We got up at a reasonable hour, for once, and I went to get rolls for lunch while the Swan Whisperer got breakfast - the bakery was only a few minutes walk. We got away just after 09:30 and, apart from stopping for an hour for lunch, made a very quick and easy run of it, arriving here in Oberstdorf at about 15:30. 

Alas, my lungs, although massively better most of the time, do not seem to like being at altitude, and it rather feels as if someone has wrapped a very tight belt round my ribcage underneath my boobs. I hope I shall adjust, but I really don't feel like strenuous exercise just now. So I didn't go to the team GB get-together, but I did go to the rink party and official opening of the games, seeing old and new friends, hugging and being hugged, trying to catch up with news when you couldn't hear a word people said.....

And so back to the motor home and A Nice Cup of Tea before bed.

Oberstdorf Plus, 12 May

The first few days of this holiday are always one long, long drive to get us there, and today was no exception.

We started off with a walk, however, around the open-air area around  the museum, including the slag heap, which was interesting as it showed how nature was recolonising it gradually. 

Before heading off properly, we stopped at a supermarket for rolls for lunch and one or two other things, including a cake for supper pudding.  But I forgot to buy eggs.

The Swan Whisperer decided he would stop to buy diesel by the Moselle, more or less en route, and we would probably find a place to stop for lunch. And, indeed, we found a lovely motorhome aire just by the river, and had just settled down with our bacon and avocado rolls when the people who belonged to the caravan behind arrived and made it clear that we were to move so they could move their caravan. Which they ought not to have parked there in the first place, as a caravan is so not a motor home. And then, to add insult to injury, I dropped my second roll! 

So that was lunch ruined, although partially redeemed by both ice-cream and strawberries for pudding! 

And then we drove on and arrived in Mannheim at about 16:30, in time to have a cup of tea and a rest before our niece arrived, and to follow the end of the day's stage of the Giro on the app I have installed for the purpose. 

We had a lovely evening with the niece, including a long three-way conversation with the SW's brother, who is on his first Continental motorhome holiday and loving it! He has yet to venture this far, but I bet he will one day.  The niece very kindly gave us some eggs, which  we swapped for half a jar of Marmite! 

And tomorrow the last long leg south to Oberstdorf and the competition.

Oberstdorf Plus, 11 May

Is there anything nicer than waking up on a fine morning in Cité Europe and realising that it is the first morning of your holiday?

We didn't hurry to get up, but drank our tea and caught up with things. We finally got up about 08:30 and had breakfast, and then I went and did some shopping in Carrefour. I was annoyed  because I'd used a trolley, as I wanted a 5L carboy of drinking-water so of course my wristband didn't register my step count. Fortunately, the other app I have on my phone did.

Then we were off for the first long, dreary drive across Belgium. We stopped briefly to get rid of used coffee, and for lunch and another walk at the Strépy-Thieux canal lift,

and a third time as the SW needed a break. It wasn't actually too bad as it was fine and the traffic wasn't too awful, for Belgium. And finally we got to the far side of Liège, and the aire at Blegny Mine that we stayed at in December. It is somewhat fuller now, funny that!

The SW went for a walk while I read and knitted and then he came back and we got supper. I've gone to bed, although I've no plans to snuggle down just yet - it's only 21:00!

Oberstdorf Plus. 10 May

It's that time of year again, when we set off to Oberstdorf for the annual. ISU International figure skating competition.

However, at home, they have been building new flats on the top of our block, and refurbishing it. Its been a total nightmare and gone on for far too long, but this week they have got to the part where they resurface the back yard. Of course, the site manager buggered off on holiday without telling the contractors that the garages were in use and people needed access to them. We knew this week would be impossible, though, so parked the car in the Youth Centre until last night. But it was obvious that we would not be able to bring the motor home up, so we had to load everything into the car, very early, to get away before the workmen came.

We weren't quite sure that everything would fit in the car - we have done this before, but there's a difference between going away for the weekend and going for three weeks! But it did, and we got away shortly after 7.00 am. We stopped at a Tesco to buy breakfast sandwiches and orange juice, and arrived at No 6 at about 9.30. After coffee, the Swan Whisperer went to get the van,and put stuff in it, and then I did the putting-away while he took the dog for a walk and the others went for a little drive round.

By this time it was lunch time, and after lunch we set off. First port of call was a Homebase in Shoreham for gas, and then it was motorway all the way, and we got on the Shuttle an hour earlier than we had booked. So I had time to get a few things from Carrefour (which shut early as it is Ascension Day) while the Swan Whisperer got supper.  Sadly, I wasn't very hungry, for some reason, and am very tired, so am going to have an early night.

Bread and Beer festival

A  hot bank holiday, for once, and we decided to stay local, and go to the Brixton Windmill Bread and Beer festival, which is held in Windmill Gardens, about 15 minutes' walk from where we live.  I hadn't been to Windmill Gardens for six or seven years - I think we took The Boy there once when he was still in a pushchair, and now he is nearly 8, but the Swan Whisperer says he walks past it on his way down to church.

The gardens were rammed when we arrived!  The main bread stall, the Old Post Office Bakery, was totally sold out and deserted, and there were very long queues for beer stalls (not surprised - it was hot!).  There was a van from a local coffee shop, but that was not so popular.  The Friends of Windmill Gardens had a colourful stall, too.

Any maypole dancing was obviously over when we arrived.

but the Morris Dancing was still going on very happily:

There was also a sound stage, and you could queue to go inside the Windmill itself, but we didn't do that.  We did, however, spend some time reading posters about the history of the mill.

It's not the first time, obviously, that we have visited it - I think it closed to the public in 1990, but we certainly visited it on an Open Day before then, when the Daughter was little.  It's good that there is still a working mill in Brixton, even though the flour is now ground by electricity rather than wind power - it hasn't done that for a very long time.  The sails do turn, but are in poor condition and need to be repaired, which I think is the next thing the Friends are hoping to do.

We were surprised by the crowds - not the numbers, that was not surprising on a lovely day.  But the demographic was primarily white, middle-class young families; more Walthamstow than Brixton!  Whether the demographic has changed this much without our noticing, or whether people came from further afield and local people didn't bother, we didn't see anybody we knew.  But it was a pleasant interlude in a busy day!

South of France, 4 April 2018

So we woke up this morning and the sky was blue!  Ah well.... so it was a matter of getting up, getting breakfast, clearing away, and then heading to the terminal via the services at Coquelles.  We got a crossing 30 minutes earlier than scheduled, and were home shortly after noon, UK time, with plenty of time to unpack and put things away before lunch! 

Next time we're off will be to Oberstdorf in May, and we have not yet decided what we will do after that.