Remembrance Holiday, 5 November

It feels odd to remember the date with no fireworks to remind us.  It was a dark and cloudy morning  but that had meant it was much warmer overnight. I didn't even have my rug on top of my duvet, although I did have a hot-water bottle.

The Swan Whisperer went out for a run, and while he was doing that I got breakfast and then went to the local bakery. I did intend to get cash, but the nearest bank, just across the road from the bakery, made a minimum charge of €6 to get money out not using their own card, so thanks but no thanks, and I ended up borrowing from the SW again! Not that the rolls I got at the bakery cleaned me out - they were only 50 cents each, and huge and delicious.

We drove down the A8 to a town called Pirmasens, though some truly spectacular autumn colours. I didn't take photos as I thought the colours wouldn't show very well. I visited an Edeka there and we had lunch, resisting the temptation of a sausage from a stall because we already had rolls and need to finish the sliced bread at breakfast.  And, just as we were about to head on, I lifted up the bolster I use to support my lower back while we are dining, and there was my favourite black cardigan with pockets! I originally bought it to replace one I'd accidentally left in Sussex (since returned) and liked it better as it was softer and had pockets, and was so sad when I'd lost it. I am ridiculously pleased to have found it again, even though it is not quite warm enough at this time of year. 

We drove on to a tiny little village on the border as the SW had walked along the border on the French side and wanted to do so again on the German side. I did some knitting while that was happening, and would have liked to have had a cup of tea when he got back, but he wanted to get a much driving done in daylight as possible, so we headed on, and had the tea when we got here on the outskirts of Pforzheim.

Remembrance Holiday, 4 November

Today marks the 40th anniversary of our engagement, which amazes me somewhat. It was bitterly cold overnight and there was a frost, but we were warm in bed and it wasn't bad enough to freeze our pipes. And the heater is very efficient!

After breakfast, we walked into the town up a rather steep hill, which my lungs did not like, and bought bread and a slice of cheesecake to celebrate (it was not very nice - too sweet).  We set off after using the services, and set sail to Luxembourg, where we parked up near a statue of a man on a horse to have lunch and a quick glimpse of the Grand Palace. The railway station seemed grander!

We then drove to Saarbrücken. It appears that our family doesn't have much luck visiting this city, as when my daughter came here with her French exchange, many years ago, it was a Saturday afternoon, and all the shops were firmly shut, as was the case in Germany, back in the day. They are more civilised now!  But when we arrived at the aire where we had planned to spend the night, there it wasn't! It was being built on. However, we have found a car park behind a church which is OK - a bit  noisy as it's just below the motorway, but nice and near the river so the SW can go for a run in the morning.

Remembrance Holiday, 3 November

Despite our late night, we were awake before 08:00, and it was not long before we discovered that I had forgotten to pack the Lady Grey tea I enjoy drinking at that time in the morning. Not that it mattered, for once. We also found, when getting breakfast, that I had forgotten to pack the pouring salt (as opposed to the grinding salt which I had packed). I wonder what the third thing will be.

After breakfast, I went over to Carrefour and did a bit of shopping, including the missing Lady Grey, and when I got back to the motor home, I found the Swan Whisperer dealing with an extraordinary infestation of fruit flies! We don't know where they came from, although someone in the flats had said they were infested but they were everywhere!

Once we had dealt with as many as possible, we set off  stopping at the Auchan in Grande Synthe for enough diesel to get us to Luxembourg and then on to our favourite Strépy-Thieux canal lift, where we had lunch. I got out to see whether there was a barge coming out of the lift, which there was, and then realised I'd left my phone behind when I saw a kestrel hovering!  I did get the phone and took a few photos of the lift going up again. 

While we were there, we realised that the fruit flies had congregated on the inside of the screen that shields the skylight, which was wide open (it was a lovely day), so the SW unscrewed it and all the flies went up out of the skylight!  We then opened the big window and encouraged the stragglers to go out that way, which seems to have done the trick. We took advantage of the screen's being down to give it a good brush - it needed it.

Belgian motorways, as I have frequently said, are often very congested, but they weren't today, and even the endless trees were quite attractive in their autumn dress. We have come to the town of Rochefort, and a campsite recommended by a friend. It was not expensive, and all included, so very nice. The Swan Whisperer has been for a walk, but it is dark now (the disadvantage of late autumn/winter trips) and we are set up for the evening with the blinds and curtains drawn and the heating on low. Cosy!

Remembrance Holiday, 2 November

So we are off on our travels again. I had been going to do grandmother duty, but their school was closed due to a burst water main so it didn't happen. This meant we could take our time over loading up the van, and there was no rush. 

We had decided to leave an extra 30 minutes because of road works on the M20, which is being turned into a smart motorway. The Swan Whisperer came home early from Figure Club, and after supper we set off.

We needed every minute of the extra half hour, as they decided to close the motorway at Junction 8, and we followed what we thought were the diversion signs only to find we were back on the motorway at junction 7,and it was all to do again. The second time of asking, we realised they wanted us to go up to the M2 from J7 - but why on earth didn't they put us off there instead of sending us all round the houses? We did get there in the end, just in time to check in for our booked crossing, which was late.  Tonight, or what's left of it, will be spent at Cité Europe.

German Avenue Road, 25 September

We hauled ourselves out of bed this morning and had a quick breakfast, and were in such good time at the terminal that we got a crossing half an hour earlier than scheduled - 09:20 instead of 09:50.  I had been a little worried as my debit card had had to be cancelled while we were away, and I wasn't sure whether we would need it at the terminal, which is why we were early, but luckily we didn't.

Despite endless roadworks on the M20 and heavy traffic on the South Circular, we got home by 11:00 UK time and have unpacked and done the first of many loads of washing!  Home now until early November.... watch this space.  I'm hoping we'll have an excursion or two between now and then, but am not sure.

Edited to add: we finally gave in, this last morning, and put the heating on while we showered and dressed!  As it was Calais, right on the edge of the time zone, it wasn't even light at 7:00 am, and it was very cold.  I nearly wasn't warm enough in bed last night and had to use my extra rug for the first time, too.  Pyjamas next holiday, rather than summer-weight nighties!

German Avenue Road, 24 September

We did not hurry this morning, and it was gone 10 when we left Metz, stopping first for more gas, and then there was the long, dreary road through Luxembourg, Belgium and France back to Calais - 297 miles in all. It would have been shorter, and an hour quicker, to have gone through France, but motorway tolls being what they are, we thought not! 

We stopped for diesel in Luxembourg (cheap!), and for lunch in Belgium - don't ask me where; I was asleep and didn't really wake up until we were approaching Calais!

We are parked in the usual place, and I did a Last Shop including delicious kidneys for supper, and we will have to hurry in the morning to present ourselves at the terminal by 09:00.

German Avenue Road, 23 September

Last night's parking was a dismal failure! It was a lovely place, surrounded by vines and fruit trees, but random cars kept driving up and stopping, with young men getting out of them and, a few minutes later, going away again. I've no idea what they were up to, whether legal or otherwise, but it kept on happening, and I felt quite frightened and hence slept very badly.

We tried to go up to the very end of the Avenue Road, and probably succeeded, but we aren't quite sure where it officially starts/ends. After buying bread at a random bakery, we headed off home up the motorway. I fell asleep and missed, so I am told, a lovely drive through the Black Forest, on minor roads as there don't seem to be any motorways! I woke up in time to help the SW find relatively cheap diesel (it has got more expensive during the holiday, but that is, we gather, pan-European, not just Germany). 

And so we crossed the Rhine (again - and we had already crossed the Danube that morning!) into France and stopped for lunch soon after Strasbourg. We decided to leave the motorway after a couple of junctions and go the other way, with the distinct advantage of no tolls. It was still mostly along fast roads and very quiet. But as we approached Metz, the heavens opened and we were deluged. And had to be very careful indeed getting to our parking for the night, by the Moselle. But we are there now, and the rain is away, and supper is nearly ready. The van next to us has burnt their supper - their door opened and an arm waved a very smoky pan around, followed by a smell of burnt food.... Hope it was still edible!