A New Adventure

As regular readers of this blog will know, we've had our motor home since July 2015. 

It was a 2003 registration, able to come into the London Low Emission Zone, but not the ULEZ or any of the increasing number of green zones on the Continent.  And a convenient moment arose to buy a new - or new-to-us motor home.

Unlike in 2015, we knew what we wanted, and just before Christmas we went to the West Sussex Caravan Centre to have a look round - and found our new motor home on the spot.  A Pacific Pilote, 2017 registration, slightly longer than the old one, but still reasonably compact; 4 travel seats and I think sleeps 3.  

We took delivery of it on Wednesday 22 January, and spent yesterday afternoon and evening trying - slightly vainly - to get it sorted out.  It's very different from our old machine - some things are much nicer, including the bedroom, and some things are less nice - there are only two burners on the cooker, for instance, but we think it's a combination grill/oven.  We are still learning about it, of course, and it is a very steep learning curve as so much has been modernised!  It took us some time to learn how to turn off the radio, for instance - and I still don't know how you programme it.... The radio plays in the bedroom, which is nice (although bags me not be the one to get up and switch it off in the middle of the night!).  

Bedroom is definitely superior - huge double bed, memory foam mattress (I think), so we don't keep rolling into each other; I even have a bedside table, complete with pot cupboard, and the Swan Whisperer has a shelf to put his specs and book at night and his tea in the morning. 

Best of all, there are steps up to it so I don't have to get the stool out!  And there are two big cupboards above the bed, so the SW can have one for his clothes and we can use the other for storage, dirty laundry, etc.  I can use the drawers under the wardrobe for my clothes, plus I have a locker where I can keep my toiletries, hearing-aid case, etc, when we're moving.   Best of all, though, it has a separate door, so can be closed off when we have visitors (useful to dump untidy stuff on the bed!) and also I was able to dress in there this morning while the SW was getting breakfast and not get in his way.  

Then comes the bathroom - loo and basin one side, shower the other. 

The loo door is two-way - you can either close it to make a private room of loo and basin, or it latches across to close off the main living area.  So with the sliding door closed, you have quite a large bathroom.  It will, however, need a bath mat to keep the floor in between dry, I think.  Not difficult - we have such a thing.  The kitchen I have already grumbled about - only two burners, and one very small;

sink is okay and huge fridge, also a grill/oven combination (haven't made friends with that, yet).   Lounge area seems more comfortable than the old one, and the cab seats swivel round so you can sit in comfort, but haven't worked out the best position for the table yet.  Cab itself all mod cons, including air conditioning, and a much more comfortable ride than the old one, except the blind rattles.  Oh well....  So all in all probably going to enjoy it, but it's not "home" yet the way the old one was.

We didn't take it out last night - we had thought of taking my mother for a drive, but by the time we'd finished putting stuff away, it was supper time, so she came over while we cooked salmon with broccoli, mashed potato and a lemon-parsley sauce, and drank the bottle of Wiston sparkling wine that the caravan centre gave us as a thank you for buying.  My mother found out later it was worth at least £25 a bottle, but it was delicious and between us we drank the lot!  

Then we went to bed, and slept okay, although I was a little anxious all night.  Today we went to Dunelm to try to find a smaller sauté pan, unsuccessfully, although I did buy a new frying pan, and also a new table cloth and cushions, as the old ones really didn't go with the new décor!  And one of the cushion covers has perished slightly, anyway, plus they were rather large.  We also drove back to the caravan centre to ask them to check the thermostat, as we are not quite sure it is working, but they said the two thermometers probably were out of sync and once we knew how badly, we could adjust the thermostat to suit.  And then we put it away and came back to London, but we'll be going on a proper shakedown cruise in a few days.  I'll report back....

WWMG Innsbruck - the homeward journey

The Games officially finished on the Sunday, and those who had to be at work next morning left at once, or even earlier.  The mountains reappeared, briefly, on Monday morning to bid us goodbye. 

but soon went back to bed again!

There were still plenty of us around on the Monday morning, and a fair few of us on the 10:40 to Munich!  The Aussies, and Sue from NZ, were going to spend the day sightseeing before catching their various planes in the evening; Phil and Bettina were rushing straight to catch a train out to the airport.  We had just under an hour between trains so didn't leave the station, but bought a sandwich and ate that and then went and stood on the platform, where the train was, until boarding started.  I was annoyed, because the DB site had warned that the train might be very full, so I had obediently gone to the ticket office in Innsbruck and reserved us two seats - only to find that the train didn't really fill up until Stuttgart, and meanwhile our seats didn't have a window!  So it was an unnecessary €7 wasted, and we could have sat in much better seats.  Oh well....

We arrived in Köln in good time, and of course the Ibis hotel is in the station itself, so no distance to walk.  Like all Ibises, it was clean, comfortable and soulless!  We went back to Schweinske's, in the station, to eat - I chose a schnitzel and the Swan Whisperer had lasagne.

This morning, we went back to Schweinske's, yet again, for breakfast which was marginally cheaper than in the hotel.  And very good it was, too.

 I recommend Schweinske's - it is very pork-heavy, but there are vegetarian options, too (I had the jacket potato with mushrooms on our way). 

After breakfast, we put our bags in the hotel's left luggage, and went out.  First port of call was the Cathedral, which we have seen so many times, but had never been in. 

Then the Swan Whisperer wanted to visit the Altmarkt, and it's not my fault we went slightly the wrong way through the shopping streets, is it.... We had a brief look round the Swarovski shop (not a patch on the ones in Innsbruck) and the 4711 shop (expensive - you can get the shower gel for half that in Müllers!).  Then we did find the Altmarkt, and walked back to the hotel, with just over an hour to wait.  We were a little worried, as rail traffic had been being badly disrupted due to an unexploded wartime bomb that had been found on the other side of the river; however, the nice man in the station information booth had assured us that our train would run, although it might be diverted, and, in fact, by the time it was due, the bomb had been safely dealt with and the bridge reopened. 

We sat in the hotel lounge until 20 minutes before our train was due, then reclaimed our luggage and went up to the platform.  The train was ten minutes late, but arrived at last, and we enjoyed a picnic lunch with the end of our food from Austria.  In Brussels, we had two hours to wait, and check in for the Eurostar doesn't open until an hour before departure, so we went to the nearest Prets and the SW had coffee and I had orange juice and we sat there until we could go through.  And then an uneventful journey to London, and the Tube home.  I was tired, and would have liked to have taken a taxi, but the SW pointed out that the Tube would be quicker (he's right, of course), and we cleverly managed to find the short way to the Victoria Line and not have to navigate all those tunnels.  And as we came out of the station at Brixton, a 35 bus came past!

Then it was just a matter of unpacking, putting on a load of washing, and sorting out things for tomorrow.

WWMG Innsbruck, 19 January

Today was the last day of skating, but we had friends in every class, so spent the entire time at the rink, watching some very memorable routines, particularly in the pairs.  It was snowing quite hard, so this wasn't actually a penance!

Midori Ito, partnered by Leigh Yip, did a very beautiful  and moving routine to Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera. Diana and Geoff did a routine based on a baseball song (why can't they play cricket like the other ex-colonies?) and Karen and John did a very amusing "Bear necessities". Our Aussies friends, among others, were in the singles earlier and did very well.

After it was all over, we came back to the hotel and I spent my usual quiet afternoon, while the Swan Whisperer went out for a walk. We had supper, as the first night of the holiday, at Frankies, just across the main road. I had a grilled chicken burger and wedges, and the SW had spare ribs. 

WWMG Innsbruck, 18 January

We woke up, as the forecast had suggested we would, to a white world of snow.

No more mountains gradually revealing themselved as the sun rose! We were glad we had done our sightseeing and were planning on watching skating most of the day. We had many friends in Silver Ladies II (so large it had to be split into two classes), and a fair few in III. As it happened, I got a bit of a headache - often happens when watching skating for any length of time, I think it's the whiteness of the ice, so after the second Silver Ladies II the Swan Whisperer and I went over the road to look at the Chinese restaurant he'd eaten in a couple of days ago, but it was a buffet and I hate those and I really wasn't hungry, so lunch was bought in the nearby supermarket. We bought - well, not quite Pot Noodles, but very nearly - and far those with an orange for lunch, and then supper tonight was egg and salad, and I know I shall feel the better for it! Didn't do anything much the rest of the day - the SW went for a run and I gather fell over in the snow. More fool him for going for a run this weather, I did suggest it might not be a plan!

WWMG Innsbruck, 17 January 2020

There was very little skating we actually wanted to see today, so we decided to take another morning off and go out exploring. The J bus is a real blessing, as it goes from Igls, on one side of Innsbruck, to Nordkette, on the other. We caught it from the Sillpark stop, where it interchanges with the no 3 tram, although we could have caught it near the rink.

Our plan had been to get off in Igls and take the no 6 tram, which goes on a scenic route to Bergisel, where the ski jump is. Unfortunately, when we got to the station, we discovered that at this time of year, apart from an early school run, it only runs on weekends and public holidays.

So we decided we would walk down the path alongside the tram line to the next stop, where we could get the J, and take it all the way to Nordkette and then take the Hungerbergbahn back down to the city.

It was a really lovely walk, with wonderful views of Alpine scenery all round.

When we got to Nordkette, we went to see how much the Hungerbergbahn cost - not a great deal, compared with the Nordkettebahn - and then had lunch in the same cafe that I lunched in yesterday. Today I did have the noodle soup with sausages, which was OK, and the Swan Whisperer had käsespätzle like I had yesterday, only he managed to eat a great deal more of it than I had! We were both full when we had finished, so headed on to the Hungerbergbahn. I bought the tickets and was delighted to find that contactless now works here! I do usually pay cash when I can, when I'm abroad, as it is cheaper (in the UK there is, of course, no surcharge), but it is useful to be able to pay be card or contactless when necessary.

The journey was very quick and not particularly scenic, as a lot of it was in tunnel. Fun, though.

Then we walked along the river to the market, where we got apfelstrudel for supper pudding, and then a team back to the hotel. The Swan Whisperer went up to the rink after we'd had a cup of tea, but I had a nap! 

WWMG Innsbruck, 16 January

Today I decided to take the day off from skating, and from people in general. The Swan Whisperer wanted to go to Seefeld to skate so after breakfast he set off, and when I had finished tidyng the room I went off to catch the tram into town. Noticed that there was an MPreis supermarket by the tram stop,so determined to visit it on my way back.

However, the first port of call was a huge shopping mall called Sillpark, and I got off the tram there and had a look round. There was a C&A, which reminded me of my grandmother who was so clever at finding bargains there (and an H&M, which  my daughter is good at). Didn't see anything really worth trying on, though. Enjoyed wandering round DM as usual, although the prices seemed slightly higher than in Germany. There was a big Spar as the anchor store, but I didn't go in there.

When I had had enough I went and caught the J bus up to Nordkette.

I had no idea of taking the cable car up the mountain, and as I was very thirsty I went to the nearest cafe and had a beer as well as a plate of käsespätzle, which was delicious but far too much and I could only eat half of it.

With hindsight, I should have taken the Hungerbergbahn down to the town centre, but I had wanted to go to Igls, which the J bus would have taken me to. However, the tram that took you back to town only runs once an hour, and I would have just missed it, so in the end I got off at the Inn,

and wandered round the old town, visiting the Swarovski shops and goodly not buying anything although there was a crystal wolf that badly wanted to follow me home! 

I did buy some rather lovely shopping bags, which will be great for knitting projects.

And so back to the main road and the tram, MPreis and the hotel, and we are watching skating on the livestream. 

WWMG Innsbruck, 15 January

Not a good day, alas. When you go up to the rink, which isn't far, you have to go down into an underpass to cross the road, and the quickest way up is to go up some steps. I have been finding it necessary to stop for breath half-way up as my lungs are not brilliant at the best of times, and with the aftermath of this cold they are really bad just now. But the Swan Whisperer encouraged me to keep going, and I was badly out of breath when I reached the top. This wouldn't have mattered, but when we got to the rink, some jobsworth wouldn't let me use the lift, and by the time I got to the spectators' level, I was breathless to the point of feeling really unwell. I ended up sleeping through the free dance, and didn't want to do anything once we'd watched our friends skate except go to bed and sleep. I hope I'll be better tomorrow - I want to go round the shops!

No photos today, so here is the rink again.