Summer Holiday, 28 August 2022

This morning we were in Düren, but of course it is Sunday, so all the shops are shut. We didn't head on very early, but used the services, and the SW went for a leg-stretch while I read and did puzzles on my tablet. 

It was always going to be a driving day, as we are on the way home. We started off cross-country, a mixture of extremely nice roads and really rather awful ones, much too narrow for the WoMo really. Fortunately there was not much traffic. 

We joined the motorway just before the Belgian border. It would appear that the secret to Belgian motorways is to go on a Sunday lunchtime - very little traffic and no hold-ups! 

Our original plan had been to stop at the car park for the Ronquières inclined plane, but for some reason neither of us was keen. I remember it as dark and gloomy, but that was in December a few years ago! 

So anyway, I found that a car park on the outskirts of Mons was recommended, but when we got there, it was a bit full, and we felt as though we were intruding. Also no shade, and it is hot again! So a bit of detective work finds us parked up at this lovely canal bridge

(even though the cars make a noise going over it) with a view of the Strépy-Thieu canal lift,

which we love. We would have gone there, but they have stopped overnight parking, alas. This place, however, is almost nicer. 

As I had barely been out of the WoMo - just to buy rolls in a random convenience store at a petrol station - we decided to go for a walk along the canal bank to the old lift

(one of the ones the big Strépy-Thieu lift replaced) and back the other side. It was a lovely walk, although you had to walk down to the roadway to cross the canal, and then back up the other side up a 19% slope! But we took it slowly and I managed, although I know I've taken exercise. Now cooking a big casserole and enjoying a lovely evening. 

Summer Holiday, 27 August 2022

Yesterday may have been a rest day as far as I was concerned; today certainly wasn't! 

The airport, thankfully, closed down shortly after 11:00 pm and flights didn't resume until about 06:00.

I wish the same could have been said of some of the campers. There really were an inordinate number of motor homes - you have simply never, ever seen so many in one place! 

Anyway, the Salon didn't open until 10:00, so we didn' t need to hurry. About ten to we went to the shuttle bus stop, and caught the bus up to the Messe. The bus appeared to go all round the houses to get there, but we arrived in the end and, of course, had to queue to get in. 

Like most people who are not in the market for a new motor home, we headed for Hall 3, which was full of gadgets and advertisements to come and camp in our area, or use our app, or... We did make a point of telling Park4Night how much we used their app, and we called at the BritStops stand (shared with France Passion and the various equivalents in other countries), but they weren't there, only a very nice Norwegian selling his country's version. 

One thing I wanted to buy was a folding table for eating out of doors in fine weather, as our picnic table is pretty much demised now. We found a very nice one for €44, which came in its own carrying case, so useful.

What we couldn't find, though, was coffee in any shape or form! There were numerous bars selling soft drinks or beer, and a couple of "Stehcafés", but nowhere to sit down and have a coffee. Unless you were a member of one of their posh clubs.... 

Anyway, when we had finished pottering round Hall 3, we headed to Hall 5 to drool over the luxury motor homes, but you know what? I don't think I really would like any of them! Too big, too - well, it sounds stupid, but too luxurious. Our Pilote is as much luxury as we need or can cope with. 

I wanted to go to Halls 13 and 14, right up the other end of the site (bloody miles!) to see some of the modern technology - how are motor homes going to cope when diesel vehicles are banned in ten years' time? But most of it seemed to be things like generators so you could charge your e-bike or scooter while on the road. I didn't see anything about using biogas for fuel, or anything like that. 

We did note that you can get reversing cameras for motor homes (we have a rear view camera, but not a reversing one); we noted one or two other things on our travels, too; the annoying thing is that all the exhibitors have links to their German websites (not surprising, really!). 

Anyway, by then I was exhausted, so we came away and waited for the next bus back to the car park, which seemed to go an even longer way round to get to our stop, but we got there in the end, and had lunch out of doors to christen our new table. 

After lunch we headed on to Düren, where we have been many times before; we stopped at an Edeka on the way so that I could do a Last Shop in Germany, only it wasn't, because I couldn't get mince and forgot the Schwabian Maultaschen, so went to Lidl as well. Still plenty of room in the aire when we arrived, and I hope I don't have to move again today! It is Saturday, so the Swan Whisperer will get supper - oh yes, when I was in Edeka we needed potatoes, and I had to buy these ones, didn't I?! 

Summer Holiday, 26 August 2022l

From my point of view, today has been very much a rest day. I doubt that the Swan Whisperer would agree with me, though as he had to drive well over 200 km on horrendously busy motorways, with endless road works and hold-up. Actually, the second half of the journey wasn't so bad - we stopped for a cup of tea half-way. 

This morning, though, was lovely and lazy for both of us. The SW did go for a leg-stretch, but I just sat in the shade outside the van and read. It was gone noon before we set off, having used the services, and our first port of call was a ReWe.

However, I didn't go in at first as there was a concession stand in the car park that was selling Currywurst and Bratwurst and so on, so we bought our lunch. Then we realised we hadn't enough ice-cream, so I did go into ReWe after all and also bought some wine and some coloured eggs. 

Then we headed on along the afore-mentioned motorways, and eventually, at about 18:30 arrived at the campsite for the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, which we have tickets for in the morning. It is absolutely enormous - you have never seen so many motorhomes all in one place!

Not unpleasant, though. Most people are sitting out, but the SW doesn't want to. It is also very noisy, as under the flight path from Düsseldorf Airport,

only a couple of kilometres away. I went for a leg-stretch to find out where you get the free shuttle buses from in the morning, and have stewed some rather tasteless mirabelle plums I bought a couple of days ago, and made risotto, which we are about to eat. 

Summer Holiday, 25 August 2022

So this morning was All About Lübeck. After breakfast we set out to walk round the Old Town, which is seriously lovely. The Swan Whisperer wanted me to see the "Holy Spirit Hospital",

so we looked at that, and then we had a slight difference of opinion, as I wanted to walk down one street, and he had walked down it last night so, not unnaturally, wanted to walk down another! So we split up and agreed to meet outside the Petrikirche in about 15 minutes. 

I really enjoyed my walk down through the main shopping drag, but also the lovely Rathaus,

so not just shops!

And I walked down through the market square to the Petrikirche,

but no Swan Whisperer. Just then, he telephoned me, and after some confusion we worked out that while I had gone to the Petrikirche, he had confused it with the Mariakirche,

and gone there! So we met up again in the market, by the fruit and vegetable stall, and I bought some lovely fresh garlic. 

After that, I settled the SW in a café while I went into the department store that had both a DM and an Edeka in its base, and I bought some of my moisturiser in DM, and groceries in Edeka and, to my delight, I found my favourite 4711 shower gel in the department store, so bought some of that, and an ice cologne dab-on. So I don't need to go to a Müller now to find them. 

I rejoined the SW, who had had coffee and a cake, and was seriously tempted by some of the delicious-looking ice creams on offer; however, it wold have spoiled my lunch and not good for me, so I just had a freshly-squeezed orange juice, which was lovely. 

Then we walked back to the WoMo via the main gate,

and it was time to head on. We decided to go via the A1, and stopped at the first service area for lunch. But there had been an accident, and although our Satnav was able to steer us round it, so did everybody else's, and it was a slow old journey. 

This aire is at a place called Wildenhausen, and although there's nothing wrong with it, it took forever to find out how you paid to get in, and how you paid for electricity! But we did it at last, and as it is a lovely evening, we not only sat out, but ate out, too. We have decided we probably need a new picnic table, as this one dates back to our tenting days and is very wobbly now. We'll see what we can find on Saturday. 

Summer Holiday, 24 August 2022

The Mollibahn isn't just another heritage railway - in fact, it's not even a heritage railway, even though it is a narrow-gauge steam railway; it is apparently used by commuters and schoolchildren, as well as tourists. Although there weren't many of anybody on the train we caught into Bad Doberan at 08:43 this morning. 

No, the Mollibahn's USP is that it runs through the streets of Bad Doberan, and cars and pedestrians have to get out of its way! 

We stayed on the train until its final stop, at the main station, and then walked back up to the third of the three town stations to catch it on its way back. I wish, in a way, I that we hadn't, as there seems to be a lot more to the town that we missed. Still, there is always next year! And we enjoyed the walk - it was not too hot at that time in the morning. 

It doesn't just run through streets, of course; there is lots of open country, too. Mostly arable, it would seem. 

We got back to the camp site with an hour to spare before we had to leave, so we sat outside while the SW had his coffee, and then we got ready to go,, but had to wait ages for the services to be free. Still, they came free in the end, so we emptied and filled the relevant bits, and then drove up to the next town where I visited Lidl while the SW programmed the SatNav to take us back to Lubeck cross-country. 

He found a very nice aire where we stopped for lunch, but we had to leave in a hurry when they wanted to charge us €10 for parking there. Fine for overnight, but not for just an hour or so. So we came away and drove back to Lubeck - some of the roads lovely, others twisty and poorly-surfaced. But we got here in the end. 

I didn't want any more exercise today, so have been reading and knitting, but the SW went for a walk. I hope to do so tomorrow. 

Summer Holiday, 23 August 2022

It's been a long day today! We started off at this swimming lake place (which didn't open until 13:00, so we couldn't have swum even if we had wanted to).

My tummy went slightly back on me, and probably after yesterday, and when we stopped at a huge ReWe to shop, I very nearly came over all unnecessary, and had to speak very severely to myself - the Swan Whisperer would not have been pleased if I had had to phone him to come and rescue me while he was drinking his coffee. I had previously gone to the Tedi on the same site and got another pair of shorts (yes, I know I'm too old and fat to wear shorts, but tough!) another short (1 metre) charging cable and, what pleased me almost most of all, a far more sturdy pill-organiser than any I have seen in the UK - the one I brought with me is so flimsy I had to put a rubber band round it to hold it together. This is a massively better design. 

I did get through the shopping all right, and back to the van, and we set off for Lubeck. I was feeling much better by the time we arrived. They have wonderful provision for motor homes there - two huge car parks, right in the city centre, no services, but only €6 for 24 hours, and and less for shorter periods.

We think that, in a slight change of plan, we will go back there tomorrow night and can have a good explore, as it's ages since we have been there. 

Then we didn't want to dawdle as we wanted to arrive here, at Wittenbeck, on the Baltic. A huge, huge aire, obviously a seaside resort and also for visiting the Mollibahn, which we plan to do tomorrow. We are supposed to leave by 11, but the very nice young man who booked us in said that they turned a blind eye to half an hour or so over, so we are going to get up early and catch the 08:43 into Bad Doberan.... 

However, before then we did want to see the train, so went down to watch it go through,

and then down to the beach

and back to watch the train going the other way.

And then I got supper, and it has cooled down a great deal.

Summer Holiday, 22 August 2022

So we thought we would visit the leisure baths this morning sine we had a €5 coupon. We They were cheaper than the ones at Amnéville, but not as nice - the currents weren't as strong and there weren't the massage points. What there were, though, were a variety of water slides, and I, stupidly, decided to go down one where you sat in an inner tube. Big mistake! 

I am far too fat for this to have been in any way, shape or form a plan. The current just lifted my legs (which presumably weigh a great deal less than the rest of me) and hefted me out of the tube, sending me down the slide battered, and gasping for air as the waters broke over my head. The absolute worst was that there was a pause half-way down and simply no way of getting out other than going down. 

That was the end of any swimming for me; I sat in a chair, gasping for breath, heart going far faster than it likes, wobbling and hoping I wasn't going to be sick. I wasn't, thankfully, but my neck hurt and my back is still a bit achey this evening. Never, ever again! 

So once we had changed, we went back to the WoMo and I lay down for half an hour with a couple of paracetamol while the SW used the services and we got ready to leave. I had to pull myself together then, as we had no bread and if we were to have lunch, this needed to be rectified ASAP. So we went to the nearest Edeka and I was pleased to find some fresh chillies, which I had been looking for for some days. 

After lunch, we set off and drove here to a town with the lovely name of Bad Fallingbostel, where we are parked up in an aire by an open-water swimming pool. Warm welcome from the woman on duty - did we want electricity, if so she would go and get the cables, etc. All found for €12, except there is nowhere to empty the loo. However, we did that this morning, so not a problem.