Late spring holiday 2024; 30 April

Lohne, Lower Saxony

So who would have thought, two days ago, that we would be sitting out of an evening  enjoying 25 heat! But it is lovely here this evening. 

This morning we went for a very pleasant walk to Castle Croy and back - it was a circular route, so no retracing of steps. Lots of spring flowers and so on, and we even heard a cuckoo! 

When we got back to the WoMo, we had coffee and half a slice of ginger 

cake each - this was a freebie from the aire, and very good it was, too! Then we set off. We had asked the Satnav for a route which avoided the industrial areas of Dortmund and so on, and the route we did go on went much further through the Netherlands. It was a most enjoyable drive, on main roads and motorways but even still. Why are the Netherlands so much more beautiful than Belgium? 

We stopped for lunch at a random services, still in the Netherlands, but then didn't stop again until we got here, other than briefly at a random Netto to buy some mushrooms. Although we are sitting out - and it is a really nice free aire (you pay for electricity, but that's all), it is beside a main road, so a fair amount of traffic noise, but we really don't mind that. 

There is a Lidl about ten minutes' walk away, and the Swan Whisperer has gone to investigate as there is a coupon for raspberries, which expires today. And also for a buttermilk dessert which intrigues him, so he might buy that, too. Meanwhile, I kindly bought some liver in France (dirt cheap!) and am going to cook it this evening now that I have the mushrooms to go with it. Also asparagus, but separately! 

Late spring holiday 2024; 29 April

Camperplaats Croy, Aarle-Rixtel, Netherlands. 

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday it was wet, and when it wasn't wet it was overcast and cold. Today it is sunny and warm, and I am quite comfortable in shirtsleeves, no cardigan, no wrap!

We slept fairly well, although I was rather overtired and out of cope by the time I finally got to bed. After breakfast and the usual chores we set off about 09:00. Our first port of call was the Auchan in Grande-Synthe, near Dunkerque, where I did a shopping - almost my only chance to shop in France. Of course, they were out of agrumes tea, which I like at least two cups of per day and haven't brought enough with me, expecting to be able to buy it today. Oh well. 

After which it was a long, dreary drive across Belgium, not bad until we got to the Antwerp ring road which was rammed and very slow. 

We crossed into the Netherlands and eventually found our way to this campsite, which is really rather nice. I tried to do a tai chi video without looking at the screen, only listening to the instructions, but got lost in part 2 - will try with another video, as some are clearer than others. 

So I wandered round the campsite and took a couple of photos, and in a few minutes I'm going to get supper. And another long drive tomorrow, into Germany. 

Late spring holiday 2024; 28 April

Today has been busy, to say the least! We got up fairly early and after breakfast loaded up the car and headed up to the church where I was preaching.

When the service was over, we were going to head straight for Sussex, but the Swan Whisperer said he'd forgotten his shoes, and I thought I'd forgotten my clock, so we called back at the flat very briefly (in fact, neither of us had forgotten anything!) and arrived in Sussex in time for a late, but badly needed, sandwich lunch before getting the WoMo out of the garage and loading it up.

We only unpacked the fridge stuff, because we were already late for the Bluebell walk. However, we do know our way around the woods, and we knew where my mother's car was going to be, so we put our car in the WoMo's garage and went on up the lane. Because it has been so wet, I put my wellies on. Big mistake! They are fine in towns, but the soles are very thin and I could feel every stone on the route, and by the time we reached my mother's car I had really had enough! But the bluebells are spectacular this year! 

 So I got in the car and we chatted until my sister came past with some of the "short walkers" and said nobody else wanted a lift so we drive down to the church where tea and cake was on offer. The walk and the tea were to raise funds for the Friends of Clapham and, and my sister tells me they made around £330!

We, meanwhile, went back to the WoMo once we had had our tea, and put away the stuff in the crates (groceries, mostly) which would not be safe to travel unsecured, and filled up with water. We set off at about 5:00 pm and arrived at Folkestone in time to get a Shuttle an hour earlier than booked. This was just as well, as it turned out, as when we got to the aire at Calais, we found it was closed for repairs! We have managed to take the last space in the aire at Marck, which we discovered at the end of last Holidays. At least we are that much further up the road for the morning! 

I am very tired and rather out of cope, so I am going to go to bed as soon as it has been made!