NCC Pertisau Holiday, 30 July 2025

Blériot-Plage, Calais, Hauts-de-France

The last full day of our holiday started rather well, with a champagne tasting at Boulard Bouquaire, where we had spent the night.  We tasted a rosé, but decided that we have had nicer sparkling rosés, and eventually bought two bottles of a "blanc de blanc" 2019 called Mélanie, to celebrate the owner's mother, who - I didn't gather whether she had been then, or was today - 101 years old!  

After that, the Swan Whisperer had his coffee and we headed on.  We decided to go non-toll, as we had plenty of time.  Our route took us to Landrecies, where we have stopped several times before, either overnight or for lunch, but the aire was full, so we headed on and eventually stopped for lunch in a Carrefour car park near Valenciennes.  Not that I was that hungry - my insides told me rather firmly that tasting champagne at 10:00 am was a Bad Idea.

We drove on all afternoon, getting held up in a couple of places by road works - not too badly, but at one lot there was the added misery of a very heavy shower.  However, that passed, and the afternoon was sunny and warm.

We arrived at Cité Europe at about 16:00 and had a cup of tea before I went over and did a Last Shop in France, and then drove up here to the aire.  I had suggested we go to the park-n-ride, but the Swan Whisperer preferred the aire for security reasons. Plus we have electricity here, which is always nicer.  

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 29 July 2025

Cormicy, Grand-Est, France

Today has actually been pretty fine and warm, apart from a few spits and spots of rain, but mostly sunny.  Which makes a change.  The Swan Whisperer went for a walk before breakfast, coming back with croissants and a demi-baguette, and then said there was a 7 km walk that one could do in the woods.  He was obviously longing to do it, and why not?  So he went and did that and it was late morning by the time we had used the services and headed off, and by the time I had done some shopping at a local Carrefour - which had not, I think, had its full delivery of food, as there were quite a few empty spots on the shelves.  However, I did manage to get what I wanted, mainly milk and cream cheese, although they didn't have the Madame Loic we love, but I got an own-brand version of the same thing, which will do for now.

Most of our run today was on the A4, but we came off to join the D937 across country towards Reims, and so to this champagne  place, which is France Passion.  I believe they charge €10 for a tour and small tasting, which will be most enjoyable - except the SW won't be able to have more than a couple of sips as he is driving! There is a lovely view out of the windscreen,

and it is very quiet except for some doves cooing!  We were warmly welcomed by a large golden retriever, who I think is called Leo, and his owner greeted us warmly and told us we were welcome.  The SW went for a short walk before supper, which was fish with lemon-butter sauce, green beans and mashed potato (the latter, I regret to say, bought, as we are out of potatoes and the French don't seem able to sell them in small quantities!), followed by fruit salad (nectarine, strawberries and raspberries) with yoghurt and caramel sauce.  Lush!  I bought some gooseberries the other day, and the SW has been stewing them, so we'll be having those with our yoghurt tomorrow, which will be our last night in France.  

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 28 July 2025

St-Avold, Grand-Est, France

Once again it was not raining this morning - we have had rain today, but nothing like the past two days.  I went for a brief leg-stretch to look at the Rhine, and was delighted to see the most enormous barge laden with containers going downstream.

We were in no hurry this morning, and didn't set off until well past 10.  Our first port of call was a ReWe, where I did a Last Shop in Germany (yes, Mummy, I did get those coloured eggs we like!), wondering whether to get some of the delicious-looking white wine they were selling.  Much as it pains me to say this, I think Germany and Austria may do nicer white wine than France, but nobody can compare with Mas Alart's rosé!

We then set off on today's relatively short journey back to France, stopping for lunch only about 30 minutes short of our destination.  We are in a Camping-Car park - I did book, but need not have as we are the only people here.  Nothing wrong with the place, and it's half-way between Saarbrucken and Metz, so quite a useful stopping-place.  I have to admit that I slept most of the journey - I hadn't slept terribly well last night, what with traffic noise, and the noise of the rain on the roof.

The Swan Whisperer has been for his usual walk, and I dozed and read most of the afternoon.  I am now cooking supper of a huge vegetable stew with lardons, accompanied by green beans.  The stew/hash/whatever should do us twice.

NCC Pertisau holiday, 27 July 2025

Karlsruhe, Germany

It was a bit dreich this morning, but the Swan Whisperer attempted a run anyway - not a success as he got a twinge in whatever body part it is he gets twinges in, and had to come back.  However, it wasn't raining, so after breakfast I went for a short walk, enjoying the geese by the lake.

We set off fairly soon after breakfast, as the SW wanted to get here (Karlsruhe) ASAP in case the aire was full.  When we started, we should have arrived by about 12:30, but there was hold-up after hold-up on the motorway, especially past Pforzheim where they are rebuilding it, and it was about 14:00 before we arrived.  We had stopped briefly for the SW to make and gulp down a cup of coffee, but that was all.  The weather didn't help - although the sun came out at times, there were also a great many heavy showers, too!

When we got here, we found there were still a couple of spaces in the aire, so that was all right.  As it's Sunday, no shops are open or anything, so I have spent the afternoon reading and answering emails and so on, and the SW has gone out for a long walk and got wet!  This device is running out of battery, so must stop.

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 26 July

Somewhere in Germany

I'm not quite sure where we are tonight - I think it may be somewhere called Kissing, which seems unlikely.

We had hoped to go for a last boat trip this morning, and then back to the campsite by bus, but it was raining so hard that we would have been soaked, so we decided, regretfully, that this was not going to work. So we used the services and headed off in the pouring rain down to Jenbach (well, it had to be raining there, didn't it!) and so up the Inn valley to Kufstein, where we stopped for the SW to have coffee and me to visit an Austrian Lidl, which I don't think I've done before. There was also a Bipa and a KIk in the same complex, both of which I visited, and and look how restrained I was:

Had any of those large balls been navy or even a brighter blue, I couldn't have resisted, but I resist I did!

And so we headed on in the rain up wet motorways and wet side-roads, finding a parking-space on a side road to stop and eat lunch, including this patisserie from Lidl:

But when we got to our planned stopping-place in Augsburg, it was full. I am sad, as there is a very nice Norma and an off-licence just a short walk away. Oh well. The Swan Whisperer found this place which is basically a huge, empty car park - I think there may be another WoMo here, but the lines are separated by hedges, so I can't see it. No services, no nothing, and precious little signal!

The SW went for a walk round the lake which this is the car-park for, and I fell fast asleep! I hope I sleep tonight, and I hope - probably vainly - that the rain will go away. I can't believe that a week ago I was in shorts and a light top - now it's jeans and a sweatshirt! Maybe the weather will improve as we get further north. I hope so. 

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 25 July

Maurach-am-Achensee, Tirol

Today was the last full day of the official holiday, although several people have already left.  The vast majority are leaving tomorrow, though, as, indeed, are we, although we won't be home for a few more days.

The "official" excursion was up the Rofanseilbahn, the cable car on this side of the Achensee, but after seeing the one in Mayrhofen yesterday I was a bit put off, and, frankly, bottled it!  I had planned to go to the Atoll, but when I got there, they told me they didn't accept the Erlebniskarte, which I find a bit odd, since they issue it!  So I came away and spent a quiet morning in the WoMo.  I did go up to Reception to pay our campsite fees and order rolls for tomorrow - you are supposed to pay the day before you leave.  The Swan Whisperer had gone up the Rofanseilbahn, and had walked, with some of the others, to a nearby (not very) village, where they had coffee.  He was kind enough to do some shopping for me in Maurach before catching the bus back for a very late lunch - I didn't wait!

After lunch we decided to go on the boat again, so picked up the 15:10 service from Buchau and went all round the lake and back to Buchau, joined by some of the others for various parts of the journey.  If there is time in the morning, we might just venture one last trip across to Pertisau and the bus back, but there may not be time.

It has been a lovely week with old and new friends, and lots of different excursions in the area and beyond!  

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 24 July 2025

Maurach-am-Achensee, Tirol.

We were up very early this morning.  We were going to have to catch the 09:10 to Jenbach if we were to make the steam train to Mayrhofen, today's official excursion.  However, given how packed out the bus had been on Monday, we decided we would get the bus an hour earlier, then change to the Pertisau-bound bus and stay on it to Jenbach.  This would have worked better had the driver not been a complete jobsworth who insisted we disembark and wait in the rain for him to come round again.  Which we did, although there was some shelter under the edge of the Boathouse.  Why we couldn't have waited at the terminus of Karwendelbahn, I will never know.  However, the bus wasn't too crowded when Herr Jobsworth finally brought it back round, yelling at people who weren't showing their tickets, and goodness knows what all else....

Of course, it was raining in Jenbach - I am quite convinced that if it ever stopped raining there, the town would vanish!  I've never seen it in anything other than rain!  We had almost an hour to wait for the train, which was profitably spent drinking coffee in the little café and reminding ourselves of the trip to Mayrhofen that the girls took in "Princess of the Chalet School".  Meanwhile, our tickets were obtained for us and in due course we clambered into our reserved coach at the very back of the steam train.  The wooden carriage was very beautiful, but I had a severe case of chapelbottom by the time we arrived!

We enjoyed a walk round Mayrhofen, stopping to have a not very nice lunch (at least, mine wasn't - the SW swears his was delicious!) in a random café, and then an utterly delicious ice-cream (actually a sorbet in my case) further along the road.  We then walked back to the station in good time for the 14:49.  The journey, in greater comfort than that of the outward leg, cost 1/3 as much, but then, it wasn't steam-hauled!  Back at Jenbach, the heavens promptly opened and there was a massive thunderstorm.  The kind driver - not Herr Jobsworth this time - let us all get on the bus as soon as it arrived, even though it would not be setting off for another few minutes. The bus was soon fuller than it could comfortably hold, but we got to Maurach all right, at which time it turned into the Achenkirch bus, so we had no need to change, and got back to the campsite.  The SW is having a nap and snoring very loudly - if it wasn't for the fact that I must get supper in half an hour, I'd follow his example.