Late Spring Holiday, 26 May 2026

Namur, Belgium

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning along the Rhein, before it got too hot. He went up one bank, crossed on a bridge, then came back down the other bank and crossed on the ferry! Which, he was most indignant to find, had increased its price for foot passengers from €1.50 to €1.70!

Anyway, all this meant that breakfast was a bit late, but we got it finished by about 10.15, and set off to the local shopping centre which had a ReWe, a Kik, a DM and a Netto. I made the SW come with me into the ReWe to buy all the drink we needed - milk, fruit juice, another bottle of Hugo, two cartons of the lovely elderflower iced tea they do here and quite a lot of beer! I decided not to buy more Hugo, apart from the one bottle, as I am fairly sure it's the kind of thing one drinks on holiday and in a restaurant, but not so much at home. Still, it is very good, and might make the rather nasty French elderflower cordial bought in error last Holidays a bit more drinkable! 

I then had a good look round Kik and DM, and found my favourite moisturiser (all of €1.95 a jar), and may have gone a little mad buying shower gels of brands one can't get in the UK! Or, put it this way, that I have not seen in the UK. Then I went back to the ReWe and got the usual things for a Last Shop in Germany - coloured eggs, German sausages, prepared red cabbage, etc, plus various groceries we probably need for the week ahead. Tomorrow will be a Last Shop in France, as I'd like to get on as early a Shuttle as possible since cousins are visiting my mother and I'd love to get there before they have to leave. I do hope that will be after lunch, not after breakfast! 

So anyway, next port of call was Düren, where we got diesel. I had thought of going to Lidl while we were there, but decided I was shopped out! So we drove on a couple of kilometres and stopped for lunch in a random picnic area, and then didn't stop again until we reached this aire in Namur. It is free, which is about the only thing that can be said for it! And there are services, should we want them, but they are quite expensive, so we probably won't use them. 

The only photo I've taken today is of the Drachenfels from the ReWe car park! 

Late Spring Holiday, 25 May 2026

Niederdollendorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen

I decided I really didn't want to go for a walk this morning, but the Swan Whisperer went for a 4 km one around Aschaffenburg which he seems to have thoroughly enjoyed. 

After this, we set off, stopping first at the services (excellent - water is €1 for 100 litres, but you don't have to buy more than 10 litres at a time. Emptying was easy, as was rinsing the loo). Our next port of call was a petrol station, but we were really annoyed because both Google and our Satnav said it would be €1.87 per litre, but when we came to it, it was €2.10! The SW did not buy a full tank! We will probably find it cheaper somewhere tomorrow and can fill up before leaving Germany. 

We drove on to Niederdollendorf without further incident, stopping in an aire somewhere for lunch - we had been able to buy rolls at the petrol station. Once we had parked up and had a cup of tea, we set out to catch a train into Königswinter proper (Niederdollendorf and, indeed, Oberdollendorf, are suburbs). The plan was to catch a train and then walk back along the river. But public transport decided to hate us, and the trains promptly fell over - and we left it just a minute too late to catch a tram, and the next one wasn't for half an hour. 

So, plan B - we walked along the river into Königswinter, and got the tram back.

There wasn't really time to see anything of the town, but we have been there so many times before - the first time I went was with a school party in 1970, when we were going to visit the Passion Play in Oberammagau, and spent a week here first.

So anyway, the tram arrived on time and we were back in Niederdollendorf a few minutes later. My feet held up fairly well, but the blisters were making themselves felt underneath their plasters by the time we got back to the WoMo. All the same, it was not an unpleasant walk, even though I rather had to go at the SW's pace, which leaves me breathless - and I was really rather a damp mess by the time we got back! 

We are now sitting out listening to the dusk chorus. There's another British van here, which is unusual - we very seldom see other British motorhomers in Germany! There may have been some Hugo..... 

Late Spring Holiday, 24 May 2026

Aschaffenburg, Bavaria

No, I don't quite know how come we are back in Bavaria, having left it, as I thought, for good this visit! However, we are, and without retracing our steps, either. 

We emptied the grey water tank this morning before heading on. Payment at the aire is a bit complicated - on arrival you pay €17, and are told you are going to be issued a card, and would you like to add money to it to pay for electricity and/or water? We weren't going to need water, and the SW said the electricity was rather expensive, at 80 cents per kilowatt/hour, so we didn't. Then when you are ready to leave, you use your card to exit the barrier (having used it to get in) and then return it to the machine, which refunds you €5.00, so in fact the night only cost €12.00. Which is quite reasonable, actually! 

We half thought of having a swim this morning after breakfast, but then thought not, and headed on fairly soon after the meal. Our first port of call was Ellwangen

to buy rolls for lunch and our Pentecost cheesecake.

It turned out to be one of those extremely pretty little towns that nobody has ever heard of, so we went for a short walk round it - I had put blister plasters on and was wearing my light sandshoes, rather than sandals, and managed okay. 

We then set off for Aschaffenburg, stopping in a random Lidl car park (shops here are all closed on Sundays, so we weren't in any body's way) to have lunch, as we couldn't find a parking space along the route. I did try to log on to their WiFi, but they wouldn't let me as they were closed! Needless to say, as soon as we continued our journey we passed loads of picnic/parking areas! 

We arrived in Aschaffenburg, where we have stayed before, but decided against staying in the aire, as it costs €8, and you don't get anything for your money except dodgy WiFi. However, I have enough data to last me until I get home, so that is not really a problem. Thing is, they don't provide services there, although there are some not far away. And most people seem to park up in the Festival carpark across the way - which is exactly what we have done! We are sitting out after supper, which was rosti again, but I cooked them more successfully this time; used only half the packet and the bigger frying pan, although they still didn't stick together as much as I should have liked. Followed by hazelnut yoghurt, and washed down by beer! 

I am not quite sure where we will stay tomorrow night; we had planned to go to Königswinter, where we have stayed many times before, but it appears that they have now moved the previously free aire from opposite the station to under the motorway, and now charge you €6 for the privilege of parking there. I gather there is another, similar aire in Niederdollendorf, where I want to go anyway to do a Last Shop in Germany, but the whole point of Königswinter is the lovely walks and the little train up to the top of the mountain! I suppose one could get the tram or the train from Niederdollendorf, so not the end of the world. Can't shop tomorrow as it's a public holiday, and unlike in the UK, even Lidl will be closed. Only bakeries open in the mornings. Well, we shall see, 

I am amused by a red something that is under the tree which I can see from where I'm sitting outside. I went over to have a look, fully expecting it to be a piece of waste paper - a sweet wrapper, or similar - but found it is a rather droopy red pepper that has split open. Whatever bird or animal tried to eat it, they obviously didn't care for it!

Late Spring Holiday, 23 May 2026

Rainau, Baden Wurttemburg

It was so, so, so hard to say goodbye to Oberstdorf this morning! Our ticket didn't expire until 14:00, so we were in no rush. We worked out that we could do a Laast Shop in Germany on Tuesday morning (Monday is Whit Monday and the shops, except for a few bakeries, will be closed), so I just nipped to Norma to get one or two things, and then to Ehren's for lunch rolls and a raspberry strudel to share between us. 

We got the WoMo into travelling condition, used the services and filled up with drinking water, and set off at about 10:30. We decided not to risk the free aire we had thought of for tonight because it is a long weekend, and even the huge aire in Oberstdorf was well-nigh full. So we decided on this rather nice aire in a place called Rainau, just by a reservoir with swimming areas, boating areas, etc. There was plenty of room when we arrived, but it has filled up since. 

After a rather late lunch, we had a rest and then went out to walk round the reservoir, which was extremely pleasant,

only I have blisters on my feet. How come I could walk round Oberstdorf and Brixton in my sandals with no ill-effects (it is seriously sandals, shorts and sunhat weather}, but not here? 

I had half planned to go for a swim while the SW got supper, but I really can't walk another step! Maybe in the morning before we head on? 

Late Spring Holiday, 22 May 2026

Oberstdorf, Allgäu, Bavaria

Which numpty misread the timetable and thought that the competition started at 09:30 this morning, as it has on all the other days? Of course, it started at 10:00, and we could have lingered over breakfast another 30 minutes. Not that it actually mattered, as it meant we were able to watch the synchro teams rehearsing. And very good they were, too. One of them - a Finnish team, I think - is was made up of all men. 

The reason why we had wanted to be there first thing, rather than later in the day as we have done all week, was that we wanted to see the free dances, which were lovely. Then there were various friends skating, so we stayed to watch them. We did pop out for a leg-stretch during one resurface,

but lunch was a sandwich from the little café. During the afternoon, I also went out briefly for an ice cream, but other than that we stayed in the rink until the end of the men's masters IV and V, which was the last of what we wanted to see. And thus we called it a competition. Tomorrow we start home, but it is a long weekend, the weather is lovely, and I really hope we can find somewhere to park up for the night tomorrow and Sunday! 

Late Spring Holiday, 21 May 2026

Oberstdorf, Allgäu, Bavaria

The weather has taken a definite turn for the better, and it is positively warm. T-shirt and sandals weather, although you want another layer in the rink. 

We were rather slow getting up this morning, and didn't hurry up to the rink. I did a quick dash to Norma for bread and tomatoes, and got some jam doughnuts for lunch pudding - we made sandwiches to take to the rink with us. 

Once at the rink, we watched the various classes we wanted to see, and then I went for a walk around the town, part sightseeing

and part shopping (I bought a new fleece for myself, and some more tissues to throw for people as I am getting very low on "tossies" and have almost run out of soap for people. 

When we got to the rink, I realised I'd left my cushion behind and even when I called in at the WoMo to put labels on the packets of tissues saying who they were from, I still forgot it. And got quite terribly sore and stiff. The SW went out to buy filled rolls for supper and kindly brought both it and my pills back for me. 

I had hoped to stay all evening, but was aching in places I didn't know one could ache, and so have come back to the WoMo and taken paracetamol,. I am now watching the rest of the evening on livestream! 

Late Spring Holiday, 20 May 2026

Oberstdorf, Allgäu, Bavaria

The weather at the moment seems to be a fine day followed by a wet one! And today was the wet one, although more showery than really wet. Mind you, there were some really heavy showers, but they didn't last long.

I went over to Norma to do a bit of shopping, and was amused to see that they don't sell non-alcoholic elderflower, but they do sell the alcoholic kind! I contented myself with beer today, though, as we had run out, and also got some cherries, as well as eggs, and rolls for lunch. The SW likes to buy the unpasteurised milk you can get here, so he went to get that, but the morning was mainly taken up with doing a load of washing, and then drying it.

I was a bit tired, so didn't go for a walk today, but in the afternoon the SW went for a 17 km walk that he seems to have enjoyed. He did get wet, though! I managed to avoid the showers when I went up to the rink at about 17:30, and he joined me there, but as the competition was running a bit late, he went back to the WoMo for a quick cup of tea and got back before the skaters we wanted to see had started.

We stayed in the rink for the rest of the evening, but went up to Zorans, the restaurant above the rink, to have our supper - the SW had pasta with salmon and spinach, and I had dorade (sea bream?). Which had a delicious sauce, but except for the potatoes, the vegetables it came with were half raw. Not nice. The fish was lovely, though.

It was the pattern dances this evening - my first love. The Bronze dancers had been set the Willow Waltz and the Fiesta Tango, both of which we have competed in our time. I wish they had been ISU dances back in the day; we could perhaps have danced them here. And come last but that bit wouldn't have mattered. Someone has to, after all!

Anyway, we had fun critiquing the dancers, although most of the dances were ones we couldn't have done other than in a dumbed-down version. One poor Silver couple had a nasty fall in the warm-up, and the man got very nasty ice burn on his face, and I think bent his glasses. They still competed, though, and in fact came second. Bet they'll be stiff in the morning, though! 

The Masters were very impressive, with a Ravensburger Waltz and a Cha-cha Congelado. Those, we admired rather than critiqued! 

It was noticeable though, that the audience for the dances was a lot smaller and slightly less exuberant than during the free and artistic events, although the "old Oberstdorf hands" who are known and loved still got huge cheers. 

And so, as Pepys famously said, to bed. Still two more days of competition to go, and the weather forecast for tomorrow is lovely,