Monday, 29th October 2018 Robert enjoyed testing Alan’s levelling system to empty the tanks before we left Brugge to reduce the weight and maximise fuel economy. We had planned to go to a beer warehouse in Poperinge which Robert has visited several times before but we found it was closed on Mondays so a google search came up with Drunken Vandewoude, Brouwerijstraat 5, 8600 Diksmuide. A family run concern who were very welcoming, allowing Ralf to wander round the warehouse which offered a wide range of very tempting options. Even Alan didn’t seem capacious enough and the journey home was punctuated by the rattling of bottles. Walked today: 5.0 miles Driving distance today: 109.64 miles Total Tour Distance: 1,190 miles
Monthly Archives: October 2018
17 posts
Sunday, 28th October 2018 Our journey to Brugge was marked by a number of events. The first of these was a very stressful moment when we thought we might run out of fuel but thankfully managed to fill up by diverting off the main road. Secondly, having previously been directed down some very rural lanes which were not necessarily suitable for a motor home the size of Alan, we chose to ignore our sat nav directions. This accounts for the large loop north on today’s route. We then had to wait for the drawbridge to lower. Brugge is one of our favourite cities and it is always a pleasure to return. Is it the architecture, the canals, the Tin Tin merchandise, the beer, the bars or a combination of everything? This time, we were however, very mindful that Ralf had been scared by the horses hooves on the cobbles and is not really a “townie”. We did however feel he should be introduced to “Bar Bertie” as this is a favourite hostelry and a bit of a tradition for us when we visit this city. Whenever we visit with John and Belinda Robinson, although there are so many fabulous places […]
Thursday, 25th – Friday 26th October 2018 Our heartfelt thanks to Richard and Mandie who kindly welcomed the Travelling Herd back to Königspad for two nights on our journey homewards. Even though Richard had work the next day and Mandie had a serious dental appointment, they took us to their local and joined us in raising several glasses to Ian, Robert’s big brother, who had been treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the last two years and sadly died in the early hours of Wednesday and hence the reason why we are cutting this trip short and returning to the UK earlier than originally planned. Matilda and Robert were both impressed by the Dutch system of running a tab – the barman simply drew lines and five bar gates on a bar mat to record the number of drinks consumed. Although Ralf has a passport, he still had to be de-wormed a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of five days before returning to the UK. So, on Friday morning we walked him to the local vet. Matilda was pleased that her knowledge of German allowed her to identify the Dierenkliniek. We are not sure what cues Ralf picked up […]
Saturday, 27th October 2018 In the fifteenth century, apparently Duke John II wanted to thank the people of Lier for their support during his struggle against the people of Mechelen. They were allowed to choose their own reward and he offered them two options. The people of Lier were tasked with choosing between a university or a cattle market. The duke coined the phrase ”the sheep heads”: so you know which option the good citizens chose. We did, however, feel it was an apt destination for the Travelling Herd. We had inadvertently stumbled upon another UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Beguinage at Lier. We learnt that a beguinage is an architectural complex created to house beguines – lay religious women who lived in a community without taking vows or retiring from the world. The residents were often widows or unmarried women who supported themselves by crafts such as lace-making or embroidery. The Lier beguinage was established in 1258 and now comprises 11 alleys and 162 houses. Walking through the alleys does seem like stepping back in time and the style and topology of these buildings are reminiscent of alms houses found in England. The town itself is also charming […]
Wednesday, 24th October 2018 As the aire was spacious and flat Robert demanded that Matilda try out the e-bike, which she has been studiously avoiding ever since he bought it. She is, as you can see, not a confident cyclist and is particularly concerned about her safety on the “wrong side of the road.” The journey started with a short diversion into Luxembourg to top up with cheap fuel and then on to Aachen. It was a longer drive than usual today across bridges passing high over valleys and through hills covered with conifers laden with cones and deciduous trees turning the warm shades of autumn. The mist low enough to conceal the blades of the wind turbines at the top of their rotation and a fine drizzle. It is reassuring, if reassuring is the right word, that the UK does not have a monopoly on roadworks which stretch for miles with little apparent activity. The Dom [cathedral] was the first World Heritage Site in Germany and the oldest part, Charlemagne’s Palace, was built between AD 794 and AD 810. Charlemagne himself is buried here in the town he made capital of his Frankish empire in 794. The Dom is […]
Tuesday, 23rd October 2018 Trier lays claim to being the oldest city in Germany having been capital of the Western Roman Empire in the third century. Several of its buildings have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and it is also the birthplace of Karl Marx. We left our aire on the banks of the Moselle and made our way into town, past the remains of an ancient synagogue, . . . . . . .the Kaiserthermen [Roman Imperial Baths – dogs not allowed] and the ornate eighteenth century Rococo Kurfürstliches Palais [Palace of the Electors]. . . . . . to the Konstantin Basilika [Imperial Throne Room]. The Basilika was originally built about AD 310 as the Aula Palatina or audience hall of the Roman Imperial Residence of Constantine the Great. Modified many times since Rome fell, it has subsequently been used by the Frankish counts of this district and then by local archbishops. Latterly it was restored to its original size and has been a Protestant Church since 1856. It was burnt out in 1944 during WWII but it was rededicated as a place of worship in 1956. We alternated going inside with staying outside in the comparative […]
Monday, 22nd October 2018 When we embarked on this trip we knew that we had a maximum of eight weeks in which to travel before we needed to return home for our long-awaited trip to Iceland in search of the Northern Lights. We were also aware of a couple of things which might make us head home sooner than planned. Fortunately motorhoming gives us this flexibility and as one of these has materialised, over the next week we will be heading north and retracing our steps, albeit via different cities, to return to England. Sorting out the rubbish as we left Saverne we found that the sound of a bottle falling into the large municipal recycling bin frightened Ralf. He also didn’t like being put back in Alan in case Matilda went somewhere without him. We have also found that the Navigon sat nav system can be a little unpredictable. The pronunciation of some of the place names is almost incomprehensible, being a combination of the English pronunciation of letters and that of the local country. It also sometimes chooses a very questionable route for us to follow. Today, it tried to get us to join the motorway via the back […]
Saturday, 20th October & Sunday, 21st October 2018 About five minutes away from the campsite, Robert heard a noise and suddenly stopped, saying “Something has happened. I’ve hit something.” Looking back Matilda could see a flat black and white shape on the road and feared we had run over someone’s cat. Robert went back to check, recovered one of our shopping bags and discovered that the passenger side door to the “garage space” at the rear had come open and we had lost three out of four of our pads for the levelling system. These can easily be re-ordered, but a pet is irreplaceable. We then arrived at the campsite at Saverne and were allocated a pitch only to find someone else was already encamped there. Matilda checked with reception and we were told to choose our spot. Having identified one which would catch the evening sun from the right direction Robert reversed and renegotiated the site. We realised we had probably not been offered this pitch in the first place because it was very tight, driving down the path, between hedges and fire hydrants to our chosen pitch. Once encamped, we decided to undertake some domestic chores such as […]
Friday, 19th October 2018 We had been undecided about our next stop but when Matilda looked it up, Nancy boasts a UNESCO world heritage square and this swayed the decision. As we were leaving, the pleasant Dutch couple in the motorhome next to us at the aire in Metz recommended only buying fuel from supermarket sites. Unless you are in Luxembourg, of course, where the petrol is cheap. So that is a tip for the future. Ralf seems to have decided that he prefers to be able to see out of the window on the journeys. The aire in Nancy is near the marina again and also just a short walk from the city. These central locations are excellent. We arrived around midday and a slightly disheveled man guided us into a parking place which had disabled markings on the ground so we would certainly not have parked there otherwise. We decided to wait until the capitainerie du port (harbour master) returned at two to pay for our place before heading into the city. He proved to be both pleasant and helpful, had spent time in Potters Bar and Reading and provided a map of the city as well as detailed information […]
Thursday, 18th October 2018 The guide books say that petrol is cheap in Luxembourg. This explained why, when we first entered the country from Belgium, the road was lined with petrol stations. Slightly belatedly, we remembered this as we were driving out of Luxembourg so we were very pleased to see that an enterprising fuel company has turned what used to be the border control buildings into a petrol station, allowing us to fill up at £1 a litre as we were literally leaving Luxembourg on our way to Metz in France. Metz lies at the point where Moselle and the Seille Rivers meet – a strategic point appreciated by the Romans. The free aire in Metz is by the River Moselle but just a short walk into town. We set off with Ralf, who is always desperate to get out of Alan whenever we arrive in a new place. We realised in traffic today that just the sound of the hand brake is a trigger for him to get excited about the possibility of stopping. We spent about half an hour walking round this pleasant historical city, walking over bridges . . . . . . . and past historical churches . . […]
Wednesday, 17th October 2018 As you pull out of the campsite in Bastogne you are faced with Ardennes Boissons – a drive-in off-license with plenty of parking for a vehicle the size of Alan. How could we drive past? The selection of bottled beer was extensive and we wanted to buy some bottles of “Airborne” in honour of the American troops and the struggle to retain Bastogne and the Ardennes. Ralf reluctantly, but successfully, completed his first museum visit at the Bastogne War Museum today. This involved him staying in the motorhome alone for the two and a half hours it took us to go round. He was waiting in the driver’s seat for us to return and although all was quiet when we exited the museum, he became quite vocal as we approached the vehicle but thankfully nothing untoward seemed to have happened in our absence. The museum itself is well laid out and very informative and certainly creates a sense of what it must have been like for civilians and the military alike on all sides to have been involved in the Battle of the Bulge in the depths of a harsh winter with limited food. In any crisis […]
Monday, 15th October 2018 – Tuesday, 16th October 2018 Richard and Mandie Königs recommended Bastogne as a place of character and historical interest and so when we left Maastricht we agreed we would return to Belgium, to visit a town which is now synonymous with the Battle of the Bulge – the last offensive by the German army in WWII which prompted the heroic defence of the town by American soldiers. The terrain of the Ardennes was supposedly impassable and the Allies believed the Germans would not attack through these hills and forests. While the area was not heavily guarded the German’s quietly assembled 50 divisions and attacked the Allies on December 15, 1944 besieging several American divisions in the town. As soon as you arrive in Bastogne you can see the military significance of the town and the obvious local pride in the outcome of the Battle of the Bulge. There are tanks by the roadside as well as a Sherman tank in the main square and the local beer has names such as Airborne and Nuts [in honour of the American response to the German request on December 22 for them to surrender]. A bar in the main square is also […]
Sunday, 14th October 2018 On arrival at Maastricht Marina a sign told us to phone a number to gain entry. The gates swung open and we were told to pick our spot in this very peaceful and civilised aire. Having visited the harbour office to pay and get instructions for using the facilities we decided to walk into Maastricht. This proved to be slightly further away than expected at 2.63 miles and Ralf – having already had a lovely stroll along the banks of the Maas in Steyl in the morning – became slightly reluctant in the heat. Ralf is definitely a country dog. Maastricht itself is lovely – an historic city with lots of pedestrianised streets and old buildings as well as interesting, independent shops rather than being dominated by large international chains. Robert and Matilda both agree that Maastricht is on the list of places to return to on a train trip without Ralf so they can see the sights, browse the shops and, of course, the bars. This is the start of a week’s holiday in Holland and the streets were busy with people enjoying the prospect of an extended break. There was also a jazz festival under way […]
Friday, 12th October to Saturday, 13th 2018 Robert was very pleased with the new domain he had created the day before and if Ralf’s concern when it was being packed up is any kind of indicator, he was also happy to have his territory clearly marked out. Matilda used her DryRobe for the walk to and from the showers. A hugely practical item, even if it does make her look like Tinky Winky. Having been undisturbed by falling acorns, packing up proved to be a much swifter process than setting up, taking about half the time. Robert has been known to berate his family for “faffing” however Matilda believes he took this to hitherto unscaled heights when he left for his “morning run” at 13:30. In his defence we did try out the washing machine for the first time and managed to wash and dry our clothes before we left. We drove on to Steyl to stay with friends for the week-end in the lovely peaceful grounds of an old monastery which has been converted into accommodation within a gated estate close to the river Maas. Saturday morning’s dog walk included a ferry across to the sunny side of the river […]
Thursday, 11th October 2018 Having carefully selected a campsite, based largely on Matilda’s requirement for a pool in which she could swim for exercise, we set off from Brugge heading towards Bladel at 10:00. We were due to arrive at 12:50: this was a longer journey than Robert usually plans to undertake but in the interests of a healthier lifestyle he was prepared to extend his driving time. Unfortunately Matilda had been so focused on the pool that she failed to notice the site was effectively closed. We could have stayed but as all the facilities – pool, restaurants and shops – were out of action for the winter we decided to move on to another site. We arrived at campsite number two, also with a pool, approximately 30 minutes later to be told they were open but dogs were not allowed. It is just as well that Ralf always protests loudly to be let out whenever we stop otherwise we might not have taken him into reception and found out this crucial piece of information. Consequently, Robert looked up the relevant symbol in the key for future reference before he identified a third option which had a pool AND allowed dogs. […]
Wednesday, 10th October 2018 We are slowly learning the tricks of motorhoming abroad. And we believe there may be many. Robert chose to buy a British motorhome version of a vehicle designed and built in Italy, which has the leisure/habitation door on the left/pavement side in the UK. Most continental models have this door on the right. The accepted convention on any site is to park so that each motorhome is on the same edge of the plot and therefore has private space to set up tables and chairs which is not overlooked. But as we are bucking the trend with our UK model we will need to consider carefully in future whether we drive on or reverse on to make sure we maximise the private space for all involved. Yesterday our side/leisure door faced our neighbour’s. They had a very docile dog who seemed to have been trained not to stray off their piece of astroturf laid out to mark out their territory. However, Ralf sensed that this dog spent some time, sat on the edge of this staring at our [closed] door and was not quite so chilled about this. It seems dogs are even more territorial than motorhomers. […]