A bientôt EU

[Amarillo]

After two years' planning, we have finally started our tour of the EU plus Norway. This may well be the last time we tour in the EU before we lose our rights as EU citizens.

Day 1 - London to Ostend via Dover and Calais.

Now at Camping Astrid watching the boys in the Playground while Clare prepares dinner. An unremarkable campsite which we chose for its proximity to the beach. All day tomorrow on the beach before moving on to Unna on Wednesday and Lubeck for four nights Thursday to Monday.

Blog at www.au-revoir.eu. Not yet sure how much blogging we will do as we have never blogged before.

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome in Belgium Tom !
Enjoy yourselves and keep us posted on where you are

 

[bigmac77]

Have a great trip

 

[2into1]

Is this going to be a continuation of your bleating about having lost the referendum? If so, can you pop it into the appropriate section where I can successfully ignore you? (That would be the Light hearted Chit Chat section which is for "All discussions not directly related to the Cali").

 

[Velma's Dad]

Is this going to be a continuation of your bleating about having lost the referendum? If so, can you pop it into the appropriate section where I can successfully ignore you? (That would be the Light hearted Chit Chat section which is for "All discussions not directly related to the Cali").

Doesn't that make you a "Moaner About Remoaners"??


Tom: I may not agree with your political stance on everything, but best of luck with your epic trip. Enjoy the beer and moules frites in Brussels!

 

[T6 CFO]

Doesn't that make you a "Moaner About Remoaners"??


Tom: I may not agree with your political stance on everything, but best of luck with your epic trip. Enjoy the beer and moules frites in Brussels!

The difference is that he is responding.

Tom have a good time mate and stay safe but for goodness sake let the brexit stuff go or put it where it should be.


Mike

 

[BerndRos]

Have a great trip...I recall my major one well, and now enjoy my relatively minor ones.

No one is going to stop us roaming the EU after we brexit.

 

[Amarillo]

Is this going to be a continuation of your bleating about having lost the referendum? If so, can you pop it into the appropriate section where I can successfully ignore you? (That would be the Light hearted Chit Chat section which is for "All discussions not directly related to the Cali").

What a peculiar response.

This is intended as a blog on our family's trip around Europe and whether or not it includes our feelings about our impending departure from the EU, this is the correct place for such a blog.

It is up to you to decide if you read or not, and not for you to dictate where I post.

 

[2into1]

This is intended as a blog

That's right, and I can avoid your blog, but don't wish to avoid another section of this excellent forum which last year became (in my view) polluted by you taking every opportunity to express your frustration with the result. Similar 'peculiar' responses by me saw those posts moved to the chit chat section, which my system filters out.
It's a forum about campervans and how we use them. Save the rest for elsewhere.

 

[Amarillo]

That's right, and I can avoid your blog, but don't wish to avoid another section of this excellent forum which last year became (in my view) polluted by you taking every opportunity to express your frustration with the result. Similar 'peculiar' responses by me saw those posts moved to the chit chat section, which my system filters out.
It's a forum about campervans and how we use them. Save the rest for elsewhere.

All I see here is you trying to start an argument in my blog thread.

I'll give you the satisfaction of the final word.

 

[2into1]

All I see is you continuing an argument you lost a year ago, in an (again) totally inappropriate place.
Good luck with your trip. I would have followed your progress on your blog if it had been about campsites and Californias. If that was to be the case, I suspect you would have chosen a different URL, and managed to publicise your blog here without resorting to your usual tactic of trying to score political points under the shelter of something we are all interested in.

 

[Lewis]

Have a good trip! Look forward to hearing about how you get on with kids and long trips.

 

[GillianC]

Wow how exciting Tom!
Taking two little boys and two dogs away for such an extended period of time is very brave (to me anyway!) and I am looking forward to reading your blog.
The humour in your posts often makes me chuckle and I hope that you all have a fabulous time.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

All the best! I'm sure it'll be Epic, and I'm sure the Beach will be up to the task! Looking forward to some photos, and inspiration!

And good luck, in the Blogosphere!

 

[The Merle]

Hey guys you all need to chill, enjoy your trip.

It was one small comment at the start give the guy a chance to write his travel blog.

Maybe just start your blog again

 

[calimera]

Lovely photo of your wife & children in the roof. Have a wonderful,safe trip & amazing memory building times with your family.

 

[The Merle]

Call the blog something else may help, I'll still read it though.

 

[hirsty]

Toms trip, Toms thread, Toms blog, Toms title. Read or do not read, but please don't clog up his thread for those of us who want to watch how it goes.

Good luck Tom & Family, I'm sure there are a lot of people reading now who'd like to do the same trip & hopefully others will also take inspiration in the future from you documenting what's still quite a bold undertaking. I will be following closely for some adventure-by-association. Have fun.

PS: I'm most interested in the pics, keep 'em coming.

 

[Amarillo]

Day 2 -Ostend

Last night we went to the beach - it is everything we could have hoped for. Dry sandy dunes, perfect for hide and seek, and a wide sandy expanse, great for dog frisbee at low water.


Dawn was shortly followed by a blustery day so the idea of sitting on the beach got blown away. Instead we took the tram to zeebrugge to search for the memorial to those killed in the ferry disaster just over three decades ago. The boys went in the Burley honey bee, which worked well, and seems to be a useful bit of kit. Soon after we disembarked from the tram the heavens opened in a squally shower. We took refuge in the lee of a derelict office doorway and lunched on cheese sandwiches.

We failed to find the official memorial, instead had our moment's reflection by a memorial for Belgium's naval casualties.

After returning to our van, it was still hissing down with rain, so, even though I knew it would upset my Belgium net-friend, we decided to retire for a nap and watch a DVD. Five minutes later, the clouds blew away, so, knowing it would please my Belgium net-friend I took the boys to the playground on their pedaless bikes and here I tap.

 

[Rich20]

Great to read the updates on your trip. Have a good time and stay safe.

 

[The Merle]

Wow two crazy collies with you as well.
You def have a van full!
Sounds like your going to have a epic trip, hope the weather brightens up for you.
My collie loves camping too, especially if there's a frisbee

 

[GillianC]

Day 2 -Ostend

Last night we went to the beach - it is everything we could have hoped for. Dry sandy dunes, perfect for hide and seek, and a wide sandy expanse, great for dog frisbee at low water.


Dawn was shortly followed by a blustery day so the idea of sitting on the beach got blown away. Instead we took the tram to zeebrugge to search for the memorial to those killed in the ferry disaster just over three decades ago. The boys went in the Burley honey bee, which worked well, and seems to be a useful bit of kit. Soon after we disembarked from the tram the heavens opened in a squally shower. We took refuge in the lee of a derelict office doorway and lunched on cheese sandwiches.

We failed to find the official memorial, instead had our moment's reflection by a memorial for Belgium's naval casualties.

After returning to our van, it was still hissing down with rain, so, even though I knew it would upset my Belgium net-friend, we decided to retire for a nap and watch a DVD. Five minutes later, the clouds blew away, so, knowing it would please my Belgium net-friend I took the boys to the playground on their pedaless bikes and here I tap.

Your boys look just like mine did when they were little. Bet that is the youngest upside down? My eldest son was Mr Sensible and his brother was a little monkey. They are now 25 and 23 and things haven't changed except that the 'baby' is now 6ft 4ins!

 

[Amarillo]

Last night after the rain stopped we played in the dunes and ran on the sand with the dogs before a family shower (a first for us) and bed.

Packing up took a little over two hours, with Clare looking after the boys and dogs while I packed solo. I can't help but feel that we have brought far too much with us.

The drive from Ostend to Unna was four hours, five if you include the hour break we had for lunch and to exercise the dogs.

The campsite in Unna is a delight, with wonderful bathrooms, and shaded by mature trees. We pitched as minimalistically as possible then drove off for dinner.

Barbara is a friend of Clare's from her aupairing days in France, and she, her husband Martin and their adult daughter treated us to roasted ham, sauerkraut and baked vegetables in their home. Their house is on three floors and divided into three apartments: ground floor - Barbara's parents; first floor - Barbara and her family; second floor - Barbara's sister and family. They all share a garden which Meg and Jess treated as their own.

During dinner their cat went missing, so a search party was formed. Needless to say, Meg and Jess were the first to find it, and had herded it up a tree and were standing guard until relieved of duty.

After dinner I asked about refugees in Unna. Unna is a town with a population of about 50 000, the town has been required to offer safe refuge to 180, making up about 1 in 300 of the town's population. I have no idea how reflective this is of Germany as a whole, but if it is at all reflective of the country, it must be having a very significant impact on German society. Good for them for showing such compassion at a time of crisis for those peoples displaced and destitute.

Lubeck tomorrow our first proper stop of our tour, where we will stay for four nights.

 

[amountainhigh]

Have a great trip! Looking forward to how you get on in the Cali for an extended trip. We want to do a 6 month trip round Europe new year and are debating whether an Ocean is large enough or to buy something like an Adria Twin just for the trip.

 

[Amarillo]

Day 4 - Lubeck

After two long days of driving from Ostend we have arrived at our campsite just outside Lubeck. We had intended to take 3 days for the drive, but decided to spend an extra night on the Belgium dunes at the last moment.

ACC is superb. I just set it to 65 and let it take control, MFD (2) reset after a refuel in Unna was showing 49.5 mpg after 2 hours driving until Clare started driving, I watched in dismay as it slumped to 42 mpg an hour later as Clare took advantage of deregulated speed limits.

The speed of some drivers on German roads is truly scary. A speck in the wing mirror can become an overtaking vehicle before you have a chance to think about overtaking the lorry ahead.

Tomorrow and over the weekend we spend time with dear friends we see too infrequently.