A bientôt EU

[The Merle]

I'm sure that both the internal and external toppers have their pros and cons. The faff factor of the external topper is a big 'con'. However, the lack of protection from the elements is an equally big 'con' for the internal topper.

I don't think that there is right or wrong, but I'm not unhappy with my choice of an external topper.

If I had a yellow Cali like yours I would def have a red topper, looks very cool.

I've been enjoying reading your travels.
Def want to visit Norway soon! Just having to make do with U.K. travels this month, but we have had the sun!

 

[Amarillo]

If I had a yellow Cali like yours I would def have a red topper, looks very cool.

I've been enjoying reading your travels.
Def want to visit Norway soon! Just having to make do with U.K. travels this month, but we have had the sun!

Brilliant sunshine yesterday and today. 27 degrees today.

23:10 in Trondheim.

 

[Amarillo]

Day 26 - Ljosoya to Trondheim

We woke to brilliant sunshine, and it remained brilliant all day, teaching a high of 27 or 28 degrees, quite unexpected this far north and so close to the Atlantic.

We took the slow road to Trondheim, which meant the grandly named Atlantic Ocean Tunnel, but as there are no viewpoints within is just another tunnel. Two ferry crossings several other tunnels and a couple of mountain passes which are my favourite bit.

Our routines on a driving day are now quite well established. After getting up we breakfast, wash ourselves and the boys, Clare packs bags while I look after the boys, I pack the car while Clare looks after the boys, then we all take the dogs for a walk before getting into the car. Being "well established" is not the same as "working like well-oiled machinery". It isn't! Toddlers have an amazing ability to move quickly in opposite directions and hide is strangers' caravans, or conceal themselves watching ants march up a tree. Search parties need to be established, apologies given to aggrieved caravan owners, and wonder and amazement expressed at marching ants. It all slows down the packing process. We left the campsite at 11 with two grumpy parents, two grumbling toddlers and two contented collies.

We arrived at our Trondheim campsite in much better spirits at the same time as a Dutch couple in a California SE. Their pitch was behind ours. Within 5 minutes their food was up, their table and chairs were our and they were drinking white wine. For the next 90 minutes they watched us pitch the tent, chase boys in various directions, unpack bags from the van, chase escaped dogs in various directions, make up the lower and upper beds before we could finally settle down.

This is the true difference between the Beach and Ocean/SE variants of the VW California campervan.

Pork chops and pasta salad for dinner, a family walk with the dogs in brilliant sunshine at 10pm before bed.

Our hoped-for house in Trondheim has not worked out.

The view from our campsite at 9.30pm

 

[Velma's Dad]

This is the true difference between the Beach and Ocean/SE variants of the VW California campervan.

Ha ha, maybe, but it's also the true difference between being having a brace of testosterone-brimming youngling boys, and not.

 

[Hotel California]

The diffrence is not a Beach/SE-Ocean thing but the fact they are just two (like we are ) and have less work to do.
Good to here you found the flow to set-up and pack-in!
Still admire your courage to do this journey with two kids and two dogs ...keep us update and make us jealous with faboulus pictures
I just came back from France today having stayed at a house in the Ardeche only slept in the Cali on the way up and down , had a superb drive , such a great verhicle !

 

[Amarillo]

Ha ha, maybe, but it's also the true difference between being having a brace of testosterone-brimming youngling boys, and not.

I was making a gross generalisation about the type of people who buy each variant: families the Beach and couples the SE/Ocean. I really cannot imagine the six of us wriggling into an Ocean together, but despite my ongoing moans, a Beach with awning is working well for us.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I was making a gross generalisation about the type of people who buy each variant: families the Beach and couples the SE/Ocean. I really cannot imagine the six of us wriggling into an Ocean together, but despite my ongoing moans, a Beach with awning is working well for us.

I can't imagine six sentient beings squeezing into a Beach either. You're a braver man than me.

 

[The Merle]

So the two collies maybe the best behaved out of all of you, but how are you coping with all the hair shedding! Your beach must be fur lined by now? Or do you have a secret tip you can pass on!

 

[Amarillo]

So the two collies maybe the best behaved out of all of you, but how are you coping with all the hair shedding! Your beach must be fur lined by now? Or do you have a secret tip you can pass on!

We keep a grooming brush in the gas bottle box and use it regularly.


Follow my blog at www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Amarillo]

The campsite was very full of people, dogs and Ford cars.

There was a dog show on in town, and people were turning up in motor homes and caravans with their dogs to show at the show. A Swedish man next to us said he had driven 3,000 Km to come to the show! he spent half the evening blow drying his dogs, before taking them on a 30 second walk to pee. And that was not unusual, all the dogs seemed to have very controlled exercise, nothing like Meg and Jess who bite each other's ears, and enjoy playing with each other.

the other event, in a field next to the campsite was a Ford motor show.. All kinds of Ford motor cars were on display, carefully guarded by their proud owners, trembling in terror when they saw Ben and Jacks sticky fingers approaching to touch a nicely polished bit of chrome. Such is the reserve of the Norweigan people, that they won't say anything, but silently follow behind the trail of finger marks with Brasso (or whatever) and obliterate the stain as soon as it appears on their beloved Mustang,, imported from the US and lovingly restored..we did, however find one very brave chap who let Ben and Jack sit in his motor.

But for me and the boys the best vehicle arrived late afternoon, after the Fords had all left the show..

Described by its owner as a T1 mark 2, and was almost apologetic that it wasn't a T1 mark 1. He'd driven it alone all the way from Munic.

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[Velma's Dad]

Described by its owner as a T1 mark 2, and was almost apologetic that it wasn't a T1 mark 1. He'd driven it alone all the way from Munic.

Very lovely, and better than any Ford, but by the look of it it's not a camper. So your Beach was still the best vehicle at the show.

 

[Amarillo]

Very lovely, and better than any Ford, but by the look of it it's not a camper. So your Beach was still the best vehicle at the show.

If not a camper in a previous incarnation it is a camper now - kitchen sink and all. Perhaps that is what the owner meant when sounding apologetic about it being a mark 2 not a mark 1.


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[Ciki62]

Very lovely, and better than any Ford, but by the look of it it's not a camper. So your Beach was still the best vehicle at the show.

every T123456 have a camper soul.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Amarillo]

Day 28 - Trondheim

We have a friend, Bob, who is a stonemason working on various restoration projects in Trondheim. He came and had dinner with us on Saturday, then slept in the awning overnight. On Sunday we decided to pop over the border into Sweden to buy some food. Sweden is just an 80 minute drive away and most food is significantly cheaper.

However, we have our dogs with us, and for dogs to travel freely between Norway and Sweden they need a vet administered worming tablet every 28 days recorded in their pet passport. While we did this initially to enter Norway, we have since let it lapse, so our dogs couldn't enter Sweden then return to Norway.

All five of us, and the dogs, drove up to the border, I was dropped off with the dogs, had a lovely walk in the rain along a long distance trail in the mountains, then was picked up an hour and a half later when the others returned from the shops. We dropped Bob off on our way home.

Most of Norway is close to Sweden and many Norwegians make similar shopping trips to Swedish supermarkets on a regular basis. Apparently, wine and spirits have to be pre-ordered as they cannot be freely purchased in supermarkets by Norwegians. It all seems a bit odd to me. We'd just finished our last bottle of table wine from clearing out our home, and wanted a 3 litre box to keep us going without blowing our budget. Swedish lager will have to do, we have 24 cans which is probably 12 days' supply.

We had pizza for dinner, bought in Sweden and cooked on the BBQ. Last time I tried this the base burned and the cheese didn't melt. After some excellent advice I cooked it perfectly this time. I preheated the stone on full gas for ten minutes on the heat deflector with the BBQ lid on, put on the pizza and reduced the heat to minimum, cooking the pizza for a further 10 minutes. Result: perfect pizza with melted cheese and four very contented campers.

We can now enjoy pizzas weekly.

I had a Norwegian camper grouch at me just before bedtime. I spent about 20 minutes playing frisbee with the dogs - the dogs catch it, and immediately return it to me for another throw. A perfectly harmless activity, but contrary to Norway's lead laws. First he photographed the dogs and then, in a most unpleasant manner, demanded I put them on a lead immediately. Fortunately I have a 30 metre rope with me. Tomorrow evening, if he is still here, I'll tether the dogs one at a time to the rope and exercise it in the same manner. It's ironic really, as we'd gone to some trouble to comply with Norway's worming laws and were berated while having complete control over our dogs. Miserable git.

Edit: By 7am the Grouchy Git had left the campsite.


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[kave]

In Sweden we have Systembolaget https://www.systembolaget.se/ where we buy anything over 3.5% alkohol. No need to pre order etc and I am sure you will find the prices on wines same or better than in UK. (systembolaget is probably the single largest buyer of wine so getting good prices)
In smaller villages, too small to host one, you can pre order to a regular supermarket. Find the closest one on their homepage listed above.
I dont know the exact hunting laws for Norway which dictates how a dog should be treated, but in Sweden you need to have your dogs nearby and under lookout, ie a trained dog and owner doesn't necessarily need to use a lead at all. It's for protecting the animals who breed in summer time.

 

[WelshGas]

 

[Amarillo]

View attachment 23283

Like stoning women for sorcery in Saudi Arabia? Having business rivals murdered in Russia? Or not properly exercising dogs in Norway?

In practice, dogs are properly exercised in Norway. They run and play in fenced gardens, or fenced dog parks in the city. Those customs and practices are not usually available to us - we did find an agility field in Stromstad, and we do ask campsites for advice. They generally say that if the dogs don't disturb wildlife or farm animals it is not a problem. Collies are herders, not hunters.


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[kave]

When I lived in central Stockholm I raised a Leonberger which was well behaved, unless a rabbit was passing before us. Never seen a large Leonberger running that fast

 

[WelshGas]

Like stoning women for sorcery in Saudi Arabia? Having business rivals murdered in Russia? Or not properly exercising dogs in Norway?

In practice, dogs are properly exercised in Norway. They run and play in fenced gardens, or fenced dog parks in the city. Those customs and practices are not usually available to us - we did find an agility field in Stromstad, and we do ask campsites for advice. They generally say that if the dogs don't disturb wildlife or farm animals it is not a problem. Collies are herders, not hunters.


Follow my blog at www.au-revoir.eu

Sorry, must be one of those GCHQ puzzles. There is a Law in Saudi and a Law in Norway. Cannot find any Law that says business rivals in Russia must be shot.
You can Disagree with any countries Law, you can object and protest to your hearts content but when you visit said Country you are a guest. By all means do as you wish and suffer the consequences. I totally agree with your fellow Norwegian Camper for objecting. He agrees with his countries Law and fails to see why you, a foreigner, should not obey it.
Continue your holiday, enjoy yourself, but watch out for the Hunters and the Sami Reindeer Herdsmen. They don't take kindly to dogs running loose.

 

[jts46]

I must agree with @WelshGas, dogs should be kept on leads at all times especially around campsites

 

[leightonjthomas]

Around campsites, yes, but "at all times"???

 

[jts46]

Around campsites, yes, but "at all times"???

YES, especially around playgrounds and parks where children play

 

[leightonjthomas]

YES, especially around playgrounds and parks where children play

So you mean around campsites, playgrounds and parks, or everywhere in the world?

 

[jts46]

So you mean around campsites, playgrounds and parks, or everywhere in the world?

can you not read?

 

[leightonjthomas]

Thanks for that. Yes, I can read, and I wasn't looking for an argument. I agree that dogs should be kept on leads around campsites and children's play areas. However, I was, and still am, genuinely confused by your use of "at all times, especially....".