leightonjthomas
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And that’s just Ben!!
Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop
Amarillo
Tom
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bvddobb
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So, how did you get from Italy to Müstair? I see you are just a week too early for the Stelvio/Umbrail combi (they are expected to open next week) to Sta Maria-val-Müstair. Too bad, a beautiful ride!
Amarillo
Tom
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Not a very interesting drive.
It is a shame that we have missed many of the classic passes, Transfăgărășan and Stelvio especially. But we have two high passes tomorrow, Fuorn Pass (2149) and Flüela Pass (2383), and I hope the quieter passes will be just as exciting as the famous ones.
In 2002 I cycled the Raid Pyrénéen over nine days so experienced some of the great passes of the Pyrenees close up a personal. I have also cycled over the Furka Pass as part of a (mostly flat) cycle ride following the Rivers Rhone and Loire from Andermatt to Nantes.
Whatever anyone might say otherwise, you have not really experienced a mountain pass properly unless you have passed six litres of sweat puffing your way up it hauling your tent and stove for camping on the summit. whippet-like creatures on the Tour du France, with a support car following carrying their spare water, sweater and oilskins for them don't do it properly.
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Amarillo
Tom
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Day 318 - Müstair
This is a very pretty campsite in a high valley on the Swiss-Italian border. Everything is well-ordered with a Swiss quality wash block and a cafe with typically wallet-depleting prices.
First thing I took Ben to the nearby bike shop for a new tyre for his bicycle. I asked for a 16" tyre which they promptly produced from a high rack at the rear of the showroom. Oops- wrong size, Ben needed a 12" tyre. The assistant shuffled back to the rear of the showroom, replaced the 16", then shuffled off to fetch the 12". Oops again! We needed a 14" tyre and the shop didn't have one, but they could order it in, and it would be with them by 9am tomorrow. We ordered it and bought a bell for Ben's bike 9.90 CHF (£7.30), £2.31 more than Jack's bell cost.
We all went to the waterfall, Clare and I walking, and the boys on their bikes, ringing their bells in annoying disharmony, and drowning out the more somber sound of the cow bells.
The waterfall was dramatic, thundering down some 50 metres onto a jumble of rocks below.
After oooing and arrring for a while, Clare and Jack turned back while Ben and I, with Meg, followed the twisty and winding path up the crag alongside the waterfall. Far below we could make out our van.
Spot the Cali...
With dusk came the rain and we ate in the van with the heater on: pizzas were baked on the Cadac and salad prepared inside.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
This is a very pretty campsite in a high valley on the Swiss-Italian border. Everything is well-ordered with a Swiss quality wash block and a cafe with typically wallet-depleting prices.
First thing I took Ben to the nearby bike shop for a new tyre for his bicycle. I asked for a 16" tyre which they promptly produced from a high rack at the rear of the showroom. Oops- wrong size, Ben needed a 12" tyre. The assistant shuffled back to the rear of the showroom, replaced the 16", then shuffled off to fetch the 12". Oops again! We needed a 14" tyre and the shop didn't have one, but they could order it in, and it would be with them by 9am tomorrow. We ordered it and bought a bell for Ben's bike 9.90 CHF (£7.30), £2.31 more than Jack's bell cost.
We all went to the waterfall, Clare and I walking, and the boys on their bikes, ringing their bells in annoying disharmony, and drowning out the more somber sound of the cow bells.
The waterfall was dramatic, thundering down some 50 metres onto a jumble of rocks below.
After oooing and arrring for a while, Clare and Jack turned back while Ben and I, with Meg, followed the twisty and winding path up the crag alongside the waterfall. Far below we could make out our van.
Spot the Cali...
With dusk came the rain and we ate in the van with the heater on: pizzas were baked on the Cadac and salad prepared inside.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
Amarillo
Tom
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Day 319 – Müstair to Chur
An amazing drive, crossing two high passes, Pass dal Fuorn (2149m) and Flüelapass (2383m).
The road over Pass dal Fuorn, Ofenpass, goes through the Swiss National Park, the only "strict nature reserve" in the Alps: no marking of paths, no fires, no sleeping (except in the mountain hut), no dogs (even on a lead), no disturbing animals or plants, no removing anything. Alone on the road, we drove slowly through the park, but did not stop, Meg's walk would have to wait.
The Flüelapass was very different, until recently it was open throughout the year, but now there is a railway tunnel below the pass. You can pay to drive onto the train and be taken to the other side. But why would you!?
We stopped on the summit for the boys to play until their hands became so cold they could play no more.
We stopped again further down so Meg could have her run.
We arrived in Chur at about 3.30, and went to the campsite which was right next to the motorway. We paid for one night then went off to exchange our two empty 907 gas cylinders. We had last exchanged them on 6 February in Brindisi, along with our large 908 cylinder. The 909 is nearly depleted, so we have used something under 10.8 Kg of gas in 12 weeks (we spent two weeks in houses), the equivalent of one 907 cylinder every 3 weeks of regular use, eating out perhaps twice a week.
We were in Chur to visit friends we had made on a Croatian campsite. They suggested another campsite further down the Rhine valley, we drove towards it, but a phone call revealed it was 60 CHF per night. We abandoned that plan and drove back towards Chur. Our friend then suggested we stay with her, and we readily agreed. Treated like royalty, we were fed and slept well.
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An amazing drive, crossing two high passes, Pass dal Fuorn (2149m) and Flüelapass (2383m).
The road over Pass dal Fuorn, Ofenpass, goes through the Swiss National Park, the only "strict nature reserve" in the Alps: no marking of paths, no fires, no sleeping (except in the mountain hut), no dogs (even on a lead), no disturbing animals or plants, no removing anything. Alone on the road, we drove slowly through the park, but did not stop, Meg's walk would have to wait.
The Flüelapass was very different, until recently it was open throughout the year, but now there is a railway tunnel below the pass. You can pay to drive onto the train and be taken to the other side. But why would you!?
We stopped on the summit for the boys to play until their hands became so cold they could play no more.
We stopped again further down so Meg could have her run.
We arrived in Chur at about 3.30, and went to the campsite which was right next to the motorway. We paid for one night then went off to exchange our two empty 907 gas cylinders. We had last exchanged them on 6 February in Brindisi, along with our large 908 cylinder. The 909 is nearly depleted, so we have used something under 10.8 Kg of gas in 12 weeks (we spent two weeks in houses), the equivalent of one 907 cylinder every 3 weeks of regular use, eating out perhaps twice a week.
We were in Chur to visit friends we had made on a Croatian campsite. They suggested another campsite further down the Rhine valley, we drove towards it, but a phone call revealed it was 60 CHF per night. We abandoned that plan and drove back towards Chur. Our friend then suggested we stay with her, and we readily agreed. Treated like royalty, we were fed and slept well.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
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Tom
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Day 320 – Chur to Hopfgarten im Brixental
We walked with our friend to the campsite to collect our refund for not having stayed, and then set off for Liechtenstein, avoiding the Swiss toll roads. To use Swiss motorways you must buy a full year Swiss vignette for 40 CHF. For a year's use, this is a reasonable fee, but not for the short section of motorway between Chur and Liechtenstein's only campsite. We stayed off the motorway and within 30 minutes we were at the campsite. I had a good look around for the friends we had made on Sicily at Christmas, but there was no sign of them. The campsite was uninspiring, mostly sad looking caravans built into wooden shacks, presumably to avoid property taxes. We decided not to stay and move on. Confident that we'd left Switzerland, I set the Sat Nav for Austria, where I would buy a ten day motorway pass, clicked off the "avoid toll roads" selection as there are no toll roads in Liechtenstein, and off we went. The sat nav took us over the Rhine and swept us onto a Swiss motorway! Hoping no cameras or drones were tracking us, I left at the next junction, recrossed the Rhine and we became fugitives in Liechtenstein.
Once in Austria we stopped at the first petrol station and bought an Austrian motorway vignette, 9 Euros for 10 days; a bargain when compared to the cost of using French motorways.
I reset the sat nav and off we went - towards Germany! Fat fingers had made me select Hopfensee instead of Hopfengarten, two towns 200Km apart and in different countries.
I reset the navigation, and we were on the correct road, pre-paid with nothing to pay, until we were stung for a ten Euro toll after using Arlberg Straßentunnel. I think that that is naughty. Making you pay for a motorway vignette then separately tolling a section of the motorway.
We arrived at the correct campsite without further charges, and it has rained ever since.
This is our final stop in the Alps, we intend to stay for two or three nights before moving on to a site by the Danube visited by us on honeymoon seven years ago.
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We walked with our friend to the campsite to collect our refund for not having stayed, and then set off for Liechtenstein, avoiding the Swiss toll roads. To use Swiss motorways you must buy a full year Swiss vignette for 40 CHF. For a year's use, this is a reasonable fee, but not for the short section of motorway between Chur and Liechtenstein's only campsite. We stayed off the motorway and within 30 minutes we were at the campsite. I had a good look around for the friends we had made on Sicily at Christmas, but there was no sign of them. The campsite was uninspiring, mostly sad looking caravans built into wooden shacks, presumably to avoid property taxes. We decided not to stay and move on. Confident that we'd left Switzerland, I set the Sat Nav for Austria, where I would buy a ten day motorway pass, clicked off the "avoid toll roads" selection as there are no toll roads in Liechtenstein, and off we went. The sat nav took us over the Rhine and swept us onto a Swiss motorway! Hoping no cameras or drones were tracking us, I left at the next junction, recrossed the Rhine and we became fugitives in Liechtenstein.
Once in Austria we stopped at the first petrol station and bought an Austrian motorway vignette, 9 Euros for 10 days; a bargain when compared to the cost of using French motorways.
I reset the sat nav and off we went - towards Germany! Fat fingers had made me select Hopfensee instead of Hopfengarten, two towns 200Km apart and in different countries.
I reset the navigation, and we were on the correct road, pre-paid with nothing to pay, until we were stung for a ten Euro toll after using Arlberg Straßentunnel. I think that that is naughty. Making you pay for a motorway vignette then separately tolling a section of the motorway.
We arrived at the correct campsite without further charges, and it has rained ever since.
This is our final stop in the Alps, we intend to stay for two or three nights before moving on to a site by the Danube visited by us on honeymoon seven years ago.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
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Tom
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Days 321 & 322 – Hopfgarten im Brixental
The campsite is in a beautiful location right next to a raging torrent of a river. The playground is the very best we have seen and there is a banked bicycle circuit. But... the campsite wardens are unwelcoming, pitches contain caravans which never move, awnings attached that will never be unattached, and signs everywhere telling you what not to do.
The wash block includes a child and parent room, it was locked, and the warden refused us access saying it was for babies only. Ben and Jack cope well with adult loos, but without holding on with their hands they would fold in two and fall down the pan bottom first.
This was our last camp in high mountains and enjoyed it with several long walks in alpine pasture.
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The campsite is in a beautiful location right next to a raging torrent of a river. The playground is the very best we have seen and there is a banked bicycle circuit. But... the campsite wardens are unwelcoming, pitches contain caravans which never move, awnings attached that will never be unattached, and signs everywhere telling you what not to do.
The wash block includes a child and parent room, it was locked, and the warden refused us access saying it was for babies only. Ben and Jack cope well with adult loos, but without holding on with their hands they would fold in two and fall down the pan bottom first.
This was our last camp in high mountains and enjoyed it with several long walks in alpine pasture.
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Amarillo
Tom
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Day 323 – Hopfgarten im Brixental to Inzell
Inzell is a tiny hamlet on the inside of a great tight meander in the Danube, about halfway between Passau and Linz. It has a tiny campsite that we first stumbled across on honeymoon in July 2011. This was our destination.
We were slow to set off, leaving the campsite at 12.30 after a final walk with Meg. The local bakery was closed, so we bought food for lunch at a Spar. Finding a route for our journey avoiding Germany was a bit of a challenge, but we managed it, and we enjoyed the lush spring alpine countryside of Austria.
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Inzell is a tiny hamlet on the inside of a great tight meander in the Danube, about halfway between Passau and Linz. It has a tiny campsite that we first stumbled across on honeymoon in July 2011. This was our destination.
We were slow to set off, leaving the campsite at 12.30 after a final walk with Meg. The local bakery was closed, so we bought food for lunch at a Spar. Finding a route for our journey avoiding Germany was a bit of a challenge, but we managed it, and we enjoyed the lush spring alpine countryside of Austria.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
H
Hotel California
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Hi Tom , seems it's going fast the last few days switching countries and i know this write up is always a few days later then reality .
Are you heading towards the end of the trip ...? Seems you are in Austria / Germany , what are the plans next ? France and back home ?
Are you heading towards the end of the trip ...? Seems you are in Austria / Germany , what are the plans next ? France and back home ?
Amarillo
Tom
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Slovakia (Country 31), Czech Republic (Country 32), SW Poland, Berlin, Cologne, home.
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Keith Smith
Don't forget Wales, you are due in Tenby on the 28th June
Amarillo
Tom
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Yes - three rows of eleven flags, and of all the world's flags, Wales' flag is the most interesting.Don't forget Wales, you are due in Tenby on the 28th June
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gvick
Hi Tom read your blog from the very beginning in a little over 5 nights of bed time reading.
In awe of all the places you’ve been - especially with two young children and a dog.
How do you plan/choose the campsites you stop at?
Do you plan towns/attractions you want to visit and then search for campsites? What Apps do you use to pick your sites?
Much appreciated and looking forward to next instalment of your epic journey.
Greg
In awe of all the places you’ve been - especially with two young children and a dog.
How do you plan/choose the campsites you stop at?
Do you plan towns/attractions you want to visit and then search for campsites? What Apps do you use to pick your sites?
Much appreciated and looking forward to next instalment of your epic journey.
Greg
Amarillo
Tom
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Planning began with a large map of Europe stuck onto a large pin board at home ~6 months before we left. We both stuck pins into the map for places we wanted to visit: Flåm, Bergen, Trondheim, Lofoten and Nordkapp in Norway, for example. It soon became apparent that we would be going to most European countries, so we decided to make that our challenge: to visit all mainland European countries which accept the European pet passport. That includes non EU Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.
We planned our outline journey around Europe to be in the north for the summer and south for the winter.
Places which interest us we stay for four or more nights, otherwise a "transit" stop is one to three nights. Distances between stops are generally between two and a half hours and four hours driving. We generally plan two to three stops ahead, and are flexible in how long we will stay.
Some big stops were planned a very long way in advance, such as our farmhouse over Christmas in Sicily. A few, especially in Norway, were unplanned, we just drove until we saw a nice looking campsite.
But our main tool for finding campsites has been the ACSI app and the ACSI Camping Card app. Both apps are memory hungry but can be used offline. ACSI inspects 8000 campsites across Europe and there are plenty of user reviews. Camping Card is a subset of ACSI sites, and they offer pitches for 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 Euros per night, often including children, but only off season.
The other, more desperate way to find a campsite is to type "campground" into Google Maps. We have also found houses on Airbnb and made low offers to the host the day before arrival - we had two weeks in an amazing house on Sicily for €20 per night. Only twice have we wild camped, once unplanned, and we have had five nights (I think) in a hotel room.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
We planned our outline journey around Europe to be in the north for the summer and south for the winter.
Places which interest us we stay for four or more nights, otherwise a "transit" stop is one to three nights. Distances between stops are generally between two and a half hours and four hours driving. We generally plan two to three stops ahead, and are flexible in how long we will stay.
Some big stops were planned a very long way in advance, such as our farmhouse over Christmas in Sicily. A few, especially in Norway, were unplanned, we just drove until we saw a nice looking campsite.
But our main tool for finding campsites has been the ACSI app and the ACSI Camping Card app. Both apps are memory hungry but can be used offline. ACSI inspects 8000 campsites across Europe and there are plenty of user reviews. Camping Card is a subset of ACSI sites, and they offer pitches for 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 Euros per night, often including children, but only off season.
The other, more desperate way to find a campsite is to type "campground" into Google Maps. We have also found houses on Airbnb and made low offers to the host the day before arrival - we had two weeks in an amazing house on Sicily for €20 per night. Only twice have we wild camped, once unplanned, and we have had five nights (I think) in a hotel room.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
jts46
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ACSI are excellent, we use them all the time in Europe
gvick
Thanks Tom appreciate the very comprehensive reply.
I used to have a 1970 bay window camper until rust forced us to part company. I hope to get a Cali July next year (when my current company car expires) until then reading your blog (and other updates on the forum) will have to do.
Good luck with the continuing adventure.
Greg
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Tom
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Day 324 to 326 - Inzell
We first visited this campsite on the eighth day of our marriage, 31 July 2011. We loved the tiny hamlet of Inzell then and we love it today.
This is a cyclists' campsite, set up for people cycling along the incredible Danube cycle path.
We had already crossed the Danube twice, one on a ferry in Romania, shortly after we drove across the border from Bulgaria into Romania, at the point where the Danube ceased to mark the border between the two countries; then again by ferry in Hungary, shortly before we drove across the border from Hungary into Croatia.
Here the Danube is much younger, some 40 Km downstream of the triple confluence of three rivers at Passau. The river here includes tight meanders, and it is at the end of a great S meander where we are located.
Note that the map is orientated to the south east, the river flow is from the right to the bottom.
Facing us on the far bank is a great escarpment of deciduous woodland, rising to 150 metres above the river, the trees displaying every hue of green. I have tried and failed to capture the scale of this vertical forest. In this photo Jack is on a playground swing above the campsite, the river is not visible, but the towering far bank of dense woodland is beyond.
The pristine cycle path is filled with leisure cyclists on bikes of all descriptions, tandems, recumbents, electric bikes gently humming, low weight high carbon racing bikes, parents hauling children in trailers, bikes laden with four panniers and a tent, and of course our two Bromptons.
Tuesday was Clare's birthday, the sixth birthday we have celebrated away from home: Ben and me in December, Amarillo and Meg in March, Jack in April and now Clare. We cycled upstream, crossing the Danube by ferry for the third time, Meg and the boys for free, until after 12 Km we found an open cafe. We ate frankfurters served with potato salad.
We returned home by the same route having completed 25 Km, Ben on his own bike and Meg deserving the extra food we gave to her.
Back at the campsite, Ben pushed the metal gate open too hard, it bounced back into his head and knocked him flat onto his back. He now has a bruise and massive lump on his forehead.
We ate birthday dinner at the campsite restaurant and shared the birthday cake I had ordered for Clare with other diners.
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We first visited this campsite on the eighth day of our marriage, 31 July 2011. We loved the tiny hamlet of Inzell then and we love it today.
This is a cyclists' campsite, set up for people cycling along the incredible Danube cycle path.
We had already crossed the Danube twice, one on a ferry in Romania, shortly after we drove across the border from Bulgaria into Romania, at the point where the Danube ceased to mark the border between the two countries; then again by ferry in Hungary, shortly before we drove across the border from Hungary into Croatia.
Here the Danube is much younger, some 40 Km downstream of the triple confluence of three rivers at Passau. The river here includes tight meanders, and it is at the end of a great S meander where we are located.
Note that the map is orientated to the south east, the river flow is from the right to the bottom.
Facing us on the far bank is a great escarpment of deciduous woodland, rising to 150 metres above the river, the trees displaying every hue of green. I have tried and failed to capture the scale of this vertical forest. In this photo Jack is on a playground swing above the campsite, the river is not visible, but the towering far bank of dense woodland is beyond.
The pristine cycle path is filled with leisure cyclists on bikes of all descriptions, tandems, recumbents, electric bikes gently humming, low weight high carbon racing bikes, parents hauling children in trailers, bikes laden with four panniers and a tent, and of course our two Bromptons.
Tuesday was Clare's birthday, the sixth birthday we have celebrated away from home: Ben and me in December, Amarillo and Meg in March, Jack in April and now Clare. We cycled upstream, crossing the Danube by ferry for the third time, Meg and the boys for free, until after 12 Km we found an open cafe. We ate frankfurters served with potato salad.
We returned home by the same route having completed 25 Km, Ben on his own bike and Meg deserving the extra food we gave to her.
Back at the campsite, Ben pushed the metal gate open too hard, it bounced back into his head and knocked him flat onto his back. He now has a bruise and massive lump on his forehead.
We ate birthday dinner at the campsite restaurant and shared the birthday cake I had ordered for Clare with other diners.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
Amarillo
Tom
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Day 327 – Inzell to Klosterneuburg
Day 327 – Inzell to Klosterneuburg
Completing our trip west to east across Austria we more or less followed the course of the Danube towards Vienna. The final bit was on a tiny ferry over the river where the boatman tried to charge us an inflated price as a campervan. When we pointed out that Amarillo has no kitchen he agreed to charge us the lower price of eight Euros to cross.
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Day 327 – Inzell to Klosterneuburg
Completing our trip west to east across Austria we more or less followed the course of the Danube towards Vienna. The final bit was on a tiny ferry over the river where the boatman tried to charge us an inflated price as a campervan. When we pointed out that Amarillo has no kitchen he agreed to charge us the lower price of eight Euros to cross.
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Amarillo
Tom
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Day 328 – Klosterneuburg
A well ordered campsite, more segregated than 1980s South Africa, with different zones for caravans, motorhomes, cyclists, backpackers and cars with tents. We come under the category of a car with tent, and were placed with similar vans. The campsite shop is about the worst stocked shop we have encountered, and prices Norwegians would be familiar with.
The river is well within cycling distance, and we cycled a bit along it. The houses facing the river are built on concrete stilts, one of which had flood height markers, perfectly demonstrating why they are built on stilts. Another is named “Kamikaze”.
The first day on the site we had our driveaway awning up, but with heavy rain forecast we took it down on the second day so we wouldn’t have to pack it away wet. Just as we got it packed into the bag the heavens opened and the rain fell.
After very nearly a year in the van we have managed to improve the way we pack the boot while camping. Under the lower bed is a massive cavity, probably 150cm deep, 150cm wide and 50cm high. Packed carefully, this is sufficiently large to take most of our luggage, and the boys’ child seats. Two crates can be stowed on the passenger seat – so apart from cooking and dining gear, there is not so much now that needs to go in the driveaway awning. With the driveaway awning down, cooking and dining gear fit under the wind out awning with side panels, the biggest remaining problem is stowing the packed tent. It was like this that we spent a soggy evening on the site, but at least there was no soggy tent to pack the following morning
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A well ordered campsite, more segregated than 1980s South Africa, with different zones for caravans, motorhomes, cyclists, backpackers and cars with tents. We come under the category of a car with tent, and were placed with similar vans. The campsite shop is about the worst stocked shop we have encountered, and prices Norwegians would be familiar with.
The river is well within cycling distance, and we cycled a bit along it. The houses facing the river are built on concrete stilts, one of which had flood height markers, perfectly demonstrating why they are built on stilts. Another is named “Kamikaze”.
The first day on the site we had our driveaway awning up, but with heavy rain forecast we took it down on the second day so we wouldn’t have to pack it away wet. Just as we got it packed into the bag the heavens opened and the rain fell.
After very nearly a year in the van we have managed to improve the way we pack the boot while camping. Under the lower bed is a massive cavity, probably 150cm deep, 150cm wide and 50cm high. Packed carefully, this is sufficiently large to take most of our luggage, and the boys’ child seats. Two crates can be stowed on the passenger seat – so apart from cooking and dining gear, there is not so much now that needs to go in the driveaway awning. With the driveaway awning down, cooking and dining gear fit under the wind out awning with side panels, the biggest remaining problem is stowing the packed tent. It was like this that we spent a soggy evening on the site, but at least there was no soggy tent to pack the following morning
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Amarillo
Tom
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Day 329 – Klosterneuburg to Belá
Slovakia, our 31st European, country within a year, took twice as long to reach than it should have taken because of terrible traffic around Vienna. And after spending 10 Euros on a motorway vignette, things didn’t improve much around Bratislava! A three and a half hour drive ended up taking six and a quarter hours! It was worth it – this is a lovely campsite in the Mala Fatra mountains, located alongside a river.
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Slovakia, our 31st European, country within a year, took twice as long to reach than it should have taken because of terrible traffic around Vienna. And after spending 10 Euros on a motorway vignette, things didn’t improve much around Bratislava! A three and a half hour drive ended up taking six and a quarter hours! It was worth it – this is a lovely campsite in the Mala Fatra mountains, located alongside a river.
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Tom
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Day 330 to 332 – Belá
They are holding the 2018 European Championships of endurance mountain biking here on 3 June. A family from the Isle of Man turned up on Sunday, the father taking part in the race, expecting to complete about 40 laps of the course. Curious, I took Meg for a walk of the route. The uphill section was a bit steep, but I reckoned I could get my Brompton up it. The downhill sections had some very sharp bends, but again I reckoned I could do it on a non MTB folding bike. And then we were back at the campsite 55 minutes later. That wasn't hard... I could manage 40 laps over 24 hours on my Brompton!
I spoke to the competitor about this and was distressed to learn that I'd just walked the small loop of a 9.5 Km figure of eight. The bigger loop goes up, up, up, up, up into the Nízke Tatry hills, apparently. I decided then that I wouldn't enter the race on my Brompton.
We are almost back to Bulgarian prices now. We ate out on Saturday night, for the four of us (the boys splitting an adult meal) the bill came to 14.60 Euros including drinks for Clare and me. I had goulash and dumplings, Clare had sausage and lentil soup and the boys shared pork schnitzel with chips. I had a beer and Clare's wine was aweful. In comparison, Jack's two course birthday meal in Bulgaria came to 15 Euros, so that was better value.
We spent most of Sunday trying to hunt down Slovakia's highest waterfall. We drove for miles across the mountain range, but failed to locate it. Instead we settled for number two, the second highest waterfall.
Clare, Ben and Jack were fed up with me for hauling them up a mountain trail in our failed search for #1, so it was down to Meg and me. After an hour trudging up a damp mountain trail we found it, but it wasn't really a waterfall, it was more of a water drip. With a volume of an average 3 litres per second, it wasn't quite the scale of the Ystradfellte falls (I wasn't expecting Niagara). But at 55 metres high, the Brankovský Vodopád drip beats Niagara by 4 metres.
This is the photo of the drip from a Slovak tourism website.
I think my photo represents what the drip is really like much better than the website's photo.
We like the feeling of this campsite. There are various covered areas for camp fires and BBQs, with tables and benches. A group of female colleagues spent all day at one, sizzling sausages and getting sozzled, protected from the occasional thunder showers.
The boys spent their time playing in the river.
And we found the most enormous tick on Meg, right next to a nipple.
Ticks on dogs are expected, but with spot on treatment we rarely had to deal with them. With this collar we use on her now we keep on finding ticks. We have probably extracted 20 over the year, compared with perhaps four over the previous four years.
Campsite fees were 12 Euros per night plus 30 cents per shower. Ticks were free.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
They are holding the 2018 European Championships of endurance mountain biking here on 3 June. A family from the Isle of Man turned up on Sunday, the father taking part in the race, expecting to complete about 40 laps of the course. Curious, I took Meg for a walk of the route. The uphill section was a bit steep, but I reckoned I could get my Brompton up it. The downhill sections had some very sharp bends, but again I reckoned I could do it on a non MTB folding bike. And then we were back at the campsite 55 minutes later. That wasn't hard... I could manage 40 laps over 24 hours on my Brompton!
I spoke to the competitor about this and was distressed to learn that I'd just walked the small loop of a 9.5 Km figure of eight. The bigger loop goes up, up, up, up, up into the Nízke Tatry hills, apparently. I decided then that I wouldn't enter the race on my Brompton.
We are almost back to Bulgarian prices now. We ate out on Saturday night, for the four of us (the boys splitting an adult meal) the bill came to 14.60 Euros including drinks for Clare and me. I had goulash and dumplings, Clare had sausage and lentil soup and the boys shared pork schnitzel with chips. I had a beer and Clare's wine was aweful. In comparison, Jack's two course birthday meal in Bulgaria came to 15 Euros, so that was better value.
We spent most of Sunday trying to hunt down Slovakia's highest waterfall. We drove for miles across the mountain range, but failed to locate it. Instead we settled for number two, the second highest waterfall.
Clare, Ben and Jack were fed up with me for hauling them up a mountain trail in our failed search for #1, so it was down to Meg and me. After an hour trudging up a damp mountain trail we found it, but it wasn't really a waterfall, it was more of a water drip. With a volume of an average 3 litres per second, it wasn't quite the scale of the Ystradfellte falls (I wasn't expecting Niagara). But at 55 metres high, the Brankovský Vodopád drip beats Niagara by 4 metres.
This is the photo of the drip from a Slovak tourism website.
I think my photo represents what the drip is really like much better than the website's photo.
We like the feeling of this campsite. There are various covered areas for camp fires and BBQs, with tables and benches. A group of female colleagues spent all day at one, sizzling sausages and getting sozzled, protected from the occasional thunder showers.
The boys spent their time playing in the river.
And we found the most enormous tick on Meg, right next to a nipple.
Ticks on dogs are expected, but with spot on treatment we rarely had to deal with them. With this collar we use on her now we keep on finding ticks. We have probably extracted 20 over the year, compared with perhaps four over the previous four years.
Campsite fees were 12 Euros per night plus 30 cents per shower. Ticks were free.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
Amarillo
Tom
Super Poster
VIP Member
Day 333 – Belá to Božanov
Belá is close to the Czech, Pole, Slovak border tripoint. After leaving Slovakia, our long drive along the Czech-Polish border was nearly all in Poland, only the last few minutes were in our 32nd and final country of this tour.
We stopped for supplies at a Tesco in Slovakia, and wished we had gone to Lidl instead. Tesco in Krásno nad Kysucou was the worst organised supermarket we have visited in Europe. Lidl, in contrast, is uniform wherever we have been. Some products might vary from country to country, but you learn the layout of the shop, breakfast cereals in Lidl, Tarifa, are in the same area of the shop as in Lidl, Balchik, the opposite side of the Union.
Although the bread is good, I really don't like shopping in Lidl in the UK, but for us on this trip, Lidl has given us a consistent feel of familiarity. It was this we hoped for in Tesco, but all we found was chaos.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
Belá is close to the Czech, Pole, Slovak border tripoint. After leaving Slovakia, our long drive along the Czech-Polish border was nearly all in Poland, only the last few minutes were in our 32nd and final country of this tour.
We stopped for supplies at a Tesco in Slovakia, and wished we had gone to Lidl instead. Tesco in Krásno nad Kysucou was the worst organised supermarket we have visited in Europe. Lidl, in contrast, is uniform wherever we have been. Some products might vary from country to country, but you learn the layout of the shop, breakfast cereals in Lidl, Tarifa, are in the same area of the shop as in Lidl, Balchik, the opposite side of the Union.
Although the bread is good, I really don't like shopping in Lidl in the UK, but for us on this trip, Lidl has given us a consistent feel of familiarity. It was this we hoped for in Tesco, but all we found was chaos.
Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu
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