Next!

It's mid-December and we're now well into making plans for our next winter getaway.

so to continue to watch our ramblings - both verbal and directional - go to:

terryandbren7.blogspot.com

In Summary

We were away a little later than planned and had wondered about the weather. In the end though it was fine, the only time we suffered was when it really didn't matter, and generally it was warm and dry when it did.

In the end we covered some 2500 miles in a circular route and we think using the three "way-marked" routes was very successful. We didn't see everything, but that just means there is something to go back to and we almost certainly will, possibly combining parts with a different destination. As a trip in itself, though, we can recommend it, the only downside being that the stellplatze are starting to get a little expensive, €15-20 not uncommon for what were only glorified car-parks. But we suppose you have to accept that in holiday destination areas.

So now we're making plans for our Snowbird trip. We'll post a continuation link later.

Tuesday 14 October

Very early start for us, 7.00 a.m. and after a quick breakfast we emptied the loo and headed for the Eurotunnel. We were hoping for an earlier crossing than our booked to give us a bit more time UK side, and got the first available train although it was actually only 30mins. Still every little helps.

Usual efficient crossing then onto the UK motorway system with the weather not really knowing what to do. In the end we had a bit of everything but the roads were otherwise okay and we made good time to Navenby to see Terrys mum.

After lunch the slog back up the A1, this time encountering several delays due to roadworks but we were still home by 6.30. Unloaded most of the van, leaving the rest until tomorrow before cleaning and returning to storage, probably until the service visit to Dave Newell.

Monday 13 October

We're in no rush today. After the usual servicing etc. we headed along the A16 to Calais and into Auchan, first to top off the fuel tank then finish off bits of shopping.

In the past we've stayed overnight at the Calais Port aire but after seeing the problems with illegals trying to cross the Channel - a group of them were chased off by police at Auchan as we arrived - and the warning that the Marina aire was likely to be closed we decided to try somewhere else.

We were aware of a couple of aires along the coast towards Boulogne so got the book out and headed for the one at Wissant, just 20mins south. Room for about 20 vans, it's quiet, has the usual facilities and is free too. Close enough also for our early start tomorrow morning, we settled in. And the rain started again!

Sunday 12 October

Citadel at Altzingen, near the campsite

Away early for a change as we've a long way to go. Yet another “Route Barree” diversion saw us routing straight through the centre of Luxembourg but being Sunday it was quiet although we were held up for a short while when a band turned out to see us off……………..

Keeping off the motorways we first looked to top off the fuel tank, it being some 25c/litre cheaper in Luxembourg, we were soon heading north west through a pleasant forested area and found ourselves tripping in and out of Belgium. Eventually though we settled in Belgium and its appalling roads.

Lunch taken at the only aire de repos we ever saw, we realised that time was pressing on with still a long way to go so reluctantly took the opportunity of joining the motorway system. At least the roads were better – well some of them. Our target for an overnight stop was again Gravelines so we let the satnav take over and arrived just as the rain, which had been threatening since lunchtime, got it’s act together.

Saturday 11 October

A rain free night and it looked like brightening up, ideal for a trip into the city of Luxembourg. We've tried twice before, so third time lucky. Checking on the fare with reception, the stop was only 100m away and a bus arrived right on time to take us to the recommended stop at Luxembourg Royal, which turned out to be just on the edge of the pedestrianized old town area. After being re-directed to the Tourist Office we found the stop for the City Tour bus, which we always try to use to see as much as we can without too much wandering about. Except it had moved and, naturally, a bus pulled away just as we turned the corner!

However another turned up shortly so we just had time to ponder what language we should use. The chap in the T.I. told us that all the legal stuff was in French, kids were taught in German at school but the natives spoke Luxembourgish, which we later learned was now being encouraged by the government. It mattered not as everybody speaks English anyway!

Luxembourg City is not very big, it mostly being confined to a rock surrounded by a gorge upon which there used to sit a fortress – we never really discovered what happened to it, only that it was flattened and the foundations used to redevelop the city. So the bus trip really only covered the new area of Kirchberg, where all the European (as in EU) institutions, finance houses, banks etc. had their modern buildings. A selection of photos.

One of the bridges across the gorge

Gelle Fra Memorial

Cathedral to the Blessed Virgin

Golden Unicorn

Palace of the Grand Dukes

Band in a fountain (?)

The gorge

Returning to the start, we went in search of lunch, sitting outside a Brioche Doree listening to an accordion player with very twiddly fingers (work it out for yourselves!). With the sun now out we took a walk round the traffic-free area which consisted mainly of a huge range of shops, cafes and restaurants of a very cosmopolitan nature. Luxembourg pushes itself as the shopping centre of Europe, but it ain’t as cheap as it would have you believe.

A pleasant enough place to wander around for a few hours but there is little of historical value to enjoy so mid-afternoon we went in search of the bus and returned to Bertie. With clear blue skies it was time to get the awning out and the chairs to enjoy some rays before it started to get quite cool as the sun went down.

And basically that’s our trip over. Tomorrow we must start back towards Calais ready for our return crossing on Tuesday.

Friday 10 October

Although the rain sort of stopped overnight it was still wet when we made an earlier than usual start so the screens had to be packed wet. Today we are aiming for Luxembourg so after finding that the water at the service point had been turned off yesterday (yup, that’s our luck!) we set out.

Staying off the motorways it’s not a particularly direct route but Autoroute made a decent job of it – pity some of the roads didn’t match the database and others were closed. Before long we were back in Germany, checking out a couple of stellplatze to try and top up the water, which we had actually run out of. We found ourselves driving pretty well through the centre of Saarbrucken and as the Rough Guide said, it didn’t inspire us at all. In fact it is quite industrial and commercial, straggling out along the Saar river.

Saabrucken - about the best it could offer!

Yes - more roundabout art. But Paris?

Once clear, despite no water facilities, we stopped at one of the stellplatze for lunch, deciding that we’ll use an ACSI campsite for a couple of nights and visit Luxembourg city. After lunch, again to avoid the motorway, and crossing into Luxembourg the route was tortuous, complicated again by a road closure resulting in a long diversion. The satnav helped and soon we were turning into the campsite we used a couple of years ago – actually must have been longer as they couldn't find our details on their computer.

It’s been dry, if cloudy all day, and we've taken the opportunity to get all the wet stuff out and try to dry it out. Also to catch up on emails etc. as we've got free Wi-Fi here too.