Category Archives: Travels & Camping

2019, 2019 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Germany (Rothenburg)

2 June 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

We left Bruges at 9am and literally drove for eight hours (666km). The sun was relentless but I enjoyed the traveling all the same. They say it’s more about the journey than the destination. Our next destination is Rothenburg, a picture postcard town in Germany. We didn’t get to the campsite until late afternoon so other than a little food and a trip to the local pub round the corner the day was really just over.

The following day we were awake by 7am when the sun was already warm. By 10am and we are seeking shade wherever we could during breakfast. Yesterday’s long drive, and the two days of sight seeing in Bruges had eft us feeling like we need a chill out day. However, we only have two nights here, and need to make a concerted effort to have a look at the town of Rothenberg. Once the coffee had kicked in and breakfast settled we started to feel a little more like exploring. We left the campsite on foot heading up a steep 2km path to Rothenburg. The sun was beating down and just after midday there was very little shade or breeze to make it any easier.

After half an hour we arrived at the town. Seldom do we research places we visit before we arrive, so it’s no great surprise that we often find ourselves in an area that doesn’t really do it justice. As we entered the walls of the medieval old town ready for lunch. We found a nice pizza restaurant which offered outdoor dining. It was nice, but pretty quiet which seemed odd.

However, it wasn’t until we moved on that we realised the best Rothenberg had to offer was just around the corner. Street after street of historic buildings, quaint alleys and amazing gardens.

Late afternoon I noticed a very dark cloud on the horizon. Knowing we had left the roof vents on the campervan open we made a beeline for the campsite just in time, before the rain arrived. It was unexpected, but it cleared the air and made for a more comfortable nights sleep. we could only afford two nights at this campsite so we needed to head south towards our next stop in Rothenberg to maintain shedule. So van packed we moved on…

1.Campingplatz Tauberromantik
Detwang 39
91541 Rothenburg o.d. Tauber
Telefon: 0 98 61 / 61 91
info@camping-tauberromantik.de

2019, 2019 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Belgium (Bruges)

30 May 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

Euro trip 2019 is underway!

We departed home on Thursday evening after work. An overnight ‘stealth’ camp that evening at Dover saw us up early enough to get a 6.45am ferry to Calais.

This put us way ahead of schedule where we arrived at our first destination, Bruges, just over an hour later. Both Mandy and I were really tired when we pitched up at the campsite, so the intention was to chill for the rest of the day knowing we were ahead of schedule. Judging by how tired I felt, this seemed like a distinct possibility.

However, after some lunch and a short nap we headed into the city. Wow! What a beautiful place. I can certainly see what all the fuss is about. It’s an eclectic mix with waterways, ornate buildings and windmills bringing together the best of what Europe has to offer. We spent the afternoon wandering the streets with a stop at one of the numerous quaint restaurants. I sampled a cool cherry beer which went down really well after the walk, so this was swiftly followed by a strawberry beer… Long story short, 17,000+ steps later (according to my smart watch), we arrived back at the campervan. Truly knackered, but it was a brilliant first day.

We learnt a valuable lesson on last years holiday to the continent that we would have been far better taking our bicycles, than the storage box. Other countries seem to encourage cycling with there own lanes and free bike parks. Bruges Drivers of cars have lots of respect for the cyclist, quiet probably because they cycle themselves. So the second day we used our bicycles to reduce the strain which gave us a little more energy to explore.

We could have done with longer at Bruges, but I fear that this is going to be a common feeling as we move from location to location over the next month.

Camping Memling te Bruges http://www.brugescamping.be/nl/home
32 euros per night (2 nights 31 May and 1 June)

2019, General Posts, Travels & Camping

2019 Euro Trip

29 May 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

The month of May was a strange one. At the start it seemed like our Euro holiday in June was approaching with ample time to get everything sorted. A service on the van two weeks before we departed proved to be more expensive due to the fact a few minor issues needed addressing, but the cost bumped it up more from a labour point, than parts required.

The Bank holiday weekend prior was spent camping with friends, my sister (Ness), and nephew Oscar, and to be honest it was brilliant. So we weren’t surprised that our second holiday to the continent in as many years came rushing up on us. I must say we didn’t think that last years holiday to France, Italy and Switzerland could be beaten. How wrong could we be!

The links below will take you to dedicated destinations we visited, or scroll down and you will see all of the posts chronologically from start to finish. I hope you enjoy, and are inspired to follow in our footsteps.

https://www.daswolfgang.com/belgium-bruges/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/germany-rothenburg/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/austria-fernsteinsee/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/croatia-rovinj/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/croatia-%f0%9f%87%ad%f0%9f%87%b7-krk/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/italy-%f0%9f%87%ae%f0%9f%87%b9-trieste/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/germany-%f0%9f%87%a9%f0%9f%87%aa-the-eagles-nest/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/austria-%f0%9f%87%a6%f0%9f%87%b9salzburg/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/germany-%f0%9f%87%a9%f0%9f%87%aaheidelberg/

https://www.daswolfgang.com/france-%f0%9f%87%ab%f0%9f%87%b7camping-chateau-du-gandspette

2019, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Fotheringhay castle

24 May 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

We had put our names forward to this camping event last year as it was arranged by a small friendly local group that we had camped with before. However, as the date approached were a bit concerned that it may be a little too close to our Euro Trip to be able to commit. However, the weather was looking good for the Saturday, the venue looked great, and it would be a nice social gathering before we departed on our main holiday to Croatia a few days later.

The weekend was made all the more special due to the fact we were camping with relatives. Our pitches were in a peaceful field next to the river, which provided entertainment for those that fancied a swim. My paddle board proved a great viewing platform to see the local church a mile or so up stream

My nephew, Oscar showed a natural talent for paddle boarding, and I can see him taking this up on a regular basis. The two night camp over included plenty of alcohol and some great food so all in all a great success.

We left the campsite just after midday and went for a Sunday meal at the local village pub called The Falcoln with close friends Kev and Lorrain. What a great Bank Holiday!

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/england/northamptonshire/oundle/castle-farm-cottage/

2019, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Woodlands Caravan Park

13 April 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

This weekend for Mandy and myself happens to be a long one with us both having the Friday off work. As our month long trip to Croatia looms ever closer the pressures to organise the locations / campsites increases. For months we have been consistent in our promise to organise the trip as each weekend passes, we have also been equally consistent at not doing so, due to the distractions of home life.

So our main aim of this micro stop over at a local campsite was to do as little as possible other than get us into camping mode, and plan our holiday.

We have broke the camels back in as much as we have booked our ferry crossings and two nights in Bruges to start the vacation. We also have our eyes on two very nice campsites on the shore of the aptly named Wolfgangsee Lake, and have earmarked some really nice campsites but on the coast of Croatia.

So this single nights stay has been a success. We are a little more relaxed (which is always the case after staying in idyllic surroundings in the van), and looking forward to our main 2019 holiday with enthusiasm, instead of trepidation.

The campsite we chose for this single night stop over was just about as local as it gets. Ashbourne is about 30 minutes from our home which was ideal to maximise our stay and limit fuel. I have stayed here in the past for a couple of nights on my own when recovering from a shoulder injury. It’s surrounded by pine tree and has a cosey feel to each pitch. It’s well maintained with excellent toilet & shower facilities.

http://www.woodlandcaravanpark.co.uk

2019, General Posts, Travels & Camping

matlock -tax farm

24 February 2019 Proximity Leave a comment

Weblink: Tax Farm

The weather has been pretty bonkers for a February. It’s at the same time last year we were exposed to the Beast From the East, and now were hitting 21 degrees which is a record. It’s still officially winter, at least for the next month! The low sun casts long shadows, but it’s surprisingly easy to find the rays of sunshine, and when you do its positively warm. Mandy had some holidays to use up as we approach the end of the financial year, so dotted a day here and there to make sure she didn’t lose them and I found myself with a flexible day off also.

The forecast was good for the foreseeable meteorological week, so we agreed to get the van out and book into a local campsite we had stayed at back in 2015. We knew the views were nice, and we could only commit to one nights stay so we couldn’t consider going too far afield. So i collected the van on Saturday and gave it a good wash. Preparation was pretty minimal and we just had to consider a days worth of food.

So sunday morning we set off for Matlock Bath and managed to get a parking spot on the main road before the bikes engulfed them.

We were just killing time as we couldn’t get on the campsite until post 12pm. So we found a cozy little coffee shop to chill in until we had reach the 1 hour parking limit imposed on the main road. It was always nice to spend time in Matlock Bath, but even in the midst of summer there is always shade, and the winter’s must seem really long in the valley to anybody that lived there.

So coffee drunk we got in the van and drove through Matlock and up the steep hill towards Tax Farm. We were still far to early to check in to the campsite so found a secluded spot to pull into and read for a while. The odd car passed and a few cyclists, but other than that it was really peaceful. As it approached 1pm we headed towards the campsite and drove down the steep incline onto the lower teer.

The afternoon was spent enjoying the views, reading and listening to the radio and eventually settled down in bed to an hour or two of Netflix.

The clear night meant we awoke to a frost, but as a result there was an amazing sunrise with mist filled valley towards the Two Dales / Darley Dale. This was enjoyed over coffee and breakfast with the night heater whirring away to keep us warm. The morning followed a similar pattern to the previous afternoon, but we had to vacate the pitch before 12pm. So as late morning approached we dropped the roof and prepared the van for the road. Matlock was only a mile down the road and as the sun was still very much in play, we decided to spend a couple of hours in the town before heading home.

View from the bridge towards Riber Castle

2018, 2018 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

Arras – La Paille Haute

15 June 2018 Proximity Leave a comment

Website: http://www.la-paille-haute.com/

2018, 2018 Euro Trip, General Posts, Travels & Camping

11 – Strasbourg

12 June 2018 Proximity Leave a comment

Part 11 – Strasbourg

Twinned with Liecester
Website: https://www.camping-strasbourg.com/en/

On Tuesday, after a four hour drive from Bern, Switzerland we arrived at the campsite in Strasbourg to a deluge of rain. We were allocated a pitch which seemed to be fine, except for the large tree which I could see may become an issue for my solar / leisure batteries. We weren’t 100% sure what the weather forecast was and saw the combination of tree blocking the light, and potentially dull conditions could provide less power over our three day stop than the fridge would draw. So we donned our raincoats and umbrellas and had a wander to see if we could find a more open pitch. It soon became apparent that although we had a tree close to our van, it was in far better condition as a whole than some which had more mud than grass.

(Technical paragraph for those that are interested) As we had had some issues with the batteries dropping below a safe voltage for the fridge a couple of times during our Euro trip, we felt we would be better keeping our allocated pitch, but paying for electric. So we popped to reception and paid the extra just to be on the safe side. That said on the few times I have paid for electric when the hook up cable is connected , I tend not to have the BBB unit fed with power by making sure the trip isolator inside the van (below the power socket) is in the off position. I can’t see any benefit in having the batteries provided with a 30 year old ‘none intelligent’ feed to the batteries, along with a solar charge. If the batteries drop below 11volts, it’s flick the switch to bring em back up.

which lasted well into the early hours of Wednesday morning. This definitely cleared the air and gave a great day for sight seeing on the Wednesday. Not too hot, with a thin layer of cloud and the odd spell off sunshineio. Our smart watches read close to 20k steps when we got back to the campsite late afternoon…so that’s got to be good. Today we are chilling at the campsite till lunch, then going back into this amazing city for the afternoon into the evening, as I’m sure it will be different again as the lights come on at night. ??

I live in Alsace (near Strasbourg) where the souvenir shops are bulging with storks in many shapes and kinds. The reasons for the storks prominence in Alsace are manifold.
1. The geography of Alsace (in the plain of the Rhine with abundant marshland (at least before the canalisation of the Rhine after the second world war) made it a good feeding ground for storks. The area was also within reach of their winter migration areas in North Africa.
2. Laying on the border of France & Germany, Alsace has a very turbulent history and has been fought over many a time. The annexation of Alsace to imperial Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871 t was a very traumatic event for France. The drive to “take back” Alsace was one of the underlying factors contributing to World War 1 . The Alsatian author “Hansi” drew irreverent cartoons about the Germans is Alsace and lay the foundations of an idealistic view of an oppressed Alsace longing to return to the bosom of France. Part of this view was the lore that “in the same way the Stork returns to its home patch after its winter migration, Alsace will one day return to France.

3. The Stork as a symbol thereafter took off in a big way. In featured on posters, postcards, art, tableware, textiles etc… This was perpetuated in the 1960’s by famous Alsation cartoonist Tomi Ungerer (See image – Copyright Delcqmpe – Tomi Ungerer)

4. After 1918 Alsace went back to France only to be reclaimed by Nazi Germany in 1940. At the end of WW II there were alleged to be only 10 stork left in Alsace. A breeding in captivity programme was started during which the migratory instinct was suppressed. The stork population took off again, both in the wild and in two Stork based theme parks in Alsace. Due to climate change the necessity to migrate seems to have reduced substantially anyway.

The stork is a feature of the decor in many Alsatian villages and towns with horizontal wagon wheel on the top of poles and chimneys being provided as base for storks nests. They even nest on powerlines (see picture I shop on a motorway just across the border).

….and of course, in Alsace, like elsewhere in the world the storks main job is delivering babies 😉