Hi people, we're back! Seems a long time since April 7th, 4,300 towed miles and just under 7,000 in total.France, Holland, Belgium, Germany ,Czech Republic, and Scotland. An epic trip, and enjoyed every moment, but even I must admit that it did feel good to turn into our little lane last week!
We met some lovely people (including our own Lutz, with whom we spent a pleasant day on our campsite near Koblenz, but sadly missed DianneT) and saw some real off-the-beaten track villages.We always try to avoid tourist traps, but we did "do" Koblenz, Meissen, Dresden, Prague(disappointing!),and the Sinnsheim and Speyer museums.
We also attended the European Classic Caravan Rally near Heidelberg, which as always was the purpose of the trip.
One hundred and eighty odd classic caravans from all over Europe, on one site, brilliantly organised by the Camping Oldies Club of Germany.
This event seems to get better each year, so if you've got a pre-1980 van,give it a try.
Not sure how many photographs herself took, but I'm sure she'll get them sorted out, and I'll try to put some on here.
High spot? There were lots.The rally must be number one , and probably the site Campingplatz Oettern near Weimar in Germany, where no-one spoke English, we have very little German, but the evenings spent having the "crack" in the bar and bistro were great fun.The off-road tour of the estate surrounding Camping Eissenbachtal near Koblenz, was a one-off, particularly as it was in a battered old Opel Omega! This was where we met Lutz for lunch, and it transpired that he had based his caravan there some years before!
I must also relate the story about the railway station in Vrane-nur-Vlatava 20 miles south of Prague too.As parking is impossible in the city, we were advised to use the local train. As Herself was in the wheelchair, the campsite owner drove us to the station. I left Herself on the platform and tried to buy tickets, to be met by the only awkward person we met on the whole tour. The booking clerk refused my 10Euro note.with the words "No crowns, no tickets" and shut the hatch!
Oh well, back outside to explain that we couldn't go till we got some Czech crowns, to be met by the Campsite owner, who had realised that this might happen. She had no money, there wasn't time to go back to the site before the train came, so she ran across the road, blagged 100crowns from a shop owner and gave them to us to buy the tickets! Service above and beyond the call of duty!
Getting on the train was itself an adventure, but that's another story!
Back across Germany into France, to be met with very wet or even flooded campsites, we pitched at Camping le Chaumier (probably our favourite French site) for dog-vetting, then across the channel and one night in Dover, one at Gulliver's World, three at Elm Cottage in Cheshire, three at North Dykes near Penrith, brought us to a Royale Club rally at Gatehouse-of-Fleet in Southern Scotland for 8days, then the Trossachs, Fort William, Loch Ness, Inverness, Kinross,North **** again, then another Club rally in Lancashire for a week, and finally back to GoC.
We did have to resort to RAC recovery in Scotland, but the problem was sorted fairly quickly, but painful on the wallet,but it didn't spoil the trip, and could have been so much worse if it had happenned a couple of weeks before!
So, there it is, that's 2013. Now, where's the maps for next year............................................................!
Just one more tale; Setting up the van at one site,I remarked that all the cars near us were British. Quietly, Herself said, "Well, we are in Milton Keynes dear!" Confused, or what?
We met some lovely people (including our own Lutz, with whom we spent a pleasant day on our campsite near Koblenz, but sadly missed DianneT) and saw some real off-the-beaten track villages.We always try to avoid tourist traps, but we did "do" Koblenz, Meissen, Dresden, Prague(disappointing!),and the Sinnsheim and Speyer museums.
We also attended the European Classic Caravan Rally near Heidelberg, which as always was the purpose of the trip.
One hundred and eighty odd classic caravans from all over Europe, on one site, brilliantly organised by the Camping Oldies Club of Germany.
This event seems to get better each year, so if you've got a pre-1980 van,give it a try.
Not sure how many photographs herself took, but I'm sure she'll get them sorted out, and I'll try to put some on here.
High spot? There were lots.The rally must be number one , and probably the site Campingplatz Oettern near Weimar in Germany, where no-one spoke English, we have very little German, but the evenings spent having the "crack" in the bar and bistro were great fun.The off-road tour of the estate surrounding Camping Eissenbachtal near Koblenz, was a one-off, particularly as it was in a battered old Opel Omega! This was where we met Lutz for lunch, and it transpired that he had based his caravan there some years before!
I must also relate the story about the railway station in Vrane-nur-Vlatava 20 miles south of Prague too.As parking is impossible in the city, we were advised to use the local train. As Herself was in the wheelchair, the campsite owner drove us to the station. I left Herself on the platform and tried to buy tickets, to be met by the only awkward person we met on the whole tour. The booking clerk refused my 10Euro note.with the words "No crowns, no tickets" and shut the hatch!
Oh well, back outside to explain that we couldn't go till we got some Czech crowns, to be met by the Campsite owner, who had realised that this might happen. She had no money, there wasn't time to go back to the site before the train came, so she ran across the road, blagged 100crowns from a shop owner and gave them to us to buy the tickets! Service above and beyond the call of duty!
Getting on the train was itself an adventure, but that's another story!
Back across Germany into France, to be met with very wet or even flooded campsites, we pitched at Camping le Chaumier (probably our favourite French site) for dog-vetting, then across the channel and one night in Dover, one at Gulliver's World, three at Elm Cottage in Cheshire, three at North Dykes near Penrith, brought us to a Royale Club rally at Gatehouse-of-Fleet in Southern Scotland for 8days, then the Trossachs, Fort William, Loch Ness, Inverness, Kinross,North **** again, then another Club rally in Lancashire for a week, and finally back to GoC.
We did have to resort to RAC recovery in Scotland, but the problem was sorted fairly quickly, but painful on the wallet,but it didn't spoil the trip, and could have been so much worse if it had happenned a couple of weeks before!
So, there it is, that's 2013. Now, where's the maps for next year............................................................!
Just one more tale; Setting up the van at one site,I remarked that all the cars near us were British. Quietly, Herself said, "Well, we are in Milton Keynes dear!" Confused, or what?
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