The Show Must Go On

Birmingham October 17-20

Post from John

October; leaves turn to gold, the nights lengthen, equinoctial gales blow – and motorhomers and caravanners head for the NEC. The autumn Motorhome and Caravan show is a big draw for the motorised camping fraternity, Theodora and her two occupants being no exception.

We’d originally planned to visit for a day, then stay a couple of nights at the Caravan Club site at Chapel Lane, Birmingham, and fit in a visit to Chris, Marie and Ben. But a change in my work plans, and a discounted ticket offer for the Friday, saw us add an extra night and make a two-day visit to the show. As Chapel Lane was fully booked by this time, our extra night was at the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Kingsbury Water Park.

So Friday October 17^th saw us up at sillyo’clock to get going before the A14 turned hellish. We headed straight to the NEC, where we were parked and enjoying a welcome coffee and croissant by 10.15. Thus fortified, we ventured into the show. We hadn’t got a huge shopping list, unlike previous years, but wanted to make the most of a more leisurely approach afforded by the extra day, doing things we’d not had time for on previous one-day visits.

Across the two days we looked at a lot of vans; not that we’re planning on changing just yet, but we will at some point. We also went to a couple of talks on escorted motorhome tours in far-flung places – research for retirement! As ever the show was busy (but not very photogenic – hence the lack of photos with this post). There were all manner of motorhomes from tiddlers converted from cars to behemoths the size of a bus with a price tag running into six figures. We were (mostly) restrained, buying exotic items like toilet chemicals. We did splash out on a wi-fi booster from Adam and Sophie at Motorhome Wifi (http://www.motorhomewifi.com/) to improve our connectivity when on the move, so hopefully blog updates will be more frequent when we are away.

After a pleasant Sunday with Chris, Marie and Ben, we headed home on Monday. Theodora is now emptied for winter, so that’s it for 2014. However, interesting plans are already in hand for 2015.

Watch this space, amigos……

Fire and Water

8 - 13 September 2014

Arriving late afternoon at the Caravan Club Bunree Site, which is situated right alongside Loch Linnhe, we were unfortunately too late to bag one of the lochside pitches.  Nonetheless it is a lovely setting.

The prime reason for this whole trip was to ride on the Jacobite steam train, which runs from Fort William to Mallaig, and tickets had been booked for Tuesday – a 60^th birthday present from Chris, Marie, Louise and Steve .

The train departed Fort William at 10:15 but we arrived in plenty of time to take some obligatory photos before we set off.  

Our tickets were for a table for two in the first class carriage, which felt very special and meant that we were treated to the best views!  The scenery was spectacular.  John grabbed a photo of the Glenfinnan (Harry Potter) Viaduct before we had a brief stop at Glenfinnan Station, where there is an exhibition about the construction of the viaduct.  However, we gave that a miss, due to the sheer number of people trying to move around the small space.  

We also passed Neptune's Staircase, a flight of eight locks on the Caledonian Canal.  The trip allowed an hour and a half's lunch stop at Mallaig before the return journey. 

Wednesday dawned clear and sunny and we rather reluctantly left Fort William, heading for Keswick, stopping a couple of times to take some photographs.  This part of Scotland is magnificent (yes, Louise, I really did say that!).

On arrival at the Camping and Caravanning Keswick site our hearts sank a little.  It is a huge site (250 pitches) and was a stark contrast to the tiny locations we had found at Durham and Lochearnhead.  However, the location is brilliant, on the shore of Derwent Water and just a few minutes walk into town.  That evening we investigated the town (largely shops for outdoor clothing and equipment, and restaurants/tea rooms) and enjoyed pizza and pasta at LB's.

As we had arrived quite late the only pitches available were on the edge of the site where the trees obscure the sun from early afternoon onwards.  So as Thursday morning was lovely and sunny, we opted to relax outside while the sun was on our pitch, before going for a walk in the afternoon.

We followed a suggested route from the town centre down to the lake, along the shore past Friar's Crag and Calfclose Bay, then up to Castlehead to enjoy the view over the lake, and back into town.  It was a very pleasant 5 km walk; there were plenty of people about and almost as many dogs.  We thought that this one must be trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records!  

We had noticed a Fish and Chip Restaurant in town, The Old Keswickian, so stopped off there for an early dinner on the way back to the 'van.  Recommended.

Due to pitch availability at the time of booking it was necessary to move to another pitch first thing on Friday morning, which must qualify as the shortest move ever, some 150 yards.  But now we had a view over the lake and fewer trees to hide the sun.  

After the manoeuvring, we headed into Keswick to catch a bus, taking us on a circular 22 mile route.  We were very glad that we had left Theodora at the site as the road (B5289) was pretty much single track most of the way.  At first there was little to see as we passed through woodland, but the views over Derwent Water were pretty.  Then came the “wow” factor, as we drove through Honister Pass with the magnificent hills on both sides and the 1 in 4 climb and descent.  We left the bus at Buttermere, where there are conveniently both pubs and tea rooms.  We opted for the less obvious tea room, around the corner from the bus stop, at Syke Farm, where they provide refreshments from 10:30 to 17:00.  The sandwiches were made to order and were delicious.  Fortified, we circumnavigated Buttermere (4 miles), which was a very easy walk (along the shore line, no hilly bits!).  Although dry and warm, we would have welcomed some sunshine to put a bit of spark into the photographs.  

We got back to Buttermere Village in time for coffee (for John) and an ice-cream, made on the farm (for me).  Unusual flavours such as Turkish Delight, Fig  Ripple, Raspberry Pavlova, and Lime.  Then back on the bus to complete the circuit to Keswick via Whinlatter Pass.

We left the site comparatively early on Saturday to allow time for a detour to visit Chris, Marie and Ben on the way home.  So very little unpacking was done on Saturday evening – something to look forward to on Sunday!

Where we stayed and visited

Caravan Club Site, Bunree

• approx 9 miles from Fort William

Fort William

• specific parking for motorhomes and caravans near Morrison’s Supermarket
• £2 per day (2014)

Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Keswick

• huge site, 250 pitches, on shore of Derwent Water
• new facilities block
• five minutes walk into town

Keswick

• vibrant town, plenty to do
• excellent bus services
• good walks

Buttermere

• can be reached by bus from Keswick
• circular walk around the shore of the lake

Anniversary Waltz

4 - 8 September 2014

We set off on our latest journey on 4 September, dodging a couple of hold-ups on the way, firstly on the A14 (what a surprise!) and later on the A1 near Wetherby, where an accident had closed a section of the road in the short time we were enjoying our lunch at the services.  We arrived in Durham without any further hitches and found our chosen overnight stop, the Caravan Club CL at the Durham Amateur Rowing Club, located right by the river (as you would expect), the river being the River Wear.  Once settled, we walked into town for a brief look around.  The cathedral was not clad in scaffolding (as they usually are) but hiding behind the BBC Antiques Roadshow trailer and other paraphernalia – filming had been taking place that day.  John did wonder if the caravan was the temporary home of Fiona Bruce!

A meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary concluded the evening (Restaurant 17 on Elvet Bridge is recommended) and we were somewhat gobsmacked to discover that the couple sitting on the next table were celebrating their anniversary too, married on exactly the same date and year as we were.

Next day we completed the journey to Edinburgh, taking the A68 by way of a change from the A1 and stopping off at the National Trust Property, Wallington, near Morpeth.  

The estate was gifted to the NT by Sir Charles Trevelyan, who was a Socialist MP and general good egg.  He even gave his tenants a form of family allowance, believing that he was lucky to have the estate and wishing to share his good fortune.  This idea of all inclusiveness is still apparent at the property today – it's probably the least “stuffy” NT property we have ever visited, with picnics and ball games perfectly acceptable on the lawn in front of the house.  A short walk towards the East Wood will lead you to a beautiful walled garden, while in the direction of the West Wood you will find a wildlife hide, from which we viewed many species of birds, but, sadly, no red squirrels.  A circular walk includes both woods.

We used the Caravan Club site at Silverknowes on the northern side of Edinburgh pretty much as a storage facility for Theodora for the next two days as much of the time was spent with Louise and Steve.  On Saturday we drove out to the Jupiter Artland, a sculpture park set within the estate of Bonington House, at Wilkieston.  The creations range from a spider's web, suspended between the trees to the huge “Life Mounds”. 

One of the more atmospheric installations (John says "creepy") are the "Weeping Girls".  Well worth a visit (open during the summer months only).

We also met up with Steve's parents for a meal on Saturday evening and again on Sunday morning, before heading off in the direction of Lochearnhead. 

There is a Caravan Club CL on the edge of the loch near Lochearnhead which is part of a fish farm and also offers fishing and boat hire.  Perfect for an overnight stop, or if you like fishing.  I found the skittering and aerobatics of the many wagtails very entertaining.

Our next stop was to be the Caravan Club  Bunree Site near Fort William, only about 60 miles away, so we took our time and stopped off at beautiful Glen Coe.  According to The Rough Guide:  “ Literally “Valley of Weeping”, it is a spectacular valley, bounded on both sides by sheer cliffs and jagged rock summits.  In 1692 it was the site of a famous massacre, after Alastair MacDonald, chief of an unruly and cattle-stealing clan, missed the deadline for taking an obligatory oath of allegiance to William III.”

Where we stayed and visited

Caravan Club CL - Durham Amateur Rowing Club

• site is only about 15 minutes walk along the river to the city centre
• rowing club bar, toilets and showers are available during the club opening hours
• bargain at £12 per night (Sept 2014)

Caravan Club Site, Silverknowes

• usual high standard, well- spaced pitches
• 10 minute walk to bus stop, 25 minute bus journey into city centre

Caravan Club CL – Lochearnhead

• plenty of open space in front of the six pitches
• small toilet and shower block

Glen Coe

• ample motorhome parking at the National Trust visitor centre

Riders on the Storm

Ashbourne – 18 to 21 July 2014

You will remember (of course!) that when we visited Derbyshire in May 2012 we finished the entry with “at the end of the week we wondered why we hadn't visited Derbyshire more often and decided we would return”. So we have kept our word.

On the outward journey we passed through a thunderstorm and torrential downpour (hence the title of this post!) but fortunately overall the weather was much better in Derbyshire than in southern England.

The first port of call was Leek, just a brief visit to the town. Set in the heart of the beautiful Staffordshire Peak District, Leek is a compact town and has a mix of independent shops alongside historic markets, with numerous places to eat and drink. We picked up a few leaflets from the Tourist Information and followed the suggestions of exploring cobbled Getliffe's Yard, with its boutiques, eateries and artisan shops, and then St Edward Street, which in the past was considered to be Leek's finest street, with its wide pavements and grand half-timbered buildings.

Then on to the Caravan Club Site at Carsington Water, which is about 5 miles to the east of Ashbourne, for two nights The site is set in a plantation, with groups of pitches separated from each other by the pine trees. The late afternoon and evening were warm and sunny; perfect opportunity to relax outside the 'van.

The weather forecast for Saturday was for heavy rain and storms across much of the country so we weren't surprised to be woken in the early hours by the sound of rain on our tin box. This continued until the middle of the day, so more relaxation needed, but inside this time with the Saturday Times! Once the rain had stopped (even though the drips from the trees suggested that it hadn't!) we were able to go out for a short walk to the reservoir and across the dam to the Visitor Centre.

Suddenly the sky turned ominously black and forced a decision to return to base and we arrived just before the storm did! Phew!

Sunday dawned dry and warm and we headed off to Ashbourne. We remembered the motor-home friendly car park from last time and on arrival we were amazed to hear the sound of bagpipes. The annual Scottish Highland Gathering, was taking place in the Memorial Gardens and attracting hundreds of visitors to watch the highland games and pipe bands.

From Ashbourne the next stop was the National Trust property, Ilam Park, where there is also a small caravan site. There are two ways in to Ilam from the main road; don't expect to travel fast on either of them! We travelled in from the A52 which winds through pleasant countryside for some two miles and over several cattle grids with bollards either side, and then you are suddenly confronted by the picturesque village of Ilam with its “Swiss cuckoo clock” cottages and the cross in memory of Eleanor Watts-Russell, the wife of the shipping magnate Jesse Watts-Russell, who had the village built adjacent to his estate.

A little further on you enter the NT property and car park. There is no stately home here, as the buildings are now used as a youth hostel and bunk house. But there is a small Italienate garden overlooking the church and lots of parkland to explore.

Beautiful Dovedale is just a 15-20 minute walk away across the fields. Needless to say, there is also a cafe and gift shop plus a small but interesting visitor centre. The caravan site is located at the rear of the car park, through a five-barred gate, where the wardens were sitting in the sunshine ready to greet new arrivals or bid farewell to those leaving in a most friendly fashion. The site is a gem! Exquisitely peaceful with facilities to hand. You just need to have sufficient provisions with you; it's a long way to the supermarket!

On Sunday afternoon we set off to Dovedale and had a most enjoyable walk as far as Lion's Head Rock on the way to Milldale.

There were plenty of people with the same idea, so we had to wait a while to cross the stepping stones, one of Dovedale's best known attractions.

Determined to make the most of Monday morning, we got up early so we had time for a walk through the parkland before tearing ourselves away at midday for the journey home. We exited Ilam via the alternative route to the A515, which is supposedly the better road, but is nonethleless hilly and narrow in places.

Notes for motorhomers

Leek: Car parks without height restriction are off Stockwell St or Waitrose Supermarket, Buxton Road

Ashbourne: Parking without height restriction at Park Road near the Memorial Gardens or the supermarket car park opposite

Ilam Park Caravan Site belongs to National Trust, but open to non-members.

From the A52 beware of the sharp left hand turn and stone pillars at a subsequent turn to Ilam

20 pitches. Fees: £18 per night (Friday and Saturday), otherwise £12. Includes EHU.

Water and waste disposal facilities are within the site area; toilets and two shower rooms are located in the NT buildings 150 yards away. The latter are “rustic”, but clean and perfectly adequate.

Shadows and Light

12-14 June

“Time to go home”, well, almost. From Clervaux we headed in the direction of Brussels but stopped off at Bastogne to visit the Mardasson American War Memorial, which commemorates the many thousands of American soldiers who lost their lives during the Ardennes Offensive, otherwise known as the Battle of the Bulge. The memorial is shaped as a circle within a five-pointed star and the names of the American states and a narrative of the battle are inscribed on its sombre grey pillars.

On the same site is the brand new interactive Bastogne War Museum www.bastognewarmuseum.be which is comprehensive, absorbing and moving. In addition to the exhibition of material relating specifically to the battle and more broadly to World War II, the entrance fee includes an audio guide, which gives commentaries from four real people, an American soldier, a German soldier, a young boy and a teacher. These commentaries give a good insight into what it was like being a soldier and for ordinary Belgians under German occupation.

We are surrounded by trees, two small lakes and geese tonight at Camping au Val Tourinnes, chosen mainly because it is pretty much halfway to Calais. Although the setting is lovely, the facilities do not live up to the price, in our humble opinion.

Friday: arrived at Camping Les Erables at Escalles (no website) where we also spent our final night last year and passed a relaxing late afternoon and evening on this very peaceful site in glorious sunshine, overlooking the English Channel and munching through the remaining items in our stores.

From there it is just a 15 minute trip to the Channel Tunnel. We arrived a bit early and were able to transfer to a slightly earlier shuttle, but as all the trains were running behind schedule due to an earlier incident, we actually left around the time originally intended.

Grey skies and drizzle greeted us in Kent - good to be home!

Architecture and Morality

9 – 12 June

The journey from Duelmen was much better than the journey there. The motorways were quieter and we arrived at Camping Officiel de Clervaux www.camping-clervaux.lu in Luxembourg mid afternoon, where the weather was scorching hot. The Dutch owners are very helpful and friendly (perhaps a little over-enthusiastic – Meneer immediately wanted to get us settled on our pitch, we wanted to do stuff at the service point!). It is a “full on” site, with more amenities than we would generally choose to have (including a fair size swimming pool, but guess who didn't think to bring swimming gear!) However, the location is lovely, nestling in the valley of the River Cleuve, with the abbey looming above. The small river runs through the site, at the edge of our pitch actually, and its babbling is very restful. 

However, there is some railway noise from the trains, which pass three times an hour, and from the abbey bells morning and evening; the monks may want to be summoned to Matins at 7.00am, but we don't!

It is about a twenty minute walk to the railway station and we decided to travel to Luxembourg City for the day. The journey time is given as 52 minutes and the ticket price is only 4 Euros each return, which also includes any bus journeys you might like to make in the city. Bargain! The plan started to go a little awry when we discovered at the station that there is engineering work on the line this week, resulting in about a third of the journey having to be made on the bus. However, this only added about 20 minutes to the outward journey.

We had not been there long before we had an encounter with potential pickpockets; a man asked us for some directions and I suddenly became aware of a female lurking behind us. Fortunately all our valuables were safely secured so no harm done.

We walked past the cathedral of Notre Dame

and along the Chemin de la Corniche, hailed as “Europe's most beautiful balcony”, winding along the course of the 17^th century city ramparts, 

then through the Cite Judiciaire and down the steep zigzag path from the Old Town to Grund, where there are numerous cafes to tempt you. We poked our noses into the Neumuenster Abbey and admired the Bock Casemates on the other side of the river, a honeycomb of rock galleries and passages, which were originally carved by the Spaniards in the 18^th century, since which time they have been used, for example, to house bakeries and to shelter local people in the two world wars.

From there we took the elevator back to the Old City where we could hear some beautiful music and assumed it was a recording being relayed from somewhere. It turned out that there was a street piano being played by a young lady, who, when she had finished and we complimented her, said she was still practising the piece!

After that we passed through Place Guillaume and photographed the Royal Palace, a beautiful building, whose location does not to it justice; then it was time to head back to the station.

The journey back was a nightmare! The next two trains were cancelled and then an announcement directed us to a bus outside the station. This all taxed our rusty French somewhat! So it was one bus to Mersch and a second to Ettelbruck followed by a half hour wait for the train back to Clervaux. Were we glad to get back to the campsite!

After some relaxation on site the next morning we set off to explore Clervaux.  There is a viewpoint which gives a good view of the town including its castle, parish church and abbey.

 The castle's main attraction is Edward Steichen's world-famous photography exhibition, “Family of Man” www.steichencollections.lu. The collection comprises 503 black and white, mid-20^th century photos from 273 photographers from 68 countries.  They are exhibited in themes and follow man from birth to death with images from all corners of the globe, illustrating how various experiences bind people together, wherever they are in the world.

The Heat is On

6 - 9 June

After having booked into the previous site, we realised that there is actually a Stellplatz with 45 pitches just one mile down the road, which offers showers, toilets and electricity. So we opted to move to it today. In fact, as it is Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend here, the site is fully booked so we would not have been able to stay there longer anyway. We were lucky enough to grab one of the last pitches available at the Stellplatz, next to two other British motorhomes. This Stellplatz is, in fact, also operated by the camp site, but pretty much runs itself. You enter via a barrier and a ticket is dispensed, stating your date and time of arrival. On departure you pay the appropriate amount (Euros 10 per 24 hours) at a machine which validates your ticket, enabling you to exit. The motorhome service point provides all the usual facilities (with free water), there is no extra charge for the electricity and the two toilets and showers, which are accessed by a code printed on your ticket, were very clean.

It's a very pleasant 15 to 20 minute walk beside the river into Traben-Trabach. The volume of heavily laden barges moving up and down the Mosel makes you realise what an important freight artery the river is.

We didn't spend much time on the Traben side but there is a large Edeka-Neukauf supermarket near the station, which stays open late and has a separate bakery. Adjacent there is also an Aldi. We explored the Trabach side more thoroughly, a cluster of narrow streets, which lie behind the impressive gate at the end of the bridge, and where various museums are located. Once again we succumbed to the temptation of Kaffee and Kuchen!

We left Traben-Trabach early the next morning to make our way along the Mosel as far as Cochem. Snoopy SatNav had directed us to the north side of the river, but we missed the turn (busy waving at another British motorhome!) and stayed on the south side. This was probably a slower route, as most of the settlements seemed to be on that side, but it was very scenic, twisting and turning in harmony with the river beneath the endless vineyards. At Cochem we crossed the river (as instructed!) and headed off on the spider's web of motorways to visit friends, Julie and Norbert, in Duelmen. It is all very well having no upper speed limit for cars on the German motorways, but it does make pulling out to overtake that much more of a challenge.

We spent a lovely weekend in Duelmen, catching up with our friends and meeting their children and grandchild for the first time. The weather was great for most of the time, enabling us to spend a lot of the time on the patio, eating and drinking under the protection of the sunshade. We were caught out by a thunderstorm while out cycling on Sunday morning, but it soon passed and we quickly dried out in a strategically placed Gasthof. A second storm rumbled around for a long time during Sunday night.

Sunny skies reappeared on Monday morning, with air freshened by the storm and after a final breakfast on the patio, we left Duelmen to resume our travels.

One for the Vine

2-3 June

Just a short trip, 48 miles, to Mehring on the River Moselle today, taking advantage of the lower priced fuel before we left Luxembourg. Only £1.00 per litre of diesel! Our destination was Stellplatz Mehring, which has around 72 pitches and is situated right on the river bank behind a cafe/bar/restaurant, where toilets and showers (extra cost) are also available. Water is available (1 Euro per 100 litres). We arrived at Mehring in time for lunch in the sunshine, with a backdrop of vineyards extending to the horizon and watching barges and river cruise vessels make their way down the river.

It suddenly occurred to us that we haven't really planned exactly what we are going to do here so we hopped on the bikes and rode along the north bank of the river, passing through various villages to see what we could find.

In Mehring we located the tourist office, which was rather unhelpfully only open in the morning. After about 8 km we came to a bridge at Thoernich and crossed to the other side of the river, where there was conveniently a Gasthof to sit and enjoy a beer / wine. The ride back to Mehring on the south side of the river was more direct, as the cycle path hugged the river with no deviations through or around villages. We arrived back at the Stellplatz feeling shattered and decided to go across to the restaurant for our evening meal; the Jaegerschnitzel with chips and salad was both delicious and reasonably priced. It was just a shame that it started to rain and drove us inside from the terrace. Hoping for a particularly good night's sleep tonight after all the exercise.

Next day was “low key” to catch our breath, do a few necessary chores and update the blog, while sampling the Kaffee and Kuchen at the cafe. The Stellplatz remained only one third full, mainly Belgians, Dutch and Germans. We haven't seen a British motorcaravan since Bruges!

4 June

Only 17 miles along the Moselle to the next stop at Piesport. We had originally intended to stay at a Stellplatz for 6 'vans behind a small vineyard but when we arrived there was no one else there and the six pitches were pretty much in the vineyard which we found a bit claustrophobic. So we moved on to Stellplatz Piesporter Goldtroepfchen (translates as little drops of gold – how pretty!). This is a delightful Stellplatz with basic facilities for 30 'vans right by the river and we were even more pleased when we were greeted by English neighbours.

The weather was a bit unpredictable all day, but we ventured out for a walk in the early afternoon, visiting the vineyard, previously rejected as a stopover, for a sampling of a few wines, inevitably culminating in the purchase of a few bottles! Didn't confess to the owner that we didn't like his Stellplatz – hope he didn't recognise us! We also managed a short bike ride along the river, in the opposite direction to what I had intended; my sense of direction does not get any better.

The day ended by passing a very pleasant couple of hours with the neighbours, Trevor and Sue, and two bottles of wine in their palatial Hymer van.

5 June

Another massive journey of 25 miles to Camping Rissbach, www.moselcampings.de where we opted to stay on a site for a night for the extra facilities. Another cracking location close to the river, very like a Caravan Club Site, with a detailed registration process, quite a culture shock after the laid-back experience of the Stellplaetze. Given that the site is Dutch-owned, it's no surprise to find that it is largely occupied by Dutch "tuggers" (as caravanners are referred to in the motorhoming fraternity). En route we stopped at Kues-Bernkastel; Bernkastel is a charming old town on one side of the river, with half timbered buildings and narrow, cobbled streets, with Kues over the bridge on the other side.

We walked up to a viewpoint for some fine vistas of the twin towns.

There is parking for motorcaravans, with a motorhome service point, by the river on the Kues (west) side between 10:00 and 18:00, (but not overnight) free for the first hour, then Euro 1.20 per hour thereafter. Theodora is fourth from the right in the posse of motorcaravans in the photo below.

A River Runs Through It

31 May - 1 June 2014

After an early morning raid on the local Carrefour supermarket (within walking distance of the site, if you choose) we departed Bruges heading for Luxembourg. Most of the journey was on motorways and uneventful, except for one blip when, while I was driving, unfortunately, Snoopy Satnav told us to exit unexpectedly and we got in a bit of a muddle in a maze of motorway intersections. But Snoopy got us back on track and the last 27 miles were on very rural roads, passing through numerous small hamlets.

We now find ourselves at Camping op dem Deich in Vianden,

www.camping.lu/en/campsites/op-dem-deich-vianden

which we highly recommend. We are pitched some 100 metres from the River Our, with trees lining the valley amongst which the castle nestles. Idyllic, and how different from the site in Bruges. In the afternoon we enjoyed the sunshine with a view to exploring the next day.

The next day was overcast but warm and we walked into Vianden (5 minutes). The old town is mostly built along one cobbled road, Grande Rue, that ascends to the castle gates.

Lonely Planet advises that “on weekend afternoons in summer, Vianden can get overloaded with noisy fleets of motorcycle tourists” and yes, some of them were there too. Along with a cavalcade of red Ferraris bearing registration plates from Belgium, Luxembourg and the UK. We took the chair lift over the river and up through oak woods and then walked back to the castle. There was a fort on this site in Roman times, and the castle evolved and grew over the next 1500 years before falling into disrepair, but has now been largely rebuilt and houses displays of armour and furnishings.

In Bruges

29-30 May 2014

Why does it always take us so long to prepare for a trip? No matter how soon we start the process, we always seem to be up late the night before scrabbling around to get things ready! But no matter, once we are on our way, we forget all that. We had an uneventful journey to the Channel Tunnel (thank you M25!) but there was a delay in our 12:50 departure, due to earlier cancellations. The wonder of the Channel Tunnel continues to amaze me; first, the slick boarding process and then the journey itself. There's barely time to eat your sandwiches and have a cup of coffee while hurtling under the English Channel before emerging in France 35 minutes later.

The journey to Bruges on the E40 motorway was straightforward; a new roundabout near the station confused us a little (note: follow the signs to Zentrum, which leads to the N9) but otherwise Camping Memling was easy to find, situated at the end of a quiet, residential area. NB you have to park on the road until you have checked in. We had booked a hardstanding motorcaravan pitch, but it would have been wiser to have chosen a grass pitch, which are twice as large (80m2 compared to 35m2) for only an additional 2 Euros. There is barely enough room for an awning between one motorcaravan and the next.

We are definitely spoiled by our excellent Caravan Club and Camping and Caravanning Club Sites, with their minimum of 20 feet between units. The hardstanding pitches are also located under trees, so if you don't like to be in the shade, they are not for you. However, we are only here for two nights so it's not a disaster and the toilet and shower facilities, which appear quite new, are excellent.  Overall opinion, convenient for Bruges, but a bit claustrophobic.

www.campingmemling.be

Friday was a lovely day, warm with sunny intervals. We decided to take the bus into Bruges, the bus stop is just a five minute walk from the site. We hadn't realised that it is a bank holiday weekend, so the city was rather busy and the market square was in a state of chaos as grandstands, presumably used for yesterday's Procession of the Holy Blood, were dismantled. The plan was to go into the Belfort belfry (83m) and climb the 366 steps for the wonderful views across the city and beyond. However, 10:00 am was not sufficiently early to beat the queue and, as visitor numbers are limited to 70 at once, we reluctantly gave it a miss. We admired the medieval style step-gabled buildings in the Markt area, then the ornate buildings of Brugse Vrije, Stadhuis and Heilig-Bloedbasiliek.

It is here where a phial, supposedly containing a few drops of Christ's blood is kept and on Ascension Day the phial is mounted on a jewel-studded reliquary for Bruge's biggest annual parade, the Heilig-Bloedprocessie. The cafe 't Klein Venetie offers a fine view of one of the canals

and we enjoyed a tasty fixed-price three course lunch at Restaurant 't Minnewater, to the sound of the many horse drawn carriages passing by. A walk through the Begijnhof, whose residents include a convent of Bendictine nuns, is tranquil, in complete contrast to the bustle of the rest of the city. 

By mid afternoon we were beginning to flag so found the appropriate bus stop to get us back to the campsite for a bit of relaxation.