Day 2 Dover to Koblenz
I have already realised that it is going to be difficult uploading every day as there is a lack of available wi-fi, I will do it when I can but patience is called for 🙂
What a beautiful morning, blue sky, flat calm sea and fresh breeze. Marine Parade, our overnight stop was a great idea, you just pull up on the seafront and bed down free of charge. We did have a few revellers singing “my sex is on fire” at 4am but even that didn’t keep us awake for long.
When you park up, you have to transfer all your belongings, including an awning that weighs a ton, from the back of the van, to the front seats. Only then can you make the bed. For anyone who is not familiar with the VW lifestyle, the bed, is called a “Rock and Roll ” bed…… After 235 miles and 2 glasses of wine, it was more “rock and roll over”!
In the morning, you do it all again in reverse and transfer everything from the front of the van to the back! It takes about 20 minutes to be travel ready. Off we go!
We started the van (first time) and pootled off towards the ferry terminal. I fished around in our black leather case where we keep all the travel documents, for the booking form and the passports. As I checked that we had everything, I suddenly realised ….we should have been on the 06.00 ferry ….aaaarghhh all along I had 08.00 in my head and we had now missed the boat…literally! We had been here all night, we were awake listening to “my sex is on fire” at 04.00 and could have been half way to Koblenz by now! As we drove to the ferry booking office, stomach churning, I said to Mr Holt…… I wonder how much this will cost?
“I made a cock up”I told the nice young man on the desk. I explained what had happened, he smiled….”no worries just drive to check in and change your booking, there may be a small charge but if you don’t like the charge, try the other companies”………..phew! The lady at check out sent us to the Reception, which she called “The Bungalow” and the man said, “there’s no charge and for future reference, you can book the earlier or later ferry either side of your booking free of charge” DFDS I love you! I love it when people make a molehill out of a mountain.
Lorry drivers breakfast on the ferry was enormous! Wishy washy coffee and £3.50 for two bottles of Adam’s Ale (water)….. Yes it’s a rip off but once again Mr Holt says “it’s all part of the holiday”. We have already spent £122 on fuel and we are still on the ferry! Never mind we should get to Koblenz on this tank of fuel. It’s only money :-(. The weather is stunning and the forecasters say that it will hit 30 degrees today!
Hot and sticky, stopped for a comfort break near Gent in Belgium. 50 cents for the loo, whatever happened to spending a penny? Still, at least you get a coupon to redeem your 50 cents at any other Shell petrol station. This excludes, papers and magazines, bread, sandwiches and fuel… What else do you buy in Service stations?
The loos in most service stations are immaculate and they also supply alcohol wipe for the seats, so its quite safe to sit throughout the performance. However, they have a habit of putting the electronic flush sensor right behind the seat, needless to say that as soon as you do sit down, you get a soggy bottom that the “Great British Bake Off” would be proud of! Today I have “showered” twice and I haven’t been anywhere near a shower cubicle yet!
Today we have driven in England, France, Belgium, Netherlands and we crossed the border into Germany at 16.15. We take our time when we are on holiday as Boris is almost 25 years old and slow and steady is the motto for our Boris. It is also still hot, 32 degrees so driving takes it out of you, as does sitting in the passenger seat map reading and blogging!
Not far from Koblenz now and we have set the Sat Nav to bleep when a campsite is 1,000 mtrs away as guess what…. We forgot the Alun Rodgers campsite book…. DOH.
Campsite is nice, lovely showers, right on the Banks of the rivers where the Mosel meets the Rhine. Roomy showers, lots of water, plenty of room in the cubicles so the price €33.10 is probably justified. Also we had a good meal at the restaurant which was reasonably priced and adequately spiced!
We chatted with a young couple from Ottawa in Canada about their travels and later 4 local people sat with us, which was a bit awkward when we were eating but they had no qualms about asking how the food was and saluted us when drinking Prost! (I hope I spelled this correctly)
When we left the restaurant, we strolled down to the riverside to take some pictures. Koblenz is the place where the Rhine meets the Mosel and in the evening sun and with a temperature still in the high 20s the sound of the water makes your cares and worries float away on the warm breeze. As we mozied back to Boris and said Good night to our neighbours and fellow campers, we chatted about tomorrow’s journey to Regensburg. We need to get away by 09.30 at the latest….. But first a well deserved rest….it’s been a long day. Goodnight….Nos da…… Granny.
Day 3 – Koblenz to Regensberg 290 miles
We managed to get away by 09.15. It took an age to getoutmof Koblenz as Sally Sat Nav couldn’t comprehend the endless diversions due to major roadworks. We finally found the Autobahn at 09.35 and the roads are pretty clear as it’s Sunday. We want to get a good start and knock off a good few kilometres while it is still cooler. The views of the city and the rivers from the autobahn are breathtaking.
On the autobahn, we are popping along at a steady 65 – 70 mph and German cars are passing us as if we are standing still. Some of these drivers are lunatics!
Plodding on and after an hour and twenty minutes, we are on the outskirts of Frankfurt. As we approach the airport, aeroplane after aeroplane fly over us, so low you can almost touch them, as they approach the runway. Mr Holt does not like this and he is very nervous, as some of them look as though they will land on the autobahn! Just then, a huge noise as a plane taking off came from nowhere over the road, it was so quick that we could only hear it and see the shadow of the plane as it darkened the view from the van…. I won’t write down what Mr Holt said but needless to say ….expletives galore!
The first Service Station we stopped at appears to be very busy, we even wondered whether there may be an imminent petrol shortage, as all four lanes were queueing. There were people out of their cars, chattering, complaining and lots off finger pointing and gesticulating. What it was all about, I have no idea as eventually everyone took their turn and filled up,with fuel. Maybe they were just hot and bothered and fed up with the queue? It’s mid-day now and around 30 degrees.
We have found a campsite in Regensburg – Azur camping. Postcode in Sally Sat Nav so hopefully we should find it easily. As I write this we have been stuck in traffic for about 10 minutes and Boris is getting warm. A breakdown truck has just gone down the hard shoulder so fingers crossed we’ll soon be moving again. Boris is doing well for an old guy!
16.00 and after a food stop, cheese rolls and a cup of tea made in the van, we set off on the last leg of the journey. It’s still really hot and the travelling is exhausting. 20 minutes after we set off again, on the autobahn we heard it! THE BUZZER OF DOOM! It went off for about 30 seconds and then stopped. We have heard this before and we know its something to do with the oil but we don’t know what? We couldn’t stop as we were on the autobahn and drove on, 10 minutes since now and it hasn’t happened again….. Fingers crossed.
We arrived at the campsite at around 5pm and got in the queue to book in. Mr Holt went to reception and as I sat in the van waiting I could hear the tennis in the distance. Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokavic on Sky…. I must be hearing things. Mr Holt came back to the van… “Can you hear it? It’s the tennis. Shall we park the van and come straight back?” Well what do you think? We plugged in, got the fridge going and hurried back to the bar. Murray was 2 sets up and we had got there just in time. There was an older English couple watching and we were later joined by a local woman who had heard the tennis while riding her bicycle and had called in to watch.
Boris Becker was commentating in German and German lady very kindly translated for us. The match was thrilling and we were all emotional when Andy Murray won. What an atmosphere and she insisted that we drank more beer to celebrate. So we did. A fabulous end to a fabulous day. Tomorrow, we head for Graz to meet up with Mr Holt’s cousins. Another long day but with a 6 day rest …. Can’t wait. Over and out …. Granny. Xx
Day 4 Regensburg to Graz
It’s cooler today but still sunny, which is just as well because we have another journey of around 260 miles. At the end of today we will be in Strassegange on the outskirts of Graz. Mr Holt’s mother is Austrian and we are going to meet up with cousins. Apparently they have plans for us, including a barbecue on Tuesday. We have no idea what else is on the agenda so its exciting.
The campsite in Strassgang is the home of the largest outdoor swimming pool in Europe (allegedly) and the site is huge. We have camped there twice before and it is situated on the main bus and tram routes to and from the city of Graz. Graz is the second largest city in Austria, after Vienna and is where Arnold Shwartzeneger was born. There are lots of sites to visit including the Schlossberg and the Armoury Museum and if you get a chance to go to Austria Graz is well worth a visit. The people are very friendly and most speak very good English.
We have had a cup of tea before we left but as yet no breakfast. Mr Holt is determined to buy some Semmel, bread rolls that the locals eat for breakfast with butter, jam, honey or cheese and ham. They are lovely, so we have driven off early with a plan of hunting down some rolls. We are going to stop in a little village to try and find a bakery.
We turned into a little village called Kirchroth and we found a Getrankmarkt (cheap beer and wine) and a lovely supermarket with a bakery. Mr Holt is in Heaven at this point… Semmel…. Hooray! We went back to van and had rolls with cheese for the Mr and German sausage for me. Breakfast was lovely, it always is when your eating Semmel.
As we pootle along towards the Austrian border at Passau, the scenery becomes more mountainous. Not the high Alps yet but definitely more mountains and hills. There are fluffy white clouds in the sky and the weather is sunny but much cooler than yesterday. This is much better for travelling, especially when travelling without air conditioning. Alone the side of the Autobahn, there are whole fields of solar panels alongside fields of grass with poppies and also corn and wheat. We pass over a bridge which spans the River Donau. Suddenly, the smell of manure hits us. Muck spreading, it obviously doesn’t only happen in the UK!
I’m feeling much more relaxed today, it usually three days to get into holiday mode and forget about work and the stresses and strains if life. I know I am in holiday mode, when I don’t care what my hair looks like as long as it’s clean, I don’t feel the need to wear makeup. I don’t care if I have cellulite, thread veins, my eyebrows need plucking or any other imperfections I concern myself with at home. If they don’t like me as I am, I don’t care, most people will never see me again….. Total relaxation and not a care in the world…… Yes…. I am almost there now.
I think Mr Holt is feeling the same, although he still has to drive everyday, which is a bit of a bus man’s holiday for an Ambulance driver. He wouldn’t have it any other way though and if I offer to drive, he says no, it’s ok. I’m thankful for that as I have driven in the past but the steering on the van is heavy (not power assisted) and my twice broken arm is very weak…. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
The fuel gauge is showing a quarter of a tank. This means we need to fill up soon and we also need to buy a 10 day Tag called a Vignette. In Austria they don’t pay road tax as we do, they buy a yearly vignette, so we need one for the length of time we are in Austria. This costs €8.50 for 10 days, which isn’t too bad. By the time we reach Strassgang we will have travelled 1,085 miles and spent almost £300 on fuel. It’s not cheap this type of travelling but you get to see the real country and not just the tourist areas. It’s also great fun. We crossed the border into Austria at 12.20pm local time. Yippee! Only 261 km to the campsite.
The first sign of any significant mountains comes 164 km from Graz. The scenery is amazing and it’s always thrilling to see the mountains.
To travel to Graz you have to go through lots of tunnels which take you through the mountains. Most of them are under 1,000 metres long but some over 2,500. The longest tunnels are just outside of Graz and are 8,320 Metres long and the Plebautch Tunnel which is 10 km. You have to pay a toll to help with the upkeep of the tunnels but I can’t imagine how difficult travelling would have been before the tunnels were opened, so the tolls are justified in my mind.
As we emerge from the first long tunnel it is raining, not for long but the temperature has cooled to a more comfortable 28 degrees. We are now in Steirmark and we have recieved a text message to say that a welcome committee will be arriving at the campsite at 18.30. The race to Austria is complete. Now for a 6 days of relaxation and fun with the family. I am feeling quite emotional…… I actually had to fight back the tears!
We reached the campsite at Strassgang and the man said we could camp for 6 nights, we drove around trying to choose the spot we wanted to camp on for the next 6 days. Where are the loos, where are the showers, how far from the road and will we get some sun, with partial shade? Partial shade is ideal for me as when I get too much sun I fry! Ten minutes and I’m burned, the joys of being a red head. We choose a spot right opposite the swimming pool, which is noisy by day but you can hear the water in the evening and its quite a calming sound.
We set up Boris, including attaching the awning and set about organising our pitch, it is still,very hot, so this is warm work.
Mr Holt received another text message to confirm thatmwe are to meet the family outside the campsite at 18.30. This gives us an hour to get ready. We opened a cold German beer and celebrated our arrival and after a quick wash and brush up, we were on our way to meet The family.
They had chosen a Japanese restaurant close to the campsite for our meal. There was a choice of A la Carte or a running sushi buffet. We chose to order from the menu while some of the others, including the children went for the running buffet. We talked, sometimes the translation was confusing but this was quite funny. The children played counting games and tried to use chopsticks and the atmosphere was very jovial.
The Japanese waitress offered to take pictures for us, Mr Holt had the camera set so that you had to use the view finder, this caused much hilarity as the young waitress had no idea what to do. She was used to looking at the digital screen and it took three attempts to actually get a decent picture.
Eventually the time came for Astrid and her children to leave, they had an hours drive back home and we have made plans to see them again at the barbecue on Tuesday.
After they left we sat chatting with Volker and Fioretta and they said they wanted to come to the van and drink beer, so we strolled back to the van talking about the weather, the holiday and travelling. When we finally got to the van I had to apologise for the mess inside, we had rushed out so soon after arriving that the van was like a bomb site! They couldn’t believe we could live in it for three weeks “it’s so small”!
They stayed for over an hour, which was quite difficult as we only had two chairs. We don’t come prepared for visitors. Fioretta had to sit on Volker’s lap and Mr Holt sat on the tiny plastic step. I was lucky, I got a whole chair to myself.
After they left, we sat for another our, just listening to the water, thinking about the last few days and trying to get into relaxation mode. The race to Austria was exhausting but we are here now…….. Goodnight……Granny
GRANNYRANT 