Travels – Page 7 – Contented-Campers.com

On The Road Again – Bodensee

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019ricklongboard2 Comments

It really is great to be in the van again – driving, albeit on a different side of the road felt almost natural after 3 months of driving on the left in NZ. Van started first time and everything is in good nick, thanks to Susi and family, and having the solar panel charging things while we were away has worked really well.

On the road to Austria, via the Bodensee (or Lake Constance in English) has been a really nice drive, over the hills, covered in snow, between Staufen and Friedrichshafen. Still feeling groggy we cut the drive short and are currently camped in amongst apple and pear orchards not far from the lake – and fairly protected from a really strong wind.

At the lake, having stopped at Birnau Basilica, the wind was a strong gale force, and the prediction for tomorrow is that it increases to between 120 and 150km/h. We’ve had experience of this when cycling around the lake a few years ago, when the wind gusted to 160+km/h, resulting in a number of deaths.

We are currently back to old habits, with Niki insisting on opening our new cask of wine. Heater has made us toasty warm, hot water for showers is underway, crisp breads and a range of cheeses and salami on the menu for dinner … We’ve missed this (and no offence to all those great people who have looked after us over the past three months).

Overlooking Bodensee and the Alps in background

A steady leak out of our fresh water container is raising some concern, so if we can get to a campervan outlet tomorrow we’ll have this looked at. At this stage, though, having been awake since 1:00am following a 12 hour jet lag difference, we are looking forward to sleeping through the night. Not going to happen, but a good goal nevertheless. Soon to settle down to a movie and dinner, rain starting to fall – oh, this is so much better than camping!

And They’re Back…

March 9, 2019ricklongboardLeave a comment

So here we are back in Staufen, Germany, after 3 months back in New Zealand. The trip to NZ, a little unexpected, was a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and to meet new ones. We were also able to stay with our kids & son-in-law in our house – bought in 2008 but never actually seen … What a summer, with the hottest NZ summer on record following the wettest December on record in Hamilton, with loads of opportunities for extended work around the garden etc. Even got down to Raglan a few times to get into the surf. A big thanks to the kids for putting up with us for 3 months, to the Stevenson’s and Mike, Amanda, and our new neighbours, the Birnies.

Jump ahead to departure, Auckland airport – this after catching the 5:30am shuttle from Hamilton. Get in to the airport just after bus loads of folks returning home on China Southern, bound for Guangzhou. Much later, get to the check-in counter to find that having a desktop computer in the suitcase took us well over the limit. Take computer out, off to the bag-wrapping guy who does a great job. Back to the counter to be met with the dreaded question: ‘Where is your onward journey or return ticket?’ AAARGHH! So after lots of hand-wringing and the involvement of a supervisor it seems that Frankfurt doesn’t really care if you come in on a one way ticket. Heads up for all the illegal migrants out there …

12 hours to Guangzhou was just the start. No problems with the airline, the stewardesses were great … But! There is this ongoing issue of males with unbounded self-confidence but short penises that result wet floors in toilets. Not pointing fingers at any particular group or nationality …. Not really …..

Then, 4 hour layover in Guanghzou which went something like this: Disembark, proceed through X-ray machine with luggage. Queue for immigration. Get to head of queue, move to new immgration counter as we have to have an entry permit … (I promise I’m not leaving the airport in the 2 hours left before boarding ….) Passport taken away for entry visa, passport returned half-hour later with no visa. Queue for new immigration counter, get visa. Proceed to Arrivals. Queue behind 600 people putting bags through 2 (2!!) X-Ray machines. Proceed to Departures via Arrivals (I know, I know – not really logical). New X-Ray machine. Passport check. New X-Ray machine and pat down. Wait in Departures. Next passport check. 15 minutes until plane departs – Who knew time would fly by so quickly? 4 hours of sheer bliss…. Followed by 1 hour flight to Changsha – more X-Rays and passport checks, followed by 11 hours to Frankfurt, more difficult passport questions – ho hum, illegal again.

So here we are, Saturday night with Susi and family, with the Van packed and ready, sort of, to head off Sunday morning.

Where to?

Well, big change of plans. The intent was always to head off to Morocco. That’s changed. Blogs etc from Morocco travellers indicate the expected degree of beauty & chaos – I think we are going to be experiencing pretty much the same in Angola. So, quick change in plans sees us heading off to Austria on Sunday, followed by Slovenia, Italy, Greece, back to Italy and then Sardinia, back to mainland, and then reunite with our household goods in France before we send that back to NZ, with a detour to an Angolan embassy somewhere in Europe for the necessary visas to start August at least on the correct continent. This may well explain why my finger had a tic when on Amazon yesterday, resulting in a 4 bottle order of whiskey which, fortunately, arrived this morning.

So, as we head off, again, the one certainty is that the immediate future looks entirely unpredictable. Another drink, Sir?

Oh, yes please!

St Malo … Last Post?

November 9, 2018ricklongboard4 Comments

It’s been a very busy couple of days, and that’s a limited excuse for not keeping up with posts, but Life does get in the way.

Baguettes and no toilet seats – must be France

First Up: This will be our last post for the next 4 months as we return to New Zealand. We’ve got the opportunity to return and sort out some family things that are overdue, and which require us to be there. We’ll be flying to Auckland next Thursday, and, with a bit of luck, we’ll be back in Europe and on the road in the first week in March.

St Malo ferry – this guy has no problems parking a car in tight spots!

Second: Niki’s had interviews with two schools and, clever girl, got offers from both. As a result we’ll be off to Angola in the new school year, July. That gives us a fixed window to work with … Morocco is still on the cards! Because of the multiple interview schedule we’ve slowed down this past week in order to have Niki focus on these rather than on navigation. We would not have like the resetting of our GPS to reflect schools rather than campsites.

11th C Chateau & fortifications, Domfronts

Third: We’ve had a great few days on what was essentially a detour round to St Malo while we made travel arrangements etc. What a great detour it’s been. Mont St Michel was great, St Malo was as enjoyable as before, and, as we’ve skipped toll roads, the drive today has taken us along some secondary roads that really allow you to capture the sense of countryside.

We are currently parked on a forestry road on the way to Versailles. While driving, and a bit spur-of-the-moment, we stopped in Domfront (another town I bet Marthe-Sophie has not visited). Delightful, and provided some context for a book I’m currently reading, The Forge of Christendom by Tom Holland. He writes of the terror spread in the 10^th C as the power of the Frankish kings diminished and the centre could not hold. The consequence was that anyone bloodthirsty and wealthy enough built, very rapidly, a small fortification (motte or donjon), staffed it with armoured thugs, then raped, pillaged and extorted the countryside. Doing this successfully meant more money, more armoured thugs (cnights, or knights) etc in a cycle of brutality. The conclusion of the process was an overlord class supported by church and legal system, and a pauper, serf class, herded into villages like pork ready for the slaughter. Looking at the fortified buildings of the chateau, and following its construction history, from wooden fortification to stone, to walls capable of withstanding the new gunpowder technology, one should be cognisant of the terror instilled in the local population, whose history will never, unfortunately, be told.

The Chapel of Saint-Julian was completely unexpected. Built in 1924 in Byzantine style, the church works. The church structure is supported by large semi-circular concrete arches and, lacking supporting columns, creates a great sense of space and proportion. Even the mural of Christ in the rounded nave is in keeping with the theme, even though created in 1928 – hmmm, a lesson for some would-be restorers or innovators, such as my mural friend in Denmark.

Interior of this delightful Byzantine style church

Tomorrow we are off to Versailles, but I’m unsure if I’ll be posting from after today. If not – well, hope to see you back in March. For us, 4 months has flown by and we are nowhere close to feeling like we want this to end …

Hope the wind doesn’t blow too much tonight – leaves landing on the roof sound really loud!!

Arras, Normandy and points West

November 6, 2018ricklongboard2 Comments

We’ve had a great couple of days since arriving in Arras, including some gentle walks through town. Unbeknownst to us, Halloween is actually a thing in France and the town was on holiday, complete with themed pubs and restaurants, and hordes of kids holding shops to ransom. Arras itself may be worth a visit, including the two market squares, rebuilt in theme in the 19^th C as well as the church, one holding the inevitable Rubens! Still can’t get over the artworks simply hanging in public spaces …

Having really appreciated the opportunity to walk the fields and pass through the museums we have taken the opportunity to travel down to the Normandy beaches. Yesterday we spent the day at Utah Beach, having spent overnight in the town of Sainte-Mare Eglise, the first town liberated in France. You may well remember this from the series Band of Brothers. The town remains heavily associated with D-Day, and houses the Airborne Museum.

What a way to start your war: A paratrooper commemorated for landing on the church spire, Saint-Mer-Eglise

Paratrooper memorial – stained glass window

We had two nights in the town before travelling down the road to Utah Beach and the museum there. The museum is very well resourced and the layout is very engaging. One can’t help but empathise with combatants, on both sides, their experiences associated with those times.

105mm shell damage – from an unexploded shell!!

We are currently going to overnight in the supermarket carpark not far from Mont St Michel, Thank You Carrefour! We spent the day cycling and walking to the Mont: A truly wow kind of experience. Begun in the 8^th C with big extensions in the 11^th C to become a Benedictine Monastery. Obviously successful, as it was here that the bastard William (no, truly, that’s how he was known) was blessed before setting off to England, Hastings, and un upgrade to Conqueror. The walk along the causeway gave spectacular views on the Mont. I couldn’t get over the fact that I could not see the sea – even from a very elevated position. Particularly given that it was Spring Tide, the mud flats are as impressive as mud flats could possibly be. With a population of 50 + a mayor, the inhabited area is on steeply pitched walkways or stairs – just lovely. Not so lovely were the prices: €26 for regional vegetable soup!!!

Tomorrow off to St Malo – we really enjoyed the town when last here in 2015, at the start of a long cycle to Nice, some 1700km down the road, in a summer that was so hot we had tar melted on the bike tires. None of that now, although with temperatures in the early teens it’s been very pleasant. We reflected, cycling past 12 or 14 enormous car parks, what this place must look like in summer – Ouch!

Arras & Vimy Ridge

November 2, 2018ricklongboard2 Comments

We are currently next to a park on the outskirts of Arras, having had a good overnight here, and looking for a second. The town itself is quite pretty and worth a visit in its own right, but the reason we are here is to visit some of the 20^th C battlefields and memorials.

We woke up outside Calais, having committed to a more rapid flight south as the rain teemed down, the wing sped up, and we were doing circles in our ‘what’s next’ discussions.

Beachside, north Calais. Really time to head South!

True to form, we had made a plan and then immediately gone and broken it. We were in France, it is November, Armistice Day Centenary commemorations were going to be held, so why not make the most of this, literally, once in a lifetime opportunity? Resorting to google we found Arras, Vimy Ridge and the Canadian Memorial to be fairly close by – well, 160km away in any case.

What a good decision. The memorial centre is tastefully done, focusing on people and the consequences of war rather than on the heroics. Particularly poignant is the photograph of the last Allied soldier, a Canadian, killed in the war, at 10:58am on 11 November 1918. Two minutes …

Compare this cultivated area to the landscape that has been preserved from 1918.

The landscape bears the scars of the conflict, twisted and gouged, thrown up in humps and hollowed out in overlapping shell holes. Although much of the area is now peacefully wooded in autumn colours, a 100 hundred years after the last shells, the walk is deeply affective. The sheep? The area remains mostly undisturbed, and sheep are used to graze the grass short, due to unexploded ordinance still being a hazard.

Trenches, 25m apart

Niki, Vimy Ridge

In this particular area the trenches were preserved in the 1920’s, and show how the Canadian and Bavarian lines were, in some cases, only 25 meters apart.

Canadian Memorial, looking from the Cemetery.

The monument is, well, monumental, in the best senses of the term. It is inspiring, thought provoking, evocative, deeply symbolic. The statue of a young Canada grieving is particularly apt, given the losses in this area.

The cemetery, of course, tells its own story. Out of interest Niki and I counted tombstones which had names, as opposed to the unknown soldiers: 12 named versus 55 unnamed, in one section of a row. Bears testimony to the role played by artillery, the fact that soldiers literally disappeared in the blasts. The Canadian memorial lists the names of almost 12,000 servicemen whose bodies were never recovered or identified. A sobering experience, and one I’m very pleased to have shared with Niki. Having lost friends myself in conflict does add poignancy and reflection to a day like this.

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