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12/04/2017 – Portugal – from the Beach to the Mountains

Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th December

To date, the Internet speeds and phone reception in this part of Portugal have been woeful. Apple asked us to find somewhere with high internet speeds and good telephone reception so that they could assist us with unlocking my iPad. With the 10 hour time difference to Australia, it also caused some issues and has only given us a short time frame in the morning to speak to a technician in Australia.

On one occasion they forgot about the time difference and phoned us around 02:30 AM.

Our campsite for two nights: Parque Da Gale, Vale de Parra

This campsite was excellent and has an extremely high rating awarded by guests staying here. Internet speeds were excellent so we set about reloading some of our travel APPs onto Rob’s iPad (just in case we couldn’t get mine going again) Rob’s has only a quarter of the RAM that mine has so we were limited with what we could download. We contacted Apple and booked in a call for 8.30am next morning.

Looking from Albuferia Beach back towards Lagos

At this campsite there is a games and TV room and a small billiards table so after a long walk, we hit the table and played a couple of games. My driver negotiated all the bends and successfully parked all his balls in the pockets whereas the navigator tried to find alternate routes and was not as successful. It didn’t help that the cue attached to the rest was broken so many shots were played left handed or stretched across the table with legs dangling in the air – not a pretty sight. We had fun though.

Call came through from Apple at 8.30am sharp and Benjamin (based in Perth) was extremely helpful. He went in through iCloud and was able to find our original iCloud password used to set up the iPad many years ago (very different to what we thought). Next we had to reset the password and then wait another 24 hours for acceptance.

The campsite also has a heated pool but no one was in swimming. Even though it was a fabulous sunny day, the temperature in the middle of the day was still a cool 18 degrees.

Only a short couple of kms away was the beautiful beach (Albuferia) with really interesting rock formations. The rocks were in the middle of the beach where the beautiful deep blue ocean had gouged away the bottom leaving a stem with a top – bit like a mushroom.

Played more billiards, read books and just relaxed for the rest of the day.

Email arrived next morning with steps provided to reset my iPad. Watched my best friend become more agitated with each keyboard stroke – Apple products !!! – won’t say the words he used. Finally after an hour or so – success.

Another area still not recovered from the GFC – thousands of Units lie uncompleted with no WIP

Got to thank Apple though as they were really great to deal with and so helpful – shame about the products – being locked out of your device having used it for a year or more does not make sense.

Wednesday 6th December

The navigator had a spring in her step today – had so missed the iPad. It is really amazing to think of the hours one spends per day on these devices. What ever did we do before computers?

Another picture perfect day today. We are heading into Orange Country now and everywhere there are acres and acres of orange trees. On the side of the road, stalls are set up with sacks of oranges for sale for €5 for three sacks – think somewhere from 3 – 5 kgs per sack – if only I had my juicer. My driver would not volunteer to squeeze these for me, so bought just a few from Lidl instead – what a shame.

Our camp site for tonight: Area St. luzia, Santa Luzia

What a find – a small fishing village on the river. Couldn’t wait to explore this one so no sooner than the engine was turned off, we headed off. Just across the road, the tide was fully in and a multitude of fishing boats bounced around in the current.

Timber rowing boat being hand crafted on the road side

There was a beautiful boardwalk along the river front with restaurants and outdoor eating areas in the sun. At the end several fishermen’s huts and beyond that some truly beautiful Spanish/Portugese apartment blocks. The town only has a few streets and we happily walked through all of these taking photos of the townhouses with their fronts featuring a full wall of mosaic tiles. Some were really gory but some really spectacular.

Next morning we again headed up the boardwalk and took more photos – this time the river was almost dry at low tide and the fishing boats now sitting on mud flats – what a difference a full tide makes. Saw a timber rowing boat being hand made on the side of the road – a real craftsman and a large fishing boat high and dry and leaning into the jetty for support.

Jetty supporting the boat – no OH&S inspectors around here

Thursday 7th December

Decided to do “a sea change to tree change” today so headed inland to the mountains. Quite a big difference to the coast where now the soil and the landscape is so dry.

Our camp for tonight: Almada D’Ouro Club, Alcaria

We climbed high into the mountains and found our next campsite sitting on the peak with views over the mountains and valleys, Spain on one side and Portugal on the other. A beautiful river meandering through the valleys in front of us and small villages dotted throughout the valleys – so easy to see as they are white against the green backdrop.

Portugal to the right, Spain to the left and hunting lodge in the foreground

This is a Hunting Club that provides space for around 20 motorhomes – all with spectacular views. Inside the clubhouse, there are pictures of hunted wild pigs and ducks and a bust of the head of a wild pig – very scary looking.

The bar opens at 5pm and you can have any drink you can see on the shelf for just over €1. Had a couple of wines (not the best we have tried) though the port was great and shared the sunset and conversation with two German couples – one with the same surname as my mother – but don’t think we are related.

The Driver had a ton of fun practising his German until one of the young German guys starting speaking in Swabish (a type of high German dialect) and so we decided to retire to Ziggy as it was also getting too cold outside.

That is the end of Portugal for us – we have really enjoyed our stay – it is a lovely country, with beautiful friendly helpful people.

11/28/2017 Portugese Man of War – not here – just great people

Portugal

Note: My iPad crashed on 30th November so all my notes for the next few days are no longer accessible so will try to remember as best as I can information about these days. Apple have not been able to rectify the problem as yet and the poor internet reception has not helped them. Unfortunately all our blog information, travel apps, maps and notes are on this IPad.

Rob’s Ipad is ok but all the important information was on mine

Tuesday 28th November

Woke up to rain this morning so decided to travel a longer distance today and head for Portugal.

Again no border patrols and the only indication that we had crossed the border was when our phone beeped and told us so.

The countryside is much more picturesque now as we begin to head closer to the coastline.

The villages and towns are so beautiful here as every house is white with either red or predominately terra cotta tiled roofs. With the backdrop of the green countryside, it is amazing. Only differences between the houses are the colours around the window and door frames which are mostly different shades of blue. Would love to have an exclusive franchise for white paint and terra cotta tiles here.

Our camp for tonight: Markt, Estremoz

We arrived around midday and parked in a large car park in the middle of Estremoz. It was still drizzling so put on our wet weather gear and headed up the hill to the old town above. This was totally enclosed by massive fortified walls which were built in 1299. Many of the old stone houses within the walls were restored and are now occupied by locals.

Businesses also of course were there to take advantage of the tourist trade. In the middle of this old town was a square walled castle which has been restored and now houses a fantastic hotel included as one of Europe’s historic hotels.

Sadly more information re this has been lost in my iPad now.

Whilst in a local pharmacy the local pharmacist, who spoke perfect English and was so helpful, recommended a restaurant serving traditional Portugese food, so headed in that direction. It was closed then but reopening at 7pm. Went back to Ziggy and had a couple of pre dinner drinks and then headed back to town – it was still raining. Ordered something similar to a seafood paella which was massive and washed that down with a great local white wine (recommended by our waiter). We had such a great time with the locals here even though no one spoke English. The waiter was excellent and really looked after us. At the end of the night he plonked two half bottles of alcohol in front of us and said we should taste these. One was like a vodka moonshine and was so strong, the other a milder red grape liqueur that was beautiful. He insisted we drink these and/or take them home – we left the moonshine but happily downed the red liqueur. Happily headed home on unsteady legs (in the rain) and spent the next couple of hours plucking up the courage to climb the 2 steps to the mezzanine floor to sleep (I hope).

Dinner on our first night in Portugal – an Extremoz extreme – we like to have a good time on our first day in a new country

Wednesday 29th November

Woke up to fog – not only outside but my head was a little foggy as well. The driver was fine but the navigator needed a lot of water. Had such a super first night in Portugal but paid the price today.

A hearty breakfast and a couple of headache tablets for me – and we were on our way.

The fog lifted and what followed was a picture perfect day with sun and blue skies.

The town of Comporta was our planned destination. Really pretty town with the camp site on the edge of town and the police station on the other corner. Were looking forward to exploring the town but not long after, we discovered our auto gas supplies were really low. Decided to move on and find a servo with auto gas as we were concerned about running out overnight.

Our camp for tonight: Parque de Grandola, Grandola

It was getting late now and didn’t have a lot of choice of places to camp after filling up with gas.

Grandola had nothing to offer apart from a place to stay for the night. Didn’t take any photos here. Large car park with Motorhome facilities and shared the spot with a few other Motorhomes and many trucks who use the same place for overnight sleeping. Very quiet spot and a peaceful sleep considering the above.

Thursday 30th November – Saturday 2nd December

Travelled along some scenic routes now along the Portugese west coast. Beautiful countryside with the occasional glimpse of sparking blue ocean. We were heading for the Algarve region of south western Portugal.

Again many beautiful villages along the way with those magnificent white houses and terra cotta roofs – just never get sick of seeing them – just so beautiful.

Our camp for three nights: Figueira Caravan Park, Figueira

Tucked away in the extreme south western corner of Portugal is the little town of Figuera. We decided to stay in a caravan park tonight as we needed to catch up on laundry.

On the way to the beach from our caravan park

Headed through some really narrow streets with some not so desirable looking homes and buildings for a short while. Wanted to get straight out of there but just around the corner the camp site came into view. Still not sure if we wanted to stay here but after a great welcome by the manager and a cheer from a group of Brits, we felt right at home. We scored a fantastic spot overlooking a garden – someone had just left here – we were so lucky.

The Brits thought we were one of theirs because of our GB number plates but were just as happy when they discovered we were Aussies (convicts).

Had three wonderful relaxing days here. The sun and blue skies greeted us every day. The Brits were in shorts and bikinis and soaking up and worshipping the sun on sun lounges all day. We were still in long sleeves and trousers. Temperatures during the day were around 20 degrees but nights are in very low single digits.

Gave Ziggy a wash and debug, did the clothes washing and spent a few hours walking daily to the really picturesque beach about 1.5 kms away. Really small beach about the size of Froggys Beach at Tweed Heads and waves and stunning blue waters with rocky mountain outcrops framing the beach.

Made quite a lot of Brit friends here – most were permanent travellers with no plans to return home any time soon. Have received many varied opinions on Brexit and the EU.

Sunday 3rd December – great morning to be an Aussie

It is great to wake up on a Sunday morning to the news that Australia has cleaned up England in the first Ashes cricket test and that Australia beat England in the Rugby League World Cup final – especially when you are surrounded by Brits and pretend you don’t know the results and then ask them if they know the results – I have never known of so many Brits who suddenly don’t follow cricket???.

Reluctantly left this morning but knew there was so much more to see in the Algarve area. Know for sure, that we will see lots more Brits and many other people from northern countries trying to escape the cold.

Didn’t travel far today – only around 50kms but again a picture perfect day.

Our camp for tonight: Camperplaats Alvor, Alvor

Passed through Lagos which is huge. Saw hundreds of Motorhomes parked in the caravan park and knew we would have a challenge from now on finding places to stay. Only a few kms away was our next destination Alvor.

This is definitely a really touristy destination. We rounded the corner and saw Motorhomes parked everywhere.

The campsite itself is right on the oceanfront and is nothing special. There are so many Motorhomes in here – more than we have seen anywhere. The campsite itself does not have a blade of grass to be seen anywhere and the soil is rich red. A real problem if it rains as obviously turns into mud – no rain in sight today so hope it stays that way – when no rain it is a dust bowl.

We walked along the boardwalk to the oceanfront – just like home with miles and miles of beautiful blue ocean and beach – though not quite as white as ours at home. From there we headed to the fishing village on the oceanfront where there were numerous restaurants – all packed with tourists eating, drinking and soaking up the sunshine (nearly all Brits). Next up the hill to the centre of town. The narrow cobble stoned streets had restaurants on both sides for at least one to two kms.

Every building on either side is a restaurant

Some were closed until 21st December but most were still open. Continued walking for an hour or so into the centre of this town until we came across a bar and restaurant offering a pint of really good beer for €0.90 (AUD1.30). Just had to have one of these and sat and people watched for some time. A group of Brits arrived and soon took over the bar so decided it was time to head back.

11/24/2017 – Leon Spain

Friday 24th November – Spain

We have now left the higher country and are travelling through the valleys. So different here with not a mountain to be seen except way out on the horizon. Again very little greenery and the few trees we see are now without leaves. It is farmland here with ploughed fields everywhere but they are all brown so not sure what grows here. Everything is so flat now you can see highways criss-crossing everywhere for miles with so many overpasses literally man made looking like arches in the distance.

Our camp for tonight: Parking de Autocaravanas, Leon

Green trees now appear as we arrive in the large town of Leon. Again a very busy and populated town.

We arrived at our campsite, a great spot in the middle of town, with about 15 free spots provided by the local municipality. The town is split by a river (though not much water in it) and the campsite backs onto the boardwalk which runs along the river.

Parking inspectors were booking cars just in front of us – motorhomes are free but not local cars! We befriended the inspector who spoke a little English and soon he gave us a wealth of local knowledge and directions to the Catedral Leon, the Museum and the Old Quarter where of course he said the best and cheapest tapas could be found.

We never get sick of the majestic cathedrals and unusual architecture in Old Towns wherever we go, so again spent a few hours walking. Didn’t however stop to eat as we have been doing a little too much of that since arriving in Spain. Back for a delicious home cooked chicken and vegetable soup and made it through another alcohol free day.

Saturday 25th November

Had a little rain overnight but today is another beautiful day of cloudless blue skies.

Travelling along the flat open valleys was really easy, so we put on the iPod music and just enjoyed the scenery. Through more cultivated pastures – this time with a few patches of green vegetation showing through and acres and acres of vineyards again with more bodegas.

Saw the most unusual cloud formations along the horizon. Banks of white clouds really low with the sun shining on top of them. Normally the view you get when in a plane above the clouds.

Camp for tonight: Parking de Valorio, Zamora

First appearances driving into this town were deceiving with street after street of nondescript apartment blocks. A real surprise package during our walk through Old Town where it was hauntingly beautiful with medieval monuments throughout. Again a spectacular Catedral and Museum as well as never ending streets of old buildings and many town squares.

The campsite was adjacent to a large and beautiful park where there is a children’s playground and gym equipment for the adults. The park is huge and beautiful with trees in full Autumn colours. We sat and watched many of the locals using the gym. It was really cold outside late evening and even colder in the morning, but there they were in full tracksuits, gloves, beanies and scarves training in the cold. We sat inside Ziggy with the heater on watching ☺️.

Sunday 26th November

Only drove a short distance today to Salamanca and again another cloudless blue sky for our short but sweet trip.

Our camp for tonight: Parking de La Santisima Trinidad, Salamanca

The roundabouts in this town are really scary. They include streets that go through the middle of the roundabout, traffic lights, stop signs and give way signs and the traffic criss crosses through them. We were so glad to see the end of them and happily parked Ziggy here for the rest of the day. The campsite is beside a beautiful old church with a children’s playground beside the camp spot and then the river.

A short walk across the bridge and we were in the heart of Old Town. Visited the Salamanca Catedral which is just amazing. Built in late gothic and baroque styles, the two parts incorporate the old Catedral built in the 16th century and then the Catedral Nueva (new) built much later in the 18th century. Every street has old Renaissance style churches and buildings which lead to several small squares. The most spectacular square is Plaza Mayor built in the 17 hundreds. This was full of life with flamingo dancers performing in the centre.

Bars and cafes again around the extremities of the square with so many young people just sitting, eating, drinking and enjoying themselves. As we had been walking for hours, it was time to sit and enjoy and watch until it became so cold and late, we headed back home before it became too dark.

Monday 27th November

Another great day though a little overcast at the beginning.

We travelled along one of Spain’s scenic routes from Bejar through Plasencia and then onto Caceres. The highway wound through hilly countryside with picturesque views across the mountains and valleys.

Really enjoyed the travelling today and in no time arrived in Caceres.

Our camp for tonight: Area de Valhondo- 10, Caceres.

We had been warned this was a popular spot and filled up quickly so were surprised to find when we arrived at 1.30pm that only 8 of the 20 spots were occupied.

Had a quick bite and then headed off to the historic centre of Old Town about 800m away which was truly extraordinary. Narrow cobbled streets twist and climb among ancient stone walls lined with palaces and mansions. The skyline is decorated with turrets, spires, gargoyles and enormous stork nests. Built in the 16th century and protected by its defensive walls, it is still almost intact. Again several squares meet at different points throughout Old Town but Plaza Mayor is the feature. Bit quiet on a Monday but still had time to stop, have a well deserved drink, and take it all in.

Back to Ziggy to find the camp site full and every spare spot along the way, there was a motorhome – even the spaces delegated for bus parking were full of motorhomes.

Remarkable given the number of motorhomes here, it is really quiet. We have been so lucky with our choices of campsites with very few along the way being noisy or troublesome.

11/20/2017 No Rain On The Plain in Spain

SPAIN

Monday 20th November

Again no border checks between France and Spain – as a matter of fact there wasn’t even any signage – we didn’t know that we had crossed in to Spain.

Another magnificent day with blue skies and no wind, could not be happier than when the sun shines.

Not a long trip today but the area along the coastline is really busy with traffic and we have seen more motorhomes here than anywhere else for some time.

Our camp for tonight: AutoKarabanak Paseo de Berio, Donastia San Sebastián

A very large town which provides this camping ground exclusively for 30 or so motorhomes. When we arrived it was half full and close to capacity by next morning. Set behind the university and backing onto a hill, it was extremely quiet.

Had read about the fabulous Old Town here and were really keen to try the Pintxos or Tapas they refer to in our bible, so headed off with absolutely no idea which way to go. Had learned a few words of Spanish during our drive here so armed with our best Spanish, we approached three young girls siting on the steps of the University for directions. Just so refreshing, they got up and walked us to the bus stop. Another young man we approached here, told us to catch the No 5 bus and get off at the last stop – Boulevard. He waited with us until the bus arrived, hopped on and told the driver where we wanted to go and then the bus driver told us when to get off- a breath of fresh air.

Boulevard is in the heart of their Old Town with the Tourist Office right at the bus stop. Old Town is right on the tip of Kontkxa Bay so several parts of it offered a splendid view across the bay and the beautiful Kontkxa Beach. The marina there houses hundreds of small fishing boats, all packed in like sardines – very colourful.

Just one of the many laneways lined both sides with Tapas Bars

Spent the whole afternoon going up and down the many fabulous cobblestone streets and of course stopping at one of the Tapas Bars which was absolutely packed. They certainly cater and welcome tourists here and the menus are in seven languages so made it easy to order. The tapas are a highlight here and are spread two tiers high across the bar area so you could just point to any of the delicacies you wished to eat. We sampled six treats and washed them down with a couple cervezas (beers) and then happily waddled towards the bus stop.

Had a great chat in the Tapas Bar with a man from Catalonia and he was explaining about why they are having elections in December – the Catalans don’t feel they are really Spanish and want independence – their President is in exile and 7 of their Government Ministers have been imprisoned – don’t want to nearby around election time – could be a lot of uprising.

Next challenge was finding our way home. We found the bus stop and hopped on the No 5 and asked to go to the University. We didn’t know the name of it, but thought we could recognise it. Wrong, the bus does not go back the same way as it came and the streets did not look familiar. The bus driver came to our rescue and stopped the bus, let us out and pointed the way to the University just around the corner. Now that is looking after tourists.

Should have stayed another day here as there was so much more to this great town and campsite and would highly recommend at least two days here.

Monday 21st November

Travelled away from the coast and headed south west towards the La Rioja Wine Region.

The countryside interestingly now has changed significantly and everything is drier. The green hills are gone and have been replaced with arid mountains similar to those we have seen in the black hills of Dakota USA. The landscape looks like something out of an old western movie where you see the tumbleweed scurry across the fields. No grass anymore just spindly bushes. The soil here is obviously very suited for wine growing and wherever we look the fields are full of vineyards (not green like on the Moselle) but brown and dry.

Our camp for tonight: Barrihuelo, Elciego

The town itself is very small and set on a hill overlooking the vineyard valleys. Everywhere in the town they have Bodegas which are wineries all keen for sales and open at different times.

There are so many bodegas here but two that are outstanding. The first is a short km walk from here so visited this one in the afternoon.

The Marques de Riscal Hotel is a Starwood Property set on 100,000 square kms dedicated to the production, storing and study of wine and is called The City Of Wine.

Designed by the Canadian Architect Frank O’Gehry, the building is a flamboyant wave of multicoloured titanium sheets – just stunning and so hard to describe but the picture will tell the story.

There are no free wine tastings here or in most of these bodegas so the only way to try the wines is to book a tour through the winery at a cost and you may get a couple tastings included in the price of the visit. We sat at the wine bar and paid for and sampled a couple of whites and reds before heading home through this quaint little hillside village with our purchases.

A close-up view of the unusual architecture

Only a few kms north of the town of Laguardia is the Bodega Ysios. Architecturally it is one of the most gob-smacking bodegas in Spain. It’s wavelike roof is made of aluminium and the exterior walls are made of cedar wood. Just stunning with the backdrop of the majestic mountains in the background.

Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd November

Again we travelled through countryside that was more than uninteresting.

Thought we were heading the wrong way as the only traffic on the road were trucks, trucks and more trucks – only the occasional car and definitely no motorhomes heading this way. Really hoped we wouldn’t break down as there were no villages for as far as you could see and beyond, mile after mile.

Our camp for two nights: Area de Burgos, Burgos

Amazingly beautiful large town. Spent two days here and still did not see everything.

The camping area is complimentary and has all services except electricity provided. Very few of the 35 spots were unoccupied during this time – very busy but very quiet and peaceful at night.

Walked the soles off our shoes over the two days and saw so much. This town is a Mecca for cathedrals, churches, museums and the tapas bars and restaurants were just excellent and so inexpensive. Bought two beers that cost under $2.00 each and the huge tapas were about the same price. We only managed to eat two each. The locals use these bars to meet and mingle and play cards – very interesting.

La Catedral de Burgos was truly amazing perched high on the hill above the Old Town, it is a declared UNESCO world heritage site. From there we climbed about 80 steps to the castle on the hill which we found had closed 10 minutes before we got there. Got some great panoramas of the town though before heading back down and then the 3 kms back to Ziggy.

So glad we found this town and is really worth the visit for a couple of days.

Navigator and Driver taking in the sights

For fellow travellers: Head north past the Alcampo superstore along Avenida d’Castilla Leon which leads onto Avendia de la Paz and keep going until you hit Centrum – from there the spires of La Catedral de Burgos can be seen from most parts of Old Town. The traffic in here is chaotic with very narrow one way streets so walking is suggested. We drove on the first day and walked it on the second day and would not recommend driving in a motorhome.

Burgos has dozens of street scapes like these

11/16/2017 Lazing in the Loire

Thursday 16th November – France

Wanted an early start to head south now towards Spain and Portugal. The fog was so thick, it delayed our start until 10.30 am.

A long day travelling today with fog most of the way, so very little could be seen of the countryside.

Camp for tonight: Aire Municipale, Bessines sur Gartempe

A great little Aire in the centre of a small village just off the highway. Very little here with just a few small shops. Spent a few dollars in the local bar and then had a very quiet and restful evening. The church bells began to chime at 7am and not long afterwards it became really busy with traffic in and out of the parking area. Mothers and dads dropping off small children to local shuttle buses ready to take them to the nearest school – not sure where.

The Municipale provides complimentary water and electricity, however the locals park in the spots so you can’t get to them. Several motorhomes here overnight and we learned that the locals are unhappy about the Municipale providing these spots and try to sabotage the motorhome facilities and even park in front of the motorhomes to stop them exiting and then walking away for hours. Not many good things being said about the French from motorhomers here many different countries. The Gendamerie pulled into the car park in the morning at peak hour and sat and watched and did nothing about the locals parking illegally.

We had no issues at all and found the spot to be great for an overnight stay.

Friday 17th November

Blue skies and a perfect day for travelling. We are now heading towards the north end of the wine region.

Camp for tonight: Chateau du Haut Pezaud, Monbaziliac

Castle at Monbaziliac – camp site for the night

Vineyards are now appearing everywhere and Lonely Planet tells us that we should visit lots of vineyards and sample wines and local produce – no argument for the driver or navigator so we pulled into just that kind of place for the night.

A great little winery just south of Bergerac with camp spots for 10 motorhomes. Again when we pulled in around 2pm, we were the only ones here. Wine tasting starts at 6pm so after a quick and late lunch we headed off for a walk through the vineyards to the small town a couple of kms away. Apart from the hairdresser, little else was open so we continued on to the beautiful Chateau on the hill overlooking the town. Just magnificent views over the valleys and the big town of Bergerac below.

Arrived back just in time for happy hour but found we were the only ones here for the wine tasting – just the wine maker and us – bummer and double bummer. We didn’t stay long but bought two great bottles of white wine and headed back to Ziggy.

We have found the whites here to be on the sweet side – even the driest white was a little too sweet for us. – did not like the reds at all but then again this area specialises in whites.

Thoroughly enjoyed the walk and the temperature today was heaps warmer than it has been over the last week or so.

Saturday 18th November

Another warm sunny day. Travelled across country today so not a huge amount to see. Countryside was not very interesting with little farming and agriculture. Mostly bushland with scrub. Towns were only very small which became a problem as we were needing fuel and no sign of fuel stations for a long way.

There are normally heaps of stations, however the remote ones have no attendants and use only credit card 24/24. We have found many that do not accept foreign cards which annoys my driver no end. A number of the large supermarket chains have fuel and LPG but the lanes are very narrow and then channel into a cashiers booth for payment. In a lot of cases impossible for Ziggy to manipulate the bends to get to the cashier – again annoying my driver no end.

Camp for tonight: Villeneuve de Marsan

Another small spot for around 7 motorhomes but beside a reasonable size village. We have tennis courts beside the Aire which provided a little entertainment from the novice players.

We noticed on the way in, that the town centre was packed with cars so took the opportunity to pay a visit into a village that seemed to be alive with activity for a change. We stumbled across a massive flea market taking up every nook and cranny on every street. You could buy anything from an old stove top iron (the kind great grand mother had) to an old Olivetti typewriter. Mostly old clothes and shoes but most popular were stalls with kids used toys and clothes. Did not need any of those so could not contribute to the local economy today.

Found some really interesting trees in the town square. Very hard to describe but here goes – giant tree stumps with very short stubby limbs with what looked like warts on the end of them. No leaves or branches, but maybe did have leaves in the summer season. The photo may show how very strange they were.

Sunday 19th November

Very peaceful quiet night but again chilly. Didn’t put the heater on last night but woke up to a chilly 7 degrees (inside Ziggy) at 8 am with fog outside.

No rush to get out in this weather so had a leisurely breakfast. As soon as we ventured outside, our neighbour who came in late last night grabbed us and started talking to us in French. Totally caught us unaware as this was a first for us for a Frenchman to actually approach us to talk. Grabbed our trusty Google translator and discovered he had a flat battery and was looking for starter leads. Couldn’t help him but Rob went to other motorhomers and found an Italian who could speak French but no English 😀. The Italian and the French gentlemen got on like a house on fire while my driver looked on in amusement.

Help for him was on its way so we packed down and took off at 11am – again in heavy fog.

More interesting countryside as we get closer to the Atlantic Coast with forests and avenues of stately trees lining the streets as we enter the towns. Houses are taking on a new look with the hacienda style now appearing as we get closer to Spain. Even saw restaurants with signs out for Paella.

Our camp for tonight: Aire de Camping-Car des Consaires, Anglet

The town itself was very large and busy and we had trouble negotiating around it but finally we came to the ocean side and our camp for tonight.

View of Anglet Beach from the Biarritz headland

Normally a cost involved to stay here but no cost from end September to 1st April. This huge camp spot was taken over by massive motorhomes all towing huge trailers and or cars. Most taking at least three normal spaces. Felt like a convention of maxi motorhomes was in town and they were all here.

Great spot adjacent to Anglet Beach. Here there was a magnificent blue ocean with real waves and board riders and a great beach though not as white as ours.

We took off along the beachfront and walked along the boardwalk where there were restaurants and beachside bars for kms. Such a beautiful day and brought back memories of our beautiful beaches back home.

Waves crash into the walkway to Biarritz Beach

Left the oceanfront boardwalk and headed up the hill (quite steep and difficult) towards Biarritz. The view from the top was breathtaking and from there we ventured down to the town itself. Magic place with another beach where the locals gathered at all the oceanfront restaurants and enjoyed a really wonderful sunny Sunday. A really trendy seaside town obvious by the hundreds walking and eating on the beachfront here.

Time to head back as we had already been walking for about two wonderful hours – not tired I said – but my driver reminded me we had at least two hours back. He was right because with about half an hour to go, the bones were really struggling and the light was fading. We were really happy to see the last hill to climb to the waiting doors of our Ziggy.

Leftovers and a bottle of good wine was all we needed before entering into a well deserved slumber for the night.

Our last night in France was a good one and we looked forward to entering Spain tomorrow.

11/11/2017 Loire Valley France

Saturday 11th November

We were parked under a tree overnight and were woken up by the sounds of little feet on the roof – think maybe a squirrel. The wind had sprung up again and rain was falling down. We left Aire Municipale La Cucerne, d’Outremer soon after a dance troupe had arrived and cars starting to pile in – the Hall adjacent was beginning to fill up.

One of the worst days for travel and we struggled to keep Ziggy from fogging up. Mostly travelled on highways today so was reasonably easy going except on roundabouts.

As we travel further south, the roads are getting better, towns are getting larger and the housing on new estates is becoming more modern. Still love the old stone and mortar country houses – they have so much character.

It is such a beautiful country and while not much seems to change here, everyday is a new adventure with new places to go and new towns to explore.

Our first stop for lunch is a little quiet. We are deep in the country on a river lock system. There is not enough to hold our interest and it is still raining so we headed off again.

Camp for tonight: Port de Folleux, Beganne

Not far from Rennes, we found this great spot at a marina in Beganne. Room for about 10 motorhomes with the Marina office adjacent which is now closed for winter (October to March).

We arrived after 4 pm and it is now getting dark by just after 5pm. The marina houses at least 100+ yachts and there is a height of activity with boats and people coming and going. The weather has cleared for the moment so time for a short walk before dark. Will explore more tomorrow (weather permitting).

There are two great restaurants here and the menus look great – sadly both are closed – probably for the winter so back to Chateau La Ziggy for a home cooked meal and a first class New Zealand Sav Blanc followed with a great night of music.

Sunday 12th November

A little ray of sunshine today, strange feeling but appreciated a bit of Vitamin D. Since we arrived back in France, we have been lucky to get a few minutes on some days but never lasts long. Today reached the dizzy heights of about 50% of sunshine. We are so spoiled back home with our weather.

This part of France is really beautiful as we head toward the Loire Valley. Bought some new e-books from Lonely Planet today specially for road trips (they were offering a special for a few days at 60% off). The ones we have are not dedicated to road trips and are more for backpackers.

Camp for tonight: Aire Municipale Champalud, Champtoceaux

The Loire valley view from here is spectacular. The Aire was a little hard to find as it is situated right on the top of the hill behind the magnificent old church built in 1793. The Aire is provided compliments of the local Municipale and has everything here. It is free to park and only €4 for power and water if you want it.

Lovely little place including the ruins of a medieval town, perched high on the hill and overlooking the spectacular view of the valley and water below. The medieval city was built early in the 12th century with the Chateau-Caux (meaning elevated castle) its major feature.

The sun had disappeared and was replaced with really cold winds and threat of rain. Again, we went in search of a restaurant/bar to have a drink and dinner but all three were closed (it is Sunday after all and it is off season!). Found a sports bar open packed with locals all watching and betting on the horse harness racing (the ones we saw were in New York of all places. Best they could offer for meals was sandwiches so had a drink at the bar and then back to Chateau La Ziggy for a home cooked meal.

Monday 13th November

Woke up to a chilly day but with perfect blue skies (no wind yet). Have no idea how cold it was overnight.

Opened up our e books and spent quite some time researching the Loire Valley and its attractions to explore over the next week or so.

Scenery along the river is fabulous and we pass many Chateaus some in ruins and others fully restored and probably owned by the rich and famous. Hard to find spots to stop and take photos.

Camp for tonight: Parking, St Clement des Levees

Another great spot with armchair views of the river. The free camp spot was set on the lower level of the levee with the small village and a gigantic church on the upper level. Only a couple of cars to share this great spot.

Our overnight spot with the view of the beautiful Loire Valley???

Again everything was closed – sign said “closed on Mondays” – should have been here yesterday, we joked!! Watched the beautiful sunset and really grateful for a beautiful and rare sunny day.

Tuesday 14th November

Happy birthday Renee hope you had a super day.

Bright blue sky and sunshine – again! The temperature overnight was a cool and crisp 0 degrees though nice and toasty in Ziggy with the heater on low overnight. No ice on the windscreen as the silver screens and heater on inside seemed to do the trick.

Watched the ice being scraped off the windscreen off the car next door – obviously a local using this spot as his personal overnight car space – would probably have to dig it out in a few weeks time!

Travelled through lots of villages today. There seem to be so many in the valley – you leave one and then within a few metres, the next appears.

Obviously very flood prone in the valley. The road running along the river is on a levee set high above the valley floor. Parts of the river are almost dry and look like mud flats and other parts are full of water. Mid morning and still there is frost on the grassy banks and mist rising from the river.

Camp for tonight: Parking Chateau, Langeais

As we pass through this village, we see houses built into the rock face – literally the front door is in line with the rock face. Hard to believe anyone could live in there but they do. Must be very dark but obviously no problems with snow on the roof or at the front door!

Houses built in to the rock face at Langeais

Six very narrow spots here are located right behind the Chateau De Langeais and right in the centre of town. The Chateau looms directly above us – such a great sight and we have a small waterway (with ducks) behind us.

This medieval castle is one of the best examples of this type of castle in the Loire Valley, so we are keen to get the walking boots on and explore it.

So worthwhile – a real gem which took a few hours to explore. Not only the chateau itself but the beautiful grounds which included Giant sequoia trees with tree houses and also the remains of a fortress wall. Great little shop at the exit with souvenirs so bought a couple of small items here.

Time was getting on and after leaving the chateau, tried to find a post office to send these and other goodies home for the grandkids so our first stop is to the tourism office and then the post office. It is now 2pm and sadly the tourist office closed at 1pm. Found the post office which had just opened after a 2 hour lunch break and the customers were hanging out the door. Gave this a miss and tried to find a lunch spot. Not having much luck here as the two lunch spots we found – the kitchen closed at 2pm.

Had a quick lunch at our Chateau Ziggy and headed off for a long walk. Went back to look at the houses built in the rock walls mentioned before – truly amazing.

Headed back on dusk, it was getting cold and we were not decked out comfortably to linger longer.

Wednesday 15th November

Three in a row!! Another beautiful sunny day so we were eager to explore another three prime chateaus on the “best of Loire Valley Chateaus Lonely Planet list”.

We drove through and photographed Chateaus in Azay, Amboise, and Blois. Tried to stop at a few of these but not a lot of luck with trying to fit our Ziggy bus in spaces made for small cars.

Our camp for tonight: Domain National de Chambord.

Located just outside the village in a National Park, Chateau de Chambord is listed as the largest and most impressive of all the Chateaus in the Loire Valley (and there spare so many).

It has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, 84 staircases and a double Helix staircase designed by Leonardo Da Vinci himself. The outside structure is massive and so many different turrets and spires bobbing up everywhere. Hate to have been managing the household and directing the staff to the various rooms.

24 rooms have been reconstituted over 4 floors. The original stables are there with equestrian events held here regularly. The gardens and waterways around the Chateau can be viewed from the top floor.

Obviously a very well protected historic landmark as while we were there, four military personnel armed with sub machines guns, gendarmerie on horseback with guns, security guards at every corner and helicopters hovering overhead were a reminder of security risks in this country.

One of the double helix staircases – hard to explain but if two people go up the staircases at the same time they may never see each other

Really enjoyed our visit here – though massive and very impressive and well done, not in our opinion the standard of Schonbrunn in Vienna, Austria.

Unusual architecture – don’t really understand it

Our campsite overlooks the castle and we are accompanied by 3 other motorhomes for a change.

11/08/2017 Normandy Beaches

Wednesday 8th November

Another cold and wet day so fed the ducks and headed off again to yesterday’s coordinates. The navigator, the driver and NAVIE all cross checked “to be sure, to be sure”.

Visited the WW2 bunkers at Longues sur Mer. The tourism office here has closed for the winter (November to March) so we braved the elements and the hillside alone. Here there were four well preserved bunkers complete with original heavy artillery guns. The camp spot is located adjacent to the bunkers and sits on top of the hill overlooking the WW2 Normandy beaches but was very open and really windy with no protection so decided not to stay here.

Camp for tonight: Ferme de la Rouge Fosse, Englequeville La Percee

An hour or so later took us to this farm with six super, level, gravel camp spots each with large lawn plot beside – lawn that would make you proud to own at home with shrubs for privacy in between spots. No wonder it is rated 8.8 and all for €5 including electricity. Highly recommended and a great spot for overnight after viewing the WW2 Normandy landing beaches.

The farm house itself was amazing. Large enough to be classified as a Chateau. Two storeys high with stone walls. Outhouses the size of a normal home. The barn itself was massive. The farmer spoke a little English and told us he farmed grass and maize (corn). Many tractor loads of grass and maize came in and out all day.

Thursday 9th November

Drove through light rain again today – with no signs of letting up.

Backtracked a couple of kms to the landing site at Omaha Beach. Hard to imagine what happened here and along the miles of beaches as far as we could see.

Monument in the sand at Omaha Beach – one of the D Day landing sites

Bus loads of tourists and school kids seem to follow us wherever we are. The monument erected on the beach is really special. We have seen bunker after bunker along all the miles of beachfront we have travelled. Very moving to be on this beach.

A monument dedicated to the Americans at Omaha Beach

Camp for tonight: Vuutoren Fermanville, Fermanville

Right on the edge of the ocean for the night

Wanted a water view so found this most magic spot at Fermanville. Great little town but parts were only 2.3m wide in total. Ziggy had to tighten the belt as she is 2.25 wide , so holding my breath and only with the skills of my driver managed, with only an inch to spare to get through town. So pleased nothing was coming the other way as I don’t think my driver would have been able to reverse out.

Up the hill to the lighthouse and just below it was a parking spot for several motorhomes. Again here we were the only ones (guess the 2.3 metre road width would have scared most off). Just like being at the top of Point Danger – ocean views for as far as you could see. It was very windy so after a short walk around the headland, headed back to the front seats and took in the view in warmth and comfort.

This sign above explains the rules regarding the difference between parking and camping – you are considered to be parking if there is nothing extending from your motorhome and therefore legal – however if you have any of the items shown in the lower image hanging off, next to or under your motorhome that is then classed as camping and is illegal, at this site. Wake up Australian LGA’s and State Governments.

Friday 10th November

Woke up around 1am with the wind howling outside. Ziggy was gently rocking but my driver assured me all was good and he went back to sleep like a baby in a rocking bed. I listened to him gently snoring and with that and the noise of the wind found it hard to sleep.

Morning did not come quickly enough. We had three other motorhomes come through the night so we had company, all sharing the mighty wind.

Maybe a farm view for tonight would be good 😄.

Did not look forward to the trip back through town and held the breath again going through the narrow bits.

Soon we were back into the countryside. The wind was still there and today we had the rare patches of sunlight (max 5 minutes at a time). Had heard November was wet and windy in these parts – so true.

Arrived in the lovely town of Gavray and parked in the Aire which was right across the road from the Police Station. Had planned to stay here for the night – quiet and safe. Took only half an hour to walk around the town and with nothing else to do, decided to head off.

Our camp for tonight: Aire Municipale, la Cucerne d’Outremer

Another little town but soon discovered there was less here than Gavray. Beautiful Chateau next door which is now a restaurant and function Centre. Apart from a bar (we were going to have a well deserved beer here – but it was closed), a restaurant, a hairdresser and town hall, there were only a few houses.

Back to Chateau La Ziggy for dinner and drinks and a beautiful, restful, calm night – well needed by the navigator.

The small Chateau next to our overnight spot

11/03/2017 Back To France

FRANCE

Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th November

Transition back to other side of the road looked easy (from the passenger side) and soon we were well away from the port of Calais.

Had passed through this part of France previously so the aim was to go through this part quickly to new territory.

The countryside here is just so special. Green rolling hills and beautiful fields dotted with cattle here and there – mostly white cattle not the brown we are used to back home. Their hides also seem to be thicker with fur and from a distance sometimes look like large sheep.

This must be the potato capital of the world as everywhere we travel, there are acres and acres of potatoes growing and then occasionally beside a ploughed field – mountains of freshly harvested potatoes which are loaded on to trucks by bulldozers – quite a sight seeing a line of several mountains – all potatoes. Reminds me of a Beatles song “Potato fields forever” or is that “strawberry”.

Camp for two nights: Boulogne-Sur-Mer

The campsite is set high at the top of the hill with views across the Strait of Dover and the seaside town of Boulogne-Sur-Mer. Great spot with only a short 15 minute walk down the hill to the harbour front which is a Mecca for tourists with a beautiful harbour front boardwalk leading to a new aquarium and currently under construction next door is a massive new casino.

View of Boulogne harbour from our camp site

It is really cold today drizzling with a strong wind making it even colder so we are fully decked out in warm coats, beanies, gloves etc.

Boulogne harbour front with fish markets on the left

We walked for miles along the boardwalk past fisherman selling the ugliest fish we have ever seen and the French buying them. Then into the town centre with every second shop being either a patisserie (really tempting with all the delicious pastries in the window) or a restaurant. Really busy and interesting town.

Headed back up the hill tired and with mildly sore feet (had our new fur lined waterproof boots on). Turned on the heater and sat in the front seat and watched as daylight went to darkness. Such a lovely view with the town and harbour-front lights on.

it was nice of the locals to put the welcome sign out for my Navigator

Rain again next day so took time out to read and relax.

Sunday 5th November

Camp for tonight: Parking, Cayeux-Sur-Mer

Another great Aire adjacent to the beach. The beaches in France seem to go forever and the distance from the edge of the beach to the water is huge particularly at low tide. Tides changes are of around 9 metres so there are warning signs on most beaches.

The boats bob up and down about 9 metres

We are on the Bay of Somme where the largest colonies of seal lions are reported to be. We saw rubber duckies taking people out around the headland but did not sight any seals ourselves. Not a nice day again so no reason for them to be basking in the non existent sunshine!

Only a very small village consisting of a few houses, two restaurants and a pub so did not take long to do the “must do” walk we try to do at most destinations. They did however have a stall on the waterfront selling more of those “ugly fish”. Didn’t buy any!

Checked out the menus at the two restaurants. Seems like they all specialise in Mussels cooked any way you want – tomato, cream, curry and many other ways. We want to try these but only on a nice day so we can sit outside. Oysters were a cool $40 a dozen so – not today thank you! White bait is also popular and could not help watching someone eating a plate of these micro small whole fish crumbed – heads and tails included! – not today thank you.

Typical of this area – bunkers and pill boxes left over from the war

When we arrived it was high tide and the yachts in the harbour were fully visible above the dock. By the time we had lunch and a walk, only the tops of the masts were just visible – massive drop in the tide.

Monday 6th November

Bit of sunshine today – certainly feels good to get a bit of Vitamin D for a while – though still cold.

It is a real pleasure travelling through the countryside and not on the motorways. Certainly the country homes are huge and most are of three storeys.

Camp for tonight: Aire de Camping-Car St Valery en Caux

Could have thought we were at the “White Cliffs of Dover” as this Aire is at the base of the white cliffs and similar cliffs everywhere along the coastline as far as we could see.

Oceanfront Casino at base of white cliffs with bunker in cliff face on far right

Interesting town, again on the oceanfront, with just a couple of minutes walk to town. All the buildings on the harbour front were three storey townhouses, interesting and colourful (for a change) and most renovated. The town is separated by a waterway and a bridge with yachts on the inland side requiring the bridge to be raised and lowered to allow the boat traffic through to the ocean front.

There are communal hard stand areas with hydraulic cranes on both sides of the waterway allowing boat owners to carry out repairs and anti-fouling etc – these areas are not even cordoned off.

Only a small town square with a few shops. There is however a casino at the far end of town and this was the only place with signs of life – the car park behind was full.

My Navigator wasn’t very cold at all – glad it is not winter yet

High on the hill above the casino, lay a well secluded bunker left over from the war.

Tuesday 7th November

Not a good day today. First selection for a camp spot was not what we wanted for the night so selected another about 50kms away. Keyed in the co ordinates and set off for the next destination. About 10 kms from our destination, we discovered we were heading in the wrong direction.

This navigator certainly did not read out the incorrect coordinates and my driver certainly did not key in the incorrect co ordinates and our new Garmin NAVIE has not yet let us down – so who’s to blame!

What should have taken 2 hours took nearly 5 hours. Both driver and navigator remained calm and headed for the nearest spot to spend the night. After all, we had travelled through some magnificent country roads and scenery, which we would not have seen otherwise!

Camp for tonight: Parking Vieux Port

One hour of daylight left when we arrived here, so stretched the muscles and went for a short walk.

The town must have some sort of building caveat and all houses look like something out of Hansel and Gretel. Beautiful big homes all with thatched rooves on large blocks with sculptured lawns and gardens.

We are right on the bank of the River Seine now and boats are passing by only 15 metres or so away from us. The beautiful town’s stone church is the only building towering over our waterfront spot, with a few houses just around the corner.

The not so beautiful River Seine where we are camped on the banks near the river mouth

Had the most peaceful night here only to be woken up to the sounds of church bells followed very closely by quack, quack, quack. Three families of ducks were just outside our steps, obviously used to being fed by the motorhome visitors and were loudly telling us it was feed time.

10/30/2017 Back to England

Back to England

Monday 30th October – Thursday 2nd November

Booked the Chunnel last night so looking forward to this new adventure. All the English Channel crossings in the past years have been either by plane or boat.

Left Zonnebeke Belgium in plenty of time to allow for traffic hold ups. Just as well as we struck standstill traffic along the highway which held us up for nearly an hour.

Ready with passports in hand at the Belgium border into France but again no sign of police or customs officers at the border.

The departure terminals were massive but really easy to navigate through. Our Australian Passports were scanned but not stamped at French Customs (which worried us) with no questions asked or no inspection of Ziggy. Next to English Customs and Passports were stamped and the only question asked was how long we were staying in England. Straight through with no inspection and then onto the train.

Hard to believe we were travelling under water – what an engineering feat the Chunnel is. Just over half an hour and we were at Dover and we could stay in the comfort of Ziggy all the way across.

Moving into position on the train for the Chunnel

Took a little while for my trusty driver to get used to driving on the other side of the road again in England having done 25,000 on the other side in Europe, particularly at roundabouts which were really scary with cars darting in and out of lanes to get across to their exits. Nearly collected one that came across two lanes right in front of us.

Our campsite for 4 nights: Leo Bay Campsite, Rushenden

We arrived here a day earlier than booked. Set high on a hill overlooking the bay at Isle of Sheppey, only a small campsite with five designated spots apart from the permanents. Leo Bay was fully booked but our hosts Steve and Sheila found an overflow spot for us for tonight.

Very homey campsite with great showers and toilets and what I would call a self contained flat without bedroom but with full kitchenette, lounge chairs and a fireplace plus a great outdoor deck overlooking gardens and lawn. Bird feeders everywhere – watched birds happily swooping in at feed time.

Steve pre ordered parts we needed for Ziggy. Had to replace the back of one of our side mirrors which we left behind in a tunnel in Norway and rear light cover which found its way around a garden post at a Lidl somewhere in Europe. Had to get these fitted before heading off for our MOT (annual vehicle inspection) which Steve arranged for us for the next morning.

Ziggy passed with flying colours (the mechanic said Ziggy was in excellent condition) – so happy to get the big tick and head back to LeoBay to meet up with Debbie and Michael (soon to move to the Gold Coast) who had also booked in at Leo Bay for an MOT, full service and running repairs. Spent many hours catching up with Debbie and Michael over a good red.

Next day, Steve had booked Ziggy in for a full service in the town of Sheerness nearby so took the opportunity to catch up with some internet at McDonalds whilst the service was done . There was not a great deal to see in Sheerness. Ziggy came through with flying colours with no repairs required during service and once again the mechanic saying that Ziggy was in excellent condition.

Next day Steve went about fixing some niggling but non mechanical repairs for us. Our solar controller had not been working since the start of our trip so he replaced this. Ziggy’s intrusion alarm system was also not working and he fixed this as we were keen to get this done before heading to some of the less safe countries in the next few months and lastly, Steve re positioned our rear view camera so it could be used as a permanent travelling camera and not just provide pictures of our bike rack and covers when in reverse.

Really had some wonderful days and nights with Debbie and Mike including a dinner at the local downtown pub only 20 minutes away. They have a prospective buyer for Normie their motorhome and are heading to Asia for 5 months before heading home to the Gold Coast. Really looking forward to catching up with them when we get home to Oz. They reminded us that we have now dined with them in 3 different countries – at the Currumbin Surf Club in Queensland in February 2 weeks prior to our departure, in Berlin a couple of months ago and now in Kent England.

The 2 Aussie Motorhomes at Leo Bay – Mike and Debbie’s Burstner “Normie” and our Hymer “Ziggy”

Thank you so much Steve and Sheila for looking after us and Ziggy and we can highly recommend your friendly, professional and efficient services to any fellow travellers.

Friday 3rd November

Left early to grocery shop before heading to Dover. No sign of Debbie and Michael being awake so opted not to wake them up so planned a phone call at Dover to say our Good-byes. Caught up with Steve and Sheila for hugs and thanks with the likelihood of seeing them again next year for “bibs and “bobs” to Ziggy.

Arrived in Dover an hour early so were able to get on an earlier ferry today. Again our French Customs experience was uneventful with a stamp and a wave before heading though security with a wave and through English Customs with a stamp. Have used our Australian Passports throughout without any issues despite being in the Schengen area for 8 months rather than the legal 3 months.

Waiting on the dock at Dover with the white cliffs in the background

A great day with blue skies and a sail across a calm ocean as we waved good-bye to the “White Cliffs” and enjoyed the short trip across the Channel back to France.

10/28/2017 – Aussie – Belgian friendships

Saturday 28^th and Sunday 29^th October 2017 – Zonnebeke Belgium

Departed the lovely French seaside resort of Hardelot and had an uneventful drive to Zonnebeke Belgium.

Drove about 150 klms which was further than we wanted to drive but the driving was easy and we really wanted to see the World War 1 memorials in this area where so many Commonwealth soldiers lost their lives.

Arrived at a Café/Inn named De Dreve (also known as the “ANZAC Rest”) or “Home of the Underground War”.

The outside side wall of the ANZAC Rest Inn

Went inside the Inn to check with the owner to see if it would be ok to stay overnight on his property.

As soon as we walked in the door we were just grabbed by the ambience – we felt right at home – the walls were completely covered with Aussie and ANZAC memorabilia – not an inch of space was not decorated (even a Maroon Army Cap).

The owner, Johan Vandewalle, welcomed us and gave the ok to camp on his premises and offered to provide whatever help he could.

Johan has a private museum on the top floor of his Inn and he allowed us to view the memorabilia and some of his films.

Johan has lived in this area all his life and has dedicated much of his time to finding unknown Commonwealth soldiers who were buried somewhere in the fields surrounding his Inn (and he has found many).

The best way to describe Johan would be part time Inn Keeper, war historian, archaeologist, farmer and engineer.

We spent Saturday afternoon talking to Johan whilst his Inn filled up with mainly local elderly Belgium people who were extremely friendly and when they found we couldn’t speak their language switched to another language until we found one we had in common. (German or English).

Johan gave us information including GPS coordinates regarding where to go to see the most important sites such as the Buttes in Polygonwood, Zonnebeke Museum, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 60, Menin Gate, a German Cemetery and Messines Village, Memorial and Visitor Centre.

A wall of recovered shells inside the Zonnebeke Museum

On the Sunday we only had time to see the first three so will be coming back again – can’t stay longer currently as we are booked in for our annual vehicle inspection in GB on 31^st October.

Part of the Trench System at the Zonnebeke Museum

We could have stayed all day just at the Zonnebeke Musuem alone.

We did a standard museum tour and an add on tour through a dugout which is under the church on the Zonnebeke Museum site. This dugout is in its original condition – the only one left and will be closed permanently in a week’s time so we are very fortunate to have this opportunity. The dugout is 10 metres underground and was used as accommodation to rest soldiers from the front line, to treat the injured and to house supplies and armaments – it is in original condition.

One of the corridors in the Dugout in original condition

The strange thing was that all the car parks for the sites were overflowing with cars, 95% of which had Belgium number plates, the balance being mainly GB plates.

Sunday was really cold, wet and windy and yet all these local Belgian people went out to the memorials to pay their respects – they really appreciate what was done for their country.

Late Sunday afternoon we went back to the Inn again and it was packed with local Belgians.

We had a great time sipping on a few Belgian beers and then retired to Ziggy to prepare for the drive to Calais in the morning for the Chunnel journey across to GB.

Johan is trying to raise funds to build a memorial near his Inn but is struggling as Commonwealth officials don’t seem to warm to the idea of a private individual being involved in something of this nature – Johan’s project is called “Brothers -in-Arms Memorial Project” and can be viewed at www.brothersinarmsmemorial.org

The Brothers in Arms sculpture depicting the Hunter Brothers inside the ANZAC Rest Inn

The Brothers -in-Arms Project is based around the Hunter Brothers from Nanango Queensland, who were inseparable and the older brother John was injured in the Battle of Polygonwood in 1917 and died in his younger brother Jim’s arms.

Jim carefully wrapped his brother up in protective garments and buried him along with four other Australian soldiers and promised to return after the war to find his brothers body and send it back to Australia. The five soldiers became known as the “Westhoek Five”

Jim did return and searched in vain but could not find his brother’s body.

Johan was part of a team who uncovered John’s body in 2006 when pipes were about to be laid in the area.

There was an interesting article about Johan and his endeavours written by Greg Callaghan in the Weekend Australian in 2017.

Details regarding Johan’s Inn can be found at www.dedreve.be