Summer 2019 - 2nd Post - Germany

9th to 10th July 2019
Unkel, Germany

Morning having a wander around Heimbach, castle was free entry! Then headed east towards the Rhine. Illegally drove through the low emission zone in Bonn (couldn't seem to find away around it - fortunately no camera checks like London). Eventually parked up at a pleasant village a few km south of Bonn - Unkel (with free parking and services - not that common in Germany). On the way stopped off and cycled into Bonn. Great  pedestrianized city centre and cycle ways running up and down the Rhine it seems from Rotterdam to Lake Constance. Stayed in Unkel a couple of nights - walked part of the Rhine Gorge footpath and cycled down to the bridge at Remagen, where which the Americans captured intact in March 1945, the demolition charges having failed to demolish it as opposed to all the other Rhine bridges demolished by the retreating German Army, to make the first Allied bridgehead across the Rhine. Now just the abutments remain, it collapsed about a week after being captured. It was actually built between 1916 and 1918 to improve the railway supply line to the German front in WW1.

Heimbach

Heimbach

Rhine just below Bonn - the seven hills of the Siebengebirge  
where Siegfried killed in dragon in its mountain cave (well not really)

Main square Bonn - Beethoven's birth place (left when he was four)
Statue was for his 75th birthday - among other notables Queen Victoria was in attendance

Remagen Bridge

Rhine from above Remagen Bridge

11th July 2019
Mendig, Germany

Followed the Rhine south to Coblenz and then a side trip west into the volcanic part of the Eifel to park up a couple kilometres south of what is supposed to be Europe's largest water filled caldera that now forms the Lacher See, which is about 2km in diameter. Suprsingly only formed about 10,000 years ago. Got drowned in a thunderstorm walking up there to take a look!

Larcher See - Caldera Lake - someone else's aerial shot!
Mine are just of torrential rain and thunder clouds.

12th July 2019
Alken, Germany

Side trip from the Rhine to visit the Mosel valley and park up on it's right bank at Alken about 20km up stream from its confluence with the Rhine at Coblenz. A spot of cycling up and down the valley. Not as wide as the Rhine Gorge, but, in many ways more picturesque with the vineyards going up impossibly steep slopes (goodness knows how they access them for pruning and picking).  Walked up to the local castle and encountered a church with a charnel house in the porch - dozens of human skulls on display! Creepy.

Unkel -  Mossel, steep vineyards for your Mossel wines., Church (with skulls) and Castle
Van parked-up bottom left

13th July 2019
Sayne, Germany

Back to the Rhine to stop off next a few miles north of Koblenz, next to an ironworks that is being restored as a museum, below the castle and old schloss at Sayne. Mainly forest and hills surrounding the town.

Local Schloss and park at Sayne - the old castle is lost in the trees

14th July 2019
Oestrich-Winkel, Germany

South along the Rhine from Koblenz to complete the last section of the Gorge. Unfortunately, very damp, grey and overcast - so sadly the apparently endless sequence of hillside castles didn't get photographed. In many places, also damn hard to find some where to pull in a take some anyway. Spent the night next to the Sports Hall complex at Oesterich-Winkel surrounded by endless hectares of vineyards with the fruit mainly heading for millions of bottles of Riesling. Some really classy wine producing estates encountered when out walking that evening.

Riesling vineyards down to the Rhine and beyond on the far bank

15th July 2019
Eisenburg

South the Rhine isn't so interesting for the next few hundred kilometres. So I decided to head east towards Poland and take a look around southern Saxony where Germany, Poland and Czech Republic come together. Then probably into Poland. I have never visited these parts before apart from Berlin about twenty-five years ago. Long cross country drive on the autobahn through endless hills and forestry (Taunus, Volgelsberg, Thuringerwald). I never appreciated before how hilly (300m-500m) and forested the centre of Germany is. Ended up in a Stellplatz at a small town south of Leipzig - Eisenburg. With free parking and paid services. 

Eisenburg - Baroque Schloss church
Every village and castle in this part of Germany seems to have rebuilt their church in the eigthteenth century in Baroque style. Rarely see a medieval church.

16th and 17th July 2019
Neukirch-Lausitz, Germany

Further east on the autobahn to end up in SE Saxony close to the Czech and Polish borders. Hilly area (mainly 300m to 400m) of rolling forested hills, interspersed with mainly arable farming (wheat - although I did notice the occasional cow).  Large free parking area with services at Neukirch formed a good base for a couple of nights (after having struggled with the German system of road closures which I still don't not understand! Like a clear indication that a road is closed but no information as to where...). Took a day trip into Dresden on the train from the local station as well as some walking in the local hills. Amazing that so much has been restored after the bombing in early 1945 that flattened it and most of the Baroque buildings. The last to be rebuilt was the Fraukirch, which had been left until 2005 as a heap of rubble as a war memorial. There is a huge pedestrianized area between the river (Elbe) and the main train station. The rebuilding away from the historic centre seems to be endless new department stores, shops and squares- presumably built after unification.

Dresden - the re-built Baroque centre and River Elbe

Dresden  - Fraukirch

Dresden - Zwinger Palace

18th and 19th July 2019
Herrnhut, Germany

A few kilometres from Neukirch found a great little spot with a parking area on the edge of town at the edge of the local forest. But what a bizarre little town, the centre is full of large eighteenth century buildings and a church that is the headquarters of the Moravian Church. Apparently one of the oldest Protestant churches, founded in Moravia (part of the kingdom of Bohemia) and ejected from there, and then based here, when the Austrians drove out the protestants in favour of the catholic church. 

Walking around Herrnhut - hills of  the Czech Republic and Poland on the horizon

Herrnhut - Moravian Church and associated eighteenth century buildings.
The hills in the distance form the Czech border.

20th July 2019
Sohland am de Spree, Germany

Another nearby parking place, hot but managed a walk in the afternoon into the forest and along the German/Czech border for a few kilometres. 

Sohland am der Spree - Village centre

21st July 2019
Orlitz, Germany

East to visit the 18th century Monastry at Orlitz on the Polish border, well at least the post-1945 one, previously, the 1918 one was much further east. Then eastwards  into Poland next week. 
Today is Sunday - what a strange country the place is absolutely dead like the UK fifty years ago. There is hardly anyone around, little traffic, shops all shut (apart from some baker's open between 07:00 and 10:00 and petrol stations). But when the shops are open cheap! Diesel is a s low as 1.17 euro a litre; while ,food and eating are generally cheaper than the UK even with the devalued pound.

Monastery at Orlitz - Poland in the background

Monastery at Orlitz - more Baroque buildings!

Summer 2019 - Starts here

Arrived back from three months in Spain at the beginning of April - subsequently: teeth sorted; flat totally redecorated (not touching a paint brush for the next decade); van serviced and MOT'd (no issues thankfully) - so must be time for another European trip in the van!

19th June 2109
Edinburgh to Tankerton

Early start to head down to Kent and spend a few days with my sister.

22nd June 2019
Tankerton to Bergues (France)

Late afternoon ferry crossing (Dover to Dunkirk) to park up at the convenient aire outside the walled town of Bergues some 20km south of Dunkirk.

23rd June 2019
Bergues (France) to Le Nouvion en Thierache (France)

Vague plan to head down towards the Ardennes and into Germany (last chance to use the autobahn for free before they inflict tolls from late 2020). Ended up at an aire next to the municipal campsite at Le Nouvion en Thierache. Warming up and had to wait until about 5pm to follow a trail through forestry partially along a disused railway track. Looks like an interesting area to explore with dozens of fortified churches.

Fortified Church in the Thierache - absolutely no recollection where!

24th June 2019
Le Nouvion en Thierache (France) to Cattilon sur Sambre (France)

Hmmm best laid plans etc...planned on a bit of culture to day with a visit to the Henri Matisse Museum in Le Cateau Cambresis..all the info outside said it was open but 100% shut! So much for that! Damn hot afternoon and ended up at an aire a few kilometres down the road with some shade next to the Sambre-Oise Canal at Cattilon. Hoped on the bike in the early evening and came across the Commonwealth War Grave at Ors with Wilfred Owen's grave, the WW1 poet killed on 4th November 1918. I like it when when you come across things unexpectedly, sad though in this case mainly young boys 18 and 19 in the cemetery, Owen was 25.

Castle at Guise

Fortified Church at Englacourt

British Cemetery at Ors - Wilfred Owens Grave 

British Cemetery at Ors

25th June 2019
Cattilon sur Sambre (France) to Rozay sur Serre (France)

Detoured through Guise to visit the castle there with connections to Mary of Guise and James V(?) of Scotland. Seems to have been damaged by the Germans in 1914. Later following a rout past some of the fortified churches of the Thierache stopped off at a quite aire just outside the village of Rozoy sur Serre. Stopped a couple of nights and did a short cycle tour around some of the nearby churches: Parfondal; Dohis; Cuiry-les-Iviers and Archon. Hitting low thirties in the afternoon, glad that I wasn't further south where they were having temperatures in excess of 40C. Have had that a couple of time before and try and avoid it now!

Fortified Church at Parfondal

Fortified Church at Archon

27th June 2019
Rozay sur Serre (France) to Rocroi (France)

Initially headed for an aire at Anor parked-up did a 9km walk and decided that I would move on heading towards the Ardennes. Actually more comfortable driving along with the windows  open than sitting around trying to keep cool. Picked out a good looking aire at Rocroi - star shaped town and fort surrounding it dating from around 1560. How strange, as I parked up in the grassy and partly shady aire adjacent to some bastion...I realized I had been there before! Something like 2002 when I was taking a slow route to a conference at Waterloo (Belgium) where I had been invited to give a presentation about some specialized piling works of HS1 (when I worked for ARUP).

Rocroi

30th June 2019
Rocroi (France) to Haybes (France)

Late start and a slow drive into the Ardennes proper to end up parked next to the Meuse at Haybes. Germans passed this way in 1914 flattening the village on their way. 

Parked-up next to the Meuse at Haybes

1st July 2019
Haybes (France) to Bouillon (Belgium)

A slow drive through the forests and hills of the Ardennes into Belgium to the riverside town of Bouillon, in the valley of the Semois (a tributary) of the Meuse. Which is on an incised meander and dominated by a castle. Shady green aire near the sports ground.

Bouillon - Semois and the Castle

Ditto - from the other side of the meander

2nd July 2019
Bouillon (Belgium) to Poupehan (Belgium)

After a morning visit to the castle a Bouillon including a falconry display a slow potter along the Semois valley to another riverside aire at Poupehan. Not much there apart form a rent-a-kayak depot - must get an inflatable kayak for these riverside locations!

Typical Ardennes Scene - near Poupehan

More of the above

3nd July 2019
Bouillon (Belgium) to Fumay (France)

Completed a circuit back to the Meuse near Haybes to a great little green parking spot right next to the Meuse at Fumay. Spent a couple of nights here and spent some time using the cycle paths up and downstream - 24km round trip to Lidl at Revins was a little excessive!

Fumay - Parked-up by the Meuse - great fishing spot but no body seemed to catch anything!

5th July 2019
Fumay (France) to Muno (Belgium)

More Ardennes hills, forest and incised river valleys to a small village, Muno, with a cycling trail. It seemed a bit pointless - it was an old railway line and went down hill to the French border to stop in the middle of nowhere and uphill to end up somewhat pointlessly in another village (can't recall the name and it doesn't even appear in my 1:190,000 road atlas! Anyway have the T-shirt for Ligne 195A!

6th July 2019
Muno (Begium) to St Virth (Begium)

Had intended a short trip to an aire a few kilometers away from Muno; but, the village was 'en fete' and the aire and village full of cars. Ended up driving north east through the Ardennes, sort of parallel with the Luxembourg  border, via Bastogne to end up in a large parking area on the edge of the village of St Virth in the German speaking eastern cantons of Belgium (Malmedy, Eupen and St Virth) - annexed by Germany in 1914 and yet again in 1940. The place was flattened in December 1945 as it had the misfortune to be the location of the first encounter between the US and German armies at the the start of the Battle of the Bulge.

St Virth

7th July 2019
Signal de Botrange (Belgium)

Still in the Ardennes headed to the highest point in Belgium (694m) where there is a large parking area. Surrounded by shallow hills, heathland and forestry. Seems like a popular spot for cross country skiing in the winter - but just hikers and bikers today. Weather has turned chilly, barely 20C this afternoon! Six vans parked up overnight.

Signal de Botrange

8th July 2019
Signal de Botrange (Belgium) to Heimbach (Germany)

One of those 'can't find a place to park' days. First location - closed for circus. Second location - closed for building stages for rock concert. Gave up and driving along spotted a Stellplatz in the village of Heimbach. Still in the same range of hills but as I sure as all will recall they become the Eifel as soon as you cross the German border. Weird - Eifel sounds pretty French to me. Had to cough-up 7 euros to park here! Arms struggled to reach the bottom of my pocket to find the coins for the machine.

Burg Hengebach, Heimbach

Summer 2018 - Third Post - France and Benelux

31st August to 3rd September 2018
Albertville

A few days chilling out at a pleasant green campsite on the edge of Albertville, home of the 1992 Winter Olympics. Not really doing much at all apart from avoiding a cool, wet spell of weather for a few days. On leaving,  needed to fill up with GPL, what an effort! Only three places anywhere near Albertville. First place, Geant supermarket - headroom restriction of 2.8m, so I couldn't get to the pump or the cashier! Second place, Total Service Station - no GPL, although listed as such on the official French website. Third place an Elan Service Station - success but closes tomorrow, as it is the end of August, until the skiing takes off in December!! Glad that I don't have an engine that needs GPL!

4th September 2018
Val d'Isere

The weather picked up, so back into the mountains just outside Val d'Isere again, at 2000m, at the foot of the Col de I'seran in the Vanoise National Park. Met up with an elderly couple from Devon. The guy was 84 and his wife was 92, they still go to Spain every winter and Europe in the summer. Optimistically, they bought a new mobile home last Autumn. So hope for us all yet! With all the chasing about for gas earlier in the day there wasn't really enough time to walk up into the mountains.

Val d'Isere - View from the Aire at the foot of the col

Val d'Isere - Looking down on Val d'Isere from the col

Col de l'Iseran - mountain tops and glaciers on the Frano-Italian border above the aire

5th to 7th September 2018
Bramans

Over the Col de l'Iseran (2764m) with stunning views toward the peaks along the Franco-Italian border and the mountain glaciers. Drop down into the Arc valley at the quaint village of Bonneval/Arc and stopped just short of Modane at a campsite for three nights. Walked down the valley to the blocking fortresses built by the Italians in the middle of the nineteenth century (Italy acquired Savoy from France as part of the 1815 Treaty of Vienna, it was returned to France in 1860, when Napoleon III did a deal with Sardinia with respect to Italian unification). Trying to do a circular walk, crossing the river gorge by a high suspension bridge found that the footpath was gone a few kilometres further on by a huge landslip. Had to back track for about five kilometres, before heading back to the camping site.

Col de l'Iseran - Hazy view of some of the Vanoise glaciers and descent to Bonneval/Arc

Bramans - Walking to Fort Victor Emmanuel between Modane and Bramans

Bramans - Campsite

8th to 11th September 2018
Col du Lautaret

Down the Arc valley and then climb up to the Col de Telegraph (1565m) and on to the Col du Galibier (2642m), with a steep climb over the summit of the col rewarded by the splendid sight of the mountains and glaciers of the Ecrin National Park above the Col du Lautaret and La Grave. Stopped in a parking area at the Col du Lautaret (2057m) for a few nights.  Walked around to the Col d'Arsine (my third visit I think - previously in 1991 and 1998) and another day a steep climb up on to the ridge of the Col de Laurichard (2654m).

Col de Galibier - Looking towards the Ecrin National Park peaks and glaciers

Col du Lautaret - Parking spot for three nights

View from a lunchtime stop

Col du Lautaret - Start of the walk to Col d'Arsine, goes in front of the glaciers

Col du Lautaret - View from the ridge of the Col du Laurichard

Col du Lautaret - View from the ridge of the Col du Laurichard

12th and 13th September 2018
Barcelonnette

Dropping down from the Col du Lautaret through Briancon and into the Durance valley there is a noticeable change as the countryside, it becomes drier and the vegetation, especially the pine trees, develops a Mediterranean feel. Over the Col d'Izoard (2360m), through the weird scenery of the Casse Desert, to drop down into the Queyras National Park and along the gorge to Guilestre. Then up again over the Col de Vars (2108m) to drop down into the Ubaye valley and stop off in a parking area above the town of Barcelonnette for a couple of nights.

Barcelonnette

Col de l'Izoard

Col de l'Izoard - Casse Desert

14th September 2018
Colmars-les-Alpes

The Route des Grandes Alpes takes the Col de la Cayolle (2326m). However, to the east is the Col de la Bonette (2860m). claimed to be the highest mountain pass with a paved road over it in Europe. While to the west lies the Col d'Allos (2247m). So a detour of a couple of days was required to pick them all up. God knows why! It's bloody hard driving with some narrow roads, often single track with passing places and long, steep grades. Anyway. headed off for the Col de la Bonette and all the way down the Tinee Valley then west and north to spend the night at Colmars via yet another col.
The top of the Col de la Bonette is actually pretty scary driving, as for some daft reason the road loops up and down a steep ridge which feels very exposed. I think they only built that bit of road to make it the highest pass! There is a short cut-off about 100m lower at the true summit of the col at about 2715m - so you don't have to climb to the top of the ridge to get over the pass!

Col de la Bonette - Scary feels very exposed driving the last leg

Colmar-les-Alpes

15th September 2018
Jausiers

From Colmar crossed back towards Barcelonnette, over the Col d'Allos which has a long, seemingly endless descent,  down into the Ubaye valley. Stopped of for the night at the campsite at Jasiers, nice spot have stayed there a couple of times in the past, only 9.50 euro a night. Wanted to stay a couple of nights, but typically for France, it was the end of the season and the site closed down the next day at lunchtime until next Easter.

Col d'Allos

Jausiers

16th September
St-Martin-Vesubie

Last pass of the triplet. the less frequented, Col de la Cayolle, and down the cloud filled Var valley to eventually, after more ups and downs, including the Col de Couillole (1678m) to lunch by the river at St-Sauveur-sur-Tinee. Past a few Maginot Line forts, over the Col St-Martin (1755m) to stop off at a small aire just out side the picturesque town of St-Martin-Vesubie.

St Martin Vesubie

17th September 2018
Port de  Belgrade

Last day of the route travelling via the Col de Turini (1605m), closed for about an hour for motorbike trials by Michelin, and then the long descent via Sospel to end up on the Mediterranean coast at Menton a few kilometres east of Nice. So all of the route finally done. The last time I tried in about 1990 the car gave up on the Col de Cayolle when an engine mounting gave way and I never got to Menton. Anyone with a week or two in this part of France should do the trip, you can always return towards Geneva along the Route Napoleon, from Grasse to Grenoble (the Hundred Days and all that in 1815).
Driving this part of the coast is a nightmare, have done it a couple of times and it takes hours, so took the autoroute and headed west towards some quieter coastal areas west of the Camargue. Ended up spending the night in a parking area at Port de Belgrade, adjacent to the Rhone-Sete canal.

Col de Turini - part of the long descent towards Sospel and the coast

Sospel

Port de Belgarde - Arrived late at the parking area on the Rhone-Sete Canal

18th September to 11th October 2018
Grau d'Agde

A short morning's run via Montpelier, partly along a new twelve lane section of autoroute, to chill out on the coast at a great little campsite, I have used a couple of times before. It's just outside the, originally Greek town, of Agde with it's medieval fortified cathedral on the Herault, near the coast and only about ten euro a night!

Just beach, chilling and a bit of biking for nearly a month...before heading home. Hard life.

Grau d'Agde - some pleasant riverside restaurants great for lunch 

Agde and the Herault

12th October 2018
La Canourgue

Started the drive home heading through some stunning scenery, on the free autoroute towards Clermont Ferrand, through the Causes and Cevennes to spend the night at the attractive village of La Canourgue, with an interesting medieval centre, a few kilometres north of Millau and the Tarn gorge.

La Canourgue

13th October 2018
Thiers

Weather picked up again bright and sunny with good views of the puys around Clermont Ferrand. Heading north west towards Dijon stopped for the night at Thiers, in a large open parking area at the edge of the town close to the remains of the Roman theatre.

Thiers - Roman Theatre just round the corner from the parking area

14th October 2018
Goncourt

Heading past through low hills and around Dijon ended up at a pleasant aire, on the banks of the Meuse, that I had stayed at about three years before, at Goncourt. It just happened to be the closest place to park up for the night when I had done enough driving!

Aire at Goncourt

15th October 2018
Redagne. Luxembourg

Into the hills again at the edge of the Ardennes, past Metz into Belgium then Luxembourg to stop over at an aire at the edge of Redagne in Luxembourg. Every where spotlessly clean, not litter, smooth and well maintained road pavements and never a pothole in sight. Even free electricity to hook-up to in the parking area. Weather has certainly improved, it was 27C and hot in the afternoon. Not looking forward to getting back to the dreary late Autumn weather in Scotland.

Redagne

16th October 2018
Kelpen-Oler, Limburg, Netherlands

Northwards through Luxembourg and into the Netherlands to encounter the Meuse again, now a huge navigable river, at Maastricht. Headed north towards Eindhoven, there are not so many parking areas for vans in the Netherlands; but it probably has more campsites per capita than France! Stayed at a very neat family run site just a few kilometres of the motorway south of Eindhoven. So flat everywhere!

Kelpen-Oler

17th October 2018

North via Eindhoven and around the west of Amsterdam to the ferry port to catch the overnight ferry to Newcastle and an easy drive up to Edinburgh the next morning. The toll free motorway network in the Netherlands is incredibly busy but a very well maintained with lane and variable speed limit restrictions every where keeping the traffic flowing. Absolutely no problem driving around large cities like Eindhoven or the west of Amsterdam - so different to the M6, M62 and M25 that we have to crawl around Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and London on - that is if the traffic is actually moving!

The car started first time when I got back to where I store the van just outside Edinburgh, I now leave the battery disconnected when I am away.

The sort of large figure of eight through France over about four months added another 4,800 miles to the mileage on the van, now at just under 74,000 miles of which about 50,000 have been added by me since 2014!