May 2014

I've added our first trip abroad in the motorhome to Slovenia in 2005......click on right hand side of the page. It's interesting to look back. We went via France, meeting family in St Benoit sur Loire, going to Annecy, Interlaken, staying with friends in Viena before going to Llubjana and round Slovenia, a short trip into Croatia then heading back. Slovenia is wonderfully green and we found out why! 

Moselle trip 2014 April

Sorry about the font changes. I've made a mistake somewhere and can't get it right.....

Traben- Trarbach

Places we stayed:

Canterbury      New Dover Road Park and Ride

Dover              Marine Parade

Stenay            Aire at Port de Plaisance

Schwebsange  Stellplatz at Port de Plaisance, Remich, Luxemburg

Trier               Stellplatz at Messepark Park and Ride, Germany

Traben             Stellplatz by river

Koblenz            Knaus camp site

Enkirch            Stellplatz             

Graach             “

Wintrich          “

Klusserath      “

Schwebsange  ( Remich)  Aire

Canterbury      as  before      

Day 1 Canterbury Park and Ride

We set off, calling at Torque Motors in Barnsley to collect the camera that I’d left in the car. The car needs a new flywheel and clutch and the great guys there are going to sort it out while we are away. We headed south, stopping at Brownhills in Newark to have a quick look round the vans. There was nothing that caught our eye. We stopped again at Cambridge services for a cup of tea before getting to the ‘aire’ at the Park and Ride on New Dover Road in Canterbury. It’s a super stopover for motorhomes as it has a dedicated motorhome area where you can fill and empty. There’s no electricity but there’s free wifi whenever there’s a bus parked up!  You take a ticket on entry and that gives you parking and travel on the bus and all for three pounds. You pay for your ticket in the machine by the bus station and put it in the ticket machine at the barrier when you leave. We went to the Old Gate pub just out of the parking area where they had Spitfire, Doom Bar and a lovely Chilean sauvignon blanc. We had a good pub meal and they had free wifi too.

 Day 2 Marine Parade Dover

We had a quiet night in the car park then got the bus into town after dumping waste at the sensible dump area. We had a great time exploring Canterbury’s little streets and had coffee in the tourist information Beany Museum. We found the Three Tuns alehouse after talking to the guys who run the boats on the river and had lunch there. We had the most delicious sweet potato chips. The staff were all very good. We walked along the City walls and climbed up Dane John’s Mount where there was a good view. We saw lots of groups of French , German and Spanish children on tour and reminisced about when we took kids away…. We are so glad we don’t do that anymore. We got the bus back to the park and ride and set off for Deal. We parked on the seafront and watched men improving sea defences there before going for a walk along and into town. We then went to meet Andy and Carol at Marine Parade, Dover. The parking arrangements there have changed as the notices say you can’t park in front of the flats where we have parked before- though three vans did. Andy and Carol arrived just after us and after a couple of gins and tonics we went up to the closed chip shop but not to be deterred, we went into Wetherspoons instead. The guys had beautifully cooked steaks and we had a bottle of Villa Maria- my favourite wine.  We had an early night for an early start tomorrow. 

Day 3 Port de Plaisance, Stenay, France

The gas went off in the night- typical. It was a beautiful sunny morning and we got to the line waiting to embark at 7am.  I’d just made a cuppa when we were called on. We sat reading papers and the journey passed quickly. We decided to go our usual route- Lille, Cambrai – but it was quite a slow drive. We’d stopped at Junction 10, E Leclerc for fuel . We got to Le Nouvion  in sunshine and the chippy van was open! We sat at the picnic tables with two lots of chips and our own fresh crusty bread and butter. Calories? what calories? 

 We were going to push on to Remich, but decided to stop at Stenay instead. That meant we had almost a couple of hours sitting out in the sun by the canal. When it got cooler we went into Carol’s for salad and wine then went into ours to watch football. The aire in Stenay is one we have stayed at quite a few times. You go to the ‘Captainerie’ to pay for your stay and to get the codes for the gate and the showers. You can empty and fill there but only between certain hours. There’s some parking spaces, loos and showers on that side of the canal next to the office but the main site is over the canal. There are showers and toilets there too. With hook up it costs €8 a night. If you arrive and there is no-one in the office, you can go over to the barrier and ask someone for the code to get in. Someone then comes round in the early evening to collect the fee. 

Day 4  Port de Plaisance Schwebsange Luxemburg

 

It was a misty morning but the sun rose and the blossom on the trees looked like it was covered in diamonds. Andy brought me a fresh baguette and some croissants- lovely! What a gent!  I bit into the baguette savouring my first French bread of the year. We had showers then set off for Remich.  I’d set the sat nav but kept an eye on the map as I still don’t have complete faith in them- in fact, it made two mistakes yesterday but I knew where I was going. We went straight to ‘garage hill’ in Remich  ( the road towards Luxemburg and the airport) where there are lots of garages and filled up at 1.18 euro. We popped into the Cactus supermarket for gin, wine, beer, fresh anchovies and walnut cheese. We got to the aire by the camping site at the Port de Plaisance and got two pitches overlooking the river, pitch three and four.  You go  up to the barrier and check in at reception asking for the stellplatz. You pay then € 12.50 a night, including electricity, showers and filling. You then drive past the boats to the parking spaces. There’s hook-up and easy emptying and filling there. We sat out having lunch watch lots of planes crossing the sky, trains on the other side of the river and the barges and swans on it. We soaked up the sun till 5pm when we cycled into Remich and sat in the square having a beer and people watching. We biked back past loads of apple and cherry blossom. I made smoked haddock chowder and  a cheat banana maple meringue.

Day 5 Schwebsange, Luxembourg

We decided to stay another day here. We got  free internet on the  terrace by the restaurant at the Yacht Club where we had coffee. The shop was shut but the waitress sold us baguettes from the restaurant.  The staff here are really helpful. I had a good look around the camp site where they have bike hire, a spa and sauna, a gym…..very well equipped but I am happy with my bike and my feet for exercise. The showers in the site are included in the aire price, as is electricity and they are super. The shower rooms have a ceiling rose shower, a sink and a chair with lots of room. Although they are push button showers, they are good and hot. 

 Day 6 Trier Stellplatz

 
  We got up early and went to find the stellplatz in Trier. It looked like the co-ordinates might not be correct in the Bord Atlas and I was a bit nervous about finding it but I needn’t have worried as after a pleasant scenic drive of about an hour, following Trier signs, we saw stellplatz  signs  and got to it easily. It’s a very big site ( Messepark) and you get a plastic card that you ‘load’ at the machine. It’s 9 euros 60 a night including use of the toilets. You pay extra for electricity, showers and water . We had lunch outside then biked along the river and over the Roman Bridge and up a green cycle route into the centre. We left the bikes in Brotstrasse and walked through the streets and little market to the Porta Negra- a Unesco World heritage site. It’s very impressive, as was the Tourist office next door where they answered all sorts of questions with a smile. There were lots of groups having tours and learning to use Segways so they could go on a tour driving one. We had a beer nearby then the cycle back didn’t seem so scary for me. I have got used to busy traffic but it still doesn’t seem quite right to be cycling on pavements and avoiding pedestrians. We had a cuppa then Pete and me cycled along the river in the opposite direction towards Koblenz , going past huge nurseries and the locks on the river. We didn’t know how far we had cycled as I’d forgotten to put trip computers on but we were ready for Andy’s Shepherd’s pie for tea.

Day 7 Traben- Trarbach

Another sunny morning, and we heard  sonorous bells at 7.45am. We planned to stay here another day but changed plans to head for somewhere smaller. We followed Andy and went up the motorway for a short while before heading for Traben.  We went down the narrow lane to the stellplatz and stopped at the barrier. It looked full but  you need to drive right up to the barrier for it to go up. Andy and Carol got a riverside pitch and we got one further up on marked pitches with hook-up, showers, loos , filling and emptying and wifi- all for ten euros. We had to ask about the code for the showers and loos and wifi but they were all on the printed ticket we got at the gate. We went to Andy and Carol’s for lunch then went for a cycle across the bridge through the amazing tower gate to Trarbach. We left the bikes and went for a walk around through the busy little streets. We saw a tower with a glockenspiel of bells on it and a well, decorated for Easter, - just as they do in the Peak District. Pete had an ice cream and we looked at the boat timetables.  

We cycled along that side of the river to Wolf where there was a bridge under construction and a bridge we could cross. I wasn’t happy going through the road works but put the bike power on and scuttled through. We were soon back at the site. I had a really good shower in the small cubicles at the top of the site. We did some internet catching up before going to Andy and Carol’s for gin and tonics by the river. We walked along to the restaurant we’d seen earlier where the waitress came out to see if she could help us. We had early asparagus with butter shared as a starter then three of us had schnitzel ‘cordon bleu’ and Pete had a steak. The waitress recommended a local wine, Peiffer, and it was really good. We walked back to the camp looking at the moon and little bats.

Day 8 Knaus Camp , Koblenz

We really liked Traben- and the wine we had last night. Pete and Andy went to the Peiffer shop and café across the road at the top of the site and came back with a case each of wine at five euros a litre! Great start to the day.  We filled up with water and emptied at the top of the site. You go into the little information booth to put your ticket in the machine and pay- you then have half an hour to leave by putting the ticket in the machine at the barrier. We set off once more tootling along beside the Mosel through pretty scenery and steep sided valleys covered in grapevine, stopping for coffee at Ellenz. 

 A cormorant flying along the river kept pace with us for a mile or so at forty miles an hour!  We stopped at Alken for lunch- a stellplatz but not really nice enough to stay in. We found a Lidl en route to the site and stocked up with some lovely artisan baguettes - and other things- that just flew into my trolley. Andy had booked the site already as we were meeting his two friends and their wives from his former work in Koblenz.  We paid in reception. We got set up on probably the best two pitches on the site, 11 and 12 facing Deutsches Eck and the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Mosel. It’s a brilliant place to sit watching trains, cable cars, barges, cruise boats etc. I made lentil soup by request which we ate with pizzas watching the full moon rise over the illuminated fortress. We drank the lovely Peiffer wine, very happy with the view. It comes at a price, 37 euros, which doesn’t include wifi but it’s fabulous. There’s room for about ten vans on the stellplatz outside the campsite which costs € 12.50 but you can only stay one night.

Day 9 Koblenz 
It was quite noisy in the night with trains and barges going past. It was cloudy and cooler than it’s been. After a bacon sandwich, then coffee in Andy and Carol’s, we caught the little ferry across to Deutsches Eck ( 1 eur 30)  to look around the old town. I’d googled   ‘Brauhaus’  and after a few wrong streets, feeling brave, I asked two workmen where it was. We found it with their help- Altes Brauhaus. We had super dark beer and Andy had Weiss beer. We had local food, pork knuckle meat with fried egg and fried potatoes, sausage with sauerkraut and mash. It was great and very reasonably priced. We called in at the local Netto just outside the camp to see if they had a bakery ( they did). We went across on the ferry again at 5pm to meet Otto and Helen, Peter and Karen who had travelled a long way to meet up with their old friend Andy. We went back to the Brauhaus and had lots of drinks and some food. It was a super evening with lots of laughs. 

Day 10 Koblenz

We went over again on the little ferry to meet everyone again. We got the cable car up the fortress- I love cable cars! We walked around the fortress but mainly we were interested in the amazing views from up there. We took loads of photos - ‘Ooh look, you can see the van from here!’ - before sitting in the café having sausage and drinks in the sunshine. 

We were all good at talking! Going down in the cable car was almost, but not quite, as good as being in a helicopter. I loved it. 

We then waited a little while to get a boat trip along the Rhine. It was super sitting on deck in the sun with beers and coffees, castles and brewery to see before coming back and going a little way along the Mosel. You can really appreciate the size of the fortress from the river. 

We sat in a square under a statue having beers, coffees, and chats again till it was time to eat again. We’d found a place yesterday that looked nice and we went there. It was a former inn and quite traditional as Peter explained. It was lovely and beautifully designed to be cosy with lots of cushions. We ordered food and wine by the glass though we were surrounded by wine bottles. It was all really good.  We were all tired by eight o clock so walked back again to the hotel and said our goodbyes and thank you’s. It had been lovely to meet such great people and a highlight of the trip. We got a taxi (with a speed merchant of a driver) then had an evening drink to finish off a lovely day.

  Day 11 Enkirch Stellplatz
We got up before eight to make an early start as we thought places might fill up for Easter weekend. It was easy to empty and fill on this site and the showers and loos were good, as they should be for the high price. We tootled back along the 49 the way we’d come enjoying the views over the very flat river. We saw a kingfisher flash past. We got to Enkirch without a coffee stop which was good in that we met the lady who runs the place and she was there to help us but bad in that blood sugar levels were low and parking was a bit fraught. The lady – with sign language – helped us park in the middle of the field away from trees so we could get electric but we ended up piggy backing cables. She spent ages trying to get us where she wanted as she knew the site would be very busy.  It was easy to empty and fill on this site and the showers and loos were good, as they should be for the high price. 

We paid her the €9 a night including electric and emptying and I gave her an English beer for helping. I made a quick cup of coffee and got some biscuits out which always helps. We got settled then had a sandwich. Pete and Andy went off on bikes in search of internet  ( by the tourist office three euros for three days or one euro for an hour) . Carol and me sat in the sun.  The site gradually filled up- it was hugely busy. I don’t know how so many people can use the two loos and two showers in the Tourist information place….we used our own.  Me and Pete had a little cycle around then Andy barbecued some kebabs and I did a George’s salad.  I’d frozen some margaritas but we didn’t get much of them to drink as Pete knocked them over! 

photo courtesy of Andy Bolton who got his camera splattered with margaritas a few seconds later.

Day 12 Enkirch There was some rain in the night but it was sunny with clouds when we got up. Pete and Andy went to find the lady as, as I’d predicted, the electricity tripped off.   We went into Andy and Carol’s as a big shower came over. The sun came out so Pete and me went for a big cycle along the river back towards Koblenz passing Burg- through the village- Briedal, Punderich ( where we saw a swan defending it’s nest) and Reil. We missed a sign at Reil and went onto the main road- whoops. We cycled to Zell where we stopped for coffee and beer and the wall sign on the building showed the height of the flood waters from previous years, the worst being 1993.   

We walked through the main street which wasn’t busy and pushed the bikes over the footbridge. We cycled past the busy stellplatz, cycled up the hill and through the vineyards on the opposite side of the river to Enkirch. It was alternatively warm in the sun then cold in the shadow. When we got to Reil, we went past another stellplatz- full of course, and up over the bridge. The cycle track took us up the hillside and along past more vineyards down into Burg. When we got back, Andy and Carol had been for kaffee and kuchen and brought us some kuchen back. It looked lovely and we shared it.  Carol cooked spanish chicken  and I did some asparagus. We had lots of laughs about Pete knocking the margaritas over yesterday and I expect it will be a long time before we forget about it. Despite  being busy, it was a very quiet site at night.

Day 13 Traben

I’d forgotten to mention that we were now completely surrounded by vans with only a slim chance of getting out- and that chance went when a little van pulled into our only exit. The electrics tripped again at eight o clock. We had breakfast and hovered till the lady came to disconnect us. (The electric box is locked so you can’t get plugged in or out without her). Luckily the Belgian family next to us were also leaving so they moved forward leaving us an escape route. Andy got bread rolls from the bakery van that arrived at eight. We went to the easily accessible dump. We’d decided that we liked Traben so much we’d try to get in there again. We thought the chances were very slim indeed because Enkirch was so full so we couldn’t believe it when we pulled into Traben and we saw three riverside pitches free! Joy!  

We parked next to each other on lovely pitches with hook up and internet and little ‘gardens’ to put the chairs out in having coffee and revelling in our good fortune. We walked up to the Peiffer winery to see if they were open on Easter Monday then decided to ask if we could do a wine tasting sitting in the sun. The owner brought us cushions  to sit on and four types of dry wine to try. We liked them all but tried to do blind tastings too….not very successfully. We really like the ordinary ‘house’ wine and we knew we’d end up buying that so we thought we’d have a bottle of the wine we’d tried with some lunch. We had cheese with mustard dips, ham, salami, gouda and camembert with dips and a lump of something that looked like lard with crumbs in ( which it was) with bread. We sat there like lords, eating and drinking and it was wonderful.  It cost eight euros each.We went back to sit next to the river and to feel ever so slightly smug seeing vans turn up and park further up the site or later, have to go out again as it was full. For a laugh, I read ‘The adventures of the Pasty Hunters’ out loud. It was our trip to Devon with Andy, which Carol had only heard bits about as she’d been in Canada.  We had a late afternoon cycle into town and Pete got us all double ice creams. They were huge! We sat on a bench eating them and listening to the glockenspiel bells. Andy checked out the boats for a river cruise tomorrow. I made frozen raspberry fizz with sparkling wine but it wasn’t hugely successful. We had blissfully hot showers then I did spatzle carbonara. We could hear blackbirds singing loudly outside- maybe they were singing about our lovely day? 

Day 14 Traben
We had a really comfy night and a big lie in. The Easter bunny had left us two chocolate rabbits on the step and Andy and Carol left a note to say they’d gone for the river cruise. We’d already decided to go for a cycle instead. We watched them go past on the ‘Romantica’ down to Bernkastel waving madly as they went by.

We had a bacon and mushroom sandwich then cycled along this side of the river stopping opposite Enkirch and sitting on a bench watching the little ferry going to and fro and looking at the hugely busy site we’d left. We carried on to Reil and although it was cycling on a road, it wasn’t busy except for cyclists. We locked the bikes up and had a walk around then went to a hotel with a balcony overlooking the river and had beers and flamkuchen. 

We cycled back to the van and Traben was very busy with people from the boats.

 Andy and Carol got back after having a lovely day out and they gave us a report on the stellplatze they’d seen from the river. We had a lovely evening meal.

Day 15  Traben It was really sunny. Andy and Carol postponed their departure to have a day in the sun and enjoy this super spot. Pete and Andy went to the wine merchants and came back empty handed. He tried to tell me that they’d sold out but I didn’t believe him and sure enough, the lovely man from Peiffer wines appeared pushing a trolley with our purchases on. What a kind man. I hope he enjoyed the bottle of English beer we gave him. 

We sat in the sun watching the Egyptian geese  protecting their young, swans flying past, people cycling and walking past and the endless parade of boats barges and motorhomes . Pete and me cycled into town leaving the bikes by the bridge and walking around and up the hill. We found the station , a Lidl and an Aldi and little back streets. I made margaritas and Pete didn’t spill them and we had a last meal together.

Day 16 Traben

David Moyes was sacked as Manchester United manager- Pete was busy on the internet checking out what was happening. Andy and Carol headed for home. We went shopping on the bikes and came back well laden and had lunch in the sun. We had a walk along the riverbank.

Day 17 Graach

We headed for  Erden but when we got there , we didn’t like the look of the full site so we carried on to Graach. We got a nice pitch on gravel facing the river with plenty of space for sitting out. There were lots of really big motorhomes here. The cost is £13 including electricity but the showers are £1.50 and there’s no wifi.  You get the code for the loos when you book in at reception. The filling and emptying points are good though the toilets and showers are in freight containers- quite nicely done but odd. We cycled the short distance into Bernkasel and you can see the bridge there from our pitch. We parked the bikes outside the Brauhaus just before it started to rain . We had to shelter from the rain so where better to shelter than in the Brauhaus? It was a bit disappointing in that it was very touristy and the food wasn’t great.  We next wandered around the beautiful streets with fantastic buildings. 

Day 18 Graach

It was dismal but brightened up. The vineyards around here are only on one side of the river and with the exception of those by the castle, aren’t as steep as where we have been. We cycled this side of the river to Zetlingen then further on to cross the river and cycle back to Bernkasel. We passed a Lidl so got some rolls to make a sandwich which we ate under trees sheltering from a shower. We carried on past Bernkastel  past the massive flood gates at Liesen before crossing back over to Mulheim and back through Bernkasel to the site.

Day 19  Wintrich

We’d gone to bed early last night- I was tired from cycling but I was woken up by scampering noises. Pete got a torch and saw the rubbish bag which we’d foolishly left outside halfway across the grass by the road and the rubbish scattered.  Pete got up early and cleared it up.  We set off for Wintrich calling in at Lidl for shopping. It wasn’t very far and the villages we went through were pretty. I’d read on line that filling and  chemical emptying at Wintrich were outside the site barrier and that you need to get a ticket for at least one day which lets you in and out and then on your last day, you pay the rest of what you owe. I paid the eight euros which included electricity and wifi but it was 50 cents to use a toilet and a euro for a shower. The codes for these are on the noticeboard. You need to put coins in the machine for water inside the barrier. There are instructions in English at the gate. It’s a beautiful spot, more like a good campsite.

 

Day 20 Wintrich

The van windscreen was absolutely covered in yellow pollen. It also collected on the edges of the footpaths – like fine yellow dust. The forecast was nineteen degrees and showers but I made a picnic and we cycled back along the river to Brauneburg, passing a stellplatz there higher up the river bank, with lovely views. We got to Mulheim and crossed the river. The cycle path was on the road for a good way but went through vineyards again near Kesten. We stopped to eat apples and argue about kilometres and miles- we’d better set both trip computers to the same next time. We went into Minheim again through cobbled streets then a very short steep slope got us up onto the bridge to get across to Wintrich side of the river. It was a nice long slope back down to the site where we met the Scottish couple again coming out. We had our picnic sitting outside the van. Jim and Margaret called round for a drink and a chat. Later on we went round to their van for another drink and another chat! There’s always plenty to talk about between motorhomers.

Day 21 Klusserath

It was a funny sort of day- we didn’t know whether to move or stay but clouds decided it for us. We drove to Klusserath…and past the stellplatz because it looked like a campsite then turned back. There is a campsite on the left but the stellplatz is on the right, Stellplatz Hero. The emptying and filling is at a borne at the entrance- quite a long walk from the pitching area. We parked down by the river, had a coffee and couldn’t decide whether to go or stay….We couldn’t understand the signs either but after a coffee, we tried deciphering again. We worked out that 2 amp electric was € 1.50 a night but you could set the meter for higher amps and that was charged by the hour. We decided not to bother. Similarly the wifi was a bit confusing – or  maybe it was just us- you had to log in to a website and pay, € 2 for three hours. We did it with Paypal eventually then Pete scooted off on his bike to see what could hold us here for a day. He found that the bin area needed a code to get in, that it’s € 6.50 a night and he found a little market. We walked up to the  market which was mostly clothes and tools and treated ourselves to a sausage sandwich. Pete treated himself to a mustard squirt down the front of his top too.Where we’d parked had a good river view and you could see the steeply sloping valley with vines. We cycled off past Klusserath, Ensch and Polich, and crossed the river at Mehring. We sat on a bench for a while then cycled to Thornich, round Thornich, back through Thornich…..yes it was one of those days. We needed to cross the river to go back to the van but decided that we would cycle further. That wasn’t the best decision we’ve ever made. We cycled past Kowerich, Leiwin and up to Trittenheim where I was so grateful to see the bridge- my legs weren’t working! We got back and checked the trip computers and we’d done over thirty miles- a first for us both and I only had my battery on when there were steeper bits. Wow- I know it’s not a huge achievement, especially for those fit friends and relatives who regularly do that but for me, it was quite something. ( Just as an aside here, I have arthritis in my hips and the doctor recommended cycling. That was five years ago and he was sure I would need a hip replacement before five years. My sister had the same diagnosis last year, without the recommendation, and is having her hip replaced next week. I don’t know if cycling has anything to do with being able to carry on, but it seems to help)

The cup of tea I had when I got back had to be the best ever! The van was parked in shade and as the evening came on and the sun came out, we moved the van to the other end of this huge stellplatz so we could sit out in the sun. The lady came to collect the fees around seven o clock and give us the code for the rubbish area – 4321! We had some cheese and nibbles with wine in the last of the sunshine.

 Day 22 Schwensange Port de Plaisance

I set the sat nav for Remich but didn’t have high hopes that it would take me along the river route I wanted so we winged it through Trier and Konz and I muted the sat nav.  We went to the garage and supermarket again on the hill in Remich. We got to the stellplatz and the guy on reception was out to lunch but a groundsman let us in. We had lunch ourselves with a great river view. It seems a bit noisier here now we’ve been to some very quiet places but we filled up with water and charged all the electric stuff up then went for beer/ coffee to reception. We had about an hour’s free internet then it rained. The couple across from us put their awning out  and sat out wrapped up in coats in the dark and the rain till late- I preferred being snug inside. 

Day 23 Canterbury

It rained all night and it was a grey morning. We put the bikes on then moved up to the gate area to nip out and have showers/ loo empty. We got on the motorway around 10.30am and went Luxemburg/Arlon/ Namur direction and the A411 stopping at Aire de Wachenen for coffee. The roadworks on the A15 E42 Mons/ Namur  slowed us down a bit but we were averaging 50 mph. We got to Junction 16 where we nip off for fuel at E Leclerc at 3.30pm- five hours. We fuelled up and got some shopping and got to the port at Dunkirk at 4.30pm. We went to have the  earlier ticket discussion and paid a bit more to go on the next ferry- the only other available one was at 4pm the next day and we were booked on the 6pm- they were very busy with freight. When we got off the ferry we drove straight to Canterbury- about twenty minutes. There were nine vans there, five with international plates. I resolved to write to Canterbury council to thank them for providing a good facility.

Day 24 Home

We got near home and I knew that when we got back, we would be straight into ‘busy’ mode….busy emptying the van, dealing with post, checking the house/ garden/ phone etc so Pete had the idea of pulling in at a layby at Hoylandswaine and having the last of the prawns and French bread for a ‘proper’ lunch. It was a good idea! 

Remich

    So, another lovely trip and lots of cycling. It’s a good area to visit and once again, Germany and France prove how great they are at accommodating motor homes. Theme tune for the trip?  Bob Dylan – ‘Watching the river flow’
 

Punderlich- timbered houses and another campsite