The Road to Berlin

Sunday 15^th September 2013

Leave home, raining, windy, cold, makes you pleased you are going really.

The plan is to have a Sunday Lunch en-route. Being an organised individual, otherwise known as a nerd, I look up several possible places on the internet. Not a very successful venture. We choose one (the Jolly Wagonner, Ardley, Hertfordshire), because we are reasonably near there, at about the time we are about the faint from hunger (ie about 14:00 on Sunday).

The sat nav takes us there, with some false starts, and some rather narrow country lanes, only to find they stopped serving Sunday Lunch, despite the fact that their website says they serve from 12:00 – 19:00.

Undeterred, we find an alternative, “The Bull”, in a village called Cottered, very pleasant Sunday lunch.

As we approach Dover, the weather has become even worse, strong winds and driving rain. The ferries are running late, so, at 19:30, we are boarding the 18:00 sailing, which deposits us in Dunkirk at 21:30 (22:30 French time).

Kathleen surpasses herself by navigating us to Gravelines Aire, in the dark, without the sat-nav or a map. We will never hear the last of this feat.

Monday morning dawns clear and sunny, and we set off for Charlesville de Meziers. Apart from some heavy traffic, on the outskirts of Lille, a completely uneventful drive.

The Aire at Charlesville de Meziers is full, so, we have to use the adjacent campsite (Camping Mount Olympus ).

We have time for a walk into town, and a beer, before the rain starts.

Tuesday morning, still damp and chilly, no, make that cold. We make a leisurely departure. East to Sedan, then north into Belgium, and then east through the Ardennes region of Belgium, into Luxemburg. How I love all of this “open borders” stuff in Europe, no hold ups, no passports to be checked, no customs, travel as it should be.

Soon, we are in Germany, arriving at our next stop, just south of Koblenz, on the banks of the Rhine, at a very picturesque place called Braubach (N50 16’ 11” E7 38’ 50”). This is a Stellplatz, German style, electric hook up, shower, toilets, etc, all beautifully kept, for 7 Euro/night.  

We are there early enough to get a riverside spot. I was never really aware of being nautically inclined, but, I love to watch boats or ships coming and going. Here, I have a ringside seat as Rhine Cruise boats and barges sail past at regular intervals. I think it is the wanderlust in me.

Pity the sun is not shining.

We are parked next to a very flash Concorde Motorhome, about the size of a small bus! It turns out, the lady of the outfit was born in South Shields. Is there no escape? In the course of out chat, we get useful pointers on where to stay in Berlin.

Wednesday 18^th September 2013. It is pouring with rain. So, pretty as it is here, if you cannot get out and enjoy it for the rain, there is not much point in sitting here. So, we head off for Kassel.

Kathleen has picked out a Stellplatze, which is (according to the book) a Country and Western Music venue, sounds interesting. According to photographs in the book, it all looks very "authentic", wild west style. But, when we arrive, it turns out to be a rather dilapidated farm, no other campervans in sight, a couple of old cars chocked up on bricks, and a very battered caravan. We decide against staying!

We move on to the second choice, still in Kassel, another Stellplatze. Rather more appealing, but, almost campsite prices (ie 12.50Euro, plus 50 cents Kw/Hr for electricity). So, we decide we may as well go to a campsite. We push on for another 35 miles (well maybe 40 after we have fallen foul of the tricky German double exits, yet again).

We arrive at Eschwege, Knaus Campingpark (N51 11’ 29” E10 10’ 7”), an ASCI site, so, 16 Euro gets us all facilities. The rain stops, the sun comes out to give us a very pleasant evening.

Thursday 19th September 2103.

One of those crucial days, hair washing, straightening etc, I stay out of the way for a couple of hours. It has only taken me 25 years to learn that is the wisest course of action.

It is dry and mild, with a little sun, so, we have a walk into the pretty town of Eschwege.

Very German, but, just the kind of town I like, not too many clothes shops to stand outside of whilst Kathleen looks at exactly the same things she could buy back in the UK, but, plenty of places with cakes, coffee, bars, and food.

I buy a Vodaphone (Germany) SIM, so I can get on the Internet, then find somewhere for lunch.

What a hard life this is.

Thursday 23rd August 2012 - Saturday 25th August 2012

To Charlesville de Meziers, an aire we have used before, a good spot, but the Aire is full.

We have to go to the adjacent Campsite (Camping Mount Olympus). 17Euro a night including electric hook up.

I must look up what this places claim to fame is, it really is rather grand. There is a statue of he founder (Charles of course), and the place was founded in 1625, but until we stumbled upon it during our wanderings in France, I had never heard of it.

We have a wander in the town and then settle into a pavement cafe in the main square for a glass or two of chilled vin rose.

The French know how to chill, their economy may be in trouble and the Euro teetering on the brink of collapse, but lunch must go on.

Amazingly we meet a Frenchman who we met here a couple of years ago. He lives nearby and seems to spend his time talking to visitors to practice his English, German, Dutch whatever.

Friday, a random choice from the “All the Aires France 3rd Edition” book, Dun sur Meuse.

It turns out to be a beautiful spot, on the banks of the River Meuse.

Space for about 20 vans, perhaps more, if you are brave enough to park right on the river’s edge and plug your electric hook up into the bollards on the floating jetty, meant for the boats!

Toilet, Shower and Electricity, for 7euro a night.

Plenty of walking and cycling along the banks of the Meuse and a pleasant village with shops.

We meet a pair of intrepid campervanners, originally from Yorkshire, but now, having sold their house, they spend their winters in Spain, and the summers roaming Europe. They have been to visit their family in the UK, and are now very slowly heading south.

Weather stays hot and sunny, but, with a rain shower in the evening.

Saturday 25/08/2012, we move on to another aire chosen from the “All the Aires France 3rd Edition” book, Pont a Mousson, enroute we find a Lidl, to replentish the Gin (Kathleen brought a half bottle with her, but it has all gone).

A marina with space for campervans, on the banks of the Moselle.

A five minute walk to town, 7Euro with Electricity, toilets and showers, although the toilets and showers are only open 8am to 8pm, so you have to regulate your bodily functions to suite!

Being the weekend, finding a church for Kathleen's mass is required.

We search out the church in Pont a Mousson, according to the noticeboard, there is no mass on Saturday, only 11:00am Sunday. It is resolved, we will have to stay until Monday. But, as we sit enjoying the sun, we hear the church bells ringing. Kathleen quickly gets ready, ie does her hair, and heads off to church. It turns out to be a wedding, but she stays anyway, so that is the church thing done.

It rains heavily overnight and Sunday, we wake to a cold cloudy day.

That decides us, we are off, into Germany.

July 7th, 2010 - July 10th 2010

 As we were packing up to leave Stenay, an English chap and his wife (Ray and Jan), engaged us in conversation. They too were planning to move on, and head for Charlville-Mezieres.

Kathleen is now focused on shopping for wine, to take home with us, so we call at Aldi and Lidl on the outskirts of town.

Charleville-Mezieres – Aire

First impressions of this aire, are good.

It is located just outside of a Campsite (Camping Mont Olympe), overlooking a Marina on River Muese.

All of this is within a public park area, with walking paths, rowing boats, tennis courts etc etc.

The aire itself is free, with a charge of 5 Euro / day for electricity (if you want it), there are only four hookup points, but there is parking for 8 vans in marked bays, and room for probably at least as many again in unmarked spaces.

When we plug in our power lead, we find the electricity supply is on, but Kathleen’s Catholic conscience, will trouble her if we do not pay, so I go to reception and pay up our five Euro.

We have a good view over the Marina, from our van.

When we arrive at around lunch time, five of the eight marked bays are occupied.

By 16:00, there are 12 vans there. The secret seems to be with these places, you have to arrive not later than about 15:00 to get a space.

We set off to buy bread for lunch, as we walk past the campsite, I notice a campervan we had seen yesterday, at Stenay.

The couple in it had very kindly explained to us how to get into the Aire, at Stenay etc, and where to get bread. They were able to tell us again, where to get bread in this new place. We do not know their names, only that they are from Whitehaven. So, they shall be known to us as “the English couple who knew where to buy bread”.

We return with bread and also a little treat, Apple Tart, to find that Ray and Jan (another couple who we met at Stenay) have arrived.

The park area, campsite and aire are effectively on a large island in the River Muese. There is a pedestrian bridge over the river to make a short walk to the very attractive town centre.

Kathleen keeping cool by a fountain in Charlesville-Meziers.

Shopping street in Charlesville-Meziers.

Ducal Square in Charlesville-Meziers, where we rest with a cool beer.












Thursday and we leave Charlesville-Meziers, saying goodbye to Jan and Ray.

We pass an aire at Catillon-sur-Sambre, it looks pleasant, by a canal.

We are pretty sure this is where Joan and Bryan a couple of nights ago. But it has no facilities at all, so we continue on to the next aire we have picked out.

Le Cateau Cambresis – Aire

The Aire at Le Cateau Cambresis is a fairly typical basic overnight stopping place with some facilities.

It has marked parking bays for five vans, with space for probably one or two more at a push.

There are four Electric hook-up points, with free Electric and free water.

It is beside a busy and noisy road and about five minutes walk into a town which has seen better days.

Things follow a familiar pattern, we are the only ones there at 14:00, then another British van arrives (Andy and Shiela from near Plymouth), and then  one by one four French vans, so the place ends up full.

Andy and Sheila walk into town to eat in the evening and tell us there is a good restaurant in the Hotel, there.

Friday, it is getting near the weekend and the need to find a church becomes Kathleen's obsession.

The plan is to stay on an Aire at Escalles (south of Calais), but when we arrive there, the Aire is full.

We set off for our second choice, which is north of Dunkirk. As we pass Dunkirk, we stop and ring Norfolk Line to see if we can get on a ferry today, instead of 09:00 Sunday morning. It is now about 14:45 on Friday, and they tell us we can go on the 18:00 this evening, with no extra charge other than the usual £10 fee for changing a booking.

When we arrive at the check in, they are still checking in vehicles for the 16:00 ferry, and since it is not full, they put on that, soon we are on the dockside, going through the usual search of the van by Immigration, looking for illegal immigrants, pets etc

Welwyn - Caravan Club Site

We arrive at Dover, at 17:00 UK time. We decide to make an overnight stop, rather than drive the 350 mile shome, having driven for most of the day already. The M25 and Dartford Crossing are there usual traffic jam, and we make it only as far as the Caravan Club site at Welwyn by 20:00, but by 21:00, we are all set up, and eating Spaghetti Bolognaise cooked by Kathleen's fair hand.

Saturday, and we have a leisurely drive home. As lunch time approaches, Kathleen expresses an interest in having a bacon sandwich.

This is such an unusaul request from her, that I begin eagerly watching out for truck stops which may provide a decent bacon sandwich.

Before I succeed in finding one, Kathleen changes her mind (well it is a woman's perogative) and declares a desire for a pub lunch.

So we stop off at Retford for a pub lunch, just to keep the "holiday spirit" going a little longer.

Kathleen even kindly offered to pay for lunch, out of our "holiday fund". Since we both contribute equally to this, I failed to see how this could be contrued as a "treat" to me by her, since I was paying half anyway!

The end of another trip!

Very enjoyable, particularly enjoyed Germany, and would recommend it.