Germany 2011 - Our First Trip Abroad in the Van

18^th August 2011

Preparing for our first trip abroad in the van

Anyone would think we’d never been abroad before.  I feel a bit like a child with a limited amount of spending money, entering a toy shop and seeing before her eyes everything she ever wanted and panicking because she doesn’t know what to choose. I’ve been studying the maps/books/web for weeks trying to decide where to go. Should it be France – down to Bordeaux and back via the Dordogne, or the Loire Valley, perhaps? What about Germany, our favourite country? Maybe we could go down to the Schwaebish Alb and then on to Lake Constance? Or how about the eastern side of Bavaria – Franconia? We’ve never been to Bamberg and Regensburg and I’ve only ever paid a fleeting visit to Nuremberg some 35 years ago. Fraenkische Schweiz looks interesting and unspoilt. In the end, the decision has been made by the weather forecast. We’re off to eastern Bavaria.

Everything is ready. Tyre pressures checked, full tank of diesel, new leisure battery, fridge switched on, bed made up, toilet cassette charged etc. etc. etc. I’ve also identified a number of likely looking campsites and Stellplaetze.

A couple of hurdles have been successfully negotiated. Firstly, we couldn’t pump up the bike tyres. We both had a go but to no avail. (I’m sure I never had this problem when I was a child!) We decided there were two possible routes to solution – either to stop a passing 10-year-old and ask them how to do it, or to take the bike to the cycle shop and pay someone to do it. Decided that the second option was less likely to lead to arrest. Also, while a 10-year-old would not spare our feelings, a shop owner was unlikely to meet our request with hoots of derision, as we were paying him, and he would be able to nip into the stockroom later and snigger with his mate. Anyway, the tyres have now been professionally pumped up and I’ve been to ‘Go Outdoors’ and bought a ‘Joe Blow Max II’ pump, which should be as foolproof as it was expensive.

The second hurdle was more technically challenging. We couldn’t get the Tom Tom European maps to load onto the sat nav device. This was overcome by the extremely competent helpline operative who remotely connected herself to G’s laptop and did it for us.

We’ve had to forgo the purchase of a long-range wi fi antenna. We finally decided which one suited us best and G phoned up yesterday to order one for next-day delivery. In the afternoon, he received a phone call from the bemused manager of the local farm supplies shop saying that he was very sorry but he’d never heard of a ‘Rocket Long-Range Antenna’, and what was it used for? The school-leaver who had taken the order had assumed it to be an item of bird scaring equipment. I’m sure we’ll manage without – just like we’d have managed without Tom Tom. After all we’re 2 professional adults who have travelled to Europe and beyond at least twice a year for the past 35 years and have never used either sat nav or the internet there before. It’s just that we’ve never been there in a van before, so everything feels more complex than it actually is.

Dallies are staying at home this time.

Pembrokeshire July-Aug 2011

28 July 2011

Pembrokeshire

Not so much a blog, but more of a retrospective. Have been in a bit of a ‘can’t be bothered’ mood. Knew I should be making a record before the memories got lost or distorted by time, but kept putting it off til later.

Have always wanted to come to Pembrokeshire. The Welsh Tourist Board really does have a good advertising campaign. Now I’m here I can see that the easy part for them is taking beautiful photos; the hard part is choosing which ones to use. The beaches really are white and the sea (this week at any rate) is calm, blue and clean. It just doesn’t feel like Britain as we know it. We felt as though we were in Brittany. A dog-walker on the cliffs last night told us she felt like she was in Greece.

We’ve never been to Greece so we’ll stick with Brittany.

It’s not just the natural beauty of the place which makes it so attractive but also the fact that someone has had the intelligence to understand that for it to retain its appeal it has to remain authentic and understated. People come here to enjoy the outdoors – walking, canoeing, sailing, surfing and just sitting and staring.

Set off on Saturday morning and stopped approx half-way at Rhandyrmwyn Camping and Caravan Club site in the Towy Valley - further off the beaten track than we’d anticipated. In fact it’s out in the middle of nowhere and we were beginning to think we might have got lost. The campsite was all the better for that – quiet, relaxed, by the side of a shallow, fast-flowing river. Walked the dogs along the riverbank footpaths.

Sunday morning off to Freshwater East. Not our favourite site but, the location is terrific - just a short walk to a lovely bay with beach and little fishing boats. Maybe  they are crab fishing cos there are loads of bits of crab on the beach. Dogs thought crab legs and shells might make a tasty snack, but they quickly spat them out again.

Sunday afternoon in Tenby was a nice surprise. A pretty little resort with a relaxed atmosphere. Left dogs in van and went to explore on our own. Two beautiful beaches, the remains of a castle and town walls, surrounding quaint streets with fine houses, pavement cafes, moules and chips. Still thinking of Brittany. Harbour area was buzzing with a beach party – children’s rides, live music, food stalls.

Monday morning went to Manobier to look round the castle. Beautiful gardens –and far less ‘Health and Safety’ obsessed than in England. Allowed access to parts which would have been ‘far too dangerous’ in England.

After Monobier, decided to head off to Lily Ponds at Bosherston. National Trust car park was full but extremely helpful attendant directed us to another car park a couple of miles down the road at St Govan’s Head. Advised us to walk along cliff top and go down to a small cove where we may have beach to ourselves.

When we arrived at the lovely little cove – soft white beach, clear blue water, there were two German families plus two other women with a little black dog.  Cause of great excitement to the Dallies who, although both on leads, couldn’t help themselves from shouting comments to each other about the other dog and people on the beach. (Incredible as it may seem, Dallies do actually talk!) Needless to say, the comments were fairly uncomplimentary and the women and dog shortly left the beach, having heard quite enough. The German parents, on an educational trip to Britain and not wanting their children to pick up the wrong sort of English vocabulary (the Dallies really are incorrigible!), urged their young to put on their shoes and socks and go schnell zum Mittagessen!  To our dismay, this left us with the beach all to ourselves, so the Dallies and I proceeded to splash about childishly in the clear, clean sea, while G (who has an aversion to any water other than that in his bath) kept his distance and took artistic photos destined for The Blog.

Bosherston Lily Ponds were a surprise. Much bigger and more lush than anticipated. Didn’t remind us of Brittany but of Kerala. Walking across the wooden pontoon bridge, we half expected to see elephants coming down to drink on the opposite bank. (No elephants but the National Trust attendant told us that there were a couple of otters there).

Tuesday we set off for St David’s Camping and Caravan Club Site, about 5 miles out of St David’s. A lovely natural site, in the middle of nowhere. We had the best pitch on the site with views over the fields down to the sea. Beautiful weather. Walked down to the nearest beach, Abereiddi, about a mile and half away. A former slate mining village, very busy with youngsters in wet suits jumping from the wall of an old mine building into a deep pool, The Blue Lagoon, then rowing around in canoes. Apparently it’s called ‘oceaneering’. Decided to give it a miss.

Sat outside the van in the lovely sunny evening just watching the sun set slowly into the sea. The evenings are so light here. Certainly beats watching TV.

Real Time Blog Starts Here

28^th July 2011

Now sitting watching mist come in off the sea. We’ll set off for Freshwater East soon. Went to St David’s yesterday. Weather was beautiful. Blue sky, really hot. St David’s was another surprise. A huge cathedral in a very small town (city). Again, everything was neat and clean and unspoilt. Renovation works are going on at cathedral. Windows are being replaced to replicate the old ones. There’s a stream at the bottom, where children were ‘fishing’ by a ford, a young Jack Russell going mad trying to catch minnows with them. A group of pony trekkers came through and stopped in the water to allow their horses a drink. One granddad was not at all amused that this ruined the fishing.

Then back to the van. Fresh crab salad for lunch and on towards Newgale, which the extremely helpful woman in the Tourist Information had recommended to us as a good beach for dogs. Had hoped to stop off at Solva, but nowhere to park. Had a very anxious few minutes on the narrow road leading down to Lower Solva stone walls on either side and coaches and lorries coming from other direction. We stopped still and allowed the professional drivers to drive past us. G very glad to get out of that one, but decided to drive the other way back.

Newgale beach was splendid - huge with plenty of space for everyone. Splashed with dogs into water and even G was persuaded to join us! Then sat on the beach a while, in the sunshine just staring at the beauty. I couldn’t remember a warmer day spent on a British beach. It certainly wasn’t like this at Brid when I was a child and we used to emerge trembling and blue from the murky North Sea!

By late afternoon, a mist has come in off the sea and was engaged in a battle with the still-strong sun. We were told by locals that this happens regularly here.

Decided to eat out. Went to ‘The Sloop’ at Porthgain – a former slate mining and brick manufacturing village with a harbour. Very picturesque in an ‘industrial heritage’ sort of way. A holiday haven for the affluent – improvised cricket on the green, 4x4s lining the street, fish and chips at £9.90.  But in the swirling mist you knew that life was so different for the men and boys of a century ago, who mined for slate and made the bricks which fed the British building boom.

As we sat outside and ate our fish and chips, the sun broke through so we decided to take an evening walk along the cliffs. Mist still hanging below us - a strange experience. Something neither of us had seen before. Very quiet and very beautiful. 

29 July 2011

Morning

Drove back to Freshwater East, yesterday. Got a better pitch than last time. Weather good again. Took a walk along Coastal Path, the view changing at every turn. A real feature of Freshwater East Bay is the silence. So protected that there are no waves, no wind, and very few sea birds. Completely unlike the rowdy walks we had along the Cleveland Way.

Off to Pembroke today. Castle looked interesting as we drove through, yesterday. Then planning to go back to Stackpole. Weather grey but warm.

Evening

Pembroke Castle was great, but the town’s a bit run down. Guide at the Castle was excellent. Seemed to know everything and presented it in a very interesting way.

Particularly liked the bits of social history that she told us. More than worth the entrance fee.

Then back to St Govan’s Head. Warm sunshine. Walked back along Coastal Path towards Bosherston. There are so many wild flowers in Pembrokeshire. Some I’ve never seen before. Must be a feature of the local climate – combined with careful conservation measures.

Didn’t push our luck with the ‘private beach’ but walked along as far as Broad Haven South. Sat on cliff top in sunshine, watching people and dogs enjoying themselves on the beach below. Another large, white beach with plenty of room for everyone. Unspoilt, no deck chairs or ice cream sellers, just pure nature to be enjoyed.

On the way back, noticed a pair of black sea birds who’d made their home on a rocky outcrop just off shore. Didn’t know what they were, but have since looked them up and it appears that they may have been called ‘Black Shags’. (I'm not juvenile, so I'll pass no comment).

Then went down steps to St Govan’s chapel built in the 13^th century above the cave where St Govan is said to have lived, following his escape from a pirate attack. Peaceful enough today, but a very lonely spot. 

Tomorrow is our 34^th Wedding Anniversary and we will set off for home. A fantastic week doing things and visiting places we would not have seen without the van. In three weeks' time we're off to the Continent.