7th September 2011 – Polleur, Ardennes, Belgium

Can’t believe that only four days ago we were sweltering in the shade of our van in the Rheinpfalz. Drove here yesterday. Very good route. Hardly any traffic on Autobahn, unlike A3 and A4. Would definitely use this route to Bavaria again, in preference to route we took down. A very windy drive over the Eifel had G gripping steering wheel to stop van veering across road. Stayed at Camping Polleur last night. ACSI site about 5 miles from motorway - almost deserted apart from a few permanent residents, a couple of Dutch vans over-nighting like ourselves and a group of teenagers with their teachers.

It looks like Shropshire and feels like Shropshire – fields, hills, woodland, shallow rivers – and about 12 degrees centigrade! Lucky I brought emergency ‘cold weather clothing’ with me (not expecting to have to wear it). Am wearing jeans and sweatshirt for first time in weeks!

Terrible storm kept us awake last night. No thunder, but very high winds and torrential rain. Van was rocking and we were worried about tall trees, bending above us. Also pitched at side of a brook - very pretty in good weather, but in the middle of the night I just had images of flash floods. Don’t suppose there was any danger at all – but things always seem different at 4am.

Off to Ghent for 2 nights. Hoping to cycle from campsite into city. Wish I’d put a plastic bag over my bike seat. Looks like I’ll have a wet behind – should have brought an extra pair of jeans!