Deleted member 12539
Guest
Still can't sleep, even though I have just got back from a 500 ish mile stint behind the wheel.
Just got back from a week away on holiday to Germany.
We took our time and stayed on Aires, car parks and a minicipal in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, visiting Brugge, Arnhem and Bueckeburg Castle, in sub zero temperatures (just) in our warm 'van.
With our van still not been sorted under warranty (waiting for parts) we set off for Germany with intermittent fridge, central locking and habitation electrics control panel.
The problems did not end there when we came across the queue for the Channel Tunnel that extended onto the motorway. This meant that we missed our train time, but eventually caught a later one.
This all vanished into insignificance when the engine temperature gauge hit the 'bleedin hot' mark and we pulled into a Belgian motorway layby around an hour away from getting off the train in Calais. With all our 'good' luck I was wondering if it would be best to turn round and head back home.
Fearing the worst, and it being 'late o'clock' we 'overnighted' til the morning, where with a clear head and daylight I was able to work out that it was the gauge that was at fault and not an overheating engine!:cool1:
We continued on to Brugge, where we hoped to park for the day near the 22 Euro Aire, but ended up parked next to the canal that surrounds the city and walked in, bought chocolate, toured round the canal on a boat and generally had a good time for a few hours before we drove out of Brugge to find an overnight spot near Arnhem.
Again we were lucky to find a parking spot near to 'a bridge too far', and visited a nearby small museum of information about the bridge and the soldiers and locals during that time.
The whole idea of the trip was to visit family in Germany, so the next leg took us to a Stellplatz right next to Bueckeburg Castle, five Euros a night and two Euros for 24hrs of 'lecky. A couple of days with my daughters family and then to Nienburg to visit the 'outlaws', where we had a warm welcome and an overnight stay on their farm.
The following day we set off to find a large shopping precinct so we could load up with my favourite German goodies, Curry ketchup!!! being one of them.
Afterwards we continued back towards the coast and eventually found a French Municipal camp site just outside Maubeuge and stayed for a further two nights.
On the Friday we made our way back to Calais and an early train back to Folkstone so we could visit family who live in Sittingbourne Kent.
Have yet to tally fuel cost, but considering the way I have been driving, I don't expect great things from the mpg...
Photos: Brugge. Brugge boat trip. Arnhem. Bueckeburg castle. Maubeuge.
Just got back from a week away on holiday to Germany.
We took our time and stayed on Aires, car parks and a minicipal in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, visiting Brugge, Arnhem and Bueckeburg Castle, in sub zero temperatures (just) in our warm 'van.
With our van still not been sorted under warranty (waiting for parts) we set off for Germany with intermittent fridge, central locking and habitation electrics control panel.
The problems did not end there when we came across the queue for the Channel Tunnel that extended onto the motorway. This meant that we missed our train time, but eventually caught a later one.
This all vanished into insignificance when the engine temperature gauge hit the 'bleedin hot' mark and we pulled into a Belgian motorway layby around an hour away from getting off the train in Calais. With all our 'good' luck I was wondering if it would be best to turn round and head back home.
Fearing the worst, and it being 'late o'clock' we 'overnighted' til the morning, where with a clear head and daylight I was able to work out that it was the gauge that was at fault and not an overheating engine!:cool1:
We continued on to Brugge, where we hoped to park for the day near the 22 Euro Aire, but ended up parked next to the canal that surrounds the city and walked in, bought chocolate, toured round the canal on a boat and generally had a good time for a few hours before we drove out of Brugge to find an overnight spot near Arnhem.
Again we were lucky to find a parking spot near to 'a bridge too far', and visited a nearby small museum of information about the bridge and the soldiers and locals during that time.
The whole idea of the trip was to visit family in Germany, so the next leg took us to a Stellplatz right next to Bueckeburg Castle, five Euros a night and two Euros for 24hrs of 'lecky. A couple of days with my daughters family and then to Nienburg to visit the 'outlaws', where we had a warm welcome and an overnight stay on their farm.
The following day we set off to find a large shopping precinct so we could load up with my favourite German goodies, Curry ketchup!!! being one of them.
Afterwards we continued back towards the coast and eventually found a French Municipal camp site just outside Maubeuge and stayed for a further two nights.On the Friday we made our way back to Calais and an early train back to Folkstone so we could visit family who live in Sittingbourne Kent.
Have yet to tally fuel cost, but considering the way I have been driving, I don't expect great things from the mpg...
Photos: Brugge. Brugge boat trip. Arnhem. Bueckeburg castle. Maubeuge.
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- the ex-Forces/Forces Brats groups (I'm a member of a couple of them) on Fb are full of people lusting after curry ketchup, bratties, apfelkorn, beers-they-used to-get legless-on, etc, etc, and so you could be in serious danger of a hijack situation :tongue: