Blog

Blog

Last week of this big trip

The Randstad is the conurbation in south Netherlands containing almost half the population of the country in its cities and towns, including Rotterdam, Den Haag and Delft and lots of others. I stayed for 3 nights on what I consider to be a stereotypical Dutch place – a peaceful small-holding..

Posted by Jackie in Cities-Towns, Musings, Netherlands, 0 comments

Cycling & Its Paradise

Have I given adequate impression of my love of cycling? For my posterity, although the technical challenges of saving my journal to a no cost yet still accessible place remain to be addressed, I thought this warranted a post in its own right.

I have played bike tig, pulled along neighbours..

Posted by Jackie in Musings, Netherlands, Netherlands, Places, The Good, 1 comment

The Netherlands with Toddler & Baby

The Eurocamp chalet/static caravan was on the Koningshof Vakantiepark between Leiden and the coast at Katwijk, and promised a lovely indoor pool for young children, an indoor play area and nice cafe/reception, and of course flat cycling. We had decided that I should stay in the chalet rather than..

Posted by Jackie in Musings, Netherlands, Places, 0 comments

Cologne Family Gathering

It was a good drive the 270 or so miles from Turckheim to a few kms south of Cologne, and by lucky chance I was doing it on a german bank holiday where most lorries are not allowed to be on the motorways. This meant that I could mostly drive at my preferred 58mph, well below any motorway speed limit..

Posted by Jackie in Equipment, Germany, Places, 1 comment

50th Anniversary Meetup

When I and my longest-standing friend Carole were 16, we went on our first independent little holiday youth-hostelling in the Yorkshire Dales. So it was a great pleasure to be able to celebrate this anniversary with a travels meet-up again as our paths on the way to Austria and from Annecy to Cologne..

Posted by admin in France, Places, 2 comments

Annecy – Beyond Expectations

The lake, the town, the tourism infrastructure including for lake swimming and fantastic safe cycling most of the way round the lake, and the campsite I’m on
could not be better for me.

Definitely a place for families, and this 4-star Camping Europa, which I had understood would..

Posted by Jackie in France, Places

Carcassonne, Les Trois Sorcieres and Heading North

I am now 200 miles north in Puy-En-Velay, having left Crones (term coined – affectionately? – by my ex-hubs) 2 & 3 at the airport for their return flight.  The days have of course passed so quickly, but everything ‘worked’ as we hoped and the happy times have continued,..

Posted by admin in France

Cycling Between The Cevennes & The Ardeche

Over the last few days the weather has been becoming more Mediterranean-like with beautiful blue/high-cloud skies and lots of sunshine illuminating this area in which sits my brother’s house in the village of Courry. It’s just as beautiful as when I last visited some 4 or 5 years ago…

Posted by Jackie in France, Places

Dune du Pilat, Pyla & Arcachon

This is such a beautiful area by the sea and I am sorry to be departing from Camping de Versalle tomorrow as I take this look back at the last two days.

The cycling here is great to get up and down the coast, flat, wide separated routes which I took advantage of particularly yesterday to do..

Posted by Jackie in France, Places

Bassin d’Arcachon

A long time on my visit list, the Arcachon area on the Atlantic coast is about 200 miles from Le Dorat, once again via empty ‘D’ roads through historic villages to the fantastic dual carriage N141 which didn’t appear on my lorry satnav so built in the last few years, and then free..

Posted by Jackie in France, Meetings - the non-work sort, Places