Cities-Towns

14
Sep
2022

Excelled Myself Today

I’m looking forward to just sitting in one place for at least half of tomorrow, whilst driving the van across Austria and into south Germany. Today has seen an extraordinary hive of activity reminiscent of my brother-in-law.

Encouraged by my now-long-gone neighbours from Grimsargh – Gill and Greg – with whom I spent an enjoyable couple of hours last night chatting about the Longridge Aldi and the like, I did indeed get the SUP board out this morning.

That plus the 20 minutes pumping it up could be seen as exercise enough, but I then got on the lake under the blue sky and sun – all perfect for the activity – well before 10:00am. As I gracefully stood up and paddled up to the island, I realised that I was still listening to the R4 Today programme. I suddenly became aware of the incongruity of my happy – in beautiful surroundings, peace and quiet on the lake -pootling, whilst snorting at Nick Robinson’s interview with the latest Russian media mouthpiece, as he danced on a pin re the latest news of significant defeat. Now he insisted that the Russians would potentially need to step up their activity to liberate the Ukrainians from the US & UK occupation – or words/sentiments to that effect.

My age must tell, in that I am always incredulous at the “up is down”, “black is white” varieties of ‘truth’ out there, and how people can be so invested in their conspiracy beliefs, that they prefer not to apply their own brain power but hand it over to those who claim omnipotence. That’s Group a) anyway. Group b) know exactly what they are doing in their support of the omnipotent naked emperors. But how do they live with themselves suspending their consciences, as they continue to peddle lies to Group a), that can and are leading literally to tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths. And while all this fiddling goes on, Rome burns.

I switched it off. My mission was to be actively immersed in the surroundings above the board and take a selfie to prove that the prowess happened. This however is no easy task given that I also have to swap my sunglasses for my reading glasses to be able to operate the camera; the phone has to come out of its protective case and risk being lost to the deep, which would be a catastrophe. The photos below do show some limited evidence of me standing up on the board, and then reverting to kayaking position photos as my left knee had had enough by then. I did kayak over to the other side of the lake and back again, and Google timeline calls that 2.9 miles walking.

Revived by a coffee back at the van and having re-packed the sup board, i set off on the bike for the nearby town of Radovljika. This was also recommended for its medieval centre, and it was worth the 15 mile ride still in sunshine under the blue sky.

  • This beautiful building contained the music school and scales by clarinet were drifting out through the windows.

Posted by admin in Cities-Towns, Equipment, Places, Slovenia
04
Oct
2019

Harrogate welcomes the world – UCI Cycling World Championship

Given that I had intended being away when this event came to town, and based back in Longridge, Lancashire again, I had decided not to put my brain to the task of understanding the week’s schedule and how best to navigate the major road closures, as well as where to sofa-surf or driveway camp so that I could be part of it all.

Serendipity stepped in again though to enable me nevertheless to be a very happy spectator caught up in a world sporting event taking place in my home town and particularly as where my brother, and friends the next day, chose to stand for the women’s and men’s elite events respectively, was in the vicinity of what had become a european motorhome unofficial aire.

With delight, particularly as the first day delivered bright sunshine and blue sky after 24 hours of pouring rain, driving for many of those hours from a day-old stay despite weather forecast in the Lake District to the van manufacturer to try (in vain) to get a leak which appeared for the first time in Monte2 corrected, I realised that though I was not across the channel as part of a continental motorhoming tribe, it had actually come unexpectedly to me! (A very long sentence I know!) The cycling did of course figure 🙂

  • Men’s Elite ultimately 3rd, 2nd, & winner

What a fantastic event to in the end be led by circumstances and reacting decisions, and despite the appalling rain on the Sunday, I was so glad to have been there.

Partying between laps 🙂
Posted by admin in Cities-Towns, Events, Places, The Good
08
Sep
2019

“Take as a gift whatever the day brings forth” Horace

I am currently in my second swiss campsite following my friend in her campervan, where the above quote is pinned up. Yesterday I arrived at the first campsite at Davos Rinerhof at 1500m after 3 hours of driving through pouring rain, following a night of pouring rain, and feeling the same ridiculous ‘height fear’ as I followed the (very good swiss) roads, higher and higher. Ruminating on the whole ‘why am I not driving to the sunshine’ self-imposed pressure and catastrophising :)!!, by the time I arrived, I had already done enough speaking sternly to myself to change my mindset to precisely the sentiments I read, as I drank my friend-provided welcome cup of tea! Later on the rain stopped and we caught a bus and walked back along the valley through Davos, where I had stayed in Hotel Bunda with some of the family for our very first skiing holiday way back when. I also enjoyed a week’s skiing a second time in this place, when I went with another family several years later. Good times.

Today I awoke to the predicted snow, but put my trust in the forecast that southern Switzerland near Lugano would reach the heady heights of 20 deg. Gritted ones teeth to follow the satnav slightly higher before descending to get on the main road which then climbed to the San Bernadino tunnel.

I am genuinely in awe of the swiss road system, (railways also), and the same in France, as they forge their way in tunnels through around and up mountains. I don’t think we have anything remotely similar in the UK. Having popped out of the other end of the San Bernadino tunnel from a world of falling snow and 1.5deg into light, distant blue sky and sunshine, the amazing road descent in the most beautiful setting did deliver a new climate of the hoped-for 20 degrees.

Still in Switzerland just, we are now on Camping Tresiana between Lakes Lugano and Maggiore. Having a glass of wine to celebrate my success – glad I’ve not wasted £500 – having just received my diploma certificate, with my old, now ‘midult’ friend Carole, a mere 43 years after we went on our first youth-hostelling holiday together. We don’t look a day older!

My plan as of a few days ago which is still the intention, is to drive to northern Croatia this week and hopefully meet up with some other motorhoming friends, but there is potentially a spanner in the works, which may cause this to change.

Posted by admin in Cities-Towns, Places, Switzerland
08
Sep
2019

Brief Stays in Ghent & Germany

Whilst not perhaps able to fully endorse the extent of Lonely Planet’s effusive description of Ghent, I can confirm that it is well worth a visit. I thought it was a lovely town, and really accessible with fantastic free motorhome parking including overnight which I took advantage of, walking distance from the centre.

All ‘worked’ re my next 2-night stop at the Dusseldorf Caravon Salon. My main achievement here was to visit the show/exhibition extensively and twice and not buy a single thing. I stayed on the 800-place ‘caravan-center’ whose convenience was not outweighed for me by being under the flight path just by the airport, with business take-offs every minute or so it seemed, making their presence felt from 6am. Quiet though from 23:00 hours.

The 2nd day I made myself get the bike off the rack and cycle along the Rhein to Dusseldorf. Very easy – maybe 6 km away on the flat (for obvious reasons!) the sun was shining, and it was all well worth the effort. Really liked Dusseldorf Altstadt – ie historic centre – and the main thoroughfares. The Rhein is still used for loads of cargo boats transporting vehicles, lorries and all manner of goods.

From there, a 2 hour drive to a most fantastic welcome and 2 nights spent in Wissenbach benefitting from the most gracious hospitality, following the same that I was blessed with in London, my requested German gastronomy of Bienenstich and Curry Wurst, and visiting the Grun Villa museum in Dillenburg which included representations from all the industry/manufacturing there is in this area, including the first ‘airline kitchens’, which has had a historic and worldwide reach.

An abiding impression as I drove the 300 miles south to Lake Constance (Bodensee) for the last overnight in Germany was of the miles and miles of forest/woods still retained. My route around the east side of Bodensee took me through miles of fruit orchards and also vineyards.

Posted by admin in Belgium, Cities-Towns, Germany, Places
06
Jul
2019

Honfleur – and then ferry

For my last full day and night of the Western Odyssey I drove the few miles across Normandy countryside to where the Seine flows into the sea between the town of Honfleur and my sailing port of Le Havre. I stayed at the very nice 2-star Camping du Phare, for an extremely reasonable cost without electricity, given it’s location at this beautiful little town on the tourist trail. There’s loads more to visit around this area, just over the Channel, beaches as well as the other towns and villages, and well worth a return trip.

Le Havre was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in this style:

Posted by Jackie in Cities-Towns, France, Places
04
Jul
2019

WWII and the EU

I drove to Caen WWII Memorial Centre and spent 3 hours dedicated to reminding myself about this momentous and horrendous time period in not just Europe but the world’s 20th century history.

In continuing to my overnight stop at the village of Asnelles – the D-Day landing site ‘Gold Beach’, it was obvious how much this area of France commemorates with respect what happened in June 1944. Streets in Asnelles are named after British regiments – eg, Rue du Devonshire Regiment – there are plaques and streetlight banners highlighting armed forces individuals who fought in the Battle of Normandy. And up and down the beaches are wartime defenses, and equipment just left there as a very vivid reminder of what happened then.

I decided to watch the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’, which I really feel should be compulsory viewing in schools for all 16 year olds, as well as films such as Schindler’s List, as the still living participants and witnesses of it all become ever fewer. We should make all efforts to not forget the horror which was unleashed as a result of evil philosophy on behalf of leaders who in Germany, Italy and others were able to seize power, and then distort almost completely the moral framework of their citizens. The fact that such ideologies continue to flourish and have since then managed to escape Pandora’s box, and wreak similar evil in our lifetimes, means we must not take for granted the relative freedoms and prosperities we have enjoyed in our liberal democracies.

In conversation with others, the fear of the rise of populism and nationalism in its worst forms throughout Europe was a repeated theme.

  • Normandy Landings

As I set off this morning and stopped briefly on the cliff tops at Arromanches, I thought about the EU, and how I want to celebrate the force for good that I, in my simple perception and knowledge, feel it to have been through its evolution since the second world war. In reflecting on how difficult it is for the opposing sides in Northern Ireland to overcome the wounds and legacies of that historical conflict, imagine the gulf, the bitterness, and the need for revenge and retribution, amongst and within the nations of Europe arising from WWII, coming also after WWI. In the span of one person’s lifetime, I am proud that these nations’ representatives have worked so hard together within this structure and its previous incarnations, I feel, to establish an order which indeed has restrained enmity and sought to enable its peoples to flourish from out of the devastation of that war.

Perhaps one will say that indeed it served this purpose in the 20th century, but now it needs reform and is no longer right for the world as it is now, and Great Britain’s place within it. My view remains that all things considered, the EU is still a force for peace, for prosperity, for flourishing of its peoples, and yes for ‘good’ , which the United Kingdom is leaving for an empty slogan of ‘taking back sovereignty’, and a misplaced confidence in a Britain of its empire of the past. To face the challenges of now – strong-man politics, the rise of populism and nationalism, globalisation with potentially rampant corporations in reality stronger than nations, climate change, we need to be part of that bigger community, to be able to stand together as a block to defend and continue to develop the values of freedom, human rights and social democracy, which have been so hard won .

In conversation with others, whether Dutch, German, or French, sadness at the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU was a repeated theme.

Posted by Jackie in Cities-Towns, France, Musings