Places

28
Aug
2022

Ukraine At Home, Croatia At Last

Life in new lanes found me today at a complete parkup on a motorway, still despite my advancing years a rare event, with a helicopter having landed further up so we were there for a duration. I was once again sitting pretty, not quite ‘on’ 😊, but due to the toilet on board, and the fact that the sun was shining, I had a coffee in my mug and was finally heading to where I have wanted to go for a long time. Lots of German, Belgian, Dutch holiday traffic, so everyone was outside of their cars, walking dogs, sharing conversation…   Without the sun, it would have been perhaps a different atmosphere. 

Given that it’s cost a few hundred pounds to renew my blog site domain name for the next 3 years, and what better could I be doing, I decided to type my first post for almost a year since my last trip over the channel – as I was happily waiting.  That was just south of Cologne, heading for this journey’s 3rd stage destination of beyond Stuttgart. 

I have had to re-assess my capacity for hours driving, as my original aims were to drive after work on Friday the 5 hours down to Canterbury, board ferry at 6am in Dover, then drive from Dunkirk across Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia arriving in northern Croatia by Monday, including a shortish diversion to meet my son and girlfriend near Cologne on my birthday!!!  Notwithstanding the only 2 hours sleep I had after the Stage 1 drive, prior to which I had had to put my trust in the satnav at 11:45pm leading me through dark roads, up what seemed like steep climbs in the middle of nowhere, to arrive at the council-provided official motorhome parking area. To boot, a warning light suddenly appearing and I didn’t want to find my glasses and process it whilst driving until setting off the following morning.  Fantastic though Canterbury, and thanks from me, Blue and the 20 or so other vans there for the provision. The following morning, or 4:30am middle of the night, engine ignition revealed the warning to be that Adblue was needed. Thankfully after initially going through the plan to have to buy a 10-litre container of it somewhere in Dunkirk and buy another funnel to get it into the inlet on the van, my brain came up trumps with the memory of the fact that there are Adblue pumps on service stations.  Sure enough, the first one I passed on the way to the ferry port had the very thing, easy peezy, stress alleviated, and better still removal off the problem list henceforth.

Notwithstanding also (1st notwithstanding was para 3 and sentence number 2) my determination to be almost the slowest vehicle on the autobahn, cruise-controlling at 58mph, resisting the all nationality and non-lorry vehicles dash to the southern coasts, by constantly reminding myself that I am time-rich and cash-poor.  Because it is exciting being part of the throng of like-minded movement, seeking the mirage? of a paradise beach.

The contract I started last December is still continuing and I am delighted to be remote working, doing the most enjoyable and rewarding work of my life, so it’s coming with me on this trip as I give digital nomadery a shot, and join my new tribe – the primarily young, cool, north american vanlife vloggers. 

I had originally booked a ferry from Venice to Patras for May, but cancelled this due to the amazing achievement more than 3 months ago of a Ukrainian family actually getting their visas through the shambolic British Homes4Ukraine scheme.  They duly arrived to my house 11 May, and continue to establish, as best they can, a life of sorts in the UK given what Putin and his cabal have done to their country and the lives of its you and me equivalents.

Who would have predicted that 2022 would have followed a 2-year pandemic which completely upturned the world (at least my one); bringing a repeat of a Nazi dictatorship, but with the addition of nuclear power plants and the red button, even if it hasn’t gone for another holocaust of ‘others’ as a rallying, unifying, justified and worthwhile cause which recent history shows any population can be sufficiently brainwashed or rendered fearful enough for their own lives to buy into.  The threat is there for us all with the slippery slope of the rise of governments appealing to usually right-wing populist simplistic tropes to maintain their ‘world-beating’ position, the gradual, imperceptible watering down, or actual removal of opposition or balancing structures of state, and the re-definition of patriotism as allegiance to the government because it is one and the same as one’s country.

Well, stepping off the soap box again ……, so there I was 2 weeks ago, contemplating going to theTwinwood vintage music festival – see my post about it from last year – when the thought suddenly presented itself that instead of paying for that over the Sat-Mon bank holiday weekend, the money and time could instead go towards crossing the channel and heading for Croatia to finally achieve some of my planned 2019 career break eastern leg.

I am delighted, and aware as ever of my life’s fortunate time, place and, still there just opportunities and days for the seizing, to be driving once again on these roads through beautiful countryside, marvelling at the engineering and infrastructure investment, this time of Germany.  The A61 and A8 motorways I’m on are to be recommended – the great viaducts across wide/high vineyard-covered valleys, a volcano-area, lots of forest and just space!  And in addition, my 2nd night spent on a motorhome stellplatz (small dedicated motorhome car park) provided by the town/village council – this one for 6 euros at Weilheim an Teck, last night was free.  Onwards and will presumably be upwards tomorrow as I aim for a stellplatz behind an inn in Austria south of Salzburg. So that would be day 3, meaning day 4 brings me to northern Croatia to a small town called Duga Resa and a campsite stop for the luxury of two nights, with hopefully a train visit to Zagreb.

I can certainly recommend the radio station SDW giving fantastic driving companionship right up my street with mostly American/British classics from the 60s onwards all day. Belting out the below with a shoulder shimmy for you Dad …….’ interspersed with listening to stuff like an interview (of course in German) with someone who’d just been to the Robbie Williams concert in Munich, and the station playing him singing Angels with the crowd. Loving the exercise my brain at least is getting, and thinking as I drive and sing about the parts of my life spent with things German.

Weilheim an der Teck
Posted by admin in Germany, Musings, The Good
27
Sep
2021

More ‘non plain sailing’

I spent 3 nights with my old friend Carole and her constant companion Ted on a lovely site ‘L’Olivier in Junas, near the historic small town of Sommieres between Nimes & Montpellier. The good is of course the company and the location, and the fantastic 3m-wide voie verte which runs on an old railway line from Nimes. Sommieres is well worth a visit, and it was fun to happen upon market day on Saturday, 3 km brisk ride on the flat from Junas

However after a 3rd night being dive-bombed by mozzies, this after spending 2 hours before bed with lights on, zapping them, with the essential piece of kit to the left, desperately keeping all net screens in place, hardly wanting to risk opening the back doors to pack stuff up to my garage, enough was enough, time to move on.

I was feeling confident driving. I had this time decided on the route from the map in the old-fashioned way, and it worked a treat, going anti-clockwise on what seemed like a ring-road round Montpellier, to end up on the best road heading to a familiar destination. So on I mused about all the miles and routes I’d covered over the years with very few mishaps. In fact the only damage I caused to Monte 1 or 2 was causing the back door bike rack to be slightly bent on the latter as I reversed onto a pitch and against a tree very momentarily, no reversing camera, at Lake Como, Camping Lazy Sheep – I do like to recall the site’s name :). Actually just checked as I do like to be accurate – it’s ‘Golden Sheep’, only slightly less amusing to me., but lovely campsite.

Despite these driving feats, I had decided to downsize by 1 metre to Blue at 6m for the obvious benefits, not least the maneouvering, so it is with annoyance and a wry smile as I record here that I have caused damage to a wing-mirror and bodywork trying to get the van onto a campsite with very narrow approach road, the side wall of which I unfortunately caught by accident.

The glass of the essential (driving on the right) passenger wing mirror is holding together under sellotape, and the electronic movement controls are still working. The outside housing though has also been affected so this is being held in position with duct tape. I am determined to get it back to the UK for a spare part/fix, having failed to id the required mirror in a Halfords equivalent, and then being subjected to unbelievable sexist service which belongs out of the ark at Poitiers Citroen main dealer, to order the mirror for the sum of 105eu!!

Well-earned cup of tea later, read of my thriller, I beheld what I’ve driven down here for:

Yes it’s Marseillan Plage again – mediterranean sea at 23-24deg – just to make a certain individual very jealous. Good weather forecast until the end of the week, when I’ll start making my way north.

Posted by admin in Equipment, France, The Bad
20
Sep
2021

Mum’s house in Courry

This has been my first visit since June 2019, before Mum’s cancer returned and finally overcame her.  I have not experienced grief and sadness like this even at her death last March, and since the ending of my marriage.

The house has had 2 short visits last year, and now this September, but everything is more or less as she left it, down to the beach equipment, the crockery she assembled, her larder cupboard, the bathrooms she had done and equipped for everyone to use and so it goes on with every room.  Mum you’re so missing from your special place, your achievements here, the home from home you created, just you, so far away in this beautiful part of France.   

It is day two now, and despite trying to get the endorphins going with an online exercise session!, the sadness is continuing at the moment.  I think I will stay here though as planned for the next 3-4 days to live with the grief, because in a way I feel it’s overdue and it is revealing, I feel, all that she meant to me subconsciously. It remains to be seen whether I will able to take joy from this place again like she would no doubt want.

The story of her ownership of this house began after she had unexpectedly lost her husband, George, was concerned about her savings as the values fell significantly at a point in 2002, and an old friend who lived in this village happened to be selling the property, Laborie, within Mum’s available funds. 

Against all our (I and siblings) advice, she had made her decision and purchase it she did.  There followed many years of journeys out here at the age of 62, on her own, first with Ryannair from Blackpool or Liverpool to Nimes, then Nimes airport to Nimes train station, then a train to Ales, then the local train to St Ambroix, then a taxi or perhaps pick up from her friend for the last 7km journey upto Courry.  Bringing stuff out like bedding/towels in her suitcase.  Ryannair stopped flying from up north to Nimes, so she flew from Luton, the train line from Ales to St Ambroix was replaced by a bus, she eventually bought her friend’s little car and parked it at Nimes airport, where each time she arrived, she had to get the car park attendants to jump lead it!

Over time she removed all the wallpaper and replaced it with white paint, she installed 3 bathrooms, via her commissioning of the local French trades of course – imagine that with ‘O’ level French – one of them replacing the little room housing an internal septic tank when mains drainage came to town.  For a few years it seemed like every time you arrived, you never knew if there would be a leak from the old macerator toilet or its piping, or the original salle d’eau upstairs.  That does raise a smile.

It’s as if this house embodies so many of her attributes – she was indefatiguable, determined, capable, undeterred, positive, strong, and then welcoming, hospitable, wanting us all to share in it all with her. And for the last 10 years she was able to share it with her partner Jack, who engaged with it lock, stock and barrel, and she loved and was proud of it even more. See photos of the inside at post from 2 years ago: https://lifeinnewlanes.com/french-durrells-house-via-brief-stop-at-montpellier/

My family had lovely times here with her and their messages from one particular stay – got to be approx 12 years ago – Mum had put on the wall in the living room:

Posted by admin in Musings, Places
19
Sep
2021

Two wheel ascent to the Causse

For yesterday’s activity, from across the valley I could see the road ascending to the top above Florac, so I decided that this would be a good test of new trusty. We managed to do it – about 4.5km of ascent of approx 500m upto around 1000m – using mostly the 2nd level of power and for the last stretch only the first level of power, low gear and moving between 6 – 7 mph 😀. Don’t forget the weight of the bike plus locks, about 24kg, as well as mine (not revealing)!. I used only around half the battery for that. What a fantastic bike.

The road was good, but I still have to feel the fear of heights and do it anyway. Worth the views and the challenge though and to see the difference in landscape on the plateau and looking to the east into the Cevennes, where the high green upland pastures can be seen. So beautiful and varied. As a french couple from Brittany I chatted to at a brief stop said – we are spoilt in France.

  • The road can just be made out across the valley
  • Road up – doesn’t quite do it justice!
  • Nearly there – looking back to campsite
  • Star of the show 🙂
  • Up on a ‘Causse’

After 3 days stay at this lovely campsite, am off to the other side of the Cevennes – Courry & Mum’s house – for a few days re-visiting the Ardeche area.

Posted by admin in Equipment, France
18
Sep
2021

On Robert Louis Stevenson’s Chemin but with bike not donkey

  • The limestone upland (causse) can be seen rising up above Florac
  • Idyllic setting for a fish farm, water eventually surfacing from the plateau above
  • Part of the ‘chemin’

Have spent the last two nights on a lovely 2-star campsite in Bedoues-Cocures, a village a couple of kms or so outside of Florac in the Gorges du Tarn/Cevennes region. My pitch is almost on the river bank, in a landscape of beautiful forested steep gorges, clear water rivers, historic villages and striking upland limestone plateaus called ‘Les Causses’.

This area is also mountainous – Florac is at about 500m above sea level. The mountains Lozere and Aigoual are over 1500m.

My ride into Florac yesterday took me completely unexpectedly on a small part of the above. If the weather is going to hold, I may decide to attempt to take my bike – or rather with confidence that it will take me -up a gorge ascent road to the plateau above.

Posted by admin in France
16
Sep
2021

Pandemic & Brexit – Travel in France

Current French Covid requirements for entry

  1. Proof of vaccination or recent recovery from covid

I used the French ‘Tousanticovid’ app (from Google Playstore) which is like our NHS App.  This will scan the NHS Vacc or Test QR code and load the details into the app.  I scanned the paper printout of the vacc certificate from the NHS App.

The French ‘legal declaration form’ I downloaded from the French gov website linked to from our gov site travelling abroad pages; this is a form you just tick boxes in and sign to confirm that you haven’t been in contact with anyone with covid in the last period of time – think it’s 2 weeks

In the Caen port my vacc pass (I handed them the paper version) was scrutinised and compared to my passport; others travelling via Eurotunnel were simply waved through on saying they were vaccinated – I think the same for the ferry at Calais.  The border guard stamped my passport, so assume the clock is now ticking down from 180 days for this period of travel in the Schengen area.

I have put a ‘GB’ sticker on the back and done the headlight beam thing.

Re Critair sticker – I got this for my previous van but forgot for this one so will ensure I don’t drive through any cities that require it.

Proof of destination in EU and return journey to UK

I was not asked for either of these and neither were my three other relatives/friends as part of their respective journeys. As of yet I haven’t organised for any tests for returning to the UK.

My sister bought a test from the UK and brought it with her for her return journey and got it certified via video that she was the one doing it, for inputting to the Passenger Locator Form, which she said took ages to do.

Taking food into France (EU)

Despite understanding that dairy, meat, fruit and veg from the UK are not allowed into the EU, consequently giving away the contents of my fridge after the festival, but keeping my hidden UHT carton, I needn’t have bothered as no interest was shown on either side of the channel.  The same has been reported by my sister crossing by ferry from Dover.

Round & about

Mask wearing is required indoors and even requested in tourist outdoor spots like the villages on L’Il de Re.  People are compliant re indoors certainly, and 2/3 compliant outdoors when it’s requested via a sign.

Showing the vacc pass is straightforward via the French app and is scanned in every restaurant/café I’ve been into, otherwise no entry.

Infection rates in France in the area I’ve been visiting are lower than the UK and dropping, and the vacc numbers are going up.  It has become a requirement now for all health & social care workers, plus other civil servants to have at least one vacc dose.  Hospital staff suspensions due to vacc refusal have been reported today via radio news.

I have not felt concerned about Covid at all, probably due to being outdoors, levels of mask wearing, and requirement to show vacc pass.

Apart from the very obvious lack of other British vehicles and the sound of English in comparison to previous years, as well as the above, everything else is as before, and people have been very friendly. There are lots of French mhome/vans on the road, also Dutch & German, although there might be less of these – difficult to tell given where I’ve been since Il de Re.

Posted by admin in France, Musings, Places