We’re being very very adaptable with the planning of our route. For example we were heading to the Czech Republic but looking at the weather and having had a couple of cold & wet or snowy days we’ve decided to head ‘South’ instead.
Every day we look ahead to a nice area, dependent on weather, distance and time, then open an app called Park4night and check out what’s available in that area. Some are free with no services, some free with coin operated services, ie electricity and water, some have a parking cost as well. Sometimes we want power, sometimes we need waste disposal, sometimes both. Then when we’ve picked a place that looks promising I send the driving directions to Google maps on my phone and program the address into the van’s built in GPS,or at least try too, mixed results so far. Sometimes I have to settle for the local town and use my phone from there. When we arrive, I check Google maps ‘explore’ option to see what’s around worth checking out. That’s how we found the Roman Fort in Welzheim and the 895 year old castle in Cadolzburg. If nothing appeals we just follow our nose. Like in Nittendorf where we wandered up river and stumbled on an amazing pine forest with mountain bike trails all through it. Very atmospheric in the snow flurries.
So far we’re averaging 2 to 3 hours driving each day and we’re staying in little villages, well off the tourist trail. It all seems quite foreign landscape – no fences, no livestock! Different bird calls. Different architecture. Language barriers but gestures are international.
It’s interesting to think about human ancestry. Languages seem to evolved from different local dialects because generally you can work things out in a written format. Western cultures anyway. And it does seem totally arrogant but English is certainly the dominant language. In any pub there will be someone wanting to talk to you. Anyway human behaviour is the same regardless.
I smile in the supermarkets to see ‘vegan’ prominently displayed on packaging. This movement is international! I can’t be sure we’re being totally pure because I can’t read the ingredients but we’re certainly not buying from the meat counters or the dairy fridges.
Cooking in the van, we have 2 elements only so one pot meals rule! Cooked a chickpea & cauli curry tonight so threw the par-cooked rice in the same pot. Other meals so far have been pastas and Mexican dishes but curries are winning with the cold. Bought a Bialetti coffee pot so we can have our oat milk coffees every day. Experimenting with the local beers & wines – some wins, some failures.
Getting to grips with the motor home or Wohnmobil. A full tank of water is lasting about 2 days so has become more of a priority. The toilet also is needing emptying every second day at the moment but should last longer when we get out and about more, as in when it’s warmer! The grey water tank is lasting 4 days weirdly enough. We bought an inverter so can charge all our devices (lol) and other electric items ie hearing aid chargers while we’re driving off the engine battery reducing the need to plug in to electricity. We’ve driven just over 600 km so far and used half a tank of diesel. Haven’t gone through the first gas/LPG/propane cylinder yet so no idea on how that lasts. The gas is for cooking and central heating plus the fridge is 3 way so if we’re off grid then it’s running off gas. When we can plug in to electricity it fully charges both batteries and we run the fridge off it, plus can plug in the laptop etc. It’s cold now so we’re using the central heating or ‘boiler’ in the evenings and overnight on the low setting for the last couple of nights. We need to keep the internal temperature above 3% for the gas to work, haha and for our own personal comfort. Living together in a small space hasn’t been a issue and we kind of have 3 rooms, living, bathroom & bedroom, all of which can be closed off from each other. The only issue is if someone is showering, then the other person cannot move through or get to the fridge but that just requires forward planning.
Greg’s doing all the driving and I’m navigating, each to their strengths. I’m doing the cooking and Greg’s doing the washing up if I don’t beat him to it, I enjoy having my hands in the warm water.
Greg’s taking a lot of photos, he is currently fascinated with German drain hole covers, gullideckels to be precise. Some Mercedes-Benz mag wheel designs were based on gullideckels, which explains his interest.
Well this is a ramble that’s ended up different from what I originally thought. Whatever, it’s my blog and I can do what I want.
BAGGAB 