Monday 17th June

From our possie on the dike, interestingly called Breezanddijk. It was breezy and it was a dike. Anyhow, we went to Den Helder, looked like there was a fort and a lighthouse and we’ve got time. What I thought was a fort was a full out military base with high barbed wire fencing. The lighthouse is tall and red. You can’t get too close. We park up on the top of the dike and look at the sea. Lots of shags catching fish, even a seal feeding. From the waters edge the dike rises steeply then there is a flattish section about 10 metres wide then it rises steeply again to the top. The flattish section is concrete and down the middle are 2 white painted lines. A shared path. There are lots of cyclists and walkers passing. They all stay between the lines.

We have coffee in a place a little further along, also on top the dike. It has wifi so I do a quick upload of the latest blog. I do write everyday but only upload when I can.

We carry on south down the coast road. The dike ends and is replaced with sand dunes. And a beach. It has a bit of a Pauanui feel and I suspect it’s Amsterdam’s holiday getaway.

We go to Zaanse Schans. This is a village where they have rebuilt some of the windmills that were prolific in the area in the 1600/1700’s. Very educational for me. I had assumed a windmill had one grinder. Wrong. The two we went in both had three. I had assumed they just ground grains. Wrong. They ground spices, chocolate, mustard, hemp, paints, paper, oils, emery for making knives. Some were also sawmills. The village also has a bakery, barrel maker, cheese maker, Weaver, chocolate shops, clog maker. The area used to have over 1000 mills, now there are 13. It’s very interesting. I suspect in the peak season it’s probably packed but this afternoon there only appeared to be one bus tour. We are able to sit on the docks and enjoy the rhythmic rotation of the blades while eating cinnamon candy. We watch as a man adjusts the direction and angle of the sails.

We’re free camping beside a park and ride 5 minutes cycle away. It’s an international village, Italian, British, German & Dutch going by the licence plates. Thankfully the rain has passed and it’s a lovely evening. We eat outside.

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18th June

We go to a lake called Teeweg which Greg has found on Google maps. It’s a sand dune lake in a National Park and about a 30 minute drive. It’s very civilised. Large paid parking, a cafe and children’s playground then along the concrete path to the sandy beach lakeside. There are lane barriers marking out where the water gets over 1/2 metre. Lots of toddlers splashing away under the watchful eye of a parent. A little further along there is a boot camp happening. In pairs doing balanced coordinated moves. There is a toilet block and regularly spaced rubbish bins. Beyond the lane barrier there a a couple of people doing serious lengths. We settle in on the sand, Greg goes for a swim. A couple of muscular young men turn up with weights and strip down to exercise pants. We climb a dune and look around. Not a lot to see, just more and more dunes covered in hardy grasses. There are a couple of hawks (or eagles?) circling on the thermals. Greg has another swim and we retreat to the cafe for coffee. Machine again.

Head to Amsterdam. First picked campground is full! Not sure why, it’s midweek and not in their noted peak time. Second campground is also full!! We take the opportunity to fill and empty our tanks. Third site has heaps of room. It’s actually closer to the city centre but doesn’t have full facilities. Just electricity and wifi. I’d been hoping to do some washing, oh well, I just reverse the sheets. 300 metres away is a free ferry that goes into the very centre of Amsterdam so grab a quick lunch and head in. The area we’re staying in is an old industrial area overlayed with street art and sculptures with some funky cafes and bars. It’s edgy and has a cool vibe.

The ferry is like a roll on roll off deal but for people and cycles. Everyone walks on and lines up to exit on the other side. From there you cut through the central station and you are in the hub of Amsterdam. It’s bustling with tourists, workers, bikes, cars, boats. We meander the lanes taking it all in. Greg buys a tee shirt. We find a table beside a canal, sit and have a drink. We’ve become those people I used to look at when I was busy working, wondering how they had the time to relax in the city bars & cafes. We wander some more then go to the Grasshopper for dinner. This was a place we’d lookEd at 7 years ago. Then we’d had a group dinner on a canal boat. This time we sat on the balcony and watched.

We then wandered around the Red Light district. Full of tourists, groups of young men egging each other on. Not sure how successful the job completion rate is.

Eventually we make our way back to the ferry and back to the van. The long daylight hours are deceptive and it’s later than it seems. Tomorrow we’ll come back in with some more specific destinations.

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19th June

Awake to rain again. And thunder. WTH! Last night the forecast for today was 24 degrees with some cloud. We wait it out since we’re only just getting over our colds. It passes over by lunchtime so we explore the area around us. There is this huge old shipping building that inside has streets of funky design studios. A melting pot of creativity. We have lunch at a neat cafe on the waters edge. There are stages being set up for a festival this weekend. The waitress tells us they have festivals all the time.

We catch the ferry over to the city centre and do a Canal cruise. We chose one that was longer and promised ‘off the beaten track’. Not sure how far off track we got but it was interesting. We all try to spot the Space Invader tiles. Apparently you can find them in over 77 cities. Guess I’m going to have to keep my eyes open. Link here if you’re interested; https://www.space-invaders.com/world/. She showed us a floating garden established as a variation of a house boat.

Her comment that ‘we (being Amsterdam) like small bits of anarchy’ stuck with me. She had talked about how everyone is welcome in Amsterdam regardless of what they believe in, just as long as they don’t cause problems. She talked about the fights with Catholics centuries ago and the realisation that it wasn’t Catholics that was the issue, just the Spanish. Then she talked about the hippies moving in in the sixties and setting up the first houseboats. Attracted there for the liberal laws and dope but caught with a housing shortage. No problem until the officials realised none of the boats had plumbing. Their solution was to grant sewer connections free to 2500 boats. These are now very desirable and fetch huge prices when they sell. We also heard the story about the Victoria Hotel which was built around 2 old houses that wouldn’t sell out to the developers.

Off the boat we wandered the streets and went into a World Press Photo exhibition. Very bleak images, war, refugees, needless violence, pollution. Not a good reflection on humanity. But I guess they were powerful images because they definitely engaged emotions. To lift our moods we had a drink and watched the world go by. Soaking up the sun and the ambience. Amsterdam is a young persons place. I’ve enjoyed it.

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20th June

Planning our onward route on google maps I noticed an interesting shaped town.

Found out later that the distinctive shape was used as a rallying point for the Allied bombers returning to England after raids on Germany. Anyhow we went there.

It’s a lovely little town. Is was built as a Star Fort with moats and fortified walls. The church is one of the oldest in The Netherlands having survived the Spanish war in 1572. The ceiling has amazing painted oak barrel panels. Old Testament on one side, new on the other. I asked if the church was Catholic and was told it was before the Spanish War then it became Protestant but straight away the local Catholics were told they could still use it. The local government objected but the people ignored them and even to this day they have combined services. It’s that ‘little bit of anarchy’ and ‘all welcome’ attitude. Love it.

We’re now camping in a peaceful campground beside a National Park. Finally doing the washing. AND decent wifi so can upload to both our blogs.

Likely our last night in The Netherlands. Heading to Cologne next.

Lol maybe not our last night, we might go to Maastricht on our way to Belgium.

Thursday 13th June

Greg’s feeling a bit better as we turn westward. First stop a supermarket. The list on the fridge is getting long. Lidl have good prices but not a great variety so end up going to a second one later on. We stop for coffee in Bremen. Greg had commented after passing the first sign that that was where Winton Rufer had played football. It’s not barista coffee here either but at least it’s not expensive. In Hamburg we’d paid about NZ$20 for machine coffee!

For lunch we detoured to Bad Zwischenahn, a pretty lake and lovely waterfront park. As we parked a gentleman gives us his pay and display ticket which still has 3 hours left on it. Very nice. When we leave we give it to a lady, it still had 1/2 hour left. This place appears to be a retirement town. It’s a game of dodge the zimmerframes as we go for a walk.

Late afternoon we cross into the Netherlands. The terrain doesn’t change. It’s flat flat flat. The GPS says -5 altitude. But there are now canals which we cross via draw bridges. Pretty little campsite with wifi. It’s in the countryside between two small settlements.

The camp owner brings around fresh strawberries out of their garden, followed soon by his wife with fresh mint.

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14th June

Greg is feeling really bad this morning and doesn’t even feel up to getting out of bed so we decide to just stay put for another night. Hopefully we can both kick our colds. I take the opportunity to give the van a good clean.

Spent most of the day doing absolutely nothing. Discovered I could watch Netflix, haha thanks Dow, so watched a somewhat mindless movie. Booked our Paris campground, didn’t want to chance that one. Started googling African safaris

We motivate ourselves to go for our after dinner walk into the neighbouring settlement. There is a canal, still waters with lily pads and reflections. A tall tower, on a slight lean. The ground is very sandy but we are miles from the sea. Or at least as long as the dikes hold. The houses are quite different to other countries we’ve seen. They remind me of the children’s program Playschool; here is a house, here is a roof, windows one two three four….. everything is brick, a deep red. The gardens are mostly box hedges with topiary bushes or fountains. And things are all mixed up. There are houses then a hemp factory, more houses, a chicken farm, house then a mechanic.

I’m guessing these sort of places have been inhabited since the times when everyone worked and lived in the same spot. The blacksmith, the Miller, The Baker and so you didn’t have residential, commercial, industrial areas.

It’s beautiful. This is what we’re traveling for, to see other people’s normal.

When we get back to the van the camp owner is waiting with more strawberries. They are so full of flavour! Bought ones just can’t compete.

A early night should complete our day of recouperation, tomorrow we’ll carry on.

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15th June

Rain again and the weather forecast was saying it was going to be nice today. We move on to a site ‘by the sea’. Well it’s by a dike anyway. The rain paused for an hour or so we explored. Climbing to the top of the dike, we can see the sea. Before that is some fields and Salt Marshes. This view according to the info board is how it all used to be. It’s a UNESCO site partly for that reason but also because of the abundant birdlife. The Salt Marshes are very important as the buffer between sea water and fresh water inland especially since the land is lower than the sea. There is a sign showing the altitude of the region. I’m thinking if there was a tsunami, you’d need to go a very very very long way!

We climbed back up to watch the sunset. There are at least 20 other people up there, some with serious cameras. The rain has passed and the clouds lifted so it was a pretty sight. It is after 10pm and the sky won’t get dark for hours yet. Pity as we’re a long way from any city lights so would be good to stargaze but I don’t feel like waiting up till 2am to do so.

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16th June

Blue sky this morning. We spend the day exploring Groningen. This is the town our darling daughter spent half a year as an international student halfway through her Bachelors. It’s gorgeous. There are striking modern buildings, stark and angular. Ornate old buildings, brick details and filigree. Bikes. Populated squares with cafes, restaurants and shops. Bikes. Canals with houseboats parked end to end. Bikes. A vibrant happy place. We chill over a long leisurely lunch taking it all in. I try the local gin. Very nice.

There is a second hand market happening in one square. A dress coat catch’s my eye, calling me from afar. I resist for a while looking at everything else but eventually end up in front of it. As I’m holding it up another customer says ( first in Dutch then in English after I explained I didn’t speak Dutch) that if I didn’t buy it she would. She tries on a different jacket and the stall holder suggests I try it on. I’m trying to catch Greg’s eye for a second opinion but try it on anyway. A couple of people stop to watch and comment in Dutch haha I think they approved. So I end up buying it (at a slight discount from the ticketed price). It’s winter weight and if the weather continues like it is I may actually get to wear it over here. But I won’t complain if we now have an amazing summer and it just sits in the wardrobe.

Driving along and the road goes down and under a ‘bridge’. It’s a Canal. The second one one has a boat going over under sail as we go under. Unique experience for us.

Last night we stayed just behind a dike, tonight we are on one. Water both sides. Very different from home.

Tuesday 11th June

Before we left Esbjerg, we visited four huge sculptures overlooking a beach and the North Sea then headed south. We have gone as far North in Europe as we will go, this holiday at least.

Our route took us close to Ribe so we detoured and had coffee in the chocolate place Kristy tried to take us to yesterday. Very nice coffee. Then we carried on through torrential rain, lighting and thunder.

The rain thankfully eased so we went to Flensburg, had lunch and a wander. There was a barber shop and we could see he wasn’t busy so Greg got a haircut. Don’t expect he will ever go back to a ‘home job’ by me again. The barber gamely offered to cut my hair too. I’m sure he was relieved when I declined. Flensburg is pretty and if the weather was nice I expect it would be absolutely delightful. Anyway we move on.

Our site for tonight was picked primarily for its proximity to the Citroen Service centre, which is about 30 minutes further down the motorway. It’s packed, more than 30 vans, so we’ve missed out on the 4 power points. Luckily I wasn’t really counting on them. There is a lake and a park so we have a pleasant after dinner walk. There are cygnets and ducklings. The water is very still and the clouds have cleared, for a while at least.

Hamburg horrors.

12th June

We set the alarm so we would be up early enough for our scheduled appointment. Greg wakes up with a full blown head cold so is grumpy and feeling miserable. I’m still holding out, just a sore throat so far.

Roadworks meant it was a slow drive to the Citroen Centre and when we got there….No you’re not booked in. Mental swearwords. Can they fit us in? They are booked solid for the next two weeks. #$&@!!!! We mention that we are from New Zealand and I think he started to feel sorry for the predicament we were in. Checking online and no, the other places in Hamburg are also booked up. He says wait here and he went to talk to the head mechanic and thank god, they managed to squeeze us in for an oil change. Something done at least.

Next on the list, Greg forgot to pack, or did pack and can’t find, the spare filters for his hearing aid. There is a Starkey place in Hamburg according to Google so we bike there. No they are industrial only and can’t help.

So we decide to bike to Mini Wonderland. Halfway there Greg’s bike breaks 3 spokes. More mental swearwords. Greg’s aren’t just mental. Google says there is a bike repair place close-ish so we walk there. It’s not open, the hours on the door say it opens at midday, that’s in 45 minutes so we leave the bike and find a coffee shop. Come back at 12 and it’s still not open. Translate the small sign and they are on holiday this week. Of course. That’s the way this day is going.

Meanwhile we get a phone call saying the van is done so we headed back that way. Google says 1 hours walk. We pass another bike repair place and the mechanic says he can have it ready for us tomorrow. After some persuasion and mentioning we’re from New Zealand (!) he agrees to fit it in this afternoon. It will cost more to fix than we paid for the bike in the first place. We have to pick it up after 3pm, he will phone us when it’s ready. So we pick up the van and drive to Mini Wonderland.

To add to the days shittiness the weather forecast said sun, 24 degrees and humid so that’s what we dressed for. Instead it about 15 degrees and overcast, turning to rain as we are trying to find parking downtown. Not easy in a 6 metre van. Normally I prepare a spot beforehand that can accommodate us but have no opportunity this time.

Another time Mini Wonderland may have really impressed us. There is a lot of work, thought and detail gone into creating it but it was packed. And neither Greg or I are feeling 100%. I did recognise places we’ve been, San Gimignano, Amalfi, Pompeii, Venice, Rome. Greg was trying to spot a R107, that’s what our Classic Mercedes is if you don’t already know. Often we’d finally work our way into the display edge and ‘night’ would fall and all the house lights go on. You would have to wait until ‘morning’ to see the detail. Meanwhile people are nudging you to move away.

We realised we hadn’t had a call to say the bike was ready to collect and the shop closes in half an hour and we’re 20 minutes drive away …. we bail out and go get the bike. It’s now peak hour traffic and raining. Greg pulls in over a drive and I run down the road to the shop and get the bike. We chuck it in the side door and try to leave the city. God! Feel like we drive in ever increasing circles, very very slowly. Reassess a place to stay and finally by 7.30 we pull into a tree surrounded parking area. No services but that doesn’t matter. Uploading to our pages can always wait. Didn’t get to a supermarket either so dinner choices are limited to one option but I guess one’s enough.

Today has been our worst day yet. I had a moment this afternoon when I just wanted to go home, like actual home, not the van. Seriously need to re-find my ‘happy’. I’m normally so optimistic. I know this isn’t me.

Now sitting here with tree visible through the skylight assessing exciting moments ahead…. 3 & 1/2 weeks until we see our wonderful son and significant other in Paris, also meet up with friends from the Merc Club. 4 weeks until we meet up with very close friends in Cambridge UK for their sons wedding (& celebrate our joint birthdays). Exploring the UK at a slow pace, finding places mentioned in our family trees. Haha feeling better already. Mind you, wine with dinner may have helped too.

Sorry Hamburg, on a different day, we would have left with a totally different impression. I know we didn’t see the best of you. Mini Wonderland did show us some of your wonderful architecture although we cycled past the airport and I didn’t see the Millennium Falcon. Maybe it was off planet at that time.

8th, 9th, 10th June. I haven’t typed a word for 3 days. We’ve had a mini holiday from our holiday and it’s been great. No driving, no navigating, no planning, no clock watching.

We’ve spent 3 nights with Keagan & Kristy, doing normal things, like watching Keagan play football & messing around with their cats. Plus they showed us around; the mini town of Varde, being a complete mini version of the town of Varde in 1866. Then the island of Fano, driving on the beach, looking for Amber, eating the indulgent danish ice cream cone with a flodebolle, exploring a bunker, thatch roofed villages and a windmill. Talking to a fascinating old character wearing a bow tie and cycling around with a water pistol squirting the kids. He knew we were from New Zealand and from the North island from our speech. He goes to NZ every second year and loves/ is involved with old planes, Mosquitoes in particular.

Next day we trained and biked to a Viking Village in Ribe. It is populated by volunteers who live in the traditional manner while there. You can talk and ask questions, gain an understanding on how the Vikings lived. Sometimes it just takes the right question. There was an old guy making a fishing net so we asked him about fishing. He replied he didn’t know. As we were turning away, I asked how they got the blue in the woollen thread hanging on the other side of the door. Then his eyes lit up and he took us around the side to where he was just starting a colour garden, planted in different plots were the plants used for each colour. He was encouraging us to feel the leaves as he talked through the processes. He sneakily pulled out a smart phone and showed us a you tube of him weaving. Amazing rhythmic coordination. The feet in a beat on 3 pedals, the hand moving back and forward in a different time. Like a drum player, it’s very skilled.

While we learning about how Vikings lived day to day, we’re also learning how Danes live now with Kristy answering all my questions about their lives. God I’m nosy! It’s interesting, as they know how we live in NZ and so appreciate the differences. We discuss government styles, house buying processes, work hours and expectations.

On the train going back we end up having another interesting conversation with a Brit who’s sailed over for a holiday. His brother lives in Auckland (Albany) and sailed the Soren Larsen. We talked trains and NZ’s infrastructure.

This morning they’ve gone off to work and we will hit the road again, feeling refreshed. One last stop before we leave town will be the White Men as we ran out of time to visit them yesterday, then it will be farewell to Denmark and back into Germany.

Wednesday 5th June

In the morning we met an Australian working at the camp. Kind of ironic that when we were checking in yesterday, New Zealand wasn’t in the campground’s database of countries. He’s married to a German girl, who he meet in Australia but they’ve been living in the UK up to last year.

We jumped on a German autobahn, last time for a while. Incidentally Bahn translates as train so I’m assuming some time back in history somebody wanted to make a version of an express railway line for cars. Google is no help in confirming my theory.

Anyhow we head for Puttgarden, where a ferry to Denmark departs from. We haven’t booked anything so are just going to wing it.

So efficient, the motorway ends in 7 queues, 3 for card holders, a couple for trucks and 4 for the rest. We drive straight up to a booth, pay cash and get directed to row 10. The ferry leaves in 15 minutes. The crossing takes 45 minutes which goes very fast. By the time you’ve parked and gone upstairs you’re already moving, we buy some duty free and go onto an outside deck and Denmark is closer than Germany. Back to the van before the ferry’s docked and drive off as soon as you get a green light onto another motorway. It is quicker and easier than crossing from the North Island to the South Island. God, what unimaginative names, I should say from Te Ika a Maui to Te Wai Pounamu. Sounds like more interesting places., which they definitely are.

We haven’t gone far and are parked at a small marina called Stubberup. We are pretty much directly opposite where we stayed last night. When we look out though, all we see on the horizon is an offshore wind farm. The locals are coming and going, swimming off a small jetty. Greg goes in of course but even though it’s pretty hot, I just sit on the jetty and dangle my legs in.

Our after-dinner walk is along the waters edge. It feels like a lake not a sea. There are no waves, hardly any water movement at all. The edge is weedy, some a vivid bright green. There are ducks and swans. We skirt along the edge of a rapeseed crop. The plants have finished flowering. They are shoulder, neck high. I wonder when they harvest. I wonder what the yield is like. Is it low? And that’s why there is so much. Or is it high? And so very profitable. There are lots of pheasants. They manage to make both of us jump, at different times. It feels like twilight with long shadows and cooling air but the sun is still very high in the sky.

Google maps shows a long sandbar offshore. Presumably what the wind farm is on and also presumably why it’s so lake like here.

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6th June

We move on to Copenhagen. There are cute thatched roof houses and still more miles and miles of fields, mostly rapeseed. It’s very flat. We cross from one island to the next without even realising. It was a tunnel. The water can’t have been very deep… The next island crossing in more impressive, an arched bridge. We are now on the island Zealand. I never knew that there was a Zealand in Denmark. The campground feels somewhat temporary, they have just moved from a different location and for now the toilets and showers are on a trailer unit. The reception is a caravan with an awning. The power units are attached to wooden pallets wired to the perimeter fence. It’s functional with all you need. Unfortunately the wifi is being connected tomorrow afternoon. Seems par for the course with us lol.

We cycle into Copenhagen centre. This is a very bike friendly city. They even have ‘bike highways’. We go first to the Round Tower to get an overview of the city. Yep, it’s a city with roofs and steeples. A mix of old and new. Before we entered, we first went in the wrong door and found ourselves in the attached church. A good call as there was a violinist rehearsing. It sounded amazing, the vaulted ceilings giving it a very clean strong sound. I don’t know why but for me music totally adds to an experience.

Our next call was the Freetown Christiana. This is an area established by hippies and ‘nonconformists’ back in 1971 with a concept of collective business, workshops and communal living. Sounded interesting but in reality it’s stoners and skaters. ‘Pusher St’ has dozens of stalls selling joints. Not really our scene so we moved on.

Nyhaven Canal was wonderful. Brightly coloured houses, fronted by eateries and bars. Lots of people having a great time.

Greg had been reading that coffee here is mediocre (and he does love his coffee) but he’d discovered a place called Coffee Collective which had good barista coffee and there was one close by so we went there. Greg had a Flat White (average) but I did well, I ordered a coffee kombucha. Apparently Scoby works well in filtered coffee. It was really nice, not a strong coffee flavour, but enough. It was perfect for a hot afternoon. The cafe had wifi and a cool courtyard. We sat, relaxed and Greg posted some photos, getting his Facebook page up to date.

The weather forecast is saying thunderstorms and rain so we decide to have dinner back at the van. Haha showing our age. We get back just before the thunder starts, the sky darkens and eventually some rain. It cools things down nicely.

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7th June

Slept in this morning which was nice. It was cooler due to the rain and the clouds meant it wasn’t so light. There were 2 Viking sites Greg wanted to go to today, the first one on Viking ships with 5 genuine ships. They had been deliberately sunk in the fjord in the late 11th century as part of barriers for defence. They were excavated in 1962. From those they have built full scale models , one of which they then sailed to Dublin and back circumnavigating all around Great Britain.

You have the option of going out on the fjord in one of the Viking ships and sailing around, for an extra cost but we’ll never have another opportunity. You’re the crew so you row the boat out of the harbour. Co-ordination of the strokes seemed to be very challenging for some people. Once we were clear, we stowed the oars and hoisted the sail. Ironically this is exactly when the wind completely died away.

They have a very shallow draw so can drift sideways too. But it means you can get into pretty shallow water without beaching. But we gave it a good try. Suddenly our coordinator is hauling out an oar and trying to steer us into deeper water. We also nearly got tangled in a fishing net. All good fun, for us at least.

We did eventually get some wind in the sails but it wasn’t particularly fast. Didn’t matter to me. I enjoyed being handed a rope with a ‘quick, hold this’ and ‘I’ll take the rope now, can you put out an oar’. Because of that, another girl and I ended up being the 2 to do the manoeuvring back into the harbour and the berth. Much more fun when you’re involved.

Back on land and a talk in rope making was about to start. Sounds boring but actually it was really interesting. I’ve found when you have someone who is totally passionate about a subject, their talks are fascinating. He ended up talking about more than just ropes but about the whole sailing as a career and the reconstructive archeology concept – learning how they did things by experimenting with the early tools. At the end of his talk, he invited anyone interested to go behind the scenes to see some sails. It was indicative of his passion that everyone went. He showed us a wool sail and told us about the first time they tried it out, 25 years ago. You could see and hear him re-experiencing the sheer joy he felt doing that.

Finally we had the time to view the museums main attraction, the 5 original ships. And read about why they were sunk, how they were excavated and how they then used the learnings to recreate them. We then had to go and look at the recreated versions again, my stomach is rumbling as it’s now nearly 5pm and we haven’t even had lunch haha.

We skip going to the second museum, lol it’s probably closed by now anyway. Our first chosen camp was over an hour away but luckily I had prepared for such an eventuality and had located a closer option. Hence we are now parked adjacent a thatched roof building with a lake through the trees. bird song and tranquility.

Monday 3rd June

We jumped north again a couple of hundred kms through mile after mile after mile of grain crops. It’s flat low land. The GPS says we are below sea level for some of it. It’s hot too. The van thermometer says 34 degrees when we stopped to do a big grocery shop. We are aiming for the island of Rugen on the Baltic, more specifically a place called Prora. It was also known as the Colossus of Prora and is/was an huge building complex built by Nazi Germany in the thirties as a beach resort for the ‘Kraft durch Freude’ or ‘Strength through Joy’ project. It was never fully completed because of the war. The Soviets completed some of the blocks for other purposes after the war and they stripped out anything salvageable from the others. They also completely demolished block one and eight. In 2004 after failing to sell them as a whole, they started selling the blocks off individually. The southern ones are now apartments, a youth hostel, a hotel and a museum.

We are parked up by one that is ruins, think it was block seven. It had been fenced off at some stage years ago but there are now many bits of the fence missing and trails all through. After lazing on the beach for a bit and Greg going for a swim, we wandered in.

It is in serious decay, there are huge holes down to the basement level and above us are five more levels which in some places have collapsed completely. There are support pillars dangling from the ceiling. You are responsible for your own safety when you venture into places like this. We weren’t game enough to go upstairs at all but judging from the graffiti, other do, or did. It was, of course, another place I’d discovered back home in alternate sightseeing spots and Greg took plenty of photos.

……..

4th June

Bit of a nothing day today. We went for a morning walk back around the ruins, then down to the beach. Then we packed up and drove the full length of Prora, looking at the blocks that have been converted. Couldn’t see much because there is so much other new apartment blocks and all the facilities needed in a seaside holiday destination.

Next we went into Bergen Alf Rugen, being the main town on the island. Had coffee in the cobbled square. After that it was backtracking off the island and westward.

We picked a campground for tonight with a washing machine and wifi. It is on a beach and we will go for a walk later but for now it’s domestic chores and trying to arrange a van service to be done. We’re up to 10k and the oil light is flashing. Needs a wheel alignment too. Got a bit of steering wheel shake after some of the roads we’ve been doing haha.

After dinner we biked into Rerik. It’s actually a very cute fishing village. Ocean beach on one side and sheltered bay on the other. Someone obviously loves carving logs as there is a lot of wooden sculptures around. As for the campground, I wouldn’t recommend it, mainly because it’s very expensive €30 just to park up and then you pay for your electricity by kw, showers by the second, washing by the load. The wifi is free but it drops off regularly, like every few seconds. Been trying to publish this blog since last night.

Planning to get a ferry to Denmark tomorrow. Another country to tick off the list.

Friday 31st May

We got going early, heading for Berlin. Wanted to get to the campground before it filled up. This meant it was a fast trip up the autobahn. Boring drive though. Well at least for me, Greg is fully focused on the traffic and weaving in and out to pass the trucks and slow vehicles. The cars overtaking us can be going at 120 or so fast they just rocket past. Judging when to move into the fast lane can be interesting.

We get a place in the campground, the lady said we should have prebooked a week in advance. Haha. Not totally sure what country we’ll be in a week in advance, little alone what town. We plug in, have an early lunch then bike into the centre. Actually not the centre. Berlin is quite large and the tourist hotspots are spread out. We look at Bernauer Stresse. It was a critical point in the Berlin Wall. The houses on one side of the road were the border so if the residents went out their front doors they were in West Berlin, the back doors, East Berlin. Even though the GDR bricked up the front doors and windows, people jumped from the upper stories or the roofs. The houses were then forcibly evacuated and then demolished just leaving the front facades. West Berliners would then dig tunnels to help people escape. When the wall came down they preserved a section here so you can climb a viewing platform and look down and over the wall to see exactly how it was back then.

We then carried on to Brandenburg Gate then the Topographie des Terrors. This is a museum where the Gestapo headquarters stood. It’s a lot of information and quite somber reading. We then went to Checkpoint Charlie, now a totally cheesy tourist destination. For €6 they will take a photo on your own phone of you between two dressed up ‘officers’. There is a shop selling all sorts of souvenirs including pieces of the wall, priced by weight. A tiny piece of gravel will cost you €10. Did you know there is a piece of the wall on Mars!

By this stage it’s nearly 7pm so we find a place for dinner. End up eating Mexican. Mexican in Germany with all Indian staff. It’s more tex-med but hits the spot.

We bike home and it starts to pour with rain. Hadn’t planned on that, not in the weather forecast! Of course it stops just after we get back in the van. Tomorrow’s weather forecast is for 30 degrees! That will be a change.

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1st June

We planned out 3 or 4 places to go today. The first on our list was the East Wall Gallery. This is a section of the wall, 1.3km long that was left standing and in 2009 selected artists painted panels. It is a commentary on peoples views of the politics but also humanity. There is some very powerful messages here. We took a long time walking the length and when we got to the end we then went into a small museum about the wall, start to finish.

A take home for me was that this border was built not to keep anyone out but to keep the East Germans in. West Berlin was totally enclosed but it was freedom. People wanted to get in to get out.

By the time we got out of the museum it was 2.30 so we grabbed some lunch and sat on the riverside. We just relaxed and watched the world go by. The planned list went out the window. This is the essence of our travels, chilling like locals with locals.

Overall my impressions of Berlin, well, it’s different from any other Europe city we’ve been to and I think it’s a reflection of its history. In 1945 the city was divided into 4, one controlled by the Soviets, one by France, one by Great Britain and one by America. So for 40 odd years there were these non-European influences.

Also West Berlin struggled economically and as a result it became a conclave for alternative lifestylers, artists, musicians and LGBTs. People wanting different things. So Berlin today is a melting pot of all those things.

It has historical buildings but not an historical old town or at least not one we’ve found. It’s large and spread out so as you bike around you stumble upon cool little spots, like where we had coffee today. A collection of sheds and buildings with lots of gardens, everything organic and sustainable. In Berlin I’ve seen more vegan places, more organic places, more ethnic places than anywhere else. It’s a bike city, needs to be, actually so many bikes I felt like I was in the Netherlands.

Football tonight so we have checked out a sports bar not too far from our camp. It is also apparently where all the local Liverpool fans go so the barman advised getting there 3 hours before kickoff if we want to see a tv screen. 5 plus hours in a pub, that’ll be fun. They don’t have food either, other than bar snacks like chips and nuts.

The evening was great fun. It’s weird to be in a crowded German pub and everyone is singing in English at the top of their voices. Didn’t matter that the commentary was in German because you couldn’t hear it at all. We were befriended by an Egyptian guy who lives and works here. The result went our way so Greg is a very happy man. Cycling back to the van at midnight, without working bike lights oops, we felt totally safe. This place is going strong and will still be once us old folk are tucked up in bed. Partying all night no longer interests us.

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2nd June

Bit of a lethargic start this morning. We break camp and plan to visit a supermarket, supplies are getting low. Then we suddenly remember it’s Sunday. In Germany pretty much everything is shut on Sundays including supermarkets. Bugger. We buy some bread rolls at the place we stop for coffee, likely yesterday’s bake but it will do us.

We head northwards again. The decision to avoid motorways leads us through some settlements with actual cobblestone roads. Rounded river stones set in place. It’s very bumpy and slow. The GPS prediction of just over 2 hours was very over optimistic.

The weather forecast was more accurate. It’s hot. 29 degrees with a real feel of 31. Lucky we’re beside a lake, Muritz. Warm enough even to get me in the water. Not for long though, the water is still a bit chilly. It is really nice relaxing in the countryside after being in a city. Balances things nicely. There is a few day trippers or locals but they will go as the sun sets. There is a couple of other campers, will see who stays and who doesn’t. With luck it will be a clear night and Greg can try some astral photography again or not, sunset is late and sunrise early so a completely dark sky mightn’t happen.

For now it’s beer/cider and nuts while we plot the overall picture for the next month. We have a scheduled rendezvous in Paris on the 6th July with our middle child and his significant other. We’re culling countries off our list. Sorry Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, you will have to wait for another year. Even though it means we won’t see the P2P on route, we will see you at the finishing line in Paris.

Denmark, Netherlands, some more of Germany, Belgium & northern France, you’re still in.

Try not to think too much about what we don’t see, just appreciate what we do. This holiday is a good lesson about mindfulness. Being in the here and now. Anyone who knows me well, knows this is somewhat challenging for me. I’m definitely a planner. Over the last few years I’ve got a bit obsessive about it and tend to plan for any eventuality. I said going in to this adventure, I expected it to change us. I’m already noticing changes in me. Not sure about Greg but it is a personal journey as well as us as a couple.

Our Egyptian friend from last night said you need to live and see how things are in other countries, other spaces before you can understand life. Surprisingly he also felt Berlin was too liberal. He felt all immigrants should take on Germanic values and should assimilate fully into their chosen country. He thought Berlin was too multicultural. As a Muslim I thought his feelings were unique. As a New Zealander where we welcome differences, I thought his feelings were unique. He, like me, felt all religions were related and personal beliefs shouldn’t be linked/used for power/politics. Arrrh, the conversations one has with strangers. He has total admiration for the EU. He compared the Arab states, where they are pretty much one people but cannot agree on any joint policies.

It would be sad to see the EU crumble, humanity should be able to rise above political gain (ie personal gain for power hungry people).

Embrace different skin colour as we embrace different hair colour, different religions as we do different careers. Whoever we are, our basic needs are the same.

Sorry, done it again. I keep typing as I’m thinking, so lose that happy holiday vibe and get a bit deep. But as I said before, this journey is a personal one too. I don’t expect everyone to agree with my opinions but it’s my blog and I can type what I want.

Our evening walk went one way around the lake for a bit, through fields of wild flowers and grasses. At a small bay Greg decides to go for a quick skinny dip. A bit funny when he’s about 100 metres from shore and it’s still only up to his knees. He does manage to get fully under thought. We then walk back and go a similar distance the other way, coming out by some houses then the road so we walked back that way taking a detour when we came across a side track skirting a swampy area. Interesting how the air changes from warm and moist in places to cold and fresh. We don’t go too far as the sun is getting low. We’ve spotted some unusual footprints. Earlier today we had driven past a dead badger on the side of the road. Never seen one before, dead or alive.

10pm and the setting sun produces the most amazing colours over the lake. So intense, so late. The ever-present cuckoo. Other bird calls, one deep loud different. We’re getting close to the Baltic Sea so longer days, shorter nights. Scotland in August is going to be interesting.

Tuesday 28th May

Well the sun didn’t hang around for long, this morning is wet and cold again. We’d spent the night in the brewery carpark. Greg starts editing the ghost church photos over breakfast until the MacBook battery is nearly flat then we drive north to Coburg Castle.

It’s very large and imposing, dominating the town below. High stone walls and you enter over an arched bridge and under a wooden portcullis. Inside that is a couple of courtyards with terraced gardens and wall walkways. The buildings are of differing architectural styles either attached or connected with walkways. The rain held off while we explored outside then we paid to go in. The amazing workmanship in the wall panels, floors and ceilings impressed me more than the glass cased collections of coins, medals, glass and porcelain. One room in particular has the most incredible wooden panels depicting hunting scenes.

We move through four different buildings, up to three floors each. The last building included the Armoury Chamber. Not just one or two sets of armour but shelves and shelves of them.

Then all the swords and guns….. and these aren’t replicates or rebuilt, the real thing. Crossbows, battle surgery instruments with diagrams. Horses with armour, jousting gear. Next floor down is the hunting arms and ‘objects of justice’. The ground floor held horse drawn carriages and a huge number of ornate jousting sleighs. The castle was home to Martin Luther so there is also his rooms and chapel. Across the courtyard you go up a lift to a wall top area with cannons, once again real ones, pointing out over the wall, with piles of cannonballs ready to go.

Eventually we left and headed to a campsite nearby which has 8 coin operated power boxes. Unfortunately by the time we arrive there are already a dozen campers here so no power for us and we hadn’t driven long enough to fully charge all our devices. I think we’ll need to start getting to camps early now it getting closer to summer. It’s too wet and cold to go exploring. Oh well, the MacBook had charged up enough that Greg could do some more editing and I have my book club book on my iPad. I’m not reading in the correct order but just as I can get hold of a E copy. The book I’m currently reading is actually an audio copy so Greg gets to hear it too, no choice haha. It’s Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. Our ears pricked when it mentioned Pope Clement. They are referring to the 7th but yesterday we visited the Dom in Bamberg where Pope Clement the 2nd is buried. Also refers to Martin Luther a few times and we’ve come across places he’s been in the last two days. Wine, dinner and an early night.

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29th May

Still cold and raining this morning. Our normal routine includes one of us jumping out of bed, flicking the hot water on then going back to bed for 20 – 30 minutes until the water is hot. This morning when we got up to shower the water was still cold. The gas bottle had run out through the night. Murphy’s law it has to happen when it’s raining and you don’t want to go outside to change the bottles over.

We continue our path northwards. We’re driving narrow country roads and through cute little villages. These ones are clad in what looks like slate shingles, diamond patterned with different corners. These are lots of places selling hand blown glass Christmas decorations. Shop windows full of Christmas scenes and festooned trees outside the villages.

Get onto a motorway and come to a complete stop. Can see smoke ahead. Fire engines roar past on the shoulder. Half an hour later we move again, passing a completely burned out car. Get into Erfurt later than intended and our choice of campsite with electricity and wifi is full. Bugger! Find another site without services but right on the edge of the old town. Now in a bar with a drink and wifi. There is a power point beside my seat. Luckily I had thrown in the USB plug in my bag but only have one cable on me. Better than nothing so I won’t complain.

Erfurt is another cute little town with a river running through it. There is a bridge with shops and houses crammed on both sides. The buildings were completed in 1486 and are half timbered. They aren’t straight and lean drunkenly on each other. They are the longest inhabited bridge houses in Europe. But this isn’t a tourist destination and the shops are every day shops. There is one shop/workshop with a man making puppets or as the sign says mechanical machines. He’s sitting at a work bench carving away in wood, half done projects at his side.

Germany is sinking into my heart. Coming from New Zealand, Europe is France for Paris and elegance, Italy for it’s Roman ancestry and food, Netherlands for it’s tulips and windmills, Switzerland for it’s mountains, Germany for it’s beer. But Germany is proving itself to be so so much more. Like Croatia and Czech Republic the unexpected delights are making our holiday totally wonderful.

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30th May

Opposite our possie is a barber shop. Sign says opens at 9 and Greg wants a haircut so we potter around until then and he walks across the road. Back a few minutes later, it’s not open. Oh well, we hit the road. Traffic is very light. Odd. We pass rows of trucks parked up….. umm, check google and yes it’s a public holiday. Ascension Day being 40 days after Easter.

Somehow we end up on a motorway so promptly get off. We’re not in a hurry and our planned campsite tonight isn’t a ‘destination’ just a stopping point. Today is about exploring where we are at. We divert further to a small settlement called Camburg. In the carpark are lots and lots of people filling inflatable rafts and kayaks with crates of beer then floating off down the river. No idea where to or how they plan to get back again but it looks like they are having a great time. There is a tower with a great roof top view and to Greg’s delight, an abandoned mill complex. He takes lots of photos.

We move on up the road and have our lunch under a wind turbine. It’s turning well but only a gentle breeze at ground level. From my position I count 89 turbines but I know there are more that the trees are blocking from my view. Greg is experimenting with long exposures. Takes a while.

I google map the distance still to go and check my watch. Time to get a move on if we want to get a site with power. Jump on the autobahn and it eats up the miles in no time. As it is, we grab the last power outlet. It’s a park at a small airfield. €11 for the site plus all services, ie electricity, water and waste disposal. Internet- hooray. Toilets and showers in the control tower.

Tomorrow we’re planning to go to Berlin. I’m a bit concerned about getting into the campground there so using google translate we email a booking. If that fails we’ll just wing it I guess. At least we will have fully charged everything tonight plus done all the water/waste tanks. With luck Greg will also have caught up on his photos. Liverpool’s big game this Saturday evening so Greg is adamant that we be in an English or Irish pub.

Sunday 26th May

Back in Croatia, we had an evening of wine and conversation with a German couple, Sandra and Helmut. We keep in contact and they invited us to visit them in Bamberg, which we did today. They showed us around their home (got some serious ideas for our next place), and then drove us around the local breweries. A great afternoon, sunshine, beer, good company and great views. Then back to their place for a barbecue. We both overindulged on the yummy yummy food. We were more restrained on the wine this time.

They told us that after our evening in Croatia they both dreamed in English. How amazing! We can’t even have an awake conversation in another language, they not only can do that but they can also dream in a foreign language. I have so much respect for people who are multilingual. Really wish I had learned another language when I was younger. I think I’m too old, last year when I was trying to refresh my 3rd form French it just wouldn’t stick in my brain. And the pronunciation….. well, I’m not the greatest at that, even in English.

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27th May

Today we explored Bamberg, after using our hosts wifi to catch up our online activities. Greg is still behind with his photography page though.

Anyhow, Bamberg is just gorgeous. It’s bigger than it feels as it still has a small town intimacy. It was never bombed in WW2 so has not had the architectural disruption. The buildings are their homes and businesses and have been altered if desired, repaired if needed but always with respect for the heritage.

A river….. I think I totally love a river through a town. It just adds to the ambience , sound, smell, sight. Bamberg’s river divides to create a large island and a small one in the heart of the town.

One end of the large island is a park, but not a manicured one, but rather a natural organic one that you want to lie in the long grass with wild flowers and large leafy trees around, ride your bike along the fine gravel pathways or just sit on the riverbank and let your cares float away. I see a guy sitting in a field with the grasses mid chest playing a guitar, he’s alone but not.

The other end is a eclectic mix of architectural styles, buildings that don’t stand perfectly straight but curve around and lean towards each other. The Rathaus, Old town hall, was built on an artificial island, allegedly because the local bishop refused to give any land for its construction. Both sides are painted with enchanting frescos. It connects the town with bridges either side and one through the middle. There are modern sculptures and quaint courtyards and people of all ages happy and smiling.

The Dom, on the hilltop is grand, a high vaulted cathedral but still feeling natural and connected to the community. It’s not ostentatious wealth lording over the common man. Interestingly I learned later that all Germans pay 8% of their income to the church. Compulsory.

We were advised of a brewery we had to visit. The beer is smoked in such a way that it smells like bacon and had a smoky flavour. Even I enjoyed it.

Later we met up with Sandra and Helmut at a brewery with a lovely countryside view. It was a great evening, beer and conversation flowing freely. No awkwardness at all. Tomorrow we will head north again but maybe we will meet up again on our travels. Or if, when, they come to New Zealand.

Saturday 25th May

Back home when I was researching interesting off the beaten track places to go, a particular church in Czech Republic came up. I saved it to google maps ( along with lots of other places. The theory being if we get close to a green pin then we can go there. Anyhow when plotting an onward direction from Prague this church popped up. So we set a course and off we went. It’s a pretty remote place and the GPS couldn’t locate it so used the GPS to a nearby village then Google maps from there.

The road we were following became a gravel track, then just two deep ruts. Both Greg and I have everything crossed that this track is going to get us there because there is no way we could turn around in our 6 metre long, 2 metre wide, 2.5 high motorhome. And even if we could we’re not sure the van would get back up the incline. It’s pretty much a four wheel drive track. The van sliding in the ruts. Everything shaking in the back. Thankfully we rounded a bend and there was the church. The road looked much better too, there was a much easier road in lol.

It’s 1pm so I suggest lunch first, Greg says no, we’ll only be half an hour or so. There is long rolls of thunder and threatening clouds so we quickly go inside.

From the outside this church shows it’s unkempt side. The window panes are missing, some of the frames hanging at odd angles. The stonework exposed. Plaster still clinging on in places. Inside some of the pews are broken, cobwebs adorn the corners. And most of the pews are occupied by white shrouded figures. Some solid cloth, other see-through lace over an empty form. All is still. And quiet. An elderly gentleman in black is lighting candles at the alter. As we enter the rain starts pouring down. Very dramatic.

History lesson: In 1945, following the end of WW2, the forced evacuation of ethnic German farmers from the Sudetenland territory resulted in indiscriminate destruction of any reminiscence of the former German cultural heritage including the churches.

In 2015, the Pilsen Region and Pilsen European Capitol of Culture 2015 sponsored The destroyed and endangered churches project to remind us of what happened and should never happen again. So far four churches have had unique artworks created within them by the University of West Bohemia, Institute of Art and Design students. The plan is for many more so as to establish a Land Art network recalling the history of this territory.

‘This empty church and covered bodies represent the mental concept of being discarded for now but waiting for renewal and reincarnation. ‘

The donations collected from this particular church has been enough to replace the ruined roof and by the looks of it they are now working on the foundations. Other people come and go. All with proper cameras not smartphones. Everyone speaks in hushed voices.

About 2.30 the sun has come out and Greg is taken enough photos inside. He takes some outside while I go make coffee and get a belated lunch ready. The church is in a tiny village with about 9 houses. I can hear the bells from the herd of cows grazing in the near distance. It’s very peaceful. Very tranquil. After lunch we walk around the village. I can hear a cuckoo. We go back in the church for a final look then hit the road. The sealed one this time. It’s still a narrow country lane. Passing through green and yellow fields and small villages. Eventually we get to a two lane road with a centre line. But not for long. We turn off and head for the carpark of a stone tower, our chosen free camp for the night. A gentle walk up to the hilltop then a steep winding external stone staircase to the tower top where we enjoy panoramic 360 degree views over the National Park, farmland and clustered rooftops to the distant mountain ranges.

Czech Republic has been a wonderful country to visit. A total mixed bag. It has often reminded me of home. Or at least until you spot a castle. Tomorrow we’re back to Germany.