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Touring Abroad 2012

Scandinavia

We enjoyed a clear calm crossing on P and O, returning to this company following the demise of Sea France. It was a  three hour drive to first site at Zele in Belgium which proved an excellent ACSI, 16.50 euros site though pitches were a little close to each other. The real bonus was the position adjacent to a large lake. Spent the afternoon walking around the lake admiring the view and wildlife including heron and storks. There was no wifi on site but good television reception. The toilet waste was the same as the motorhome dump point which was not the most hygienic.

The following day, it was a four hour largely motorway drive, 220 km, to our next site at Oosmarsum in Netherlands. This ACSI site at 14 euros  proved a real find. Lovely and open with spacious pitches some delineated by low hedges, some in open field. The owner's English was superb and very welcoming. There was no motorhome dump but excellent toilet waste arrangements. We arrived at 3.00 pm to be greeted by owner though reception did not open until 5.00 pm. The site is within a ten minute walk of the beautiful village. Very picturesque and immaculately kept, the village is a must.

Find the fountain garden near the centre with impressive statues and the glass making shop, obviously a feature of the town. On return to the site, free wifi waqs available around reception area. With more time the many walks and cycle rides deserve greater exploration.

Next day, on to Zeven in Germany. This ACSI site took us to the other side of Bremen. We experienced the strangely German phenomenon of a suddenly closed road with no apparent diversion signs but our sat nav found a way round and we arrived at the site some one and a half kilometres from the town. The new but very clean town itself was easily accessed through a woodland stroll which we enjoyed during the afternoon. Free Wifi was again available this time for three hours in the evening around the reception area. Pitches were in an open area with adjacent electricity (10 amps) and water and there was also a motorhome dump. Again it was good value at 16 euros. The following day took us out of Germany and into Denmark.

The drive to Tronder proved rather featureless and uninspiring though the weather remained fine if rather windy. On arrival at the site we found a pitch whilst waiting for reception to open at 3pm. Once again we were full of admiration for the quality of the English speaking which put us to shame. The pitch was spacious and shared with a blackbird's nest which had narrowly missed an early demise as a result of over eager hedge trimming. The town was attractive but extremely quiet.

On Sunday 24th June we awoke to heavy rain which sadly persisted throughout the day. We arrived at Tarup Strand, a beautiful site with views overlooking the The Green Belt bridge. It's full splendour became apparent later in the evening when the skies eventually cleared.

The evening was spoilt by a lacklustre performance from England against Italy thus exiting the European Cup.

Our journey in the morning which was thankfully generally dry took us over the Green Belt Bridge. Costing £350 Danish Krona (approx £42) for our van which is just below the next limit at 3500 kg, it was an expensive venture but no less spectacular for that. We arrived at the Absalon site 10km outside Copenhagen far too early at just after 1pm, reminding ourselves that better use could be made of time by visiting en route arriving at sites after 3 pm. The site was large, flat and well organised with a large area set aside for camper vans. All the usual amenities present with an excellent dump and a 10 amp electric supply for which you pay extra on a meter. Usefully, you could buy a train ticket for Copenhagen from the site shop as well as wifi time which cost a further 40 krona for four hours.

The following morning took us to the station which was within a ten minute walk passing en route a huge supermarket. We had been warned about Norway prices and had assumed this applied to all of Scandinavia. Not so, Denmark was proving extremely good value for money. Not only did the return rail fair to Copenhagen cost less than nine pounds for the two of us but the supermarket prices also compared favourably with the UK.

Copenhagen proved well worth the visit though most of the city seemed to be in a state of repair or refurbishment. The attractive centre is all within walking distance from the central station which itself is positioned directly opposite the famous Tivoli Gardens. We found a one hour boat trip excellent value at about seven pounds each and our guide proved her worth with excellent English and an amusing turn of phrase. The Little Mermaid certainly lived up to her name but had to be seen.

All in all, an excellent day.

The next leg to Oslo took us over the Oresund Bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden. An awesome structure, at ten kilometres of tunnel and bridge it is a remarkable feat of engineering. It is also expensive at 86 euros! Disappointingly, we were not able to find parking at seaside towns along the route and wearied of the motorway which seemed to stretch interminably into the distance. There is no doubt that a motorhome trip to Norway involves a fair bit of monotonous driving often along excellent but astoundingly dull motorway routes.

Mid afternoon we arrived at the riverside site at Kungalv. In a lovely position the site was spoilt by the predominance of travellers caravans but this could not detract from the attractiveness of the local area. Dominated by the fortress, Fastening, there is also an attractive local town and riverside walk. The pitch itself was expensive at 300 kroner which, hopefully, was not a sign of things to come. A huge advantage to us was that the site was also the local tourist office and, for the first time, we now had a detailed map with an added bonus of being free.

Determined to avoid the problems of yesterday we identified a route on to Oslo which would take us via local seaside villages and we were not disappointed. The Swedish coastline is splendid. The views, enhanced by clear blue skies, were, at times, breathtaking with villages nestling within rocky inlets and new vistas delighting the eye around each headland. The smooth red rock, peculiar to this part of Sweden, seems to fold across the landscape.

Onward to Oslo, the motorway route improved with a more attractive backdrop. We had some concerns over the customs having read that it was safer to declare our bottles of wine in excess of the limit and thus go through the red channel. We completely failed to appreciate what this decision meant in practice. It seemed that every HGV in western Europe was waiting for clearance and the wait could easily be interminable. As luck would have it we were advised to pay the necessary extra premium through the self help machine and drive through the E45 exit. As such, we completely missed passport control through no fault of our own but anticipated sirens for the next 50 km: fortunately, we heard nothing. Our plan was to head for the Marina motorhome park just outside the city and, at times with more luck than judgement, this we found. Our SatNav has been superb but even she is not effective through tunnels and it appears that the way around Oslo by road is almost completely underground. The Park is huge and not easy to identify when you first enter the marina. It was not until we had parked up that we realised you are supposed to pay on entry and that the ticket should be displayed prior to parking. We were lucky. Later in the evening a man on a bicycle toured the site catching out the unwary, or perhaps dishonest, with parking tickets. Though scenically attractive, the site was crowded and had all the appearance of a large aire with serried ranks of vans lined up on the huge quay. A touch claustrophobic for our taste, we quickly decided to make this a one night stay and to leave the delights of Oslo to our return journey when we will stop at a sight north of the city and travel in by bus. Interestingly, and not for the first time, amongst all the vans we were  the only British. A wry smile crossed our faces as we watched Italy defeat Germany in the European Cup - the large German contingent on the site seemed quite subdued.

Sadly, after the glorious sunshine of the previous day, we woke to an overcast sky and steady rain. A long and laborious drive rolled through some extremely heavy rain until we arrived at our next site at Mandal, having stopped in the town for half an hour prior to moving to the site nearby.. For the first time our satellite failed to find a signal and though the site was reasonably attractive on the side of a lake it was not the most enthralling of pitches. Following a walk through the adjacent woodland and completion of the obligatory Times 2 crossword, we settled down to a relatively early night.

The following morning dawned a little brighter as we set off for Stavanger. This was a shorter, far more attractive, drive and we arrived at the site in the early afternoon. A large and busy site adjacent to a lake, it had all the amenities including wifi. Within walking distance of the town, we took the opportunity for a stroll in the afternoon. We were not disappointed. The old town is a delight with its narrow streets and glistening white timber clad buildings.

On to Bergen. This was a superb drive if expensive, on ferries, though tunnels and by bridges.

Our sat nav found the quayside city site and we settled in with our front wheel saved from the river by a large concrete block.

That evening my sense of direction was somewhat wayward as we eventually found the city centre after a long and completely unnecessary detour! At least we had found our bearings and the walk back to the site was far more direct, if hilly. We looked forward to spending a day in the town after visiting the tourist Centre and collecting maps. Though there was no wifi on the site we nevertheless managed to find a signal with the satellite - a real bonus.The following morning saw an easier walk into the centre. In the old town we admired the lovely timber clad buildings and enjoyed a walk around the quayside and fish market.

Prior to lunch we travelled up the funicular and though the weather was now damp we admired the superb views from the viewing platform.

In the afternoon we visited the Cathedral and enjoyed the street artists performing. All in all, an excellent day. The following morning we woke to find a flat tyre. Though the Red Pennant service was excellent the Norwegian rescue services were not. With the helpful suggestion from our Chinese site attendant, we contacted the Tourist Centre who provided the number of a local tyre agent. They in turn were happy to do the repair and, within the hour, we were on our way again, slow puncture duly repaired.

After a scenic drive we arrived at Voss. A lakeside site the town was conveniently  within easy walking distance.

For the first time, we were able to buy a bottle of wine at the State monopoly store. In the  evening we enjoyed a stroll around town and beside lake where there was a fascinating exhibition of photographs and quotes on theme on what freedom means to me. As has often been the case in Norway, the site offered free wifi and again we successfully found a TV signal.

The following morning we enjoyed an extremely scenic trip through the surrounding snowclad mountains to arrive at Vang Camping in Gudvangen. The small site just outside the village is surrounded by mountains and waterfalls - truly spectacular.

Again free wifi, but, not surprisingly, no television.  After lunch we caught the bus to Flam and the ferry back along the fjords to Gudvangen. It proved a memorable two hour trip with quite stunning scenery.  Though I failed to check the  ISO rating on the camera which was still set for 1800 for internal shots of the Cathedral in Bergen, the photographs were not too grainy.

Late afternoon, back at the site, the bright sunshine only enhanced the beauty of the site as we relaxed in the camping chairs.

The following morning, after stopping to buy gifts for the grandchildren at Flam,  the FTP 50 road was quite superb. We meandered up above the snow line and allowing Jan to throw a snowball.

It was quite staggering scenery particularly a frozen lake on the plateau where we enjoyed lunch in glorious sunshine.

Called the Snow Road it was one of our most beautiful drives and certainly one we will not forget. Following a more gradual descent from the high plateau, we arrived at our site outside Hol.  Again free wifi. We had a lovely walk around the adjacent nature reserve and by the side of the river.

Utvika Camping was our next stop prior to moving on to Oslo. It proved a good travelling day  with beautiful scenery though not as spectacular as in the mountains.

The following morning we took the relatively short drive to Exberg Camping, a city site south east of Oslo centre. It is a huge site with a distinct lack of demarcation. Fine if you arrive early as we did but a shortage of electric points if you left it later in the day. The site enjoys superb panorama overlooking the centre of Oslo. Wifi 50 krona for 24 hours. Excellent regular bus service into the centre of the city from stop adjacent to the site. It proved worth buying an Oslo Pass at the reception. At 480 krona this was not cheap but pays for itself as it embraces all transport and museum visits and makes travelling around so much easier. It is a shame that the age concession does not commence until 67 years since then the pass is half price.

Though rather wet and miserable we travelled into Oslo in the afternoon. It certainly helps that the buses are installed with a television screen that charts progress stop by stop. We walked through the centre of delightful city down to the quay to catch the ferry over to Hogny to see the Flam and Kon Tiki exhibitions.

Both proved excellent though the Flam was the more extensive embracing the original polar ship. The following day, dry and later warm and sunny, we re- visited Oslo. A visit to the Nobel Peace Centre proved humbling with some quite superb photography. We then caught the ferry again to visit the Viking museum and the Museum of Social History. Both again proved well worth a visit though the latter was extensive and fascinating with many reconstructed buildings from around Norway demonstrating different periods. The guides in the various buildings once again spoke impeccable English and could not have been more friendly and accommodating. Of particular note has to be the Stave Church originally from Gol and reconstructed in its entirety during the nineteenth century.

Outside the museum was unexpectedly a superb florist and vegetable store where we were able to replenish some supplies.

Back in the city we purchased a necklace made in Kenya from the Peace Centre for our eldest  daughter's birthday prior to making our way back to the site where we enjoyed sitting out in the sun for a couple of hours into early evening. An excellent day completing our stay in Norway as tomorrow we head back into Sweden to make our gradual way home.

Leaving the site we once more joined the E16 heading south across the border and after a fairly long drive arrived at the beautiful seaside town of Stocken. Having admired the Swedish coast on the journey north, we were not disappointed. A large site bordering a lake the facilities were excellent and it was difficult to fault the surrounding scenery. We purchased fresh mackerel from the village and in the evening photographed a splendid sunset across the water looking back at the harbour.

Torekov was the next stop. Famous for the Torekov Compromise it is difficult to imagine such a momentous agreement taking place in such a small resort. The site is heavily wooded and in places crowded but we found a lovely pitch on the outer edge. We walked through the site and along the coast to the village which proved a delight, as did the ice cream which we enjoyed  by the marina. Following a conversation with the assistant in the Tourist Office, our interest in visiting New Zealand has been rekindled.

Leaving Sweden, we headed across both the Oresund Bridge and Tunnel and the Green Belt Bridge to the next site three kilometres outside Odense. An excellent city site, well arranged and organised, we were able to catch the bus outside the site entrance into the centre of the old town. Here we enjoyed the Cathedral unusually with an interior painted white and also managed to catch the last few minutes of an impressive performance on the stage in the grounds of the Hans Christian Anderson house and museum. After many false starts we eventually also managed to track down Anderson's birthplace

Leaving Denmark the following morning, we headed back into Germany where we stopped north of Hamburg at the  Kur-Camping Roland Site in Bad Bramstedt. A small site with a rather over helpful owner we nevertheless managed to find a satellite signal after some false attempts. A quick tour of the town failed to reveal anything of great interest though the church was worth a look not least because of some very attractive altar carving. There was also a handy supermarket which allowed us to replenish our exhausted stock of wine!

The next day we headed for Mettingen to the Camping Zurich Schonen Aussicht Site which proved most attractive with services pitches within hedge boundaries. Internet was kindly provided in the cafe by an Ethernet lead and with two coffees at a price of three euros there were no complaints. The walk to the local town down through fields was a delight and the town itself attractive. It is though interesting to observe the extent to which the continent shuts down from Saturday lunchtime until Monday morning.

A quiet lorry free journey on Sunday took us to the Airborne Museum at Arnhem. Parking proved straightforward having arrived early and the museum proved interesting and informative. It was a  stark reminder of the appalling loss of young lives as well as the many civilians who suffered. Leaving the museum we arrived at our next site at Schaijk, De Holenberg. Initially disappointed, this woodland site actually proved okay. We enjoyed a circular walk around the neighbouring Nature Park appreciating a children's adventure route. On returning to the motorhome we marvelled at being able to access a satellite signal despite surrounding trees.

The next day saw us heading for the Motorcaravan Park in Brugges. An excellent facility, this city site was accessed through a barrier and we managed to find a parking slot adjacent to the canal. Through the weather was unkind we thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon in Brugges, even managing to find the hotel we had stayed at some twelve years previously.

From Brugges we headed for Bien Assise at Guines, our final site prior to catching the ferry for home. A memorable holiday.

France

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