Moselle to Mosel end to end September 2019

[cliffanger]

Thanks DBK ? we are relatively restricted by return crossing next Monday night from Zeebrugge, certainly will not be going as high as Holland this trip

Before we set off we headed up to the col de Bussang hoping for a view, that has to be the most disappointing col I have ever visited , no view at all, everything around seems to be higher

For now we have trundled back down river for 46 miles along the main road rather than through all the villages as we did going up, annoyingly we have probably seen more of the river coming back down ?

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Mpg already recovering ? mostly downhill all constant speed driving and now on premium , still no conclusive answers ?

We are parked up at a free Aire although CC suggested otherwise, there is no barrier and no pay point, so free it is, which also might account for why it is so full

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Thaon les Vosges alongside the canal , I am presuming now canal des Vosges ? and it is full here, miles of it have been empty

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We have noticed masses of this vegetation in this area, clearly not taken as seriously here as at home, it is Japanese Knotweed ?

Tea consumed, washed down with gin and route planning now commencing for tomorrow ?

We stayed there the night before last - we checked our shoes for Japanese Knotweed seeds, and there’s a geocache in the theatre building next to the lock!

 

[cliffanger]

LOL ! If you win, I mean you know a good amount then .... give a bit to Katie Hospital!

Now you scratch: Jeu 1 (game 1) case 1
If you win something, you can either keep it and so stop there. Or you can choose to try and win more OR loose it all by scratching case 2 . Whatever you'll discover will cancel your previous win of case1. Gambling !!! lol

Then Jeu 2 (Game 2)
Scratch it and you will discover a 7 letters/numbers code that you will enter when connecting on www.anniversairealdi.fr when they ask you to. Game must be played before the 14th of October.
Careful if you win a big lot you'll be asked your ticket and original invoice of your shopping that day. So make sure you didn't throw it away!!!

And now for good luck (keep Jim away from here he's going to tell me off for swearing!) MERDE !!!!!!!!!!!!

Frankie - I’ve had a few glasses of Rose tonight, whilst watching downloads on the telly - so I’m going to scratch tomorrow - I’ll let you know if we win - I have to say, I’m feeling lucky ... ?

 

[DavidG58]

We are already north of Verdun, feels very familiar not sure when but we must have come this way at some point, possibly even last year ? will revisit old notes later

Driven through a lot of rain at times today 126 miles in all and now parked at Dun-sur-Meuse €8 Has small washroom and hook up, right by the river which is navigable at this point, although still supported by locks and canal sections

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Canal de Meuse above

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Our pitch tonight

We are trialling a new sat bag option , mentioned by. Brendan and on a 14 day free trial, runs on our iPad so much bigger screen than Tom Tom and constant map updates included with the app if bought, much easier to use although it has a couple of oddities we beed to iron out

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Sygic Truck

Picked up a leaflet on the Meuse valley at the aire here and to Bevs disappointment any wine grown here all happens south of Verdun

I am hoping to pass all blame on to DBK

Weather looks grey to damp for next few days, but have found a couple of beer museums north of here, will see if I can convince Bev they will do ?


Being lazy here, quoted this on a different thread can’t find a way to copy and paste all the content with photos so this is as good as it gets for now sorry ??

 

[cliffanger]

We’re now on our favourite site, just between St Tropez and Ste Maxine having bagged the last 8m pitch, and we ain’t moving for a week!

yodeli Frankie - I’m just about to hang the washing out, have a shower, pour a wine - and then we’ll find out if we are millionaires!

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

you will probably end up with a bag of crisps as a prize, which would be just deserts for blaming me for the cr%p posts. ?
??

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[cliffanger]

you will probably end up with a bag of crisps as a prize, which would be just deserts for blaming me for the cr%p posts. ?
??

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

We’re now on our favourite site, just between St Tropez and Ste Maxine

yodeli Frankie - I’m just about to hang the washing out, have a shower, pour a wine - and then we’ll find out if we are millionaires!

Stop showing off where you have pitched up and get that card scratched off, yodeli is waiting to hear if she can retire and we are all waiting to see what you have could have won. Will you stick to scratch 1 or have an itch to forfeit that and scratch 2.

 

[DavidG58]

been dragged out for what is normally called a walk but for us includes grovelling round in bottom of trees and walls, ‘geo caching’

In doing so though we found a much better road out, coming in was very tight

This cache was described as being outside their small summer house, they must have a lovely main residence

Spotted some very precise parking ?

Didn’t find the second of three caches but did walk some of the ramparts

On the way into the camp site I had spotted this which intrigued me

Fully auto pizza kiosk, served in 3 minutes, only 50c more to have it hot ? €10.50 ?

Then curiosity reacted with my stomach and we had suddenly ordered one ?

Was mildly concerned why it was called a burger though , but very nice pizza ?

 

[Neilfg]

been dragged out for what is normally called a walk but for us includes grovelling round in bottom of trees and walls, ‘geo caching’

In doing so though we found a much better road out, coming in was very tight

View attachment 334528

This cache was described as being outside their small summer house, they must have a lovely main residence

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Spotted some very precise parking ?

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Didn’t find the second of three caches but did walk some of the ramparts

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On the way into the camp site I had spotted this which intrigued me

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Fully auto pizza kiosk, served in 3 minutes, only 50c more to have it hot ? €10.50 ?

Then curiosity reacted with my stomach and we had suddenly ordered one ?

View attachment 334527

View attachment 334529

Was mildly concerned why it was called a burger though , but very nice pizza ?

We saw similar machines in Bloise and Chartres alongside the Laundry machines, tempted but only been nearby at lunchtime so easy to resist.

 

[DavidG58]

On Thursday we moved north, initially aiming for a micro brewery nearby who specialises in double fermentation , I had read they only opened on one day for viewing and sales, presuming that day wasn’t Sunday we had a 1/6 chance of them being open

Being open turned out to be the least of the issues, finding them eventually involved flagging down the postman, that was after several failed attempts and an equal number of complicated about turns in narrow roads

But find it we did and now know they only open on Samedi, although I only know for sure that isn’t a Thursday ?

But a little further north there is a larger museum of beer, this is open so we park and pay our €5 each to look at loads of breweramia and lots of words all in French explaining their function . I do have a problem with museums and tend to switch off, reminds me too much of being back at school

I can do pictures though, I soon worked out we are definitely in the right area for beer making ?

Museum done we looked for a combination of aire and large supermarket, Bev does like to browse for things to take home, but more and more now realises we can get nearly all of it at home

All the aires had mixed reviews and we ended up shopping then overnighting at Mentherme, a nice town with a riverside aire, still following the Meuse but for our last night

The view was nice , but a factory about a mile upstream made loud crashing noises right through the night and it rained, the noise was too much for us we would not return

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[DavidG58]

From here we had three nights left and were undecided between Ypres for 2 nights then one in Brugge or 2 in Brugge

Checked camping options for Ypres, the aire seems to be a good walk from the town and the last post ceremony is at 20.00 already after dark

So decision made, we will head for the camp site at Ypres, being a lit and closer walk, taking it on fate if they had room.

They did although the MH aire part of the site was full so we had a full camping pitch , not really sure why people pick the aire style parking , approx 5m wide plots and full. Cost for aire €15, cost for pitch on site €20

Paid for one night then quickly decided to stay for two rather than rushing to see Ypres as it was already after 2

We walked into town for a look, ended up stopping for an Italian then joining an already crammed full crowd at the Menin Gate for the last post

A very moving place to be, thoroughly recommend those that haven’t should do one day

 

[Neilfg]

There lots of routes for cycling walking in Ypres round the frontlines, we did one, fascinating reading the notes and plaques scattered along the routes. Glad you enjoyed your trip, although surprised you both did not like Germany more.

 

[DavidG58]

Yesterday (Saturday) in Ypres was sobering but very interesting, we did the Flanders Fields museum that only opened last year

Not quite what we had expected but very well put together, informative and thought provoking

Very well worth the admission charge and we took nearly three hours to go round, although that did include a rather ambitious climb of the bell tower offered for an additional €2

When we paid we were very politely asked if either of us were 60, earning me a €1.50 discount ? so seemed only fair to spend the discount, although I should have really remembered I got the discount due to my age ?

The view from the top was good but being there rather scary partly due to height but then added to by the strong wind at the time

A few shots of the day, including a Lego model of the Menin gate in the war graves shop

And a couple of other towers in Ypres

A wet evening with wetter day forecast for Sunday probably means we will save our trip to Tyne Cot till next time

 

[DavidG58]

Sunday as wet as promised so we drove to the aire at Brugges, we had thought about camping memling as Nat our eldest stayed there last night and gave it a good review, but for one night opted for the convenience of the aires location to Bruges

It is really tight parking though, not for us, not helped by the weather, when we arrived it was virtually dry so we walked to Bruges, it is a beautiful place and we opted for lunch in the main square, nice place but as ever not cheap, moules frites, lasagne, 2 beers €67

I am getting tight in retirement but think Portugal might be my next destination ?

A couple of pics before it rained

But at least we had C & A to shop in, never really worked out why they only closed down in UK

Bev got a new coat ?

I think she had forgotten to smile as I had to sub her clothing allowance from next month ? only kidding ??

Nice coat for less than the price of lunch ?

Tomorrow we go home from Zeebrugge back to Hull for the easy run down the M18 once docked, no more M25 holiday wrecking return journeys for us ?

An interesting trip, apart from when we went to Norway we have never stayed this far north on our travels , we might give Germany another go but didn’t like how busy it was this trip

Too many other places still to try to go back where it didn’t do it for us though I reckon

Till next trip, see some of you somewhere soon hopefully ??

 

[Mousy]

Glad you had a good trip David, love Bevs new coat. Thanks for sharing.

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[DavidG58]

Just seen the forecast here for tomorrow, best weather of the last few days, so rather than just drift back Zeebrugge we are going to drive back to Tyne Cot cemetery, it will be a fitting end to our first visit to Ypres

 

[Lenny HB]

Just seen the forecast here for tomorrow, best weather of the last few days, so rather than just drift back Zeebrugge we are going to drive back to Tyne Cot cemetery, it will be a fitting end to our first visit to Ypres

You can overnight at the Passechandale museum just down the road. CC 52203.

 

[DavidG58]

Thanks Lenny, I reckon you could also stay in the top of the museum car park as well, but for us it will be next time, this was a back track with the break in the weather

We went to Tyne Cot cemetery first, the largest commonwealth war grave in the world, although we went to one near Boulogne some years back that must run it a close second , that one was attached a hospital

Very sobering although by the time we also found the gardens at Passchendale we were both aware of the feeling of reconciliation and in awe of how Belgium in particular has been rebuilt

A nice way to end our trip away, but we now must come back as we didn’t have time to do the museum

The view back to Ypres, all the lives here lost to gain this much ground ?

Then to the memorial gardens at Passchendale

All this took a 77 detour / round trip today, very well worth the effort

Conclusion on mpg / super diesel, jury still out, but it does look like Shell V power is significantly better for mpg than the Total fuel we bought in France

This is us signing off finally this time , now at Zeebrugge for crossing tonight to Hull

One final observation we have never seen so many Jays, possibly seen more on this trip than I have in my life to date, a nice colourful bird to see, I know they are not very nice to other birds. We have also seen quite a few red squirrels ?

 

[JockandRita]

DavidG58. Safe journey back home David & Bev.

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, and for taking the time and effort. Nice photos too.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks Lenny, I reckon you could also stay in the top of the museum car park as well, but for us it will be next time, this was a back track with the break in the weather

That's where we stayed for two nights.

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[DavidG58]

One final twist to our trip

Nothing broke on MH ?

Technically the 360 camera needing sorting , but I had that covered

So the twist, arrive at check in to be told wrong day, ? he is right, luckily we are early by a day not late

Can we travel tonight, let me check, yes sir £125.50 but no club cabin ?

I dread to think how much it might have cost if we a day late

No thanks, see you tomorrow ?

Now parked at a very well equipped but slightly odd aire near Zeebrugge, owned by an adjacent hotel, supermarket next door, so all we need to survive another night ?

€20 inc electrics and Wi-fi, no idea why it is here or who would use it but it will do for the extra night ?

 

[Lenny HB]

Nothing broke on MH ?

"I don't believe it"

 

[DavidG58]

Report of the aire, it is an odd place, but took a walk to the seafront and was amazed at how built up the front is, although very tired there is a lot of development going on

A few shots of the aire

Part of the holiday hotel complex, still can’t ever imaging 40 places being full, especially now we have shopped in Belgium, it is really expensive for basic shopping

Just off for second go at checking in ??