Shall I, Shan't I? Third time lucky? Trip to Norway from Spain

[jumartoo]

We sat at our nearest picnic bench for our meal and had just got to the cheese and wine stage when we spotted ... what I thought was a fisherman in waders, but who turned out to be a local walking his dogs.

He plonked himself down and started to tell us ... something. He spoke French (as you'd expect) but we don't!!! Anyway, our Spanish knowledge helped about 1% and we managed to sit for an hour and have some sort of a conversation.

We gave him a glass of red and things got easier!!!

Anyhow. He's local, lives a few km away from here and walks his dogs regularly. He told us it wasn't going to rain and that we were in a very safe place. He comes with the dogs in the morning to pick mushrooms, especially Ceps. I managed to dredge up enough French to ask his age, and, once we'd deciphered the four times twenty plus three, worked out he was 83.

He made our evening. This is what travelling is all about. No animosity between foreigners.

Photos if they don't load now will be posted later.

So will this ...

 

[jumartoo]

Yay Internet again ... so sad we need it!

Photos from yesterday.

 

[jumartoo]

And now for something completely different ...

We're at the busy Aire at Pont a Mousson. The place is now "complet"!

We had a stroll into the centre before the rain fell.

Us. We have more space than looks from the front cos the area is Kraft (other cheeses are available but not the right shape) cheese shaped, and wider at he back. We can live with this for one night

We're the "little'un) in the middle.

And looking towards the marina and No. 2!!! Parking (didn't want to be there)

 

[jumartoo]

Our damp stroll into the town!

One of the lovely bee thingies.

Martin, wistfully looking at the river. He'll be able to fish ... soon.

Purple flowers on the bridge looking towards the Aire/marina.

Totally unrehearsed!!! Just caught him on the crossing!

Wistfully looking (Martin) at the really forbidden goodies .

So good to have fast internet again. These piccies came in in about 20 seconds!

BUT we don't have an old man here telling us a story

Swings and roundabouts ...

 

[Lenny HB]

And now for something completely different ...

We're at the busy Aire at Pont a Mousson. The place is now "complet"!

We had a stroll into the centre before the rain fell.

Us. We have more space than looks from the front cos the area is Kraft (other cheeses are available but not the right shape) cheese shaped, and wider at he back. We can live with this for one night

View attachment 312492

We're the "little'un) in the middle.

And looking towards the marina and No. 2!!! Parking (didn't want to be there)

View attachment 312510

I prefer the 2nd parking area, a bit more room and not like a carpark.

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[jumartoo]

I prefer the 2nd parking area, a bit more room and not like a carpark.

It was already full!!!

 

[jumartoo]

We now feel that a "holiday" has begun. We're on a Stellplatz at Ensch that we cycled through last year. We'll maybe have two night here before moving on. Cycling tomorrow looks a possibility for checking out places further along the river. We will definitely spend some time at Kesten, cos it's a nice shady place.

Martin checking out the satellite for an important "WOMENS" football match tonight. We HAD taken care whilst positioning the van!

Will it???

Won't it?????

YESSSS!!!!

All's well in his world. He's had tapas and a glass of rosé and is looking forward to salmon for dinner and a good football match.

And a view of the river.

Nothing special today, sorry.

 

[jumartoo]

Martin's day is getting better and better 2-0 to the Lionesses!!!

 

[Chockswahay]

Martin's day is getting better and better 2-0 to the Lionesses!!!

So, he's watching fit WOMEN running around a field getting hot n sweaty ........

C'mon!

 

[jumartoo]

On our drive here today we were held up by a traffic jam. When we eventually passed the problem we saw it was a car and caravan.

Martin has seen some traffic accidents in his working life, but he said he'd never seen something so destroyed as this one! It was like it had been made of balsa wood.

The car was damaged at the back only so hopefully the occupants were only shaken and not injured badly.

It's frightening how fragile a vehicle we travel in .

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[Chockswahay]

Y'know, thinking about this you had better hurry up! The days are getting shorter and it'll be dark by the time you get there (and the fish will have all gone home!).

 

[Robert Clark]

Y'know, thinking about this you had better hurry up! The days are getting shorter and it'll be dark by the time you get there (and the fish will have all gone home!).

Don’t knock it
By my reckoning they’ve traveled just under 2,000 km

Most of it upside down, dangling from a piece of knicker elastic

 

[jumartoo]

Don’t knock it
By my reckoning they’ve traveled just under 2,000 km

Most of it upside down, dangling from a piece of knicker elastic

You do make me laugh

 

[Hellski]

We now feel that a "holiday" has begun. We're on a Stellplatz at Ensch that we cycled through last year. We'll maybe have two night here before moving on. Cycling tomorrow looks a possibility for checking out places further along the river. We will definitely spend some time at Kesten, cos it's a nice shady place.

Martin checking out the satellite for an important "WOMENS" football match tonight. We HAD taken care whilst positioning the van!

Will it???

View attachment 312728

Won't it?????
View attachment 312727

YESSSS!!!!
View attachment 312730
All's well in his world. He's had tapas and a glass of rosé and is looking forward to salmon for dinner and a good football match.

And a view of the river.
View attachment 312729

Nothing special today, sorry.

We had two lovely nights here earlier this month, managed to get a riverside pitch too. Lovely place and thank you for bringing back happy memories

 

[jumartoo]

We had two lovely nights here earlier this month, managed to get a riverside pitch too. Lovely place and thank you for bringing back happy memories

When we arrived yesterday there wasn't such a good choice until the weekenders left.

Yesterday evening a German (American English speaking) came and offered us his prime, front row pitch, when he left today. He was here talking to us so long that when the lady came to collect our money he told her it "might" be for us.

He'd offered to call the doctor for Martin today for them to take a look at his knee and he also told her we might need to go!!!

We did go, without any help, and treatment is much the same as expected.

When we got back "his" place was still vacant and we almost moved ... but in the end couldn't be bothered.

It is a nice place, wherever you get parked.

After the doctor visit we continued on a bike ride and bumped into Funsters Clarky Richard and Kate. Was nice to see them looking well (if a little warm). Not seen them since they were in Totana suffering the lurgy.

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[jumartoo]

This morning, fairly early, we had a bike ride. I'd found that there are mountain bike routes here but couldn't get enough info to set off on one. BUT as we cycled down river we found a board detailing all the biking and walking routes in the area. Armed with a route number we struck off, uphill, mountain bike route searching.

We did find MTB5 and started to follow it. Nice, easy riding on vineyard roads and tracks, but the signing left something to be desired.

Almost ALL our guesses turned out to be the right ones. And the ones that weren't brought us round in a circle ? . We'll be looking out for more routes. They'll not deter us!

Lavender alongside a vineyard road. Martin just disappearing!

Above the Mosel.

One of the many, and strangest, shelters
No beer though!

We've now moved on to the Stellplatz at Kesten because we knew there is a fair amount of, badly needed, shade here.

Here, we've just arrived. SHADE!!! until later. Good internet (we can see the mast) and before we made the place look a mess!!!

Our two nearest neighbours are Brit registered vans, but not met the occupants yet.

Watch this space ...

If they are undesirables, we'll be Spanish

 

[Robert Clark]

This morning, fairly early, we had a bike ride. I'd found that there are mountain bike routes here but couldn't get enough info to set off on one. BUT as we cycled down river we found a board detailing all the biking and walking routes in the area. Armed with a route number we struck off, uphill, mountain bike route searching.

We did find MTB5 and started to follow it. Nice, easy riding on vineyard roads and tracks, but the signing left something to be desired.

Almost ALL our guesses turned out to be the right ones. And the ones that weren't brought us round in a circle ? . We'll be looking out for more routes. They'll not deter us!

View attachment 313156
Lavender alongside a vineyard road. Martin just disappearing!

View attachment 313157
Above the Mosel.

View attachment 313158
One of the many, and strangest, shelters
No beer though!

We've now moved on to the Stellplatz at Kesten because we knew there is a fair amount of, badly needed, shade here.

View attachment 313159
Here, we've just arrived. SHADE!!! until later. Good internet (we can see the mast) and before we made the place look a mess!!!

Our two nearest neighbours are Brit registered vans, but not met the occupants yet.

Watch this space ...

If they are undesirables, we'll be Spanish
[/QUOTE

Thinking of you two drinking German wine (poor things)

We’re enjoying a chilled bottle of Spanish red

 

[jumartoo]

Actually ... not started on the German wine yet. Martin's had a Bitburger ('cos he's on holiday) and I've had the very last half glass of the box Rosada.

With dinner we're having this ...

Maybe ...

Its uncorking itself so it might go down the drain.

One of the ones we bought from the bodega in Cataluña. It's going in the fridge for an hour to see if that helps it!!!

 

[Northernraider]

Thank you so very much for your reply, I'd personally never heard of Wikiloc and now downloading the app as I type

Me too

 

[Northernraider]

Jealous of the ferrateras I'd like to do a couple but can't with dogs and I don't have the equipment.

Great pics

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[jumartoo]

Actually ... not started on the German wine yet. Martin's had a Bitburger ('cos he's on holiday) and I've had the very last half glass of the box Rosada.

With dinner we're having this ...

View attachment 313167

Maybe ...

Its uncorking itself so it might go down the drain.

One of the ones we bought from the bodega in Cataluña. It's going in the fridge for an hour to see if that helps it!!!

I can confirm that the wine was very nice ... but I now have the most annoying condition known to man called hiccoughs!!!

We've used our purple (Portuguese) wine saver to save some for tomorrow!!!

 

[jumartoo]

Jealous of the ferrateras I'd like to do a couple but can't with dogs and I don't have the equipment.

Great pics

Some of the ferratas (but you do need proper equipment) are short enough to do and leave the doggies in the van.

I would suggest you have a guided climb for the first time, if you are ever tempted to have a go.

(Of all climbing, ferratas are ones that you don't need a partner/belayer for).

 

[jumartoo]

"Our" bit of river.

And the little boat that just kept on growing!

The sun's dropped behind the hill and it's cooling down now ... slightly.

 

[jumartoo]

Early morning bike ride for us today. We also use another App to find routes. This one, Komoot, is German and particularly good here. We used it today with a GPS and it worked well with turn, by turn, directions.

We rode 35km with no problems!!!

Looking down at Kesten and the Stellplatz

The ride was a mix of shady forest

A plateau

Villages

A railway crossing. The barriers were down and the sign at the side says operate handle. We did ... were told to wait ... and you DO AS YOU'RE TOLD cos this came so quickly!!!

And tarmac cycle ways.

We're now back at base, in the shade, wasting an afternoon of our lives (or not ... as we're sipping a cold Bitburger and eating peanuts and scratchings before we think about lunch

 

[jumartoo]

Headed north to escape the heat and we are now at Naturpark Lüneburger.

We are at a lovely parking place in the Naturpark. Should be €9 to stay for 24 hours but the machine shut down after I'd put in €4 and spit out a 24 hour ticket!!!

We set off on a lovely bike ride but after about 7km my bike was attacked by a branch which kn@ckered the derailier. Luckily, the 7km was a loop so we were only about 1km from the van.

We limped back, accompanied by clanking and grinding (the bike not me) and Martin set about straightening and cannibalising our reserve stock, to get me back on the road.

We managed to get back on route and did over 40km of heathland and forest.

Staying here tomorrow night and, hopefully, depending on Martin's knee, riding again tomorrow.

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[jumartoo]

We had VERY intermittent internet at the Naturpark parking area but we stayed for two nights. It's a lovely area for easy biking.

Komoot came into its own again and gave us two good routes. Yesterday we did a shorter one, only 25km, but it was quite hot so that was fine

We had a team talk yesterday evening and I came up with the idea of heading northeast and hitting the German coast.

Martin, excitedly, researched fishing, and it seems he can get a tourist permit easily.

Sooo ...

 

[jumartoo]

Sooo ...

We left this morning. Emptied and filled on site and then filled the gas en route. We're running light on diesel whilst the water tank is full!!!

We circumnavigated Hamburg with hardly a hitch but then joined the Sunday crowd. After crawling along around Lubeck we took a junction just 1 km before roadworks began. I cracked open P4N.

We are now here. In the shade. A Park4Night recommendation near some lakes at Eutin.

Most important is the shade ...

The lakes are a short stroll away behind the hedge so later we'll be off exploring.

 

[funflair]

Wow just caught up with 4 pages and worn out, and not just by the reading do you two never stop keep the reports coming.

Martin

 

[jumartoo]

We went for a stroll down to the lakes and took Martin's "short cut". I was only in sandals and now have a blister . We came back the short route!

Nice lakes, but with less people than we expected. Let's hope this bodes well for the coast over the next week.

 

[jumartoo]

We're now on the coast at a place called Gromitz. On the way we called into the biggest town to enquire about a fishing permit for Martin. Yes, it it possible to buy a tourist permit from the Ratzhouse (sp) which is situated in the busiest part of town.

Undaunted, 'cos it was his desire, we drove through narrow, and narrower streets and managed to park (without paying 'cos we're coin short) just a few minutes walk away.

Permit duly purchased we then drove to our present position for the afternoon and night. Another hiccough trying to pay here with a card in a machine.

Second card accepted and ticket issued. Result!!! Or not. Zero paid, zero minutes. It's stuck on the window and if it's checked we'll (well Martin) will query it and if we didn't get charged anything we'll try for another.

Anyway. We got out on the bikes on a route sheet issued by the tourist office. I must admit my research produces better routes, but ....

A few piccies of wind turbines, barley fields and a random stone sculpture.

The beach a few metres away from our parking, but unfortunately, hidden from our view by a grassy bank.

This evening, parking and biking and fishing research is on the cards

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