Berlin

Our next intended stop was Berlin but the distance was far so we broke the drive up by stopping overnight in a campground in Grosser Weserbogen. It seems many call this place home as their campers have attachments that have the look of permanence. Disappointed by the lack of wi-fi to update the Garmin, we drowned our sorrows in the biergarten. Later we returned for dinner from the limited menu of pizza or entrées made with deer meat. I chose deer meat bratwurst with croquettes, poached pear and cranberry sauce and Dermot had skewered venison with fries, pear and cranberry sauce. Pretty good. We huddled inside and watched the hearty Germans somehow enjoying the outdoor seating in the cold wind.

We left the restaurant and headed for a short walk on a wooded path around the camp. As it turned out, the map was truncated and the trail did not lead back into the campground. We could sometimes glimpse the camp across a huge lake and eventually checked Google maps to ensure we weren’t walking to the next town. Reassured, we continued a lovely hike back that settled all that “wuld” meat. Hearing cuckoos, mallards and swans calling at dusk was a wonderful bonus!

A general travel lesson we keep having to relearn is to check carefully and gather our things before relocating. So far we’ve almost lost several items and were delayed the following morning by a misplaced ASCI card that’s hard to replace. 😖

Driving to Berlin reminded me how generally considerate European drivers are. When trying to enter the highway from an exit, people actually move over for you and those behind you patiently stay there allowing your slower vehicle to get up to speed. In Florida, driving is more like a competitive sport with people cutting you off and always with the added excitement that you could get shot. I often wish the U.S. had better public transportation and better drivers.

Wohnmobile-Oase Berlin campsite is in the Northern part of Berlin. It’s more of what we expected from a city camp - very few amenities, undesirable bathrooms, etc. We’ll make do for a few days as it’s walking distance to the underground, shopping and some decent restaurants. We spent the first evening getting our bearings and having a delicious meal at a German restaurant that didn’t include deer or bratwurst. That evening we planned and tried to decode the transportation system. 

Click here for our photos, "i" for information

The following morning we endured camp showers and lingered over coffee and pastries. With subway maps, Google maps and audio guides at the ready we had little trouble figuring out the transportation system and started the Rick Steves Berlin walk. Having spent over a week among the happy, shiny people of NW Europe, Berlin brought us back down to earth with its dark periods of history and gritty streets. Homelessness is again visible. There are beautiful sights here but it seems many areas are at least partially under construction so breezes kick up actual grit to go along with the figurative.

As an American, I recall learning about WWII as a terrible chapter in history and I lived through the Cold War but it was much more tangible here. Bricks and plaques trace the place where the Berlin Wall separated families for decades. Walking through the “Memorial to the Murdered Jews” was an experience that’s distressing and difficult to describe. I’m sure the experience would vary person to person but I came away with a heavy heart. Even the museums bear the scars of lost and damaged treasures due to bombings and fires. The extent of the loss of life and the tragedy that befell so many can be overwhelming. The fact that we’re here during yet another war of invasion and conquest makes it all the more heart-breaking.

All that being said, Berlin has great shopping, excellent public transportation, and reportedly lively night life. It doesn’t get dark here until after 10:30 and we’re back in our camper too tired from all the sightseeing by then so we’ll just have to take their word for that last bit. 

Netherlands

Amsterdam 

Our reservation at Camping Zeeburg was for only three nights in case it was a dump but after a brief look around we booked three more nights. Our site was near the water and the amenities included a restaurant/bar, grocery store and decent showers. The surrounding area was a bit of waterfront wilderness close to public transportation. Most nights we heard water birds as we drifted off to sleep. Under the heading “it’s a small world” we recognized the campervan next to us as the same one we had parked behind on the overnight ferry to Greece in 2018! The painting on the side was very unique. When the owners returned we learned they had recently bought the camper from the couple we had met. So same camper, different people but still quite a coincidence. That afternoon was spent researching our options. 

We decided to purchase a five day “IAmsterdam” pass that included public transportation, canal rides, tours, museums and more. Unfortunately, the pass did not include Anne Frank’s house and there were no tickets available for weeks. That’s one disadvantage of being flexible, you may not be able to get into the most popular sights. Dermot watched some soccer games and we relaxed before having a dinner at the camp restaurant which even had a band playing. 

Click here for our photos, click "i" for information

Monday morning we enjoyed breakfast at the camp and tackled the Amsterdam tram system. On arriving at central station, we began the Rick Steves Amsterdam walk which we really enjoyed! Favorite facts: 

1. There’s a multi story garage only for bicycles beside the central train station that’s free because the government wants to encourage this clean form of transportation. 

2. Though marijuana is legal here they use about half that used per capita in the US. 

3. The population density in the Netherlands is 15 times greater than the US. 

4. The canals are among the cleanest in the world. 

The city is a great blend of historical treasures, dreamy canals, striking architecture, and modern conveniences. Though we don’t normally do much shopping, Dermot bought a pair of Ecco shoes (at a bargain price compared to U.S.) and scanned the cannabis offerings. Meanwhile I ogled the wide variety of flower bulbs, pondered the psychedelic mushrooms and bought more chocolate. Lunch was shawarma and fries. They bring us catsup and mayonnaise though the locals prefer mayo or an exotic blend of mayo, cheese and other spices and sauces on their fries. We headed for the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art and made rookie mistakes using Google Maps that extending our tour of the town. Great for discovering new sights but tough on our feet. The museum had quite a few thought-provoking pieces and any day I get to experience a Matisse in person is a very good day. 

We’d touristed hard so a beer at the Cafe Hans and Grietje was a welcome break for sore feet and backs. The breeze was cold at the outdoor cafe table but we we got to witness rush hour Amsterdam style - mostly bicycles. People-on-bike watching was enthralling. The many different types of bikes, bike riders and their clothing along with children, bags and packages piled aboard was interesting in and of itself. The flow of traffic at the five way intersection added drama and awe. How they managed to avoid running over each other is a marvel! On the way back to the campsite we shopped in a small neighborhood store and tried to figure out what we could eat for breakfast. I choose granola and Dermot decided to continue getting pastries at the camp store. A Turkish dinner was found in the same neighborhood. With more than 24,000 steps, we earned our sleep that night. 

Having arrived before our timed entry to the Rijks Museum Tuesday morning, we toured the gardens and enjoyed an array of tulips. The museum was very interesting and had a great guide app. We followed several of their guided tours and spent so much time there we had to break for lunch in the museum cafe. Only recently opened, the library mostly contains books on artists and how art is made (such as making pigments) as well as cookbooks. It was designed to be a reading room but has never been used as such. I nearly cried! Highly recommended anyway.

The 100 Points Canal Cruise was a wonderful way to enjoy the peaceful waterways and rest up. The automated audio was a bit bland but pointed our some interesting sites including the Hotel where Lady Gaga had stayed. Cruising past the locks to the main harbor, we saw the large river cruising ships. Back within the city’s canals we saw many houseboats from the pristine to the dilapidated. There was actually one with a swing set and slide attached to the stern deck! Lucky kids! 

After a beer and a charge up at the Aran Irish pub (left my power bank in the van), we decided to follow another guided walk - this time through the red light district. We gave up trying to find restaurants specializing in Dutch food and had Indian instead. The peaceful botanical garden was our first stop the next day. Tulip season had come and gone but it was nice strolling along seeing many plants new to us and many that were exotic to them but common in Florida. The butterfly garden greenhouse was extremely humid and contained many butterflies we also have. The butterfly with transparent wings was my favorite. 

We set out for the Van Gogh Museum and grabbed a sandwich along the way. The museum was wonderful. Art is so personal but I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance. This city is a museum-lovers paradise! With our "I Amsterdam" pass we could pop into any we happened on and could wander as far and wide as we wanted knowing we could always hop on public transportation to get where we wanted to go. We headed to do some shopping. You probably take shopping for granted since you know the names of stores that will carry what you want. None of the names here were familiar to us so we had to ask and then hope. We finally found acceptable pillows and ate dinner at the Five Bells outdoor cafe with our pillows propped up beside us. The locals always carry their shopping with them on the trams and as we were walking back to camp a lady mistook us for locals telling us about the swan on her nest below in Dutch. 

Rain was in the forecast Thursday so it became laundry day. Next we tackled finding campsites at our next destinations. Easier said than done! Turns out my German skills were not up to the task. I turned to writing more of the blog, eventually setting up in to the camp’s registration area where the Wi-Fi was good but distractions were considerable. Dermot ran an errand while I ran into difficulties updating maps on our Garmin. We ate dinner at the camp restaurant and finished out the evening trying to decode the low emission zones on our intended route. It looks like Vienna may not be in the cards this trip. 

Friday morning we had two goals - any last minute sight seeing and a search for edibles - some for Dermot and some for a friend. We followed Rick Steve’s Jordan district walk and enjoyed a delicious lunch in a French-style cafe. Shortly thereafter the rain started in earnest. Prepared with raincoats and waterproof shoes, we trudged from place to place but never found the type of edibles Dermot wanted. Along the way we happened on the Tulip Museum and enjoyed learning about these colorful icons of the Netherlands. 

Belgium

Central Station Antwerp

Bruges

Taking the ferry to Calais was a bit nerve-wrecking but also fun. We’d researched and fretted about the post-Brexit restrictions but nobody asked us what we had. 🤷 Driving on the right side of the road was a relief and when we arrived in Bruges we were amazed at the bicycle paths in addition to sidewalks, sometimes on both sides of the road, and the many people enjoying them! We arrived to self check-in at Camping Memling. There was a Carrefour grocery/mini-department store within walking distance and we spent far too long trying to decipher the labels. That’s when it really hit us. We were out of our English-speaking comfort zone and really traveling now!

Click this link to see our photos

It was a bit too late to tackle heading into town but we found bicycle oil at a Brico (which is like a Home Depot) and ate an uninspiring dinner at the restaurant in the nearby strip mall. It would have been great to rewatch the movie "In Bruges" but our internet connection wasn't up to the task. 

 

The next morning we got out the folding bicycles we’d completely neglected for four years, added some oil and air and everything worked! The three kilometer ride in was easy and we were able to lock them up in a leafy park just beside the Burg square. We enjoyed the sights there including the Basilica of the Holy Blood where we witnessed a ceremony which invited us to venerate the holy relic. Heading for the Markt (Market Square) we realized we had happened upon market day and roamed around soaking in the market atmosphere with its fresh cheeses, sausages, prepared meals and more. 

Rick Steves lists the three most important experiences to be had in Bruges: Beer, Chocolate and Biking. So we got a seat on the Markt and started experiencing - dark beer for Dermot and Kreik (cherry) beer for me. Thoroughly refreshed we strolled through the streets. The weather was so lovely we took a boat ride through the canal and took many pictures of the charming houses and bridges. We ate a dinner of mussels and rabbit stew and headed back to camp for the night.

The next day we followed biked back into town using a different route to check out the windmills and more back alleys. When we reached the Burg Square we again ditched our bikes and followed Rick Steve’s walk and enjoyed more beer, a sandwich and huge portion of pate with hearty wheat bread in a small bar hidden down a tiny alley.  We slipped into a chocolate shop and selected our favorite flavors to dip into whenever the mood struck. The culmination of our walk was at the idyllic and peaceful Begijnhof. We sampled more beer and enjoyed dinner at our first Irish pub of the trip. There are very few towns we’ve come across that don’t have an Irish pub. 

Antwerp

Our original plan was to head for Amsterdam the next day but there was no vacancy at the closest in campground so we decided to spend the next few days in Antwerp.  As I entered the location into our Garmin that morning, it warned me the destination required us to travel into a Low Emission Zone. Oops! That required some time to figure out what we needed to do to avoid heavy fines but we registered and finally got on the road. F.Y.I. - it seems our diesel van will not be welcome in 2025.

Having only 2G internet service through T-Mobile was limiting so we set out to get sims for our phones and mi-fi device. Turns out we needed our passports to purchase pay-as-you go so no joy that day. We did enjoy experiencing using a pedestrian walkway under the river, seeing all the different ways people use their bikes to get around, and the vibrancy of the city. 

Trying to boil water for tea the next morning we discovered we had run out of propane gas! Ah, the joys of vanlife. Luckily, there was a tiny bakery at the campsite with fresh pastries and they also served coffee! With passports in hand we set out on yesterday's mission but took the very cool waterbus across the river this time. We got sims for our phones but apparently the mi-fi is a no go. We’ll see if we can manage continuing to post without it!

We again followed Rick Steves walk and enjoyed the lovely Central Train Station (shout out to Mary Murphy alerting us to this must-see) and many other sights along the way. Finally, we enjoyed a Belgium waffle to round out our first experience of this inviting country.

England in 2022

When Covid and I were done with each other, I flew to London. The passing of a family member drew friends and relations from Ireland and England to mourn and celebrate the life of a promising young man. Much of our time was spent chatting over food and drink. We took the underground into London hoping to catch a play last minute but settled for a romp around Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I finally had a proper Yorkshire pudding and they are delicious when done right!

We were happily reunited with our campervan in Bristol and planned to spend one night there cleaning, unpacking and reaquainting ourselves with the systems and determining what had survived for two years being closed up and subjected to British weather. Most items were as you might expect. Our campsite was near Cheddar bordering a field filled with sheep. We heard them as well as smelled them - an aroma I described as "gross" and Dermot declared to be "fresh." Now I know what "farm fresh" really means. The busy day was topped off with dinner at the campground's restaurant as we were too late and too beat to make what we'd bought.  The thin comforter was just enough to stave off the chill of the spring night.

Oops!

We tackled adding water to the tank the following morning without reading the manual which turned into a comedy of errors culminating with water running from under the bathroom into the kitchen. We feared the worst - broken lines. We booked another night at the same camp and called the company that cares for the van in our absence. It being Sunday, getting service would be delayed at least a day. A bit of troubleshooting revealed our problem was self-inflicted and didn't recur when all valves were set correctly. So we did laundry and relaxed before cooking our first van-made dinner of the trip. 

Here's an album of our photos.

We dined al fresco with a bottle of wine we had bought in Spain in 2019 and somehow aged very nicely in the van being subjected to whatever highs and lows Britain could dish out. 

With our fingers and toes crossed, we set our sights on a ferry crossing to France. The narrow roads in Cheddar with their incredibly charming stone houses and their picturesque flower-covered stone walls are lovely to see but caused anxiety as we tried to avoid collisions with bigger vehicles. On arrival in Folkestone, we immediately booked a ferry and campsite for the next day.

Next stop: Bruges, Belgium 

Ready, Set, Stay and Go!

As I begin this post I’m at home in the U.S. and Dermot is in Ireland.  Okay, let me back up a bit. Having had years to plan our next European campervan adventure we were all ready to finally be done with Covid and all its disruptions. Dermot had his second booster earlier in April and I got mine on April 16. I had mild symptoms but the CDC’s website indicated they just meant the vaccine was working. Great! April 20 - the day of our flight arrives and Dermot suggests I take a home test for Covid just to reassure others who might inquire. First test - positive! Ditto second test! Dermot’s test is negative. This sets off a flurry of calls and altered plans. My symptoms were still mild but our first weeks would have been spent in Ireland with family members who are at higher risk so we decided Dermot would go ahead without me. 

Pictures here. Click the "i" for information.  

Disappointing? Yes, but Dermot enjoyed some quality time at “home.”

Next stop: England