Schmuddelwetter

Off to the sun? That's a joke!
The plan was 1000 miles over 5 days to get to Croatia.
The first day was pretty straightforward:- good roads, both to the German border and then onto the A3 autobahn which would be using through to Austria. We stopped close to Frankfurt in small town called Obertshausen, in a very good small hotel. We were able to go for a sunny but cold afternoon walk and find a source for the cheap French red wine we failed to get in France! We had a good dinner in the hotel (which has a Turkish slant) but were surprised there was no wine list. Next day we got back onto the autobahn with destination Regensburg. We had picked that location for a two day stay because of distances, but had then seen that it  is considered to be a very fine city! We picked an economy hotel on the outskirts, and again it was an ideal choice in terms of value accommodation, but somewhere along the line it started to rain! In fact it caused us to get out cagoules we have been carrying round unused for nearly six years.

 Clearly the Schmuddelwetter was a pain, but there were good things, apart from major sights! We found two good restaurants that we could run to from the car, and the hotel was associated with a bakery-cafe which did a huge range of breakfasts from cheap to lavish. On the Sunday morning we ate there and amongst other customers was a woman in full Bavarian dress!
Next day we did the tunnels! We were a bit intimidated by the list we had made of all the lengths, but it was raining so much that tunnels were some relief! It was also our first visit to Austria so we had the delight of buying and fitting the vignette that is used instead of motorway tolls. In any case we survived them all, including the 10km one -  Plaubutsch (21st longest in the World) that bypasses the city of Graz. We were no sooner out than we had to do some nifty decision-making lanes-wise, but got to our strange overnight stop relatively painlessly, and it stopped raining! We stayed at Greenrooms, which is ultra-modern, very green, comfortable in general, and close to a shopping centre where we had our first running sushi dinner. (Weird, but this was no time to explore Austrian cuisine!)

Next day we came up against weak anti-smoking law in Austria.(What is their problem?) A very good breakfast representing great value, served with a smile and virtually a fag hanging out of the mouth! Austrian TV had a lot to show about Scmuddelwetter!

Back on the road, armed now with a Slovenian vignette! We had a long adventure as we headed for nations 8 and 9 of the migration (and out of the EU!) Austrian motorways are good, and maintained, so we had a long period of roadworks.  Slovenia has perfectly good motorways, for which the one-off charge seems reasonable, but the last 12 kilometres before the Croatian border are barely more than a donkey track. Then there is the border crossing. It was wet, but quiet so our queue was bearable, but we pondered what this would be like in high summer. Staff were not exactly jolly, but we assume from July 1st they won`t have jobs!

Croatia´s motorways are good, and with normal pay-as you-go tolls. There are some impressive feats of engineering in terms of bridges and tunnels, and we think the views might have been good, too, but they were largely obscured by rain! By the time we reached our destination just North of Zadar the rain had stopped, but everything-  including the punters - was soggy! Thus began our supposed sunny stay!
 

Chez Frost, Maigret, Poirot, and Van der Valk

England delivered an exit of epic proportions! Rain was forecast but it held off until we were halfway to Dover. Then it started. Plans for useful stops were abandoned, and all we could do was enjoy a last real ale and hope that we would be allowed onto the earlier ferry, which we were; but sitting the car watching the staff work in hurricane uniform led to little regret at getting out!

France was wet, but less so! We scooted over from the Dunkerque hotel to Poivre Rouge and had the last French meal for ages. It was still raining slightly the next day, but was bitterly cold! Our oracle said that diesel was cheaper in French supermarkets than in Belgium so we made a small detour to fill up only to then decide we couldn't face getting out of the car, so we entered Belgium knowing we would have to stop somewhere. It was all going well - except of course for the road surface conditions - now legendary! There was rain, of course, but only heavy, and we had loads of time for the 200 miles or so, and then we came to a halt. Major roadworks that had started that morning! The slow lane was at a complete standstill with HGVs of every EU nation, running for probably 5 km. We glided past to meet our own hold-up, and sat for half an hour, watching the rain.

We got going again and in due course hit Antwerp. Thank you Via Michelin! Antwerp is a major port. It has a river mouth and a lot of through traffic. It has two tunnels. The westerly one has a toll, the easterly is free. The powers that be do not call these (in any language) West and East or anything sensible. They label them R1 and R2, and our printed directions indicated the one where the rest of the world was not going! At first this was a great relief as the queue before the Kennedy Tunnel was enormous and stationary, so after a summit conference we went with that advised and were zooming round on "the other side". Six euros, twenty excess miles, twenty minutes and two peak anxiety moments later we were back where the directions picked up. We will never know how long we would have taken if we had followed the herd. Once out of Belgium decent road directions and surface resume, and we only had the traditional "Why didn't you print a bigger street plan?" period before we were at the hotel (in the rain!) nearly two hours later than expected.

We chose well for accommodation. With a walk of 15 minutes you reach Overamstel Metro station which is fast into Centraal Station or earlier central stops. Chloe had to work a fair bit during our stay, but she recommended a small cheaper bar near Dam and we met her there. She had worked hard on plans for our time together and found very good restaurants for one dinner and two lunches.

• Moes near the station and part of the Appel gallery (organic, expensive but good!)
• Van der Kerkwijk in the Red Light District (quirky menu, slow service)
• Bazar within the Albert Cuypstraat market (North African, great value)

It was bitterly cold throughout and the rain came and went! On the second day we cycled into the city centre, which was - of course - easy, and took us past some great sights. After lunch Chloe went to work and we jumped (!) on and off of trams with our magnetic cards to take us all over the place in relative warmth, before going to the cinema (see below). We left the bikes near Chloe's work and went back to the hotel.

Next day we met her for a trip down Albert Cuypstraat market. They were selling a lot of umbrellas and sweaters! We had to get the bikes back to the hotel and were very lucky to avoid the rain, but less so later on in getting back in via the Metro! Although we didn't want to eat we went for the first time over the IJ to Noord Amsterdam to a restaurant and bar set in the disused shipyard. We had great trouble finding it, but it was worthwhile as there was a female singer/guitarist in the style of Tracy Chapman, who was good, and we had a chat with her afterwards. All good fun, but we had misread the ferry timetable for return and had a long cold wait, so killed time in another bar also in an old industrial building and showing video of more glorious times. We sent C off on her bike and that was it!

 

Red Herrings, White Cliffs, Bluebells! England in May Part 1

Hope springs eternal! We don`t have a lot of choice about our annual trip to UK:- it has to be April May or June. We have sometimes had shocking weather. Last year was almost a  wash-out! We gritted our teeth and planned 18 days across 5 locations (not venturing too far North or into Central London!)

 

 

We had an easy drive from Dover up to Oulton Broad in Suffolk and the sun shone, although there was a very cold wind. We had time to visit Halfords to try for a new chain guard (unsuccessful!) and Currys to buy a new laptop. We were staying with Rick – a sort of cousin of Bob – who, for the last few years, has been away offshore when we visited. This time we spent time together, and he showed us the highlights of O Broad and Lowestoft. On the first full day there was an unusual event. We went to Great Yarmouth and it didn´t rain! Just as well:- the purpose was to have Yvette serviced and gain an MOT certificate, so we would be cast adrift on our bicycles for a good few hours. It was cold, of course (this is Norfolk!) but there was bright sunshine, and we were able to tour the town´s sights like the Nelson Monument, the Jewish burial ground, and the location of the old ferries across to Gorleston, during the heyday of fishing.

 

Next day Bob and Rick went for a long bike ride whilst Ruth wrestled with Windows 8 on the new acquisition (not convinced by it as yet!). They went round nature trails and some of the old parts of Oulton Broad. Still no rain! Nor on the Sunday, even though it was a Bank Holiday weekend! After re-packing Yvette again we drove to Kessingland  (a little south of Lowestoft on the coast) and met up with Rick who had cycled. We strolled along the coastal path in what could be called “bracing” weather despite the sunshine, and then went to visit his paternal grandmother (genealogically linked somehow by marriage to Bob) for the first time for some more insights into that part of the family. She is about 90 years old and a delightful lady:- still in possession of almost all her marbles!

Then we set off for Northampton. “Why?” is a good question, and the answer is that it looked like a good spot for some cycling alongside the Grand Union canal. We had booked into one of the town´s three Travelodges and had some reasonable verbal instructions revolving around proximity to the football stadium, but the name thereof had not been recorded. (It is in fact Sixfields should you ever need to know!). En route we were caught in a Sunday afternoon traffic accident jam for half an hour, and then got completely lost at the ring road. We went backwards and forwards, at one point seeing a Travelodge in the distance and deciding it was wrong. We asked at a petrol station and got what we later realized were perfect directions if we had been pointing in the opposite direction, headed way out into the country and had to turn round in a pub car park. We then had another go at the ring road and went back to the previously spotted hotel. It had a good pub attached and a smell of roast dinner. We heaved great sighs of relief and went in. No sign of our reservation! “Is this Upton?” “No, but many people make the same mistake:- here are printed instructions for getting to Upton!” We were clearly not the first victims of road-signing à la mode de Northampton! Once there all was forgiven and we remain refusniks on the SatNav front! It was indeed immediately opposite the stadium and its associated enormous “Leisure Park”.  On the skyline is what has become known as the Northampton Lighthouse. Read more here! We are in no position to comment on the gastronomy of the town! Over four nights we sampled the fare of some of the numerous chain restaurants conveniently located across the road. Best food was at Bella Italia, most interesting was at the World Buffet (where we had a bit of a to-do about the timings for pensioners´ special rates), and we also ate at a TGI Fridays, and a Frankie and Benny!

We had got away from the East Coast wind, and the sun still shone so on Bank Holiday Monday we rode down the Northampton Arm of the G.U. to Gayton Junction and (quite dramatically uphill) into the village (and of course, back!) Just the job, with almost all the towpath well maintained for cyclists and only a few great post-deluge puddles! The town itself has an impressive network of cycle paths, and you can get almost everywhere on them except into the town centre! As this was where we wanted to go we ended up the next day going our separate ways after Ruth refused to cycle on pavements over hazardous bridges etc and only Bob made it to Primark!

We did, however, have a great day out by car visiting the National Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne:- neatly chassising round two coach-loads of Brummie primary schoolchildren, and viewing one end of the famous Blisworth tunnel. On the way back our joy was unbounded when we found a Halfords that fitted a chain guard on the spot and had a saddle cover, and a huge Boots that could supply a year´s worth of toiletries (with Advantage points!)

 

 

Next we were bound for Oxford, but the weather forecast was not too good! We went via Bicester where we had found on the internet the address of a Kwik-Fit Tyre Centre, and a “beautiful launderette” (Yes it had a star rating from a happy customer!). We did the business at both and then killed some time beside the Oxford Canal in a pub at Thrupp. It was getting very cold and gloomy! Our four days in Oxford were doomed! We stayed as before out at the Travelodge on what we used to call the Northern By-pass. It is very handy, and there is a neighbouring Park and Ride that is perfect for visiting the city, so on the first full day we did, getting on with vital UK shopping, such as Bravissimo and Waterstones, and then finding it so cold that we hastened back, just beating the rain! That was the good bit of weather. Next day we went to Aylesbury for lunch with Ruth´s sister Lois and her partner. We got lost trying to avoid the town centre, but had a good meal in a pub accessible with her mobility scooter, visited her home and then were directed to a huge Tesco where we could continue provisioning. It was pouring with rain as we arrived there. When we came out it started to hail and driving was almost impossible. Once again we parked up at the hotel in appalling weather, and next day was little better. What to do on a cold wet Sunday? Get lost on the ring road! This time in search of the multi-screen cinema allegedly next to Oxford United´s ground. (The latter has unsurprisingly moved since Ruth lived in the city 37 years previously!) By the time we had found it, got very wet, and discovered there was nowhere pleasant nearby  in which to kill time till the film we had lost the will to shell out the price demanded and took Sunday papers to a pub, which was a much better idea! Later The Plough at Wolvercote once again delivered a delicious supper (and an inexplicable number of single Dutch men!).. and that was Oxford in May: bikes never removed from rack, feet never out of socks, camera untroubled by use!

 

As we left Oxford the rain stopped, and we drove down to the south coast. First we met up with Ruth´s  parents  long  lunch at The Ship at Langstone Harbour near Hayling Island. It was bitterly cold and the sea was rough, but it wasn´t raining, but by the time we got to our next staging post - Worthing - it was obvious our meteorological luck was not going to change. We were staying on the seafront and it was blowing a gale. Even taking bikes off the car before parking was  foul experience and then it started to rain. The next day we shopped in the rain, sat in a pub, lurked in the hotel room, ate on site and watched programmes from our stash. This was not what we had planned!

It was a bit brighter next day for our trip "up town". We had bought rail tickets for an amazingly good price on pre-determined trains, and had a tight itinerary to get us to our new tenants in each of the two rental properties,  and meet up with ex-neighbour  Pete. It all worked and we largely missed the showers, got in a nostalgic meal at Nando´s in Balham, froze on several station platforms and were back in Worthing on a late train. The following day was as if nothing had happened! The sun shone, the sea was blue, and the wind had dropped. We used the bikes for some odd essential tasks around town and felt a whole lot better!

"This weekend I have mostly been gardening"

 

The final bit was with friends in Rotherfield (East Sussex). This is another place where we have visited several times during migrations and been washed out (or kept in) by English weather. This time the rain came only at night or early mornings, so we were able to sit (or in Bob´s case - help) in their garden and go for bike rides on two successive days.

 

Each was a section of the Cuckoo Trail: - disused railway track, and although it was definitely cold and the ground was soggy there was glorious sunshine, and the scenery  wild flowers were beautiful. As part of the return journey we ventured into Kent and visited The Middle House- a very old pub in Mayfield, so that our final meal of the GB tour was delicious roast local beef with all the trimmings.

 

We set off next morning.  The tally:- 18 days in May, of which  9 were sunny but cold, 1 was sunny and quite warm, 2 were just windy and unpleasant, and 6 were disgusting.

 

We

Sad News

Whilst we were travelling in UK we received a message about our friend Stephen from Paleohora. Some readers will know him as the partner of Olga. Unfortunately he did not survive an emergency operation in Chania General Hospital, and died there a couple of days later.

 

 

 

As is the way in Greece the funeral took place very quickly and we were not able to be there, but his father and brother atended. He has been buried in the village of Voutas above Paleo with Vangelis from Zygos helping to secure a plot. We have some photos of the service and grave, along with a copy of the wonderful eulogy given by Mick McT. Olga has received a lot of support, and is coping as well as can be expected.



Ruth has spent many an afternoon playing Scrabble and whist with Stephen, and we will both miss him, his anecdotes and even his arguments about politics.

RIP

The length of France: from last page to first page in 18 days



Yes -that`s snow on the Pyrenees

The rest of the month of April was our annual dose of France. First we spent a week once again at Le Brasilia in Canet en Roussillon in one of the cheap (cheep?) units:-  old but perfectly serviceable bungalows named after birds. This time we were allocated Chardonneret (Finch). The site had opened just the day before we arrived, so everything was fresh, clean and - in many cases - new. The weather was kind :- bright sunshine and clear skies, but the wind was fierce, which shortened some of the cycling! Nonetheless we did some trips in each direction. Towards the end of the week there was a severe deterioration in the weather and we took the bicycles for servicing during a gale! The area near the campsite has been being seriously developed over the years of our visits, and there is now a large functioning boatyard with numerous shrink-wrapped vessels. Overall there is vibrancy about the town, and no shortage of tourists. (Small curiosities were a family with identical triplet boys of about a year old:- quite a handful at mealtimes, and a new Dutch animateur who engaged us in conversation and said his own name of Bob was incomprehensible in most of Europe but he had been named after Charlton and Kennedy!)

We left on the Sunday and had an easy drive up to Bergerac for a one-night stop. We had chosen a very comfortable and well-located hotel (l´Europ) and enjoyed a sunny evening stroll round and a duck menu in the open air. We liked the place a lot and will return. Here are some shots:

Then we drove through some beautiful countryside for two nights visiting George and Gregory near Limoges. Like last year we stayed in Availles at Le Chatellenie with its lavish decoration and noisy floorboards, and spent time chez George. This included a Thai meal with their ex-pat friends which was cooked by Gee who is lodging there, and a lunch out in a favourite small restaurant in Les Éterps. The sun shone for much of these days, and we set off for the Atlantic coast in hope!

We stayed in the Vendée at Le Littoral - a campsite in the same Yelloh group as wonderful Brasilia and with the same 5 stars. It didn´t quite measure up to this, though - the mobile homes being rather packed, there being a poor traiteur (take-away) service and the WiFi playing up periodically, but it made a change and we did a ride to Veillon beach on a glorious day. (It was very busy:- we had hit Parisian school holidays!) Unfortunately although the weather remained good for a couple of days we were hors de combat as Bob had badly sprained his ankle - probably as he mounted a pavement on the good ride - and was confined to barracks (with dodgy WiFi) for several days by which time we were back to disgusting climatic conditions. This meant Ruth had to do a bit of driving. This is a very rare occurrence and breath was baited as we did short trips, but we did manage a Sunday lunch at nearby (and pleasant) Port Bourgenay. The sun shone brightly but the wind was bitter and we ate in a half-sheltered terrace retaining our jackets as did the other diners. Lovely food from the "almost cheapest" menu:

After that we had to make the best of bad weather. We had already decided to leave a day early as our plan for getting to the ferry at Dunkerque was looking too demanding and the Vendée not looking worth it, but we did a day trip to Sables d´Olonne (as in round the world sailing). Once again some awful winds, together with ankles and knees meant a meagre tour, but we sat and ate our lunch outside the glass-fronted pool and watched hardier souls on the beach!
On the Tuesday we took our time to pack up - dodging the rain - and drove to Alencon. It was a stressful wet drive, but at least we knew how to do the last few kilometres:- unlike last year! When it came to eating the only real option was the Buffalo Grill, which has delivered the goods before. Oh dear! Ruth has made a formal complaint about the Charolais steak (and its replacement). Watch this space for their response! It was a disgrace! Never mind, we had the prospect of a Campanile meal the next night (our penultimate of the season). The drive North was mostly very easy as it was a Bank Holiday and HGVs were banned. We flew up to Rouen, sometimes having no other vehicle in sight. We were determined to get round Norwich´s twin city calmly but a bridge is closed so panic again... We coped, enjoyed some sun in a place near Dunkerque and later discovered that Campanile has reduced quality considerably since our early enthusiastic encounters. (We would have gone to neighbouring Poivre Rouge - but it chose to close for the evening... Grrrr!?)
Up early and on the 8am ferry to Blighty!

Coming up smelling of Roses (fish and garlic!)

Parillada de pescado:- enough for two!
 

 From the Barcelona Airport hotel we had a very smooth journey back to pick up Yvette. As before the shuttle bus driver dropped us off at the train station, leading to a long wait both there and at the connection, but it was quiet throughout and we could almost relax! The minibus was waiting for us and we were soon inspecting the new site for the parking lot, which is very close indeed to the airport and much tidier. Yvette was clean and shiny but was having her battery tweaked. The significance of this only became clear later! We had a chat with the staff about the move and they told us the torrential rain had caused problems. Ditto!
We spent the next three days at Roses on the Costa Brava, and thus a (mercifully) short drive. We found the hotel we had booked as soon as we entered the town, and it was clear this was a very good choice. Although not front-line and with views of only either the road or garden allotments it is a short walk through to the seafront, the parking is ideal and the rooms are quiet, spacious and comfortable.  Everything fine, then - well not quite! Bob went back to the car to bond with all the stuff we had left in it, and was gone a very long time! He couldn´t even get in! Somewhere along the line in the parking move the battery had be left draining and it was now as flat as a pancake! For the second time we had to invoke the breakdown service, and it was very efficient. A tecnico turned up in his grua and declared the battery dead. He started Yvette up and we followed him gingerly back to his workshop and parted with more money than we liked to get a new battery (with quick release.. note that parking lot people!)

After that we were back on track! Both national and Catalan TV channels were featuring the weather:- showing sunny beaches and rejoicing in this after all the rain. We had three gloriously sunny days, although the wind and evenings were cold, seeming particularly so after the Canaries! The Dali trail remains untouched - this time because the weather was too good! We cycled up and down the wide, well-maintained promenade, and Bob did a long ride inland encountering a river that could only be crossed by a ford. It is a delightful resort:- helped by lack of fear of dealing with dog owners! Take note, Corralejo! 

 

 

There are many interesting restaurants. We were so impressed with Las Palmeras that we ate there on two successive nights.

 

When we found a Chinese shop with the huge cheap wheelie bags we were looking for as replacements our joy was further enhanced and we put Roses on the list of "must return" places and set off across the Pyrenees!

 

 

 

 



The Last Lap!

 

 The weather went rather strange for our last week in Fuerteventura, with the Friday and Saturday being dull, with even a little rain. Ruth went to see her surgeon, who once again made notes on the weight loss, and agreed she was likely to be down to an acceptable BMI by October, and said that might mean new knees weren´t necessary. He looked at the painful big toe joint and said it probably dated back to the incident in the Chania lift in June, but would be instantly solved with a small cortisone injection, which it was, so that made three. Ruth skipped back to the bus:- well almost! Our neighbours Pete and Sandy came back later that day after a long break in Australia and UK, and we saw Chloë off on the bus the following morning. She was flying to Gran Canaria for fieldwork which is part of her Masters. She was very bad-tempered about the early start, and we have heard nothing of her since she arrived there!

On Sunday there was excitement in town as it was Triathlon day. This is an annual amateur event. See here some good footage from last year. We missed the swimming (750m out and back from the town beach), but saw some contenders come flying down Lepanto at the end of the 25km cycle stage, dump their bikes and set off on the 5km run. We then went through to the final stretch near the Shell station to see the first dozen or so finishers, and then decided it wasn´t sitting-out weather, so returned home.

The next two days were down for packing and cleaning, so the very disappointing weather didn´t matter too much, but on Wednesday it was rather better. We locked up and went to La Luna for a tapas lunch and on to the 4pm bus, and that was Corralejo 2012-13 over!

Vueling is a Very Good Thing! We flew to Barcelona with 23kg each of hold baggage and pre-selected seats (a row each) for a total of 85 euros! There was no queue at check-in, they are doing their best about the residency mess, we got a free wine after a cabin attendant knocked over about a spoonful, and the flight arrived early and into Terminal 1, which is a rather civilised airport. It was about 11.30 pm but our shuttle to the hotel was waiting. We are now back into mainland Europe.