EN ROUTE TO GREECE AUTUMN 2018

Margaret Williamson
October 2018

This is the detailed account of a motorhome journey from the UK to the Greek Peloponnese in the Autumn of 2018. The route started in Belgium and continues through France, Germany, Austria and over the Brenner Pass to Italy for the ferry from Ancona to Igoumenitsa.

BELGIUM

P & O Ferry, Hull to Zeebrugge in Belgium

Overnight ferry departs Hull at 6.30 pm every day, arriving Zeebrugge at 8.45 am (local time).  www.poferries.com/eu/hull-zeebrugge   

At the end of a long hot summer in England and Scotland, we spend a few October days in Pocklington at the Mile Farm Shop Camping, a favourite base for cycling the Yorkshire Wolds. From here it's an easy drive to call on Barry's sister-in-law in Willerby (25 miles), then another 7 miles through teatime traffic and round many a roundabout to the P&O terminal in Hull, carrying a gift of triple-chocolate-gateau. Much appreciated, Sheila!

The 'Pride of Bruges' sails on time, the crossing is calm, the outside 2-bunk cabin fairly basic (en-suite but no TV or seating). The only alternative to the 'Kitchen Dinner' buffet at £22.50 each, or the even more expensive waiter-service Brasserie, is a small coffee bar. By way of warm food it offers pizza, a hot dog or an ungarnished steak pie, fresh from the microwave. So it's meat pies, coffee and cake all round! We've been spoilt in recent years by the Stena Line Harwich-Hook of Holland ferry, with much better cabins and catering options.

Click: magbazpictures ferry-hull---zeebrugge

Zeebrugge Port to Motorhome Parking, Brugge (Bruges) – 12 miles

Open all year. www.brugge.be/parkeren-kampeerwagens €19 (€25 high season) for up to 24 hours (there is no hourly rate), inc electricity, dump and non-potable water. No WiFi. N 51.19654  E 3.22664

After the substantial 'Kitchen Breakfast' buffet included in the ferry ticket, we dock at 8.45 local time in Zeebrugge. By 9 am we are straight through the port (no sign of migrants) and following N31 to Brugge/Bruges. This is West Flanders, the westernmost province of Belgium's Flemish Region, with most signs in English or Flemish rather than French. However, Brugge is much better known by its French name of Bruges.

The well-signed motorhome and coach park on Bargeweg alongside the yacht marina, just off the ring road to the south of the city centre, is listed in all our sources: Camperstop Europe, Bord Atlas, All the Aires: Belgium, Holland & Luxembourg, and even the Caravan Club guide (ours is 5 years old so still has the old club name!) Arriving at 9.30 am on a weekday mid-October, most of the 60 motorhome places are taken. High season (1 Apr-30 Sept) must be impossible! When full, it's permissible to stay on the adjacent coach park at the same price but without electricity. The site is completely unattended, with no information beyond the displayed price. To open the barrier, press a button and take the time and date-stamped ticket. There is no space for caravans and a 3.5 ton limit on motorhomes and campers, due to the limited size of the parking places.

The popularity of this site is its proximity to the World Heritage Centre of Bruges only half a kilometre's walk or cycle ride away, with road, pavement and cycle path each safely separated. This is a civilised country, bicycles much in evidence. We stroll alongside the canal to Katelijnepoort, then turn left on Katelijnestraat and cross a canal bridge where a queue is forming for the boat tours. On Mariastraat stands the lofty Church of Our Lady, built in the 13-15^th centuries, currently under restoration and covered in scaffolding but still charging an entry fee. It claims the second highest brick-built church tower in the world at 116 metres (beaten by St Martin's in Landshut, Germany, since you ask!) and the altarpiece enshrines a white marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child (1504) by Michelangelo. We are intrigued to read that this was twice looted, by French revolutionaries in 1794 and Nazi Germans in 1944. 

Continuing, we pass the 17^th century Godshuizen (alms houses built for retired craftsmen) and a diamond museum. Horse-drawn carriages follow their well-worn route round the cobbled streets, crowded with cycles and people but not pedestrianized. The peaceful atmosphere of alleyways, canals and fine medieval buildings that we remember from a visit by bicycle 30 years ago has vanished under the onslaught of hordes of tourists. Every shop sells souvenirs, lace, chocolates or take-away waffles and chips; every street is lined with food outlets, from Burger King, Pizza Hut and Mcdonalds to high class restaurants. The words 'UNESCO World Heritage' have a lot to answer for.

At a small square, Simon Stevinplein, a right turn along Steenstraat leads to the huge market place at the heart of the city. A brass band is playing and we join a small crowd to applaud the Northeast Hampshire Area Schools Band! The market is dominated by its famous 83 metre-high Belfry, dating from 1240 when the town grew wealthy from the Flemish cloth industry. You can pay to climb the 366 steps; we didn't. It looks familiar, from the 2008 film 'In Bruges' (spoiler alert!) - a black comedy involving IRA gunmen, one of whom commits suicide by jumping from the belfry. Highly recommended (the film, not the fall). 

The majestic colourful buildings around the market square include a museum with a Salvador Dali exhibition, the Provincial Court House, the 'Bruges Beer Experience' or the Historium Brugge display. Our successful quest is to find an informative map at the tourist office (free) and a WC (not free). We also take a look in the tiny Basilica of  the Holy Blood, a Roman Catholic chapel housing a 'relic of Christ's blood' brought from Jerusalem, held in a holy vial in the Basilica Museum. Apparently it is shown to the congregation for veneration daily at 2 pm, which we missed. The annual Procession of the Holy Blood is held on Ascension Day, when the Bishop of Bruges carries the relic through the streets, accompanied by costumed residents acting out biblical scenes, a tradition first recorded in 1291.

Click: magbazpictures bruges-brugge

We stroll back to join our multinational neighbours on the Camperstop: mostly Belgian, French and German, all at home together. So different from the gatherings on UK campsites, where British caravanners predominate with little experience of the Europe they want to leave. What continent do they live on?   

INTO FRANCE

Bruges, Belgium to Aire de Services pour Camping Car, Marcoing, Picardy – 108 miles

Open all year. Free overnight parking with water and dump, at the former railway station car park. Four electric hook-ups (first come, first served) which only operate while the street lighting is on, from dusk till about 8.30 am. No WiFi.  N 50.121229  E 3.182494

Leaving the Bruges motorhome park proves complicated. First take the ticket issued on entry and insert into a pay-machine in the coach park, which displays the amount owing; then insert bank card to pay; then retrieve ticket, which is now programmed to open the exit barrier. The fully automated system charges us €38 for our one-night stay, as we inadvertently over-ran the 24 hours by 10 minutes. Be warned, if arriving early from the Zeebrugge ferry as we did - you can't plead with a machine!

Somewhat disgruntled (opposite of gruntled?) we cross the canal at the Katelijnepoort bridge and head down N50, joining the A17/E401 motorway south to the Belgian-French border near Kortrijk (no tolls in Belgium) at 33 miles.

Entering France we follow motorway signs leading us round Lille (also called Rijsel) onto the A1, direction Paris, the Autoroute du Nord. At 52 miles we take a break at the excellent services at Martinsart, complete with a Flot Bleu (water and dump for motorhomes), free toilets, showers and WiFi. After another 17 miles we join A26 towards Cambrai, taking the first toll ticket. Many names scattered on these pages of our Michelin France road atlas are redolent of the First World War: Lens, Arras, Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge, Bapaume …

At noon it is 15°C under a dull sky as we take the Cambrai exit at 82 miles, paying a toll of just €4.10. Driving towards the city that gave its name to the tank battle of 1917, we soon turn right towards the village of Fontaine-Notre-Dame. Immediately we are passing a series of Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) cemeteries: Crest, Anneux, too many to name. Walled enclosures of well-tended grass where ranks of identical white headstones stand like immaculate soldiers on parade, sternly overlooked by a tall cross. Country lanes lead between bleak fields, the potatoes and sugar beet now harvested. Motorway junctions and wind turbines disturb the landscape. 

And so via D630 to Orival Wood CWGC cemetery near Flesquières, where we find the grave we seek, Lt Ewart Alan Mackintosh MC of the Seaforth Highlanders, one of almost 300 British soldiers resting there, along with a lone Chinese Labourer in a corner and 20 Germans along the rear wall. We fulfil our promise to Eve, an old friend of Barry's, placing a little wooden cross with the words 'From Eve, Sylvia's daughter, with our Love' by Alan's headstone. Just one month before his death, aged 24, Alan wrote the poem To Sylvia to his sweetheart. Their plans to marry and emigrate to New Zealand were shattered on 21 November 1917, the second day of the Battle of Cambrai. We make an entry in the Register of Visitors, then withdraw to the motorhome for lunch.

Click: magbazpictures poet-alan-mackintosh

Click: magbazpictures orival-wood-cemetery

There is a larger CWGC cemetery in Flesquières village, 1.5 miles from Orival Wood, with a brand new museum right next to it, Cambrai Tank 1917, entry €6. It's only open 1.30-5.30 pm on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at this time of year; luckily today is Wednesday! It features a tank that was unearthed from the battlefield nearby in 1998, along with artefacts, photographs and a 20-minute film. I pick up a leaflet which mentions 'Orival Wood Cemetery, where poet Ewart Alan Mackintosh rests' and a map of the Battle of Cambrai with all the sites marked.

Click: magbazpictures cambrai-tank-museum

Finally we drive to the nearby village of Cantaing-sur-Escaut, right on the Hindenburg Line which the tanks were trying to cross in the battle lasting from 20 November to 4 December 1917 (see the effect on the village). It is here that Alan was among those killed, on 21 November, and taken to the newly created cemetery at Orival Wood. The CWGC cemetery in Cantaing came later, with casualties from September 1918.

Click: magbazpictures cantaing-memorial

We then spend the night in the village of Marcoing, where there is yet another WWI cemetery, 3 miles from Cantaing. The Aire listed in the Bord Atlas is on the former station car park (look out for a small sign after crossing the bridge over St Quentin Canal). We arrive in time to get one of the 4 electric hook-ups; by dusk when the street lights come on there are 8 motorhomes, half of us with free electricity until morning, thanks to the Mairie. Taking an evening stroll we find that, like all the villages we've seen, Marcoing feels devoid of life – there are houses but no shops, nobody around, no signs of work, the canalside buildings long disused. This still feels like a doomed region, a century on.

Reading the Cambrai Tank Museum leaflets in the evening, we are startled to see a 'Mackintosh Memorial' marked on the map at Cantaing. Tomorrow we will investigate.

Marcoing to Camping du Port de Plaisance, Péronne, Picardy – 25 miles

Open 1 March-31 Oct.  www.camping-plaisance.com/home_en.php  €17 (ACSI Card) inc elec and showers. Free WiFi at pitches near bar/reception.  N 49.91805  E 2.93227

Returning 3 miles to Cantaing-sur-Escaut, we enter the village by a different route and spot a left turn down the Rue d'Anneux signed 'Mémorial Ewart Alan Mackintosh, Chapelle St Hubert'. The partially restored chapel was dedicated as a memorial on 11 November 1917 in a ceremony attended by representatives from Scotland and France, with Alan's great-nephew actually reading the poem 'To Sylvia'. The information inside the chapel displays another poem 'In Memoriam'. The cross standing beside the chapel is a replica of one erected here by local French and later taken to Dingwall, the home of the Seaforth Highlanders. Last year's ceremony included a visit to Alan's grave at Orival Wood, where these words of his were read:

'This is our Earth baptized
With the red wine of War.
Horror and courage hand in hand
Shall brood upon the stricken land
In silence ever more.'

We are extremely moved to find that the poet/soldier we sought was so loved in life and remembered in death, a century later. There will be many photographs and memories to share with Eve.

Returning to Flesquières, we continue south on quiet roads through silent villages: D89, D29 to Trescault with another CWGC cemetery, D17 and D58 to Fins, which has two CWGC cemeteries but not even a baker's shop. Here we join D917 to Péronne, a city standing on the River Somme close to the battles that raged in 1916 and 1918. We have previously visited The Museum of the Great War, next to the medieval castle here. Today, the priority is food and shelter.

In the city centre we turn briefly right to the Leclerc supermarket to stock up with croissants, patisserie and a hot roast chicken, then continue about a mile south down D1017 to the campsite. Reception doesn't open till 5.30 pm but the gates are open and a friendly German motorhomer points us to the pitches in range of the WiFi. A good conversation follows on the merits of the EU and the catastrophe of Brexit. Wearing red poppies, we even mention the war!

The site is such an excellent base for writing, working on photographs and developing our websites that we stay a few days until it closes on 31 October. There is a Lidl store almost within sight, less than 1 km away. The Véloroute of the Somme Valley runs past but sadly the weather turns bitterly cold and wet, so we must save that for another visit.

Buying a washing machine token (in the shape of a teddy bear's head) I impress the Receptionist by calling it a petit ours. A fond memory here, of the little teddy that my sister brought back from a school trip to Paris at the Easter of my birth.

I do give the site a positive ACSI Review:

“A spacious easily accessible site, 1 km south of the town centre by the canal. For shopping, Lidl is a short walk away. The castle in Péronne is next to a splendid World War One museum.

Camp Reception has limited opening hours late in the season but bread can be ordered for morning and the cafe/bar is open from 5.30-8.30 pm. The outdoor pool and snack bar are now closed.

Free WiFi works on a couple of pitches near Reception, and in the bar.

Facilities are old but clean and heated, with indoor wash-up sinks, token-operated washing and drying machines and very hot water.

We were pleased to find the site open until the end of October, at a reasonable price with ACSI card.”

NOVEMBER 2018

Péronne to Camping (ex-Municipal) de Châlons-en-Champagne, Champagne-Ardenne – 114 miles

Open 5 March-4 Nov.  camping-de-chalons-en-champagne  €15 (ACSI Card) inc elec and showers. Free WiFi at pitches near reception.  N 48.93579  E 4.38299

After a late start from Péronne we drive south down D1017, pausing at Lidl where Christmas goodies are just arriving. Then it's east on D1029 across the Somme Canal, past three CWGC graveyards as well as a French military cemetery, and south again via D937 to join the A29 motorway eastbound to the St Quentin ring road (22 miles). Here we turn south again on A26 signed Lyon, crossing the Somme River, its name synonymous with the same dread and awe as that of Poland's River Bug.

At 29 miles we break for lunch on the Urvillers services, then continue south past Laon as rain sets in. The exit for Laon has a sign for the Chemin des Dames, a 26-km road which is now a war memorial route along the sites of a failed French offensive against the Germans, when several villages were destroyed in the Second Battle of the Aisne, March to October 1917, on the Western Front.

After crossing the River Aisne (flowing west to Soissons), we join the Reims ring road at 75 miles, pay a toll of €13.40 and continue south on the A4. Vineyards start to clothe the low hillsides: Les Vignobles de Champagne. Vines were first planted here in the days of the Roman Empire, although sparkling champagne was not produced until stronger glass bottles made it possible in the late 17^th century.

At 104 miles we take exit 27 (toll €5.40) and follow dual carriageway N44 to Châlons-en-Champagne, a city known until 1998 as Châlons-sur-Marne. Eight miles later, we exit for St Memmie and follow signs through suburbs for the last 2 miles to the spacious campsite, formerly a Municipal. It's still raining as we choose a nicely hedged pitch near Reception, within range of the free Wi-Fi. Armed with a city plan, a Carte Vélo of cycle routes and some DVD films borrowed from the common room, we settle in – at least until Sunday (4 November) when the site closes for winter. The common room is labelled Télévision but the set has been removed, or stolen, though the microwave remains.

All Saints Day (1st November) is a public holiday in nominally Catholic France, with most shops closed, though the campsite remains quiet. The weather turns frosty and crisp, blackbirds waiting for the frozen puddles to thaw for their daily bath. Our on-site ablutions are only marginally warmer, though at least the water is hot.

It's a 15-minute walk, past the nearby bakery and then along Avenue W Churchill, to an extensive and soulless Centre Commercial, where we find a post office and Carrefour hypermarket. The latter sells good roast chickens and delectable pâtisserie and croissants, though we search in vain for sliced bread (obviously a sacrilege)!

M's ACSI review of the site:

“A very spacious site (formerly a Municipal), with nicely hedged level pitches, 2 km south of the city centre, next to a park. There is a bakery and pharmacy nearby, while the large shopping centre with Carrefour hypermarket is a 15-minute walk away.

Camp Reception has free city maps, as well as a cycle map of the area, and sells tokens for the washer and drier in the laundry.Free WiFi works on a couple of pitches near Reception. The 'television room' has a few English-language books and films to borrow and a microwave to use – but no television!The grimy facilities are old and worn, with no paper or soap, and overdue for renovation. A small unisex block does have hot showers, though it is an exaggeration to call the room 'heated'.The price is reasonable with ACSI card but we would willingly pay more for better and clean ablutions!”

Châlons-en-Champagne to Camping (la Montagne Verte) de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Alsace – 198 miles

Open all year.  www.camping-strasbourg.com  €19 (ACSI Card) + €1.10 tax, inc elec and showers. Free WiFi throughout.  N 48.57525  E 7.71730

Leaving the Châlons campsite to its winter residents (birds, rabbits and a young hedgehog), we drive via N44 and D977 to join the eastbound A4 after 8 miles. The motorway is wonderfully quiet on this chilly Sunday morning, devoid of HGVs (as in Germany, Italy and Spain, trucks over 7.5 tons are banned on public holidays and Sundays unless carrying perishable goods). The vast frosty fields are stripped bare of sugar beet, which stands in sunlit piles along the roadside like mounds of gleaming skulls.

Across the River Aisne and on through the Argonne Forest, where flat plains give way to green wooded hills as we enter the region of Lorraine, Department of Meuse, at 35 miles. We are on the front line of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, fought from September 1918 until the Armistice: a campaign in which 26,277 American fighters were killed. There is no escape from the haunted battlefields of WWI as we pass the exit for Verdun at 48 miles, then drop from 300 m/990 ft to 200 m/660 ft to cross the mist-shrouded River Meuse. Climbing out of the mist to 350 m/1,155 ft, we drive on through autumnal forest.

Approaching Metz, there is a toll of €16.30 at 80 miles. The traffic is a bit heavier and we notice cars from: F, D, L, B, CH, NL, CZ and SK. An alphabet soup of nationalities, thanks to the open borders of the EU. By contrast, 5 miles earlier we had crossed the Maginot Line (named after the French Minister of War) - a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany. That certainly didn't work, they bypasses it.

Continuing east on A4 through the Forest of Longeville, still up at 350 m/1,155 ft, we bypass St Avold. Just outside the town is the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial containing 10,489 immaculate graves, the largest number of any American World War II cemetery in Europe.

At 120 miles there is another automatic toll (€7.30), payable as usual by bank card or inserting cash into a machine which gives change. With no assistance on hand, it's always a relief when the barrier opens! Still on the A4, we turn southeast for Strasbourg and pause for lunch on a rest area at 136 miles, parked among a row of international trucks, adding E and LV to the alphabet.

Soon we cross the border from Lorraine into Alsace, regions with a turbulent history. The local language, Elsässisch (a High German dialect), was suppressed during the French Revolution. Alsace became German after the Prussian victory in 1870 and remained so until 1918. In 1940 the French Vichy Government did not have the power to prevent the German Reich from once again virtually annexing Alsace and Lorraine until the end of WW2. The resulting Nazification meant that French names and language were forbidden and the area was cleared of Jews and other 'undesirables'. The only concentration camp on French soil lies in the Vosges mountains of Alsace. Today, the official language is French, though Elsässisch is still spoken and we notice it on the signs, alongside French and German.

On through the Parc Naturel Regional du Vosges du Nord, home to deer and wild boar. There is much more traffic going in the opposite direction, returning west from the holiday weekend. At 178 miles we pay a third toll (€13.50) as we skirt the west side of Strasbourg, capital of Alsace, past a huge military cemetery with French and German graves. This historic city by the Rhine, the German border, is appropriately the official seat of the European Parliament and Court of Human Rights.

At 195 miles we take exit 4 signed La Montagne Verte and follow the SatNav for the final 3 miles until a right turn down a short narrow lane is signed to the Camping. In succession, it crosses a cycle path (look out!), bridges the River L'Ill (a tributary of the Rhine), then goes under a 3.6 m high railway bridge (the ONLY access).

Allocated a pitch on the busy site, next to a Danish caravan and opposite a Finnish motorhome, we settle in to appreciate the modern warm facilities and study the map of Strasbourg. Watching evening TV, we learn that the Presidents of France and Germany are both here today for a Peace Concert in Strasbourg Cathedral. 

This marks the start of President Macron's 7-day tour to commemorate the Centenary of the end of La Grande Guerre, during which he will join Theresa May at the Thiepval Memorial. His itinerary culminates in a meeting with Angela Merkel on the Eve of Armistice Day at the railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne where the Armistice was signed – and where Hitler made the French sign a document of capitulation in June 1940. On 11 November the leaders of 70 countries will meet at ceremonies in Paris, attended by Donald Trump and President Putin but not our British Prime Minister, who is excluded from the Peace Conference. A tour de force indeed! 

At Camping de Strasbourg

The Maurice Garin cycle/footpath (named after the winner of the first Tour de France in 1903 – and stripped of the title in 1904 for cheating!) runs past the camp entrance. We turn left along it for a 10-minute walk to the local shops. The path, busy with bicycles and dog-walkers, runs through pleasant woods past allotments. 

Suddenly we are halted by the site of a large overgrown cemetery with a new wire mesh fence. It appears desperately neglected and vandalised, the leaning headstones bear no crosses, the inscriptions are in both French and Hebrew, with no post-war dates. On the torn noticeboard we read that in 1802 the land was bought by the Jewish community to make a graveyard. It is a suitably grey overcast day, with a rookery in the overhead trees completing the picture. 

Click: magbazpictures strasbourg-jewish-cemetery

Saddened, we walk on past a children's playground to the Route des Romains, where there is a bank and a Lidl. As we return, we talk with two young women with cameras by the cemetery. They are photography students; Strasbourg is home to France's largest university, making it a lively and bicycle-friendly city. 

Back in the motorhome, our water pump seems to be failing. Camp Reception is helpful with the names of 4 local dealers/accessory shops. Phoning round, I find a replacement available at Laurent Camping-Cars in Fegersheim (7 miles south) to be collected as we leave Strasbourg. 

Cycling into and around Strasbourg (total 14 km)

On a brighter morning we ride the Maurice Garin cycle path in the opposite direction, into the city centre (less than 3 km). Those with no wheels can hire bicycles or even e-bikes at the campsite, or go in by bus or tram.

Our ride starts well on the signed path through a park and across a street, then the signs disappear, the little map from Reception proves useless and we rely on instinct, cycling on pavements into the Petite France district of the Old Strasbourg waterfront. Once the haunt of millers, tanners and fishermen, it has a wealth of half-timbered 16-17th century houses reflected beautifully in the river L'Ill. There are cycle lanes everywhere, except across the covered bridges where cyclists are asked to put their feet on the ground!

It's easy to find the central square, the medieval houses dominated by the lofty spire of the pink sandstone Notre Dame Cathedral, which is even visible from the motorway going past Strasbourg. Close up, it's simply astounding. Standing on the site of the original Romanesque cathedral (built in 1015), this masterpiece of soaring Gothic architecture was completed in 1439. The facade is covered in hundreds of stone sculptures, quite a challenge for the photographer. There is no entry charge (contrast Bruges!) and I go in to admire the monumental organ and glorious stained glass windows while Barry guards our bikes. We have just missed the daily performance by the cathedral's astrological clock at 12.30 pm (small charge). You can also pay to climb 332 steps to the spire's viewing platform, where (we are told) you can see the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest.

The surrounding area has plenty of souvenir shops, wine bars (Winstub) and restaurants. Sadly the Christmas Market (the oldest in Europe, held since 1570) doesn't start until the last weekend of November, so we're too early to see the tree and enjoy the festivities in the Cathedral Square. Strasbourg derives its Germanic name (meaning city of roads) and its wealth from its strategic position on the Rhine, closer to Germany, Switzerland and even Italy than it is to Paris. 

The culinary speciality of Alsace is Choucroûte (known in Germany as Sauerkraut), not a favourite of ours in any language. Be warned: a menu item à l'alsacienne always includes this sour cabbage! We choose a little restaurant called Aux P'tits Crocs offering Poulet au Curry as the Plat du Jour. It is chicken curry, though not as we know it: very mild and served luke-warm with frites or a mountain of crudités (chips or salad). A satisfying meal nonetheless, sitting at the pavement tables with overhead heating, opposite a little flea market where locals haggle over old pictures and vintage wines.

Then we cycle anticlockwise on bike paths round the perimeter of the old centre, following the canal and River L'Ill which encircle it. Passing the Opera among many other monumental buildings, we appreciate the atmosphere of a busy city with so little car traffic; just modern trams, buses, pedestrians and everyday cyclists. If you give people safe alternatives, they use them! The names of the main streets reflect 20thC history: Avenue Marsellaise, Boulevard de la Victoire, Boulevard du President Wilson (US President during WWI) … Regaining Petite France we return to the campsite, more or less the way we came in. The cycle route does need more signs!

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/strasbourg-city.html

My ACSI review of the campsite reflects recent refurbishment:

“A large busy site, open all year, convenient from the A35 motorway, exit 4. The only access lane goes under a railway bridge with a 3.6 m height limit. The ACSI Card rate is very reasonable, given all the improvements.

The new sanitaires are excellent, heated and clean, and the laundry has 2 washers and 2 driers (buy tokens at Reception). The bar serves drinks and breakfast, but no pizzas in the low season. The pool is closed. Free WiFi throughout the site is slow but reliable.

Security has been improved, with a barrier at Reception plus an external gate, locked at night, and new fencing.

Access to drinking water remains a problem, with no taps around the site except those inside the facility buildings. There is a single Borne at the site entrance for filling up with water, which needs a token, obtained free of charge from Reception. Hardly convenient, especially for caravans!

Camp Reception sells a few basics and the nearest supermarket, Lidl, is just 10 minutes easy walk along a foot/cyclepath.

Most guests are here to visit Strasbourg, easily reached by bus or tram (map from Reception). There is also a cycle route into the centre (3 km), though not very well signposted. Bicycles and e-bikes can be rented at the site.” 

INTO GERMANY

Strasbourg to Stellplatz im Schlosspark, Donaueschingen, Baden-Württemberg – 98 miles

Open all year.  www.donaueschingen.de/reisemobil  Free overnight parking, with 16 coin-operated hook-ups (€0.50 per kWh). No WiFi. N 47.94746  E 8.51183.
Note: Fresh water (€1) and free waste disposal at the Kläranlage (sewage station), 1 km away: N 47.94931  E 8.52209.

Leaving Strasbourg, we drive 7 miles south on A35 and D1083 to Fegersheim in search of Laurent Camping-Cars on an industrial estate. In a well-stocked accessory shop, they have exactly the right model of submerged tandem water pump made by Reich. The nearby Lidl gives a last chance to buy a selection of French-style pâtisserie and I also spot some genuine McVitie's Digestives, both plain and chocolate, on a buy-one-get-one-half-price deal! The packets bear the words: Sablés Anglais and the motto C'est anglais – mais c'est bon!

Purchases made, we leave France across the Rhine on N353 to enter Germany at 13 miles. Continuing east on L98, we soon join the southbound A5 (Autobahns are still toll-free for vehicles up to 7.5 tons). After another 20 miles we take a break on Mahlberg services, then continue south through the Hochschwarzwald – not black but glowing with autumnal greens, golds and russet. It's a fine sight.

From exit 62 at 54 miles, we take the dual carriageway 31a straight through the centre of busy Freiburg. We might have stopped at a campsite here but had discovered that it lies within Freiburg's environmental zone, for which vehicles need an Umweltplakette (environmental sticker). These are not available at service stations (we tried!) but at certain garages and Tüv (equivalent of MOT) centres. Rd 31 climbs gently out of Freiburg into the Black Forest reaching 420 m/1,385 ft, then gets narrower as it rises through the Höllental (Hell's Valley), a steep-sided ravine with a railway line clinging to it above us. At 745 m/2,460 ft we start a hairpin ascent, reaching 910 m/3,000 ft at 73 miles. Several heavy trucks find the going difficult, as we pass a sign for a Ski Museum.

The road is easier after that, keeping above 800 m/2,640 ft as it bypasses lake Titisee near Neustadt. Past Hufingen, at 94 miles we turn north on B27 for Donaueschingen, a favourite town of ours at the start of the River Danube (Donau) and its cycleway. There is a generous free Stellplatz by the stadium, less than a mile from the town centre along a path through the park. We settle in, put a Euro in the electricity meter and enjoy a peaceful night alongside two neighbours: one German, one Italian.

Cycling 10 km around Donaueschingen

Next morning, after phoning for confirmation and opening times, we cycle to the local Tüv office on the town's industrial estate (phone number and address found on-line – how did we manage in the past?). Buying the appropriate Green Zone Umweltplakette took 5 minutes at a cost of €6. The helpful woman looked at Barry's registration document (V5C), entered details into her computer and produced a windscreen sticker bearing our reg number. Much easier than trying to get one in advance on-line, a procedure we've looked at in the past!

We celebrate by riding into the town centre for coffee and sumptuous Sachertorte then, as Barry has a broken toe-clip (less serious than a broken toe), we seek out the two cycle shops. One has closed down, the other is closed for holidays! The young lady in Tourist Info only knows of one other in Bräunlingen, a few miles away, but she supplies a helpful free map.

Friday is market day in Donaueschingen, the stalls covering an area bordered by Wasserstrasse, Zeppelinstrasse and Rosenstrasse. One section has produce of all kinds, the other is mainly clothing, especially warm winter hats, gloves, coats and scarves. Best of all, there are two stands serving the German staples of hot sausages with bread rolls and, at this time of year, Glühwein. The mulled wine at €1.50 for a generous helping costs less than coffee; just what chilly shoppers and cyclists need. An ideal late lunch before riding back along Prinz Fritz Allee past the Fürstenberg Palace to our base.

A nice old chap walking his dog stopped by to talk, amazed to see an English vehicle with the steering wheel on the wrong side. He'd heard that we drive on the left but never really believed it!

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/donaueschingen.html

Donaueschingen to Campingpark Papiermühle, Stockach/Bodensee, Baden-Württemberg – 41 miles

Open 1 March-31 Dec.  www.campingpark-stockach.de  €17 (ACSI Card) + €2 tax, inc elec and showers. Free WiFi (weak).  N 47.84194  E 8.99500

Before leaving Donaueschingen we cycle to Bräunlingen (6 km) on a fine crisp morning. A cycle path shadows the main road, climbing a steep hill then dropping to enter the little town through its medieval archway. Renz Radsport bike shop is open, though the assistant regrets that they are seldom asked for toe-clips and would have to order one. They are 'a little old-school' he says with a smile, in perfect English.

We have more joy at the bakery with excellent coffee and cake in its little café, before returning to Donaueschingen by a more interesting (and less steep) signed cycle route following the Breg. After its confluence with the Brigach in Donaueschingen, this stream becomes the infant Danube, which on past journeys we've followed by bicycle through Passau to Vienna and Budapest. A mighty waterway to the Black Sea, born of two rivers that rise in the Black Forest. 

From Bräunlingen we ride a wooded track thick with autumn leaves, following the Breg to Hüfingen (4 km). The path is marked by tree sculptures and information boards about the history of beer-brewing in the area. It seems that beer was first made in ancient China, then reached Egypt and Babylon. It became known to the Greeks and Romans, though they preferred wine – beer being for the barbarians to the north! A prominent date in Germany was the enactment of the Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) in 1516 by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria, stating that beer could only be brewed from barley (later barley malt), hops and water. It is the oldest law in the world governing food or drink that is still in force! No artificial ingredients in German beer, which varies with the hardness of the water used (hard = dark beer, soft = light). The oldest still-operating brewery in the world is at the Benedictine Weihenstephan Abbey near Munich, founded 725 and making beer since 1040. 

From Hüfingen it's another 4 km ride back to Donaueschingen, then an afternoon motorhome journey to Stockach, where there is a campsite, motorhome dealer and Stellplatz on the same site, only 5 km from the shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with a cycle path to and along the lake. Sounds good – but read on!

We drive 4 miles north on the dual carriageway to join A864 east, then A81 (direction Singen). At the Hegau interchange the A98 to Stockach is closed (no explanation) with a longer diversion on dual carriageway to Güttingen, then the narrower rd 34 to the campsite, right by exit 12 from A98.

The campsite Reception has a barrier (closed noon-3 pm) and the usual facilities including free WiFi. The pitches are sloping and muddy. The Stellplatz (no barrier; pay at campsite) is a large area of hard standing, about half a kilometre away behind the Caramobil motorhome dealer. The price including electricity and tax is €5 less than the campsite per night but nobody is parked there. It has no WiFi but does allow use of the campsite WC/showers, though they are much too far for comfort!

After looking at the options, we choose the campsite in order to use the WiFi and laundry. The WiFi proves unreliable. I buy tokens for the washing and drying machines, asking how long the drier lasts. 'Whatever you set, maximum 2 hrs 45 mins, which is plenty' answers the woman in Reception. At the end of this time, my washing is still wet and Reception has closed until tomorrow.

At Campingpark Papiermühle, Stockach/Bodensee on Armistice Day

Next day, Sunday 11 November, marks the Centenary of the Armistice that ended WWI. We observe a 2-minute silence, watching the cenotaph ceremony in London on TV thanks to our newly joined Transponder link. Here in Germany it is pouring with rain and there are no obvious commemorations, with the President in London and the Chancellor in Paris, attending events in other people's countries.

At a more mundane level, I still have a pile of damp washing in the drier. Reception is now under the control of a heavy character who does not like complaints. He tells me that the machine is labelled Kaputt (it isn't) awaiting a technician and I should not have used it (yet the Receptionist sold me a token and explained how it worked!) - and Nein I can't have another token to give it longer, that would be dangerous. After my protests he refunds the €3 and offers to put a clothes airer in the laundry room for my use. When I return 10 minutes later to hang the clothes up, I find the drier has been set going. After another 2 hrs 45 mins, the clothes are slightly less damp! I give up and hang them around inside the motorhome.

We take a short walk when the rain eases but this isn't a pleasant or quiet area – the site of a former paper mill, between the railway line and the motorway. There is a cycle path down to Ludwigshafen on the lake (4.7 km) but the weather isn't inviting.

My ACSI review attempts to summarise the events that follow tomorrow morning:

“The touring pitches are sloping and muddy when wet, the campsite mostly taken up by permanent caravans. It is also noisy, between a railway line and a motorway junction; nothing like the grassy photo with 'ancient trees' shown in the ACSI Card book. The facilities are good (10 Euro deposit for key) but the 'free WiFi' is very slow and unreliable.

As we approached the exit barrier after 2 days' stay, the Campingplatzfuehrer locked it half-way down (a dangerous move). This was because I had declined to pay 3 Euros for use of the laundry drying machine that had not worked properly, leaving me with damp washing (it's a long story, caused me great inconvenience, and he told several lies). The man rudely refused to let us out, saying he would call the police (for 3 Euros!) After 20 minutes of argument I walked across to the motorhome dealer. The staff explained that the campsite was separately owned but they did know the man in question and phoned him. By the time I got back to the motorhome, the barrier was open!

My advice is to stay on the Camperstop behind the motorhome dealer (no barrier), with hard standing, electricity and a saving of 5 Euros a night – or keep away from Stockach altogether.

I have never experienced such hostility from someone engaged in the tourist industry and never felt so angry with any member of campsite staff. I should add that it was not a misunderstanding, as I speak fluent German while my antagonist had no English.”

Stockach/Bodensee to Camping Öschlesee, Sulzberg, near Kempten, Bavaria– 86 miles (alt 700 m/2,310 ft)

Open all year.  www.camping-oeschlesee.de  €17.50 inc tax, elec and showers. Excellent free WiFi.  N 47.67485  E 10.33386

As reported to ACSI (above), when I go to pay the well-named Campingplatzführer at Stockach for a 2-night stay, he demands that I also return the €3 refunded for the drier, refusing to believe that the washing remained damp. I point out that he said the machine was faulty, indeed dangerous and not to be used, but he claims that a technician came and fixed it (on a Sunday afternoon, during the 10 minutes following my complaint and entirely unnoticed!!??) Angry at this outrageous lie, I decline to pay, adding that he works in customer service and should treat his guests better. The Führer retaliates by lowering and locking the barrier half-way down as Barry attempts to drive out. Lengthy argument ensues and the Führer threatens to call the Polizei. Speaking no English, he finds he has seriously underestimated my fluency in German – including expletives! Though sorely tempted, I do manage not to mention the war or to call him a Little Hitler. 

After 20 minutes of stalemate, I walk out of the office and across to the Caramobil motorhome accessory shop. Two very helpful assistants explain that the campsite is a separate business, but their expression and use of the word Schwein tells me that they know Herr Campingplatzführer of old! One of them picks up a phone and by the time I return the barrier is up and Barry has driven out. With hindsight, we should have exited the barrier before going to pay, in case of argument, though who could have imagined such ridiculous behaviour?

War games over and won, I calm down as we take the A98 motorway east for one junction to its end, then rd 31 along the northern edge of the Bodensee, regularly glimpsed below. We are at about 500 m/1,650 ft, the roadsides clothed in golden-leaved vineyards facing south, the weather showery with bright intervals. After 25 miles, in Hagnau-am-Bodensee, we manage to stop in a layby to photograph the scene, with Switzerland rising on the southern shores of the lake. Most campsites are closed now, the season over, but the area is a popular summer holiday destination with ferries and leisure cruises on the water and cycle routes around the lake's perimeter.

Friedrichshafen at 31 miles is the largest German town on the lake. Driving through we notice signs to the Zeppelin Museum, Graf Zeppelin's house and Zeppelin University, a reminder that the original airships were built here and tested over the lake. Today you can take a scenic (hopefully return) flight in a modern Zeppelin from Bodensee Airport for a few hundred Euros.

Ten miles later we turn off into Kressbronn-am-Bodensee to shop and lunch on the Lidl car park. A few more miles along rd 31 we join A96 at junction 3, head north to exit 4, then at 50 miles take rd 12 towards Kempten (Roman Cambodunum).  Our road climbs gently from 450 m/1,500 ft to 947 m/3,125 ft, at the watershed of the Rhine and Danube.  We are entering the Allgäu, the mountainous region of southern Bavaria, with light brown Alpine cows contentedly grazing the meadows where the well-known Allgäu cheeses are produced.

At 84 miles we leave rd 12, turning south on OA6 for 2 miles to the campsite, a mile or so before Sulzberg village. There are no gates, no barriers, no password for the reliable WiFi, and no keys or codes for the excellent facilities. At Reception, a notice invites visitors to choose a place and check in next day (9-11 am). The site is mostly statics with a few pitches for tourers; motorhomes have their own area of hardstanding, at a special rate including electricity. What a welcome change to the site just experienced at Stockach! The restaurant is closed until April 2019 and there is just one German motorhome here.

At Camping Öschlesee, Sulzberg

This is a great place to break the journey to Austria and we enjoy excellent heated facilities and no-fuss laundry machines! We even have the site to ourselves apart from the helpful Receptionist and a handful of weekend campers.

The weather is much colder, with all outside taps turned off because of ground frost, but the sun shines from a clear blue sky with no hint of snow. In fact the Receptionist says they now have a Green Christmas rather than the White ones of her youth. She tells me that snow is unlikely until January and the streams are very low after an exceptionally dry summer, making snow machines at the ski resorts short of water. 

She is proved wrong when we wake up to a covering of fine powder snow on 19 November, with a northeast wind that cuts straight through the bare trees. The forecast is for warmer conditions tomorrow, so we'll wait and see!
 
We are using the ultra-reliable free WiFi to catch up with writing and correspondence. There is also plenty to watch and listen to on BBC News and Radio 4, as Theresa May's Brexit deal and government go into meltdown! Meanwhile, in the real world, hundreds are missing or dead in wildfires in California. I write anxiously to our friends in San Rafael, who reply with a photo from the local Marin Independent Journal captioned 'Worst air on earth': truly awful, but they are safe.

The small lake (Öschlesee) opposite the campsite has a cycle/footpath around it, giving us a pleasant hour's walk one sunny afternoon. There are also cycle paths in several directions from here, which we're saving for a return visit at a warmer time of year.  

The nearest Lidl is only 2 miles away, in a suburb of Kempten called Graben (= ditch). They now display all the tempting festive goodies – Stollen cake, chocolates, gingerbread, marzipan, special cheeses, prawns and joints of meat, even sprouts – but without the hype, decorations and piped music of British supermarkets.

The village of Sulzberg is also 2 miles from our camp, in the opposite direction, with a cycle/footpath all the way. Walking in on Saturday afternoon, we find it has a shiny new fire station, a Fire Museum in the old station (seasonal), a supermarket called Feneberg (makes a change from Lidl), a few shops including a bakery, a cycle store which had closed at noon, and a hotel/restaurant that is hosting a wedding party – dress code Lederhosen and Dirndl – but nowhere open for coffee!

Following a footpath from the centre of Sulzberg signed Burgruine, we continue 15 minutes up to the ruins of a small medieval fortress on a hilltop at 750 m/2,475 ft. It's free to walk round what remains of the defensive wall and its 4 round towers, built of stone quarried on the spot in the 13th C. The square tower added a century later is locked (entry €2, open May-Sept on Sunday afternoons and public holidays). Some restoration work is going on and there are information boards in German. The panoramic view over the village or towards the alpine foothills is splendid, clothed in russet leaves. 

I really appreciate how friendly the campsite staff are, giving me plenty of German conversation practice, and I give the site a well-deserved favourable ACSI review:

“A really excellent campsite, only a mile from the Munich-Fussen motorway. Mostly statics but with two areas of hard-standing for motorhomes (at a reduced price) and a few pitches for touring caravans. Very reliable WiFi throughout the site.

All the facilities are modern, heated and cleaned daily, even in low season with very few campers. The staff at Reception could not be more helpful. No barriers, keys or codes - just a warm open welcome. There are laundry machines for a small charge, plus a freezer freely available. The nearest Lidl is less than 2 miles away, with a safe cycle path alongside the road. Opposite the campsite is a small lake to cycle or walk round (a 60-minute walk). We came for an overnight halt and stayed for a week. Highly recommended. We hope to return at a warmer time of year to explore the Allgau region by bicycle.

Sadly, the restaurant/bar is closed until next April but it looks good."

INTO AUSTRIA AND BACK INTO GERMANY

Sulzberg, Kempten to Camping Erlebnis Zugspitze, Grainau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria– 62 miles (alt 710 m/2,345 ft)

Open all year.  camping-erlebnis-zugspitze  €19 (ACSI Card) + €6.60 taxes (!) inc elec and showers. WiFi €2 for 24 hrs per machine.  N 47.4798  E 11.05331
Note: The separate Stellplatz area is €13 + €6.60 taxes inc use of WC/showers but with metered electricity at €0.70 per kWh. WiFi extra, as above.

On the morning of 21 November after a very cold night we discover that we have no water. Our 'intelligent' motorhome automatically dumps all the fresh water in both the tanks if the overnight temperature sensor in the hot water boiler (in the motorhome garage) falls below 3°C overnight. All very well, but why also empty the cold water tank that is inside the motorhome and in no danger of freezing? I fetch a jug of water from the site kitchen for breakfast tea and check where to refill, with all outside standpipes frozen. Luckily we are able to park opposite the kitchen and run a hose inside there. Time to leave!
 
First we drive one junction west along A980, then north into Kempten for a fill of diesel (but no, they don't sell the Austrian motorway Vignette) and a visit to Aldi over the road, 5 miles from camp. Light snow lies on the fields, mist over the hilltops. Returning 3 miles to A980, we continue east to join the A7 gently climbing southeast to Füssen and the Austrian border, where the motorway ends at a short tunnel. It neatly bypasses the ultra-tourist centre of Füssen, site of the Bavarian Royal Castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein which I visited over 30 years ago. Even back then the queue for tickets lasted some 2 hours.

Nowadays you can avoid the queue by booking on-line (at least 2 days ahead, subject to availability). The price is steeper than the path up to Neuschwanstein, not forgetting parking fees (if you can) plus the cost of minibus or horse & carriage rides if you don't want to walk: about 40 mins on foot up to Neuschwanstein and an easier 15 mins up to Hohenschwangau from their respective car parks. Inside Neuschwanstein (the unfinished Victorian prototype for the fairytale castle in Disneyland) there are over 300 steps to climb. Are you sure you want to do this?! If so, there are several expensive campsites and camperstops around the town, which we happily skip.

At 30 miles we exit the short tunnel into Austria and immediately stop at a large Shell station to buy the required vignette to drive on Austrian motorways (€9 for minimum 10 days, €26.20 for 2 months). All vehicles over 3.5 tons, however, must deal with the complexities of a Go-Box for mileage-based tolls (a good reason to downsize!)

Continuing south on the Austrian 2-lane road B179 past Reutte-im-Tirol, the mountains loom seriously into view as we climb above 1000 m/3,300 ft, with more snow on the slopes and along the verges. Near Bergwang at 44 miles we pass the first cable car station for a ski run. Four miles later at Lermoos we turn north on rd 187, leaving the 179 to make its way over the Fernpass. Our road twists along the Loisach valley, following river and railway to the German border at 55 miles (alt 800 m/2,640 ft) and beyond.

After a further 7 German miles along rd 23 there is a spacious campsite on the left in Grainau, 3 miles before the winter sports resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. There is a choice of parking on the Stellplatz with metered electricity, or a campsite 'comfort pitch' (each with its own tap, unmetered hook-up and chemical WC dump). We choose comfort! The setting below Germany's highest peak (the Zugspitze at 2962 m/9,775 ft) is breath-taking (and less sublimely there is an Aldi right across the road). One summer long ago we went up the Zugspitze. A rack railway from Grainau station took us part-way, then a Seilbahn (cable car) whisked us to the summit. It was extremely misty at the top, nothing to be seen but jet-black ravens looming out of the haze with a characteristic croak.

The foot/cyclepath past the site into Garmisch-P looks icy and the temperature is falling, so we take the precaution of leaving the motorhome's gas boiler on its lowest setting overnight to avoid a repeat performance! 'Brightly shone the moon that night, Though the frost was cruel' … well, it's almost Christmas.

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/garmisch-partenkirken.html

My ACSI report suggests the site is way overpriced, due to its spectacular setting:

“A campsite and Stellplatz with shared facilities. The campsite 'comfort pitches' include individual water, electricity and chemical WC dump, but have no privacy. ACSI Card price seems reasonable until a daily charge of 6.60 Euros is added for taxes. This does include a free bus pass, which we didn't use as we only stayed one night. (The Stellplatz is a bit cheaper but doesn't include the metered electricity). The camp website lists 'free WiFi' but there was a charge of 2 Euros per day per machine: sheer greed given the high cost of staying. Facilities were just adequate.

The setting itself is stunning, below Germany's highest peak, and that is the only reason to stay. A noisy road (with separate foot or cycle path) leads a couple of miles into the winter sports resort of Garmisch. There is a restaurant nearby and an Aldi store across the road.”

VIA AUSTRIA INTO ITALY

Grainau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Camping Gamp, Chiusa/Klausen, South Tirol – 94 miles (alt 530 m/1,750 ft)

Open all year.  www.camping-gamp.com  €18 inc elec (WC/showers temporarily closed). WiFi €1 for 6 hrs total (log in & out) per machine.  N 46.64138  E 11.57361
Note: The adjacent Stellplatz (temporarily closed) is €16 inc elec. No WiFi. N 46.64128  E 11.57244

Next morning, the frozen grass sparkling in bright sunshine, we continue on rd 23 through Garmisch-P, a busy modern tourist-oriented place that badly needs a bypass, to join rd 2 (signed Austria and Innsbruck). A cycle path runs alongside the road as far as Mittenwald at 16 miles. It's a lovely scene of heavily frosted meadows dotted with wooden barns for the alpine cattle and/or their fodder.  

Another 3 miles to the Austrian border up at 950 m/3,135 ft, where once again there is a Shell fuel station selling the vignette for Austrian motorways. A short tunnel leads onto rd177/E533 for Innsbruck, climbing to 1240 m/4,090 ft. At the top it's 4°C outside, with just a smattering of snow on the verges. The steep zigzag descent (16% or 1-in-6) has regular emergency escape lanes for brake failure and the trucks coming towards us are struggling. Our motorhome (and driver) cope well but it would have been a challenge to our earlier American RVs. At 30 miles, still at 826 m/2,725 ft, we're able to park by a pizzeria to take in the view.

Two miles later the excitement is over as we join motorway A12 east towards Innsbruck. At 38 miles (alt 680 m/2,245 ft) we turn south on A13 for the Brenner Pass, the easiest Alpine route into Italy and completely new to us. The motorway climbs gently for 7 miles to 1050 m/3,465 ft at the toll point (€9.50). The carriageway is running across viaducts high above the valley, trusting (we hope) to solid Austrian concrete. The road signs point to 'Bozen' and I wonder how we've taken a wrong turn until realisation dawns: Bozen is German for Bolzano, in Italy! The ski run we pass has little snow, its ski-lift and snow-blowing machines standing idle. Climate change is becoming noticeable.

At 59 miles (height 1379 m/4,550 ft) we cross the border into Italy at the Brenner Pass, through a very short tunnel. The lowest pass in the entire central Alpine mountain range, Brenner is a historic crossing point, controlled by the Romans until the end of their Empire in the 5thC AD. More recently, it was the notorious site of meetings between Hitler and Mussolini.

A gradual descent follows, to the large services area at 85 miles (593 m/1,957 ft), with lines of parked trucks (and as so often in Italy, a motorhome dump point). Another 8 miles to the exit for Chiusa (or Klausen), where we pay an Italian motorway toll of €4.20. Well worth it too.

Camping/hotel/restaurant Gamp is one very easy mile from the motorway, towards the centre of the village of Chiusa (known to the German-speaking Tyroleans as Klausen). The campsite entrance is on the left, after passing the bus/train station on the right. The Stellplatz gate is a little further along (check in at campsite).

To our surprise both sites seem closed, whatever our guidebooks might say, but a groundsman soon appears to explain they are only temporarily closed until next Monday (owners' family holiday). We can stay on the campsite with electricity and WiFi (WC/showers closed) for the Stellplatz price. In we go, with the site to ourselves and a magnificent view of the surrounding Dolomite foothills.

It is only a 5-minute walk into the delightful Tyrolean village, where German is the first language and Italian is taught in school. The older population speak a dialect of Austrian (reflecting the area's history as part of the Habsburg Empire) while younger folk are keen to practise English. This we learn, in German, over delicious coffee and cakes at the bakery/delikatessen. High above the village stand a tower, a church and a convent: a lovely 30-minute walk (we are told). Maybe tomorrow.

Back at camp, I chat with the young woman who has appeared in Reception. When she asks my husband's name, her response is 'Barry – ah, like Barry Manilow'. I don't think so! She extends our WiFi from 6 hours to 12 hours each for no extra charge because she loves Barry Manilow. No accounting for taste. I often used to hear 'Margaret – ah, like Mrs Thatcher'. Glad I'm not called Theresa.

We decide to check Minoan Lines for ferry times and fares to Greece, with their 'Camping All Inclusive' deal that offers motorhome/caravan travellers an inside 2-berth cabin for the price of deck tickets. As their website isn't working, I phone and at the second attempt get a price of €383 one-way from Ancona – but telephone reservations are not allowed as they can't process bank cards! I must book on-line when possible, or send an email with all our details. Was it worth 15 minutes listening to dreadful music to learn that?!

At Camping Gamp, Chiusa/Klausen, South Tirol

Next day I spend the whole morning comparing ferry lines and ports (from Venice, Ancona, Bari or Brindisi). With Superfast/ANEK the 'camping on board' season ended 31 October and the on-line one-way fare from Ancona to Igoumenitsa (or Patras) for a 7-metre motorhome and a 2-berth cabin is a staggering €513 (including discounts for age over 60 and membership of a recognised camping club). I try the A-Ferry website, which quotes €520 for the same details! Then I ring Superfast in Ancona, who offer €499.50 if I book on the phone.

So back to Minoan Lines, whose website is now restored. It happens to be Black Friday with a special offer flash sale of 30% off all bookings (today only). This deal comes up with €312.40, which we take (actually less than 20% off yesterday's quoted fare of €383 but I've lost the will to phone again). The timing is good: we sail next Monday at 5.30 pm, arriving in Igoumenitsa at 10.30 am Tuesday.

After lunch we walk into Chiusa/Klausen and follow the signs for Säben (the Convent of Sabiona) up a steep track from the back of the village. It starts with stairs cut in the stone leading to the Torre del Capitano, an old tower that is in private ownership. The path then forks and we pause to marvel at three men high above us, riggers replacing the insulators at the top of a towering pylon. Like Robert Frost in The Road Not Taken we choose the left fork (shorter and steeper) rather than the easier longer route through the yellow woods. We pause regularly, to admire the views down through vineyards to the village, or to count the Stations of the Cross leading up to the white pilgrimage church (sometimes open but not today).

Fearing a slippery descent as rain threatens, we turn back at the church rather than continuing to the convent, established in 1687 and still home to 5 reclusive Benedictine nuns. We reach the bakery just in time to shelter from a downpour. Remembering us from yesterday, the assistant offers a free sample of cake with our coffee! We'll be sorry to leave tomorrow and will certainly return if we pass this way again.

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/chiusa.html

Chiusa/Klausen to Camper Club Mutina, Modena, Emilia Romagna – 176 miles

Open all year.  www.camperclubmutina.it  €16 inc elec, WC and hot showers. Free WiFi (not available!)  N 44.61361  E 10.94444

Following heavy overnight rain the hilltops are shrouded in cloud as we return a mile to the A22 and head south for Bolzano and Modena. From a height of 570 m/1,880 ft on the viaduct that overflies Chiusa, the motorway runs downhill all the way along a river valley, the slopes gilded with autumnal vineyards. This has been an important trade route linking northern Italy with the rest of Europe since Roman times. Today the lines of trucks in both directions are from Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Germany … the EU at work. Before the First World War Chiusa was a frontier post between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire and still has its old Customs House.

After a few short tunnels we pass Bolzano at 21 miles (height 240 m/790 ft), an industrial Italian-speaking area. Vineyards give way to fruit trees and plain concrete buildings replace charming Tyrolean houses and chalets as we leave the South Tyrol at 40 miles, exchanging misty mountains for the limestone cliffs of the Dolomites. Heavy rain sets in as we pass Trento at 54 miles, height 190 m/625 ft. At 11 am it's 7°C outside with no sign of snow, yet there are regular illuminated signs above the A22 motorway warning that winter tyres or snow chains are obligatory (from 15/11 to 15/4). We have neither, but can do nothing about it right now except hope we won't be stopped.

Continuing our steady downhill drive, we pass the exit for Verona North at 106 miles, completing over 100 miles in cruise control at 55 mph with no delays. That's a record! At noon we pass Verona Airport (at 60 m/200 ft). The rain stops as the landscape flattens, crossing the broad River Po at 134 miles, height a mere 12 m/40 ft above the sea it is aiming for.

Joining the A1 near Modena, we continue briefly towards Bologna. This being Saturday, the very large service area at Modena North is packed with lorries (like all the rest areas we've passed), with nowhere to park for a break. HGVs are not allowed to drive in Italy and many other countries on Sundays unless carrying perishable goods and the truckers are already settling in. We soon take the exit for Modena South at 171 miles, pay a toll of €20.30 and follow rd 623 towards the city centre, turning left 4 miles later down a narrow lane signed 'Camper Market'. Next to the rugby club is the improbable site of a Sosta run by an Italian Camper Club which I found in 'Camperstop Europe'.

It is unattended on arrival but the barrier opens, issues a ticket for payment at the automat on leaving, and closes behind us. The large security-camera-guarded parking area has plenty of electrical points, fresh water, dump, bins, warm unisex facilities with hot water for a welcome shower – even an area for motorhome washing with hoses and a step ladder! The club room is open, complete with TV, coffee vending machine and (allegedly) free WiFi, though none of our few German and Italian neighbours know the password.

The city centre is easily accessible by bus or bicycle path but a grey mist of rain hangs over the windless flat fields, so we just settle in for a late lunch. It proves a safe well-lit place for the night and we might have stayed longer without the deadline of a ferry.

Modena to Area Sosta Settebello, Rimini, Emilia Romagna – 96 miles

Open all year.  www.riminiparking.it  €13 inc elec. No WiFi.  N 44.06068  E 12.57572

Next day the very kind club member in Reception speaks no English but guides me through the complexity of paying (cash or bank card) to exit the barrier. We return 5 miles to the A1, where mist soon turns to rain as we continue southeast, joining the A14 round Bologna at 16 miles. The 14-mile-long Bologna Ring is quiet on this Sunday morning, devoid of trucks.

A14 then continues arrow-straight, parallel with the Via Emilia. In rapid succession we pass Imola (former home of an Italian Grand Prix circuit) and Faenza (famous for its eponymous faience pottery), with factory names like Ceramica Leonardo along the motorway. At 71 miles we take a break from the rain on the services near Forli, squeezed in between trucks from Romania and Latvia. We're now at a height of 6 metres/20 ft, well away from mountains and snow, yet the illuminated signs demanding winter tyres or snow chains continue.

At 84 miles we pass an exit for the Rubicon Valley and then Rubicon West services. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49 BC, declaring Alea iacta est (the die is cast), he launched the civil war that marked the end of the Roman Republic and the start of the Empire. If this is the same Rubicon (?) we are passing the point of no return!

Ten miles later we take the Rimini South exit (toll €10.90) and follow signs and SatNav for 2 miles into the city and its huge car/bus/motorhome park. This guarded parking is very well placed, a short walk along a foot/cyclepath into the historic centre or to the sea front. Despite the pouring rain, the friendly 24-hour custodian comes out of his hut to organise an electric hook-up. When I say 'Una noche' he smiles and says (in perfect English) 'That is Spanish'. 'What is it in Italian?' I ask. 'Una Notte, but thank you for trying'. Maybe I should stick to Latin (una nocte)! He provides a good map of the city, we agree on Grazie rather than Gracias and he remarks that the weather is just like London.

The city bells are chiming noon as we settle in with about 6 other motorhomes at the far end of the parking (listed in both the 'Bordatlas' and 'Camperstop Europe'). The other Sostas in Rimini are seasonal and less central.

As the heavy rain continues all afternoon and evening, we're content to keep dry, make plans and listen to music.

Rimini to Ferry Terminal, Ancona, Marche Region – 66 miles

Minoan Lines overnight ferry 'Cruise Olympia': Italy-Greece (Ancona to Igoumenitsa & Patras)  www.minoan.gr/en/routes/italy  N 43.612384  E 13.499809

Next morning is sunny and dry, so we stroll through the park into the Centro Storico of Rimini, entering the historic walled city through the Arco Augusto arch. The centre is a splendid mixture of Roman and medieval architecture, with a huge new museum that blends in well. (Next time we must visit with a day in hand, to do it justice.) The large indoor market hall is buzzing with life and every kind of produce, while the surrounding cafes are busy with smartly turned out shoppers (not to mention white-clad nuns). Dropping into the nearest bakery we enjoy delicious coffees at €1.30 each, accompanied by free samples of cake.

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/rimini.html

With a ferry to catch, we leave at noon to drive 2 miles back to the A14 motorway and head south for Ancona. All three lanes are open in each direction so there is no congestion, even on this Monday morning busy with trucks. At 52 miles we pause at the Ancona services to eat lunch and make use of the free motorhome dump point, then exit at Ancona Nord 5 miles later (toll €6.40). It's another 9 miles down to the port, which badly needs a better motorway link. A fill of diesel along the way costs us €1.599/litre at the self-service pump (compare with €1.899 back on the A14!)  

Following the Porto signs, the Ticket Office is signed off to the left at the last roundabout, a mile before the port. With no number plate recognition here, ferry passengers must go to check in personally before entering the port. There is plenty of space to park by the ticket office, which has café and toilets, and I join the Minoan Lines queue, clutching passports and booking reference. Though it's a perfectly calm day for the Adriatic crossing, the 'Cruise Olympia' ferry is apparently late arriving from Greece and our departure will be 6 pm rather than 5.30 pm. 

After a pot of tea we drive round to join the disorganised confusion of trucks milling around Gate 15 – and wait, and wait, and wait. Chatting with the only other British motorist (Ian, driving a hired van), we are the last two vehicles to be waved on. The ferry finally sails at 7 pm and we head for the self-service cafeteria with mediocre over-priced food. The inside cabin is spacious (2 beds, not bunks), though too hot for a comfortable night's sleep.

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/minoan-ferry-italy-greece.html

ARRIVAL IN GREECE

Igoumenitsa Port to Camping Drepanos, Igoumenitsa, Epirus (via Lidl) – 8 miles

Open all year.  www.drepano.gr   €15 (ACSI Card) inc elec and showers. Free WiFi throughout. N 39.51028  E 20.22111

Breakfast on board the ferry is available in the self-service place (still overpriced and mediocre) or in the restaurant with waiter service, where it actually costs less! Thanks to the 'Camping all inclusive' 30% discount on meals, the set price of €9 is reduced €6.30 each, for which we are served orange juice, boiled eggs, cheese, rolls, croissants, butter, jam, honey, peaches with Greek yogurt, and constant refills of coffee. Not many diners either, as most Italians and Greeks start the day with coffee and a smoke out on deck!

Replete, we arrive (late) in Igoumenitsa port at 10.15 am, or rather 11.15 Greek time. The weather is showery as we drive along the busy waterfront and on to shop at Lidl (what – no Stollen cake!) before returning to the camping situated on the peninsula to the north of the town.

The site seems neglected with rubbish strewn around the muddy ground and no hot water in the new facilities, which were finished during our last visit in May of this year. However, an empty pitch tucked between the deserted statics facing the beach has a great view of the ferries calling en route to Patras or to Italy, as well as smaller vessels serving Corfu. 

After a lunch of cheese and spinach pies from Lidl bakery, I persuade the Receptionist to send a man to light the boiler. We are soon discovered by the resident cats: three young black ones with green eyes (just like Sooty), a lovely pure grey, a ginger tom and a tabby with 2 black & white kittens. They are all easily tamed in exchange for a supply of cat biscuits (always carried with us in Greece) and not remotely 'wild' as the surly site owner complains.

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/cats-in-igoumenitsa.html

DECEMBER 2018

At Camping Drepanos, Igoumenitsa

For the next week we stay at Igoumenitsa, catching up with laundry, domestics and writing. The site is well placed for a 30-minute walk along the beach to the end of the peninsula, as well as an easy 5-mile ride into the town centre along a safe cycle path. It's very quiet, with an occasional camper for a night or two.

We ride in to visit the post office, bank and Vodafone shop, and sample the €7 breakfast served out in the busy street by the Lift Café until noon every day: plenty of toast, butter, jam, honey, 2 fried eggs each with a few chips and salad garnish, fresh orange juice, coffee and water. There was a sausage in the picture of the meal, but not on the plate and a busker with a trumpet but no musical talent got money by promising to go away. Recommended!

But Barry has no luck finding new toe-clips at the three cycle shops we trace. One store is closed, another is in the process of moving premises, and the third 'sold the last pair a week ago'. Nice to see so much local cycling though.

Click: http://www.magbazpictures.com/igoumenitsa.html

(Continued at: Cycling Re-Energised)