Ellis Family Blog

The weather was terrible for the rest of the morning with high winds, thunder storms and lots of rain.  We were glad that we’d packed most of our ‘outside’ stuff away the day before, but we still had to venture out in the rain to carry out the last of the ‘breaking camp’ tasks.  Fortunately the rain eased off in the afternoon, but by now everything was once again very muddy, so I ended up hosing everything off at the motorhome washing point so we wouldn’t have to take all the mud home with us! At 4 p.m. we were all set – Karol nippedRead More →

It continued to rain all Friday night and most of Saturday morning, so our pitch is like a mud bath – the carpet is definitely for the bin once we leave! However, as forecast it brightened up after lunch, so we cycled to Middleburg once more to finish off our sightseeing.  As much as anything it was great to simply get out of the caravan for a few hours and into the fresh air! This time we didn’t get lost, and having parked our bikes we headed for the market square in glorious sunshine. Whilst there was no market, the square was full of vintageRead More →

We decided to have a less active day on Wednesday, so after a leisurely start we spent quite a while bringing the blog up to date, and then walked the 2km into Zoutelande mid afternoon. We’d read about a restaurant here which looks really good so we thought we’d do a recce. The restaurant found (not hard as Zoutelande isn’t a big place) we stopped for some alcoholic refreshments and then we walked back again! What’s struck me about Zeeland is that they seem to cater for the Dutch and the Germans, and no one else.  I’d expected English to be the second language here,Read More →

We woke up to gorgeous sunshine on Sunday so headed for the beach for a relaxing morning. However, it wasn’t as warm as it looked, with a stiff breeze ensuring we kept our shirts on!   We almost had the place to ourselves, very few other people were sitting although quite a few were walking along the shore. Batteries recharged by the sea air, we caught up on a few tasks in the afternoon before taking a walk on the sand dunes towards Zoutelande, about 2 km up the coast.  After a sustaining beer we walked back along the beach and back up the stepsRead More →

As we’d just had a hectic couple of days we decided that on Monday we’d explore back down the Mosel away from Koblenz on our bikes.  We had a lazy morning and then after lunch set off on the northern side of the river to Winningen, about 10 km away (sounds like Vinegar – let’s hope the wine tastes better than that!)  The ride was lovely as we found a path alongside the vines away from the road, and it was a warm and pleasant day too which added to the relaxed journey. However, once we arrived at Winningen we realised that it was rightRead More →

As we approach the end of our trip, I’ve been contemplating the differences between the various EU countries when it comes to driving and towing, and the Schengen area countries in particular.  Are the rules of the road harmonious and joined up?  Not at all is my conclusion! In no particular order therefore: In Spain, you are restricted to 90 kph when towing on a motorway, whilst in Portugal it’s 100 kph.  Italy restrict you to 80 kph, along with all wagons, but they take no notice of the speed limit, and frankly neither do the car drivers.  All three countries have tolls for theirRead More →

Wednesday we just pottered about the site as Karol had hurt her back and was laid up as a result.  We did however manage a short walk into the local village to buy some bread, and also to wash the caravan – the first time we’ve done it since Spain 3 months ago!  Needless to say it was in need of a bit of TLC. Karol’s back was much improved Thursday, so in the morning we set off in the car to explore the Mosel to the north. We stopped and walked around at Ediger-Eller, a two centre town with a few hundred meters separatingRead More →

The weather forecast was not too good for Friday so we decided to take the bus and train into Luxembourg City to explore. Clive had told us that you can get a day ticket for all buses and trains in Luxembourg (the country) for just €4 each so we thought we’d give it a try. The bus stop was just a short walk from the site – we caught the bus which was on time (aren’t they all over here?) and bought our day passes as Clive had promised. The bus was a pristine and very modern coach – they have a great system whereRead More →

After a quiet day on Sunday when we caught up with a few chores, mainly washing and cleaning, we had dinner at the campsite restaurant which is very popular. The food was great, although the portions are enormous – I ended up bringing half of mine back to the caravan to eat on Monday! Grant was intrigued to see horse steak on the menu – another evening perhaps? On Monday we visited Trier, the oldest city in Germany and the birthplace of Karl Marx. Trier was the western capital of the Roman Empire and became as important as Rome itself after Constantine I made itRead More →

Hi everyone, I get to guest blog again after my few days with Mum and Dad in Italy. I met the travelling duo at the airport after their flight back from Manchester. It was slightly annoying that they looked fresh faced yet I was this huge sweaty mess with my rucksack after a crowded bus journey. It was really nice to see them both but it felt slightly odd knowing they’d been back home more recently than I had! It was a nice drive back to the campsite with a lovely opportunity for some stunning views across Lake Como. I’d spent a day at LakeRead More →