We left the car park in Cologne at 12.30 p.m. It would have been much earlier but we were held up by the Cologne Marathon which we knew was going on but had no idea it would go right past the exit from the car park. There were barriers across so no one could leave. We sat reading whilst waiting. The weather had changed noticeably since yesterday when we were basking in warm sunshine. Today it had rained heavily in the early hours waking us both and as we waited to leave it was cold and windy, probably ideal conditions for the runners in the marathon. As we sat waiting we saw another motorhome leave which had been parked at the exit for almost two hours so thinking the barriers were now gone we walked over to say goodbye to Alan and Gail first. We said our goodbyes and wished them well for their trip to the UK at which point they told us they only go to Dover to get the motorhome MOT’d and then return to Europe. Sounds great to me, we’re on the verge of returning home this week and not looking forward to it at all. After saying our goodbyes we drove to the exit only to find the barriers up again. There was a police car on the other side of the road with his blue lights flashing and they totally ignored us. At this stage there were absolutely no runners coming through so it was difficult to see why we were having to wait. I’d say we, but it was me who was impatient knowing only too well that I was never going to get into an argument with the police when I don’t even speak their language! We waited about 30 minutes and all of a sudden a small group of young girls came and moved the barriers at the same moment that the police drove away. At no time in the process did any one of them as much as give us a glance or a thumbs up to say thanks for waiting, you can go now. It was as if we must have been invisible!

Anyway, we headed off and made our way out of Cologne on the way back to Bruges. We stopped on the way to try to fill up with LPG. The petrol station we stopped at was actually in Holland and the adaptor for LPG was different to any that I’d used previously and it took a moment or two to work out how to use it.  Half way through filling up it suddenly started to piss out the sides so I assumed that meant it was full. It cost €5.58 which I thought couldn’t possibly be enough. I looked later and the gauge was showing it needed another 1/4 tank to be full. I have no idea what I did wrong whilst filling up. Woa! This is so boring!! Who on earth cares?

We got to Bruges after another boring motorway drive of about four hours. When we got to Memling Camping we checked in and went to our pitch which was about ten meters from where we stayed last time. We didn’t go out at all and just stayed in and relaxed for the evening. A pretty boring day really with just two days left before returning home.

Arriving in Cologne after a three-hour drive we arrived at the campsite we’d planned to use only to find it looked like it was pretty full. Out of a group of men waiting just inside the entrance, one was quite helpful and he suggested we wait for the manager as he would be back in a couple of minutes. We didn’t even have to wait that long before a little white-haired old man came walking in and helpful guy asked him something in German. English was the only word I understood as the manager waved him away with an obviously derogatory remark about the English which the whole group had a good laugh about. We laughed this off at the time and in spite of helpful guys suggestion that we wait to see if a place becomes available we drove away. It was only later when I thought about the managers reaction that I realized how angry I was about it. Normally German people are very friendly and this was the first time I’d come across that sort of nasty anti-British attitude. There’s nothing I can do about it but it didn’t stop me being pissed off about it. Thankfully he seems to be in a tiny minority!

After that little episode we drove out and decided to go to another site just up the road where we could wild camp even closer to the city. Unfortunately the sat nav had different ideas. Instead of taking us to the camping spot we found ourselves almost all the way into the city. This was not what I wanted at all. I’m quite comfortable driving anywhere in a car, but driving through a strange foreign city in a motorhome is definitely not my idea of fun. Having driven through the city and out the other side we continued along the river to where I knew there to be another place we could camp. Like a fool, instead of following the sat nav I thought I knew better and ignored it. Five minutes later we were completely lost.

I pulled over in a residential area to check the map on google earth to try to see where we were. We’d been there about 30 seconds when an old dear pulls up alongside us gesticulating that she wants the space to park in. Fair enough, I give her the thumbs up to say I’ll move on and she just sits there blocking me in. After a minute or so of varying hand signals I’ve eventually reverted to type and I’m saying to her, as if she can hear or understand me, “I can’t move while you’re blocking me in can I you stupid German bint!” Eventually she gave up and drove off and we were left wondering what all the fuss was about. I actually followed her up the road before doing two left turns that took us back the way we had come, As luck would have it this took us right where we needed to be and we were on the one side of the road that allowed us to make the turn into the car park we were intending to camp on. It’s always a relief to arrive at a place and find other motorhomes there. This means, obviously, that it’s ok to camp and also that it will be relatively safe. We immediately went off in search of a supermarket so we could get some provisions. It’s a huge relief to be back in Germany where we can buy grocery’s without having to remortgage the house!

Later on as we were sitting relaxing, a woman approached the front of the van and asked if she could speak to us. I said yes of course and opened the door. She wanted to inquire about the green emissions sticker we had in the window. It seems they had spent months if not years travelling in Germany and had no idea you must have the emissions sticker. She spoke perfect English but originated from Barbados although her and her husband lived previously in the north east of England. We had a long conversation with this lovely lady who it turned out had been living with her husband in a motorhome for five years. And there I was thinking we were being daring being away from home for ten weeks. After a while her husband turned up on a bicycle and we sat and chatted to the two of them for probably an hour in total. They certainly had some story’s to tell from their travels. Their names were Gail and Alan and they had been on this car park in Cologne for almost a month. I was amazed as the most we’ve stayed anywhere was four nights in Copenhagen and they only ever go back to the UK to get the MOT renewed on their motorhome.

The following day (two days in one blog again) we went out reasonably early to go into Cologne. We got a tram without knowing exactly where it would take us. More by luck than judgement though, it took us into the Hauptbahnhof which is right by the cathedral. As you leave the station, the cathedral is right outside. It’s somewhere I’ve wanted to go for years and I have to say, the wait was worth it. The cathedral although adorned with scaffolding in places is still breathtaking! We couldn’t go in though as there was some kind of children’s fun run going on all around the periphery. We walked across the railway bridge to the other side of the river to where the most popular view of the bridge and cathedral is. This was just a scouting mission to see whether I’d be able to come back later and photograph it at dusk. The answer was yes, so with a couple of stops along the way for a sandwich and ice cream we made our way back to the van for the rest of the afternoon and sat out in the sun. Who would have believed it could be that warm on October 6th. It was forecast to be 25 degrees and it certainly felt like it.

At about 4.30 p.m. we started to make our way back into the town. We caught a train hoping it wouldn’t be too busy but as usual it was packed and we endured quite an uncomfortable journey into the city. We did have a kind of half-hearted walk around the shops but I don’t think even Lynne was very interested so we made our way across the bridge to find a spot to do some photography. I was amazed to see so many people young and old (but mostly young) who all seemed to be there to just take in the view of the cathedral and the bridge. We got there at about 6.00 p.m. and knew we were in for a long wait for conditions to be just right as sunset wasn’t till 7.00 p.m. What I was really waiting for was for it to be dark enough for the lights on the bridge and the cathedral to come on. Just after 7.30 we were still waiting when I decided to google about the cathedral lights. I managed to find an entry on Trip Advisor that suggested that they hadn’t been putting the lights on just lately. My heart sank, that was the only reason we were sitting here waiting. However, within a minute or so of me reading that entry, the lights on the bridge came on followed swiftly by the cathedral. What a relief!

I leapt into action, and eventually arrived at an eight second exposure which gave the result you see below. I have to say in all modesty, I’m quietly pleased with it although its been done a million times before and there’s absolutely nothing original about it.

To sum up Cologne, we had a great single day here helped massively by the unseasonably warm weather. Once again we did lots of walking but not to the point where we thought our legs were going to drop off like in Amsterdam the other day. Cologne looks like a great city and the cathedral is breathtakingly beautiful. The only slight downside for me is that I get the feeling that people in the north of Germany aren’t quite as friendly as we’ve come to expect. There also appears to be a large non-German population a lot of whom, in my humble opinion don’t really fit in very well. However, that’s a whole other can of worms and not for this lighthearted blog/record of our travels in Europe!

 

 

Another day in Amsterdam! Arriving in the city after midday (we had a very lazy morning) we made our way straight to the tourist information office and bought a map of the city. We decided to go and take a look at some of the famous landmarks. First of all though we had to try to find a shop we’d seen last time we were here that sold some particular make up/moisturizer or magic age defying potion that Lynne just had to have. Once again I have no idea why she didn’t buy it the first time. Anyway, we couldn’t find it so we ended up wasting about 45 minutes walking around looking for it to no avail! Then we started our ‘guided tour’ of Amsterdam. First of all we headed for Anne Franks house.

When we got to it there were crowds of people milling about and a zigzag queue waiting to go into the museum. It has to be said, the house is very unassuming to say the least and we decided not to bother queueing to see inside. Next we headed for the Royal Palace. This was a similar experience to the one in Oslo as the Palace is in the middle of the city and you can literally sit on the front steps. I know nothing about Dutch royalty but it’s dificult to imagine them spending much time here. Also it looks grubby too. No self-respecting Queen should stand for such shabbiness! We carried on walking out towards the ‘skinny bridge’. Well, that was underwhelming too. Considering it’s regarded as an attraction I have to say it’s difficult to get excited about. Maybe when it’s lit up at night it might look a bit more interesting.

So far we felt like we had walked miles and the so-called attractions had left us less than impressed. Perversely though, whilst being unimpressed by the attractions we both found ourselves starting to quite like the place overall. We’d gotten over our dislike of the bikes, although they’re still a pain in the backside but I think with dusk starting to descend, the city took on a new atmosphere where everything that looked grubby before was now lit up and looked so much nicer than during daytime.

We walked back toward the central station to find somewhere to eat. We were both feeling the effects of a days walking now and we settled for an outdoor cafe/restaurant just to get off our feet. As we sat down there was a man with his group of friends about 20 meters away talking (shouting) and laughing very loudly with a lady who it turned out was working at the restaurant we were in. To say he was annoying would be an understatement. I’m pretty sure he was drunk otherwise I couldn’t imagine why he’d have to be so loud. We had already been given menus when this guy and his friends then came and sat at more or less the next table to us. That was it for me, we got up and left. The waiter who saw us leaving had a look on his face that said, I know exactly why you’re leaving. I apologized and told him we changed our minds. It didn’t take long to find somewhere else to eat as Amsterdam must have more restaurants per square kilometer than anywhere we’ve ever been. We settled for an Argentinian restaurant called Madre Maria. I don’t know why I should have been surprised that it was good but surprised I was. I’d got this idea in my head that a lot of the restaurants wouldn’t be very clean. I guess that’s because the whole city has a slightly grubby feel to it. Yeah, how to ingratiate yourself to a whole nation in one easy lesson. Slag off their capital city and question the hygiene standards of all their restaurants! Anyway, the food was very good and we were both grateful for the opportunity just to sit down for an hour. The problem was that when we left Madre Maria we’d both seized up in the time it took to eat. My legs felt so stiff I could hardly walk for a few minutes. Eventually though everything loosened up again and we made our way to the cheese shop we had seen earlier, in fact, earlier we had tried samples of almost every cheese on sale. So much so, that it almost counted as breakfast. I wonder what the proprietors must think when they see people like us come along eating all their samples without buying anything. Well, all’s well that ends well because this evening after eating out we went back and actually bought some. I’ve seen blue Stilton before but never a cheese that was blue all the way through but one of the ones we bought was indeed, blue, through and through. So after stocking up on cheeses that I’m not allowed to touch because Lynne insisted on having it all shrink wrapped we made our weary way back to Amsterdam City Camp. So having walked Amsterdam’s streets till our legs and feet ached, we finally came to the conclusion that, actually we really quite liked it now, unlike the first visit when we were on our way to Norway. However, we didn’t develop any kind of liking for all the bikes in Amsterdam. They’re still a pain in the butt!

Yesterdays blog finished with us looking forward to looking around Hamelin today. After a relaxing morning we walked into the town at about 11.00 a.m. It was like a ghost town and we couldn’t understand why all the shops were closed. We’d only walked round for ten minutes or so before I realised that years ago when I’d worked in Frankfurt and Munich we used to occasionally have days off in the middle of the week. The Germans have bank holidays on a Wednesday which I always found strange. Having realised that this was a possibility I googled it and found that Wednesday October 3 is German Unity Day which is a national holiday. So, all the shops were closed and apart from a scattering of tourists the place was deserted! I took a few photos before we decided not to stay any longer. If nothing else it’s very photogenic with lots of beautiful old buildings. Plan B was to go straight to Amsterdam

The journey to Amsterdam went without incident after a windy start we made good progress and the wind seemed to die down after a short while. We drove all the way without a stop and made it to the Amsterdam City Camp in just under four hours. Unlike the last time we were here, we had to check in at a self-serve machine. Fifteen minutes later we were settled in. As soon as we’d had a drink we set off to go into the city. We got the free ferry again but this time it took us to the Central Station which meant we were in the city without the long walk we had last time. The last time we just jumped on the ferry without any idea where it was going to drop us off. This time our luck was in and we didn’t have to walk that extra mile to get into the centre. When we left the ferry and walked through the station it was obviously the end of the working day for most of Amsterdam and there were bicycles everywhere. This was the one thing we hated last time and if anything it seemed worse than ever. As we walked away from the ferry there were bikes and pedestrians everywhere and it was no surprise to see a guy on a bike slam into a young girl who happened to be looking in the wrong direction. She went flying but got up all smiles and brushed herself down like nothing had happened! I’d be amazed if, quite often there weren’t some serious injuries caused by cyclists and pedestrians coming together. In Copenhagen there are bikes everywhere just the same but it’s more organised and the two rarely come together. In Amsterdam its absolute chaos!

We wandered around familiar streets with the all too familiar aroma of marijuana everywhere. My impression of the city was just the same as the previous visit which meant I still wasn’t liking it very much. We popped into a supermarket and bought some cheese and milk and then decided to head back to camp. Back at the van we watched some tv which is the first time in eight or nine weeks that we’ve had satellite coverage. Having tv again after so long should have been enjoyable but instead it turned out to be bloody irritating! I’m sure we’ll slip back into watching tv the same as ever but it has to be said that all we’ve watched in two months has been Sneaky Pete online and apart from that we’ve not missed it one bit.

After four nights we left Copenhagen reluctantly this morning at about 11.30. Four nights is the longest we’ve stayed anywhere during this trip and there was just the one reason, we both loved Copenhagen. I almost wish we could have had a week there as we barely scratched the surface of what there is to do in the city. As our last full day was a Sunday, we didn’t go into the city but walked around some of the more local shops instead. Also, I was feeling the effects of the previous two days walking and one knee in particular was feeling very uncomfortable. Strange when you have a pain like that and you start to compensate for it. I ended up walking like I was bandy-legged because that was the only way I could walk without my left knee hurting! During our Sunday morning walk we passed through a housing estate which we both assumed was primarily for older people and we discussed whether or not we’d like to live somewhere like that. As we were talking we turned a corner and there was a large group of people mostly getting on in years but they had set a table and there was food and drink and judging by the laughter it sounded like they were having a great time. I couldn’t for one minute imagine that happening in the UK. It was so nice to see the community spirit and I imagine they probably do it every week. Brilliant!

We didn’t walk far and after looking around the local mall, which was signposted as sea front shopping we started back to the campsite. On the way back we wandered through a park where there was a small lake. Right on the edge of the lake was a heron which was watching the ducks so intently that he seemed oblivious to us and I photographed him from about 10 feet away. It was good to get so close as I didn’t have a big lens with me which I would normally have used for wildlife. I wonder what his interest was in the ducks? I know a heron will eat just about anything but a duck seems slightly on the large side to me.

So that was our last day in Copenhagen. After we got back from our walk we relaxed again for the evening which meant mostly sitting in total darkness with iPads and ignoring each other. We did sit outside before it went dark to do a video blog. Lynne does most of the talking whilst I sit and take the piss. That’s wrong really, as what I really do is correct her when she says or pronounces something wrong. Which in all honesty is every other word! We’d done a few of these vlogs and friends seemed to like them but I think this one went on for too long as we hadn’t done one for exactly one month. Another photo I thought I’d include is a scene we’ve noticed a lot. A mother on a bicycle with a child in a box at the front. Can you imagine this happening in Birmingham? or any other city in the UK for that matter. The thing in Copenhagen is, they are so well set up with cycle paths that they can cycle almost anywhere in total safety. We noticed the same kind of thing in Belgium too.

On Monday morning we didn’t leave till about 11.30 as we weren’t required to check out until midday. What’s the rush when we can have electricity and excellent WiFi for as long as we were there? We had a fairly straightforward drive out of Denmark into Germany, although as before the terrain was flat and boring. Once again the highlight was the Korsor to Nyborg bridge which cost us another £28.50. I was hoping there would be somewhere to stop on the way across but there was nowhere so I couldn’t get any photographs.

We drove to Flensburg in Germany and parked on a large car park I’d found online where it was ok to park overnight. As soon as we got there we walked into the town. It looked quite nice and we were looking forward to looking around but before we’d even been there ten minutes, it started to rain. And it poured down! We walked as far as the harbour, just enough to see what a nice place it was and then headed back to the van as I was already soaked. Lynne had the good sense to put on a waterproof jacket. Myself, in a fit of ridiculous optimism didn’t! Once back at the van I looked at the forecast and it wasn’t looking good for the following day either. We played cards which I won! Not smug at all! Then we went to bed. Lynne woke me up later worrying that a car had just pulled up outside. I couldn’t see anything at all but I understand her being nervous about sleeping on a car park not far from the town center. Needless to say though, that the night passed without a problem.

Next morning (Tuesday) we woke to the sound of rain. As predicted in yesterdays forecast it was raining and looked set for the day. We decided if it was going to be that kind of day, we may as well spend it travelling. We set off intending to drive all day and go to Amsterdam. The last time we were there, we didn’t like it one bit. So I’m even a little puzzled myself why we’ve decided to give it a second try. Lynne seems like she wants to try it again, maybe she’ll even give me some pocket-money for when we visit the red light district again! The drive was awful with driving rain (no pun intended) and strong winds. This was another one of those days when it was a fight to stay in a straight line. With the land all around being flat the only respite from the wind was when there were trees alongside the motorway. There were a few occasions when the wind hit us side on and seemed determined to take the steering wheel out of my hands. It was better when we got closer to Hamburg and hit lots of traffic. Like any big city the traffic slows down on the motorway by virtue of the sheer volume of traffic. This coupled with road works and broken down vehicles made getting past Hamburg very slow indeed and the whole time it was belting it down with rain! We plugged away though and we were almost as far as Bremen when I decided to take a break. It was then that I started looking at other places we could get to from where we were. The weather in Amsterdam is predicted to be nice on Friday and if we carried on now we would be there far too early so we changed course and headed south toward Hamelin. Yes, that’s Hamelin of Pied Piper fame. It still took almost three hours to get there but we found the motorhome parking area easily. Once there, we had to go and spend some money just to get change for the ticket machine. Just like the previous day in Flensburg, the town looks nice and we’re both looking forward to looking around there tomorrow. Lets hope for better luck with the weather.

Second day in Copenhagen and we’re loving it! After all the walking we did yesterday we decided to do it all over again. The train journey was more straight forward this time as we had a 24 hour ticket from yesterday and we headed for the tourist information to see if we could do a tour of the Carlsberg Brewery Museum. Somehow that never transpired and we settled for walking to Christianshavn which was described in one of the brochure’s as a foodies delight because of all the canal side restaurants. It sounded like it would be very much like Nyhavn which we both loved so off we went. It was such a disappointment when we got there only to find it was nothing like Nyhavn. There weren’t even that many restaurants to be seen. We didn’t hang about and walked off in the direction of the centre so we could do some shopping in the souvenir shops. When we got back to City Hall Square we could hear motorbikes roaring around. There was some kind of gathering in the square. At a guess I’d say there were close to 250 motorbikes gathered and most of them seemed to be Harley Davidson’s. Lynne and I had decided to eat and there was a Mexican restaurant on the way back to the station that we liked the look of. When we got there, it was empty. Nothing puts me off a restaurant more than it being empty while everywhere else is packed! I looked up some reviews and they weren’t good so we went to look for somewhere else. We finally ate in the Tivoli Food Hall. We chose Mexican, it’s always been a favourite. However, I’m not a fan of eating stuff out of a box with plastic cutlery that snaps at the slightest provocation! Twice I had food flying around as my knife or fork broke and sent bits of burrito catapulting all over the floor! Heading back to the square we could hear the Harley’s all starting their engines. By the time we got there, they were all revving the nuts off their bikes. Passers by were all sticking their fingers in their ears as the noise was quite deafening. I have no idea what this display was all about, whether it was a protest at something or just a bit of fun, I don’t know. It didn’t take long for them all to disappear once it was all over and peace was once more restored to the City Square. We carried on with some shopping and started to make our way back to camp. We spent the evening relaxing after another long days walking! Lynne sat watching dopey films on her iPad before declaring she had seen them both before. I’m glad that wasn’t my data she was using. We had such a nice time in Copenhagen that we decided to stay yet another night if we can. That would be three whole days without driving, what a luxury!

At this stage I’m getting close to the 7000 mile mark so you’ll understand my delight at not having to drive for three days. The thing is, as long as we were in Norway there was built in entertainment with the driving thanks to the ever changing scenery but now, in Denmark especially, the land is flat and boring and it’s all motorway driving. In Norway you might drive 10 miles or more amongst the mountains and at times you would only see a handful of other cars!

Yesterday was a day off from writing. We drove for around five hours to get to Copenhagen. After hours of driving through the bland Danish countryside the highlight of the journey was driving across the Nyborg to Halsskov bridge. This bridge stretched into the distance as far as you could see. We both commented what an amazing feat of engineering it was and that we hadn’t had to pay a toll. Imagine our surprise then, when we got to the other side and arrived at the toll booth where the attendant relieved us of approximately £28.50. I suppose it was expecting a bit much to drive across a phenomenal road bridge like that without it costing anything. I have no idea how long it’s been there or how much it cost in construction but somebody has to pay for it I suppose!

Arriving at the campsite we pulled in only to find the way blocked by two rising bollards. Instead, I parked in the nearby car park and we wandered on foot into the site to look around. There was no sign anywhere of a reception and we were a little puzzled to say the least. All there was to see were the fronts of two buildings set into the hillside like elaborate hobbits houses. In the end I found a friendly German couple sitting in their motorhome who were very helpful and told us the reception is outside the campsite in a cafe. Having found it we then checked in for three nights. The girl on reception warned us to beware of thieves but that they mainly target tents so for us, shouldn’t be a problem. Still slightly disconcerting though! It’s a nice site though, set in an old fort of raised earth embankments and a moat all the way round. There are also a number of huge old cannons aimed out to sea. From what I’ve been able to find online, I don’t think they were ever fired in anger. We had a walk to the nearest supermarket only to find that things here aren’t all that much cheaper than they were in Norway. Nevertheless we still have to eat so we stocked up on grub and returned to Nellie. We spent the evening watching episodes of Sneaky Pete thanks to the campsites excellent wifi.

Friday morning we left at about 11.00 a.m to go into Copenhagen. It’s a 15 minute walk to the train station and when we got there we quickly found a ticket machine. There are no staff in attendance so the machine is the only way to purchase a ticket. Which left us with a slight problem as the ticket machine was dead! Lynne looked online and found you could buy tickets from a 7-11 so I looked and found the nearest one was a mile and a half away. We decided the best option was to walk to the next station. That took us 30 minutes and when we got there the machine appeared to be working. So we dialled in two adult tickets and hit the pay button only to find the card reader was dead. This was not going well at all. Luckily this time there was a 7/11 open right in the station itself so we went in and joined the queue behind a particularly unpleasant younger man who had tattoos all over his face. I know it’s each to their own and all that, but, what on earth possesses anyone to have their face covered in tattoos? I just don’t get it, some tattoos I would acknowledge are very clever, but all over the face. Really? Anyway, we got tickets and boarded the train to the city. That got us in at about 12.45 p.m. What a waste of time having to walk half the way!

As soon as we left the station we made our way to Radhuspladsen which seems to be a fancy Danish way of saying City Hall Square. This square is flanked on one side by the impressive looking Palace Hotel.

Lynne and I stayed there some years ago when we took my mom back to Copenhagen for a long weekend. Looking back now I’m not sure she enjoyed it all that much. We had walked around the old neighbourhoods where she had lived as a young girl only to find that everything she knew had long been replaced by anonymous apartment blocks. I think maybe as a result, the whole trip was a bit of an anti climax for her. From Radhuspladsen we walked a long street of shops of all sorts toward Nyhavn. It seemed to take ages to get there, as we took a couple of wrong turns and there was a wicked cold wind that cut straight through you. Nyhavn is a very busy tourist area made up of pretty coloured buildings most of which are pubs or restaurants on one side of a harbour inlet.

As soon as we arrived there we were struck by the busy bustling atmosphere. We wandered up and down looking for somewhere we might both fancy eating. We saw a sign that said, try our veggie burger and you will become a vegetarian! We decided to try it, but not before we had walked to the little mermaid statue. Again this was quite a long walk and when we got there I was amazed to see how many people were crowded around trying to get photographs of the mermaid. I was reminded of my first visit to Copenhagen as a small child of six years old. There was a photo taken of me in front of the mermaid and just as they shot it I bent down to scratch my leg. I’m sure my mom and dad must have thought I’d ruined the photo but I don’t think they bothered taking another one! We were lucky though because as we approached  there was a large party of Japanese tourists just leaving. I’m sure that made life easier for everyone else! It took me about two minutes to get the photos I wanted and we set off back towards Nyhavn.

When we got back we made straight for the veggie burger cafe/restaurant. After so much walking I was ready to sit down for a while and we both had beers although surprisingly they didn’t have Carlsberg. The veggie burgers were nice but had no meaty texture about them at all. They seemed more like hard potato but we couldn’t work out what they were made from. When I asked the waitress, she said they’re made with celery! I hate celery but there was no hint of it here. Two burgers, two beers and two deserts cost roughly £62. Not quite Norway prices but still not exactly cheap. We sat and enjoyed the wonderful laid back atmosphere of Nyhavn. I think it’s quite a special place and looking around there didn’t seem to be anyone who wasn’t happy to be there! All in all we’d enjoyed our day in Copenhagen. I think it’s a great city with lots of magnificent old buildings mixed with some interesting modern architecture.  After eating we wandered around some more and I bought a couple of t-shirts from a small shop which is located in the same building where Hans Christian Anderson used to live, true or false? I don’t suppose they could make that claim if it weren’t true. The walk back to the station seemed to pass very quickly and we bought a 24 hour pass so that we can return tomorrow. On the way from the station at Charlottenlund I could see the sky over the sea beginning to change colour with the sunset behind us. There were white fluffy clouds backed up with pastel shades of pink and purples. I ran to set up the tripod and get a picture. Its a really simple image with the sea and a couple of clouds and those beautiful colours.

We were back at the campsite just after 7.00 p.m. On reflection we both really like Copenhagen, even with their crappy broken rail ticket machines. It’s a fun place just to mooch around and we’ll be back for more tomorrow!

The alarm went off at 5.35 a.m. We were up early to go to Kristiansand for the ferry to Denmark. We gave breakfast a miss and left at 6.30 a.m. We were at the port in plenty of time and a very pleasant young man checked us in. I thought we would have to show the booking confirmation on the iPad but he was way ahead of us and said there’s no need for that, it’s John and Lynne isn’t it? Having checked in we joined the queue and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually a very polite gentleman came to tell us there was a two hour delay due to the weather and if we wanted to go into the town for a look around it would not be a problem. With memories of driving round for 3 hours the other day looking for parking, we decided to pass on that idea. Instead we settled down and had breakfast whilst watching an episode of Sneaky Pete until the port internet gave up the ghost. Strange that the weather was responsible for the delay though, as there seemed to be virtually no wind where we were! The wait turned out not to be two hours though and at about 9.30 we saw people getting back in their cars and I guessed we were about to board. I just had time to turn the gas off and get back in before we drove onto the ferry.

Finally the ferry left Kristiansand at 9.45 am. Exactly an hour and three-quarters behind schedule. By the time we were out in the open sea it became clear why there had been a delay. The Captain had made an announcement saying there were 6 meter waves so we should expect some ‘movement’ during the crossing. I didn’t find that at all alarming until we started to see, and more to the point feel, 6 meter waves. At one point I went to the gents toilets and stood at the urinal with a perfect view of the ocean from a full length window on my right side (weird). The waves and the ship’s wake were enormous. When I came out and said to Lynne that I had never seen a swell like that before, she gave me that knowing smutty look as if I had been talking about something entirely different. I don’t know, you can take the girl out of Birmingham but you can’t take the Birmingham out of the girl! After I had admonished her for her filthy thoughts we went for a walk round the duty-free because she had some remaining Norwegian Krone left burning a hole in her pocket. The walk was the most entertaining part of the day as it was impossible to walk in a straight line because the boat was pitching all over the place. We bought a bottle of gin which cost 199 NOK leaving 120 to dispose of. I had no doubt Lynne would find something to spend it on and later she wondered off on her own and came back with a little Norwegian Troll holding a moose warning sign. The irony wasn’t lost on me as we’d seen hundreds of those signs on the road, but no moose.

The hours passed quickly with us both reading and I don’t think we were far from Hirtshals when the whole ship shuddered sideways and we heard the sound of breaking glass and crockery from two directions, presumably cafes or restaurants fore and aft. See the use of nautical terms there? Nobody knew I was such a seasoned seafarer! Not even me. Anyway, it wasn’t long afterwards that they made an announcement to say that due to the weather our arrival in Hirtshals had been postponed! WHAT? Where does that leave us? I thought. At that point I didn’t know what to think, what do they mean by postponed and how long for? I had visions of sitting floating around till darkness came. So on top of setting out late we were now delayed indefinitely as far as we knew. It seemed like ages before another announcement and by then I’m sure I wasn’t the only one whose imagination had started to get the better of them. Then came the announcement that said in 25 minutes they were going to have another run at it. Very reassuring I have to say.

Sure enough 25 minutes later the ship slipped easily into the harbour and we were left wondering what all the fuss had been about. Soon after disembarking we were on the E39 heading south. What came next was totally predictable. Needless to say the wind was blowing a gale and hitting us sideways as we drove down the motorway. Lynne asked me after a while whether I felt deflated at leaving Norway but I was too busy trying to keep us going in a straight line to think much about it. Looking at the flat featureless Danish countryside though, it was impossible not to be. We probably have something like two weeks before we’ll get home and somehow it’s akin to that feeling of a holiday being over. The plan had been to get to Copenhagen today but as we didn’t finally get off the ferry till 2.00 pm we decided at 4.00 to wild camp again which is where we are now, at a motorway services just outside Aalborg. So that’s it for today, a slightly anxious boat ride and another fight with the steering wheel for the 70 miles I managed to drive down an extremely windy motorway.

Today we were up at 6.00 am. Neither of us got a great nights sleep because of the lorries which had parked by us. One turned up late last night and left his engine running for about 20 minutes after he got there and the other one started his engine at about 5.30 this morning and didn’t leave until just before 6.00. I’m sure there’s a good reason why they do that but it doesn’t help when you’re trying to sleep. We had decided to get up early though as we were going to drive to Stavanger for the day. We’ve had numerous chances during the 40 days we’ve spent in Norway to buy souvenirs but as usual we’ve left it all until the last-minute. Hence the 300 mile round trip to Stavanger in the hope that the souvenir shops there would be up to scratch! After a 4 hour journey I can now tell you, they weren’t! Stavanger, like most of the towns we’ve visited was a bit of a let down. True, it was grey and overcast and the sunshine would have made it look a lot better and I suppose it’s fair to say that it had that end of season feel about it. The real main objective of todays trip was for Lynne to try to get a coat she’d seen weeks ago in Bergen. Heaven only knows why she couldn’t have bought it then, but no, here we are with one day before we board a ferry and leave Norway and suddenly she has to have that coat. Well I’m afraid we drew a blank in Stavanger as most of the shops where you might have expected to see such an item were slightly the wrong side of second-rate, in my opinion. Strange really because there was a huge cruise ship in the harbour so the custom must be there but most of the stuff on sale seemed like a load of tat!

What things we did buy were from one shop where the girl on the till had a small container with a sign saying ‘Tips for my wedding’. It had three pitiful coins in it and I thought, blimey, that’s not gonna be much of a wedding is it! Heres a tip, cancel it! We made our way back to Nellie (the motorhome, Lynne insists on giving it a name) and set off back towards Kristiansand.

Todays drive was a last reminder of Norway’s incredible scenery which changes at every turn. On the way out we drove some minor roads through mountainous areas and saw low-lying mists with a heavy frost everywhere. It served to remind us both that we didn’t really want to leave tomorrow but with winter drawing on and us without winter tyres it wouldn’t be wise to stay on into October. We’ve both come to the conclusion that apart from Bergen, we haven’t much liked most of Norways towns and cities but absolutely fallen in love with its countryside which is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. We discussed briefly where in the world you might surpass what we’ve seen in Norway and the only names that came to mind were the Canadian Rockies and New Zealand. I wonder if there might be any suggestions forthcoming from any of my readers. Well, what do you say you two? So back to Kristiansand and to be honest after yesterdays experience we avoided the town like the plague. As I’m writing this, the final blog to come from Norway we’re wild camping in the same place we stayed last night. Let’s hope there are no noisy lorries tonight. We have another early start in the morning as we have to check in for the ferry at 7.00am. Boohoo, I don’t wanna go!😭

We left the camp in Oslo today at about midday. Bogstad Camping turned out to be ok in the end. The wifi was good and although the site was pretty busy, it was still quiet. Within two or three miles we were on a motorway for a straightforward run away from the city. We drove without a stop all the way to Risor on the coast south of Oslo. I went straight to a place I’d found on a marina overlooking the pretty little harbour of Risor. There was absolutely no one else there and we couldn’t see any facility to pay for the night’s camping as everything was closed and locked up. Lynne wasn’t comfortable with the idea of stopping there regardless, and immediately found another option online. I put it in the sat nav and we set off. As usual I followed the sat nav instead of my instinct. We ended up driving for about 15 minutes having turned right out of the marina when turning left would have got us there in about 3 minutes! Not the end of the world I know, but irritating nonetheless! Once parked we went and paid 200 NOK at the machine and then walked down to the harbour. Risor is a really pretty little town on a harbour full of  white wooden houses. According to history the houses used to be built so close together that there were numerous fires over the years where hundreds of wooden houses were burnt to the ground.

We dined on salad, again! To coin a favourite phrase of a close friend, I’ll be going home looking like the proverbial ‘racing snake’. Afterwards we had a walk back into the town so that I could photograph the harbour at night with the street lights on. I have to say that idea was an abysmal failure as I just couldn’t get the exposure right and the composition was crap too. On top of my photographic ineptitude, it was bloody freezing so we made our way back ‘home’. That was it for today, fairly uneventful with no photographs worth showing.

The following morning (starting to make a habit of cramming two days into one blog) we had another walk into the town. It was no livelier than it was the previous day (Sunday) and still cold even though the sun was shining through a perfectly clear blue sky. We did mooch through a couple of shops but didn’t buy anything. I still never cease to be amazed at the prices in the shops, Lynne picked up a scarf in one shop and dropped it like a hot brick when she saw the price of £104.

It wasn’t long before we were back at the van preparing to move on. The plan was to make our way to Kristiansand where we would camp for two nights at a place I’d found online and then Wednesday morning we would be right there for the ferry to Hirtshals in Denmark. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. On the way to Kristiansand we drove into Arendal hoping to have a quick look around. It didn’t take us long to abort that idea as I couldn’t see anywhere suitable to park Nellie! Oh well, never mind. Shortly afterwards we saw a Ford dealership and I thought, let’s have one last shot at getting the brake light working. Well the young guy I spoke to was very helpful which made a change from what we had experienced previously. Perhaps it was to do with him being German and not Norwegian. Anyway, he looked at our problem and decided there must be a break in the wire. I did asked him if it was possible that we just needed to repair the circuit that had obviously been broken when the fog light got smashed. He dismissed that idea out of hand and said that he thought it was definitely a broken wire. Once again it would be impossible for any of the service team to look at it as they were far too busy. “Ok, thanks for your time anyway” I said and we carried on our way. We hadn’t gone far when I thought why don’t we try bridging the two terminals inside the light fitting and see what happens. We pulled into a rest area and I started to try to take the light fitting apart. First problem, I hadn’t got the strength in my fingers to pull the fitting apart. Then Lynne said why not try putting another light bulb in? That had never occurred to me and I had never looked at the remains of the fitting to see if it would be possible to get the base of the old bulb out. A minute or so later and the remains of the old bulb were out with the help of a pair of pliers. As luck would have it there was a matching bulb in the set of spares we had bought on the Dover to Calais ferry. I twisted the new bulb in and went to the front to switch on ignition and try the brake pedal. Lynne shouted that it was now working! Eureka! She came forward to press the brake so I could see for myself. Eureka (again) it worked! All I can say is if it hadn’t been for Lynne’s genius suggestion we would have still been worrying about the drive through France where we have this strange idea that they’re all out to get us.

We carried on towards Kristiansand. On arrival in Kristiansand we got so far along with my well planned route to a camping space and found the way blocked by a locked gate. I had kind of foreseen this problem because reviews I’d read had said how awkward the place was to get to. But I had a cunning plan, or so I thought! I sat with my iPad on my lap whilst watching the little blue dot on the screen (us) and letting it guide us toward the destination. This plan although brilliantly executed by myself, failed miserably as every way was blocked and after half an hour we gave up and drove away not quite knowing what to do next. By now we were hitting rush hour traffic. In the end we clicked on a campsite in the sat nav and made our way there until the sat nav tried to send us down another road that didn’t exist. This brings me to another problem we’ve had a couple of times here. While you’re in a tunnel which actually has slip roads and exits inside the tunnel, when the sat nav loses it’s satellites, you’re basically on your own. So today I lost count of the wrong turns I took from inside tunnels! We spent the best part of three hours driving around looking for overnight parking nearish to the city to no avail. By now we were not getting along so well because I was well stressed by the amount of driving and getting lost and u turns and reversing back down dead ends. It has to be said, your average Motorhome is not what you would call nippy!

In the end we decided to go to plan b. We’re wild camping about 20 kilometers outside Kristiansand at the moment and tomorrow we will drive really early up to Stavanger (over 3 hours away) and spend the day there before driving back for the ferry on Wednesday!