see our Files for some pics (2008 August pics part 2)

There was a terrific electric storm on our last night in Austria and we were camped underneath those mountains in the pics with “The Walk on the Wild Side”! Neither of us said anything as the rain lashed down but I’m sure both thought, at least fleetingly, of all those cracks in the rocks above! However we both slept well and set off next morning at 8am. Somewhere in the middle of the first tunnel we entered Germany and the first sight on leaving the tunnel was a couple of fields of Llamas! Later in the day we were parked in a lay-by when another old Mercedes van drove by, a much larger version than ours and not quite so old but also converted into a campervan. It slowed down and backed into the lay-by and back past us, the lady driver giving us the “once over” before stopping. She pulled up in front and came back to meet us, on her own, wearing a beautiful sari. We still assumed there must be a partner, perhaps asleep in the van but no Sylvia is travelling alone in that huge great van. We spent some time chatting before she continued on her way to the next town to collect her mail from home, and where we planned to be next day for some emailing.
Next day we met up again and she was distraught, she wished she had stayed in the lay-by with us as during the drive into town she had had a small bump with another car and the other driver had just driven off. She had reported it to the police but was really desperate to apologise.
Within the next few days we found that several towns have large campervan parking areas, a bit like the towns in France that have free campsites to encourage visitors to spend time (and money) in their town. This proved a bonus as both campsites and lay-bys were a little thin on the ground along our route.
We had originally arranged to meet a quilter near Landshut, which we reached on Bill’s birthday 11th August; but we seemed to have lost contact with her in the last few weeks. We hope she is well. We met two lovely ladies as we parked in Landshut who told us the town has some beautiful old buildings and we would have spent some time wandering the streets only Bill’s sandal fell to pieces as we walked from the internet cafe. Now those who have been following the blog closely may remember that we lost one of his other pair of shoes back in Hungary (I had left it hanging on the back to dry after he went paddling in some flood water). Bill being Bill he would not replace the shoes back in Hungary so now he has a problem. As we return to the van to effect temporary repairs we glance in the windows of the shoe shops and he nearly has a fit at the prices. So now he is wearing a pair of sandals with one strapped together with gaffa tape!
We have spotted a few wind turbines here in Germany but many of the huge long barns have their roofs covered in solar panels. We have also seen some interesting road kills which look a bit like mink, plus one fox. There was also a wild deer grazing a field edge the other day and there are many shooting hides on field edges so there must be plenty of deer around.
On Thursday 14th we parked in a lay-by on the road 16 after a long and tortuous diversion during which time we could not see how we would return to the planned route and which led through numerous small villages and towns which must love having all the commercial traffic thundering through the main street. Anyway the lay-by was also a car park for a nature reserve and in the early evening I went for an exploratory walk following one of their signed routes which should have led to a circular route back to the van. Well it didn’t and the only wild life I spotted was a Jay; however what I did find was a small building with PUBLIC COMPUTER written on the outside. Of course! That’s just what you would expect to find in a Nature Reserve, isn’t it? On closer inspection it turned out to have internet connections too. Unfortunately I did not have our USB with me or any money for that matter, but next time I go for a walk I’ll be prepared!
We are still following the River Danube and will be right across Germany, almost into France, and the mosquitos are biting well here. Penny

Bill
From the moment we entered Russia “The car’s been the star!” When ever and where ever we stopped, be it in a market square, village or town centre, traffic lights, even the odd time the police pulled us over, out came the mobile phone cameras, even old ladies and their husbands walked up and murmured words of affection for the venerable machine. The praise went on throughout Ukraine; Hungarians were a little more conservative but still full of admiration for our durability. In Austria the old enthusiasm returned especially from motor cyclists, but then motor cyclists are a breed apart, nothing, not even torrential rain can dampen their enthusiasm for life on the edge. Nearing the Mercedes home land we could feel the tension mounting, what sort of a welcome would await our van? Many of the admirers in Austria were Germans but we did not expect flags and banners, just a quiet nod of recognition from other Mercedes owners and perhaps the odd word in favour of things old and loved. As we left Austria we were mobbed by a lovely family, a young father and three enthusiastic sons in a VW camper heading back home to Germany, we thought that’s a good start. Well it was almost the finish as well, it took three days before we met Sylvia a young German girl driving a very large 1977 Mercedes 406 campervan, a day later we met two families briefly at a service station and later in Landshut two old ladies who fell head over heels in love with the van and wanted to join our expedition! Other than these three brief meetings we motored through Germany almost unnoticed, odd, has there been a football world cup final upset that we have missed?
Bill

Penny again.
We crossed from Germany into France over the River Rhine with an amazing sense of relief on the 17th August. We had not felt comfortable in Germany, the weather had deteriorated, everything was so appallingly tidy, and the failure of the quilting contacts did not help either. We did eventually hear from our contact with an explanation that their holiday plans had changed. We did feel that we might have enjoyed the country more if we had been on the bikes as there are cycle tracks everywhere, and they are very busy too with both local cyclists and tourists. But the trails are as immaculate as the villages, so are the riders, it wouldn’t do to have a plastic carrier bag dangling from the rear carriers! But we do realise that we did not really give the country a chance.
All for now folks.
Penny

See our FILES for lots of pictures (2008 August Pictures) also a Walk on the wild side & a Lada lament


Penny
Well, what can I say about Austria, a place I’m sure many of you will know very well?
We left Hungary on 29th July prepared for another thorough search at the border post but there really wasn’t a border post at all; to all intents and purposes Hungary is already in the EU on their western border anyway. Within 7k there was a large shady lay-by with picnic tables, running water and four long-drop W.C.’s. We knew that over-nighting in Austrian Lay-bys is OK in a campervan as long as “you do not have any external erections”!
We spent the day in that first lay-by plotting a possible route through to Germany avoiding motorways. Our crossing point had been the most southerly possible and the road ahead led to Graz. That night we moved 100 metres up the road to an identical lay-by on the other side. We could see travelling in Austria would be a piece of cake!
Ha! Those two lay-bys were only there to tease, we’ve hardly seen anything similar since until pretty close to the German border. However we’ve had some great days (and nights) in the mountains including one in the remote mountains south west of Graz where our evening walk led down a side track into a world of devastation. Gigantic trees lay across the track, river and mountainside, their roots pointing to the sky as though dropped from a great height. Later we discovered there had been a major wind/storm 4 months ago which had wrecked vast areas (remember the torn-up trees back in Ukraine?). Apparently no-one was hurt in the storm but at least 9 people have died during the clearing up operations.
Our road map of Europe is somewhat lacking in detail and we stumbled on the old town of Wolfsberg almost by accident. On our second day there we needed water and spoke to a chap at the bus depot. Another one of our chance meetings that proves so fantastic. Our new friend Egon invited us back to his home in the hills for the night to meet his lovely wife Magdalena and their family (including a mad dog).
From there we headed for Klagenfurt, intending to stop for a day or two, but changed our minds as we struggled with the traffic and road signs. We did however discover where to buy a new bottle of gas, we knew the Hungarian one was running short, needless to say the Austrian bottle did not fit any of the numerous fittings Bill has in his tool box and we had to buy even more. But at least the new bottle does fit into the gas bottle cupboard so at last we do not have to have it standing by the fridge/sink.
Still heading west towards Lienz we found ourselves in real chocolate box countryside with wall to wall tourists. The countryside was beautiful, the van coping excellently with the mountains (1700metres was the highest point we reached), but we felt so out of place, every where was so immaculate.
Penny

(See our FILES for this blog as Word document)

A friend has said our journey sounds rather hectic and we realised we’ve only been picking out the “happenings” to tell you about, so thought we would tell you about one of the quieter days on the road. Mind you, we suspect our friend thinks of the journey as a holiday, which it isn’t if by holiday one envisages a long journey to a specific place where you stay for a week or more. We discovered a long time ago that the very best “happenings” and the most special people are found along the way in unexpected places. For instance today we were stopped in a lay-by when a motorcyclist stopped to chat. This was Horst, a local farmer and fellow traveller; he and Bill swapped stories for a while (Katmandu and Indonesia etc) and he told us it is the height of the fungi season just now then he was off only to return 15mins later with bacon from his own pigs, a pot of home made jam and a tin of fresh fungi. After giving instructions on using the fungi he was off again; we did give him our card but have no idea of his address or even surname so will probably never see him again but had we been on the motorway we wouldn’t have met at all.

Now that quiet day, I will choose one back in Russia.
We woke with the birds at 4.30am as usual but there is no rush to get up, just reach out of the blankets and switch the heater on, only when the van has warmed up will one of us get up and make some tea which we’ll drink in bed. By 6.30am we are up, washed and dressed and ready for the road, we like to breakfast a little later; we’ve been parked overnight beside a field track and against a thick hedge, completely out of view of anyone on the road but now we can see a tractor working on the other side of the field – bet he was surprised when he spotted us.
We drive till about 9am along minor country roads with all the normal potholes then stop beside another field but this time in full view of the road and passing traffic. As we breakfast road workers are strimming the grass verges and an occasional truck rattles by. We shopped yesterday so do not need to find a village so decide to stay put all day; a chance to do the washing, which Bill hangs in the bushes to dry in the brisk wind, and just a little housework before Bill cuts my hair – an amusing sight for passers by. The day is sunny and warm out of the wind so it is pleasant to sit outside and catch up with our writing while watching for hares and hunting birds across the field; both of those we see but the real surprise is the number of butterflies. Bill goes off with his camera and returns with a few more unusual spring flowers to press.
A leisurely lunch of smoked sausage and cucumbers with more of the tough bread is followed by coffee and a long discussion of the route ahead – which way shall we go? Do we need much shopping? A list is made then added to after I’ve prepared the evening meal of chicken hotpot and popped it in the slow cooker (hay box type). The washing is all dry, the van tidy and we are ready to move on; we rarely stay over night in a place where we have been in full view all day.
Within a few bone shaking miles there is an interesting side track, we stop and Bill goes for a recce; “Fine” he says and eases the van down the dirt track and behind another thick hedge. Here we are beside rough grazing land but the animals are all still snugged-up in their winter quarters somewhere. The sun is setting behind a distant ridge and we seem to have almost a 360degree view –it’s fantastic, who would have thought such a glorious sight was just behind the hedge? We can see distant habitation in a far valley but nothing close by. Supper is cooked and we toast the setting sun with vodka before drawing the curtains tight to keep out the rapidly encroaching cold, switching on the heater and having a short game of cards before turning in, snugged-up beneath the quilts by 9pm.
Now we really enjoyed that peaceful and uneventful day and you may have enjoyed reading about it but if we included too many, and there have been plenty, we think the blog may become a trifle boring.
Penny

See our Files for more photos (2008 July pics part 2) or to download this blog as a Word doc (2008-07-21 Blogupdate Hungary 2.doc)

Blog update Hungary 2

Penny
I am going to start this entry with a few photos that relate to the previous entry.
The first shows Tamas and his wife Mercedes with their eldest daughter as we were about to leave the riverside camp. The second is of our host Imre (hope I’ve spelt his name correctly) our host and owner of the bar. The third is the elderly gentleman who brought me a bunch of flowers presented with kisses and hugs.

Tamas and Mercedes set us on the road to Sarospatak, where there is an ancient fort, via an unusual river crossing that reminded us of one on the River Fal in Cornwall.
From Sarospatak we headed up into the Zemplen Hills. We were not especially looking for castles but liked the look of the densely wooded hills above the highly cultivated vineyards. Stopping, even for a tea break, proved impossible as there had been another storm the previous evening, the ground was too muddy and mosquitoes terrible under the trees. Then the narrow road ran out of the trees to open grazing country with a sign pointing up a track leading to a ruined castle on a mountain top. There was no need for a discussion; we just set off up the gravel track. This ended in half a kilometre at a small car park, from there 2k of earth track led up to Regec Castle. As it was late in the day and we were tired and exceedingly hot we decided to camp there overnight and walk up at first light.
That was a great decision. We strapped Bill’s knees up, they have not improved, took some refreshments in a rucksack and hiked up the hill through another wood to a glorious ruin of a castle with 360 degree views over the surrounding countryside. What an excellent spot as can be seen from the photos. We were back down and breakfasted before the tourists even started to arrive (& feeling disgustingly smug as they all headed off in the heat of the day!).

But we did have a problem – our gas ran out as I started to cook. Fortunately we have the paraffin stove so could still produce a large pile of egg bread to restore our energy. However it dictated our next move, instead of looking for more castles as planned we now needed to find gas. The first garage would not contemplate filling our bottle nor would they sell us a Hungarian one as we did not have an empty Hungarian one to exchange. This looked like a catch twenty two situation! We found a small business and decided we would not leave until they sold us a bottle of gas. Bill started to open the rear door to get at our bottle, and the door came off in his hands!!!!!!!!!!! Yet another breakage caused by the Russian roads.
Penny

Bill
Stay calm folks, this is your captain speaking everything is under control; well almost, but at times you might be forgiven for thinking this is a bit of a goon show. Once the two lads at the gas station realised I was supporting a heavy door on my head they rushed to my assistance, and took over while I sorted out tools and disconnected the gas struts. They were unable to refill our bottle but agreed to sell us a Hungarian bottle without exchange. It’s the same old rip-off as back home, so we gave them 10,000 Forint, = about £26.00 and set-off to find a friendly welder. These proved to be thin on the ground, but while discussing the problem with a tyre dealer one of his customers knew just the man; he phoned and explained we were on our way. Armed with his instructions and a hand drawn map, Penny amazed me yet again with her navigational skills and within twenty minuets we met-up with a Hungarian madman! Over the next 4 hours he worked like a slave, kept a full running commentary on his method of getting the job done (all in Hungarian) while only partially setting the van on fire; though to give him his due he was very reluctant to use “oxygen” to free the seized roll pins from the hinges. But I could only stand so much of his method i.e. laying into the problem with a 7lb hammer and drift; cast hinges can only take a little bullying. In the end we were all ready for the road but had to settle up first; we offered him our calculator and stood back, 12,800 flashed up on the screen; we gave him 15,000, he had no change, we hesitated, he said “koszonon” (thank you) and stuffed the notes into his overalls. Job done!
A few days later we were being visited by a few jumbo sized wasps; we of a less aggressive nature than ‘you know who’, I attempted to shepherd a particularly large one out the cab and received a sharp reminder that one should not try to be kind to jumbo wasps. I despatched him swiftly but within ten minuets my thumb resembled a very large sausage; this of course gave Penny a great chance to improve her skill at administering all manner of pills and potions, mostly to little effect on my thumb, hand and arm. Despite all this I enjoyed a good night’s sleep (perhaps due to some of the potions? Penny) but in the morning it was very plain we would not be driving anywhere today, so rested in our lay-by camp site and watched my hand gradually return to a more normal size. But word was out in wasp circles that we were the cause of the demise of one of the clan, so we had to fight off several sorties from the rest of the squadron; but we were ready with wasp killer and fly swat and finished the day victorious. (He is now as much as a killer as I am! P)
Being thoroughly fed-up with an A/C system that did not work we Googled Webasto Hungary and set off armed with a map and a good idea on how to tackle Budapest traffic. Sunday evening seemed our best bet, once again Penny proved an expert at navigation and we wound up almost outside the Webasto depot, having only had to ask our way once, from an English speaking filling station attendant; our luck continues to hold. We camped on the grass verge alongside a truck just as the heavens opened and thunder and lightening fizzed around. 8am next morning found us first in the queue. Excellent service from all and sundry over the next 3-4 hours put the unit back in service; one new water pump, new fuses, and a thorough briefing on how the system works; corrosion caused by lime scale deemed to be the culprit, distilled water being recommended! They all had to agree that was a bit of a joke when we told them where we had been and where we were headed, also we pointed out the manual only recommended drinking water! So this is something we must look into. Fit and ready for the rest of our journey we set-off to take on the mid-day Budapest traffic, but first Penny just happened to spot a fabric shop!
One last story must be told, we had shopped at a small village store, a few days later we found ourselves passing the same shop, “Stop!” yelled Penny “we need a litre bottle of drinking water”. She was gone ages, eventually staggering back with a jumbo bargain 12 litre pack. 12 litres, I ask you! There has to be a reason. “Oh you should have seen him, he had wonderful eyes, and he tried so hard with his English, I hadn’t the heart to tell him I only asked for 1 litre!” That’s grandmothers for you!
Post script to the A/c saga, as we departed the office staff advised us that the forecast was not good for the coming week, correct, it’s turned cold, rained most of the time and we have hardly used the A/c more than a couple of times. But it works!
Bill.

Penny again
I have to have the last word simply because I have found a fabulous fabric shop! After leaving Webasto we drove round a corner in a back street of Budapest and there was this great old building filled with every kind of fabric you could require, from patchwork cottons, flimsy stuff for evening dresses and all manner of fleeces for a babies snow suit, they even had some proper wadding for quilting. I spent ages choosing some fabrics and then found that Bill was off choosing threads for his third piece of cross stitch!
Now we are in Kecskemet, the capitol of the Hungarian Plains area, and for the first time on the entire journey we have connected to WiFi, just sitting in a back street of this lovely town. We have also found a market here (just as we had agreed not to spend any more money after the last few expensive events!) and Bill is happy again – he was really missing chatting with all the stall holders.

See our Files for an update from Hungary - photos too

More from Ukraine! - see Files for an update;
2008-06-20_More from Ukraine.doc

also in Files some pics in the folder:
2008 June pics from Ukraine

See our Files for a blog from Ukraine (9 MB word file)

see our files for a blog from May 2008. Also pictures in the Russia May 08 folder.