In Arnhem, we met a friendly Dutch Motorhomer who told us about this wonderful little village called Zaanse Schans and that we must pop in for a nosey. So thats exactly what we did and it was stunning.
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Old Buildings on the other side of the riverFrom the Bridge
Original old buildings and Windmills all restored and many open to the public. It is very touristy but done very well.
Charming houses
We looked for the Motorhome parking but couldn’t find it so parked a few blocks away at a railway station parking area but it was an easy walk to and fro.
Crossing the bridge to Zaanse Schans
The Windmills at Zanse Schans
Barrels in the windmill
The inners of a Windmill
People taking photos of each other
Dianne and Gary with Big feet!
The Clogs being shaped on a machine
Clogs being hollowed out
Clogs on the wall for sale
Many of the houses were set up as museums and all offered something different. We had a nice Latte and one house, and then a Waffle at another and checked out the inner workings of a windmill.
Fiona and Dianne share a pair of Clogs !
There was a great Clog making display with all the machinery and you could buy almost anything with a windmill or clogs on it 🙂
Zaanse Schans
We spent about 3 hours here and then headed about 20 minutes south for Amsterdam.
Just north of Amsterdam is a charming little coastal City of Alkmaar. The central part of the town is basically on an island ringed by canals.
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Ralph and Harry. Gary getting his bike ready
We stopped at Alkmaar Camping which is just on the edge of town but an easy 20 minutes into town by bike. It is supposed to take 10 but as usual, we got lost but we got there in the end 🙂
The Campground is well set up but for what it is, I thought it was a tad on the expensive side at 32 Euros a night for two but its very easy to get into town and a nice relaxing spot to stop.
Fiona on a mission
After we arrived from Arnhem, we got the bikes ready and headed off into town. As I said earlier, yep, we managed to get lost on the way but quickly found our way into town. We locked our bikes together at the big church in the middle of town and then headed off down the narrow streets. Its a charming place and being a Sunday afternoon market day, the place was chocker. It was alive and kicking!
The main “shoe shop” street with the Church at the other end.
About about an hour or so, after the girls had checked out nearly every shoes and clothes shop down the main street, we made it to the canal down the other end. It was just a great sight. Everything you see in the tourist brochures and some.
The Canal by the coffee shop
People enjoying a cuppa in outdoor cafes by the canal, people in boats and it seemed to be all about people watching and shopping, drinking and eating! Way to go:-)
People getting together
We eventually ran out of shoes shops and started heading back to the bikes and made our way back to the camp, nearly getting lost a second time !
Dianne and Gary in the main street
By the canal
People watching
Apparently there is a beach on the North Sea only 15 minutes bike ride from here but we’re heading towards Amsterdam next.
We arrived in Arnhem mid afternoon after 2 easy hours driving on Motorways from Brugge. You don’t even know you are crossing the border. Its amazing.
Harry and ralph at the Arnhem campground
In Europe, it pays to book ahead with the campgrounds but we took pot luck and there was plenty of room. Great campground with all the facilities and reasonably priced I thought at 26 Euros for two per night.
Outside the campground figuring out the buses.
The next day, the weather was miserable and it was drizzly and threatening to rain so we caught a bus into Arnhem Centrum and then another virtually straight away out to Oosterbeek where the Airborne Museum is for the Battle of Arnhem.
An Allied tank outside the Museum
This was one of the battles the Allies lost in the final push towards Germany towards the end of the war.
In Arnhem city.. Dianne and Fiona navigating
The Allies Headquarters during the war but now the Airborne Museum
Dianne and Fiona arriving back with food
Outside the Airborne Museum
Its a great tribute to the Allies involved and there is lots of memorabilia there. Its a must do if you’re in the area.
Shopping at Arnhem
One the way back, between buses, we checked out the town and then headed back to the vans at the camp. A really interesting city and one worth checking out.
We had sorted out a spot to stay in Brugge and entered it into both GPS units and we were on a mission with Gary leading the way in Harry.
Where are we. Fiona, Dianne and Gary looking for clues
Brugge is going through a huge road rebuilding and new motorway system and what we hadn’t counted on was that both GPS units were totally confused. It all adds to the fun!
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The Brugge canal
After going round and round and eventually ending up opn a dirt road on a farm in Holland an hour or two later, we headed back to Brugge and found a campground and its fantastic. All the mod cons and it was 27 euro’s a night for 2. Pretty good really.
Fiona and Dianne at the Market
Our first day in Brugge was fun. We got on a bus outside the campground and headed into the centre of the city. About 20 minutes later, Google maps suggested we’d been through the middle and were heading out the other side 🙂 .. Time to get off and we found another bus to take us to Town where we stopped in to have a cup of coffee. The Markets were on in the Market Square and it was huge. Some amazing food and the cheeses and Nougat cakes were something else too.
Brugge
In the market. Check out the cheese
Market .. The Nougat
A happy Busker
Looking into the square
Lunchtime
Where we had lunch
Brugge is amazing. The buildings are sensational and they’re all very friendly here too, even the bus drivers. We walked around the town looking at the shops and eventually ended up in a Gourmet Burger Restaurant which was fantastic. I’m not a big Beer drinker but the Stella on tap was great. I even had a second one 🙂
We spent the day looking in shops. Fiona bought some shoes, some trousers, a top and a scarf and I bought some shoes and a shirt.
Visitors enjoying the Canal
After a full day in the city, we headed back to the camp on the bus and chilled.
Fiona in a Chocolate Shop
Brugge is a neat city and although their Motorway system is currently “Non GPS Compliant” it is still pretty easy to get around with a great transport system.
Ralph in his cornerDianne, Gary and Fiona with Harry opposite
The end of the day came and we caught a bus back to our campground and had a laugh or two over a glass of wine.
After checking out the new Niesmann and Bichoff at Telford, we all piled into Gary and Diannes, Harry the Hymer and headed to Milton Keynes through the traffic to collect Ralph the rental Hymer. We arrived just before 5pm and Peter the proprietor, gave me a run down on Ralph. Where the hoses were, the camp chairs etc and how everything worked.
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Ralph is a real hard case machine. Its a 1992 Hymer with a 5 cylinder 2.9 litre Mercedes with automatic trans. It starts first pop everytime despite its 250000 miles on the clock. Its a fun wagon.
The Hymers in the carpark at Bearsted
We stopped at a Caravan park in Bearsted after battling the M1 traffic for a couple of hours and we arrived 3 minutes late at 8.03pm. The sign said no admittance after 8pm so we spent the night out in the carpark but still had to pay what I thought were extortionate fees of 34GPB (NZ$70!) without power and not much else. What a welcome .. Dianne rang and we were basically told “Rules are Rules !” .. not a nice welcome…no wonder the other Caravan Association calls themselves “the friendly group”.
We were close to the Channel Tunnel for the next morning and that was all that mattered.
We were away at 8:30 to get on the Chunnel Train. We arrived quite early and clocked in through both borders and parked our car in the C lane and went to get a cup of tea and look at the duty free stuff.
Fiona and Dianne with the Hymers waiting to board the train.
Gary and I stumbled on this amazing deal for internet for roaming all over Europe with a prepaid card from 3. All the Truckies use it apparently but its great.
After an hour of cups of coffee we were asked to line up Harry and Ralph Hymers and get ready for the train. Its was amazing how quiet and how easy it was.. very streamlined. Dianne even got a wink from the French immigration man with his “lovely accent”!
Dianne and Fiona at the Duty free terminal waiting for the boarding signal.
About 10 minutes early, we were asked to move the Hymers onto the train.
Our view of Harry on the crossing
We drove up over a small bridge and then straight down a ramp and the sideways onto the train. You drive through the carriages until you get as far forward as you can then they chock your wheels.
Harry leading the charge off the Chunnel Train in France
Fiona while we were crossing the Chunnel
The nice French chaps helping us off
Sideways off the Chunnel Train
20 minutes later with what was a very easy smooth ride and we were in France. It only took about 10 minutes and we were cruising up the carriageway to Belgium.
The Chunnel station in France with Harry on the ramp
Nibi is our good Motorhome friends newest thing of beauty. It is amazing. These are considered to be like the Rolls Royce of Motorhomes in Europe and one look over it, its easy to see why.
Gary and Dianne with the beast behind
We were meeting Dianne and Gary in Telford to check it out before it gets shipped to NZ and we were running late. I texted Gary with an update saying we’d just dropped off the rental car and on our way in a cab to see them. The reply was.. “I’m in RV Heaven” .. I could picture him drooling over it but its neat that both Dianne and Gary are pleased with it as its been a long time coming.
A happy Dianne in the living area while Fiona inspects 🙂
It has a centre island bed with a centre Shower/Toilet bathroom arrangement and the living area in the front. Based on a Fiat Ducato, it is 8.8 metres long and has a custom Alko Chassis from front to back to give it car like handling. Gary also got the Air suspension option so it can self level and be raised to avoid damage on rough campsites.
The living space
Porcelain Toilet
The bedroom
We’re continuing on around Europe with them until early August and it will be back in NZ before they will so what a great homecoming present..
While had the rental car we found that we weren’t really that far from Stratford on Avon so we’d do a trip up there for a look around.
Shops at Moreton on Marsh
On the way we stopped at a neat wee town called Moreton on Marsh and also had a walk around there.
Moreton on marsh Hotel
We noticed one of the pubs there was doing specials around the Sky showing of the Lions V the All Blacks so we asked if we could watch the Americas Cup as a back up plan and they were very welcoming. We managed to get our Sky Go app and internet issues sorted so it wasn’t necessary but very kind of them.
Stratford on Avon was an amazing town. It was chocker with people having fun everywhere and again some more of those lovely old buildings. These looked even older but more Thatched roofs and from basic building practices.
The Canal was busy with a couple of Narrow boats set up as Ice cream shops doing a great trade. There were canal boats parked on the river and moving in all directions along with tour boats and a larger restaurant barge left while we were there.
We had a good wander up through the shopping streets to look at some of the old buildings.
The Oldest House
There is one house there that is said to the oldest house still lived in. Part of it has been turned into a museum. It is just great seeing all these towns and they’re all different.
We arrived in Stow on the Wold early in the afternoon. I kept forgetting what it was called and reverting to Toad on the Hill but eventually I got there 🙂
Tetbury Market Square
On the way there from bath, we stopped in a town called Tetbury which has an original old Market Square building which is still used for markets. I’ve seen pictures of it in touristy brochures so was really keen to have a good look at it. We sat over the road from it and enjoyed a nice lunch there.
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The Town square in Stow on the WoldFiona in the Square at Stow on the Wold
We later arrived in Stow on the Wold and what a neat wee town. We parked in the Market Square and pretty quickly identified what looked like a nice place on the edge of the Square. Amazing food and very reasonably priced and plenty of it. I had a Pork Pie and Fiona had a Tuna Sandwich with chips. We both ended up eating the other halves of this for tea 🙂
After an hour or so, we walked down to our Hotel called the Porch Hotel. Outside there was no parking but we found out that they 4 parks around the back and it was pot luck as to whether you got one and there was an empty park. I ran up to the square, grabbed the car and we were in.
The Bar
Fiona on the Porch House bike
The Porch House
The front door
Our room is upstairs on the right
In the Main square
Later in the day, we had a good look around the rest of the square and then settled in to our room at the Hotel. Just amazing. This Hotel was originally built in 947AD and is reputed to be the Oldest Pub in England and it looks it. The ceilings are all old beams, some lashed together and there is even some witches marks on the side of one of the huge fireplaces in the Dining Room.
The fireplace with the witches marks on the left
The Americas Cup was on and we managed to get one of our ipads to clock in to watch it live.
The main square
Lovely Hotel, very helpful people running it and the village was stunning.. again lots of lovely old buildings.
The temperature had dropped from the 30’s down to a nice 20C so we set out for a walk with Fiona’s school friend from Exmouth, Hilary.
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Hilary and Fiona in Bath
Fiona and Hilary’s dads were both in the NZ and British Army in Terendak Military Camp in Malaya when they were both about 8 years old.
This was the first time they had seen each other since then so it was a real occasion for them both.
Escape route for seagulls under the bridgeThe shops on the bridge
We were heading towards the Bath Bridge for a look and maybe have lunch around that way. It is amazing with shops and cafes all built on the bridge over a weir and a canal so the boats can pass on the Avon river below. Stunning place.
Fiona and Hilary enjoying lunch on the bridge. A refection of a cyclist riding by in the window.
Shops on the bridge
A Tour boat on the Avon by the weir
Looking down the river
A canal boat cruising down the Avon
The Bath Bridge
People enjoying their afternoon
Back to the Abbey Hotel where we’re staying.
On the way back to the Hotel it was really nice to see people in deck chairs and just soaking up the views and the sun.
32 degrees C and I thought they only have snow here. Its Hot!!
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We were up early to leave our London digs and to get to Paddington where the Bath train left from, we had to catch two Tube Trains. They are amazingly efficient and once you get your head around them, theyre fantastic. We were at Paddington with time left over for a thickshake and some free Wifi at McDonalds 🙂
The Bath Abbey
After an hour or so we arrived in Bath. We caught a Taxi to the Hotel which has to go round the back of Bath due to the one way streets to get to our Hotel, and then later in the day during our walk, discovered that the Station is only just around the corner. Oh well .. it was hot and we had a fair bit of luggage to drag around 😉
Just outside London. You don’t see these anymore but this is a full working Gasometer!
The Bath Abbey
One of the quirky shops
The Main shopping street
Main Street
We dropped off our bags and went for a wander around to check out the town. This is one very old town which I think was built by the Romans and like the other towns has the same stunning old buildings. Some of these though are really old.
The Roman Baths arch over the street
We spent the afternoon sitting out the heat under an umbrella with some cold drinks watching all the tourists board their buses outside the hotel.
Fiona in the Umbrella Street. I’m not sure what this was all about but it is a bit different 🙂
A lovely town with more to do with the rental car over the next few days.
Fiona & Chris, two empty nesters put their dreams of doing something different into reality… Now back in a house, they were living in their Motorhome, come along for the ride.
Bugger It, we are off - www.buggeritweareoff.com 
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