A picture for posterity

We have paid all sorts for camping. Some cheap, some expensive, some worth it, some overpriced, some places engaging, some don't care. Well, our present host Christian, (there is a long story which needs telling at a later date as to how it came to be), is a very well travelled man. He has done most of the world, seen it all, done it all apart from Australia! He has met many people and is a real global citizen having friends all over the world. 

Christian very kindly let us do some washing, and one day when we were out, we realised upon return that he had very kindly put it out to dry. That evening he struck a deal! This deal puts into context our travels so far and also puts into context how kind a man and family we are being helped by. The deal was that we could continue to stay if he could have one of our tea towels. I guess that we could not refuse the man at all, given that the tea towel was showing a place that we have been....that he hasn't! So laughably, the least well travelled people he must know, have given him some travel advice based upon a tea towel.

So the photograph serves to remind us of the tea towel but more so of Christian and Sonja, the kindness they have shown, and their potential travels to the Isles of Scilly.

Munich

Being allowed to stay still in one point for a bit of time has allowed us a little more freedom during the winter. As a result we have been able to go and explore different things that Munich has to offer. We will by no means have covered it all, and as with all cities, will have actually barely scratched the surface. However, Munich has given us the chance to visit the site of the infamous 1972 Olympic Games. Once again, the German transport system got us to the site with great ease and then finding it was easy. And what a fantastic legacy from some 42 years or so ago. Given the snow, some of the options to walk to the top of the Olympic stadium and zip wire from the top to the bottom were not really viable options. Instead we took the rather rapid ride to the top of the Olympiaturm (Olympic tower). The lift to the 186m high viewing platform ( the tower being 291m high) rather messed with the senses. The ears kept pressuring up, the feet and body had the odd sensations of vertical acceleration and deceleration, and the eyes....well the eyes could just keep a close watch on the digital read out to show our speed. 7m per second, which I think is about 15.5 mph upwards. 

Once up at the platform, a full 360 degree glass windowed view of Munich was available. We spent quite some time up there (having deliberately picked a clear day).

The Olympic park looked fascinating, the BMW plant was just below, the alps loomed in the distance looking like some purple jagged cloud on the horizon and then Clare found the Olympic village. Now housing and student accommodation, it was the scene of an infamous scene of terrorists holding hostage some Israeli athletes. I remember watching a documentary once about David Coleman (the famous British sports broadcaster), who had to talk over live footage of the unfolding events for some hours, as all sporting events were halted.

The other major venue we have taken a small trip to was Bayern Munich football club. I am no football fan, I will casually watch and be interested in it, but it doesn't make my blood race like a bit of motorsport. However, the Allianz Arena is only a mile or so from where we are and is worth a good look. We drove to it though which took us some 5/6 miles I think. And it is huge! A massive complex with 3 or 4 lanes in and 3 or 4 lanes out. Nobody was there so it was easy, but actually finding somewhere to stop and nosey about was difficult. So we satisfied ourselves with a quick photo outside, and will then have to watch some Champions League football to say, "we've been there."

I suspect it gets a little busier at times though!

Snow, serious work and skimming

We awoke, not for the first time, to a beautiful snow scene. The setting was our beautiful location just north of Munich. Christian and Sonja, our hosts, arrived and we had a delightful Bavarian breakfast of Pretzl, Weißwurst and sweet mustard. We tucked in (nearly all, Clare obviously not being a major carnivore didn't have this one, Jasper wasn't keen, but myself and Maya tucked in and filled our boots! Following this positive start to the day, Christian set Jasper and Maya to work at clearing the snow. With much enthusiasm off they went and did a good job.

Not content with working hard, we then set off for a good walk investigating the local area under the guidance of Christian and Sonja. We walked around the local lake, saw the river Isar and even saw much evidence of beavers gnawing at trees. We also came across a small brick shed which was placed by the river. It was filled with bits and bobs people had left behind, books, photos, and it was a place where people went to leave behind their worries. I forget the name of the shed, and didn't write it down, but the translation is a place for peace and quite and a place where you deposit your problems so that you don't take them back with you.

I liked that idea, and it seemed well used.

A further stride past more gnawed trees, we saw a clearing, and so we all set to skimming stones. 

Lots of fun was had. So although it was cold, a delightful morning was had. Everyday now we are softening up to accept hospitality and help more easily. Christian and Sonja, like Mathias and Ursula have made it very easy for us. Another real treat of a day!

Enjoying stereotypes

One of the pleasures of fresh faced travel, is that there is plenty of time to appreciate the stereotypes of each country as we pass through. I was contemplating this as the silent whisper like smooth running trains of Bavaria whisked us in and out of Munich with effortless ease. There were no rattles, hums or engine whirring to distract me, not even the children, who had the calming effect of the train upon them, stirred at all. So my thoughts led me to thinking about stereotypes. In a typical view of the Germans (as I understand), the efficiency and slick running of the public transport network mirrored the preconceptions I had. A fantastically clean, free running and calm place to be, no stress, no panic, no backlog of traffic, times were metronomic and the ticketing easy. This efficient stereotype has continue in some different aspects of life we have witnessed in Munich. The slick dealings of the snow clearing teams means that life continues without any flicker of disruption regardless of the volume of snow. Not a whiff of panic in the air. Even cycle paths and dead end roads are cleared. 

In addition to travel the organisation, they drink with flair and efficiency. The sheer size of the Ocktoberfest beer tankards means less trips to the bar, therefore saving time and effort. Although trying to choose a drinking vessel of choice is not very easy given the options. 

We had then witnessed a proper community library in action here in Unterföhring. No need for petitions to save the library as in Ilminster to try and keep your library going, instead a beautifully placed and organised library to make it fun for all. No shoddy computers, a really well thought out and engaging resource. 

Also busking. Gone are the French squeeze-boxers, gone are the Italian squeeze boxers, no no. We witnessed a classical quintet in the middle of Munich. Well rehearsed, professional and producing a fantastic sound. This is busking at another level. And looking carefully you may identify a grand piano. We did wonder how this occurred in an outdoor space, and were, shortly after seeing them, saw the operation that moved the 'band' to a different space. No wheezing or grunting needed to move this stuff. Just logic and a thoughtful mindset.

And so we have found this throughout our naive travels. Different things become important in different countries as we have seen it.

Do we like the German stereotype and what we have seen so far? Yes we do. There is pride in this country. If you are going to do something, then do it well seems to be the mindset. A very positive place to be.

Expanding your mind, smacking your head!

There are some wonderful things in the world. We have come to realise that many of the places we have been lucky enough to visit, are wonderful places. In and amongst the wonderful places, are fascinating places. Again we have been lucky enough to visit some of these places. The Deutches Museum in Munich is one of these places. A regular museum that has been super sized. It is apparently the best museum in Germany. We are woefully qualified to agree or disagree, but it was such an amazing place that it has taken two days of our time. A child's paradise of things to view and touch and see and do about the world in which we live. A real excitement of engineering, human achievements and the know how behind our world. Jasper and Maya had a thoroughly enjoyable day as did we. Jasper was most fascinated by the Zepplins of the early 20th century.

And so it was, mining, tunnels, oil, engineering, metals, machinery, aeronautics, space, astronomy, clocks, cameras, future, energy, printing, paper, and the list goes on. All comprehensively covered with superb exhibits in a massive space. 

Jasper and Clare enjoying the sort of planetarium bit (the real planetarium was closed sadly).

Clare stuck in a guitar 'Borrowers' stylie!

A major recommendation if you happen to be in the area young or old! I guess the only problem is that safety is your own responsibility in this place. I appreciate such things, where the owner of the body has to do a bit of thinking to ensure that personal care is taken into account and am often saddened by barriers of rope or endless signs and stickers on exhibits. Sadly for me, the owner of the body that writes this message didn't have quite enough foresight to see the 'Junkers' plane in the vast hall of planes as my head smacked the wing. After a rapid and disguised move to make it look like 'I knew that was going to happen,' I rounded the tail of the vehicle to find Clare, Jasper and Maya looking at me and then saying, "I think somebody has just walked into this plane." I did own up then and there as my head needed a bit of a rub out of view whilst I could digest the pain. Just watch out for the Junkers planes, they jump out at you!

Happy working boy

I see a positive trend in our son. Jasper is a happy boy when he is working physically. Upon our arrival in Munich, Jasper was set a task to unload logs from a trailer by our host Christian. Happiness is a boy at work!

It reminded me of the 'Olive moment' we had sorting Olives down in Puglia, where the same happiness was witnessed. As down there, this was equally matched by my enjoyment of a good bit of physical labour too.

I know we could be at home doing this, but who cares, this was a good bit of fun in Munich. Contented Clements boys! 

The Hills are Alive!

Today we have been TOTAL tourists and taken part in a city tour of Salzburg based loosely on 'The Sound of Music' musical film, of which Maya and I are great fans!!! Last night Mathias had kindly shown us where to get THE bus from, which was a bus stop at one of the film locations a short walk from his house.

This morning, after a deliciously wonderful Austrian breakfast with his lovely wife Ursula, we wrapped up warm and set off to Schloss Leopoldskron, the palace and lake where the Von Trapp family in the movie live, and where the external house shots were made with the lake in view, and the rowing boat tipping over scene happens etc. Forgive me for waffling on here, but having watched the movie this evening as our Friday Family Film night, much of this is fresh in my head!

After taking the obligatory photos by the lake, which today was frozen over, we then enjoyed the warmth of the bus and arrived at Schloss Hellbrun to see the gazebo from the "You are 16, going on 17" song and dance scene, and also where Captain Von Trapp and Maria eventually fall in love. We drove past the road where Maria marches up to the house singing "I have Confidence", and where the other outside house scenes were filmed at Schloss Frohnburg.

Still on the bus, we passed the Nonnberg Abbey where Maria supposedly lives at the start of the film, and then into Salzburg itself which is another wonderful city to explore. I'm certain that our whistle stop Sound of Music tour didn't do the place justice at all, but we enjoyed meandering through the streets and markets looking at the various statues, buildings and varying styles of architecture. 

One of our favourite places was the Mirabellplatz, the location for the "Do-Re-Mi" song where the children run around the Pegasus fountain, and then all jump up and down the steps as if the steps play the musical notes. Sadly the steps do not do that, someone is missing a trick there, but we enjoyed our jumping up and down which also helped us to keep warm!!! And Maya re-enacted another famous scene below, much to the amusement of some passing Japanese tourists!!!

As you can see, yet again we were some of only a handful of tourists about, but this made the day enjoyable as there were no queues and no "hidden extras" on photos!!! I do hate it when other people get themselves in on my shots!!! I've spent many a moment hanging on and waiting for crowds to disappear just so that I can get the photo that I want!!! Well that doesn't happen on cold days in January! 

Although we haven't "Climbed Every Mountain" or picnicked in the meadow, we have thoroughly enjoyed our day out and with souvenir bags in hand, (including yet another piece of rather nice art work!) we have now warmed up in the van, watched the film, eaten a few of our "Favourite Things", and recalled with fond memories our lovely day in Salzburg. 

Clare

A valuable lesson that must be remembered!

I have forgotten about the snow ridden roads that increased my driving angst today.

I have totally forgotten about the first traffic jam we have sat in (since leaving home) on the A99 autobahn to Munich.

I have completely forgotten about the wrong turning in the services only to be blocked in by 101 juggernaut lorries, one with a puncture and riling the others!

And there is a very simple reason. It is flipping cold once again outside, Hugo has electricity, we have good parking, we are safe, we are in Munich.......but we are in a house! The part of me that gets guilt ridden by people offering free hospitality has been beaten down today by Christian Foppl who made it all too easy for us to accept his help. I suppose it is easier to start at the end of the story.

We are now in the living room of a beautiful house in a village north east of Munich. The fire is roaring, there is a bountiful supply of logs, Clare has a glass of red, the children are sleeping soundly next door, and our host..... Well, he is about 2km down the road staying at his wife's house tonight. So yes, we are home alone, Hugo is plugged in and warm on the drive and the crate of Munich based beer left by Christian is gorgeous. We have cooked in the house, eaten in the house, showered the children in the house, and we are feeling tremendously relaxed and at home. And when did we meet Christian? Well only a few hours prior to him leaving us home alone!

It is a long story, but the Foppl brothers and their families are being really supportive of our adventures and helping us navigate our way through Germany and Austria. We have found travelling through the winter a little lonely compared to our summer adventures. We have not met as many people recently, which is why it is such a pleasure to meet such fantastic and warm welcoming families. We are truly grateful, and tonight we are feeling truly humbled by the warmth and generosity received. 

What have we learnt? Well, I'm not sure that there is one single "thing" that we have learnt, but I hope that the children take many "things" from our visits to the Foppl families. The warmth, kindness, generosity and general help provided to us of late is something that must be passed on. You never know who might need a room for the night or need our help, but over supper tonight Maya and Jasper were very understanding of the situation, and both were clear that there are very kind people in this world. They have enjoyed meeting Christian and like his "hotel"! I hope they log this memory away deep in their brains, because this is a valuable life lesson!

Brrrrrrrr......part 1

(A slightly preemptive title I know, but I suspect it might not be the first time we get cold.)

Following our day in Salzburg we returned to our van, to our Lidl digital thermometer (told you I'd get boring with it!) which gave the following reading. Outside 0.6 degrees Celsius. Inside 3.2 degrees Celsius. An hour later, we have reached the dizzying heights of 11 degrees Celsius. "Come on toes, you can do it, you can get warm, come on toes!!!!!!"

Still smiling though!

***update***

3 hours later now!

 Temperature up to 18 now so much warmer. Snow has gently been falling and we have witnessed the first signs of Austrian 'know how' of dealing with snow. The gritters have been. 

Now in Britain, a sign of a gritter on the road is a clear warning that your car is going to be damaged. Britain has a wave of panic when snow comes and the British gritters load up with pebbles rather than grit, and have a certain slapdash approach to spreading. There is a lack of satisfaction I think in the gritting community if you don't Iiberally cover the road, pavements, walls of houses and any surrounding area in lumps of salt. The vehicle we have just witnessed, which from our roadside position has given us a good view, has driven past in a whisper like fashion gritting, without any grit hitting the van. Maybe they use magic to clear the roads, but we are quite sure the road has been successfully gritted. The proof will be if we can drive off successfully in the morning. 

A bit of balance to our visits

Recently in Northern Italy we visited key Motorsport locations, places which certainly fired the imagination in the male participants of the trips. And so the balance was addressed today in quite the antithesis of those trips. After a beautiful breakfast with our hosts Mathias and Ursula (although Mathias had to leave early) we made our cold way to meet with the 'Sound of Music' tour bus. After a short jog ensued to ensure we synchronised our meetings, the bus took us around various film locations that are integral to the film. The warmth on the bus meant that our multi layers had to be gradually undone.

The main house was passed where key scenes were filmed. In fact we passed this upon arrival to Salzburg but never realised it was there!

As the bus rounded Salzburg, the weather never managed to lift from the grey that it started, and our first departure from the 'hop on hop off' bus meant that the layering up process had to begin. 

Upon arrival into the main city centre we crossed the river Salzach and entered the main town centre. We were greeted by the statue of Mozart. Bringing balance to the Sound of Music was Mozart standing in the main square. We followed the superb streets of the centre down to Mozart's birthplace. A large building in the centre, that is a little spoilt by the Spar shop beneath it selling Mozart chocolate!

A reasonably short walk took us to the 'Do Re Mi' scene on the steps. This was re-enacted in front of whoever seemed to be passing. And so our day continued seeing 'famous' scenes in the grey and the cold, but a good day was had and balance was restored!

Tastes of Austria

This evening we have walked to a Backerei or bakery. On the bag it says "Alteste Salzburger Backerei Seit 1350". Can you work out what that means? 

We bought two pretzels and ate them for dinner with our pasta. Mummy and Daddy liked them best! We were given some Strudel by Mattias and we have all tried that for our dessert.

Maya liked the top but not the bottom part, the rest of us liked it all! I love it!

"Everything is awesome.......part 2"

Everything is relative. Ilminster is our base knowledge, the foundation on which our life is built and the place where we draw our comparisons with the world. As yesterday, the relative awesomeness of the Alps has filled our journey with lots of awe and wonder. So, not masses of text today, just some photos that Clare took from the van as we drove along the road.

"Everything is awesome" and will soon be filled "...with the sound of music" as we are now in Salzburg! Let's see if the hills are alive!

"Everything is awesome....."

......came the singing from the back of the van. A quick YouTube search should surely reveal, if you type in 'Everything is awesome' or 'Lego Movie', what this is all about. Jasper, having got the said 'Lego Movie' movie for Christmas, and having managed to watch it once, has this song stuck in his head. Number one, I know we are woefully out of date having just watched the film, and number two, I know a thing about annoying songs that stick in your head having generally written a song with every class I have taught thus far!

Anyway, the song was sung today quite spontaneously and under a correct usage of the word 'awesome'. As we departed Slovenia, the Juliana Alps and the Karawanken Alps grew with a certain drama. We were treated to a stunning view as the late morning winter sun lit the white spines of the mountains before us. The song was sung by Jasper and Maya as a spontaneous reaction. I had to join in as it really was fabulous!

Thankfully though, our road did not pass directly over the massive lumps (Geographical description has never been my strong point), instead the amazing Karanwanken tunnel burrowed it's way through for the best part of 8km. 

And that was our entry to Austria. No checkpoint again, no sign to say you are in Austria, which was a slight disappointment, but the arrival was super. Smooth, quiet roads, easy driving, sensible signage and everything had a drama about it. A quick stop here in Villach and then onto Salzburg for 2 nights. You may question the apparent speed with which we are dispatching countries at the moment. We are a little quick I admit, but we need to get a move on. The option of staying still doesn't lend itself to keeping warm, which is a priority at the moment. We are however, still managing to cram lots in, and have vowed to return to Croatia and Slovenia, both of which we really liked!

Heavy metal

Hugo has gone for a new look. A more heavy metal look with motoring 'piercings'. In addition to his new boots in Rome, he now has a matching pair of snow chains. Not that we hope to use them really, but it's a belt and braces approach where peace of mind is covered a little. We are in the middle of the Alps just into Austria having left Slovenia behind. There is snow around, nothing to trouble us, and as far as the forecasts go, we should be reaching the 'lower' Salzburg having avoided major snow. Not that it might never happen, we still have a long way to go and more adventures to go....but at least Hugo is ready for it!

And before anybody mentions it, this was a first attempt at putting them on and therefore will require some refinement!!!

Ljubly Ljubljana!

Today has been a bit of a revelation, in more ways than one! Didn't start off so well as Ed and Jasper's reports of the showers weren't good. As the campsite is in the winter season, we are using the facilities at the gym which is attached to the site. As ever these days we are the only campers on site, so it's a bit of a lonely affair really. No one to compare notes with, or moan about the showers, or conversely ask which one is the best!!! So Maya and I set off for our showers and as reported by the males in the group, there were indeed no doors, or shower curtains on the cubicles so it was a case of liking it or lumping it! All was revealed; thankfully no-one else came into the showers whilst I was in there!!!

Once we'd recovered from that, we set off on the bus to the city centre. The public transport that we have used from one country to another has varied in price, comfort and style. The worst so far has been the train between Pompei Scavi and Napoli! Today's bus was pretty good, the ticket system was yet another revelation. We had to get a pre-paid plastic card, load it with the number of journeys we wanted to make, and then once on the bus, declare how many passengers we were (we thought being a family of 4 it was obvious!), validate the card on a green swipe machine and then repeat the procedure for the return journey later on. 

We headed into Ljubljana with no idea what we would see. We had a "freebie" city guide from the campsite which contained a map and listed a suggested walk. We got off the bus, located ourselves on the map, and then set off, in a random fashion not following the route at all. The 'Triple Bridge' was the first sight that we saw. Apparently it was built between 1929 and 1932 when two side bridges for pedestrians were added to the main central bridge. The grey skies above and grey buildings around us were brightened by balloon sellers on the central bridge, and then to our surprise we saw an otter on the river banks below. 

Expecting a long walk, we set off. We wandered up the river walk way past markets and stalls, coffee shops and craft stalls. What a delight! We had no idea that we were going to see such a variety of things on offer; all the shops and stalls were selling unique items and at reasonable prices too! Every turn we made revealed wonderful buildings and brilliant colours.

The 'Dragon Bridge' was another great site to see, an Art Nouveau creation built in 1901. So the dragon is the symbol of the city and appears everywhere, even on the drain covers!!! A game of spot the dragon started until we saw the next point of interest.

Legend has it that the dragon landed on the outlook tower of the castle, which we reached via the funicular railway.

Not having a head for heights, I didn't really want to go up it, but as the price was included in the castle tickets, I didn't really have a choice! The castle itself is a fantastic mix of old and new. The castle was bought for the people of Ljubljana by a mayor, it then needed restoring, so they held a design competition! The results of the restoration project are highly evident - from the upper funicular station you enter the "insides" of the castle with its vast steel supports holding the structure above in place. We enjoyed all of the sights of the castle, and learnt lots about Slovenia's past. Lunch followed, and then more wandering about (and a spot of souvenir shopping) before we started to feel the cold and headed back to the motorhome for a cup of good old English tea!

So Ljubljana, we enjoyed your revelations and will return at some point to see some more!

Clare

The search for food...

Food of a general 'let's stay alive' type of food, has always been on our agenda. We keep a close eye on where to shop and places to park to allow us to shop, given the fact that Hugo is generously proportioned! To help us, we downloaded the Lidl app, which has proved completely necessary, as we can usually hunt down a good general shop within 20 miles or so. As we have become more adept at using the wifi and using the app, we have taken screen shots of maps to aid our planning and survival. Usually our maps have 1 Lidl shop within the area. Clare took a screen shot the other day when she was checking out the shopping opportunities. To be honest, we can't remember where it is.

Wherever it is, there seems to be a generous dollop of Lidl stores around! The need must be great here! And with regards to Lidl. Lidl has been a revelation to us. I was told that Lidl in Europe is good, and to be honest, it has been flipping brilliant! Our budget would've been seriously compromised without Lidl, and we have still eaten very well! So wherever this place is, we should be able to identify it by the sheer number of Lidls that we pass!!! 

Croatian and Slovenian driving

I can't speak with masses of authority on this one really having only been in Croatia for 3 nights and an impending 2 nights in Slovenia, but there are things I can say about the driving here. 

1. Both countries need a sensible car with which to tackle some of the single lane highways. See the photograph for an inviting drive, one where sadly the benefit can't be felt with Hugo.

2. Driving is far better sign posted in these countries than all others put together bar France and Britain. It's all quite clear and simple, although there aren't enough vowels!

3. Roads are smooth generally, not quite the consistency of France, but a huge relief after Italy. 

4. Driving is calmer and far more mildly mannered which is great.

So actually there is nothing of drama to report. I must say though I am glad of....

5. Red lights on traffic lights, turning to amber to prepare yourselves for the off. The rest of Europe generally instills a mild panic as the realisation that the lights are green slowly dawns on you. Thankfully, in Slovenia they use the amber light to get you ready. Not quite to the length of time of preparation that a British amber allows, but still better than no amber!

The only major problem that I have found is that the roads have rekindled the ambition to have a fast car that turns corners well. I thought that selling our vehicles and bobbling around in Hugo would cancel out the part of my brain that likes a fast car. Sadly, it has opened my eyes to the need to repeat this venture (when we have won the lottery) and repeat the journey, but see a little more of Croatia I think, in a Mazda MX-5 or Honda S2000. That is an appealing thought, bombing around in a roofless car and tackling more of the above type roads! Until that happens, my imagination is filling in the gaps that Hugo is unable to fill in my mind. 

Wandering minstrel?

To be honest I haven't really had masses of time to play the guitar. Today though I found a magic spot. I didn't play anything of any quality, but just had a nice 5 minutes with the guitar in the sun overlooking Krk. And yes, it is covered in stickers front and back of all the places that we have been!

Krk

I suppose the first thing to say is that the place Krk, with it's absence of a vowel has led us to calling the place Kirk. Although logically it could be Krik, Krak, Kark, Kerk, Krek, Kork, Krok, Kurk or Kruk, we just so have plumped for the Kirk tag! 

We strode down the hill into the town, Jasper was in his t-shirt it was so warm! (16.9 degrees outside - stat provided by Lidl digi thermometer).

We very easily found the old town down at the end of the harbour. It was a stiff breeze to say the least, the boats in the sheltered harbour rocking with a certain fervour, but the sea was a beautiful colour, and the sky was generally blue to our left, but mostly black to our right. Thankfully the wind blowing to the right (North) kept the rain away.

The old part of town took only a short time to dispatch. Everything was shut! But there was a lovely feel about the place.

If I remind you about the 'Republic of Ilminster' post, well the only addition I would put to that post, is that we quite like Islands too. So I will expand our river and start digging a moat when we return!

I digress, as we finished our amble around, we did find one shop open. And what a find! We were hoping to find some local produce, but sadly not. Instead, we found a lady painting away. Her work immediately appealed to us. She was a very engaging lady too, and the fact she had a helpful cat certainly helped the clementsfamilyontour team feel at home. We did buy some art from her. We have got this far without finding any art that we both like. Our short and pleasant stay on Krk though has appealed to us both and the paintings/ink drawings we now have are a very happy memory. See: www.galerija-dagmar.hr for more information about Dagmar and her work.

A beautiful place which we are glad we have visited. I suspect Croatia may be on our 'return to' hit list. The only thing that has thrown us here is that the Euro is not the currency. Instead, the Croatian Kuna is the currency of choice. Standing at the ATM getting money was slightly unnerving. Probably not in the same sense that I think it would be in China getting YEN, but still a little so. The numbers were big. Our minds were manically trying to convert to pounds and then to euros. Something like this. 1,000 Kuna =  £100 = €125. 

One more day here and then we head on on Monday. Northwards to Slovenia for a couple of days then  Austria. 

The bridge, a thermometer and 3 countries!

We have crossed this bridge today. This is not our photo, as it wasn't quite this bright today. The larger of the two spans is the second longest concrete arch in the world and one of the longest arches of any construction ( according to Wikipedia). This bridge has lead us onto the island of Krk, a large Croatian island south of Rijeka. 

We've had a bit of a journey getting here today. We bumbled our way out of Lido di Jesolo (Venice area), and set off down to Trieste. A bit of a featureless journey today, so not the most interesting start for the children, but as we approached Slovenia, the landscape did begin to change. A more rugged affair, aided by a certain greyness in the weather made for quite a bleak start to our second country of the day. However, the simple road which took us through Slovenia to Croatia became increasingly pretty.

It was a short trip though and then we arrived at border control in the mist. This was the first time that we have been stopped at any border control thus far. A certain grumpiness greeted us from both the weather and the people, but passports were shown, and then that was it. The photo highlights the glamour of this trip that we encounter ever day! 

From here on in, the weather began to lift, and we could begin to see beyond Rijeka the island of Krk; our destination. We crossed the aforementioned bridge and had a beautiful drive down the island. The need for a Mazda Mx 5 or Honda S2000 was apparent as Hugo willfully tried to wrap himself round some of the bends and twists. Maybe next time! 

A lovely arrival at a lovely place was a relief. I suppose, the only thing is, we have no idea about Croatia. We have not researched this at all. This is more of a wing and a prayer than the rest of the trip so far. We have no language to help us, in fact, my rather weak German was the crux to negotiating the deal with the campsite lady. 

Italy therefore has been left behind. Two and a half months, where a lot has been done and achieved along with many good friends made. Thank you Italy.

And then hello Slovenia and hello Croatia. 3 countries in one day. So time for a stop and a breather before we start the serious northward journey over the alps and through what I suspect will be a chilly Germany. 

P.s I bought a digital thermometer from Lidl that measures both outside and inside temperature. As I sit here typing it is really quite warm. 20.9 degrees Celsius inside the van, and a lovely 12.5 degrees outside. There is a barmy warm southern breeze, and so quite oddly, we have our washing out tonight and will be leaving it out all night. Keep an eye out for some really boring temperature stats coming your way!

Venice

I have just written my diary. Not that exciting a statement to be honest, but on reflection, without knowing it, I have used words such as 'immersed', 'plunged' and 'waves' to describe the slight aquatically themed visit that is going to Venice. So yes, we were immediately plunged into the Venice atmosphere from arrival off our ferry boat. You are immersed in the very fibre of the place, the elegant buildings, the obvious canals and bridges. And the sheer waves of bus boats that came and went throughout the Grand Canal was quite something, even in winter! 

Our day then: We drove from our Area de Sosta 15 miles to Punto Sabbioni, a spit of land that is slightly to the east of Venice. From here we took the boat across to the 'Islands' of Venice. 30 mins or so later, we arrived right by the waters edge along the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs and walked through to Plaza de San Marco where we photographed the basilica. Quite a sight! Venice itself has a kind of immediate impact though due to the volume of boat traffic in all directions. A remarkable place. The small streets which lurk between the stacked up buildings seem to interweave, cross cross and become infinitely confusing. We did however find some of the special places. The first one was Punto di Rialta on the way to the Mercato del Rialto. From here the bombardment of "selfie, selfie?" happened once again, so once again we demonstrated with a long armed prowess, as 4 or 5 of the sellers watched, the ability to take a selfie without the use of an illegally sold stick!

We were next bombarded with dining options after we left the bridge. We found an appropriately priced place canal side. Sat underneath a patio heater to take the chill away, our outside dining experience was great. In fact, the third set of red awnings in the photo on the right, is where we were.

From here we watched the comings and goings from close up and were treated to a lively lunchtime. Although the water bus stops were busy, and taxis came and went from next to us, the noises were not busy. It was quite odd, everything was relatively quiet and calm. Had it been a regular street then it would've been quite an aural event too. Thank goodness the smell of the canal that we'd been warned about doesn't seem to exist (much) in winter! That would have been interesting!

From here on in, Venice seemed to be a theme of continued tall and elegant buildings, water streets and bridges. The interesting thing is that obviously different places have different types of shops. I'm not sure if we blogged this, but for example, San Marino was all about gun shops, perfume, handbags and watch shops, whereas Venice was all about Carnival mask shops, antiques, and then endless shops of stuff you can't afford. I did almost have a moment as we passed the Dolce and Gabana shop, to go in and ask for an item, but then haggle with them, reasoning that 3 people in one shop with10 items for sale is not good and that I would not pay the full price as I don't need to pay 3 people to sell me something. I then however, recalled who I was and quickly remembered that I am generally styled by Tesco.

More sights were consumed throughout the afternoon, this being the 'Snails staircase' or 'Scala contari di Bovolo.' A real hidden gem, where nobody was. I am still however, trying to work out why the snails want to go upstairs anyway?

Venice then is done for now, but worth another visit we think. We've had a real flavour, we've emptied our pockets, but we have witnessed quite a fascinating place. And before anyone asks, no, we didn't go on a gondola. Clare asked what the cost was to be told 80€. When we commented that it was too expensive, we were told by the gondolier, "Nothing is cheap in Venice". 

Blog-ity, blog, blog!

I've been asked to write a blog entry. Believe it or not, I don't know what to write about! I find it hard to sit still! And I don't enjoy using the iPad to type on. Within the 'Blogger' app that we are using there is an autocorrect, but it is hopeless, which is why there appear to be lots of spelling errors in the posts which are often just typing errors on previous blog entries. I've also been wondering what sort of person reads a blog, and whether or not any of what I write is of use to anyone except me. Every night whilst Jasper and Maya send themselves off to the land of nod, I sit and write in my A5 diary a whole page, which is sometimes not enough space to record all that we have done in a day. And sometimes it's too much space, and I feel that I have to fill it, which I do! That is a cathartic thing to do at the end of a busy day when a little peace and quiet is needed. But a blog. Is it a record for me, or is it a record for all and sundry?

So although I should feel inspired to write something deep and meaningful and utterly thought provoking as we camp but a stones throw away from the shores of Lake Garda, I'm not. The only thing that I have been thinking about is a form of poetry from Japan known as the Haiku, in which a syllabic pattern is used. I'm intending to teach this idea to Jasper and Maya later this week, so have been trying out my own ideas to get them started:

Lago di Garda,

Beautiful, tranquil, serene,

Even in winter.

White snow caps the peak,

Sheer faced, rising from the ground, 

Monte Baldo looms.

Anyway, you get the idea, whoever you are reading this! And how about this one:

Think brain, what to write?

Click, clack, type, click, clack, error!

Blog-ity, blog, blog!

Clare

X

Survey thanks

Thank you to everyone who voted on the survey. The results were as we would've hoped really and it confirms what we are doing. Well done those 55%!
The 10% that said 'Don't come home', we hope that your intentions were positive i.e "Keep going, enjoy it more etc", rather than "Stay away, we are flippin' board of you."
Whatever, thank you!

Hot dog breath

As many of you sit in front of your fires of an evening, I thought I should share the reality bit of our journeying. We are managing to keep warm mostly, and as long as we manage to get warm each day at some point the morale is good and we have got used to our less than 'cosy fire placed' home. Hugo does have a heater. The term 'heater' is a little bit of a casual term used here. A heater implies that warmth is exuded to heat a space. In fact the label of it boasts that it is called the 'Ultraheat.' I would hate to have the 'Regularheat' version as despite the heater working hard for the evening and morning hours, the little piped venting in Hugo seems to blow out warmth akin to a hot dog's breath. The only benefit over the dog is that Hugo does not have dog breath. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers, and the Ultraheat we are receiving is better than nothing. Enjoy you log fires!

Desperate times, desperate measures!

The absence of campsites along our route seems not to be holding us back. 

We are still managing to see and do things when we get to places.

We are surviving the cold nights.

We are however struggling with washing, not so much regular clothes, but more so the little ones. Therefore, today was the first episode of a new series called "I've washed my pants in........" and you substitute the place name where the dots go. The first contestant has been Jasper, who for some reason doesn't have as many undergarments as the rest of us. 

'Today I washed my pants in Lake Garda'

It actually sound like it should be a song like "Is this the way to Amarillo?" or "I left my heart in San Francisco." So keep an eye out for the chart topper on its way "I washed my pants in Lake Garda."

Apart from that though, we left the beauty of Ferrari behind and arrived at the beauty of Lake Garda. Our place for the night is once again a lonely affair, but is free, with free electricity, so we are happy bunnies. We look across Lake Garda too and should have a beautiful sunrise through the valley of the mountains, across the lake and into Hugo's perfectly placed windows! Fingers crossed.

A 'learning to be' motor enthusiasts point of view - Jasper and Maya's diary entries

I woke up. I was very excited because we were going to the Ferrari museum. We drove 3 miles down the road to the museum. We saw a lot of cars. It was like the car museum (Sparkford, Dorset) but only Ferraris though. We were bored of red because of Ferraris. We even saw white and silver fast cars as well as red ones. We saw some engines, very big ones and small ones too, but all fast though. We went for a walk and came back and I bought a teddy bear and he was wearing a Formula 1 t-shirt. We came back and had pasta for tea. Maya

I woke up and got changed into my clothes and did handwriting/reading. We did handwriting first then reading. Then we set off to Marinello and went in the Ferrari museum. There were race cars, road cars, and top roof ones. We came to a video slide show and the funny thing was Luigi was on it from Cars 2. Next we went on a Ferrari bus tour around the factory. We went back and bought some things from the shop. I chose a Ferrari car set and Maya chose a teddy bear. We got back to the Area di Sosta and had pasta for tea. Finally we went to bed. Jasper 

A Motorsport enthusiasts pilgrimage part 2

Today was just pure Motorsport fever! I've never really hankered to go and visit Ferrari. Nor have I ever really been a big Ferrari fan. Today however was a super day, and one where you can't help but feel the passion and the thrill of these quite special road and race cars. 

Our first port of call was the Museo Ferrari. It did what it said on the tin. A mix of Motorsport and road cars all presented very neatly and of course a wealth of red. The race cars are what really interested me. We went into the Hall of Champions which was a superb display of the most recent Championship winning cars. It was a real treat to see them all, along with race driver helmets and many of the trophies won by Scuderia Ferrari.

However, the real treat was a factory tour on a red bus! We boarded the bus and managed to 'bagsie' the whole front row. The cool outside temperatures we rapidly offset by the heated seats and the 31degrees Celsius the driver had set the bus temperature to. It was properly hot! Jumpers and coats off, we were then joined by our bilingual tour guide who did a superb job of filling our heads with irrelevant information, more rubbish for my motoring brain to be filled with, ready for the obscure pub quiz question in the future. 

The bus departed and began with the disappointing message that no photos were allowed. We began by entering the main Ferrari factory gates, quite an iconic entrance. We took this photo later in the day.

Once inside, we drove past the offices, the design and concept buildings, the engine manufacturing department, paint shop, assembly and everything else including the famous wind tunnel too. We drove around avenues dedicated to all their Formula 1 champions, so that included crossing over via Kimi Raikkonen, via John Surtees  and on it went. 

The tour then improved somewhat further, when we drove down Via Ascari towards the private Fiorano test track. It was only a matter off weeks ago that Sebastian Vettel was here pounding round in a 2 year old race car, and now here we were, poddling about in our bus. After a 7-8 minute lap, we were then told that Schumacher has the lap record of the 3km circuit having completed it in 55 seconds! He must've been in a rush that day, or had left the gas on at home or something. 

There is something special about Ferraris though, especially considering the soundtrack that accompanies a visit to the town. The rumbles and burbling engines that quickly rasp into a manic shriek. We had a 'traffic light' moment with a Ferrari that demonstrated this point well. Hugo revved eagerly in anticipation, the lights turned green, and for a moment I thought we were doing quite well. That was until the Ferrari pulled into second gear, floored the throttle and within a matter of seconds had disappeared. I churlishly declared "He won't get there any quicker"

So there we go, another busy day, lots done and all enjoying their day in their own way. I will though, view Ferrari with a different set of eyes when the new Formula1 season begins.