BACKING BRITAIN

A tough 55 mile ride from Llangurrig down to Rhayader, round the Elan Valley, on to Cwmystwyth, past The Arch and a return via two bothies left me tired but exhilarated, especially as now all 3 bothies have been found to be in good order. It was lovely to be back in Sheffield later that week and I took time to sort out all my maps and travel guides that I had been lugging around, probably for the last time as many of the guides are out of date and the internet provides more relevant information. Similarly my SatMap 1:25,000 maps cover most places as well as various cycling and walking apps. One of the Satmap Battery packs fell apart which just leaves me the one and a pack that will take 3 AAs if necessary, such a shame the company went under as the device has been one of my best ever purchases for outdoor pursuits.

 Mandy's lad and his girlfriend were dropped at the station at the start of their trip to Colombia and Central America after which we departed for a few days away in Lincolnshire staying initially at Binbrook after looking round the rather delightful Brigg. Three Romanian construction workers were in a caravan on the CL but otherwise it was very quiet and they were a friendly lot due to return home soon so in good spirits. We cycled 53 miles the next day down to Louth for market day where I sourced some antihistamines after almost swallowing a wasp and developing a ludicrous 'trout pout'. Pushing on to the coast near Donna Nook we failed to see the attraction of staying in, let alone purchasing, one of the statics that sit densely packed in along the coast. A highlight of the ride was an old deconsecrated church where you could almost feel the history in its poignant remains.

Similar emotions came to the fore at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum at East Kirby where a team of dedicated and skilled restorers are working on a surviving Lancaster bomber. By chance it was due to taxi out around the airstrip twice that day and we were suitably impressed as the 4 Merlin engines fired up one by one before the immense airframe moved out on to the grass with a number of enthusiasts occupying the cockpit, gunnery positions and rear section. It was hugely impressive and whilst waiting for the second event after lunch we very much enjoyed the large number of displays relating to the history of the Lancaster, Bomber Command and of course the remarkable Dambusters story. Lunch in the NAAFI was another opportunity to support the restoration project after which we were again mesmerised by the sheer power and presence of 'Just Jane'.

The complex was a former military airfield and the various buildings held cameos and exhibitions relating to wartime life - perhaps the most moving relating to the fate of those shot down over enemy territory and assisted in safe passage by courageous locals who often experienced severe retribution for their actions. All in all it was a moving and fascinating place to visit with far too much there to be fully related here. We were also allowed to stay overnight in the peaceful grassy car park - hugely appreciated.

 

The following day we pulled in to the Lincoln P&R to catch the bus in to town and visit the stunning cathedral which had been closed on our last visit a few years ago. Whilst enjoying lunch in the courtyard cafe the Red Arrows shot past directly overhead - a great sight but too fast for photos.

Moving on we stayed in Dethick where the friends I met in Germany are based and met a mutual friend Barry who has just secured an Irish passport thus banishing his Brexit shenanigans once and for all. We were staying there to pick up some clothing ordered in at Bakewell and I also had a cunning plan up my sleeve. Warning Mandy that we mysteriously had to be outside The Chakra Lounge cafe for 11. 30, this was merely a ploy to prevent her realising that we were about to jump on the recently launched Peak Sightseer open topped bus that follows a one way figure of 8 circuit every half hour to Chatsworth, Baslow, Hassop and Ashford in the Water. For £6 a head you can jump on and off all day and the experience of travelling through the scenery high up and just missing the tree branches and tunnel arches is certainly one to go for. We stopped at Chatsworth for an hour but on our return to Bakewell forgot to signal the bus to stop so were quite happy to go round once more, this time on the top deck again but at the front under cover as the continuing poor summer was letting the side down again. The service is a credit to Stagecoach and Derbyshire County Council and I emailed them positive feedback, mentioning in particular the friendly drivers who seemed to be really enjoying the service.

Back in Sheffield a new Shurflo water pump was waiting - stupidly leaving the old one running for several hours in Czechia had done the leisure battery no good (replaced earlier) but I was aware that the old pump was running more noisily, less efficiently, was not holding the pressure and had a slight leak. Access to replace it meant removing all clothing etc. from the wardrobe, dismantling my free standing shelves and easing up the floor to gain access, being fully aware of how brittle 20 year old plastic has become. I took photos of the plumbing and electrical connections as I went but remarkably even after 20 years the replacement pump had identical water and power connections - and even the four mounting holes lined up. I had ordered a new in line pre strainer but was surprised at how little had accumulated in the old one after 20 years and in the 6 years of my ownership almost full time use with a shower every day. Screw fit connectors were soon in place, the wires attached and a test run confirmed that all was well with quieter running, no leaks and pressure maintained so the floor panel, shelves and contents could go back in. I left the old pump tucked away in a void as it would make a serviceable spare but I fully expect the new one to see me out!

 

Monday saw the delivery of new outside seating which we manoeuvred in to place on the balcony with the help of Lynn and Steve - it's a good job he's well over 6' tall whilst I packed up for another trip south including some bottles and kegs from Bradfield Brewery for a forthcoming BBQ.

We joined Penny, a colleague I trained with 45 years ago, and Yolande a contact from Portugal who had met Penny when we took Mum out there in 2014 after Dad's passing almost a decade ago now, for a good meal at Zara's in Crookes. Yolande like me has to contend with the new Sheffield Clean Air Zone and is loathe to scrap a perfectly good camper van (other than being a T5!) that is much newer than mine but still falls foul of the regs. To this end as Sheffield has inexplicably included the congestion reducing ring road in its zone I merely travel one junction futher up on the M1 and then drive through densely populated urban areas passing many schools, care homes and the local general hospital - what a ludicrous situation......

It appears that my friend in Portugal may have sold the campsite that has been my refuge for many Christmases over the last 15 years but that does give me other options for the forthcoming winter with Italy, Tunisia, Greece and Turkey looming large - watch this space. Anyway it was good to catch up and the following day I headed across rural Derbyshire via Buxton and then Stoke to catch up with my brother in Shropshire. We arranged to meet up on mountain bikes and I left for Brecon and another shambolic lumber around the badminton courts. Over at Sennybridge I joined Crad and Dawn with their son and his Czech fiancee for a good meal at their local - the farmer owned Shoemaker's Inn that has a new tennant landlord.It was good to see the happy couple and Leah was of course very familiar with places in her native country I had visited less than a month ago.

Up at Lower Chapel Jan and Ian were hosting the Hereford Caving Club 'Summer' BBQ so we spent Friday putting up a marquee, organising seating and planning the food. I also undertook a repair with fibreglass of the washroom toiletry cupboard as a leaking insect repellent had eaten right through the plastic floor, the repair is far stronger than the original and the fumes soon evaporated. Inclement weather caused a few issues re the marquee later that day but things eased off on the Saturday and we all enjoyed a memorable evening, due in no small part to Dan's ingenious 'cave jenga' that involved a steel IBC container frame and wooden poles that recreated the sorts of squeezes and bending that caving often requires. It was a brilliant evening so many thanks to Jan and Ian for all their hard work and hospitality. A mate from Frome was enjoying his new Wild Ax Pulsar - a definite consideration should I eventually have to change vehicles but as yet I have no intention of doing so and will adapt to the new regimes of CAZs, LEZs and the like.

On Sunday afternoon I cycled up to Moel Prysgau bothy for the first time in a year - clear felling across the river has changed things a bit for access from the 'top track' but at least a screen of Sitka spruce has been left to retain the bothy's seclusion. All was well there although with no bridge thanks to some idiots breaking and then burning it a while back the feet took a soaking.

After a quiet night in the hills I had planned to ride the Sustrans route from Tregaron to Aberystwyth but my brother rang asking to bring our planned ride forward by a day so we met at Nant Yr Arian Visitor Centre later that morning for a long overdue - 40 years - ride together on the Syfydrin Black run - 20 plus miles of mixed, remote, challenging but hugely rewarding Black level trail. We chatted to a guy in one hamlet who has almost finished rebuilding a shell of a cottage that I have been observing over the years, noticed a completely new and stylish new build and looked down on an old farmhouse that is also undergoing restoration with solar panels and what may well be a bunk house. Coffee and cake as the hundreds of red kites arrived for their daily feast of raw chicken saw us going our parting ways but not before I had a quick whizz on his emtb - very impressive but not for me yet as I still enjoy the buzz and the burn.

This changed for me the very next day as after a night at Glangwy campsite near Llangurrig I cycled over to the Hafren Forest, up the tracks towards the sources of the Wye and Severn and then encountered almost wintery conditions on the slopes of Plynlymmon as a I crossed to the Sweet Lamb motor racing circuit. Even the shepherds gathering sheep looked cheesed off as I shot down to the A44 and crossed over for a return to Nant Rhys bothy with the intention of locking all access gates. A long climb up to the hut had me drooling over power assistance but I will hold out for as long as poss. due to charging and weight considerations. The bothy had seen a visit from a fellow, and local, bothy stalwart whose regular visits combined with NRW's new padlocks and restricted key holders' policy seem to be keeping on top of bothy misuse.

Back at Glangwy I dealt with the loo, cleaned the washroom, washed most of the muck off the bike and prepared for an early start to Sheffield following morning. I had found out that the Calor depot at Worcester still had some 3.9kg Propane cylinders despite their unwelcome and unpopular withdrawal by Calor UK. As it was more or less en route to CAK tanks at Kenilworth I called in and had a good chat with the lad there - he reckons the company cannot make a profit on smaller cylinders but as they are a quarter of the price of the nearest equivalent Camping Gaz 907s they could change this by charging slightly more : Flogas seem able to supply an equivalent at a competitive price but have a short term cylinder shortage. In a corporate world where being green is foremost in company literature it again seems ludicrous that the withdrawn Calor cylinders will be scrapped whilst Flogas commission thousands of new almost identical cylinders, surely a safety check and a respray would be better all round. Anyway with luck I now have enough to see me through Autumn after which I will be back on CG for my winter trips.

At CAK I wanted a Thetford Freshen Up kit to give me a new loo seat as the old one has split - they should strengthen their design and I will use the remainder of the fibreglass kit to do just that. The spare cassette can sit quietly in store but the yellow cap has gone in the van as a spare as they are so easily lost down a poorly designed disposal point. I also picked up a new fresh water inlet point and a length of pipe before heading up to Sheffield and an empty house as Mandy is on an unexpected cycling holiday in Mull. 

Thus today I replaced the old fresh water inlet and leaking filling pipe - this plus a small overflow tube and the washroom sink waste pipe all exit the van through a tight space near the rear swing arm. It took some ingenuity and a hairdryer for heat to ease out the old pipes and replace the new plus a section of rigid waste pipe to join the new filler pipe to the existing run to the tank but eventually all was done and that concludes a long list of minor repairs and tweaks that with luck will set me up for Autumn in the UK and another longish trip through winter and in to 2024.

Before then there  is much to look forward to as I head to Dumfries and Galloway next week, then down to Wales and Devon for house sits via a meet up on the Mendips before our trip to Lundy in October. November sees MOTs and the traditional Langdale break before I head south.

Further pics here.....

 

Czech Republic and Home

Heading away from Brno with the weather still very hot I stopped at Mikulov with its impressive castle overlooking the town which was built in the 13th Century, used as a store for hoarded art objects by the Nazis and burnt down at the end of WW2 but rebuilt in the 1950's.

 I took one of the tour options (Czech language only) which gave us access to some of the more private rooms and the chapel before passing through Slavonice close to the Austrian border with its two squares containing many fine examples of Rennaissance architecture. Further west at Telc I stopped at a small site and bar next to a lake within easy walking distance of the centre. Here the large castle was closed for renovations but you could still ascend the nearby Black Tower passing the bells and supporting timbers for a good view over the centre and across the many ponds that surround the town. Whilst walking through the old centre sirens could be heard and a number of fire appliances arrived outside the castle but were unable to pass through the narrow gates. Miles of hose pipes were unfurled and an ancient tender eventually turned up carrying several crew that was able to pass through and deal with the incident - all very Camberwick Green. Back at the site I enjoyed a beer and an excellent steak grilled on the outdoor BBQ before a quiet but warm night. Before leaving the following day I walked over to the small motor museum which had ancient Skodas, various Rolls Royces and a range of other vehicles plus a surprisingly extensive collection of old prams alongside household artefacts going back over the decades.

 

Cesky Krumlov on the Vitava River was well worth a visit although the campsite on the river bank north of the town was very busy as it is a staging post or end point for the many rafting businesses on the river. A large covered area provided beer and grilled food and minibus and trailer combos were returning rafts and rafters constantly. I walked in to town where the Vitava follows numerous tight meanders with various weirs and sluices offering paddlers an exciting experience beneath the castle walls. I stopped to watch various groups pass through before exploring the streets and alleys of the Old Town.

 

 

Ceske Budejovice provided a much quieter place to stay with basic camping on a sports field by the river with a cycle track in to town. A music festival was underway in the centre on the opposite bank but I enjoyed cycling round the largely traffic free cobbled centre before choosing a riverside cafe for pizza and beer. The impressive town hall dominated the square (one of Europe's largest) which featured a range of fine buildings and some lovely floral displays after which I returned to the field and had a quiet beer in the clubhouse bar.

 

 

 Heading north through Bohemia I arrived at Karlstejn which has a remarkable castle perched high above the village and river. The site sandwiched between the river, a road and a railway was again busy but I found a spot and walked back to the village passing a lovely old T2 VW van sadly rotting away under a tree. The steep walk up to the castle reached the outer walls and then an inner courtyard from where a choice of tours began. I took one with an English audio guide that allowed me to appreciate the splendour of the various rooms and chambers we passed through whilst from terraces and courtyards we could enjoy views over the village and surrounding countryside.

 

Whilst walking back I detoured across to the railway station to check out the trains in to Prague before returning to the site where every last space had been filled, and more. Early next morning I was away for the 40 minute journey in to Prague and spent the day in the city which for a few hours after I arrived was reasonably quiet. I walked up to the huge castle for the views and then crossed the famous King Charles Bridge where buskers and caricature artists were gearing up for the increasing throng. Cities are not really my thing and I hadn't planned to visit this one but it was worth the effort and I caught a late afternoon train back glad to have made the effort.

 

A Czech family's large garden provided a small but pleasant site at Kutna Hora a couple of miles outside the town, easily reached by bike, which allowed me to visit the stunning Gothic St. Barbara's Cathedral with its magnificent central nave, vaulted ceilings and external flying buttresses. From there I stopped at the Italian Court whose terraces gave good views back up to the Cathedral and stopped again during my return at the Sedlec ossuary with it's macabre collection of bones and skulls many used to line the vaulted ceiling and form a bizarre central chandelier - unfortunately photography was not permitted.

Hradec Kralove was worth a stop whilst heading north with its large square reached through a long stone tunnel beneath the White Tower. Another beautiful array of old buildings with colourful facades surrounded the large square with a quirky clock whose small hand pointed to the minutes, whilst the large did the hours.

Hard up against the Polish border the Ardspach Teplice Rocks were a remarkable jumble of sandstone pillars and towers with gorges and the odd lake extending over many square miles - it was again busy and entrance was by timed admission with parking needing to be reserved in advance online as well and a rip off at £20 for a camper. Bizarrely half a mile up the road camping with EHU was only £15 a night via an honesty box so I parked up and walked back to the entrance to reserve a ticket for 9 the following morning. 

 

Thus I was away early ahead of most people and had the impressive stones largely to myself before following the Wolf's Gorge for a couple of hours down to Teplice and taking the ten minute train journey back to the start point - all in all well worth doing - if you beat the crowds.

Beneath the twin keeps of Trosky Castle Michael runs a cracking little site in a wooded valley and provided a map with a selection of walking and cycling routes which combined with my SatMap enabled me to pass through another (and much quieter) area of sandstone pillars and gorges before the steep climb up to the castle for the chance to climb both towers, admire the views and enjoy a pork schnitzel, chips and a beer before the ride home. That night there was a spectacular thunderstorm and heavy rain which heralded a change in the weather for the next fortnight or so.

 

On considering my options I decided that after 10 months away and with the fridge and water heater requiring attention it was time to head west. My leisure battery was also showing signs of failure, probably due to ite being run low when I stupidly left the switch on allowing the water pump to kick in but as there was an airlock it just ran for several hours so I booked a ferry from Dunkirk for 3 days hence and crossed in to Germany later that day.

By chance friends from Derbyshire were nearby and we arranged to meet up for me to have a good look over their new Dreamer van. We met in a park up in the woods only to find they had their second puncture in a week so we set to to change the wheel in a steady drizzle. These are heavy old vans so it was a bit nerve wracking raising it with the scissor jack but before long we were sorted and then educating ourselves in the peculiarities of the Ducato spare wheel mounting system. After a good evening's catch up we drove in to the nearby town where a garage said the repair would be ready after lunch giving us time to catch up further over coffee and cake before going our separate ways.

Half way across Germany I tucked away in woodland before crossing in to Belgium the following day in heavy rain which seemed to vindicate my decision. 90 minutes short of Dunkirk I stopped overnight in a French village observing how much more supportive France is of van dwellers. The local Leclerc supermarket was the most well stocked retail outlet I'd seen since Caceres in January. With a reasonable command of French it was nice to eat out in the local cafe and understand more or less everything that was said, the tricky languages of the last 6 weeks have been quite trying at times.

 

I arrived at Dunkirk with a few hours to spare and was bumped on to the midday sailing instead for no extra charge which was great. Two hours later we arrived beneath the grey cliffs of Dover and after some expected delays on the rain sodden M25 I was barreling along the M4 to Wales where I parked up in an old haunt in Brecon.

This last week has been busy and productive - the fridge flue was dismantled, cleaned and reassembled with new insulation so all works fine now - a good jet of air blew out the inlet and outlet flues of the Truma water heater and that is also fine whilst a new leisure battery was delivered to Sennybridge followed eventually by the required terminal adapters so all is well on that front. I chased up annual blood tests for myself and booked the van in for a small area of rust to be seen to in September as well as ordering a new bike cover.

Now the van is more than 20 years old UK/EU breakdown cover is perhaps understandably proving hard to secure so I may well be just even more proactive on pre departure maintenance so to this end will be changing all discs and pads, the ancillary belt and all filters in the Autumn. I will also have a new starter motor fitted as I think this one is the original but will then keep it on board as a spare, as I have done with an alternator.

I caught up with friends in Brecon as well with a good badminton session and went to the cinema to see the new Mission Impossible film - a confusing plot line and reworked tricks were at least saved by some impressive stunts and memory inducing scenes in Venice.

So I head north after this weekend with lots to look forward to including house sits in Brecon and Lynton, a stay on Lundy Island and the annual visit to the Lake District. I expect to be away again by Christmas but my destination is at present uncertain.

Yesterday I walked in to our bothy above the Elan Valley and was pleased to find everything in good order - it is a decade since the project was completed and given the location and weather the sturdy building has withstood the test of time.

 

 A couple of nights off grid at the peaceful Glangwy campsite outside Llangurig are a chance to rest and reflect plus test the capabilities of the new battery and after a day of heavy rain with luck I'll be out on the bike to two more nearby bothies in better weather tomorrow. 

Pics as ever here......

Slovensky Czechia .......

Heading south I stopped for the night at a small campsite near a lake which was busy but not full (the site that is) and had a good bar and decent enough wifi to update the blog whilst downing a beer or two. A local band played some Slovakian versions of pop classics as families barbecued but it was all quiet by 11.

 

I stopped at Banska Stiavnica, a former mining town and UNESCO WH site with its fine old buildings, two castles - the Old and New but both old and enjoyed a coffee and cake at a newly opened bar that was elegantly decorated inside and out. Just below it an area was cordoned off after a disastrous fire back in March that had destroyed half a dozen of the town's finer buildings. Restoration was underway but many precious works of art, museum pieces and antique books had been lost.

 

 

Arriving at a large but outdated campsite north of Bratislava in the suburb of Zlaty Pieski I pitched up as far under the trees as possible as the temperatures across Central and Southern Europe were staying very high. A short walk over to the tram terminus and a twenty minute journey put me in the centre and I walked down to the river and out to the impressive bridge that is supported primarily from one end by the 'UFO Tower' built in the 70s as a display of Soviet engineering. Apparently the circular restaurant at the top was supposed to be a revolving one but they were unable to access the Western technology to achieve this. It acts as an excellent observation platform after taking the lift up and I could see beyond Bratislava's old centre to the new skyscrapers of the business district to the east and the impressive Red Stone Castle to the west (which shone a brilliant white.....) After checking out a number of lovely churches and old buildings I caught the tram back up to the site which had filled up considerably. A friend from Swansea who is a bothy maintenance stalwart was from the city and used to swim in the local lake almost 40 years ago, which was also the scene of a fatal aircrash.

 

My intention to visit Trencin Castle was thwarted by yet another infuriating park by App or SMS system that refused to work but as I had stopped at the smaller but very impressive Beckov Castle I wasn't too bothered.

 

Thus I was over in to the Czech Republic and originally considered staying at a park-up out in the hills but it was on the junction of a couple of local roads and I doubted it would be particularly peaceful. Thus an aire in Uherse Hradiske caught my attention with the promise of free hook up but when I arrived none of the four outlets were working and a few locally owned Czech vans were occupying most of the spaces, however I could squeeze in and walked across to the supermarket and ATM as the Czech currency is still the Crown despite an intention to join the Euro over a decade ago. I was perhaps still mindful of the Hungarian forint arithmetic when it came to conversions and inadvertently took out £700 instead of £70 which to be honest I'm surprised my bank even let me do.......few machines elsewhere would allow you to withdraw that much. Anyway fortunately I have sufficient funds for it not to matter and it will act as an incentive to stay longer than planned!

The city of Olomouc was easily reached on foot from the campsite north of the centre and I enjoyed another old central zone with open squares including the main Trinity Square in front of the Town Hall that has a fascinating astronomical clock on one wall. I also walked out to the St Wenceslas cathedral passing through an arty tunnel before coffee and cake in the shade to energise me for the walk back. 

 

 

The UNESCO listed Archbishop's Palace at Kromeriz is surrounded by very pleasant parklands that I walked round keeping in the shade before heading south again to the Punkva Caves complex just north east of Blansko. It took some working out but basically by parking for the Macocha gorge which was an impressively large canyon lined with greenery you then walked a mile or so down to the Punkva entrance for a timed visit with a guide. Arriving early gave me time to enjoy the small museum, a Czech beer and a snack before we headed in to the system. Whilst not on the scale or grandeur of Skocjan back in Slovenia it was still a good visit which eventually emerged at the bottom of the gorge I had peered in to earlier. From there after more caverns and passages we all jumped in to flat bottomed battery powered skiffs that took us along a flooded section with a stop to look at a beautifully decorated chamber before finally emerging in to daylight. Then a cable car returned us to the top car park to cap off a very enjoyable experience.

Visiting Brno, Czechia's second largest city, yesterday was another interesting combination of transport options. I was staying at a lovely Dutch run site at Veverska Bityska at the top end of the valley flooded to provide drinking water for Brno and had spent the first evening chatting to Phillip, a Czech guy with a T4 who was very interested in my set up and lifestyle - he has a wife and young son and wants to live a simpler and more sustainable life in a hut he owns in wooded hills in the north of the country. The reception provided details of how to get down to the far end of the lake by boat and then hop on a tram to the city centre so at 9.30 am I was waiting by a slow moving, greenish coloured river when a lovely old fashioned vessel turned up for those of us on the bank. For a very reasonable £8 return we enjoyed a serene journey along a valley which opened up to become a large lake with numerous beaches, swimming spots and paddleboarders. Our vessel was electric so slid smoothly alongside various jetties for others to join or leave before reaching the dam wall. A short walk away I joined the tram in to town that seemed to operate a tap'n' go system for fares using my bank card although a couple I had met on the boat said they had tried to do the same, come unstuck and been hit with a hefty fine. For me as a change to the usual castles and fine buildings Brno had 3 varied underground attractions. The ossuary in a catacomb beneath St Jacob's Church once contained the bones of 50,000 deceased from many hundreds of years ago when cremations were not seen as acceptable. Many remains were later reinterred elsewhere but the collection remaining provided a poignant sight in the cool dark crypt. After an unusually decadent (for me) KFC mainly to get some wifi, unlimited drink top ups and use the loo I then climbed the tower of the old Town hall for a good overview of the city and some useful breeze as it was still hot. Dropping down to the large outdoor Krautmarkt or cabbage market, which of course sold far more than just cabbages, I then joined up for the tour of the extensive cellars that fan out from beneath the market place under adjacent buildings and were used for storage of everything from wines to vegetables, cheeses, grains and even prisoners.

 

 After climbing up to Spilberk Castle for more panoramic views and a jar of the excellent Urquell lager I then took my final excursion underground in to the 10-z nuclear fall out shelter which lies inside the castle's hill. It was an eerie experience and took me back to last summer's visit to a former Soviet nuclear missile silo in the Baltics - mankind is capable of acheiving so much looking back at the history of all the places I have been to in recent weeks and yet seems capable of putting it all at irreversible risk. For centuries Eastern Europe has seen wars and invasions with huge changes in the powers that be creating a complex historical web that prior to this trip I was only vaguley aware of. The stability of the EU may harbour well for the future but I am also acutely aware that Britain's narrow minded and pointless exit from Europe is impacting negatively on our country, those who would wish to live, work and study for a time there and the likes of yours truly who like to get away. To this end I have about a month left of this 9 month trip and will be heading across Germany by the end of July.

A tram back to the lake followed by an hour's gliding across still waters passing Veveri Castle, which I plan on cycling down to shortly, returned me to the site which was now full. I'd met Jay and Carol from amongst other places Sydney, Ireland and Berlin who are just embarking on an extended tour of Europe in a brand new VW Grand California van based on the Crafter. They have a loose itinerary so we chatted about various options and I hope to get a closer look at the impressive vehicle later.

Anyway a few hours in the shade bringing this up to date has also enabled me to do some laundry, have a clean out, deal with the loo which has gone a useful 3 weeks without needing emptying and checked my gas bottles - I am less than half way through the last Moroccan cylinder as the fridge has not been used on gas, I'm mostly enjoying salads for meals and the hot weather has meant that less gas has been needed to enjoy a shower. I have been using mostly sites and taken EHU occasionally which gives me hot water and a cold fridge for a further 48 hours so everything is fine for my last few weeks.

Pics as always by clicking this link.

Borders, borders and more borders........

After leaving Zagreb I headed north and east for a couple of hours before finding a quiet place by a fishing lake to spend the night - to avoid the Hungarian motorway tolls which require an e-vignette the sat nav had taken me briefly through Austria. I had tried to get the vignette but the App didn't recognise my UK registration number but I bet the monitoring cameras would have done if I had transgressed. Similarly on a visit south of Gyor to the remarkable Pannonhalma Abbey high on a hill top the parking app wouldn't accept it either and as I had no small change I had to move on. An ATM had happily dispensed 100,000 forints - about £230 so working out what things actually cost is a bit mind numbing!

Anyway at a supermarket I did a few repeated small shops offering up the largest notes and so soon accumulated some small change although for 2 and 1 forints the tills don't give it out even though it's on the receipt...

I had crossed back in to Hungary from Austria and in Gyor spotted a car parts store so went in to buy 5l of engine oil before stopping at a Kwik Fit (of all places) to see if they could do me an oil and filter change. The guy was very helpful but said his workshop wasn't high enough, however he happily pointed me in the direction of another workshop not too far away and as I had the correct filter with me they had the job done and dusted within the hour for a very reasonable £30.  Passing through the Buda Hills north of Budapest I found a quiet forestry picnic area to spend the night before dropping down to Budapest to stay on the Ave Natura campsite, near the city but pleasantly situated in a shady valley. The owner was a very friendly and switched on guy with good English who placed me on a level pitch and explained the local bus service in to the capital, including providing two tickets.

Thus I was soon on my way down to the Danube, across the bridge and walking round towards the parliament buildings. I enjoyed a couple of hours exploring and had lunch in the centre that comes alive at night. There were some beautiful buildings and I even took a spin on the ferris wheel for some far reaching views but to be honest it was all rather too busy and in places seedy for me so after crossing over the river and walking back up on the Buda side with good views across the river I caught the bus back to the site.

 

The various sites of the Danube bend, on Europe's second longest river, started with an unexpected ferry crossing to Vac - I left the van on the west side and enjoyed the short hop to an attractive town with more fine buildings including a spectacular cathedral. Built in to the walls a small cafe was serving fish and chips by the river which was delicious before the ferry took me back over to the van.

Further up the valley the impressive castle of Visegrad towered over the river and was well worth the visit with remarkable views, a number of sections to the castle and some impressive displays of how life might have been. 

The huge basilica at Esztergom was undergoing refurbishment but you could still have a look round the cavernous interior and enjoy the views over the Danube.

That evening I tucked away by a fishing lake and had a chat with a guy who offered me a nip of some local home brewed hooch - it was strong but nice enough and he was very friendly with good English having worked in various parts of the UK. It was a very peaceful night but I was away early to the village of Holloko that preserves the traditional rural buildings of a very attractive area. Again the parking machine wouldn't accept even coins but I could pay in the information centre this time.

Down at Gyongyos the narrow gauge railway that climbed in to the forested hills was closed for a signalling upgrade so I headed up in to the hills anyway finding a quiet spot just off the road in the Buk National Park. Next day down at Lillafured I parked up to join another narrow gauge railway that rolled down to Miskolc through lovely scenery - it had been constructed to extract timber from the surrounding forests and the loco had a chainsaw tucked away in case of unforseen events on the line. After a quick ice cream I was back up to Lillafured where a grand hotel looks out over a reservoir.

Moving on to Tokaj an important centre of the Hungarian wine industry I found a lovely place to park up right on the river with good views across to the castle. There was a group of canoe campers set up on the opposite bank and a party for the local youths at the boat club but it was a quiet night after the event ended. Tokaj has a number of cellars tunnelled in to the rocks and provided a place for a lunch out in the sunny square.

For the weekend I headed over in to Slovakia having used the last of my forints to fill the tank and get some food in - it's not a currency to hang on to as I have seen all that I wished to in Hungary as much of the country is a huge flat plain. In the very north east of the country I found a superb little site in the Poloniny NP at Ulike Sedova, hard up against the Polish and Ukrainian borders. The friendly owner turned up later on, charged £12/night with hook up and shower key and pointed out the barrel of beer running on an honesty box basis and at only £1.50 a pint. There was only one other couple staying and I enjoyed an afternoon in the sun before a quiet and slightly woozy night. Next day I set off on a six hour walk that took me up to a pillar marking the junction of all 3 national boundaries - a very sobering place in the light of events on the other side of Ukraine although in fact Lviv only a hundred miles away had been bombed days earlier. The countryside was the same in all directions - gently rolling wooded hills and it felt the same as the wooded borders of the Baltic states with Belarus and Russia last summer.

 

Back at the site an Australian guy on a motorbike had arrived - Tod was from Perth and had shipped his bike to the UK for a 3 month tour of Europe. He had a pretty unforgiving schedule having already reached the Nordkapp and had crossed the whole of Poland that day. His onward route was through to Turkey and a couple of years ago he had crossed Russia and Mongolia from Vladivostock to St Petersburg. Anyway we swopped stories over a beer or two but he was away first thing next morning as I enjoyed a rare lie in.

Heading south I stopped to admire a few of the old timber built churches that are common in the Slovakian/Polish border region - the history of this region is very complex with national boundaries constantly evolving and even new countries emerging so I guess stability in religion and the simple permanence of field and forest provided the communities with some reassurances. Again I had felt this in the Baltics where rural life continued with very little change for centuries.

Bardejov had a fine collection of old buildings around its spacious square and a brass band were filling the streets with a medley of tunes from the balcony of the town hall. A secluded spot beneath the ruins of Palec castle provided a quiet place for the night with just a French lady on her own in another van tucked away. Restoration work seemed to be underway but with only one guy facing a huge task it seemed likely to be a job for life.

Further renovation work was underway at the mighty Spis Castle but on a far grander scale so whilst there was access to the huge outer enclosure the dramatic castle itself was out of bounds. Nearby a small village situated round a Catholic church and monastery was well worth a visit.

 

The small Pieniny NP protects a limestone gorge that marks the Slovakian/Polish border and is a popular rafting location so the village is full of hire companies who then run you back in a minibus and trailer - perhaps not a very environmentally sound arrangement as the 5 mile raft trip then requires a 30 mile round trip for each bus. Normally you can walk or cycle back up the gorge and I had intended to cycle it each way but it was closed for repairs to the trail following the floods a couple of months ago so I just enjoyed a ride over the footbridge in to Poland and round a few villages. I stopped at a small campsite which was busy but not full and later that evening enjoyed a remarkably intense thunderstorm with impressive lightning stikes for several hours. The German van next door lowered their satellite dish and unplugged their hook up in case of power surges but as I had neither to worry about I just enjoyed the spectacle. Moving on I arrived at the Slovensky Raj NP and stayed on a large open site that was very convenient for this popular area known as Slovakian Heaven. Numerous walking and cycling trails pass through the limestone area with gorges dissecting the plateau in various places.I decided to ride up to the plateau heading south and then head back over a total of 30 odd miles that began with an hour's steep climbing up a rough track. Then a traverse of the plateau through forest and woodland before a long steady descent back to the van through some tiny hamlets. 

 

 Early next day I was away by 8 to walk the Sucha Bella gorge which gets very popular later in the day. After paying the small admission fee I set off up the gorge following a number of log bridges, steel steps and aluminium ladders for a couple of hours with it mostly to myself - at busy times the waiting would be beyond tedious. Finally emerging on the track I had ridden the day before I noticed that there were bikes to be hired for the return trip - good value at a fiver a time but I was surprised they didn't provide helmets as in places the track was rough, steep and loose. Anyway I walked down and then packed up as the temperatures rose and headed west to remarkable Orava Castle situated high above the village on a narrow ridge. The self guided tour was excellent giving access to all the various levels and rooms - the timber roofing was remarkable with superb craftsmanship on every detail - shaped shingles even forming the ridge coverings.

 

 After a quiet night on a quiet site at Vavin in the Mala Fatra NP having enjoyed views of the towering peaks of the Tatras mountains I moved on stopping briefly at a folk village (Cicmany) with beautifully preserved houses decked out with flowers and well tended gardens. I tried to use the parking app without success but took a chance and looked round anyway. I took a screen shot of the failed SMS messages in case by some remote chance a fine arrives back in Wales one day before moving on to Bojnice castle which had been rebuilt to reflect those of the Loire Valley and reminded me of the Disneyesque structure back in Morocco. A guided tour (in Slovakian only) was required to visit one area but otherwise it was self guided again and I enjoyed the cool rooms on a hot sunny day.

 

I am now heading to the capital Bratislava before crossing in to the Czech Republic for a couple of weeks then it's time in Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium before my return home in 4 or 5 weeks.

 

 

Usual pics here.

 

BACK IN TO EUROPE AND HEADING EAST

So after 24 hours at Tangier Med we moved through the exit formalities which included passport control, customs who dealt with the vehicle export by cancelling the small white slip of paper issued some 3 months previously and then the whole vehicle scan which involved all occupants and pets exiting their vehicles whilst the truck mounted scanner carefully screened a batch at a time. From there we were directed to one of many lines of vehicles for the final wait, slightly extended by two hours as our orignal vessel had been replaced. Alongside us were dozens of Moroccan Mercedes and Transit vans all carrying huge roof top loads - presumably those many carpets being delivered as well as other goods and produce heading for outlets in Europe. I also think a lot of the vehicles were Moroccans working in Europe and returning home after Ramadam - presumably they send money home regularly but perhaps rarely make the journey as travelling each way would be a significant sum. Late evening our vessel docked and disgorged a comical variety of similarly overloaded vans with roofracks piled high with bikes, sinks, furniture and all manner of goods for onward sale in Morocco. I was surprised they had escaped the attention of the law in Europe but over here they fitted in just fine. One guy's exhaust fell off as he jolted over the ramp but he just jumped out and tucked it inder the roof top netting and carried on his way. A couple of HGVs also disembarked followed by a huge 360 excavator on a special loader before we were finally waved on board after one final police check around 2am. I had given away a gas cylinder and regulator to a group in a van who were very grateful - no point me lugging around an empty one until my next return.

We found our cabin which was huge with a lounge, shower/loo and porthole but it was dated and lacked coffee making facilities or any of the similar touches you might expect. In fairness I think this ship had been drafted in at very short notice and replaced what should have been a modern and luxurious vessel and this became more apparent as our voyage unfolded. We had paid for two super food passes but at breakfast the next moning the choice was very limited and the cashier said we had to pay extra for a paper plate of congealed scrambled egg and drinks. I refused so we sent it back and later consulted the purser at information who said it should have been included - I became very aware of our overall good fortune compared to the Moroccan people we have just spent time with but felt that the ship was not providing the level of service we could reasonably expect. Their queuing and payment systems both at this cafe and the lunch bar were haphazard which again led me to believe that the crew were working an unfamiliar ship. In the shop the girl more or less ignored us and at dinner the staff seemed confused by the two eating options side by side with different menus. Anyway without wishing to go on it was actually a very enjoyable way to reach Italy with two and a half days on board to enjoy the calm Med, warm sunshine and views of the Balearic Islands before a stop for a few hours in Barcelona. A number of motorbikes joined the ship after a few vehicles had left and we enjoyed the view of the much overdue cathedral, two superyachts owned by Arab sheiks and the sight of tourists passing above the ship on a cablecar. We also had phone connectivity for a couple of hours before we headed once more in to the simmering blue Med bound for Genoa. During another exploration of the ship we found all the Moroccan van drivers had set up camp in and around the cinema and reclining chairs as stretching to a cabin would be be beyond their reach - again we should count our blessings.

Genoa was reached on the Thursday morning giving me a couple of days in hand for the Brexit ballet as time aboard doesn't count. It is a busy port with links to Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica amongst others so we threaded between numerous container ships and brightly painted ferries before finally tying up opposite a queue of yet more heaviily overloaded vans heading back to Tangiers.

 

We were soon off and away and had decided to have a quick look round Genoa but the sat nav flagged up an environmental zone ahead so with no knowledge of its limits or implementation decided to head north to our intended stop at Voltaggio with a brief interuption at Compomorone where we withdrew euros, enjoyed a first Italian coffee and replenished the fridge and food cupboards at a small supermarket. We had also stopped at a motorhome workshop to get a replacement water cap but they didn't do gas or our sort of regulator unfortunately.

Voltaggio provided an excellent first night's stay with a walk up in to the hills above the medieval village, coffee and ice cream in a friendly cafe and a walk down to the 12th century bridge. The aire was on the edge of the village by the football pitch and had water available. We slept very well and woke to a couple of guys setting up a spit roast for a whole lamb that would take all day to cook - it was a public holiday and a bike race was due to pass by late morning. We decided to try and catch it so walked back in to the village, decided it was unlikely to fly through the narrow cobbled streets and walked down to the old bridge and on to the main road just in time to see the safety cars and peloton flash by followed by the local police.

 

We decided to move on in to the Apennines in case the lamb roast got busy and after some hair raising encounters with suicidal motorbikers, one in particular jamming on the brakes and compressing his forks as he headed straight towards us, we turned on to minor roads through the hills and climbed to La Piane campsite located above lovely Cerignale. We were greeted by Tracy from Yorkshire who has lived in Italy for 20 years and has run the site for a couple of years with her Italian husband having both previously been welders. She had a lovely mixed accent and parked us up in a spot beside one of the many wooden cabins that she said would be drier ground if the forecast heavy rain materialised. We walked down to Cerignale and then returned to eat at their quirky onsite restauarant and enjoyed some good cooking whilst talking to a German couple.

Next day we did a good walk up in to the hills passing a large well maintained walker's refuge and returning through Cerignale after a short thunderstorm for coffee and cake.

Dropping down to Bobbio the next day after doing our laundry we encountererd more mad bikers but enjoyed the large square, cathedral and impresssive bridge in this attractive little town. Leaving the hills behind we dropped in to the Po valley with its flat arable fields and stayed the night at Farini adjacent to the river where in a very friendly bar in the otherwise closed town we enjoyed snacks and pizzas with our drinks. 

From Monticelli D'Ongina we enjoyed another ride clocking up 45 miles around the embankments above the river and walked in to to the town with its brick built castle and cloistered streets. The following day we rode along the Po and crossed in to Cremona partly in a futile search for gas and stopped at a Decathlon where we bought a small bar bag and gel saddle pad. Back at MDO we walked in for a drink before sleeping well in the aire alongside a couple of other vans. 

Moving on east we stopped at Sala Baganza at an aire next to a sports centre and hooked up to the electricity for a couple of hours as the gas side of our 3 way fridge has packed up - I think the exhaust and flue have collapsed after 20 years so hope to repair or replace when home later in the year.

We cycled up the valley and then turned in to the hills for some steep climbs on a sunny evening before returning to the aire where a huge Swiss van had also arrived. Next day we cycled in to Parma and really enjoyed this very cycle friendly city with its fine buildings, pretty squares and gentle pace. Raw horse meat for lunch was surprisingly good and with no apparent side effects and we cycled home just ten minutes too late to avoid a downpour but soon dried off in the van. We noted in Parma as elsewhere that there are large numbers of beautiful old bikes still in use, many must be approaching 50 years old and were generally kept in very good condition.

From Guastalla we again enjoyed a long ride through the countryside along the Po river which had almost dried up last year and yet saw damaging floods earlier this year. An intricate network of leats, drains, canals and levees has operted in this area since Roman times and it is still a hugely productive area although a fair bit of the arable crop had seen wind damage.

With the weekend approaching we pulled in at Pieve Di Cariano and paid the 20 euros for 3 nights that included power - partly because of the fridge issues and also because yet again, as in Spain Campingaz was proving elusive. We walked in to the village and had a beer at a restaurant busy preparing to serve at least 50 covers and checked out the water and waste point by the council yard for later as the water at our site by the river was apparently not drinkable. Later that evening we were treated to music from a local group down on the pontoon and were very moved by a Dutch couple in a camper who danced gently - she was clearly suffering from some form of dementia but came alive with the music. A little further on a huge American army truck had pulled up and was providing food and drink to the various people who turned up - we enjoyed a beer and a prosecco before joining the music.

Next day after walking in to the village again for bread we enjoyed a few hours relaxing as it was very hot but still fitted in a 25 mile ride that afternoon and had a quiet night with no further entertainment. On the Sunday we set off again on the bikes following a number of cycle tracks along various water courses and discovered beautiful San Beniditto Po with its huge square, large church and cool cloisters. We enjoyed drinks at a small cafe just before it closed and then set off again to find a place for lunch but eventually returned to the same village and stopped at a tiny pizza place run by an old lady. Her pizzas were absolutely delicious and were served in a shady seating area by a girl who spoke excellent English. Back by the river the truck had returned so we walked over for a beer but due to a misunderstanding ended up with a bottle of prosecco instead of a glass so decided to stick it in the fridge and substitute it for a glass of our own wine. The truck finally left around midnight giving us another peaceful night in this lovely area.

 

Monday the 12th of June saw us moving on with a stop at the walled town of Montagnana to Este where the aire was tucked away in a square in the town centre and had free hook up with only the parking to pay for at 1 euro per hour until 6pm. We found a hardware shop for some glue as the mirror glass door runners in the shower had slipped loose - fortunately the falling glass did not break and all was soon well - at 20 years old it's not surprising that some of the van's fixtures and fittings are on the way out but all should easily be resolved in due course. Having been away 7 months and with 2 still to go there is an ever lengthening list of minor jobs and repairs to keep me occupied back in the UK from mid August. Este had a large castle and gardens and made for a good walk round and we moved on the following day to Montselice and Padua with again the odd futile foray in search of gas - fortunately we have two full cylinders in hand and with not using the fridge or cooking much due to the heat I expect it to see me through to Germany in late July.

 

 

We had decided to stop at Noale for one night and arrived at the aire adjacent to the bus station to find a barrier in situ, a quick call to the number on a poster and we were in - as well as being informed that the electric was not working. However we had bought a bag of ice in Este and filled water bottles and a lunchbox so that plus some driving had kept the fridge cold enough. Noale was suggested as being a handy place to get the train to Venice and although we had had no intention of going in in the van this option came as a surprise to us and we decided to give it a go. A quick walk down to the station confirmed train times for the following day and we returned to the van to find a local flag waving group practicing nearby.

 So we were at the station first thing next morning but failed to get the ticket machine to work so Mandy asked in the adjacent bar and they promptly issued two returns for the thirty minute journey. We hadn't really realised that the city was actually connected to the mainland and were delighted to arrive on the edge of this remarkable place and be straight out on to the Grand Canal. Plenty of people were heading out trailing suitcases behind them as we set off to explore deciding just to wander randomly and head for the quieter areas. It really was an amazing place with beautiful buildings, hundreds of bridges, dozens of canals and backwaters and at the outer edges remarkable views across to other islands around the bay. We lunched alongside a side canal and were served by a very friendly Tunisian waiter. Watching the life on the water was fascinating as apart from the passenger ferries and gondolas all the construction materials, hotel and shop supplies, food and drinks etc were being delivered by numerous barges of various sizes all jostling with one another to tie up, move off, load or unload. Inevitably we arrived at St Marks Square which was busy but not rammed and admired the fabulous basilica before seeking out the Bridge of Sighs and then following more paths and bridges around the edges.  Reluctantly after a wonderful day we caught a train back to Noale and just had time to look round the town which was preparing for a medieval festival which I'm sure would be worth returning to another time. Before leaving the next morning we took a look at the huge market that occupied most of the town and then headed off for Treviso pleased that the barrier opened automatically - no one had come for payment and we had been able to fill up with water.

 

The aire at Treviso was on the edge of a tree shaded car park but was itself in full sun so we nipped out for another bag of ice and then explored this lovely town with its narrow streets, a few waterways and several waterwheels. We watched a laid back coypu float down the river, saw a pair of swans with seven cygnets and admired the large fish swimming in the clear water before returning to base. Later that evening we walked in to town again and after following a flow of people along the city wall came across a large event we had seen posters for - basically an Elvis Tribute festival : The King is in Town. All manner of fast food stalls were offering dishes from around the world but with a leaning to the American scene and there were stalls with t-shirts and other merchandise as well as some lovely old American cars and motorbikes. It was a great atmosphere and before long a superb Beatles tribute band - the Beatboys from Spain - were belting out some old favourites. They were very good and kept the crowd entertained for almost two hours leaving us a late night walk back though empty streets. I misread our direction so we ended up with quite a walk back but at least saw parts of this enchanting place we might otherwise have missed.

Passing the oustskits of Trieste we arrived at the parking for Grotta Gigante and booked for the guided tour giving us time to look around the informative museum before as a thunderstorm erupted we began to descend the 500 steps in to a huge underground chamber richly decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, columns and flowstone. It was all on a remarkable scale and the main chamber is high enough to allow two long pendulums that can actually detect slight movements in the earths crust - for example a slight deformation when there is heavy snow on the Alps.

 

Back on the surface we crossed briefly in to Slovenia and then in to Croatia where at the mid point of the Parenzana cycle trail lies the Eco Gecko mini camping at Triban. The friendly if eccentric Michael cycled over to open the gate and we decided to pitch up in shade behind the small facilities block. There were perhaps a dozen pitches in total with a range of nationalities and Michael lived in a caravan/awning combo on the adjacent field as he was also renting out the house. We walked in to the village to check out access to the trail and then retired for a very peaceful night after sitting in the evening cool.

The trail took us along the route of an old narrow gauge line that ran back to Trieste so dropped gently to Izola on the coast passing through a busy campsite where people were lying on the pebbly beach. We found a beach cafe for lunch and a beer before returning round the edge of the salt workings that occupied many acres of enclosed lagoons and climbing past a hotel on a back road to cut off a long loop out thus returning us to Triban after 42 miles.

The trail in the opposite direction the following day was much more rural and passed through a number of cool tunnels and over various viaducts before we reached Livade. Here a restuarant with a shady terrace tempted us to enjoy a good lunch out of the heat before we pushed on and climbed steeply to the hill top village of Montovun. This is arranged on various levels and contains a variety of old buildings surrounded by defensive walls. We pushed the bikes up the last few steep streets and then locked them up to explore further. There were great views across the valley and forested hills beyond and we could well understand local opposition to a proposed golf course and 500 room hotel down below. Drinks on a terraced bar and replenished water bottles saw us fit for the long but steady climb back on a hot afternoon and we made the right decision to deviate slightly to beautiful Groznan which we felt topped Montovun. Ice creams refreshed us before we walked the maze of streets with houses decorated with flowers and painted bicycles - it is an area renowned for truffles but we only stretched to a bag of truffle flavoured crisps as we weren't stopping to eat. Another musical evening was scheduled for later but we still had a few miles to go so set off back along the track to find the campsite almost empty. Chatting to Michael the next day he explained that Croatia is aiming for upmarket tourism and he was only allowed to open as a 3* site which meant providing more facilities than he had planned but he is closed for the winter as visitor numbers drop right off. He had an interesting lineage and life story and I look forward to returning there one day as I plan to return to the Istrian peninsula and further down the Adriatic coast in the off season.

 

En route to Divaca from where we could cycle to the Skocjan Cave we visited a tiny church in the rural village of Hrastovlje which contained stunning centuries old frescoes including one of a macabre line of skeletons dancing as well as depictions of biblical scenes in the various roof vaults and wall niches.

The aire at Divaca was very well organised with power, water and picnic tables but a bit near a busy road. We offloaded the bikes and cycled the 20 minutes over to Skocjan Cave where we just managed to join the 2 o'clock tour. After a walk down a limestone valley we reached the entrance and joined the English speaking tour. Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the cave which was reached by a long tunnel blasted through the rock so you'll have to Google it for piccies. It was another remarkable place with an almost unbelievable array of karst formations occupying numerous chambers and passages. At the far end there was a choice of routes back to the visitor centre and we chose the longer option which took us through a deep gorge through more caves, past waterfalls and over a bridge before a final massive cave passage brought us back to the surface. After a quick ride home we walked in to the small town for a beer near the station after a quite remarkable day.

The continuing high temeperatures triggered cave fever so we booked a trip to Postojnska cave and drove there the following day - it had an aire and we could have stayed but time was against us so we parked up after some confusion over ticket procedures and walked through to the main visitor centre. This venue was far more developed than the other two with additional attractions available, a host of gift shops and cafes and a large hotel. It was also much busier but we only had an hour until our tour so were soon on our way in. We were directed on to a long train of simple metal carriages and were then taken at quite a speed through 2km of cave passage - quite amazing as other trains were returning on the parallel track, such was the scale of the passage. We all then dismounted and began a long walk through a cave system that defies description in terms of size, content and variety. It was almost unbelivable and despite the huge numbers of people down there the caverns still towered above us in all directions. It was hard to take it all in such was the scale and extent of the place and whilst the trains are questionable it is probably the only way most people would ever see such a remarkable place. We bagged a front seat on the return journey which was perfect as the small engine whizzed us back to the entrance.

Our ticket also included entry to the Prejama Castle a few miles up the valley (but not the parking which is a bit naughty) so we headed off there and were yet again totally absorbed by this cave castle. It had been built to allow for the natural rock features so many of the internal walls were the actual limestone and channels had been cut to gather fresh water for times of siege. In the cave high up behind the main castle a metal shroud had been fabricated round a dripping stal to gather further water and a secret cave tunnel had allowed the occupants to reach local villages to restock if a siege was mounted. Various steps and passages led out to terraces above the valley whilst within the rooms included the kitchens with a cave shaft used as the chimney, the armoury, master bedroom and adjoining chapel, a rather gruesome torture chamber in a deep dark cave, the day rooms and servants quarters. It was another place well worth visisting and topped off a very enjoyable few days in a fascinating area. We moved on to a farm based camping with excellent facilities and pitched up in a recently mown hay field with a few other vans dotted around at Grahovo Lipsenj.

The continuing very hot weather tempted us to stop by a river on a small campsite at Priseki where we hired an inflatable canoe to spend an hour on the river to cool off. The owner Stefan was a really nice guy and had gone to great trouble to provide a smart site with excellent facilities in the field behind his mother's cafe. He'd only been open 2 years but was full of enthusiasm and interested in my suggestion that he should stay open in winter for self contained vans. He explained that the cafe closed at 4 as his mother couldn't find any staff as many Croatians leave for better wages in Germany and beyond. Croatia has only just adopted the euro this year and is hoping for a more stable future so I hope he does OK. In fact it was so nice there that we stayed another day in the shade of adjacent trees and occasionally sitting by the river.

After dealing with the various van services we departed for Zagreb and arrived at a small site on the outskirts having decided against visiting the city as rain was forecast. The owner greeeted us with bread,ham and cheese but was a bit obsessional about lining up the van to his power post. We sat in the shade until in the early evening a dramatic thunderstorm erupted with lightning filling the skies. It eased by bedtime and Saturday dawned bright and sunny for our short drive to Zagreb airport. Another slight confusion about parking was resolved and we soon had Mandy waiting to check in in a couple of hours time. I headed off and was pleased to hear of her safe arrival back in Sheffield later that day.

My travels east continue so until next time the usual piccies sit here ....