Camping and Caravanning Club Escorted Tour. The Baltic States. Germany.

We were now well and truly on our way to a new adventure. The start of the escorted part of the tour was Camping Seeblick in Northern Poland, so we had given ourselves two weeks to get there.

 Following our stay in Belgium we were now heading through The Netherlands to Germany. We had planned three stops Dusseldorf, Hanover and Berlin. Being ultra organised for a change, we had actually booked all our sites en route but as it turned out, it was totally unnecessary. Nearly all the campsites we stayed on, except for Berlin had plenty of spaces this early in the year. Actually, even Berlin would also have been fine, except that we had arrived over a busy weekend!

After a four hour drive, we were at Rheincamp Meerbush, a lovely river side camp just outside Dusseldorf. The site is on the River Rhine with the added interest of all the passing river traffic. There is a ferry which goes from just by the campsite across the river to a lovely village where on our return journey at the end of the trip, we enjoyed a very nice meal and drink in the Beer Garden. From Meerbush it is easy to get a tram into Dusseldorf or to visit the big camping exhibition Caravan Salon Dusseldorf usually at the end of August , beginning of September. Rheincamp Meerbush gets very busy around these events so it would be best to book then.

April sitting happily by the river. We could watch the river traffic from the back window. Slightly over cast on our first visit but beautiful on the way home.

Our very own river beach.

The ferry across the river.

A bargain to cross the river on the ferry across just 3 euros.

 What a difference a bit of sun makes! The locals were out sucking up a few rays.

Meerbush. I don't think the bunting was out for us but we enjoyed the ambiance and a beer.


Lots of delightful bike rides or walks from the campsite. On our return visit the beach cafe was open too. Morning bread can be ordered. You can choose to have a riverside pitch for an extra 3 euros, we splashed the cash to enjoy the view. You can also swim from the riverbank if you are careful. Sanitary facilities are clean and adequate and there is also a kitchen for campers. Not cheap at 30 to 33 euros depending on the time of year but we will be back.

Buzz enjoyed his stay.

A little R & R for our furry friend.

The next stop on this part of the journey was outside Hanover. Camping Arnumer See. Quite a longish drive from Meerbush, it took us around 5.5 hours with a few stops. With hind sight we could have planned another stop in between.

A short dash cam of the journey from Meerbush to Arnumer See.

The campsite situated just outside Hanover. Local shop very near by including a good butchers. Supermarkets a 5 minute drive up the road.

April happily by the lake. On our return journey it was really hot and people were swimming in the lake. Good sanitary facilities 50c for a shower. There is also a restaurant on the camp site, the food was really good. The campsite is quite small with room for a few tourers, best to arrive mid afternoon.

Morning over the lake at Arnumer See, another beautiful day. 

Our next stop in Germany on the way out was Berlin. Berlin City Camping 2.

Berlin somewhere we had always wanted to visit but never quite got around to.The campsite was easy to find and Madam Satnag did the business as usual. The site was by the river 45 minutes away by tram/bus to Berlin City Centre. Fortunately we had booked because as it was a weekend it was busy. We arrived at around 2.30 pm so had plenty of time to park up and have lunch.

The campsite was in the grounds of a hotel. There was a bar that overlooked the river.

Pleasant views from the campsite bar. The bar also did light meals.  The campsite gradually got busier over the weekend but the facilities were fine.

The next morning we were up bright and early ready to explore. There was a very pleasant walk down to the bus stop through a very rural area.

 We caught a bus to Wannsee and were helped by a lovely German couple who explained one daily ticket would cover all the transport. At Wannsee they helped us find the right tram to the city. Transport in Berlin was amazing and so easy. There was even room on the tram for bikes.

Once in Berlin we headed for the sights. We managed 

The Reichstag. Sadly we did not bump into Angela.

Remnants of the Berlin wall. We did not make it up into the Reichstag's Dome as you had to get tickets and there was a massive queue. We wandered on through the city taking in the sites. The Tier Garden was beautiful I had an encounter with a charming soldier!

We did all the usual touristy things.

Checkpoint Charlie.

The Brandenburg Gate.

Mingling with a few celebs ( just not sure, exactly who they were!)

Soaking up the atmosphere. We took a leisurely river boat cruise around the city. Of course we had to sample the beer.

We ended our fabulous day out by visiting the Jewish Memorial Museum."Welcome to Jerusalem". Very thought provoking. Berlin is on the list for a revisit.

I have to say we really enjoyed Berlin and it had to be one of the highlights of our holiday.

Our last stopover in Germany on this trip was on the way back. We stopped at Potsdam but only for the night. Potsdam is on the other side of Berlin and sadly we did not have the time to explore it. We stayed at Camping Sansoussi by the river. 

This site had lots of potential. The poshest camp loos we have ever seen. We managed to get a meal in the camp restaurant although it was very busy. From the campsite it would be easy to get public transport or a ferry to Potsdam and to explore some of the schlosses. Certainly on the agenda for another trip.

We enjoyed Germany, expensive but lovely and on the list for another year.

Next stop Poland, before we join the tour!

Camping and Caravanning Club Escorted Tours. The Baltic States. Ghent.

We left home in plenty of time for our tunnel crossing and had a relatively easy journey. A Sunday is certainly a good travelling day. We soon arrived in Folkestone and were quickly on our way under the channel.

Our dash cam makes it all look so easy. It was. A quick 3 minute video. Getting on the train.

Well we finally made it to Ghent and with great excitement settle down on our first camp site. Blaarmeerson just outside Ghent.

A short web cam of the journey Calais to Ghent.

We had come to really like Belgium and Ghent was one of the places we planned to visit. A short and uneventful journey via "The Tunnel" and we were soon through France. Madam Satnag did the business and we were soon settled in. Two days to explore Ghent.

Our pitch was in a small glade near a few sanitary blocks all of which were quite tidy.  The site was pretty quiet but I guess it would get busy later in the year, we had booked two nights but we could have just turned up.The campsite is well placed for public transport and the bus goes into Ghent from the site. The campsite is attached to a leisure/conference centre which is just by a small lake complete with beach and life guards. As the weather was so beautiful on Sunday it brought the locals out to sample beach life. It was almost Mediterranean!

The beach at Blaarmeerson. Nice swimming and sun bathing spots.

Even the local fire service were available if needed. Obviously on important business  or more likely just cooling down.

We decided to sample the local cusine and the campsite restaurant looked promising. We were not disappointed we had a really nice steak here. The next morning we were off for an exploration. 20 minutes to the town from the site and the bus was around the corner. Bus no 38/39 and 3 euros each, for a one way trip. We spent a very satisfying day wandering around Ghent. Morning coffee at the local launderette!

Quite entertaining, followed by a quick whizz around other Ghent highlights. We didn't need to do any washing but we could have done it in style.

Ghent is a very compact city and all the attractions are within easy walking distance. The Belfort, St Bavos Cathedral, Gravensteen Castle  and a brilliant cruise around the city on the waterways were all waiting for us.

The next morning we were up early and back to the bus stop, soon we were back in the town. Gravensteen Castle was first on the agenda. Rather a gruesome place we followed the torture trail.

A bit of water boarding, or at least the medieval equivalent.

Followed by Madame La Guillotine! Much smaller than I imagined but pretty lethal.

The Castle from the river looking really grim. 

After an hour or so we needed cheering up, so made for the river and went on a calming cruise. Strange how things look so different from the water, for 7 euros each ( with wrinkly discounts) we thought it was good value for money.

Our final bit of culture was a trip to the cathedral and a viewing of "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb". A Ghent altar piece by Hubert and Jan Van Eyke, early Flemish painters. Generally speaking I find Flemish painting pretty dour, but this one was fascinating and well worth paying 4 euros to see.

Sadly all to soon, our visit to Ghent was over. We did a bit of wandering amongst the back streets of Ghent window shopping and of course stopped for a Belgian beer.

 Next stop Germany!

Buzz catching up on his e-mails and watching the ducks on the lake!

Camping & Caravanning Club Escorted Tour. The Baltic States. Getting Ready.

Back in the dreary depths of November 2017 and fresh back from our African trip, we were soon up at Birmingham for a Caravan & Camping Club Presentation Day on Escorted Tours. To be honest we really went because we fancied a trip to Scandinavia and thought an escorted tour may be a good lead in. Before long we found ourselves seriously considering a trip to Russia and then Greece. In the cold light of day on our return home we had soon booked The Baltic States and Greece. Two escorted tours to start up our first full year of retirement!

The journey to The Baltics has proved a long and sometimes fraught experience. However, we kept going with the planning and finally made it!

Step 1. Insurance. Our insurance was cheap and very adequate with Comfort. Little did we know the hoops we would have to jump through to get insurance to travel to Russia. The Camping & Caravanning Club did mention insurance when I booked the trip, but not how difficult it would be to get except through them! We phoned all the major players and had real problems getting insurance  mainly due to the fact our van was new and expensive. Eventually we insured through the club at double our existing costs, with an Russian extension for five days. The final hoop we had to get through for insurance was a tracking system which we also had to have installed. Luckily a fairly cheap and cheerful  system passed muster and step one was completed. The last and least favourable alternative was to give up on the Russian leg and stay in Estonia instead, or leave the van in Estonia and do a hotel stop in Russia.Again, the insurance would not allow us to leave the van unless it was in a secure compound. It was pay up to the insurance company or cancel. we paid!

Step 2. The Visa. Another Magical Mystery Tour! A weekend away would be called for either in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. To get a Russian Visa you have to fill out a massive form online and then present yourself at a Russian Office to be scrutinised and finger printed! Before you can do this you need a letter of introduction from the campsite/hotel you are staying at. Great fun. We received our letter from the Camping & Caravanning Club once...... our names were spelt wrongly. The second one arrived only for one of us. Eventually at the third attempt it was right. Off we went to Manchester, forms duly filled in, we waited and eventually £298, later we got a visa! This trip was racking the costs up. The visas in our passports look very impressive! Oh, make sure your photos are less than 6 months old, courtesy of the chemist shop round the corner from the Visa office we managed some new pics. Hot tip... the Manchester office we used was probably less stressful to use than London and easier parking.

This whole visa operation would have been far less fraught if we had received the information we needed to complete Visa applications with more time to spare. As it was we had to pay in full before our visas were granted, although The Camping & Caravanning Club did say they would refund us if we were turned down.

Step 3. International Driving Licenses and Log Book translations. Courtesy of The Post Office and the AA, both managed and fairly cheap.

Step 4. Medication list, signed and stamped by our GP. Fortunately they didn't charge us! Another last minute request.

We were done and actually off to St Petersburg among other Baltic States.

How could the process be improved? Well a direct line to the girls at the club who did the booking would have been so much easier. The answer to a simple query took so long . By the time you had gone through the automated system loop and then been waiting to be called back, was so frustrating. Visa invitations took too long to get to us! We had already left home for our trip when the final co-ordinates for the camp sites had been sent to us. Thank goodness for our friendly wi -fi!

Well, We are finally ready. 
Roubles. zloties and euros at the ready. Van packed and Buzz is excited!

Africa Revisited. Self Drive Safari. Springbok to Cape Town.

The final leg of our journey. Day 33 we were back in South Africa and on our way to Springbok. Another interesting drive from the border through the Northern Cape to the largest town in Namaqualand. Springbok is situated in one of the driest areas of South Africa. A nice little town, which has been home to the copper industry, great for provisions and home to many quiver trees. We were able to revitalise our phone Sim at a very helpful garage and fill up with fuel before shopping. Then we set off for the campsite Springbok Caravan Site.

Web cam of the journey from Ai-Ais to Springbok. About 13 minutes.

The site at Springbok was not one of the best although it was clean and quiet. We were only staying one night. A better stop would have been at the Geogap Nature Reserve up the road. The reserve is known for its collection of rare drought resistant plants. If we travelled this way again we would stop there but we would probably stay for two nights. 

We did have a wander around Springbok and went to look at the "Klipkoppie" which was used at a fort during the Boer War. Next to the "Klipkoppie" is the beautiful Klipkerk, a stone church built in 1921. Sadly it was closed.

The last webcam of the holiday. Springbok to Cape Town via Citrusdal with views of Table Mountain. 9 mins.

The next morning we were up early for the drive to Citrusdal. The drive took us through the Cederberg Mountains well known for climbing and hiking routes. Sadly we would not have time for either. The drive however gave us another insight into South Africa. The area around Citrusdal is known for its citrus fruit farming. We arrived in good time at Citrus Creek Caravan Park a lovely location in the town and easy to find. The campsite was set amongst the trees with plenty of wildlife ( domestic varieties ) to keep us company.

The pool looked inviting but we didn't have time to try it out.

The friendly cockerels. There were also horses, geese and ducks wandering about.

There was a short walk to a local supermarket where we stocked up for our final few days.

Citrusdal is pretty much a one horse town which looks as if it has seen finer days.

The Spar was well stocked and used by the locals.

The High Street. Not much going on here.

High spot of Citrusdal. The jolly old PEP stores are everywhere.Good place to buy a blanket. 

The dummies outside the shops always amused me.

The local liquor store. Bet that was interesting on a Saturday night. Lucky for us it was mid week.

However, everywhere was pretty central. We chatted to the friendly campsite owner who told us the town was very quiet during the week but at weekends there was a big influx of itinerant workers who worked in out lying farms. Looking at the houses you could see the reflection of their former glories. In it's heyday Citrusdal would have been a lovely place to live. The campsite was beautifully tidy and the ablution block spotlessly clean. We enjoyed a BBQ with the help of the friendly cockerils, ear plugs optional! Strange but I never heard them in the morning.

 The next day we set off for our last campsite at Melkbosstrand north of Cape Town the Au Skip Resort.

We choose the scenic drive along the coast and stopped at a few pretty places on the way. The sea was pretty rough! It was windy but not really cold. Probably like one of our normal summer days. The beaches were pretty empty but I guess it was early in their season.

The beach at Yzerfontein. We had a meal in one of the beach cafes here and had a little wander about. The cooling breeze was great after the desert winds of Namibia.

By the time we got to Au Skip we were pretty tired. Only two more sleeps in our tent. We met up with the Camping & Caravanning Club group we had first met in Pretoria and swopped stories. Everyone had had a fantastic holiday. They left before us so we were on our own again. We drove into the town and had a brief look around then back to the campsite for tea.

The next day we decided to make the most of our time so near to Cape Town and spent the day driving into the town centre and going up Table Mountain. We were so lucky as the weather gods smiled on us and we managed to get to the top of the mountain to enjoy the fabulous views.

 The famous Table Mountain cable car. We managed to find our way around Cape Town fairly well. The traffic back to the campsite was dreadful but we still enjoyed the drive.

Views from the top of Table Mountain. Very touristy and some long queues but we did not have to wait too long.

One of the local residents. A draisy hiding from all the tourists

Well worth a trip to the top. Take plenty of water and a camera.

Our last night on the beach at Melkbosstrand. We had a lovely meal in a local restaurant before going back for our last night in the tent. The next morning we packed the tent down for the last time. We were off to a hotel in Cape Town for two nights in a luxury hotel. We were getting used to Cape Town traffic and managed to find the hotel without too much trouble.

 Time to unpack and unwind. After 36 nights in a tent and many adventures we needed it!

Our hotel was slap bang in the middle of Cape Town. We were around the corner from Kloof Street where there were loads of different restaurants to try. 

The hotel pool a peaceful oasis on a hot day.

 Our room overlooked the pool. We stayed at the Derwent House Hotel. A really friendly lovely place to stay.

We jumped on the City Bus, an open air tour bus and spent an afternoon cruising around the beaches and  sites of Cape Town. The tour has a commentary and you can jump on an off where you want. We jumped off at the Kirstenbosch Gardens and spent an hour or so looking at the plants and sculptures. This world famous garden ranks as one of the best and most beautiful gardens in the world. The bus was a great way to travel around Cape Town and really cheap at around £12 for both of us. We were pleased we did the Chapman Peak drive in the bus with the spectacular views but very narrow roads.

All too soon it was time to go. We squashed everything back into our cases and ditched a load of paper and any toiletries we didn't need.  We drove our van back to Bobo Campers depot and were soon on our way to the airport.

The sum total of our trip. 4700 miles, 4 countries, 27 camp sites, 1 hotel  all in 38 nights.

 Another adventure over. What's next?

Well a trip to Russia, courtesy of Camping & Caravanning Club European Holidays is on the cards in May this year. Taking our own van this time. Also Greece in September this year again with our van. A busy year ahead then.

So keep tuned in.

Are we going back to Africa?  YES.October 2019!! Can't wait.