Day 51: 6 December.

We booked in at the embarkation point at the ferry port and they managed to get us on an earlier ferry, which departed at 0230. The service from P&O was excellent and they parked us next to a lift on the boat to make it easy for Carol to go on the upper decks where it was more hospitable and certainly warmer. What I hadn’t realised of course was that I could then take her round the duty free shops to spend even more of my money.

All aboard. Next stop Blighty

The trip across the channel was uneventful, although encountering a rougher sea journey and we arrived back in Dover at about 0400 and then less one hour for time gained. We drove for a while and settled to rest at one of our Motorway service stations and took up some well earned sleep.

Before I get to the end, the question arises as to how I summarise this adventure. It is probably the most difficult part of any report I have posted. The highlight for us was of course to have the time with Lisa, Steve and George who had been such wonderful hosts in making us so welcome and entertained. The time with them went far too quickly for us and no sooner had we arrived than it was time to leave. We shall miss them all and look forward to our next get together.

We have visited 16 different countries and some of them twice during the journey of almost 8000 miles, many and varied over night stopping places and meeting some wonderful people throughout our unrepeatable experience. I think I reflected at one stage about leaving international relations to the ordinary people. It certainly worked for us and thanks to everyone who gave hospitality and friendliness in endless quantities. We had many great opportunities to see those things you might only read about, the towns and villages and not to forget visiting my uncle’s war grave in a most beautiful setting.

In the planning stage so much help and good advice was received from many people including Alan Poulter, and Steve Goodson, both of whom had undertaken a similar journey in the past.

The offers from Tom in Turkey and Robert and Sue from Folkestone who we met in Cyprus were all appreciated. Not forgetting Don Madge from the blog observations who gave us some great tips as we travelled.

Family and friends for all your support in the lead up to the event and the support we received throughout our time away.

A very special mention to Shirley and Brian who have done so much for us in the preparation right up to the time of departure, during the journey both outward and return (particularly progress plotting) and on our return to Derby.

While you are taking pictures Brian this is the 15th time I have up and down these stairs

Also very special thanks to Lisa, Steve and George who gave us the motivation to do it and who looked after so well.

Thanks for having us

We have been so lucky for all of this support and we shall always be grateful.

Thanks must go to all the Blog followers and for the supportive and fun comments you have made throughout.

In summary then this has been an experience of immense pleasure and an opportunity to undertake a challenge we would never have contemplated under normal circumstances. We shall reflect on this for some considerable time to come in sharing the adventure with anyone who has the patience to sit and listen. There is the task of sorting and cataloguing over 5500 photographs and about an hour of video.

So here we are back in Derby with the Motor home parked up for a well earned rest while we consider the next adventure!!!

Resting at last

Carol and Roland

]]> http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/the-journeys-end/feed/ 4 teamcyprus team-cyprus-day-50_1-009 171008_day1-001 team-cyprus-day22-011 teamcyprus-day-51-016 http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/short-trip-to-calais/ http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/short-trip-to-calais/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:03:24 +0000 teamcyprus http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/?p=679 ]]>

Day 50: 5 December.

We didn’t get much chance to assess the camp site last night other than to think it was OK and we had all we needed. This morning I took the opportunity for a quick look round and it is a very large site with many amenities and facilities to suit the Caravan owner and the Motor home travellers.

Just another camp Site?

Leaving the site at about 1100 it would be one of our easier travel periods as our journey was to end in Calais. We planned to travel along the coast road from Westerne-Bad ( Bad means by the coast – just showing off here) to Dunkirk and then to Calais. Along the way we came across an extensive marina, housing many boats of all shapes and sizes along the coast road in Belgium.

Would you buy a boat from this yard

We started off well travelling through some pleasant coastal villages until; yes you might have guessed it we faced another road closure. To our disappointment the detour took us to the Autobahn along which we had to travel to Dunkirk. We entered France at 1420 following the detour that had been prescribed.

A tour of Dunkirk discovered many interesting buildings showing some creative architecture. The town was very much a mixture of old and new and there must have been a European lake of white paint at some time because it was used in Dunkirk to paint pedestrian crossings at significant frequency through the town. The town whilst busy with traffic seemed relatively devoid of people. It became apparent that along the roads we travelled every establishment seemed to be closed or closing. Even the funfair was dormant.

Sorry no rides today

Moving away from Dunkirk towards Calais we passed serenely along the motorway the fairly short distance to the port. I am afraid I have just had to do it and here is my final sunset from this fantastic journey.

The time of arrival at Calais was around 1730 so we thought a look round the town and somewhere to stop for our last few supplies would be a good use of time. The town itself was very busy and although a dull day there was plenty of people all scurrying around to complete there shopping.

We arrived at the ferry port good and early so that we could do some cleaning, eat some food and have a relaxing evening before boarding. Before the relaxation bit I considered that a check over the Motor home would be in order as i didn’t want it to feel neglected after all the miles it had taken us safely and hospitably. We had experienced on some road humps and sharp slopes off the road something scraping underneath. On examination I discovered that the number plate flap was loose on its hinges and would require a temporary repair before completing our journey. Behind the flap a piece of metal had come loose, I suspect from the vibration and holes and humps we had traversed. The torch was required to see what surgery would be needed to hold the situation until a full repair could be completed. To my amazement and I would have to say to my sense of humour I discovered that we had lost the spare wheel.

Spare wheel needed -any offers considered

Now we had two choices, either to return to the Troodos Mountains, where I could only think we had lost it or to return home and then resolve the matter. I discussed the situation with Carol and she felt quite firmly that only one solution would work. So we shall be home as planned.

So now we are just waiting at Calais with spring cleaning and appropriate use of some string and creative thinking.

I will give a final report over the weekend to try and summarise what this whole adventure has been like. We are looking forward to seeing and hearing from everyone and of course checking all post and messages and simply returning to normal life.

Carol and Roland

Day 49: 4 December.

The mini campsite had received a significant snowfall by 0400 in the night and we wondered what it would look like in the morning. To our surprise when we woke the snow had all cleared thanks to an adequate supply of rain. Having settled our accommodation bill with the Farmer he kindly gave us directions to the road for Antwerp. We left the site and followed carefully his directions as it was some distance from the main road. This was to prove not to be the greatest start to our day as the directions we received did not appear to be compatible with where we were going. The result was that we saw more of Holland than we anticipated including the village of Knegsel which we were happy to see behind with the commonly expected avenue of trees.

On the road again

After travelling in a rather large geographical loop we were back on track and heading for Antwerp. We travelled through Oostlebeers, Middlebeers and places with no beers.

On approach to Rousel and the border we passed through some more interesting habitats and crossed a number of rivers and very large Canals being navigated by craft of all sizes with cargoes that were very varied.

Any scrap metal sir!!!

We arrived at the town of Rousel where we would link up with the main road to Antwerp. We were within 50 yards of the junction and someone had decided road works were needed and the junction was closed. We were then subject to a diversion and after half an hour we passed the road that had been closed preventing our direct access to the N12 to Antwerp.

These things are sent to try us

Having navigated the diversion and adding our early morning delays I had to resign once more to using the autobahn to make up for lost time and miles. Unfortunately this meant that a visit to Antwerp would be postponed for another time and we would make directly for Ostend where we planned to spend the night. We entered Belgium at 1300 on the dot and the only way we knew this to be true was the welcome sign to Belgium. The weather had by now taken a turn for the worse with heavy rain; Carol was resting so pictures were limited for this stage of the journey. The main road continued to receive my close attention and as you can see from the picture below, driving conditions were less than perfect.

Thought I was on the M25 for a moment

We arrived at Ostend by 1500 and I parked on the edge of town near the coast to have a break. I knew we were getting closer to home as a traffic Warden knocked on the window and asked me to produce and display the Disabled badge for the car. I was taking some pictures and to restore my faith in human nature a young lady and her mum undertook a spontaneous pose for the camera. With a grand smile and a wave they continued on their way.

Welcome to Belgium

Turning our attention now to the coast road we concentrated on finding a suitable place to stay. A lot of the campsites were closed for the winter but we found a very hospitable site at Westende-Bad a few miles west of Ostend.

Here we have settled for the night and tomorrow will be a steady drive towards Calais arriving for book in for the Ferry during the evening.

Carol and Roland

Day 48: 3 December.

We started our day at the Motor home Park at an easy pace as the night had been cold with some snow and a quite frosty morning. The Motor home parks in Germany are a great idea and can be found in many towns across the country. The replacement gas arrangement works very well and a good night’s sleep was achieved.

We left the town of Rees at 1045 to begin the fairly short trek to the Reichswald Forest which is not far from the Dutch border which we shall cross during the day. Many of the roundabouts on the roads in Germany contained a wide variety of modern sculptures and this one was one of the most outstanding of those we have seen

Decor on the Roundabout

We travelled along the E9 through much agricultural land frequently populated with the large birds of Prey that we had seen over the passing miles. The roads were often very straight and uniformly lined with trees on each side extending into infinity and these were great to drive down and be able to see more of the scenery around us.

Before we got to the location for the war graves we crossed the river Rheine. This was a very wide river with much boating activity from small craft to massive working Barges. The river was crossed over a modern suspension bridge which was simple and functional and blended well into the environment.

Crossing the Rheine

Continuing south west we passed through Kalkar, a small sleepy town with a good mixture of pleasant new buildings contrasted with older architecture. One householder did much cheer up the road user by painting a smiley on the satellite dish adorning the roof of the house.

Cheering up the passers by

We soon would catch up with another Motor home, the number of which had increased as we travelled across Germany. You could say we were in a convoy. It was however short lived as the one in front turned off to stay at a sign posted camp site.

We travelled from Kalkar to Kleve where we would turn towards the border with Holland In order to reach the war graves which would be found on this road before the border. We arrived at the Reichswald Forest in the early afternoon to find the place in an isolated area and empty of people.

Although it was cold Carol and I took a tour of the site and pushing the wheelchair was no mean task over the grassy surface. We found the grave of my uncle and then carol was cold so she went back to the car to get warm. I returned to walk around and capture some images of the site as we would no doubt not return here. It had been an ambition of mine ever since my mother spoke to me as a child of her brother. Whilst we were there a small group of people arrived and one of them came across to ask if I was waiting for them. I replied that I was visiting to find a grave. The chap then apologised and introduced himself as Rory Bremner. We chatted a lot about the site and looked around it together.

After spending a couple of hours here we needed to move o n and cross the border into Holland. It was much closer than we had expected and we only knew we had crossed it when we found the welcome sign facing us in Holland. The next sign was to see the first of many traditional Windmills, one of which was working as we drove.

Have you seen Windy Miller?

We would reach Eindhoven to complete our day of travel and find somewhere to stay. The welcome Camping sign came into view and we duly arrived within a short time at the entrance. The receptionist met and we felt optimistic that first time lucky today. She however shattered our hope by telling us that all camping sites in Holland closed on the 1^st October. She directed to a farm where what is known locally as a mini campsite on a farm would probably be open. Within 10 minutes the farm emerged on our right with a camping sign outside. We entered and were met by the Farmer who welcomed us and located on his farm for the night with an electricity supply.

Another satisfying day with a long standing ambition achieved.

Good night all

Carol and Roland

Day 47: 2 December. Destination Dutch Border

We have been trying to replace our empty gas cylinder in every European country we have been in and it has been an impossible task. Last night, despite very careful use we ran out of gas completely. With this in mind and losing the ability to cook and have some heat we prepared for a night of quilt protection and warmth. Although we had some electricity the small fan heater we carry developed a fault and the choice was to try and fix it or get some sleep. The latter was opted for as it is now late and I had only just finished yesterdays report.

A good sleep was had considering the circumstances and we were both awake just after 0400. We discussed our options and decided that as we were behind from yesterday we would venture forth and stop for Breakfast somewhere that I could upload the reports. We left the motor home stop at 0500 and soon the engine and heating system was keeping us admirably warm. Stopping for breakfast at a well known fast food outlet carol indulged in a cooked breakfast German Mac style, while I sat and did the missing reports, whilst drinking a large cup of fresh orange juice. Having completed that task and also the daily work on our BPA membership we were ready to move on.

Our first early morning welcome came from the town of Hameln. This was some distance from Hildesheim where we had stayed last night and like ourselves there were some early morning risers going about their business. The observant amongst you will have noticed the error in last night’s report referring to our stay in Hameln. (Apologies for the confusion) After about 7000 miles of driving so far I guess I would be allowed a few errors.

An early welcome

The dawn started to break at around 0630 and by 0700 we were entering Hameln town where we were to stop for breakfast. We took a two hour break here and completed all I needed to do so that we could concentrate on making best possible progress.

Our next section of the journey took us along the E65 to Mindern and then on to Osnabruck passing through many villages including Coppenbrugge and Lockhausen for those of you who fancy a bit of German town surfing. Not far from Osnabruck we found Father Christmas looking inflated on the side of the road where Christmas trees could be purchased. (Look at the size of the trees in the picture)

Big Father Christmas - little trees

Both Mindern and Osnabruck we drove through and saw the same diverse structures and architecture from the old the new. We arrived at Osnabruck at around 1230 and had caught up remarkably well. We might even find some gas and have a stopping time that might be considered civilised. Between Osnabruck and Rheine we found a place that specialised in Motor homes and Caravans. Optimistic we would be able to get some gas I went to enter the shop only to discover that the opening hours were 1800 to 2000 every day. (Well some you win and some you lose)

The next port of call would be Rheine and this involved my agreement to use the motorway. Before we left Rheine the gas crisis was resolved although not simply. A quick dash up the A30 without many images being captured we arrive at our junction to leave the motorway and travel South West to Ahaus on the E70. This was a lovely town and was noticeably very well looked after with clean streets and a lot of effort making is fun for Christmas.

Only 20 shopping days left then

Our planned journey from Ahaus would have taken us to Wesel, but unfortunately the E37 had been closed and a rethink was needed. An assessment on the map gave us the opportunity to divert through some small villages to see more of rural Germany. Carol was resting at this time and so relied on my good judgement and sense of direction to get us around the problem. Driving to a small town called Bocholt was a treat indeed seeing many places on the way. Our entry into Bocholt produced a fascinating structure on the first roundabout approaching the town.

Through Brocholt onto Rees and toward Kleve would where we should seek a nights’ accommodation at a camp site or not. As we entered Rees Carol’s sharp vision detected a sign for Motor home parking.

This was conveniently placed in the town and only a short distance from a large supermarket. Having stocked up we proceeded to park at a convenient supply of electricity for the small sum of possibly 2 Euros for the night. Then it was change the gas regulator, install the new cylinders and heat and food could then both be generated.

Gas sorted then

A successful day overall and we are now only a short distance from the Reichswald Forest where there is a War graves cemetery. We shall visit this tomorrow and find the grave of my Uncle who was a Pilot being shot down in the area in 1945. I hope to learn more about him from the records held at the cemetery.

So goodnight to you all and there will more tomorrow when we cross into Holland.

Carol and Roland

]]> http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/7000-miles-and-still-going/feed/ 0 teamcyprus team-cyprus-day-47-005 team-cyprus-day-47-085 team-cyprus-day-47-095 team-cyprus-day-47-101 http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/going-west/ http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/going-west/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:06:14 +0000 teamcyprus http://teamcyprus.wordpress.com/?p=623 ]]> Day 46: 1 December. Go West Young Man

This morning the first job (After making a hot drink) was to get some photographs of the riverside Camp site we stayed at last night. The place belongs to a Boating Club and although there were not many signs of boating the club house during yesterday evening had been well attended. Our hosts arrived to start their day at about 0900 and we started to prepare for our journey for today. Our hosts wished us a good day and thanking them for their hospitality.

Overnight Hosts

We primed the engine and chugged off in a Northerly direction from Bernburg to the first town we would arrive at called Magdeburg. We arrived at about 1100 and managed to take a tour of the town. I would describe it as a standard town with some interesting features.

During this stage of the journey we observed in significant numbers large birds of prey. They were however reluctant to allow photography, but Carol did very well and captured this image of one at the top of a tree.

Find the Bird

From Magdeburg we turned west to head for Braunschweig, a much larger town situated at the confluence of several of the motorways. We managed to negotiate through the town and kept clear of the motorways. The town contained may differences in the architecture and it was a very busy place with plenty to see.

We left Braunschweig very peacefully and along the E1 to Hildenscheim. Here we decided to stop for some lunch before moving on. Some distance to the West we found that our road had been closed and we were forced to turn right to go north. Unfortunately when road closures occur the German authorities do like to set their motorist the task of getting back to their route without the aid of diversionary signs. We were able to rejoin our road after only a few kilometres and this was mostly achieved by observation and good guesswork.

The road took us through much open agricultural land with large stocks of animal winter feed stored under large tarpaulin sheets. Every now and then something different would appear and the Windmill below which had been carefully restored is a good example of things we saw.

could you live here?

Hildenscheim

although smaller than Braunschweig produced a town with more traditional character. The use of modern buildings and noticeable modern business complexes were to be found. Even McDonalds and Subway had marked their presence here with much advertising on the approach.

Leaving Hildenscheim and travelling West to Hamien was at that time of the day when it was turning dark. I had driven for 6 hours and decided that I was motivated to find somewhere to stay. At about 10 kilometres from Hamien was the noticeable sign for caravan and camping. Turning left from the E1 we needed to travel only 2 or 3 kilometres to enter a small town where a dedicated area for Motor home overnight stays had been established. Electricity supply was available through the use of slot meters and for 50 cents several hours of electricity was at our disposal. This is a great idea and perhaps it would do well in the UK

Pic parking and electric socket

We have had difficulty in being able to find compatible gas cylinders to replace our empty one and to our dismay the current cylinder ran out of gas. So tomorrows challenge is to get to our destination in the Reinhault forest near Kleve,

Another 170 miles behind us and camping about 10 Kilometres east of Hamien will provide us with the rest before tomorrow’s marathon drive.

Carol and Roland

After several hours on the A14 Halle was finally in our sights. We discovered the location of a night stop in Aken which is North East of Halle and not far from Dessau. To reach Aken we took a country route and this allowed us to visit several small towns and villages on our way to the destination. These places were very different and offered a variety of buildings and interesting features. We suddenly came to an area where there were many fields of fruit trees standing in well ordered rows with much of the harvest still on the trees.

Apple trees and straight lines

We found the camp site set in a forest surrounding and although it was open for business we could not find anyone to assist and the barrier was firmly secured. Not to be defeated we studied the map to guess the next option we had in the hope that something would appear. A local resident tapped on the window asking if he could help. He very quickly reassured us that we should travel to Bernburg where there are camp sites although he wasn’t sure where exactly. Another cross country challenge ahead we travelled the 15 Kilometres to Bernburg. On this quiet road we arrived at a rail crossing with lights flashing red in front of us. To our amazement and delight the train came through the crossing and stopped at the station of Sachdendorf where there seemed to be only a very small population.

A train to somewhere

Bernburg is quite a large town and after much searching and asking for local knowledge and directions we finally arrived at our home for the night. It is now pretty dark and late, but we have landed on a campsite that is officially closed but the people who were in the bar offered to let us stay and also gave us an electricity supply. Connected up and settled in we would soon be warm and settle for the night. Time then to complete today’s report and this is where we are staying tonight.

The days end

Take good care
Carol and Roland

We woke this morning to an overnight fall of snow and although not too heavy achieved a white blanket across the campsite. As you might imagine there are not too many people braving these temperatures and the elements to enjoy some time on a snow covered camp site. I am pleased to report though that there are such people other than us. There were two caravanners and another camper similar to ours. The site itself is set in a woodland area only 1 kilometre from the main road and the facilities were very good. We bid farewell to the very pleasant receptionist (Valerie) and she wished us a pleasant and safe journey. (Well it is better than “Have a nice day”!!!)

Without being rushed we prepared for the day’s journey, identifying where we would be going and listing the towns and villages we would see. With Sedmihorky now behind us we rolled along the E 422 travelling North West to our next destination Liberec. The town was very much a mixture of life ranging from the casino to the very old housing scattered around. Some of the architecture and house design certainly made a place of much contrast.

Room with a view

The road took us through the open country where the snowy scenes were a joy to see. We came to a small village called Jablonne Podiestedi. Here, life was very quiet and largely agricultural and people lived in moderate homes from the outside and the landscape would vary from a few picturesque Christmas trees planted at random to the wider scenes of the open country and distant mountains.

the bigger picture

Making good progress we approached the town of Ceska Kamenice, which from the distance was much larger than anywhere we had seen in the previous 60 Kilometres. We watched with anticipation to see what secrets this town would hold for us. We were certainly not disappointed to have selected this route because the town was steeped in lovely buildings and a fascinating town centre.

Ceska Kaminece

We turned away from the main road at this town to witness some more of the smaller villages on our way to the border with Germany. The road was narrow and climbed consistently opening up some wonderful scenes and we stopped often to capture the images and soak up the experience of seeing so much.

Great Scenes

There is so much to say about the journey down this road to the border and to do so would take so much more space I would never end. So from working water wheels to road side markets and grand hotels we arrived at Schimilka and the border crossing. On approach to the border the town was very busy with market sellers taking up all the available space. We took some time to investigate many of the stalls and we were actively encouraged to part with as much of our money to please the stallholders. Having some Czech currency left over a few good purchases were made and we pressed on to the border crossing.

Buy my Wares

The border like previous borders was not manned and a simple passage through was made. Our next task was to travel towards Dresden and look out for a camp site. There were a good number sign posted and we detoured to a few that seemed to be in lovely settings. Sadly each one we tried was closed for the winter. we decided to take a break for lunch at a parking area on the banks of a lovely river approaching about 10 Kilometres from Dresden. Lunch over and more pictures here is our riverside lunch stop.

Lunch by the river

We found another sign to a camp site fairly soon after which was up in the hills to the North. We ventured several kilometres to find the place not far from Pirna and when we got there it was idyllic set on the lower slopes of a mountain, but once again closed for the winter. We returned to the main road and drove with determined desire to achieve our goal. Stopping at a Petrol Station to enquire about local Camping sites we were directed to our final destination for the night.

This evening was to be relaxing but on checking the car I found a fault on the rear lights. On investigation I discovered that some of the wiring had shorted out and burned the cable. (we had smelled some burning earlier but convinced ourselves it was coming from outside)

My early evening then would get out the tool kit and apply some electrical cable surgery and repair to last till until we get home. All repairs now complete and everything functioning normally.

I am off for some food and a well earned drink.

Goodnight to you all and we will have another go tomorrow.

Carol and Roland

The sunrise lifting over the building

The morning was bitterly cold and the usual reluctance from the vehicle to start was encountered. However with patience and the support of the booster battery she resigned to the pressure and burst into life.

Lets have some action please

We passed through a town called Vysoki Meto and in one picture it sported the traditional tower some housing and yes even a speed camera.

Even a speed camera

We visited a number of places during the day, each with their own character and wide range between the old and the new. The land we have seen today is largely agricultural and much work has been done to get the best from it. Along this road we found that all day Barbecues were open with smoking grills on the side of the road and we even came across an advertising sign for a zoo in what was apparently in a completely non residential area.

As we passed through Hradec Kralove some grand architecture formed the main focus to the town. It is a fairly large town with much development taking place and apart from some scattered new buildings and cosmetic changes to existing buildings we had the feeling that much of the original character has been retained.

Time for a Swim

A number of extremely nice Chalets were scattered around the grounds but the main effort had been put into the hotel complex. I would estimate it had approximately 200 rooms, a restaurant and great fitness and social facilities; a great place to stay.

Having relaxed for a couple of hours it was time to depart and head for Bucharest for a look round before moving on to impose ourselves on the Czech Republic.

The road to Bratislava was often very straight and uninspiring and made finding interesting pictures to take quite a challenge. The landscape changed also as we travelled and in the early miles through Slovakia the land became much flatter with a significant amount of agriculture. The small towns we passed through were often marked by the presence of some large industrial complexes. We found these to be generally quiet and occasionally we would come to a small village where life appeared to be more of the style and pace I expected to see.

Village Life

Bratislava was soon upon us and looked impressive from the approach we made. We decided that with sufficient time on our hands we would go through the city centre and try to see some its life and features. There was much traffic and many people making up Bratislava and everyone was hurrying around, whilst the traffic would jockey for position in amongst the Trams. Drivers I found reacted in the same way as many inner city drivers I have encountered (Including some at home). I was often alerted to the risks when carol would observe with expression “watch out or he will hit you”.

The city itself was very dense with buildings and a major modernisation programme was underway. There were many large shopping complexes and even more large office blocks of very modern design. In amongst all of these developments some of the original architecture was preserved and made the town interesting for it stark contrasts of design and culture.

Bratislava

Away from the centre and into the suburbs we witnessed once more the concrete jungle of giant blocks of flats decorated with a multitude of satellite dishes and blankets of various coloured clothing hung out to dry. We had seen these structures dominating the landscape in many of the towns in most of the countries we had travelled. Whilst these were home homes for thousands of families it would be wonderful to see such large blots on the landscape disappear and restore the best of the features we had seen.

Away from Bratislava then and onwards to the border and we saw much of the same as we drove. Our journey would take north along one of the few Motorways we had seen or used towards a small place called Kuty and it would be hear that we would enter the Czech Republic. As we approached the border we found what we had expected with no border control and one individual lady staffing the booth where the required travel Vignette was purchased to allow us the use the Motorways and some main roads. As we left the Slovakian end and entered the Czech end there was a few building where money could be exchanged and purchases made. Apart from this the vast border area was devoid of people and activity

Border without guards

Having made the transition we continued on the motorway towards BRNO which is the first major town we would visit. This town we felt had more character than some places we had seen today and it was a busy and energetic place. Unfortunately we could not stay to long as light was reducing and we had to find somewhere to stay. We decided to travel north along the E461 towards the town of Hradec Kralove. After much enquiring regarding campsites we found the sign for one North of Svitavy. Turning off the main road with a sense of anticipation we found the campsite in a wooded area but alas it was closed and locked securely. We then returned to the main road and continued to look once more. We have ended today’s journey in a designated area called a MotoRest. It is in the grounds of a busy garage and we are preparing for the evening and a good night’s sleep.

Night at a Motorest