Europe 2007                                           
Page 7

To Homepage I Page 1 l Page 2  l Page 3 l Page 4 l Page 5 l Page 6

We leave Bohinj behind and drive north to the Austrian border where we cross to Villach. From there we ignore the motorways and the Vignette system and travel up the back roads through the Austrian Tyrol. It's stunning here and it takes all of my willpower to keep my eyes on the road travelling through such awesome scenery. Not much time for photos - we have to clear almost 450 miles today to get to our overnight break at Nuremberg - so most shots are taken through the car window.

In the Austrian Tyrol

Waiting at the tollgate to go through a very long tunnel!

We're eventually forced to pick up the Autobahn just south of Munich - we have to make up some time now as we're running late, we need to be fed when we get to our hotel at Nuremberg and we don't want to find the restaurant closed when we get there.

After a long boring run we arrive at the Hotel Daucher on the outskirts of Nuremberg, stiff and hungry but we can't see anywhere to park.  The street is chocka block with parked cars, so Wee Jim goes in to ask what the parking arrangements are and a couple of minutes later she appears as if by magic in a side passage to the hotel. Apparently the car park is at the back but I have to negotiate the way along a patio kind of thing with tables, chairs and umbrellas strewn everywhere. It looks like something left over after a game of "It's a Knockout!"

With the car parked up we get our luggage out and go into reception - nobody here so Wee Jim dings the bell.  We can hear someone laughing and talking in the back but still we wait. Another ding from Wee Jim - still laughing and voices can be heard but no one puts in an appearance. We wait a few more minutes and Wee Jim gives another ding, and we wait - for ages. More voices, more laughing - still no person. I'm Getting pissed off now, I've just driven 450 miles, I'm tired, need the lav and a shower - and food, not some ignorant Krout who'll happily take my money but make me wait 'til he consents to greet me with his presence!   I walk to the bell and hammer shite out of it. With that Basil Fawlty appears, "Vot is zis - somevody iz trying to break my Bell yar?"   

Wee Jim gets on the case before I can, and tells him "We've been ringing your soddin' bell for 3 weeks, what do you expect?"  Basil looks at me, and I give him one of my "you're a twat" looks. At which point the hands start getting rubbed together, his back hunches over and he gives the most sickening ingratiating grin, "I vos only Jokink Yah".   This guy IS Basil - he looks like him and all the mannerisms are perfect, he should be running  "Fawlty Towers Experience" weekends, he'd make a fortune.  It's when we go into the brekky room the following morning and I spot the mooses head on the wall and just crack up laughing! Great hotel - best laugh we've had in ages............just don't mention the war!   

Rotterdam - Hull

When "Da Boyz" went off touring Europe on the bikes earlier this year, they went and returned on the Hull - Zeebrugge ferry. When they got back they all said they'd never use the south coast Ferry ports again, it was that good.  So, for our return ferry crossing we took their advice and opted for Rotterdam - Hull..........And we had to agree it's a far better way of crossing to Europe. It's an overnight ferry so we get a cabin thrown in.

The ship sails at 9pm and we have another 450 miles to drive from Nuremberg. We leave mid morning, hit the Autobahn and take it easy, after a few stops for food, wees and stuff we reach the ferry port for 7pm, go through customs and expect to do the usual sitting on the quayside waiting to board thing. Not here, they'd started boarding at 5 pm so we went straight on, parked the car and within ten minutes we'd dumped our gear in the cabin and we're now sitting in the piano bar with a couple of beers. Excellent !

We only get up and leave the bar to go outside and watch Holland slip slowly into the distance.  

From the Piano Bar window

The wee cabin on board the ship - small but perfectly formed! Yes, I Know I look stoopid in the mirror
And I am aware the photo is cockeyed, but I'm actually straight - it's the ship leaning that's causing the problem

The Piano Bar - packed eh?

Rotterdam skyline

Sailing out of Rotterdam for home

I think this is the best Euro trip we've ever done, we've been to so many places this year and seen lots of new things. The amount of photos we've taken and the number of pages it's taken (7 - the most pages for any of our trips)  illustrates that.

A few little facts:

We covered 3000 miles this year

The little Colt returned an average of 40 mpg and never missed a beat

The camera used was my trusty old Sony 3.2 Mp DSC-P8 compact with spot metering

Wee Jims Camera is a basic Pentax Optio 6 Mp

The whole 3 week trip cost around £2000

Between us we shot over 400 photos - only 2 of which were any good (and they were both mine!)

When we returned I had 567 e.mails in my computer

The Sat Nav maps are getting out of date, next time we go we'll need to upgrade them

We travelled through 7 countries - and spoke the language of none!

I picked up the grand total of 5 mosquito bites - Wee Jim got one on her nose and it looked funny!

Til next time - Tarrah!

OG

..........Oh - almost forgot,  the disabled parking bay story.  When we were in Troyes, the hotel had their own restaurant, but instead of it being in the hotel it was about 500 yds along the road and we had to walk to it.  On the opposite side of the road was what looked like a park with a wall round it , and near the large entrance gate was a blue area. Wee Jim glances over and say's, "That's a nice park  & they've even put a paddling pool in for the kids". I had to tell her that the park was in fact a cemetery, and in France all disabled parking bays are painted paddling pool blue! - I've made her an appointment at Specsavers.........

                                                                                                                                                             l To Homepage I