0386 Herne Belgium to Milford, England

23^rd October 2015

Crossing the Channel again !

The next day, both Fernand and Bart had to go to work, so we had a quiet day around their house, catching up on some of our chores on house and computer.  That evening, Fernand took us over to one of the relative’s houses where we spent the evening conversing with about a dozen relatives in a mixture of French and English. Several of them only spoke Flemish, so it was not always easy, but albums of photographs of Janet’s parents and other family made a centrepiece for discussion, and there was a lot of interest and fun as both sides of the family caught up on news some 30 to 40 years since some of the visits.  

0385 Verdun France to Herne Belgium

0385 Verdun to Herne

20^th October 2015

It was actually warmer when we woke up in the morning than it had been last night – About 6 deg C !  The mist had cleared and it was another fine morning.  We breakfasted and packed up, and headed into Verdun.

Founded by the Gauls, Verdun has been the seat of Bishops since the 4^th Century, and in 843 there was the Treaty of Verdun which divided Charlemagne’s empire into 3 parts.  It has been the scene of many major battles over the years , including against the Prussians during the French Revolution in 1792, and more recently in 1916 where a bloody battle lead to over 800,000 deaths.

0384 Ciry Le Noble to Verdun

0384 Ciry le Noble to Verdun

19^th October 2015

The next morning it was clear but cold and frosty.  After some coffee and hot bread and cheese for breakfast, we hit the road to head north – Next destination Brussels.   However, Joel and Brigitte had recommended that we take time to stop in Verdun, close to the Belgian border. We knew little about it other than the name, but as it was a long drive to Brussels, we decided a break in Verdun was the way to go.  Initially we also wanted to get to Rheims, but we eventually decided this was too far out of our way.

0383 Nattheim Germany to Ciry Le Noble France

17^th October 2015

Drive, drive, drive !

Today was another long driving day, so we did most of it on the toll-free Autobahns until we got to France.  We had breakfast (Ingrid went down to the bakery and got some fresh bread before we got going !), and then set off towards Stuttgart on wet and cold day.  Once again, great to catch up with good trip friends from S America, and it was really good seeing Ingrid and Franz again.  I wonder where we will meet next time.

0382 Zurich Switzerland to Nattheim Germany

0382 Zurich Switzerland to Nattheim Germany

15^th October 2015

Heading north in the rain.

We had a damp and dreary morning to leave Zurich – How lucky we were to have had a fine day to explore the city yesterday ! So we drove out of the city and headed north towards Germany in the rain – We were heading to Nattheim near Stuttgart where we had been invited to stay with Ingrid and Franz – A German couple we first met in Cusco in Peru, and then later down in Montevideo.  We then all travelled to Europe together on the ship to Europe, so I was looking forward to catching up with them and seeing what they were up to now !

0381 Tirano Italy to Zurich Switzerland

13^th October 2015

“When the snow falls you’re found in St Moritz, with the others of the Jet set.

You sip your Napoleon Brandy, but you never get your lips wet…..

Where do you go to my Lovely …….?”

Woke up to a pretty wet and miserable morning at the foothills of the Alps – But at least it stopped raining while we packed up, and had a dry breakfast. It wasn’t far to the “border”, and at 9 am, in the mist and the rain, we came across the old border buildings out of Italy and then in to Switzerland.  Unlike so many of the other EU borders we have crossed, there were actually people in the border post, although they waved us straight through and there were no delays.  Trucks were being pulled over and inspected though – Looking for refugees hiding in the back, I presume. 

0380 Lake Como to Tirano

12th Oct 2015

Lakes, windy roads, and almost in Switzerland.

We ended up staying a second night beside Lake Como because it was just very pleasant, and it is always good to stop occasionally for a few hours.  It was a sunny day, so we enjoyed a cooked breakfast for the first time in a while, and then just lazed about, catching up on things that needed doing.  In the afternoon we went for a walk into the local village, taking our life in our hands as we walked along the narrow road where there is no sidewalk, or even any room for one – You walk along single file and keep your eye on the traffic.  The motorcycles you can usually hear coming, so they are not the problem !  We wandered in the little village, bought a gelati and enjoyed it sitting on a bench overlooking the lake, and then wandered back to the camp site.  A pleasant and quiet day.