Post Covid Roadtrip

We finally hit the road, after months in Italy under one of the most strict Coronavirus lockdowns in the world. Below, you will find posts about our grand tour through Italy, France, Germany, the Czech Republic & Poland in chronological order!

– Italy –

Leaving Lockdown – A Bit of a Scrape

If we get there, it will be third time lucky. Twice before, Mark and I have planned to go to Spain. The first time, temperatures soared above 50°C. People were dying from the heat, so we turned left and went to Romania.…

Hill Towns & Cloud Forests – Saluzzo & Pian Munè, Italy

Founded in 1,000AD, Saluzzo is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the Italian region of Piedmont. It occupies a striking hill top position, with the imposing, pyramidal peak of Monviso, ‘The Stone King’ as a backdrop.…

– France –

– A Week in Provence –

Towing the Gorges du Verdon – Our Most Challenging Drive… Ever!

“The Transfăgărășan was nothing compared to this!” Mark was referring to the day we joined the Mile High Club. With Caravan Kismet in tow, you understand. We crossed the Carpathian mountains in Romania on one of the world’s most dangerous roads. Kismet has conquered…

A Week in Provence – Driving the Route des Crêtes

Storms were forecast, so we had battened down and given up on our plans. Although we had distant thunder and light rain the previous evening, I awoke at 7am to a perfect, blue Provençale sky. “Shall we get up and do the Route des…

A Week In Provence – The Lavender Fields of Valensole

The weather forecast was on a red alert for storms, which made it difficult to plan. It was far too hot to walk – most of the footpaths in the Gorges du Verdon have no shade whatsoever and the white limestone reflects the sunlight…

– The Ponts of Provence –

– Burgundy –

– Alsace –

Of Mice & Men – Éguisheim, Alsace, France

“For breakfast, they have a massive bowl of coffee, like a cereal bowl, and they dip in pieces of a huge, bell-shaped cake, called Kugelhopf!” These were the awed observations of cultural differences, relayed to my parents, following my first ever trip abroad. Aged 14,…

– Germany –

A Wet Wednesday in Würzburg – Bavaria, Germany

I’m on my third language in three weeks! Just as I’d got to grips with speaking French without peppering it with Italiano, we crossed the Rhine in Strasbourg and entered Germany. On our…

Bitch Slapped by Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany

The monotonous, flat panorama buckled into a few low, forested hills as we drove across the Franconian wine country towards Bamberg. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bamberg came highly recommended.…

– Czech Republic –

Sommerach to Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

I laughed out loud as we got caught behind the slowest tractor ever, which crawled up the hill out of Sommerach at a speed so leisurely that it failed to register on our speedometer. Besides every plan going horribly awry,…

Czech Pont Charlie – Karlovy Vary & Loket, Czech Republic

Founded in 1370 by Charles IV, King of Bohemia, Karlovy Vary is renowned for its thermal springs and is the largest spa town in the Czech Republic. ‘Karl’ is Czech for Charles and ‘Vary’ derives from the Czech word vařit…

– Poland –

Journey to the Centre of Europe, Bolków, Poland

A Polish man went for an eye test. “Can you read the chart?” the optician asked “Read it?” he replied, “I know him!” My home town of Blackburn, Lancashire has a large Polish community, so unlike Czech, I can claim some form with…

Bolków & Złotoryja, Medieval Castles & The Oldest Town in Poland

“They will be fine!” The man’s claim was the embodiment of my worst fears. Vans and caravans have specialist tyres. My primary worry about getting them changed abroad was that we would end up with the wrong ones – and this chap’s offering…

Gravestones, Gnomes & Złoty Pies, Wrocław, Poland

In our sights was a cosmopolitan municipality whose university produced nine Nobel laureates and a quirky anti-communist resistance movement. A centre for locomotive manufacture, it’s a place where you can get footplate experiences on the last scheduled steam passenger service in the world.…

The Unpronounceables – Bolków to Ojców, Poland

“Watch that lorry.” I put my hands over my face. “He’s all over the road!” “He’s just avoiding the bumps!” Mark replied. We were grateful for the grip of our hard-won new tyres – this two-lane motorway had a few surprises up its…

Ojców Castle & National Park, Poland

Our early start to miss the crowds paid off in every way, other than making us fugitives from the law. ‘Buildings in Ojców’ featured on the campsite’s list of ‘must sees’. This rather underwhelming description prompted us to take a drive out one…

Ogrodzieniec Castle, Poland: On The Trail of the Eagles’ Nests

A few miles from Podzamcze, population 1,011, a magical castle appeared, afloat in the sky. As we drew closer, we saw how it seemed to meld organically with the landscape. Some of its shapely white towers were man made, others were natural pillars…

Auschwitz-Birkenau – The Industrialisation of Genocide

Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.albert schweitzer I stepped blinking into bright afternoon sunlight on Ealing Broadway. The buzz of a busy Saturday filled the space; the rumble of West London traffic; chattering shoppers; pigeons flapping and…

Łańcut to Sandomierz – A De-Camp by Committee, Poland

Caravan Kismet on our pitch before the arrival of the tent and French motorhome! “That will make getting out tomorrow interesting!” The campsite had plenty of space, but Mark’s comment referred to the French motorhome positioned directly in front of Caravan Kismet and…

The Devil Children of Sandomierz, Poland

From our campsite, Camping Browarny, set in the grounds of Karpiński Manor, it was a swift yet energetic walk into Sandomierz old town, up a steep flight of more than one-hundred stone stairs. The city is a medieval delight. Built on seven hills,…

The Great Escape: Lublin to Poznań, Poland

“It’s not a matter of if, but when this driver will have an accident. I can pinpoint exactly the timing of this accident. It will happen just after his luck runs out.” This was one of Mark’s early driving assessments as a young…

– Germany –

Checkpoint Bravo, Berlin & A Boar

If you go down in the woods today, you’re in for a BIG surprise… Sitting in the sun, overlooking tranquil waters, I wondered why I felt so out of sorts. Our plans are constantly up in the air. Usually, that’s a fun part of our nomad lifestyle;…

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A Potter Around Potsdam, Germany

One city. Sixteen palaces. Each with its own unique landscaped park surrounding it. It’s no wonder they call Potsdam ‘Germany’s Versailles’. It is a veritable fairy-tale kingdom, which embodies the Age of Enlightenment’s ethos of ‘A picturesque, pastoral dream to remind residents of their relationship with nature…

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Witches, Wurst & Walpurgisnacht, Harz, Germany

Peter Ustinov said, “Love is an endless act of forgiveness.” For Mark and me, living the dream had become an endless act of problem solving. We had done our best. At the first hint that France was ‘bubbling with coronavirus’ and might lock down, we’d made a…

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