Farewell Europe!

Two months on the road across Europe has come to an end. It has all gone so quickly, but with many incredible memories and experiences to look back on. It is a little sad, but at the same time we are looking forward to the next three weeks in Little Britain.

If anything, street flowers sum up an impression of all Europe. 

Poland was our main destination and it was a very good choice. A number of motorhomers we met on the road had a raised eyebrow or two when we said we were traveling for six weeks in Poland. Still a lot of preconceived ideas about the Poles of which none were obvious to us during our travels. 

Memories of Poland. 

Germany is always a pleasure too. So easy for motorhoming, and great villages and cities to visit. And catching with friends always a delight.

Starting to look forward to next year's visit already!

Our last day here has been very leisurely, stocking up on supplies we will need for the rest of our trip - this takes much longer when you go to a super store where the choice is so much greater!

Woke in Bergues this morning - along with about 33 other motorhomers! A few had been added during the night! We stopped to get gas, diesel, booze and food - perhaps in that order of priority!!! This seemed to take most of the day. 

In the large hyper market, a fish display , huge dried legs of pork, sample oysters and brightly coloured loos!

What we were really hanging out for was the purchase of moules (muscles) from the dock in Dunkirk - and as you would have it, they had none for sale today!!! Very disappointed! So had to revert to plan B which was Atlantic Salomon  - not a bad fall back position!

We wandered around the old town of Dunkirk, looked through the Town Hall with its art display - and a lovely young lady acted as a guide for us too. 

An elegant Dunkirk. 

Dunkirk's Église Éloi today, 1916 and 1942. 

Spent the evening enjoying the sunshine across the Dunkirk docks, a short drink and a lovely dinner before heading off to catch the ferry back to Ole Blighty. 

Our final evening by the docks in Dunkirk. A lovely view. 

Interesting to see the new level of security by the French police, army and UK Customs and security at the ferry terminal this evening. They came on board and checked every cupboard and closet including shower and toilet - we even had to get our bed down to be checked. Certainly no photos allowed! But we did get a smile from a very serious outfit. 

Bording the ferry earlier this evening. 

Arrived in Dover just after 11 pm and at our overnight by 11.20pm. All safe and sound in Old Blighty. 

A Three-Country Day

Another long drive today - but had realised that this was going to be on the cards. Aachen to Lillee was the original plan but decided mid-trip to finish in Bergues, a little short of Dunkirk. 

A day on the road - the clouds clearing a little as we entered France. 

A perfect day for traveling west - overcast, cool and without rain! Not what the Europeans were hoping for their summer, though!

Passed through Belgium where summer harvest was in full flight - wheat, hay, potatoes and many other crops were in the harvester's hand. 

Wheat crop already harvested. 

Passing Liege airport and what is dominating the buildings - the Aussie TNT transport company ( if it hasn't already been sold-off!).  

Another cash crop for the Belgium farmers along the motorway - advertising revenue! 

It was a hassle-free trip through Lille  - thought that we could have run into a traffic jam, but just some roadworks along the way. Also, we wondered about the entry into France as to whether some sort of security check may have been in place - but no, not any officialdom to be seen! I wonder if that will be the case at the seaport tomorrow night?

Arrived in Bergues late in the afternoon, beaten to the aire de camping by 25 other motorhomers  - mostly French. Time to have a drink, some dinner and a walk before calling it a day. 

Hilton arriving outside the ramparts of Bergues. 

We hardly saw another motorhome in Poland but here in Bergues, France - a different story!

The Rhine

A delightful day by the Rhine. A leisurely drive this morning from Leichlingen to Monheim au Rhine where we met Dirk and Brigitte. 

View over the Rhine this morning. 

We could not have asked for a better day, bright sunshine with a very cooling breeze from the mighty Rhine. 

The Rhine's embankment, a very popular recreational area. 

Butch loved the freedom of the river bank. 

Took a short walk before lunch, had an enjoyable lunch in the van before taking a longer walk along the Rhine later in the afternoon. A very enjoyable lunch and walk with very pleasant friends. 

A gentle stroll along the Rhine. 

Still a working river even on a Sunday. 

Dirk and Brigitte were off home to Frankfurt while we had a quite a few kms to travel to get near the Belgium-German border. 

Waving goodbye!

A very lovely way to spend a Sunday!

A looming site whilst traveling to Aachen late this afternoon. 

North Rhineland

Traveled towards the Rhine today. This North Rhineland region had been settled long before the Romans brought their version of civilisation in the 1st and 2nd century. 

Still many forested areas throughout the North Rhineland region. 

With a reputation for being a heavily industrial area, there are now great strides being made to revitalise the area into a vital cultural centre. 

Being the most heavily populated region it has a very rural presence once away from the large centres. The drive into the area today, given that it was on an autobahn, presented a very green and rural picture. 

A cut flower farm. 

We settled on the village of Liechlingen - just north of Cologne for our afternoon and overnight.   

Many interesting houses with walls and rooves clad solely in slate. 

More slate being used as a cladding product. 

Paderborn to Arnsberg

We are overnighting on the banks on the Ruhr River in Arnsberg. For those who can remember the Dam Busters movie, Arnsberg was one of the communities in the Ruhr Valley that was decimated/flooded with the destruction of the Möhnesee Dam in 1943. Hope it holds tight tonight!

Arnsberg - a very pictureque old town. 

After a very quite night in Paderborn we set out for the town of Lippstadt. Another town that has been rebuilt after the battles here in 1945, resulting in a very orderly town with many building renovated in their original style. 

Lippstadt with many renovated/reconstructed buildings. 

After wandering a while and doing a little shopping we decided that Arnsberg would be our next stopping point, and our overnight. The drive was very scenic with the crossing of the Möhnesee Reservoir being most interesting. 

A great expanse of the Möhnesee Reservoir. 

Arnsberg is a delightful town - first mentioned in 789. We took a wander around - it rained again in the process - visiting the ruins of the original castle - another castle destroyed during the Seven Years War back in 1769 - perched above the two valleys of the Ruhr. 

The Hilltop setting for Arnsberg. 

Leading to the castle. 

An old sketch, an earlier photo and today. 

Gateway to the castle. 

Very pleasant castle lawns. 

Essential German

Today's travels have led us through the lower part of the Teutoburg Forest where we found some monuments that are essentially German. 

The Externsteine - the intriguing rock formation near Bad Meinberg. 

Our quest for the day started in Lemgo, where it rained continuously overnight (which caused acorns to land on our roof at varying stages throughout the night!), and ended in the city of Paderborn. 

The beautiful reconstructed Rathaus in Paderborn. 

Our first stop was the town of Detmold. With hindsight, it may have been advisable to have skipped this stop! All we wanted to do was to add money to our phone account - a simple task you would think! No! Not for O2 even after we purchased a voucher from the kiosk. Two O2 shops in the town and both were useless. Left very frustrated. The story continues later in the day - stay tuned. 

Thought you had heard the end of the Varus War - it has another chapter just outside Detmold where a large statue to Arminius, also known as Hermann, commemorates his victory in this battle. The statue is the highest in Germany and it has become one of the most visited German tourist sites. The statue was seen as a unifying factor for Germany at a time when it was coming together as a unified state. 

The Hermannsdenkmal - memorial to the victory over the three Roman legions commanded by Varus. 

A little further down the road, near Bad Meinberg, we found The Externsteine, a natural rock formation that has been a fascination for people over the last thousand years. The rocks attract many visitors a years who ponder their mystic elements. 

Huge rocks ...

... some with a slight lean ...

...  And from across the lake. 

It was getting late in the day when we visited Paderborn. We thought we would give O2 another chance to redeem themselves. Once we located the O2 shop we presented the phone voucher (the one that the other two shops couldn't or wouldn't try to process to our phone account) and within about 30 seconds the guy had the account loaded with the voucher value. We were dumbfounded! It seem to be a very simple process, so why couldn't this have happened in the other O2 outlets?

We then were able to look around this energetic town before we located our overnight in Paderborn. 

Paderborn....

.... the reconstructed church

... the old city wall, now converted into housing. 

Today. ....

... Early 19-hundreds ....

.... 85% of Paderborn destroyed after bombing raids in 1944and 1945. 

Lemgo

Rained all night and still raining this morning. Thus, a slow morning! After a little shopping we set off to Bad Meinberg but only got as far as Lemgo where we got "stuck"! We are still here tonight.

Lemgo and the market square. 

Many features caught our attention. The town was founded in 1190 by Bernhard II von Lippe. Wool and cloth was its livelihood, and it became a member of the trading block of the Hanseatic League. It is a well preserved town of Weserrenaissance half timbered houses with very distinctive ornate facades. Fortunately it has been spared destruction from war. 

Very ornate decorations particularly found in Weserrenaissance architecture. 

One of the very interesting houses is the Hexenbürgermeisterhaus - the house of the mayor, or better known as the "Witches' Mayor's House" because of the frantic nature by which the mayor pursued women and men accused of witchery.

The Heenburgermeusterhaus is particularly beautiful and a highly decorative Weserrenaissance building. 

Decorative exterior. 

With Adam and Eve giving evidence of a Lutheran household. 

This house now hosts the museum of Lemgo, an interesting coverage of the major aspects of its 800 year history. 

An interesting item - coins of Lemgo - the town was suffiently independent and thus able to mint its own coins. 

Some interesting artwork too. 

The market square, where there was a market today, has the Rathaus, considered to be the pearl of the Weserrenaissance architecture of the town. It also contains an original 15th century  pharmacy which is still in operation today. 

The impressive Rathaus. 

Rathaus and pharmacy on the side. 

Market square and skyline. 

Having thought we had been schlossed-out, we visited another this afternoon   Schloss Brake is in Lemgo and houses the Weserrenaissance Museum. We took a look around and decided to stay here for the night. 

Schloss Brake. 

More photos of today: 

Sculpture of a local tall-tale welcomes  you to the town. 

A working water mill as part of the Schloss precinct.