terry nathan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2005
- Posts
- 66
Interlaken, Switzerland, day 18 and just over 1,000 miles since we left home in La Manga. The very first day out was a disaster ? we headed for Vinaros for our first night stop, a small town between Valencia and Barcelona. This was a new campground we wanted to try out; the cables which are strung over the entrance to the campground are three metres off the ground ? whereas we are 3.80 metres. A Spanish midget man with a pole four times taller than him managed to raise the cables sufficiently high for the motorhome to pass under ? except that is for the small chimney which used to sit on our roof and through which the fumes from the gas fired central heating used to escape ? we probably didn?t need it anyway! Next came the overhanging trees, creating a wonderful slalom course through which to skilfully navigate the motorhome ? but in looking up at the trees I didn?t look down at the bit of rubber sticking out from a parked caravan ? Liliane managed to polish out the offending marks while I consoled myself with the first scotch of the day. Next came the wind ? as fierce as I?ve ever known it ? which brought down the branches from several trees around us, amazingly none touching us. While this was going on our neighbour and his family of illiterate, half-starved, uncouth, foul-mouthed yobbos decided to have a party, which went on until past 2am. Next morning we bid a fond farewell to Camping Torre Nostra, but not without first having to pass back under the cables ? only this time there was no midget to help so I had to wield the pole while Liliane drove the motorhome out ? which was when I discovered that one of the cables was for the electric and the pole I was wielding was metal!
So that was our first day, and after that it could only get better. North to l?Estartit on the Costa Brava, to a campground we know well and where the owner and his wife and son came over to welcome us back. We had decided to do a bar-b-q for my sister and brother-in-law, and for a German couple we?ve known for years, all of whom live here. Well, to be honest it was my sister who decided we?d do a Barbie but what the heck ? I enjoy showing off and she wasn?t to know it was going to chuck it down with rain was she? The bucketful of sangria I made went down a real treat ? as well it should, two bottles of red wine, a dash of Triple Sec (half a pint if you really want to know), and enough fruit to stock Sainsbury?s for a week! We all had a jolly good time, and I carefully stored away the bottle of white wine, which Rudi had thoughtfully brought with him (and remember that ? you?ll see why later).
Day 4, cross the border into France and by lunchtime we are well settled onto Camping la Nautique near Narbonne, another campground we know well and we enjoy. Our last stop in Spain was to fill up with diesel as it is less heavily taxed than in France etc ? in fact we paid 0.90 Euro a litre, in France some days later we paid 1.05 a litre. Anyway we had decided to do a bar-b-q again (this time it was Liliane?s ?suggestion?) ? for our friends and neighbours of some years previously Gerard and Annie, Claude and Fabienne - and she wasn?t to know it was going to rain either was she. So how come I?m the ?. .who gets drenched? But I still had my secret weapon - the other half of the sangria, to which I had added even more potency! Once again everyone had a great time.
Day 8, Geneva beckons. Hit the border into Switzerland and remember that here we must buy the dreaded vignette (sort of a pass to drive on their roads). For the little car it cost S.Fr 40, valid for a whole year. For the motorhome we paid S.Fr 52, valid for 16 days ? they never miss a trick do they? Anyway on to Camping TCS La Pointe a la Bise, about four miles from Geneva city centre. Right next to Geneva Lake, a lovely setting. Here we had decided to do a bar-b-q ? but it started to rain and clearly the message had got out - Bob and Nini came armed with their Chinoise Fondue set (Chinese fondue set to you), and Guy and Colette shared the fun with us too. Remember Rudi?s bottle of white wine from Estartit? It is traditional to serve white whine as an aperitif when having a fondue so the bottle came in real handy ? Bob took the first sip and almost threw up, Liliane always knows better so she tried it and she choked, Colette lied and said it tasted fine, so I tasted it ? and I did throw up! It was awful, so in replacement out came the bottles of carefully horded red wine, which I hadn?t intended sharing with anyone ? well, maybe Liliane but only a sip! Next morning I poured the remainder of the offending white wine down the drain, and then looked at the label on the bottle ? it was a fine German schnapps! A lesson to learn ? always read the instructions!
Next stop Lausanne, at the other end of the Lake of Geneva. No barbies this time, in fact we visited friends who have a gorgeous penthouse apartment overlooking the city of Montreaux. We had first met Paul and Nicole while camping in New Orleans some years ago, and stayed in touch through e-mails. They proved to be wonderful hosts, the views from their apartment over the lake was fantastic, and to sit on their balcony with an aperitif while watching the sunset over the mountains was a fabulous and very enviable experience. Next morning we left Paul and Nicole and took the Golden Pass Panoramic Train from Montreaux to the ski resort of Gstaad. We had booked our tickets on the internet some weeks previously, and were therefore assured of good seats ? and they don?t come any better than that. The train driver sits in a little cocoon above the front carriage, so the passengers in the first row of seats (us in this case) had the drivers view of the track. For a train buff like me it was a great trip, we had a real gastronomic lunch in Gstaad, and then took the train back to Montreaux, and on to our campground at Lausanne. A very nice gesture from Paul and Nicole ? they came back down to the train station near their home to say another farewell to us as we passed through.
Next stop Interlaken. A delightful town which we know well, situated between Lakes Thun and Brienz and very much under the shadow of the three great peaks of the Jungfrau, Eiger and the Moench. Manor Farm campground was almost empty, we have the prize spot immediately in front of Lake Thun with the mountains as a glorious back drop. The manager of the campground is Lawrence ? as fierce a German Swiss as you will ever find! The booking form for the campground tells you ?it is not the aim of these regulations to regiment the understanding and considerate camper?. Then comes Lawrence: ?you vill only park behind ze red dots, you vill not use de vater from de pumps, you vill not wake up before 8am and you vill be quiet after 9pm?. Anyway we became friends ? you mean I had a choice?
In Interlaken we are using the bikes more than the car, and have been on several trains into the mountains and up unbelievable gradients, only made possible by the rack and pinion tracks. Yesterday we were up on the Jungfraujoch mountain, the so-called ?Top of Europe? at just over 10,000 feet, where the snow was very much in evidence.
It has become a habit for us to keep an eye on the internet 10-day weather forecast and to plan our excursions etc around the forecast. So yesterday we were high on the mountains in glorious sunshine, and today rain was forecast so we had planned an ?in? day ? which means Liliane gets to stay in bed while I make breakfast, did one load of laundry, empty the various tanks ? a guys thing if you know what I mean. And it is raining!
So that was our first day, and after that it could only get better. North to l?Estartit on the Costa Brava, to a campground we know well and where the owner and his wife and son came over to welcome us back. We had decided to do a bar-b-q for my sister and brother-in-law, and for a German couple we?ve known for years, all of whom live here. Well, to be honest it was my sister who decided we?d do a Barbie but what the heck ? I enjoy showing off and she wasn?t to know it was going to chuck it down with rain was she? The bucketful of sangria I made went down a real treat ? as well it should, two bottles of red wine, a dash of Triple Sec (half a pint if you really want to know), and enough fruit to stock Sainsbury?s for a week! We all had a jolly good time, and I carefully stored away the bottle of white wine, which Rudi had thoughtfully brought with him (and remember that ? you?ll see why later).
Day 4, cross the border into France and by lunchtime we are well settled onto Camping la Nautique near Narbonne, another campground we know well and we enjoy. Our last stop in Spain was to fill up with diesel as it is less heavily taxed than in France etc ? in fact we paid 0.90 Euro a litre, in France some days later we paid 1.05 a litre. Anyway we had decided to do a bar-b-q again (this time it was Liliane?s ?suggestion?) ? for our friends and neighbours of some years previously Gerard and Annie, Claude and Fabienne - and she wasn?t to know it was going to rain either was she. So how come I?m the ?. .who gets drenched? But I still had my secret weapon - the other half of the sangria, to which I had added even more potency! Once again everyone had a great time.
Day 8, Geneva beckons. Hit the border into Switzerland and remember that here we must buy the dreaded vignette (sort of a pass to drive on their roads). For the little car it cost S.Fr 40, valid for a whole year. For the motorhome we paid S.Fr 52, valid for 16 days ? they never miss a trick do they? Anyway on to Camping TCS La Pointe a la Bise, about four miles from Geneva city centre. Right next to Geneva Lake, a lovely setting. Here we had decided to do a bar-b-q ? but it started to rain and clearly the message had got out - Bob and Nini came armed with their Chinoise Fondue set (Chinese fondue set to you), and Guy and Colette shared the fun with us too. Remember Rudi?s bottle of white wine from Estartit? It is traditional to serve white whine as an aperitif when having a fondue so the bottle came in real handy ? Bob took the first sip and almost threw up, Liliane always knows better so she tried it and she choked, Colette lied and said it tasted fine, so I tasted it ? and I did throw up! It was awful, so in replacement out came the bottles of carefully horded red wine, which I hadn?t intended sharing with anyone ? well, maybe Liliane but only a sip! Next morning I poured the remainder of the offending white wine down the drain, and then looked at the label on the bottle ? it was a fine German schnapps! A lesson to learn ? always read the instructions!
Next stop Lausanne, at the other end of the Lake of Geneva. No barbies this time, in fact we visited friends who have a gorgeous penthouse apartment overlooking the city of Montreaux. We had first met Paul and Nicole while camping in New Orleans some years ago, and stayed in touch through e-mails. They proved to be wonderful hosts, the views from their apartment over the lake was fantastic, and to sit on their balcony with an aperitif while watching the sunset over the mountains was a fabulous and very enviable experience. Next morning we left Paul and Nicole and took the Golden Pass Panoramic Train from Montreaux to the ski resort of Gstaad. We had booked our tickets on the internet some weeks previously, and were therefore assured of good seats ? and they don?t come any better than that. The train driver sits in a little cocoon above the front carriage, so the passengers in the first row of seats (us in this case) had the drivers view of the track. For a train buff like me it was a great trip, we had a real gastronomic lunch in Gstaad, and then took the train back to Montreaux, and on to our campground at Lausanne. A very nice gesture from Paul and Nicole ? they came back down to the train station near their home to say another farewell to us as we passed through.
Next stop Interlaken. A delightful town which we know well, situated between Lakes Thun and Brienz and very much under the shadow of the three great peaks of the Jungfrau, Eiger and the Moench. Manor Farm campground was almost empty, we have the prize spot immediately in front of Lake Thun with the mountains as a glorious back drop. The manager of the campground is Lawrence ? as fierce a German Swiss as you will ever find! The booking form for the campground tells you ?it is not the aim of these regulations to regiment the understanding and considerate camper?. Then comes Lawrence: ?you vill only park behind ze red dots, you vill not use de vater from de pumps, you vill not wake up before 8am and you vill be quiet after 9pm?. Anyway we became friends ? you mean I had a choice?
In Interlaken we are using the bikes more than the car, and have been on several trains into the mountains and up unbelievable gradients, only made possible by the rack and pinion tracks. Yesterday we were up on the Jungfraujoch mountain, the so-called ?Top of Europe? at just over 10,000 feet, where the snow was very much in evidence.
It has become a habit for us to keep an eye on the internet 10-day weather forecast and to plan our excursions etc around the forecast. So yesterday we were high on the mountains in glorious sunshine, and today rain was forecast so we had planned an ?in? day ? which means Liliane gets to stay in bed while I make breakfast, did one load of laundry, empty the various tanks ? a guys thing if you know what I mean. And it is raining!
