On the Road Again!

🚐 Overview of your route Total distance: ~520–560 miles (840–900 km) Driving time (no tolls): ~12–14 hours total Suggested duration: 3–4 days (comfortable touring pace) Countries: France → Belgium → Luxembourg → Germany Tolls: ❌ None (Germany has no tolls <3.5t; route avoids French autoroutes) � IDS Camping and Leisure You’ll head via Belgium & Luxembourg (fuel stop), then into the Rhine valley before entering the Black Forest and driving the B500 scenic ridge road. 🗺️ Day 1 – Calais → Luxembourg area (~280 miles / 4.5–5 hrs) Route Calais → Dunkirk → Bruges → Ghent → Brussels → Namur → Luxembourg This avoids French toll roads by using Belgium’s free motorway network. Stop suggestion (first overnight) Camping Fuussekaul ✔ Large, quiet, very motorhome-friendly ✔ Good for seniors (flat pitches, facilities) ✔ Dog-friendly walking trails nearby 📍 Why here: ...

To give my brain a bit of a rest as I sat in the conservatory listening to the rain pelting down on the roof, and for two days when I should be packing stuff in the van, I have been looking at the autumn trip we have already booked. The plan was basically to go to Germany and to visit the Cathargo factory and showroom in Aulendorf in Schwabia. But where afterwards? I have looked at Austria and there's a possibility. More fancifully at Hungary? At the moment I have rough idea plotted in MyRouteApp to do the B500,  Schwarzwaldhochstraße (Black Forest High Road) first then turn eastwards to Aulendorf. Returning along the Romantic Road from South to North. It's a way off and so we have time to work on that but in August.

The first stop after Oyambre has always been Potes in the Picos de Europa on the plan. Now that we are on Plan G it's still there. We have been before, twice in fact,  but not for very long each time. The first time was way back in August 2014 when we were heading back from a long week trip to Spain. Our destination was Santander. The night before we had stayed in the Parador at Cervera la Pisuerga.  We stopped again in May 2024. A quick stop on the sloping dirt car park behind the supermarket, and then further up the road at the bus station.  Again we had a short walk into the town.   This time I planned to overnight two nights at the Vanventure Campervan Park . Checking on the aire's website shows that out of 19 bookable pitches there were none last night and again tonight. It also looks like people are pre-booking ahead of time. So I have. It'...

DogsTrust - National Dog Survey 2026. National Dog Survey 2026

Probably a mistake to have ordered this from some Chinese factory. It seemed like a gamble rather than simply a scam! 从中国工厂订购这个东西可能是个错误。这与其说是骗局，不如说是一场赌博

Grrrrr. After all these months it has now been reported that any EU Pet Passport issued before April 22nd 2026 is still usable! Why didn't they say this before thousands of travellers had been forced the buy an expensive Animal Health Certificate???? It's cost us £99 for nothing as Reggie already has his pet passport. Brittany Ferries website Thanks.

Today's jobs in between rain showers was to get down to Dover and fill the LPG tanks before we start the holiday.   Dover BP by the entrance to the Western Docks, where the cruise ships dock, was £1.199 per litre. Luckily they had plenty but I had phoned up before we made the trip. I took photos of both gauges before we went. Right bottle Left bottle We tend to use the right side bottle more than the left as it is easier to access the tap to turn the gas on. When we got home I filled the AdBlue up from the containers in the garage. It used all of the 4 litre Redex branded AdBlue, plus another 1½ to 2 litres from the huge 10 litre bottle from Aldi.  For good measure I emptied in a full bottle of Wynn's Crystal Clear and Protect anti crystallisation liquid in with the new fill.  This should see us through the entire holiday trip. If there's any on the pump in Spain I might top up there as it is much cheaper than here. That's another pre-trip job dealt with. Whilst I wa...