Both of us had been to Slovenia previously when part of Yugoslavia, so some years and what seems several lifetimes ago, and we crossed the border with Italy with no issue.
The Beautiful Lake Bled
Our initial plan had been to stop at Kranjska Gora, a ski resort close to the Italian and Austrian borders but we changed our mind on arrival as the motorhome parking was along a service road and we were reluctant to potentially pay €20 for parking along a road with no services. We therefore headed into the Julian Alps and before we realised it, we were climbing up the Vrsic Pass, the highest mountain pass in the eastern Julian Alps which tops out at 1,611m or 5,285 ft and consists of 50 of the tightest, shortest hairpin bends we have ever driven!
50th Hairpin…
Many of the campsites we tried were already closed for the season but we found Kamp Korita, close to the village of Soca open. With just one other van there it was bliss! Having read a recent travel article on the area, the Soca Valley and the wider Triglav National Park, was on our list to explore and the campsite has direct access on the walking path that starts where the Soca River rises and passes through stunning valleys and gorges.
Kamp Korita
We walked the section from the campsite to where the river passes out of the Great Soca Gorge which just a couple of metres wide at this point. The water is the most amazing colour, crystal clear and has carved hollows in the rocks where it swirls around. The river is also renowned for trout and the fish can easily be seen with the naked eye.
The Soca Gorge
The water was so clear
The Soca Gorge
We drove out of Soca and followed the river along through the towns of Bovec and Tolmin before turning back in to the southern side of the National Park heading towards Lake Bohinj. On our way we stopped at the Boka Waterfall, one of Slovenia’s highest waterfalls but on the day of our visit, quite dry – maybe best visited once the winter snow melts!
Lake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj was still quite busy when we arrived so we drove to the western edge of the lake and walking along the southern shoreline for a short distance. Camping directly by the lake or in the town was expensive (can’t imagine what the summer prices are!) so we actually overnighted at a small village a few minutes away. Another very quiet pitch even if we were joined by a large overlanding vehicle and with views over the surrounding countryside.
Lake Bohinj
Not a bad view to wake up to
With our days in Schengen starting to clock up we decided on just one more stop in Slovenia at Lake Bled but we’d take a roundabout route to get there. The road took us over an unnamed pass where we drove more small, tight hairpins right in amongst the autumnal forests to reach the Vintgar Gorge on the way to Bled. Whilst most places we have visited are free, there is a fee to visit Vintgar (€10 each plus another €10 for parking the motorhome) but in our opinion it was worth it. It’s a circular walk through the gorge along a wooden boardwalk and you exit via one of two routes along the top of the gorge, so whilst the walk through the gorge is flat, it’s quite an uphill climb out of it! Again the water is crystal clear, in various shades of blue and green with bridges taking you over the river at the base of the high, tree covered sides of the gorge.
Vintgar Gorge
Vintgar Gorge
Our final stop was in Bled where we spent a couple of nights at the city centre stellplatz. It’s at the back of a building site (no noise issues though when we were there), close to a couple of supermarkets and an easy walk to the edge of the lake where you can pick up the path that encircles the lake. We were blessed with great weather and were able to see the lake at its finest but without the crowds 😊
Lake Bled
Lake Bled
There is still so much of Slovenia that we didn’t see so we will be back!
Sites used: Kamp Korita Peter Della Blanca, near Soca: €24 p/n including EHU. Hard standing. Showers and toilets on site plus a small restaurant during season PZA Srednja Vas motorhome park, near Bohinj: €10 but price varies. One EHU post but water and WC disposal available. Bled Stellplatz, Bled: €20 per 24 hours. Hard standing and depending on ticket bought, limited EHU and water available. WC disposal.
Woo hoo! After six months on the road in the UK, we boarded the 07.20 Eurotunnel service to Calais and set our wheels down on foreign soil for the first time in a year. The crossing was very easy and although we had all the paperwork we could have been asked for (COVID certificates and French Passenger Locator Forms), the only change to previous crossings was that our passports were stamped by French immigration. We had abided as far as possible with the requirement for no meat or dairy but with living full time in the van, and as June likes cooking, we have an extensive store cupboard. So the fridge was empty but we took a risk with the stock cubes and seeds in the spice rack (never knew they would be on the banned lists but stock cubes are a meat by-product and theoretically mustard seeds can be planted); thankfully no inspection but we would have dumped them all if need be.
EuroTunnel
The plan is to head quickly through France, Italy and Slovenia (soon derailed when we reached Italy!) to minimise the days in the Schengen Area thereby ensuring there would be no impact on next year’s travel plans. I’m sure most people are aware but for those who are not, since the beginning of 2021 when the glorious Brexit was implemented, UK passport holders, like all other non-EU citizens, are now limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen Area. This means that whilst long term travelling in Europe is not impossible, it does now require some planning to bounce in and out of the Schengen and non-Schengen countries. Hence the ultimate destination of Croatia which whilst in the EU is not in Schengen. Confused? You will be…… (really wish they’d put Soap on one of the streaming services. Sorry for the obscure reference to a 70’s TV program but if you’re of a certain age you’d understand!).
The first day in France was spent on the peage trying to cover as many miles as possible plus a supermarket stop to refill the fridge and cupboards. Although the tolls add up (€80.70 for this leg and a total of €128.30 in France and Italy on the way out), we think it’s worth paying as the peage roads are usually the most direct and we’ve never, as yet, been caught in traffic other than once after an accident – not us I should add! Beaune apparently is a great place to stop and on a wine route but this was just a quick overnight for us in the city aire.
Aire at Beaune
Our next night would be close to Lyon as we had to find somewhere for a PCR test to enable us to get into Italy. If we had spent a couple of weeks in France this wouldn’t have been necessary but as we’d only left the UK the previous day, it was a requirement for us to enter Italy despite us both being double jabbed. Clinics offering PCR testing are widespread in France and although free to residents, we had to pay €44 each but the test was quick and the results were emailed to us within six hours. When we arrived at the campsite, the staff were really helpful in calling the clinic on our behalf to ensure we could get a test same day as well as sending us off in the right direction!
Camping Barolles
We only overnighted at Camping Barolles, but we would use it again – friendly, helpful staff, a small shop of essentials, fresh bread deliveries and a small bar plus all the usual facilities. Pitches were all of a reasonable size.
We’ve kept a close eye on the ever-changing requirements for travelling post-COVID and would suggest that if you are thinking of travelling you sign up to the respective country destination page on the FCO pages of the UK Government site. We’ve set up email alerts so we’ll be notified of any changes for the countries we are potentially visiting. Another good app is “Re-open EU” where you can input your originating and destination countries and it will tell you the latest requirements. We are amazed at the number of people whose first port of call for any travel information is social media!
Alpe d’Huez
From Lyon we headed towards the Alps where just off our route June spotted the road to Alpe d’Huez, one of the iconic Tour de France climbs. Well it had to be done and 20+ hairpin bends later we were at top! All we can say is “chapeau” to anyone who cycles up there. We had thought about staying here but it was still early afternoon and being in between seasons, nothing was open (a frequent occurrence on our travels) so we decided to drive back down again and cross the border into Italy. We only had a 48 hour window from having the negative PCR test to reach Italy so we would have gone the next morning anyway.
Armed with our test results we reached the border where they didn’t even give us a second look, let alone ask for any documentation! A bit miffed as it seemed that we had wasted €88 but best to be on the safe side and have everything in order.
The free Aire ay Sestriere
Like Alpe d’Huez, the ski resort at Sestriere was mostly closed and a lot of building was going on in preparation for the forthcoming season, but the sosta was open so we overnighted there. Not the most glamorous of places but we were just sleeping there and we had a beautiful view out of the window to the valley the following morning.
After three countries in as many days we were looking forward to a couple of days catching up with ourselves in the Italian lakes and found a free sosta on Lago d’Idro, a small lake to the west of Lake Garda. The sosta is at the northern end of the lake near the town of Baitoni and was a great find as there was so much to do and see. We walked around part of the lake and the valley sides, sat watching the kite-surfers and found hides in the small nature reserve from where to watch the local birdlife. The field next to the car park is a landing site for paragliders and morning and evening we had parachutes overhead on their way to landing.
Lago d’Idro,
Away from the lake, there are multiple footpaths up into the mountains where there are many monuments and dedications to those who fought in World War 1 – the area is full of history as it had been part of the border between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Note the steel cable to hold on to as there was a drop off of about a couple of hundred feet.
We had originally planned just a couple of nights but after four nights we pulled ourselves away and moved a little further north to the village of Castelfondo. After a steep uphill climb through the narrow streets of the village, we spent a couple of nights in the sosta there from where we have stunning views over the valley which eventually runs through to Lake Garda. The area is very agricultural and the main crop seemed to be Delicious Apples – both red and golden. We really didn’t know that Italy grew so many apples!
The Sosta at Castelfondo
Our main destination in Italy was the Dolomites where we wanted to do the one walk we had been unable to do on our 2018 trip. We also completed a couple of the mountain passes that we had only done from one side previously as the summits had been closed due to snow. Firstly though we needed to replenish food supplies so went to the city of Bolzano. We don’t know what it is with the South-Tyrol region of Italy but none of the supermarkets has a decent sized carpark so after trying a few shops, we headed straight out of the city and it took another couple of days before we found a place to shop. That was at Euro Spin just south of Cortina if interested!
Free Sosta near Val Gardena
We had one night near Val Gardena in another ski resort car park and then the next in the Valle di Cadore, at a free sosta before going to Misurina to be able to do the walk around Tre Cime which was on Bob’s to do list. We used the sosta at Misurina but had been unable to get the water we needed as the tap was broken (still had to pay €20 for the night!) but fortunately there was a tap in the town which we could use. Having to use this tap led to chance meeting with a fellow motorhomer who had been on the road for two years, leaving from his home country of China! He and his friend were travelling and cycling and had visited a number of countries on our wish list although for some of them his passport made visiting a lot easier than ours.
Nice car park before Tre Cime
We were up at the crack of dawn the following morning to head up to the car park at the base of the famous Tre Cime peaks. Throughout the summer there is a toll to use the road but the ability to pay and park for up to a day and a half meaning you could spend the night there. We had just missed the cut-off for that so whilst we didn’t have to pay the toll, the car park ticket was only valid from 8am until 2am the following morning so if you wanted to spend the night, you had to buy a two day ticket at the cost of €45 PER DAY!
What a view … The Tre Cime walk
We opted for the one-day ticket but it was worth every penny. There are various walks around the formation, all clearly marked and we opted for one just short of seven miles taking us in a wide loop around the base of the peaks. The weather was on our side and we ran out of superlatives – it was all we’d hoped for.
When we initially planned this trip, we’d thought maybe a week to get to this point…. Well having left home almost two weeks ago and having cut France to two overnight stays, we really had to move on to our next stop – Slovenia, but that’s for the next post!
Sites used: Charles de Gaulle Aire Park, Beaune: €6.90 for 24 hours, €4.20 for access to WC emptying point. EHU and water available at additional costs. Large car park close to town.
Camping Barolles, Saint Genis Laval, France: €20.94 p/n plus EHU at additional cost. Small tiered, hard standing. Bus service from outside into Lyon.
Sestriere ski resort motorhome car park: barrier was open when we stayed so probably charges in summer/ski season. Some EHU points, water and dumping facilities.
Lago D’Idro motorhome park, near Baitoni, Italy: free parking. Water and dumping facilities a short walk away.
Castelfondo motorhome park, Italy: €15 p/n. Water and EHU on each pitch. Service point available for dumping grey and black water.
Val Gadena: barrier was open when we stayed but charges applicable in season. No facilities. Sloping car park.
Valle de Cadore sosta: free. Water and dumping facilities.
Misurina camper sosta, Italy: €20 p/n. Water and dumping facilities (water not working when we visited).
Lago d’Antorno, Italy: free. A rutted, muddy area where motorhomes pitch up for an overnight stay.
This is why we’ll never make travel blogging a job – we get so carried away with what we’re doing we forget to update it! Sitting down last night, we thought our last blog couldn’t have uploaded properly but then when we looked at the PC, we realised we hadn’t actually written anything 😊
Here we go with a couple of weeks of bouncing back and forth between Norfolk and home – not the best thing to have to do when there’s a fuel shortage! However, it couldn’t be avoided and luckily we were never in the position of almost running out of diesel.
We had a couple of days at Swans Harbour Campsite, Barford just to the west of Norwich so we could pop and see Amy in her new house. Not our favourite campsite! It seems that about half the pitches are permanent residents and the whole place felt very tired and worn down. We also had a neighbour who came home between 2/3am the three nights we were there and proceeded to shout at his girlfriend each time. However, the local farm shop was a great find and we had a visit from an old school friend of June’s who happened to be in the area.
A cracking self service farm shopHolly Farm Cottage
We then headed up towards the coast, spending one evening with Bob’s cousin in Stanhope, staying at Holly Farm Cottage CL, an immaculately kept grass field behind the owner’s house and next to the village pub (sadly not open Monday or Tuesday nights at time of writing). That was followed by a night in Burnham Market, AKA Chelsea on Sea due to the number of rich bankers owning second homes in the village! Fallowfield CL is just on the edge of the village and whilst the CL was full, we were able to park in the adjacent rally field. We did manage one short walk from here, spending an afternoon wandering around the various Burnham villages.
After a quick trip home, we moved just a couple of miles up the road to Burnham Deepdale to spend the weekend with fellow motorhomes, Jason and Katie plus Elsa of course! Deepdale Camping has something for everyone whether in a motorhome, caravan or tent and also has a hostel on site. Local shop and café just outside the site and there was a mobile pizza van there on the Friday and Saturday night we were there.
A tad windy on the beach
The plan was to walk a little and lounge around the vans but the weather intervened and we got rather wet and windswept on the one day we did get out! The weather did let up in the evening which allowed us to get to the pub for dinner and watch the sun set over the marshes. Rainy days do though give us the chance to catch up on admin and laundry (very cheap washers and dryers here!).
Rained a little
The next stop was Wells-Next-The-Sea, a picturesque village with a harbour full of boats. Mill Farm seemed to have a couple of camping areas and we were in the CL with views across the fields to the marshes. We were able to follow the coast path through the marshes to Stiffkey where we sat on the white sand for a coffee watching the bird life and whilst stopping for our last coffee break of the day, an old work colleague of June’s walked past with her husband and dog!
Beautiful Wells-next-the-Sea
The area is known for its seal population and a number of local companies do boat tours. On Katie and Jason’s recommendation we went with Beans Boats (£20 per person for a 60-90 minute trip) but sadly the trip wasn’t so successful in that there were no seals basking on the sand banks as the weather kept them in the water – who knew that seals don’t like the rain!
Our last night in Norfolk was a free overnight stay in the car park at the Water’s Edge Restaurant, Woods End where we had dinner with an old boss of Bob’s – this was a real sociable couple of weeks!
The view from Water’s Edge Restaurant
We’ve loved the short time that we’ve spent in Norfolk and will be back.
After a couple more days back close to home clearing admin and doing the washing, it is time to move on much further afield and 180 days from the day we were released in April, for the last night of this post were sat in a field (Page Farm CL – great for easy access to the Eurotunnel terminal but would also be a good base to explore the local area) near to Folkestone ready for the 7.20am Eurotunnel train to Calais tomorrow.
Our plan is a quick dash through France, stopping long enough to get a PCR test for Italy where we heading to the Dolomites to visit a couple of places we missed when last there. On then to the Julian Alps in Slovenia before spending 7 weeks or so in Croatia and Bosnia.
Let the Schengen Shuffle begin!
Sites used:
Swans Harbour Caravan Park, Barford, Norfolk: £16 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. Showers and toilets also available but we didn’t use them. Mixed pitches.
Holly Tree Cottage CL, Stanhoe, Norfolk : £15 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. All grass.
Fallowfield CS, Burnham Market, Norfolk: £13 per night. No EHU (available on main field) but water and dumping facilities. All grass.
Deepdale Campsite, Burnham Deepdale: £21.33 per night. No EHU (available on pitches) but water and dumping facilities. Mixed pitches.
Mill Farm CL, Wells-next-the-Sea: £20 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. All grass.
Page Farm CL, Postling, Kent: £15 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. All grass.
After a wonderful six weeks exploring Wales (but still so much to see so we’ll be back!) it was time to catch up with children which is not so easy when they are spread across the country 😊.
Ferry across The Mersey
First stop was Liverpool to see Chloe and the latest production she is touring with (Heathers The Musical for anyone interested). Hidden Corner was a quiet, well looked after site close to Maghull North station, a short train ride in to Liverpool. As this was also around June’s birthday, Amy took a train from London to join us and for one night we had an AirBnB in the city. There was a slight hiccup with the show we’d booked being cancelled due to positive COVID tests so although we couldn’t see Chloe at work, it did mean that we got more time to spend with her. We spent a couple of days on the tourist trail taking in the sights via a bus tour and on foot – more exhausting than hiking Welsh mountains!
As previously mentioned, one good thing about travelling round the UK is being able to catch up with friends and here we met up with Helen, former customer turned friend of June’s, who drove us out to the coast to see the Anthony Gormley’s “Another Place” statues on the sand before meeting up with her family for dinner.
The overnight stop at Oaklands Farm was on our way to Mercedes for a couple of quick jobs to be done on the van. It’s a shame we couldn’t have stayed longer as it was an immaculate site surrounded by rolling countryside so it’s on the list to go back to.
Cromer
Our next proper stop was near to Cromer, north Norfolk. Bramble Park was a small, but again well looked after site within walking distance of the beach at Cromer and Felbrigg Hall, a National Trust property. Our reason for coming here was to move Amy from her university accommodation and put her stuff into storage ahead of moving into a shared house the following month. Luckily we managed to get everything, and she had a lot of stuff, moved the few miles in one go in the small van we’d hired which allowed time for lunch and shopping.
Felbrigg Hall
We had something a little different planned for the weekend – the Van Life Eats Big Picnic festival being held at Dummer Down Farm near Basingstoke, so we spent one night at Popham Airfield to make sure we were there as early as possible when the gates opened. The CL is a field close the hangars and runway so a great place to watch small planes and microlights.
Chef Benji at Van Life Eats Big Picnic
The festival was a weekend devoted to van living (although mostly in campervans and conversions rather than motorhomes) and food so right up our street! We had also arranged to meet up with several other van owners that we had previously only known through Instagram. It was a great weekend putting faces to names and chatting about van life, gadgets and future plans whilst sitting around the fire pit. We didn’t get to too many of the talks nor did we see any of the live bands but we did go foraging and to a couple of cookery demonstrations.
We had intended to stay on the south coast, moving on to the Portsmouth area to have some work done on the van which is required to keep the warranty valid but the garage called to cancel as they had a number of staff off sick. We therefore spent just the one night in Winchester before heading home and spending a couple of nights at Wyatts Covert before putting the van into storage for a week.
Wyatts Covert is another great site for plane lovers as it’s across the road from Denham Airfield but the planes only tend to fly during daylight hours so it’s quiet at night. We had planned to walk to Denham Country Park but sadly the HS2 works had closed a number of footpaths leaving the only access to be via walking along the main A412 which has no pavements so we gave that a miss.
Denham Airfield
A few days ago we had put the van on a weighbridge and discovered we had an issue meaning we had to drop 190kg quickly – we knew we’d be close to one of the axle limits (total gross weight is fine) but were shocked to find we were so much overweight. On the way from Norfolk to Hampshire we stopped at home to unload some big items, eg the unused bikes and collapsible ladder, and changed our policy of travelling with a full water tank to lose most of the weight. We also tried to redistribute what weight we could to the front of the van and we used the time at Denham to have another sort out of “stuff” to see what else we could leave behind. We knew these first few months would be a learning process but this had been quite an eye opener as we had always been conscious of what we were carrying. We look at other vans and see what people unload from their garages and wonder if they have any idea of their weight!
And then a week in a proper house and back in our old bed which now is nowhere near as comfortable as our bed in the van! It felt strange being in the house as is the short time we have been gone, Chloe has, rightly, stamped her mark and rearranged things. We did a few things around the house and tidied the garden a little. It was great though to catch up with friends although at the end of the week we were both itching to get back in the van – it did feel like coming home when we picked it up from storage and headed to a nearby campsite.
Balmers Campsite near Tring
Sites used: Hidden Corner CS, near Liverpool: £16 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities, showers (coin operated) and toilets. All grass.
Oaklands Farm CL, near Peterborough: £15 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. Hard standing pitches, some sloping.
Bramble Park CL, near Cromer, Norfolk: £16 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities, shower and toilet available. All grass.
Popham Airfield CL, near Basingstoke, Hampshire: £10 per night. No EHU but water and dumping facilities. All grass.
Morn Hill CMC, Winchester, Hampshire: £21.96 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. Hard standing pitches. Laundry rooms.
Wyatts Covert CC, Denham, Bucks: £30 per night. EHU, water and dumping facilities. Hard standing pitches. Laundry room.
An early start today as we were heading over the a High Atlas and back again in a day; luckily we were not driving but were able to book a car and driver for the day at a very reasonable rate. Younes from Ecovoyages Marrakech arrived promptly and by 7.30am we were clear of the city traffic and heading towards the mountains. A quick stop for coffee after a couple of hours before we hit the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, the highest pass over the High Atlas.
The High Atlas
Tizi-n-Tichka Pass
Our first destination was Kasbah Telouet and a real gem of a place and well worth the long drive along a road which in parts lacks any Tarmac. At first the place looked nothing more than a pile of ruins (the whole site is actually three kasbahs in various stages of decay) but there was a surprise awaiting in the form of four rooms almost exactly as they were the Kasbah was built in the 19th century. Our guide Rasheed was very knowledgeable and well worth his tip as he explained the history of the site. The family who lived here made their fortunes from the caravans passing through from the south to Marrakech, exchanging salt for gold and sugar for marble.
Telouet Kasbah
Inside the Telouet Kasbah
Inside the Telouet Kasbah
From there we continued along the same road following the Oued Mellah (literally translated as river of salt. Lesson learned today was that Morocco had salt mines!) and on to Ait Benhaddou whose claim to fame is to have appeared in numerous Hollywood films: Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and Gladiator but to name a few. We didn’t have a guide, despite their best efforts for us to hire them, and were happy to wander around the place on our own.
Ait Benhaddou
Ait Benhaddou
Ait Benhaddou
People still live in the kasbahs which make up the area and to get to the highest point you have to run the gauntlet of several shop owners trying to entice you to view their wares. We did give in on the way back down and took tea with Hachim whilst negotiating on the price of a silver necklace and an “antique” wooden spoon….. Bob retained his reputation of bartering like a Berber and we were all happy in the end!
Hachim
Then began the long drive home and this is where the 20,000 photos comes in. Having got a new toy after a last trip here (thank you Colin!), Bob had attached his GoPro to the outside of the vehicle and recorded time lapse photos of the routes we were taking. The plan was now to record the journey back over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. The camera stayed in place but we won’t be able to post the short video until getting home to the UK.
Sunset
The long day ended with a spectacular view of the sunset in the mountains and home to Jamila’s wonderful cooking…
Having visited most of the major sites in a Marrakech during previous visits, today we decided just to walk and see where we ended up whilst heading generally towards the east of the city. Things didn’t quite go to plan when we got lost in the souks but as there always seems to be a sign pointing towards the main square we followed one of them to get our bearings and start again! This time we got it right (eventually…) and arrived at the Museum of Marrakech. Not the largest museum we’ve been to but being located in a restored palace makes it worth a visit.
The Marrakech Museum
The Marrakech Museum
From there it was a very short walk to the Medersa Ben Youssef (combined admission with the museum of 60Dh each – under £5 at today’s rate) which was a former religious school. To quote from our guidebook “It displays all the fine decorative detailing that characterises what was the golden age of Moroccan architecture.” and that pretty much sums it up! If you like architecture head here. Point to note here, we were approached by a young man who was trying to get us to visit the tanneries and told us that the Medersa was closed due to a religious holiday – it wasn’t!
Ben Youssef Medersa
Ben Youssef Medersa
Ben Youssef Medersa
A lot of walking usually involves geocaching for us, and although there are not too many caches in Morocco, we were not too far from one so it was off down the alleyways in search of it. The Moroccans are born traders and (sorry, spoiler alert) what better way of getting someone into your shop than by putting the cache there! Worth pointing out though that there was no pressure for us to buy anything and we had a very friendly chat with the shop owner.
Leather in the street
As we mentioned we were off the main tourist track today so our next stop was the Maison de la Photographie de Marrakech, which houses a collection of photographs of early 20th century Moroccan life. Entry was 40Dh (£2.80 ish) but we can visit as often as we like which given the great little cafe on the roof terrace we will probably take advantage of!
The view from the cafe at Maison de la Photographie
Berber Omelette
Being on the east side of the city and despite what we told the young man earlier, we had always intended to visit the tanneries. We were approached by a “guide” who offered to show us around and despite being a little sceptics it was actually quite interesting! However having visited the tanneries at Fez, the ones in Marrakech were a little disappointing and of course the visit ended up in a shop which sold a variety of leather goods.
In desperate need of coffee (no surprise there!) we made our way back to the main square and one of the many roof terraces providing the best places just to sit and watch the world go by. Feeling suitably refreshed it was time to head back home but managed to take the wrong turn again which also happened when we came back in for dinner and then on the way back again….. By the end of the week we’ll have it all worked out…..we hope!
When our 2010 trip was rudely interrupted by a certain volcano bringing the world to a standstill, Iceland had always been on the list for sooner rather than later. A chat with friends earlier in the year bought it further forward when they said they fancied a weekend away and somewhere they wouldn’t normally go – so Iceland it was! So six months planning became a 4am taxi to Luton Airport for our delux Easyjet flight to Reykjavik and at 9am on Thursday morning we touched down in Keflavik with a mission to see as much of the island as possible before we left again late Monday afternoon. One of the major decisions we agonised over was car hire as we had read nightmare stories about the car hire companies in Iceland. We booked through www.holidayautos.co.uk who were far cheaper than all the major and local companies (something which immediately aroused suspicion) but had no issues with them and their local agent Thrifty. We hired a Ford Kuga (great for four adults and luggage) and after a walk round with the agent to inspect the car it was off into the lava fields on the main road to Reykjavik. Driving in Iceland is pretty simple and if you want to go anywhere outside the capital you are going to use the only motorway, Route 1 which runs around the island with a spur off to the airport in the south west corner. Accommodation had been easy to book – we used www.redappleapartments.com and the choice was huge (and for those who cannot be without the internet, yes us, most had free wifi). After a slight hiccup in collecting the keys which resulted in us finding our way around Reykjavik a little more quickly than we anticipated after walking across town and back again, we found our apartment which was ideally located at the quieter end of the main street, Laugavegur, so close to the shops, bars and restaurants. So all settled in, it was time to start the weekend properly – find a bar! Place of choice was the Lebowski Bar, an American diner and bowling alley styled place (coincidentally the film The Great Lebowski is one of June’s favourite films) for happy hour. Before the financial crisis drinking in Iceland was ridiculously expensive (wine still not cheap so we bought some duty free on arrival at Keflavik) but current exchange rates have made it no different to a night out in London. After a few beers food was required and with Bob keen to try some local delicacies, we found the ideal place:
Smoked Puffin
None of us was keen to try whale on principle but the boys went for the puffin menu. We all tried a bit, as you have to, and of the four of us Bob was the only one who said he’d have it again! Up early again Friday morning with the plan to head to Jokulsarlon, a 400km drive from Reykjavik, to the glacier lagoon where icebergs break away from Europe’s largest icecap and head out to sea. However as started to head over the higher ground on Route 1 to the south east of Reykjavik, visibility was almost non-existent so it was decided to go to plan B and not risk five hours in the car (each way!) with not being able to see a thing. At this point we didn’t actually have a plan B so there was nothing for it but find a coffee shop (#clewleystopsforcoffee knows no geographical boundaries!) and get the maps and guidebooks out. Plan B turned out to be waterfall day with the falls getting gradually more spectacular as the day went on – we couldn’t have planned it better if we tried! Stop 1 was Seljalandsfoss where you can walk behind the curtain of water running off the Eyjafjallajokul icecap (yes, that volcano again).
Seljalandsfoss
From there it was on to Skogafoss where the water plunges around 60m onto the gravel and ash – the noise and force of the water is amazing. There is also a staircase here up the side of the fall to a platform at the top where as well as a great view of the waterfall, you can also see the coast but the weather wasn’t on our side for that.
Skogafoss
Our final waterfall was Gullfoss, part of The Golden Circle of tourist attractions and certainly one of the most spectacular.
Gullfoss
Continuing the water theme we moved on to the hot springs at Geysir. Geysir itself doesn’t do too much at the moment but Strokkur erupts every few minutes and if you’re standing
in the wrong place then it’s time for a soaking! The colours of the pools are an incredible shade of blue with all the dissolved minerals they hold.
moss covered lava fields
Back in Reykjavik for dinner but nothing quite so exotic tonight – pasta and burgers at Restaurant 73. Great food serving locally brewed beers. Highly recommended. Saturday’s trip was to the Snaefellsjokull National Park on the west coast. The weather was better today and we were able to see the ever changing scenery – moss covered lava fields, soaring volcanoes and snow capped mountains. All being keen photographers (between us we had 5 cameras and 4 phones on us at all times and then of course an additional phone plus 4 iPads in the apartment!) every car journey was probably 50% longer that it should be as we were constantly stopping to take snaps. We drove around the peninsula on the coast road and had great fun on the north coast just trying to get out of the car in the wind. The coast here is wild and rugged and the wind whips across the northern Atlantic – great to look at though when sitting somewhere warm and dry although that sadly turned out only to be the car as most places seem to have closed up for the winter (this was the second weekend in October). We decided that on the way back we go via Pingvellir National Park, the third part of the Golden Circle with Gullfoss and Geysir. Having checked the map there was a clear road labelled “Major route” however June missed the most vital words – “loose surface”…. Having no
Pingvellir National Park
idea if we were insured or not (insurance is very specific on the types on road you can drive on and this road was a mixture of black top and condensed gravel) we drove very gingerly for about 60km arriving at Pingvellir just as the light was starting to fade. We did however get to see where Iceland is literally ripping apart as the North American and European tectonic plates move away from each other. With a forecast of good weather for Sunday it was up before dawn to do the long drive over to Jokulsarlon and what a difference a couple of
days made! We were able to see for miles and in addition to the lava and mountains, we drove through the ashfields of the 2010 eruption and had clear views through to Eyjafjallajokul with its white cap stunning against the bright blue sky. As we moved further east we drove through mile after mile of black ash but only at one point is the road still under repair – quite a miracle really considering the devastation caused. Plant life is just starting to grow but it’s still very bleak until you get towards Skaftafell National Park where tongues of the glacier flow through gaps in the mountain out on to the plains.. The sat nav said 4.5 hours for this journey but you can imagine the number of stops for pictures (and coffee of course) but nothing prepared us for the final bend in the road as we approached Jokulsarlon.
Jokulsarlon
Despite spending almost 6 hours on the road, there was a collective gasp from the car as we saw the icebergs on the lagoon. Lunch was a quick affair as we wanted to get out on the amphibious boat on the lagoon – well worth doing at about £20 per person for about 45 minutes spent out on the water. You get a little history and geology thrown in and the chance to taste 1000 year old ice straight out of the water. From there it was down to the beach where the icebergs who escape the lagoon find themselves. Words cannot describe the beauty of this place – black sand, grey seas and blue/white icebergs and I hate to think how many pictures we have but the location was well worth the journey and I would put this place at the top of places to see in Iceland. It took a lot to drag ourselves away but it had to be done as dinner had to be found somewhere on the route home. We ate a few times in service stations and were amazed at the standard of food – no plates sitting under hot lamps and everything cooked to order!
Icebergs on the beach
Our final morning was spent at the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport; no need to worry about hauling home wet towels as everything (including swimwear is required) can be hired. We had wanted to do some shopping before leaving but it seems people in Reykjavik are not early risers and nothing opens until 10/11am but leaving a bit earlier meant our timing for the Blue Lagoon was perfect with no queues and plenty of room in the changing rooms (this had totally reversed by the time we left as coach loads had arrived). This is a great place to chill out (if we come back again June might have to find an excuse for one of the spa treatments) and there’s even a bar in the middle of the pool but as we were leaving around 12.30 it was getting very busy.
Blue Lagoon
It’s only a short hop from the Blue Lagoon back to the airport for some shopping, lunch and maybe a glass or two of wine or beer before boarding our Icelandair light home (it was no more expensive to use different airlines for each leg and the timings worked out better doing so). From the dials on the car, we covered around 2000km in our short time in Iceland but loved every moment of it. Will we go back? Yes hopefully as there is still so much more to see and do. We’d like to do some walking next time and actually get out on one of the glaciers, and maybe a dip in one of the geothermally heated outdoor pools. Our one disappointment was not seeing the Northern Lights and Sod’s Law being what it is, the display was spectacular the night we left and was so good the following night that they switched the lights off in Reykjavik so everyone could see them in their glory.
Thurs 16th May. Our stop tonight is Source bleue de Meski – one of our favourite places from the last trip but as with most of this trip, we do not take the direct route! First stop is Gourrama for a sneaky nus nus, well it wouldn’t be right to pass a coffee shop and not stop, and it’s then on to Boudnib. Here we have a guide and are shown round an old kasbah (walled town) which despite being devastated by a huge flood in 2008, still has some inhabitants. The King, who is a major factor in modernising much of the agriculture in the country, granted funds to be made available for the restoration of the kasbah, including the installation of electricity, although many people have moved to the new town.
Whoops
Slight problem on the way out when one of the vans got stuck in the dried riverbed where we were parked! After much discussion amongst the men and with the use of anti-slip mats, the van was finally free and we were on our way again.
Meski
The campsite at Meski is built around a natural spring which fills a swimming pool. Not being totally sure that the water was parasite free, we gave swimming a miss so spent the afternoon drinking tea in the various shops on site – the tea drinking is a vital part of shopping and price negotiating here! An impromptu drumming session accompanied the tea with Abdul and it was then on to Beni who had been our unofficial guide last time we were here; if there was anything you wanted then Beni could provide it! Bob was after a silver bangle and managed to find one in amongst the rucksack of goodies Beni was unwrapped as sadly a break-in last month meant that he no longer kept the good jewellery on show.
Beni remembered the girls from the last trip and wanted to give them something so after dinner we went back to his house to collect a bottle of olive oil. He also wanted to show us his house of which he is very proud (it’s a beautiful place) and to which we have been invited to stay on our next trip back…..
Wed 15th May. We were waved off from Fatima’s by the children and left feeling suitably humbled. We continued to head up into the Mid-Atlas with the High Atlas to our south and over Legionnaire’s Pass where there is a monument to those who lost their lives in the construction of the road through the mountains. Since coming into the mountains we’ve rarely been below 1700m, higher than anywhere in the UK.
The scenery continues to change – greys to greens to the bright red sandstone with the rocks bent and broken as nature has taken its course over millions of years. Man’s impact on the land can be seen through the creation of numerous lakes as rivers are dammed to provide irrigation for agriculture but the roads are continually washed out by flash floods moving huge boulders down from the mountains.
Tonight’s campsite is on a desolate plain bounded by small mountains to the north and south and on the site of a former secret prison for political prisoners. Nowadays the building that is left is used for mechanically crushing rocks mined from the nearby mountains.
On the road to Imichil we found our next overnight site – a layby adjacent to Fatima’s Farm. This was not a formal campsite rather a spot of land next door to a farm owned by a lady called Fatima and so a second night of wild camping.
Fatima’s Farm
On pulling into the layby we were immediately surrounded by the children from the 4/5 houses that make up the farm; everywhere you go in Morocco, whether it’s roadside or on a campsite,the children ask for pens, paper, sweets and even clothes. They are persistent but not nasty when you keep saying no and they usually wave you away with a big smile on their faces. Life on the farm is basic, subsistence farming; they grow grow crops and raise sheep, goats and cows. What is not needed is taken to market and sold to buy what they can’t provide themselves. Electricity is in the form of single bulbs in some rooms and that comes from solar panels. But despite the hardship, Fatima and her extended family were very welcoming and hospitable – we were all invited in for tea and homemade bread, butter and olive oil on arrival.
Just a couple of the bags from Chantal
We had very generously been given bags of childrens’ clothes by a good friend (and dance teacher – thanks Chantal!) and left a few of them here where they were very much appreciated.
After dinner around the campfire and music played by the children we went back into the house to find Fatima making butter – hours of swinging a large container of milk. This woman is in her 60s and in the short time we were there she had gathered feed from the mountainside for the cattle, joined us for tea and made butter for the following day. They didn’t eat dinner until after we left (around 10pm) and she was up again at 5am to bake bread for us to take away with us.
Yes through these trips she is obviously better off than many farmers here but still it’s a life none of us would opt for – our major problems were working out how to cope without electricity or topping up water for three days. Puts a lot of things into perspective……
Tues 14th – our 2nd wedding anniversary and what a way to spend it! Today we are continuing our journey through the Middle Atlas but heading south towards the High Atlas. It’s a long driving day today of 245km which doesn’t sound a lot but on these roads it’s a full day.
After an earlyish start it’s off to Zeida for another pancake and nus nus breakfast and then on to another long and winding road with the accompanying stunning scenery. Luckily for me Bob is happy to drive so I can hang out of the window taking photos which can never do justice to the location but will provide us with a lifetime of memories.
We knew the roads were going to cause a few problems today as even the map has them marked as “difficult or dangerous” but as we reached the town of Aghbala we noticed that the other vans in front of us had stopped on a bend on the main road through the centre of town. Hammed, who had recently rejoined us, came running towards us and pointed us in a different direction as it seems the road ahead really had run out!
Try to imagine the scene; one main road through town, no road and then five motorhomes and van towing a trailer trying to do u-turns. Although we didn’t have to turn around, the alternative route we had been given involved a short steep slope which is not so good when you have a large overhang at the back and a tow bar. Still 30 mins or so after
bringing the entire town to a standstill we all make it out in one piece and regroup further along the road.
Tonight’s stay is on the roadside around 25-30km north of Imichil adjacent to a farm owned by a lady called Fatima and that merits its own entry.
Mon 13th and a relatively short drive today heading into the Middle Atlas and the Cedar Forest.We left Fes heading towards Azrou with a short stop at Immouzer for a breakfast of pancakes and coffee (nus nus for me – something like a latte but half milk and half coffee) and a little shoppping in the markeyto top up the fresh supplies. Just before Azrou we turned off into the cedar forest for tonight’s camp and our first night of wild camping, ie no campsite and no amenities.
Despite having been before we were not disappointed with the site in the middle of the majestic trees and we were soon joined by the barbary apes who live in them. Sadly no campfire this time due to the dryness of the surroundings but that didn’t stop us all sitting out after dinner cooked by Mohammed and enjoying a glass or two…well under the rain started that is!
SAt 11th and we leave the lake for our first major city – Fes, the former capital of Morocco. But first we had
to get through the market at Ourtzarh where it seems everyone had come to sell their wares and at one point it
looked like someone was trying to load cows into the back of a transit! Having negotiated our way through the
The office ..Morocco style
mayhem of the market, it was back across the rickety bridge and then onto the main road to Fes. The dramatic mountain scenery has temporarily been replaced by green rolling hills and fields of crops; farming here plays a major part in the economy but there seems to be little machinery and many families go to and from the fields on their donkey (and usually with the man riding and the woman walking a few paces behind).
We get to Fes without incident but then panic a little when the sat nav seems to be taking us right through the centre of the city. Luckily we stick to a main road running along the outside medina walls and find our way to the campsite fairly easily. After lunch provided by Steve and Muhammed, it’s a quiet afternoon around the van and with
a decent power supply we can use the coffee maker and the air conditioning although not at the same time – it’s not that good! Campsite facilities are basic but clean and useable.
There’s a great pool area and even a bar
selling alcohol (very unusual) but sadly the pool is empty…..we would all have appreciated it in this heat.
Morocco style travelling
Sun 12th and we’re off for a tour of Fes. The campsite is in the Ville Nouvelle which was designed and built by the French before Morocco gained independence. We travel through the more decorative Jewish city which contains the Kings Palace and then to the Medina (the largest in the Arab world) where the shopping begins…..
The Potteries
First to the potteries where we see ceramics being made in the traditional way with a lump of clay being thrown on a wheel and crafted into plates, bowls and tagines and then painted by hand. Mosaics are made here too with the plain coloured tiles being broken and cut by large hand held hammers before creating intricate patterns. A couple of small purchases here and then it’s back into the labyrinth of the medina and the carpet shop which is based in an old
several storied house.
The Tanneries
We did actually intend to buy a rug on this trip and after a talk on the history of how carpets are made and a glass of mint tea to help with the negotiations, we succeeded.
As usual with the guides here they direct you to shops where they receive the best commission and after a “Berber” pharmacy and a leather shop by the tanneries, people were starting to flag a little so it was back to the campsite.
The following morning we went for a walk up along the track which ran behind the campsite and up the mountain where we had spectacular views of the valley in which Chefchaouen is nestled. The afternoon was spent trying, unsuccessfully, to avoid the heat as it is apparently unusually hot for this time of year – temperatures are around the mid 30sC during the day although the evenings are considerably cooler and sleeping is not difficult. Another group meal, this time at Casa Aladin which is set on four floors overlooking the main town square and again ridiculously cheap at Dh85 (£6.50) each for a three course set menu.
Fri 10th and up early for the journey to tonight’s wild camping beside a lake. As the crow flies this is a journey of no more than 50miles but with the bulk of Rif Mountains in the way and lack of decent roads this becomes 150miles which takes 5 1/2 hours. The driving is, shall we say, a little on the iffy side; no thoughts about lanes, overtaking into oncoming traffic on blind bends, the road shrinking to one vehicle wide……
The scenery continues to be breathtaking as the road winds its way up and down and around the mountains. We drive through Bab-Berret where people, cars and cattle cross the road as they want.
Lunch
Lunch was at Ketama and literally at a roadside butchers; you have to go through the carcasses hanging outside to get into the seating area where we had freshly made lamb keftas and cutlets.
The road continued through the Rif and we headed towards Ourtzarh across a bridge; well I say bridge….it was one lane wide, just, and in places the river below can be seen through the holes in the boards.
The campsite that night was on the banks of a lake with just donkeys and sheep for company. However given the intensity of the driving it was an early night all round just after a beautiful sunset across the lake.
