Besucher/Visitors
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| 2. South-England17.07.04, Saturday: We start at 10:00h via Belgium. Though there is no traffic jam at all we decide to have a brake at Verviers in Belgium. We have a snack and explore the city. After 3 hours we leave and the journey continues via Brussels to Calais. At he port we cue in the truck lane where we pass all inspections without problems until they face the dog inspection routine. They tell us that we have to get in the cue for the cars and that they will inform their colleagues that they already have checked everything. OK, back again, new cue - new luck! Here the problem starts again because of the dog (in French!) where I try to explain as good as possible that we already wanted to go to England two years ago (with the previous camper where the rear axle already failed after the first 80 km and caused the investment in the new camper) and so the test for the success of the anti-rabies injection is two years old and we only repeated the check from the government veterinarian. This is in accordance with the regulations of Great Britain’s pet scheme due to an Email confirmation from the British Embassy hence the annual repeat of the anti-rabies injections haven’t been missed. (Again, all this with my rudiment French but finally they let us pass!) Until we were allowed to go onto the ferry I had some time left to put some tape at the asymmetric lights and to show the camper to two very interested people. One of them is a craftsman working for different mobile home manufacturing companies in Europe as a freelancer gave us very valid hints where to stay while our trip – thanks to Dougie from the Cotswolds. At round about 24h the ferry arrived at Dover and we found a place at the area Dougie had recommended!
18.07.04, Sunday: Loooong stay in bed, than we finally leave to Rye. Here we have a long trip through the old town and finally we all are extremely tired incl. the dog who followed us bravely. We stay overnight at the coach-park and watch TV (“Final Fantasy”) via satellite but what happened to Michael Schuhmacher??? On our way to Calais we saw several trucks from the Formula 1 “circus” driving towards Hockenheim (When I didn’t even find a note in the English newspapers the next morning I remembered that the race is the following weekend!)?? 
19.07.04, Monday: Departure to Brighton, where we follow the recommendation of Dougie and find a place at Madeira Drive – directly at the beach, underneath the promenade. In the evening we have a fantastic view to the pier and the sea.
Of course we have made a trip through the town and the Indian style palace was one of the highlights . But my personal favourites where the small streets in the former fishermen village.
Our son feels a MUST to test the boat and the father has to pump it up and to assist to carry it to the beach. But it is my son who finally is the only one of us who jumps into the water while I prefer to stay in the more or less dry boat. This didn’t find the approval of our dog who is extremely scared of water: he was waiting at the water front but unfortunately he wouldn’t have been able to help us in a case of emergency because his sensible feet may have become wet! What a support! Directly next to us is a tour bus of a band who will have a show in the building 5 meters away from our camper. We are lucky that the noise isn’t nearly recognizable but gently rocks us into sleep.
20.07.04, Tuesday: Next stop after our leave is the small village Arundel with its fantastic castle / palace. We are absolutely “not amused” about the entrance fee but the visit was worth while.
Because the parking ticket is only valid until 14:00h we have to be careful and leave well in time to Portsmouth. Again the GBP 25,- entrance fee for the ship HMS Victory of Lord Nelson! The double fee for two additional ships we reject because we have to be back at the parking place in a time where a visit wouldn’t make any sense at all and we reject to return the next day.
A perfect place to park we find in Lee, 10 km west of Portsmouth . Unfortunately some people seem to be disturbed by our camper in front of their houses and their view to the beach and some people from the town send us away. But they are very kind and tell us that they will not check another parking place close by. Here we are as well directly at the coastline and enjoy the view to the sea (except the dog no-one wants to go outside because it is raining). For all who may be interested the coordinates: 50° 46’ 45“ // -01° 09’ 00“.
21.07.04, Wednesday: The place where we rested was not the best place because another official warned us at the next morning that this is not for overnight stay and definitely not for sleeping overnight. We should have gone to the parking place for “lorries”, not far away. But because we were on the leave anyhow he calmed down. Our question, if the water drain system on the parking area is connected to the normal canalisation and we can use it for our used water was answered positive and so we got rid of a nearly overflowing wastewater- tank. Even the public toilets where very welcome and after we had refilled the fresh water at a gas station we were rid of all our problems. After a short shopping-brake we visited the Beaulieu palace with its car museum. Anita already had been there once and so only Robin and I visited it. After our return Big Foot had been cleaned! Our intension was to go to Stonehenge directly but on our way we decided to have a stop at Salisbury because it was already quite late. The remarkable cathedral has one of the remaining “Magna Carta”.
Even the beautiful old houses have been worth the stop. Because the parking ground was very close to the town centre we decided to buy fresh roles in the morning and to go to two shops which unfortunately already had been closed in the evening.
22.07.04, Thursday: After an extremely successful shopping tour for my wife (we bought a lot of special kitchen tools) we headed for Stonehenge. It was very impressive but the guide’s information that it wasn’t an observation area for stars robbed my illusions and fantasy a little bit. Furthermore the amount of menhirs in Carnaque, France is much bigger and the chance there to go directly to them is preferred by us. But it is obvious that these cultural remains need protection against the masses of visitors. Although we cannot understand that they didn’t allow at least us to cross the barriers! ;-)
We than drove back to the cost, to Lulworth with its steep cost-line where already people lived in the bronze-area. Some of the rocks are folded several times by the drift of the continents. Some fresh caught seafood for the evening dinner completed the good impression of this place.
Weymouth was a very nice town with several harbours, small streets that we felt to have passed all with Big Foot when looking for a place to stay overnight. The instruction from a local guy mislead us 10 km out of the town without finding something adequate. Finally we drove back and headed further to Abbotsbury in the west, where we finally found a place to stay overnight. Tomorrow we will return to Weymouth to visit it by feet.
23.07.04, Friday: After we stayed long in bed we skipped the plan to go to Weymouth. Instead we visited Abbotsbury and drove the short distance to the beach where we found THE OVERNIGHT PARKING GROUND! Directly located at the pebbles dune! For all interested ones: the place respectively the way-sign specifies “Chesil”.
So we stayed the whole day at the beach and Robin pumped up the boat and stayed the whole day on the water – and depending to some of the higher waves sometimes in the water! Anita, Arco and me were just laying lazy on the blankets and were reading or sleeping. At 17:00h Robin was well cooked, definitely if he would be a lobster: red all over. Together with a baguette, mayonnaise and a cold white-wine ….?
That we slept here didn’t bother anyone at all. The fish-hunters were even sleeping on the dune in tents! How they managed to tie the tents on the ground consisting of millions of small pebbles I really don’t know. Anyhow I watched a spectacular sunset.
24.07.04, Saturday: Finally weekend! Ups, we have holidays anyhow. Because Robin is suffering from his sunburn beach is self-prohibiting. So we go to Weymouth where we now manage to find a place to stay overnight: it is the parking ground of the railway station. For only GBP 1,80 (which is cheap) we can stay 24 hours but it is loud and dirty. To the coast it is only 300 m and to the harbour another 500 m. Here we buy some fish for one of the next days and look for a restaurant because today we refuse to cook ourselves.
25.07.04, Sunday: The fish in the fridge will survive for another day because we found a Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant close by. So we neglected all dietetic and health recommendations and had our brunch here. Afterwards we enjoyed a ride on a cart court.
Afterwards we passed by Abbotsbury and our fantastic “campground” at the pebbles beach again and had spectacular views on our drive along the seaside. In the afternoon we arrived in Exeter, which we explored (nice cathedral, old houses, an old harbour and shops and restaurants in renovated old warehouses and to spend the night at a free Park & Ride parking.
Meanwhile I have set up the satellite antenna to see the very end of the Formula 1 race at Hockenheim. Schumi has won again!
26.07.04, Monday: We pass by Torquay and Torbay on our way to Brixham. We find a parking place at the very end and visit the picturesque harbour town.
After three hours we decide to go Dartmouth along the seaside. The streets are extremely small and when we finally reach a roundabout and the street gets bigger we see behind us a sign, which allows entrance to street we just came from only for small vehicles! Doesn’t matter, we managed it! On our further way we see a sign that there is a ferry at Dartmouth limited for 7,5 t – doesn’t matter because we want to take the road – although it is a narrow one! So we proceed until we finally reach the end of a cue of cars. Here a very gentle driver from a car behind us explains that the ferry is the ONLY way to get to Dartmouth. So we wait until the ferry has arrived and all cars have left and passed us and than pass the cue to the area where the ferry stops because here is the only sufficient space to turn around and drive back all the way. So the only chance for us to reach Dartmouth will mean additional 40 km and so we decide to go to Dartmoor instead. My wife is scared of the small streets, which we will have to face at Dartmoor due to my memories. So we decide to rest close to Totnes to prevent a tour through the Dartmoor at dark.
27.07.04, Tuesday: After a longer search we finally find a way into the Dartmoor without a limitation to the width. But unfortunately it is such a narrow “street” that we can’t even find it on a newly bought, very detailed roadmap. But we find this out only after:
The views in Dartmoor have been fantastic and if a sword swinging highlander would have fitted perfectly into the scenery. The old stone bridges and to crosses modified menhirs plus the sheep standing and lying around nearly everywhere left a deep impression.
Afterwards we were heading towards Cornwall where we were looking without any luck for a place to stay overnight. To Lanhydrock (between Bodmin and Lostwithiel) we came more or less by accident when looking for a place to stay overnight although it was on our list. The big parking place offered an ideal place to stay and nobody bothered us at all. Because the palace was closed at 17:30h we had to do the visit the next day.
28.07.04, Wednesday: Unfortunately the palace opens at 11:00h. Meanwhile we did some of the bits and pieces which normally are left until the very end: sorting the dirt clothes (We will drop our son at the grandparents on our trip home and it is impossible to have enough clothes for 5 weeks in total. So my mother in law has the privilege to take care of the dirty clothes of our extremely careful child!), re-adjust some of the doors, get rid of the waste, empty the toilet, take the dog for an extended walk, …. . The palace was very nice, especially because the kitchen and many of the rooms where all the background work had to be done were fully equipped with stuff 50 years old or more. Here we joined the “National Trust”, an organisation who looks after old buildings and other interesting sites.
Afterwards we enjoyed a longer walk through the beautiful Truro and its shops. Because it was still not too late we headed for Lizard, where the street to the lighthouse proved to be not big enough for lorries and coaches as announced on a traffic plate. Because I didn’t believe it we had to drive backwards for half a kilometre because it was impossible to turn around. Finally we stopped at a parking place just before the one of the “National Trust” for “Kynance Cove” (the parking of “National Trust” was not allowed for “Overnight Camping”). The location and the view were superb.
29.07.04, Thursday: Our intension was to go to Mullion Cove but the direct access was forbidden for vehicles with more than 7,5t. So we tried to get there from the “rear” but when nearly reached Mullion and rain started when we stopped at the parking place “Poldhu Point” we stopped the attempt. So we drove via Helston to Marazion, which is just before Penzance. Because the flood just started to rise we had to go with a small boat to St. Michaels mount. The castle located on a rock is as well handled by the “National Trust” and so the entrance was free for members like us. The castle was very nice and impressive but just when we finished a heavy rain started. So everyone had the same idea as us: go to the restaurant or back by boat which caused long cues everywhere. But finally we managed to find a place at the restaurant where we had a snack whilst we were getting dry.
Afterwards we drove to Penzance. The big parking place at the train station wasn’t restricted by any signs and so we wanted to stay there similar to other camper vans for a visit of the city. While we were still in the drivers cabin an employee looking after the parking approached us and advised us in a rough mode that we should leave immediately because it is not allowed for trucks (again: there was no sign!). I tried to explain that this is not a truck but a camper van. He than said that it is not allowed for heavy vehicles. My request where we can stay as an alternative he said that is not his problem and that he already had told us that 3 or 4 weeks before. I replied that we are in Penzance for the very first time and that I can show him our boarding pass of the ferry to prove that (I don’t want to write here what I wanted to show him as well! Anyhow I have to admit that this was the only time that we had any negative experience at all.). Finally he told us that one kilometre further down the road is parking for truck and coaches. We stayed here but only for a short city tour of 2 hours because the overnight stay was forbidden. Some kilometres out of Penzance we had dinner at a Chinese Restaurant and stayed at a parking place close by.
30.07.04, Friday: On the next morning we bought some items in the supermarket in Penzance before we drove to “Land’s End”. We took the common photos and walked the normal way to the right and left as everybody else – that’s all. But I have to admit that the view on the sea and to know that there are roughly 5.000 km before you reach the next cost is something special.
Some kilometres to the north we than visited the “Levant Mine”, which is managed by the “National Trust”. From here we drove to St. Ives and used the “park & ride” facilities, which was a good decision because of the narrow streets. St. Ives is a fantastic village with a remarkable, beautiful harbour. Unfortunately another 100.000 people (that’s how we felt) were of the same opinion and the crowds in the small streets were absolutely not what we like. On the one side we regret to leave this picturesque village too early, on the other hand more than happy to leave the crowds behind us we drove to Levant where we stayed overnight.
31.07.04, Saturday: Right behind Gwithian is a parking area of the “National Trust” with direct access to the sand-beach (unfortunately no overnight-stay).
We stayed here the full day and in the evening we drove to Redruth for shopping and on our way back we bought ships & fish in Portreath for our dinner. Than we drove in the direction of the “National Trust” parking place and 2 km before that we found a parking place directly at the coastline (50° 14’ 18“ // -5° 020’ 021“ // WITHOUT any restrictions!) where we enjoyed the meal. Tomorrow we will return the 2 km to the beach.
01.08.04, Sunday: As mentioned before we spend 6 hours at the beach and Robin tested intensively his Body-Board, which we had bought the day before. Than we said more or less good-bye to the Atlantic Ocean and headed towards Bristol. A few kilometres before we left the motorway and looked for a place to sleep.
02.08.04, Monday: The parking place was the most horrible ever. Extremely loud and busy because it was leading directly to the motorway. The first stop is Bath, where we spent nearly 3 hours in the old roman thermal bath.
Afterwards we had to visit the cathedral, the bridge-houses over the Avon and a little bit of the rest of the beautiful city before the parking ticket for 4 hours expired.
On our trip through the city we saw a poster of the “National Trust” advertising Lacock and so we decide to go there next. For me as a Engineer of Photography the Talbot museum is very interesting but as well the former abbey modified to a manor house is worth seeing (a poster highlights that some shots of the Harry Potter films have been taken in the cloister). A large amount of the village formerly belonged to the family Talbot and was donated to the “National Trust” as well manor and The very old, picturesque houses 200 – 300 years or more old are fantastic (or as my son enthusiastic voted: “Hmpf”).
Finally we visited Avebury with the Neolithic stone circle.
Because it is already late in the evening and we lack bread we drive to Swindon where we go shopping in a supermarket and stay in a corner of its parking place without being send away.
03.08.04, Tuesday: The night is hot and humid. It is the first time that we really use the Airco to have a good sleep. We are heading directly to Bury St. Edmunds and the originally for Wednesday planned Vinten / Vitec factory tour for my family was pulled forward. Of course it was a big “hello” from all colleagues. Thanks a lot to all, especially Richard, who showed us around. It is obvious that my son was especially interested in the R&D-department where Richard is in charge. All the computers, CAD-Programs etc. were fascinating for him. Furthermore we had the chance to have a look at future designs and prototypes, which wouldn’t be normally accessible for public. We had the allowance to stay overnight at the companies parking.
04.08.04, Wednesday: After the breakfast I showed my family (except the dog) the painting facilities and some other areas we missed the first day. Afterwards we went to Bury for shopping and wandering around but first we had big difficulties by finding a parking area because the only lorry parking place was locked! But finally we managed this problem as well and had a look to the old Abbey, the gardens of the cloister, the Cathedral and the former prison (Moyst’s Hall), nowadays a museum.
Afterwards we went to Levenham, which was even for England (which has a lot of old buildings) fantastic with the amount of historic houses.
05.08.04 Thursday: Unfortunately and much too early the end of the holidays is approaching, made obvious by the start direction of Dover. On our way we stop at Canterbury. We can highly recommend the Park & Ride because for only GBP 2,- you can stay and use the bus shuttle to Canterbury. Although we looked intensively we were not able to find any signs that overnight sleeping may be forbidden! As a first stop after the channel crossing (only ½ hour from Dover an ideal first stop. The Cathedral is simply huge! A small village with all the surrounding buildings! But even the rest of Canterbury is very nice and a beautiful city with all the small streets and old historic buildings. We arrive quite early at the Dover port and of cause make use of the offer to take an earlier ferry for just a small extra fee. This enables us to drive a little bit after the channel crossing to Gent in Brussels.
06.08.04, Thursday: Today we only drove to get to our old hometown, Immenhausen, Mariendorf in Northern Hessen. We arrive at 15h to pass over our son for the next two weeks to my parents in law. At about 17:30h departure to Bad Kreuznach where a lot of work is waiting: washing, gardening, … - but I believe nobody is really interested in that story.
Conclusion: People: Extremely friendly, always willing to help and patient, especially as drivers. Country: Beautiful, lots of different impressions, fantastic old buildings, a “must go”! This changed our mind and we stayed only in the south instead visiting as well the middle part and eventually bypassing Scotland. We will leave this to at least two more trips in the future for similar intensive visits! With a camper: Although staying at Motorways is impossible (as we have been told they are private operated and at least after 4 hours you will be send away!) and many of the parking places at the tourists highlights are not allowed for overnight sleeping it is possible to find somewhere a place to stay overnight. The infrastructure is excellent for camper vans because there a nearly everywhere public toilets where the tanks from the campers toilets can be emptied (if without chemic), water is available from most of the gas stations free of charge (adaptor hose necessary to push over the tab which normally is only used to fill the cars heating system), used water can be easily emptied at car washing places e.g.. Big Foot: All problems which can be handled with “on-board” spares aren’t a problem!
Family: stayed healthy with a lot of fantastic impressions!
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