Thursday 30th September - Day 27

The sun has shone all day. It was a lovely drive from Linz to Klosterneuburg; the Austrian countryside is wide with the hills and mountains in the distance.

The site is right in the centre of Klosterneuburg, at the foot of the monastery which dominates the town. It's a prosperous and very old town having its origins in roman times.

Some research to be done about what the best kind of ticket is for travelling around; certainly using the car is not a good option. It's probably very expensive to park in Vienna and not easy to find parking places.

Not much else really. I'll stay here for a week and may also visit Bratislava and Budapest. Budapest is only two hours or so by car and Bratislava is nearer. We'll see.

Nothing esle to add today. Really just a day for travel and organisation.

Wednesday 29th September - Day 26

I think there is a general depression - weather in particular - over Europe at the moment. Yesterday, Tuesday, turned out to be solid rain all day.  It looked promising to start with but after about 10.00 am there was nothing for it but to admit defeat, turn the heat on and spend the day with a book or two. Which is what I did. With the help of a dictionary I got my head around a book about the war and Hartheim in particular.

The story is basically that before the war the castle was occupied by a convent of Sacred Heart nuns who looked after physically and mentally handicapped children there. Once the war started they were shipped out so that 'adaptations' could be made to the castle. Once completed the children were brought back; they are described as being all excited at coming back to what was for them home.  The bus drew into the inner courtyard and they were marched straight into the gas chamber. They had lived there previously and were the first group to try out the new facility. After that they came in by the lorry load. It took four hours from entering the place to going up in smoke. What can I say? 

It has been an interesting experience learning all about this. But its time to move on now and get back to the composers in Vienna. I did make one decision and that is that the timetable needs to be flexible. There is no point in moving on if that means packing up in the rain. I should really have gone to Vienna today but it was very damp this morning and I put it off till tomorrow. However I did go out for a drive and not entirely unintentionally ended up in Vienna. I wanted to see how complicated it would be getting there. It's pretty straightforward really. The book says to leave the motorway a good 30 miles before Vienna and come in from the north. I couldn't see why that would be necessary. Now I know and it's good that I figured it out in advance.

Vienna looks great and Klosterneuburg to the north of the city, where the campsite is, looks really good, as does the camp site itself. I drove back through the middle of Vienna and the reason for the big detour became clear. The roads are all wide and one way, which is fine. The problem is that they all seemed to be divided into four lanes. This would be ok if everyone were driving golf buggies but the lanes are just about wide enough for a car. Add lorries, busses and trams all of which seem wider than the available space and it's like being in a fairground - good fun but I wouldn't want to do it with a caravan in tow. It would be fine if there were three lanes but four is pushing it a bit. The one thing it does seem to do is make everyone drive quite slowly. If you drive briskly you would be sure to hit something! Vienna looks big and pretty exciting!

The weather forecast according to Google looks to be impriving now over the next week so it's all looking quite promising after a fairly wet couple of days. Breakfast outside on Monday morning in the sun was basically the last bit of seriously proper weather there has been.

Anyway, it's 5.30 pm. Much of the major packing is done for tomorrow. But there's no real rush because the site in Klosterneuburg closes for lunch at 11.30 am. So it'll be a leisurely start and I'll stroll up there in the early afternoon.

More news tomorrow - providing the internet is not to expensive. It has been great here listening to Radio 4 all day over the internet at no extra charge.

Tuesday 28th September - Day 25

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day - a typical late summer say with warm sunshine, but not too warm in the shade. I went as promised to do the tour in the St Florian Augustinian monastery.  The required minimum of 6 people turned up and it went ahead. It was well worth it, absolutely beautiful inside eg the library and the Kaiser's Hall.



St Florian Monastery



This is Anton Bruckner country; he was born not far away, was educated in the choir school here, composed a fair amount and was organist here for many years. So that was on my list and is now ticked off. More information is available for any of my readers who would like to know more!

They have had quite a nice idea that I might pursue today; there is a walk that is laid out from the village where he was born to St Florian. You get an mp3 player or walkman and stop at places along the way to admire the countryside and listen to extracts from his music. I might give that a go but this morning it is a bit damp. May just do the admin instead. The problem is that it's not a circular tour so you have to walk back. We'll see.

The guide explained to us that it was a good thing the Americans came to the monastery at the end of the war because they were able to protect the monastery from the marauding Russians as they went home. They were described as 'peasants from the far side of Siberia,' and it seems, they destroyed all in their way. They would have really enjoyed burning the monastery and all its contents. So well done to the American soldiers on this occasion.

Since the weather was so nice and I was on a roll on the tourism front I drove about 15 miles to Schloss Hartheim after a light lunch back at the ranch.

I had seen something about this on TV - probably the World at War - and there were lots of references to it at Dachau and Mauthausen. Schloss Hartheim is a lovely renaissance, italianate building. Inside you could put on a very successful performance of Romeo and Juliet appearing on the upper floors. There are some additional buildings not in the photo that are a musical/theatre centre of some sort. I could hear somebody practising the trombone.  



Schloss Hartheim, Alkoven



However this place has a very sinister history. For all its beauty it's where thousands were gassed in the war. It had a special role of being the place where initially the mentally ill or people with disabilities met their end. Eventually it was used for anybody. The simple strategy was a lorry parked outside with the exhaust fed into the room on the ground floor of one of the towers. They all died of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Schloss Hartheim, interior

The pictures show a steel grill both inside, and outside where the lorry parked. The unfortunates were marched along this lovely arcade to their end.  Unfortunately the visit and exhibition were closed when I got there at about 3.30. So I'm guessing at the details. There is an exhibition about human rights regardless of disability and so on. I think I may go back there today particulalry if the weather doesn't pick up a bit. 

What a cynical place.

Day 24 - Linz

Monday 27th September 2010

The weather for the last two days has been a bit misterable. It was so grim the night before last that I used the ear plugs to deaden stop the noise of the rain on the roof. But this morning there is blue sky and breakfast outside. The proof:

It is warm and very pleasant. I hope it continues.  This site is quiet mostly people on their way home wherever that is. They roll up later in the day and have gone by the time I'm moving.  I was just talking to a chap from Holland who is here fro a day or two who was singing the praises of all the distilleries in Scotland. That is a trip to do I think.

It says in the guide book that Linz is pretty industrial. It is. Driving into the old town yesterday was like driving through a very large factory, all chimneys, steam and pipes. Also the look of the place is pretty much what I imagine thoses dire soviet cities to be like.  However the old town was lovely. It has its share of Baroque and Renaissance architecture. It plays a lot on its Bruckner connection. He was a composer in the second half of the nineteenth century. After Linz I went to St Florian which has a very large Abbey where Bruckner sang as a child in the choir and then taught for many years in the choir school. It is a magnificent place. I may go back today and do the guided tour.

Mauthausen on Saturday was a very sad place. It made Dachau seem like a much less threatening place. I have learnt a number of things. First that the war is not something swept under the carpet. Things to do with the war are there and on view. There was something on the radio yesterday about Hitler though I couldn't really follow the detail of it, for instance. The churches all have their memorials to their 'fallen heroes of both wars.'  I think that what is becoming clear is that the ordinary 'gerry' in the Wehrmacht was probably just as frightened of the SS and the Nazis as everybody else. And local populations were manipulated which is why they were able to accept these camps in their midst - or they were profiting financially from the camps. So that is all an interesting story that is beginning to uncover.

There are a few other things around here that I want to see - either musical or war. Probably stay till Wednesday and then head off to Vienna.   

Friday 24 September - Augsburg to Linz

Little of consequence to report today.   The object of the exercise was to get from Augsburg to Linz - about 220 miles, duly achieved.

I've got the whole moving exercise down to a fine art now.  Got out of bed at 7.40 - no point in getting up earlier because the freshly baked bread rolls weren't available till 8.00 . Up, breakfast, shower, pack up and on the road at 10.00am on the dot. Not bad. Although it's quite a way, it's very simple.  Motorway towards Munich, turn off towards Nuremberg, then Deggendorf and turn right for Passau and Linz.  Off at St Florian, left at the roundabout and the campsite is the 7th turn on the left after the built up area. I knew this because I'd seen it on google maps. Couldn't be simpler really.

Stopped after 2 hours for 'lunch' - a roll with Parma ham, 1 sausage, a banana, and water; it's not a culinary tour. Stopped again to buy the road licence for Austria. 7 euros and a few bits of shrapnel. I was talking to a chap yesterday who offered me his if I could get it off his windscreen with a razor blade. He was on his way home. Didn't seem worth the hassle though a kind offer.  Arrived at campsite at 2.50.

The best bit was crossing the Danube. I'm not sure exactly where it was but it was a very large bridge and an even larger Danube. I must say rivers like the Danube and the Rhine make the Thames look like a muddy stream. The are big and majestic rivers.

A curiosity is that having visited Dachau a couple of days ago the turn-off from the motorway to get to this campsite is also the same turn-off for Mauthausen. That wasn't planned, it's a coincidence. In the world of concentration camps, about which I'm becoming a bit of an expert, Mauthausen was the worst. It was a level 3 camp for the completely incorrigible types with no hope of  being reformed whereas  Dachau and Auschwitz etc were just level 1 for the straightforward cases - Jews, Jehovas witnesses, other general wrong doers. Mind it's all a bit relative. They all needed a very large barge poll.

The good thing about this site - camping Linz - is that the internet is free and it actually works with no waiting around, or messing with internet settings.  The bad thing is that the weather is about to change. It's quite a challenge resurrecting O-level German, but fun; however O-level German doesn't really cut the mustard when listening to Austrian radio. Austrian German sounds like the person spent too long in Holland. I suppose it's a bit like serious English dialect - real Yorkshire or something except here it's official and on the radio. Anyway I did pick up that snow is expected at 1900 meters tomorrow afternoon. Good job Linz is just 200. However it will mean keeping an eye on the Brenner pass into Italy which has to be a touch over 200.  It may mean sneaking home underground in a tunnel in due course rather than doing the decent thing an crossing a mountain. We'll see.

Best thing today: definitely the Danube and the mountains in the distance. I must find out what they are. 

As it used to say on the Hanah Barbara cartoons 'That's all folks.'

24 September

The one thing I have learnt on this trip is that 'hot spots' are not all they are cracked up to be. It's not just a matter of paying your 3 euros for 2 hours and off you go. It can take two hours to persuade the flaming computer to make contact. The one on this site is more temperamental than the last site at Tubingen. On that one you had to register which was not obvious. On this one you don't have to register but you have to alter the pop up blocker settings and then wait ............ endlessly while the connection works. 

Anyway that's today's rant done with.

I've been here in Augsburg for several days now. Came Sunday and it's now Thursday. I'm off the Austria tomorrow - Linz.

And I take on board my wide readership that wants less detail....... But I do want you to read this lot:

I decided to have a less hectic time here in Augsburg. The weather has been really brilliant so that encouraged me to relax a lot. I did go into Augsburg on Monday and had a good look around. Augsburg is interesting for many things but one in particular which is worth noting. It has the oldest public housing scheme in Europe – probably anywhere in the world. Basically a catholic philanthropist, one Mr Fugger,   back in 1400+ set up a housing scheme for poor Catholics (this is a very catholic area, it seems). They didn’t have to pay rent, but did have to say a ‘Hail Mary, Glory be... and an Our Father’ for the well being of Mr Fugger and his heirs.  It’s still there – the Fuggerei – and you can visit it. The deal is still the same -  Hail Mary, Glory be... and an Our Father plus the electricity. Seems like a good deal really. Pite they can't do a bit of negotiating and knock the prayers down to two of the three.  They are basically small flats including a bedroom, kitchen, lounge, and bathroom. The deal is that you have to be a catholic and have no money!  It was quite heavily damaged during the war and there is a ‘museum’ there in what was an underground bunker built to protect various citizens during the war. It's actually a lovely protected area a bit like the very expensive retirement villages in the UK, but cheaper by far.

The other thing worth mentioning about Augsburg is the ‘Golden Room’ in the Town Hall. Fantastic. Magnificent gold walls and decorations with ceiling paintings etc. Again it has been reconstructed because of being badly damaged during the War.

And there was much more..............................

One of the important things on my list was to go to Dachau.  The first thing to say is that Dachau is a rather nice, typical German town. It has all the things that typical German towns have in their ‘old town’ – Schloss (castle), Church, Town Hall. Dachau is no exception though the Schloss only has one wing left of what was a much bigger building. In the old town in Dachau you could be almost anywhere in Germany.

'Arbeit macht frei' - Dachau entrance gate

‘Dachau’ though is infamous. The word sends shivers down the spine of anyone who has the remotest idea of what concentration camps were.. Before I came here I really couldn’t understand why they hadn’t changed the name of the town in order to rehabilitate itself. What they have done is to set up a memorial/museum/education centre to the victims who dies there. Fine.

I decided to look around the old town then walk from the station along the same road that thousands had been forced to do from 1933 when it was set up. It takes about half an hour to get to what was the outer limit of the camp. This outer limit now is called John F Kennedy Platz.  During the war this was an SS parade ground. Dachau was not just a concentration camp it was a big training centre for the SS. Along the road on the left there are magnificent large, white houses. They are now behind a fence. It turns out that these were the houses of the SS who were working in the camp. It’s now the headquarters of the riot police, but they are lovely houses and presumably look the same now as they did then.

Houses of the SS, Dachau

 Along the road of the right are ordinary suburban houses, and flats etc with children skating on the path, or cycling, or little children on little tricycles going around in little circles as they do. In the contemporary descriptions it describes houses on either side of the road. It seems curious that people could live in these houses that were once occupied by such infamous people. However perhaps they have been built more recently.......   

There is now a modern building which includes cafe, bookshop, toilets and information centre at the end of this road. I picked up the audio guide and set off.

The entrance to the camp is opposite the end of the railway line the remains of which are still visible. It was built during the war to transport people directly to the camp instead of having to walk. The entrance itself is quite small; you cross the bridge over the small stream go under the arch and through the iron gate with the words ‘Arbeit macht frei.’ (Work sets you free.) In front is the Appelplatz (parade ground) with the foundations of the huts on the left. The fences and ditches and watchtowers are still there, as is the crematorium.

I’m glad I went there. And I’m looking forward in an odd way to going to Mauthausen near Linz, which was worse in many ways. The educational side of the camp is the museum which is housed in what were administrative buildings and where newly arriving prisoners were processed.  I found I started off reading all the panels carefully and taking it all in. But there was too much of it to take in.

I gave up and just watched other people reading it. It was interesting that they were mostly youngish Germans who hadn’t really appreciated what it was all about, it seemed to me. There were frequent sharp intakes of breath as they managed to control themselves and not rush off howling. There were others – not Germans – whom I would have thrown out. They had no idea of how to behave in such a place. 

I’ve spent the last two days relaxing, doing admin and reading about the camp. It’s good that the camp has been preserved. It was never set up as an extermination camp but as a work camp where tens of thousands were worked to death. The real exterminating happened in the satellite camps which were fed by Dachau and there is little or nothing left of these. There were three apparently here in Augsburg somewhere, but where? It would be wrong to pretend that it never happened.

So it’s good that the camp exists, and that Dachau has not changed its name.

And finally:

This is me relaxing in Augsburg on the campsite. It's been great! Hardly anyone here, sun shining and I can do precisely what I like - even if that's nothing at all.

 Tomorrow: Linz in Austria. About 220 miles drive tomorrow around Munich, up towards Nurenburg, turn right somewhere after an hour or so and into Austria. Piece of cake really. Helga will keep me on the right road. (Giles christened TomTom as Helga; I won't hear a word said against her.) 

Day 10 Mannheim and Heidelberg

14th September

The old part of Mannheim is interesting because it is laid out on a grid pattern into blocks which makes it easy to see where you are. The main point of interest in Mannheim is the former Elector’s Palace. It was modelled on Versailles and building began in 1720 when the Elector Karl III Philip moved the court from Heidelberg. It is now used by the University. Cultural life in Mannheim flourished under Karl Theodor.

In musical history Mannheim is famous for its orchestra and the development of the symphony. Mozart described the orchestra as being ‘the best in Germany . It consists of people who are young and upright, not drunkards, rakes and gamblers.’ He is commemorated on the wall of the palace church where he attended services and played the organ. His stay in Mannheim in 1777 as part of the long trip to Paris was productive musically.  However he also fell in love with Aloysia Weber and wanted to cancel the onward trip to Paris and go to Vienna with them. His father however put his foot down saying basically  ‘look here, lad, get yourself to Paris and earn some money.’ His mother was dispatched to Mannheim to make sure that’s what he did. When Mozart finally caught up with the family again (1781 in Vienna), Aloysia had married someone else, so he married her sister, Constanza, instead! Both of them performed in his operas and concerts so they obviously all got on.

The interior of the Schlosskirche, Mannheim

Although the building is now used by the University of Mannheim some of the living quarters can be visited. They have a restrained grandeur and it is easy to imagine the opulence of the Mannheim court of the Electors.

Palace forecourt, Mannheim

The Jesuit church in Mannheim turned out to be a jewel in the crown. Although it doesn’t get much of a mention in the guide books other than it is a baroque church with a neoclassical facade the interior is sumptuous. The use of different shades of green and white marble give a fantastically clean and rich feel.

Jesuit Church, Mannheim

Heidelberg is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. It’s easy to imagine that this is the case.  Lying in the Neckar valley the city is dominated by the mysterious and romantic Heidelberg castle. It was built and rebuilt between the 13^th and 17^th centuries as a well fortified gothic castle and seat of Wittelsbach palatines. (Palatines are nobles who are granted powers to make decisions in theor own lands by the pope. It ceased to have any meaning in the 14th century, I think, and was an honorary title.) The castle's importance was diminished during the Thirty Years War and it was more or less destroyed by war with the French in 1689. It’s a fascinating place to wander around with its mixture of styles and romance.

Heidelberg Castle

The place has inspired artists and writers over the years. Turner did a painting of Heidelberg castle. Goethe lived in Heidelberg for a time and often soaked up the atmosphere; there is a

The Goethe Seat, Heidelberg Castle gardens

memorial to Goethe near his favourite seat in the garden. Mark Twain describes the castle in ‘A Tramp Abroad.’  On his trip to Paris Mozart visited the castle and saw the recently installed ‘Great Tun.’ This is an enormous barrel into which was put wine which the locals had to contribute as a form of tax. The wine must have been very rough but it must have been good enough for the nobility!

The Great Tun, Heidelberg

Two churches of real note in Heidelberg are the Heiligegeistkirche, Church of the  Holy Ghost, and the Jesuit church.

The late gothic Church of the Holy Ghost is in the Market Square. For centuries covered market stalls have been set up between the buttresses. It is unusual in that the church was shared by Protestants and Catholics since the Reformation.

Church of the Holy Spirit, Heidelberg

 The Elector Karl III Philip tried to give it back to the Catholics in 1720; but the fuss that followed resulted in the screen that separated them being put back. It was only removed in 1936 and since then it has been a protestant church. 

The reality is that we didn’t leave enough time for Heidelberg.  It was worth seeing the interior of the palace at Mannheim, but Heidelberg merits several days rather than several hours. One final little bonus for me was to look up from the table where we were having something to eat to see a plaque ‘Robert Schumann lived here.’  He had gone to Heidelberg University to study Law. In fact, in spite of promising his father that he was turning up to lectures he never set foot in the Law faculty but spent all his time on Music. Naturally his dad was not happy; there was no money in music and it wasn’t a suitable profession...............!

Day 10 Worms and Frankenstein

The site at Bad Durkheim was really attractive. It is arranged on a central spine with offshoots on either side with room for 6 caravans. Each offshoot is named after something to do with wine. We were next to the lake in Ortega.  Ortega is a grape variety used for white wine; it is named in honour of the Spanish poet and philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset. 

September is the time for the ‘Wurstfest’ in Bad Durkheim. Oddly enough there is no real sign of Wurst, or sausage or any kind, but plenty of sign of wine.  We naturally had to purchase a few bottles (Portugieser, and Spatburgunder) tocontribute to its success.  There was a very big fair in town but unfortunately the weather on some days was not ideal for going to the fair.

Near Bad Durkheim is the unlikely village of Frankenstein which has nothing much in it apart from a very solid German railway station and a memorial to those killed in the war.

Worms on the other hand is one of the oldest cities in Germany and for a time hosted the parliament during the Middle Ages. It is famous for being the inspiration for Richard Wagner's Opera "Der Ring Des Nibelungen.’ And for ‘The Diet of Worms’

The Dom St Peter is one of the largest late-romanesque cathedrals in Germany. It was built between 1171-1230. Particularly memorable here were the five stone reliefs from the gothic cloister that no longer exists.

Dom St Peter,Worms

This magnificent church has four round towers, two large domes, and a choir at each end. The exterior is imposing; the impression produced by the interior is one of great dignity and simplicity which is heightened by the natural color of the red sandstone which it is built.
The church's original windows were destroyed by bombing in 1943.
The cathedral is 110 m long, and 27m wide and 36 m including the transept. The height in the nave is 26 m; under the domes it is 40 m.

In 1521 Luther was summoned to Worms by Charles V to a conference to explain himself.. At this ‘Diet of Worms’ he refused to retract his beliefs and was banished to the outer parts of the Empire. He took refuge in Wartburg Castle in Eisenach where he translated the bible into German. Luther’s basic position was that ‘we cannot earn forgiveness for our sins through our deeds, only God’s mercy justifies us.’ This idea led him into conflict with the Church – indulgences, acts of atonement, confession, the role of priests as mediators etc. He nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of Wittemberg Cathedral and thus set the stage for the Reformation and the Thirty Years War.

Day 9 to Bad Durkheim

Kreuzberg to Bad Durkheim went without a hitch. Having set up we went into Bad Durkheim. It's a very small town in the Rhineland with very little to comment on. After setting up we went in, had a look around, had a coffee and came back. The fair was on so the roads were all blocked.

Day 8 Cologne.

Today the sun shone brightly. The cathedral in Cologne is a real gem; in particular the stained glass windows are extraordinary. I’m not clear how they escaped the bombing when the whole of the centre of Cologne was really badly affected. There are postacrds and other tourist things that have phtos of the destruction of Cologne; it was pretty complete. There was not much peace visiting the cathedral though because it was so busy. Our first attempt was foiled by a service beginning so we went off and had a coffee. When we returned it was possible to look around but with little pleasure.

Cologne coffee and cakes - very nice

There are a lot of Romanesque churches in Cologne in one of which is buried St Albert the Great which I came across by accident. This is really only of interest to folks in Hemel - St albert the Great is one of the primary schools.

It was well worth visiting Cologne and there is a lot that could be said. It’s a busy, bustling city, full of life but hard to get to grips with in a few hours. The cathedral was the main attraction and that was achieved.   However you get used to visiting places when there are very few others around!

Moving south tomorrow so a certain amount of packing was required this evening to make it easier in the morning.

Day 7 Ahrweiler

A quieter day today.  We visited the Roman Villa at Ahrweiler. This is an a group of Roman houses found by accident when road widening in Ahrweiler was being undertaken in 1980. The whole excavation is housed in a building and walkways permit the visitor to see the work and research that is being undertaken.  Some fine mosaic and other artefacts are on display. This was a good find and completely unplanned.

Late lunch on the way back at a restaurant ‘Der bunte Kuh.’ Excellent schnitzel and a little local wine.

Days 5 and 6 Bonn

The campsite is in a valley in a very small village called Kreuzberg. It is a couple of miles from Mayschoss which I first visited on the school trip thirty years ago. It takes about 20 minutes into Bonn.

Today I started with ‘domestic admin’ then in the afternoon went to Remagen made famous by being ‘The Bridge Too Tar.’ It’s on the way to Bonn and seemed like a good thing to do. The bridge itself fell down causing the deaths of a number of American soldiers. Today there are just the two massive structures on either bank of the Rhine, one of which has been turned into a ‘peace museum.’

After that to the suburb of Endenich, Bonn. I wanted to see the house in which Schumann spent the last couple of years of his life. It now houses the Bonn music library. Ain the 19th century the house was owned by a doctor who was trying out new techniques for treating the mentally ill without the use of violence and punishment. Schumann went there voluntarily after a failed suicide attempt by jumping from a bridge into the Rhine; but he was rescued by some fishermen in a boat. Eventually he died of pneumonia.

The Schuman house in Endenich, Bonn

From there to the old cemetery in Bonn. The main interest was the grave of Clara and Robert Schumannn which Brahms was instrumental in setting up. Also there is Beethoven’s mother. That was hard to find because it is in disrepair and the name on it does not refer to her as Beethoven’s mother but by her unmarried name.

Weather a bit dull but no rain.

Jackie has given Giles time off for good behaviour. I picked him up from the airport on time at 6.30 pm.



Day 6

Still a bit dull. Went into Bonn via the villages initially rather than the motorway. The way of cultivating vines here is completely different from Italy and France. They are cultivated on what seem like vertical slopes of the mountains. God knows how they pick the grapes or work the vineyards. We stopped off at Ahrweiler which is a lovely walled village. Difficult to describe other than a typical small German village in this area, very colourful and interesting to wander around.

The aim in Bonn was the house in which Beethoven was born. It is in what is now a commercial quarter surrounded by modern shops. Inside though it is arranged as a museum with paintings, artefacts, manuscripts and instruments associated with the great man. It was really informative but it lacked atmosphere as a house in which people lived. There is no furniture, it’s all given over the museum.

We visited the other main sites in Bonn including the Minster church where Beethoven went for his Latin and Greek lessons, just a stone’s throw from his house.

Bonn is really a small city which is probably feeling the lack of being the capital city. All the government offices and parliament have now moved back to Berlin leaving Bonn a bit stranded.

Giles can’t resist a bargain in a shop. Purchased a set of CDs for 10 euros including Pete Seeger, the Weavers and the Almanac singers. He ’s looking forward to playing them to all his friends when he gets back. I’ll stick to Beethoven!

Day 4 Ghent to Bonn (Kreuzberg)

The predicted rain duly arrived. In the late evening there was thunder in the distance but it was an unusual thunder – it really was like the sound of distant bombardment. It made me think how awful if must have been in the trenches – the noise and being constantly wet and filthy min the mud with no chance of a wash. Ghent did not suffer destruction during the First World War in the way that Ypres to the south did. The front line ran around Ypres which was thoroughly demolished. It also had its cloth Hall which now houses a museum to the War. Ypres is now rebuilt but it was impossible to rebuild on the scale required to reproduce all that had been there. Hence the historic centre of Ghent is so attractive.

The rain started around 10.00 pm. It kept going all night but stopped finally around 6.00am which gave me time to get sorted out and be reasonably dry. After a cooked breakfast of bacon, egg, toast etc I was on the road by 10.00 am. There was a brief ray of sun as I joined the motorway at Ghent but it soon disappeared. It was a pretty grey journey – busy around Antwerp but otherwise straightforward. Again an attempt at sunshine nearing Cologne but it did not last.

Each country has its own character. There was a spell through Holland where everything seems so precise, simple and straightforward. Suddenly even the landscape has changed to become flat and expansive. Germany, on the other hand is seriously serious. The landscape is more like the UK in the area between Aachen and Cologne with signs of heavy industry and an enormous power station outside Cologne with a complicated network of electricity pylons and cables.

Navigating the motorways is pretty straight forward really. Although the ring roads and intersections are complicated – like spaghetti junction - you are only concerned with your bit of it and it’s fine as long as you follow the signs for where you want to get to and ignore everything else. In fact the problem is not the motorways it’s the bit near the end of the journey that’s difficult. I knew that there would be a problem finding the campsite here in Kreuzberg because the map and the google satellite picture didn’t match up. It turns out there are roadworks and new tunnels etc. I missed the turn for the village and had to go a further six miles with no chance to stop or turn around. It is single carriageway, no overtaking, and a river on the right. I finally made it though and set up properly this time –everything unpacked properly , awning up - the works.

It is raining again. But the weather forecast is for better weather tomorrow afternoon.

Statistics:

Number of coutries covered today: three – Belgium, Holland, Germany.

Number of miles covered so far: 551

Day 3 Ghent

The campsite is on the edge of the village of Overmere. It does not have international renown. But it is noted for one thing and there is a statue to commemorate the fact outside the local church:

'Here began the Boer war 1798'

That’s not ‘our’ Boer war, it’s one they had here against the French – an uprising of the Overmere farmers against the French occupants. After the riot here things went from bad to worse and grew into the Boerkrijg – The Boer War or war of the Farmers. Perhaps there were Boer Wars all over the place.

Day 3 was fine. Drove to the Park and Ride and then the whole day in Ghent. The old part of the city is very proper, orderly and colourful. I saw all the main features. The Belfry has a great view of the city. It is attached to the Cloth Hall which is a lovely building but not used any more. It is where over hundreds of years commerce in the textiles industry was conducted in Ghent. It cannot be used any more ‘which is a real shame’, to quote the young lady selling tickets at the entrance. ‘It only has one exit and can’t be used on the grounds of safety in an emergency.’ ‘How many emergencies have there been in the last 600 years,’ I asked her. She didn’t know. ‘Thank you, Brussels,’ I said. ‘Ah yes.’ She said wistfully, ‘Such a shame for such a lovely room.’ She was right.

Rain predicted so I have done the major tasks in preparation for leaving for the Bonn area tomorrow.

Thought for the day: The Ghent Theatre is beginning a new season. Its slogan is ‘Optimism is a moral duty.’ I’ll go along with that.

Statistics:

Miles driven today – very few. Total now 353. On the subject of driving I suggest that someone proposes to the Pope when he arrives that he create a new saint – twice: St. Tom: St TomTom for services to the geographically challenged.

Weather mild to warm in the afternoon. Possible storm on the way.

Incidentally the big bottles of Leffe were €1.50 in the SPARsupermarket. Now that’s not to be sniffed at.

Day 2: Ashford to Ghent

A superb morning – sun shine, scarcely a cloud, light dew. Up early, packed and in Dover for 9.15 am A farmer had been out early with his cows and the road was covered with ‘cowsh’ which splattered all up the front of the clean van. It was wonderful dropping down into Dover with the calm silver sea, not a breath of wind and the sun shining. All the planning paid off; the route from Calais to Ghent was a pleasure to drive though a bit busy around Ghent itself. This site – Groenpark – is ideal; trees separating pitches into sections, and plenty of green grass.


I toyed with going into Ghent this afternoon but rejected it in favour of relaxing with a glass or two of Leffe in a proper Leffe glass lent to me by the owner of the campsite. Now that is what you call civilised. Ghent can wait till tomorrow.

Why Ghent? Apart from the fact that it’s on the route I want to go on it contains a painting. In fact it contains many paintings one of which I visited with GH a few years ago: The Ghent Altarpiece or Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent_Altarpiece)

The other painting which I wanted to track down was one I first saw in 1962 on a school trip. Aged 9 at the time this painting is the only thing I recall; it made a real impression. It turns out that it’s not in Ghent at all, but now in the Groenige museum in Bruges. I think it may have been in the Town Hall where the courts are as a reminder to the magistrates to do their job fairly. Unfortunately it is not on view at the moment because the gallery is preparing for an exhibition starting in the future. The painting is The Judgement of Cambyses by Gerard David. (1460-1523). It’s worth a look.

The story of this painting starts with the Greek historian, Herodotus. He tells the story of a corrupt Persian judge, Sisamnes, who accepted bribes that affected his decisions in court. The king, Cambyses II (reigned 529-522 B.C.), son of Cyrus the Great, had a way of dealing with corrupt judges. In a nutshell King Cambyses had his throat slit and then flayed off all his skin, and he covered the chair on which Sisamnes had used to sit to deliver his verdicts with his skin. You can read the whole story here. (http://www.harris-greenwell.com/HGS/FlayingFalseJustice) Sisamnes is definitely not happy in this painting. May have been having second thoughts about the wisdom of his actions.

Perhaps there is something we can learn from this story and apply today. It is a gruesome tale and may have had a formative influence on my wilder thoughts about how to punish offenders of all sorts effectively! But that’s another story.

Statistics:

Countries passed through today: three. England, France and Belgium.

Miles done so far: 280

Day 1 - Coventry to Ashford

Rob’s Grand Tour began at 10.00 am on schedule. The final preparations involved packing the remaining equipment and last minute safety checks. It all went without a hitch. If there were a Rob’s Grand Tour Award (RGT) it would have to go to Gina and Mart for their unstinting support and help in getting me and everything else sorted out. So thanks to them for all that as ever.



This first section, Coventry to Ashford, was uneventful. The site is small and correct with everything that is needed. Set up was minimal and just enough functioning to get through to Sunday morning and a quick departure. There is a nursery (plants not kids) attached to the site and the chap working in it kindly gave me a couple of handfuls of tomatoes and a lettuce. So thanks to him. Also spoke to a lorry driver, Ray, who gave some useful info on the merits of France v Austria as the best route back. His advice was to avoid Austria unless there is a reason to go there. The Austrian police can be a bit of a pain, it seems. There is a reason to go so we’ll have to see. He reckons the road either side of the Mont Blanc tunnel is steep and best avoided. The roads either side of the Frejus tunnel are gentler so that sounds like the favoured route. The good news is that staying in the large Service areas is not a problem for truckers of caravans and there are good shower facilities etc. However, the ‘aires’ or motorway parking areas are best avoided at night. So that’s good news.



The sun is shining and the birds are twittering in the background.

In conclusion Day 1 over.

Stats: 130miles completed.