SOEST

Tuesday 23^rd

95 miles today, mostly on motorway, but a lot of traffic and numerous spaghetti-junctions where one motorway joins another, so took us 3 and half hours.  Anyway we found the stellplatz at Soest  City Motel Womopark without too much difficulty and decided as it was so nice we would stay for 3 nights. Also it is a Bank Holiday on Thursday and we run the risk of not getting a spot if we move on.  After a bite to eat and a reviving drink we headed off in to the town to find a supermarket…a bit like trying to find one in the middle of London, hidden down a little side street. We collected some milk and cream to go with the remainder of the strawberries and wandered back, through the hospital would you believe, in one door down the corridor and out the other side as we had been told that was the quickest way back!

We now have 6 Dutch vans and 2 German for company, the sun is shining, but the wind is blowing a hoolie, still warm though 24’C in the van.

Wednesday 24^th

Got up a bit later and did a few chores (festooned Juliette with wet washing) and set off wandering about 11.00am. We walked in the other direction and found the station and a large shopping complex including Lidl, shame we did not go that way yesterday. From there it was a window-shopping exercise down the much newer pedestrian street in to the main part of the town, in and out of some different places to ours at home, all quite interesting.  We treated ourselves to some lunch at the old water mill, then wandered round the pond with it’s fountain and old ducking see-saw. 

After lunch we started to head back to the stellplatz and passed the church of Saint Maria on the Hill, which was completely covered inside with paintings and murals, all old 13^th century but very beautiful. 

We got back about 4.00pm and did not do much else other than chat to  our Dutch neighbours over a glass of wine.

Thursday 25^th

As today was a holyday, we thought we had better go to church, so we did 3 times! We started off by meandering rather than running along the top of the old city wall from the Old Town Gate, which is the last remaining of 10 gates, to the church of Santa Thoma, better known as the squint tower due to it’s leaning spire.

Old Town Gate

Squint Tower

Walk along top of city wall

A look around there then on in to the main square and the minster of St. Patrokli, which was closed and the smaller St. Petri church which was just at chucking out time after a service.

St Patrokli Minster

and inside

Round the main square with all the small outside cafes, the very colourful Rathaus (Town Hall) and then up some of the little back streets with umpteen old, some renovated wonky houses.

 It seems that 75% of the town was destroyed during the war and the ones that remain are now listed buildings, so old buildings reside alongside mega new ones. Obviously all the shops were closed  and there were not a lot of people about, so it was quite nice just to wander without tripping over someone all the time.  We got lost a few times as some of the Germanic street names are very hard to decipher even when one has a town map.

Back at the van we sat out in the sun with cuppas, then wine, then dinner and have just come inside at 8.30pm to catch up on the diary.  The Germans, Dutch and Belgians are still outside though and will be until about 10.00pm when it is dark.

Last supper window with ham, beer and pumperknickel bread

Now in Germany

Sunday 21^st May

After a really good nights sleep we arose with the sun around 8.30, did all the necessary ablutions and chores and were on the road by 10.30. We had managed to get Silly Emily on to Holland maps and directions so set her to work on escaping the clutches of the roads around Hook of Holland/Rotterdam, without any “re-calculating moments ”  Once on the motorway it was a pleasant drive to Bocholt (Germany)– about 120 miles. We stopped for a lunch break and arrived by 2.30. Juliette is no longer a motorhome or camping-car, but now a wohnmobile and is pleasantly settled under some chestnut trees at Womopark Bocholt for a couple of days. 

Am Aasee

We are in a lovely park alongside a lake so we went for a walk around the lake for an hour or so, then back to a welcome cuppa and snooze.

Monday 22^nd

Today has been an ice cream, salad and strawberries kind of day, in other words hot! What a difference from a week ago back home. It is still 27’C inside the van at nearly 8.00pm.

We had a lovely walk all alongside the river in to the town, took about 20mins, then spent about 3 hours sight-seeing like you do, in the church (for a cool seat for a while), round the market place, look at the old town hall etc. Everything is so clean and tidy, but oh so expensive in the shops. The old part of town had some beautiful buildings as well as an old textile working museum. Unfortunately, being Monday it was closed. We got back to Juliette around 3.30, sat for a while with a cold drink then took our chances with the German or Dutch instructions on how to work the shower..coin in the slot, press the blue button, wait for red light then hey presto hot water until the euro runs out! Everything here needs either 50 cent pieces (toilet, electric, drinking water) or 1 euro for a shower, but at least it is clean.

Walk in to town

Walk in to town

Tomorrow we think we will travel to Soest or Bad Sassendorf, we’ll see when we get there.

Off at last

Thursday 18th May

We made good time and arrived at the campsite around 1.00pm after stopping at Morrisons to tank up with fuel and get some bits for lunch. A lovely sunny day, so we went for a wander in the afternoon, then sat and watched the wildlife around. So far we have seen pigeons, pheasants, rabbits and muntjack deer on the site.

Friday 

It poured with rain all night and in to the morning, but eventually cleared up a bit so we went for a walk up through the churchyard to the village. We found some houses, a community pub that was closed and a small shop where we got a newpaper...that was it, so we meandered back again and chilled out for the rest of the day. 

Saturday

An early start, up with the lark, quick coffee and cereal and we were on our way to the port by 7.15am.  It was chilly but sunny for a lovely calm crossing to Hook of Holland where we arrived at 5.15pm local time. We had some difficulty finding our first night stop as our sat nav refused to believe we were in Holland, so we were trying to map read and watch road signs all at the same time, plus Booma Recreatie was not well signed so we drove straight past it, then struggled to find somewhere to turn round, narrow roads with canals alongside them are not conducive to 3 point turning a motorhome! Still we are now safely parked up for the night and with free wifi I thought I would make a start on blogging.  Hopefully by now you will have discovered that Travelpod that I was using is becoming unavailable from 1st June, so I have reverted to the old one I used previously. Just have to relearn things.

Tomorrow we are heading off to Bocholt in Germany.

Juliette is ready to wander again

Wednesday 17th May

Once more we are packed and ready to go. It is about 80 miles to Harwich and tomorrow we will be staying at Brookcroft Campsite for a couple of nights before going on the ferry early on Saturday morning, across to Hook of Holland.

Our plan is to travel across Holland and Germany to the Czech Republic, stopping off at Leipzig, Dresden, Meissen, Prague for a few days in each investigating the way of life there.  Then a couple of weeks meandering through the Czech countryside, before returning back to Holland and the ferry. There we will meet up with Lorna & Mike and all go the Debenham Country Music Festival before returning home on 17th July.  However you know what is said about the best laid plans!! So watch this space.