Our Adventures

Category: Holiday

  • 20 Sept Camping Steiner – Kohlern

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    Today we went on the “oldest aerial cablecar in the world” Kohlerer Seilbahn. Yes this replica is as they originally travelled in. These days you are unfortunately kept safe by milky panes of perspex.

    This beautiful old wooden house in Kohlern is probably from the same period.

    The mushrooms around here just grow and grow, AND, you are not allowed to pick them, even if your rucksack was big enough!

    Look at this gorgeous Parasol! It was bigger than my head, and that is saying something!

    We walked to Schneiderwiesen today. Wiese means meadow and a fantastic meadow it was too. After a nice lunch it was just right for a snooze…

    …or to read a good book.

    Or to just enjoy.

    We chose a slippery (stoney) way down, but look at these!

  • 19 Sept Camping Steiner – Der Labyrinthsteig

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    Today we drove for about an hour up into the mountains to the Karer pass at about 1900 m. These mountains have been in sight on all of our walks so far.

    Our walk is to the “labyrinth”.

    It must be up there somewhere.

    Have to take a rest occasionally and this tree had nice seat-shaped roots.

    OK, so labyrinth means is hard to get around.

    Especially for some people, although this was actually an easy bit.

    The rabbits are really tough around here.

    Every now and then you have to take a break to enjoy the view…

    …while taking care not to break your neck.

  • 18 Sept Camping Steiner – Bozen

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    Today we had a good look around the camp site before we went to Bozen. They even have cylindrical “barrels” for the hermits amongst us who want to live Diogenes style. By contrast, the camper vans are squeezed together like sardines.

    In Bozen we had elevenses in a small café. How they knew I was coming we will never know and what does that button do on Gerhild’s teapot?


    This was my favourite in the graffiti contest.

    Bozen’s old town is car-free so cycling is very popular.

    This is the bendy bike bridge from the modern art museum.

    As we are living in a tiny house, we went to look for Bozen’s tiny museum. On the way we found this old age pensioner of a tree, rescued from the compost heap by its neighbourhood friends. There is a carved hand at the bottom, holding tightly on to the chain.





    The culinary speciality of the day was when we stopped for a break and Gerhild spoke English while I spoke German to an Asian-looking Italian-speaking waitress with the result that I got a hot cup of coffee with 2 balls of lemon ice cream floating in it. Gerhild insisted that it tasted delicious after I had swapped it for her expresso. Laughter makes things taste better!

  • 17 Sept Camping Steiner – Ritten

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    Today we are doing a walk dedicated to Sigmund Freud.

    First we had to take the lift up to Oberbozen. Amazing view, amazing price which is zero, due to the Bozen Card that you get when you book accommodation, which lets you do most touristy things for free and encourages you not to drive absolutely everywhere.

    At regular intervals we found these skewy benches with an illustration from Freud’s life & work.

    Inspired, Gerhild then had a go at Plato’s allegory of the cave. Are those two shadows on the floor really us, or is there more to see if we turn around?

    Can’t complain about the view.

    Rather nice porcini mushroom risotto at Babsi’s even if the waiter forgot to order half of the food. Then we took the ride back down to Bozen.

  • 16 Sept Camping Steiner – Jenesien

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    This is the group of new cabins, each one unique. Ours is the one in the middle.

    All of that light-coloured wood and those nice cubby holes in the kitchen.

    Today we took the lift up to Jenesian and walked through the forest along route 32A. The small boy that you can see asked “papa, how old is this lift?”.



    In the evening we walked through Leifers to Gelateria Monny for a delicious ice cream in “disposable” purple plastic pots, which Gerhild then collected following the motto “waste not want not” – especially when it’s purple.

  • 15 Sept Camping Steiner

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    Long drive up to over 2509 m on the Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstraße, with a 2 hour wait in Austria for two different accidents to be cleared.

    “Der Steg”

    Well it is the world’s highest motorcycle museum.

    “Der Schmuggler”

    Camping Steiner

    ArchiCabins – New after 60 camping-years

    60 Jahre Camping-Park Steiner: Innovation trifft Tradition
    Neues ArchiCabin-Ensemble

    Wir eröffnen die Saison 2018 mit einer Überraschung: Anlässlich des 60. Jubiläums freuen wir uns Ihnen das neue Cabin-Ensemble zu präsentieren!
    Aus bautechnischen Gründen müssen wir uns schweren Herzens von unseren Bungalows verabschieden. Die beliebten Holzhäuschen haben jahrzehntelang ihren Dienst erwiesen und unseren Gästen viele schöne und unvergessliche Momente beschert. Im Wissen um die Eigenart unseres Hauses haben wir im Architekturbüro und Künstlerkollektiv columbosnext aus Innsbruck den idealen Partner gefunden um unsere Ideen zu verwirklichen.

    Der erste Teil dieses größeren Sanierungsprojektes umfasst den Bau eines neuen Cabin-Ensembles das unter den alten Lindenbäumen der landschaftlichen Eigenart des Camping-Park Steiner angepasst ist. Die Anzahl der Häuschen ist auf sieben reduziert worden um dadurch mehr (Lebens)Raum und (Lebens)Qualität zu schaffen. Egal ob nach einer Bergtour in den Dolomiten, einem Schwimmnachmittag am Kalterer See, einer Radtour ins Südtiroler Unterland oder einem Einkaufsbummel in Bozen. Die Cabins bieten außer Ihrem architektonisch-kreativem Charakter auch das 1-Raum-Gefühl, welches durch die verschiedenen Ebenen doch eine gewisse Privatsphäre erlaubt.

    Die komplette Holz-Einrichtung soll im „Urlaubs-Häuschen“ ein wohliges Ambiente schaffen und aus dem Standard ausbrechen ohne auf Nachhaltigkeit zu verzichten. Eines der ArchiCabins verfügt auch über Bad/WC. Grundsätzlich wollten wir aber im Sinne der Einfachheit – Camping eben! – auch durch das Weglassen desselben an das Campingflair der letzten 60 Jahre anknüpfen, um nicht wie eine Ferienanlage zu wirken, welche es bereits zu Hauf gibt. Diese Einfachheit war auch in den letzten Jahrzehnten unser Begleiter und gehört zu unserer Philosophie.

    Top: Wir freuen uns mit unseren Gästen seit Juli 2017 über die neue Bozen-Card die kostenlose Mobilität in ganz Südtirol (inkl. Zug bis Innsbruck und Trient) beinhaltet. Auch die Museen (Ötzi Museum, Reinholds Messner Mountain Museum,….) und einige Seilbahnen sind kostenfrei für alle CampingPark Steiner Gäste.

  • 14 Sept Hofgut Hopfenburg – Buttenhausen

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    An atmospheric start to the day

    Zopf for breakfast with quark and Claudia’s home-made apple jelly. Delicious!

    The camp site’s reading room. Just in case you forgot your own book.

    Today we had a look around Buttenhausen, home of the famous Gustav Messmer who wanted to cycle up into the sky.

    Pessimistically, they called him the Icarus of Lautertal, so that’s what the cafe is called, with Superman crashing down into the garden.

    There is even a short film here https://gustavmesmer.de/ which starts as soon as the page opens.

    After some urgent refreshment with a Feuerwehrkuchen (recipe)

    …we visted the Jewish cemetery overlooking the village.

  • 13 Sept Walk Hofgut Hopfenburg to Seeburg

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    Today we walked from the camp site to Café Schlössle and back. About 18 km. We tried to take a bus, but the bus driver sold us a ticket, drove off and then turned around to say that he doesn’t go to Trailfingen, having just sold us 2 tickets to go there. Bizarre!

     

     

    The goats were keen to follow us

    The Trailfinger Schlucht

    Music to the farmer’s ears

    Café Schlössle – so what do they keep in the pond?

    Hippopotamuses!

    Without the manual, how do you sit on these?


    For Swabian children who haven’t yet got the knack of walking.

  • 12 Sept Hofgut Hopfenburg

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    Ferienanlage Hofgut Hopfenburg

    The advertising

    The cosy reality

    Well, we are sleeping in a “Schäferwagen” – a shepherds waggon, so in case you can’t sleep…

    What to drink if there’s no running water?

    Time for a Schnäpsle

  • Tirol 2018 Plan

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    Edit map.
    576 km 5 h 39 m => 8-12 Seeheim-Jugenheim
    218 km 2 h 30 m => 12-15 Schwäbisch-Alb
    406 km 4 h 35 m => 15-22 Bozen
    208 km 2 h 30 m => 22-29 Wilder Kaiser
    694 km 6 h 53 m => Home

    Choose one day from the list to see just that day. Otherwise use this link to see everything on a very long page.
    [catlist id=100]

  • Saturday 19 May back to Berlin

    Depart Marseille 20:30
    Arrive Schönefeld 22:45
    We drove a total of 1156 km which is about 45 km per day. Renting the camper cost about €100 per day and the campsite fees were about €20 per day. Eating out (usually good food) was expensive compared to Berlin.


     

  • Friday 18 May Château La Coste


    Château La Coste, a really beautiful location with some nice art, again paid for by a rich hotelier who dropped in via helicopter during our visit. The Villa La Costa hotel on the hill offers rooms at about €1000 per night.



     



     
    Andy Goldsworthy again – an oak room.


     



     
    Tracey Emin’s self portrait – a cat inside a hard oak barrel!


     
    A drop!


     

    https://youtu.be/09dQPWfcke0

  • Thursday 17 May Route de Cezanne, Mont Sainte Victoire



     
    One of Cezanne’s favourite subjects was a mountain ridge including a peak called Mont Sainte Victoire. Apart from climbing up it, the best view is from the D17 now glorying in its new rebranded name of “Route de Cezanne”.


     


     


     
    In the foothills there’s a good collection of vineyards.

  • Wednesday 16 May Bibémus quarry, Fond. Vasarely & Akram Khan

    Busy day today, we had a guided tour through the quarry where Cezanne liked to paint, visited Fondation Vasarely and went to Pavilion Noir to see Akram Khan.


    Bibémus quarry
    This lovely, warm orange-brown iron oxide colour was what they liked for the buildings in Aix, so they quarried stone here until the mid 19th century. When it was closed Cezanne had himself taken up here on a horse-drawn cart to paint.


     
    Cezanne


     
    The original over 100 years later


     
    Cezanne


     
    Original


     
    Fondation Vasarely


     

    Each picture is the full height of the building – a group of hexagons like a honeycomb. Slightly different style to Cezanne.


     



     



     
    Akram Khan – Chotto Desh

  • Tuesday 15 May Aix-en-Provence guided tour & musée Granet



     
    Today we had a private guided tour of old Aix (we were the only ones who turned up).

    Pavillion de Vendome


     
    Oh no, it’s them again!

     


     
    The Granet museum likes goats …


     
    Mirabeau showing the way


     
    Cezanne’s bathing women, apparently painted from pictures as he found real naked women too distracting.


     
    Work by Kosta Alex, new to us.


     



     



     
    Tromp l’oeuil used to cut your window taxes, now it’s just for fun.

  • Monday 14 May Aix-en-Provence



     
    First impressions of Aix – cheap and cheerful café for lunch


     
    Back to the 18th century in Hotel de Caumont, un hôtel particulier.


     

    18th century man holding up the roof


     

    20th century Hitchcock holding up the local cinema


     
    Chinese figure striking the hours


     

  • Sunday 13 May drive to Aix-en-Provence


    Camping Chantecler €25

  • Saturday 12 May Castellane






     


     


     

  • Friday 11 May Gorges du Verdon & Castellane


    Camping Notre Dame Castellane €? Kim’s ACSI review


    Lac de Sainte-Croix is filled up by


     
    le Verdon


     
    Take a paddle boat to inspect the gorge.


     
    Gorgeous


     


     


     
    Let’s pop up and see the church of Notre Dame, up on that rock


     


     


     


     
    A few monks doing the same walk as we did, in their case to celebrate the end of a cholera epidemic.


     

  • Thursday 10 May Cannet des Maures


    Camping les Ruisses


    DIY sculptures in the front garden.


     
    Looking for lunch


     
    Lac de Sainte-Croix


     
    This delicious fish and potatoe dish is called “marmite”, no not marmite , but marmite, French [maʁmit] for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. British Marmite was originally supplied in earthenware pots, but since the 1920s has been sold in glass jars shaped like the French cooking pot. You learn something new every day!

     


     
    Everyone is welcome in Provence, whatever the shape of your camper.


     

  • Wednesday 9 May Commanderie Peyrassol


    Camping Domaine la Cigaliere €20 super showers.

    Standing above the village of Flassans-sur-Isole, in the heart of the hills of the Var, the Commanderie Peyrassol was founded in the 13th century by the Knights Templar. It was a popular staging post and a place of rest for large numbers of pilgrims setting off for the Holy Land. In 2001 Philippe Austruy, a French man who made a fortune from private clinics and retirement homes, purchased the property and gave it a new lease of life adding loads of contemporary art.

     



     



     



     



     



     



     



     



     
    Breakfast !

  • Tuesday 8 May VE Day


    Today we ate breakfast to the surprising sound of 1940’s music echoing charmingly through the trees. Thinking it might be a funfair we walked over to find that, amazingly, it was a Victory Europe (VE) day celebration with loads of carefully looked after military vehicles – even including a period BMW motorbike. A memorial site had been set up around a landing craft in which colonel R. D. Parker landed with 190 men at 8 o’clock in the morning on 15 August 1944 on the beach which we can see from our camper. Today is apparently a national holiday in France, known as ‘Victoire 1945’ or ‘La Fête de la Victoire’.

     


     


     


     


     


     


     

  • Monday 7 May Château de la Napoule




    Today we went to Château de la Napoule, the home of Henry Clews Jr. and the famously beautiful Elsie Whelan Goelet Clews, a rich couple dedicated to the arts. He was a sculptor.


     
    What is it and I wonder what Henry and Marie would have thought of it?


     



     



     



     



     



     
    Leaping recycled dogs just Gerhild’s taste.


     
    What a profile!


     



     

    Gerhild was very happy to see this sign!


     

  • Sunday 6 May Cap Dramont




    The small island, l’isle d’or, behind Kim is a nice reddish colour (porphyry) and its tower is said to have been the inspiration for The Black Island in Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin.

    In 1897 Léon Sergent bought the Isle of Gold from the French state in an auction for 280 francs. In 1905, Dr Auguste Lutaud won the island in a game of cards. He decided to build an 18m high tower. When it was finished in 1913, he proclaimed himself Auguste I, king of the Île d’Or and organized a sumptuous party. Stamps and coins were made, showing the Island. In 1961 the island was sold to François Bureau, a former naval officer, who renovated the tower and lived in it until his death in 1994 during one of his traditional early morning swims. The island still belongs to the same family and if a flag is flying, then the tower is inhabited, just like Buckingham Palace!🇬🇧

     



     
    A nice round walk starting directly from the campsite.


     



     



     

  • Saturday 5 May Cap Dramont


    Camping Campéole du Dramont €30 Location right next to the beach! Facilities




     



     
    Peeling potatoes 🥔 for a salad.


     
    As the sun slowly sets in the west…


     
    Listen to the original rolling stones

  • Friday 4 May Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat




    Swimming our way, heading for Nice.


     
    Sentier du littoral


     


     

    Villa Ephrussi-Rothschild – the creation of one of the richest women on the planet, at the time.
    Béatrice Ephrussi-Rothschild- 19 years old.


     


     
    One little chair was for Beatrice’ dog, the other was for her mongoose! The lady in the pitch opposite to ours has one for her cat.


     


     


     



     



     



     
    So much energy we did a second walk sentier du littoral.

  • Thursday 3 May cap d’Antibes


    Today we walked around the Antibes peninsula, in the footstep of the Rolling Stones, Sean Connery and from now on Kim and Gerhild.




     
    London has millionaire’s row, Antibes has billionaires bay…


     



     



     



     
    Some Russian oligarch’s weekend retreat?

  • Wednesday 2 May Nice




    Today we ate at Badaboom, which was delicious and not too extortionate. Charming American waitress. The straws came from Costa Rica and are some sort of bamboo!


     



     
    More public French philosophy. No need for translation, I think.


     
    A super cool French chocolate rabbit.


     


     



     
    The garden of the Marc Chagal museum in Nice. Nice size and good audio guide (despite pesky 120 dB schoolchildren)


     
    The creation of man 1958


     

  • Tuesday 1 May Saint-Paul-de-Vence


    Parc des Maurettes €30


    On the way to Nizza, we stopped of at Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a picturesque mountain village visited by coachloads and one camper-van load of tourists.


     
    Olga’s favourite angel!


     
    All of the shopkeepers felt inspired to go all artistic (Fondation Maeght is just up the road.)


     
    The village church shows the French approach to things on the cherubs/mermaids front.


     



     
    Fantastic pizza served by a one-eyed cook who Gerhild thought looked like a real pirate.

     
    Prince Charles feeling the pressure

  • Monday 30 April Fondation Maeght and Tourrettes-sur-Loup




    Today we were up early enough to be practically first through the door at Fondation Maeght



     



     
    Look carefully and you can see a bird nesting on her head.


     



     



     
    Groovy architecture!


     



     

    The Korean artist Lee Bae did some nice things with charcoal youtube link (French), which are almost impossible to photograph nicely.

    On the way home we stopped off in Tourrettes-sur-loup, which is very pretty. We took a free book from their book-sharing cabinet – Cold Water by Gwendoline Riley.



     



     



     



     

    In the evening, we enjoyed listening to Jazz Radio.