A Year in View, 2016

I had an ambition this year to go away at least once in each month. We almost managed it but November proved difficult what with appointments and the fact that we were having some work done on the house which lasted over a week. So I suppose eleven out of twelve is not too bad. 

We started the year Ashwell at the Club site Ashridge Farm. It was not too far from MK and had the advantage of an easy walk into the village with the choice of several eating places, this time our choice was the Rose and Crown. Our second trip of the year, in February, was to Bath. This time to a non-Club site called Bath Marina and Caravan Park. OK nowhere near as good in terms of facilities as the standard Club site but very convenient for Bath with the Park and Ride opposite, and a handy pub/restaurant next door to the site. Bath is a good place to wander around all year but in February you have to wrap up against the cold. Our next trip out also started in February as we left home for Cheltenham on the 29th, something you can only do every four years!!! Having previously stayed at the Racecourse site we decided to try Briarfields Touring Park which is on the other side of Cheltenham and very convenient for bus services to both the town and Gloucester. In early April we set off on a two centre trip starting at Tudor Caravan Park at Slimbridge. We had wanted to visit Peter Scott’s Slimbridge Wetland Centre for years and from the site it is within walking distance. The campsite is right next to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. Our second site of the trip was the Club site at Hanley Swan called Malvern Hills. Unfortunately the bus services in the area seem to have been decimated but you can still walk into the village from the site. 

In early May we set off to Black Horse Farm prior to our Tunnel crossing to France with Vienna as our furthest planned destination. Once in France we both realised that we had been a tad ambitious in terms of how far and how often we should travel without the whole trip being a bit of a slog. Our first stop in France was Peronne in the Somme area where we stayed a couple of days. As we edged towards Germany we stayed at the Municipal at Ste Menehould which is not far from Verdun. After another couple of restful days here we set off for Germany. It had been our intention to stay on a Stellplatz at Ladenburg but when we got there it was full so we moved on to Camping Friedensbrucke at Neckargemund which was about fifteen miles further on. A pleasant three days was spent on a riverside pitch. Moving further south we made an overnight stop near Augsburg before moving on to Salzburg in Austria the next day. We stayed at Camping Nord Sam where we had last stayed 24 years earlier. It had not changed much except the facilities had been upgraded. Four days of rain followed. The forecast was not good for Austria although the south looked a bit better so we yet again changed our itinerary and decided to skirt down to the south first stop being a site on the Ossiacher See near Villach where we stayed for a few days before moving onto Graz for a few more days. Fortunately the weather had been kinder that the forecast suggested. 

From Graz we made our way to Vienna to a place called Klosterneuberg which is a few miles out of Vienna near to the Danube. The town is famous for its Monastery which dominates the town. We were staying at Donaupark Camping which is virtually in the town and next door to the railway line into Vienna. When touring in both Austria and Germany you have to be mindful of their many Bank Holidays which always seem to be on a Thursday and we were caught out again when we headed into Vienna. Fortunately it didn’t make too much of a difference, there was just fewer trains. When we revisit cities as was the case with Vienna we try to see a different part on each visit so our main aim was the Schonbrunn Palace. Once we had worked out the intricacies of the Vienna U-Bahn system, with the help of a friendly local we managed to find our way there and well worth it I must say. They have a wonderful rose garden and the scent of the flowers is amazing. We didn’t go in the Palace as that required a booked tour with an extended waiting time but we did enjoy the gardens. From here we made a return visit to the Prater home of the famous giant Ferris wheel which has featured in films such as The Third Man and one of the James Bond films.

Vienna was our turning point and we started the journey home along the Danube Valley via Krems and Grein. Both towns are right on the river although like most big rivers there further upstream the prettier they become. From Grein we went into Germany briefly to stay at a place called Inzell which is a nice town surrounded by mountains. From here we came back into Austria for the final time to stay at Imst. Back into Germany for a stay at Camping William on the Bodensee before moving back into France but just over the border to the Municipal at Molsheim. The town is well worth a visit and is well known for its connections with Bugatti sports cars. The weather had changed for the worst again and we were concerned about being on grass pitches so our next stop was the Municipal at Vittel which we knew had hardstandings. The town is obviously famous for its Spa and, of course, its mineral water. Our next destination was Camping Les Breuils at Verdun. We have used this campsite before and knew that we could park the front wheels of the motorhome on the tarmac. Just as well as minutes after we set up the heavens opened and we had an almighty thunder storm. Not the first time it’s happened on this campsite whilst we have been staying. On the walk into town you pass the famous Citadel scene of the heroic defence against the Germans in the First World War. Our eventual route back to Calais was via Soissons and Rue. The latter is about 60 miles from Calais and has the advantage of having a Carrefour Market supermarket opposite the campsite. A brief one night stay at Theobalds Park, just off the M25, and we were home. 

Our UK touring recommenced in early July with a short stay at the C&CC site at Chipping Norton which has a handy bus stop immediately outside the campsite. Mid-August saw us at Riverside Park just outside of Stratford upon Avon. We had the choice of either the bus or the water taxi direct from the site, no contest really. A wedding in mid-September prevented a second trip to Europe so we had to concentrate on the UK. Later that month we had a short break at the C&CC site in Norwich which allowed us to revisit one of our favourite cities in the UK. Moving into October we embarked on a mini West Country tour. Staring in Chippenham at Plough Lane Caravan Park for a couple of days before moving on to the Club site at Minehead. The boys were quite young when we were last here, Paul will be forty next year!!! Reasonably easy walk down to the sea front a and a good bus service the other way if you want to visit Dunster. From here we moved on to Brixham and the Clubs Hillhead site. Good bus service from outside the gate to either Brixham or Dartmouth.  A final stop on the way home at the C&CC site at Moreton with its handy railway station almost outside the campsite to Weymouth. Finally in early December we had a short stay at the Club’s site at Chatsworth so that we could visit the house for the decorations. 

So as you can see, a fairly active year as far as motorhoming was concerned. We spent 93 nights in the motorhome. We covered nearly 4600 miles and used nearly 800 litres of diesel. We stayed at  just over 30 campsites which cost in total £1660 for the year.