Category: Europe 8 Lakes Tour 2019

So we had a lovely BBQ, a couple of drinks and were tucked up 🛌 just after 10:30pm then woke to a thunder storm ⛈ this morning…
Luckily Dave had put the table, chairs & bikes away in the garage last night 😅
We showered in The Van and headed for Interlaken to meet Paul and Sue – Dave’s brother and his wife. But on the way – oh my goodness – the scenery !!!
The rain ☔️ made way for brilliant sunshine ☀️ again and we climbed in The Van… The vastness of the mountains and low cloud ☁️ in places was awesome and it was all picture-book – little wooden Swiss chalets dotted up the rolling green hills…
Then suddenly we turned a corner and the turquoise blue of the lake was like a photo on a postcard – I’ve never seen water so blue and Dave just said, “They’re mountain lakes”…
We saw waterfalls originating from the melting snow of the white-capped mountains…
Stunning 😎 👏 💋💗 xxx

• Location: 46° 48′ 24.98″ N 8° 10′ 11.21″ E

So we trundled away from Titisee on Monday morning, stopping at a Lidl’s on the way for provisions. About half an hour later, having remembered that we had forgotten to buy cordial and also crossed the border into Switzerland 🇨🇭, we stopped at another Lidl’s and the price 💰 increase was phenomenal !!! The identical products were double the price !!! Should have stocked up on more Sauvignon Blanc 🍸 !!!
Anyway we drove into Lucerne (major city like London but overlooking a beautiful lake) and the speed limits are really low and unfortunately Dave got flashed so that’s another bill to look forward to when we get back 😐
Got onto the TCS campsite just outside Lucerne and it was SO hot 🥵 – 35 degrees – the sweat 😓 was literally dripping off us.
We waited until it cooled a little then went off to the private beach 🏖 for a swim !!! It initially felt chilly but once immersed it was fine and I’ve never swim with swans 🦢 and ducks 🦆 before !!!
If you look at the last piccie, you’ll see a little pier which I jumped off the end of – hence the bad hairdo 💁‍♀️ 😂😂😂
And those are The Alps 🏔 you can see behind 💗💋 xxx

• Location: 47° 0′ 33.91″ N 8° 18′ 33.75″ E

Ok one blog entry from me.
The electric bikes have 1,2,3,4 and F modes.
I worked out what F was. Flip.
That’s what the bike did going up a steep hill!

So we got up and decided to have a cycle around the lake the opposite way through the woods.
When we got there we got settled on a comfy settee overlooking the lake and Dave had a BBQ pulled pork 🍔 and I had a jumbo frankfurter then we had a cheeky beer & wine as Dave watched the first lap of Moto GP from the Czech Republic…
Then we looked at every bleedin’ cuckoo clock shop in town and we almost bought one !!! But couldn’t quite agree on the same one (or where in the house it would go…) and they ARE mega bucks💰 so you’ve got to be sure…
Cycled back and Dave practiced his sax whilst I googled online trying to find the cuckoo clock I liked at a more reasonable price – but nope 👎
In the morning Dave had met Wendy (from Rotherham) and Anth (from Durham) just opposite from us and we ended up having a drink with them outside their van…
We went over for “one” 🍺 🍷 about 6pm but got on like a house on fire so didn’t come back until after midnight !!!
We hadn’t eaten since midday so I knocked up a bacon, mushroom & cheese omelette-thing with french bread and a cup of tea – Dave had nodded off whilst I made it but luckily he woke to consume it – then 🛌💗💋 xxx

• Location: 47° 53′ 56.05″ N 8° 9′ 14.11″ E

• Location: 47° 53′ 44.21″ N 8° 8′ 14.92″ E

So after brunch, we locked up the bikes and started shopping 🛍 !!!
1 x small, comfortable Swiss 🇨🇭 rucksack 1 x matching Swiss 🇨🇭 bumbag 3 x sparky bracelets 1 x Titisee T-shirt 1 x wooden Christmas 🎄 ornament 1 x Christmas 🎅 mug 1 x Tree of Life tealight holder 1 x man-tin
… but all of these things did not add up to 💰 Lederhosen – Traditional German Bavarian Shorts that My Dave has wanted since he was 12 – awww 🥰
Happy Anniversary My Darling – here’s to the next 23 💗💋 xxx

• Location: 47° 54′ 1.79″ N 8° 9′ 8.42″ E

So today is our 23rd wedding anniversary (I know – you get less for life, etc). If you look below, you can see the card I gave to My Luvley Dave 💗💋
I had a lie-in after being woken by bell 🔔 ringing at 6am !!! Honest to God – and it went on for AGES !!!
When I re-woke at 9:15am it was to either somebody strimming grass or logs being sawn… Anyway Dave was nervous about not getting a campsite 🏕 again, so we got off pronto and arrived at Titisee – set on a lovely lake – before 11am and we DID get on a campsite 😊 – yippee !!!
We trundled off (on the pavement) on the bikes again and it was even MORE of a Tat-Shop Paradise than Triberg – but in a more up-market way…
I’d had no brekky and it was gone midday so we decided on a lakeside cafe where My Dave made friends with the 4 chihuahuas 🐶 !!!
Dave opted for CurryWurst & Fries and I had 2 Bratwurst, Sweet Mustard & A Pretzel 🥨 – and it was delicious 😋

• Location: 48° 8′ 45.85″ N 8° 11′ 18.6″ E

So we then drove into Triberg and pulled up at the only campsite for miles around and it was – as Dave predicted – full 😐
The guy there directed us to the next village – Schonach – a few km on – where we found a “camping station” which is a bit like an aire in France 🇫🇷. It was basically a car park for the sports complex housing up to 10 motorhomes.
There was a French guy there (luckily as I had zero German) and he explained it cost 7 euros and you had to pay at the Tourist Information Office in town. So we trundled off on the bikes and paid and also bought some tokens for electricity and water. What was really good was they gave us a pass which allowed both of us free public transport covering the wider area and also free access into all of the swimming pools, etc. – very good VFM 💰
Then we did another death-ride into Triberg – I couldn’t stand it and rode on the pavements…
Triberg was filled with tat-shops selling cuckoo clocks, steins, lederhosen outfits, etc. – heaven for me 😊
It was really pretty with a waterfall, flowers, bridge – see piccies but we were starving so went for lunch first.
Initially very happy with us beer and dinky jug of wine (see below), Dave ordered chicken and chips (which he said hit the spot) but I ordered a “Saveloy Salad Strasberg-Style” – expecting some form of sausage – but check out the photo – it was spaghetti spirals of ham & cheese !!! Not a sausage in sight 😐 AND I downloaded Google Translate and tried out my German on him !!! You should have seen his face when (in German) I asked (nicely) for some butter to go with the basket of rye bread that came with the salad – you’d have thought I was asking for a fried Mars Bar !!! So eventually he brought me 2 tiny pats of butter, put “Special Request” on the bill and charged me another euro !!!
Bloddy Foreigners !!! 🇩🇪 and I’m allowed to say that being half ☘️ and half 🇵🇱 😂 xxx

• Location: 48° 9′ 27.39″ N 8° 14′ 22.97″ E

So Weds night (after Dave had been practicing the sax and I was catching the last few rays ☀️) we eventually came in and I made us a LUVLEY tea (see below) – fish fillets with a cheese & crisps topping finished off under the grill with tomatoes & green beans with some bread. And I lit my Prosecco candle for the first time (a birthday pressie from one of my Gloucester Girls – I’m sorry I don’t know who – I’m often squiffy 🥴 on Boxing Day by the time I open my pressies !!!)
Anyway it smelled lovely and we’ve had it on the last 2 nights so thank you 💋
The next morning we set off for Triberg and just beforehand we got a shot of me in front of the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock !!!
It chimes every half hour so Dave video’d it at midday but I think it may need an edit before posting on the blog as it’s not the most awesome thing we’ve ever seen 😂 xxx

• Location: 48° 11′ 19.11″ N 8° 13′ 49.68″ E

So we arrived at our chosen campsite (there should be a location link on most of the entries which – if you click on it – shows where the photo was taken. The entries that don’t have a location link are where I’ve airdropped a photo from Dave’s phone to mine…)
They had space, we have a hedge and My Dave was happy 😊 and we decided to have a cycle ride to the supermarket to get something for us tea 🥘
Whereas we rode safely on a cycle path through the woods in Luxembourg 🇱🇺, this was a fast, busy road… I said I’d follow Dave but (gallantly) he said he’d rather get hit first so I went ahead and he said to “get a move on”. So I switched the power to 3 on the Wisper and headed off. I was doing alright and suddenly Dave shouted from behind, “PULL over – there’s a LORRY coming !!!” I have always been obedient (I HAVE !!!) so I immediately pulled over and stopped.
“NO, NO, not HERE !!!” he shouted, “Up THERE – in the LAY-BY !!!” So there we are – with the lorry whizzing past us arguing 😂😂😂 I shouted, “ YOU said to STOP so I DiD !!!”
So he overtakes me (no longer gallant and I’m on my own if I get hit first 😂😂😂 !! !
Actually I got overtaken by several vehicles (including another massive lorry) and they were all very good and gave us LOADS of room).
After acquiring our purchases and an OK journey back, Dave is now practising his sax 🎷 in The Van. Check out the photo – his sax is INSIDE that contraption and it MUTES the sound !!! REALLY !!! I’m outside, updating the blog on my second cheeky rhubarb & ginger gin liqueur with tonic in the sun (check out my knees 😂😂😂)
That’s all folks !!! 🐷 🐰🦆 (OK so there are no emojis for Bugs Bunny and Donald Duck 😂😂😂) More tomorrow (when we get to see the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock !!!) 💗💋xxx

• Location: 48° 25′ 45.01″ N 8° 10′ 51.47″ E