[JanHank]

I’m here with 4 men > one has just arrived so he my not be alone.

Alfredo is Austrian and he has a special web site for Stellplatz in Europe, a friendly chap and I can even understand most of his strong accented German. A new van has arrived from Holland, he speaks English, there are 2 men. I could have some fun if We were all 30 years younger>.

Motley met 2 friendly dogs this morning.

 

[JanHank]

Spot me if you can :smile2:

http://www.stellplatz-stellplaetze.com/WohnmobilstellplatzAltenberge.htm

 

[dghr272]

Spot me if you can :smile2:

http://www.stellplatz-stellplaetze.com/WohnmobilstellplatzAltenberge.htm

Gotcha :grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2:
Your long haired 4 legged friend gave you away.

Terry

 

[JanHank]

It’s unbelievable the kindness of people I am meeting, this Mot I said goodbye to Alfredo, as I was getting ready he said ‚‘give me your cassette I’ll empty it‘. Then he came with me to fill with fresh water and as I couldn’t get to the grey water as it’s built for LHD he guided me over the rain drain.
At the moment I’m harbinger a rest at a Stellplatz 70 km further South, but I will drive further because this is not a place for Motley.
This is Alfredo

 

[JanHank]

I am in a lovely carpark next to a lake and I don’t know where I am, I tried 2 Stellplätze they were both crap, no good for us, so picked a name off the map put it into TomTom and drove, saw a P so turned off and a few hundred meters later found this lovely sheltered by young trees car park next to a lake.
5 mins after we arrived it started to spit with rain, 3 minutes later the heavens opened and the loudest claps of thunder I have ever heard, so loud the sound rebounded off the van is the only way to describe it. Made me jump but I immediately laughed to reassure my little chap all was well, it did it 3 times More and then flew away to some other spot.
Parked right at the end were 2 cars a young woman in one and what looked like Someone old enough to be her father in the other, stood between the cars clinging to each other then went in his car during the storm, got out after the storm and repeated the process, bet they were up to no good. They’ve gone now and it’s started raining again and stopped again.

 

[Pudsey_Bear]

You should know better than to be out dogging during daylight hours Gertrude.

 

[JanHank]

Today I have driven 171 km. I didn’t intend to and I still haven’t found a suitable Stellplatz, but another nice car park at the Otterzoo which is closed until June. When the cars with the visitors to the lake have gone it will be just me. I hope I’ll sleep well tonight 😴.

I am at Krickerbecker See. At the moment a noise that cannot be avoided it seems, boys down the other end with very loud speakers and a boom boom boom, but it’s been turned down now.

I went for 2 days without my support stockings and just had shortie socks, bad move, both my ankles were very swollen this morning, normally it’s only the left one and after I have slept it normally goes back to the normal size, but not this morning. I am beginning to fall to pieces. :frown2:

The boom boomers have gone.

 

[patp]

Sorry to hear your sleep is not good and your legs are giving you trouble.
On the sleep front, considering the amount of anxiety I am feeling, I am sleeping very well (for me!) several nights per week, lately, I have slept for seven hours. Last night it was six The only thing I have changed recently is having reflexology. Of course I have been working on my sleep for years and have made lots of changes to my life to try to improve it. I think it is a combination of all of them that is working.

Hope you have a better night tonight

 

[Pudsey_Bear]

I try not to be too concerned with not sleeping, I feel it only makes it worse, last two nights were reasonable but I'm still getting up when it gets light, I tried a mask last night but was wide awake at 6.

 

[JanHank]

I obviously didn’t press the reply button this morning. I’m on another car park with a few more vans, it is only a car park, but not many cars here, they are 150 meters away on last nights place. The council controller was here this morning when we were back from our walk, I spoke to him very nicely asked where we should pay as nobody knew, as it’s not a Stellplatz there is no charge for parking, but officially only one nights stay, no chairs or table out, however they are very relaxed about it and I can stay and have a table and chair out. Won’t be doing that now as soon after he had gone there was a thunderstorm, it is just about finished now.

I keep getting s notice on the phone —this accessory may not be supported— whatever that may mean.

 

[patp]

Quite right not to worry about your sleep Jan. It does make it worse. We just have to thank the Lord that we do not have to go to work!

 

[dghr272]

GPS prescribe a sleep app now, apparently it’s quite successful.

Terry

 

[JanHank]

Quite right not to worry about your sleep Jan. It does make it worse. We just have to thank the Lord that we do not have to go to work!

We've had so many discussions about sleep or not, let's not turn this into another.
It's still raining so looks as if my nice holiday weather has come to the end, it looks the same at Home as well if it has then plans will need to be changed because wet weather is not my idea of motorhome weather.

 

[JanHank]

We had a 4km walk this afternoon, met a crowd of young men, none older than 18 I would think, they thought it cool I am English, most of them spoke English, they asked if I knew where a camping place was and of course I don’t, we said a few more words and off they went and a bit further on the big box one of them was carrying was turned on. A bit further on they stopped and I caught up with them, Now I have a question for you, I had their attention immediately, ‘Why do you come to a lovely place like this with a beautiful lake birds singing and drown them out with that thing?’ They are a different generation they said bla bla, ‘And how many of your generation are walking or cycling here’ I then gave them a little lecture about not being the only people on this earth and to consider others etc etc. I left them on a friendly note and as far as I walked I didn’t here the din again.
On this same walk yesterday I met a hobby photographer, we had a long conversation, when I had been back from the walk today for 15 mins or so a cyclist came along and rang his bell outside my door, he had seen my Ferrari outside and then my white hair through the window so knew it was me. Again we had a chat and he gave me a place to visit on my way to Jülich on Monday or Tuesday whenever I decide to go. I think I’m chatting to more men than I did when I was single. Oh I am single again😀 but all these men are either married or too young, I’m still waiting for my millionaire.

 

[JanHank]

This is Anka, a lovely young woman who is on her first try weekend, she speaks English. Loved Motley and we went for a walk together hoped to watch a sunset but it didn’t turn into a nice one after all.
She sat with me for 20 mins tonight to say goodbye and then wanted a hug before she left.

 

[JanHank]

I have Migrated :grin2: to Jülich. OMG what a journey, 71 km turned into 81, TomTom took me into the middle of a huge Shopping Center with a GPS the internet had given me for a quiet stellplatz. I checked the GPS and I had put it in correctly. I then tried another at a farm, but nobody to ask where it was and by this time I was fed up so came to Jülich. Free WiFi :grin2: but it is not my idea of a nice place, I could be wrong, but looking from the van it is the middle of the city, not too far from a motorway, no convenient nice place to walk Motley that I can see. It’s been raining so haven’t haha proper butches yet. It is a very big area.

 

[barryd]

I have Migrated :grin2: to Jülich. OMG what a journey, 71 km turned into 81, TomTom took me into the middle of a huge Shopping Center with a GPS the internet had given me for a quiet stellplatz. I checked the GPS and I had put it in correctly. I then tried another at a farm, but nobody to ask where it was and by this time I was fed up so came to Jülich. Free WiFi :grin2: but it is not my idea of a nice place, I could be wrong, but looking from the van it is the middle of the city, not too far from a motorway, no convenient nice place to walk Motley that I can see. It's been raining so haven't haha proper butches yet. It is a very big area.

Bound to get a Sat Nav disaster at some point on any trip and of course somewhere you end up that just doesnt meet expectations. I always try to have a plan B and C just in case.

Just been planning the first week of our trip which of course has been delayed as always. My Sat Nav is probably getting on for ten years old now I bet. Never updated the maps. Ill probably just use google maps on the bike or Maps.me.

Move on if you are not happy I say!

 

[JanHank]

Bound to get a Sat Nav disaster at some point on any trip and of course somewhere you end up that just doesnt meet expectations. I always try to have a plan B and C just in case.

Just been planning the first week of our trip which of course has been delayed as always. My Sat Nav is probably getting on for ten years old now I bet. Never updated the maps. Ill probably just use google maps on the bike or Maps.me.

Move on if you are not happy I say!

Well yet another little hitch that was soon recommended, I told you Alfredo had filled the water, guess what he forgot, the adaptor, left on the tap for someone else to have 🙁. I soon found a very pleasant couple, firs5 sh3 showed me where to fill and empty, then I had to go back to them and ask nicely if I could borrow their tap adaptor and why. I will ask one of the gang to bring me a new one at the weekend. I think there are a few walks so probably stick to my plan.

This is the third place I have stopped and shortly after stopping a thunder storm. By the way, this also says it's not a secure connection, but as I'm only using it for forums etc I'm not worried. The only thing I am short of now is cash, but they take my card here so no worries, the bank will pay :grin2:
Today there's plenty of space here, it is a huge area and I will probably forget I wasn't keep when I arrived tireD and a bit miffed.
Sitting typing this with the rain playing on the roof and no other sound as the thunder seems to have cleared off so all I hear is the rain.
I have now committed myself, I have paid :laugh:

All this space and there is also a parcelled place that's almost full.

 

[barryd]

Looks alright Jan really. Loads of space for Motley at least and not crammed in.

 

[JanHank]

At last I have found my thread. We had a walk this morning 3.5 km I kept Motley on his lead because there are so many cyclists, but he’s getting used to the idea and so am I.
Last night Solange ( that a girls name, pronounced as if it’s French) and Guido the arrangers of the gathering, invited me to go for a meal at a nearby restaurant, it was a bit further than they thought so as I didn’t have the Ferrari I had to hold on to their arms. There were a lot of oldish men sitting at an outside table and as we came along they were all laughing, one of them had apparently said ‘look Mum has to help the kids along’ 😁. All these elderly men were tennis players, the restaurant was next to several tennis courts.
It was too cool to sit outside so the occupants of the 3 vans here went into Guidos 12 meter long with slide out RV or as they are called here either bus or ship. It got a bit boring for me when the men started talking about what they had done to there vehicles, but it’s good practice to listen.
More people will be arriving this afternoon.
Guido plonked the hat on my head and took this photo and sent to me, the others I took.
First couple Solange and Guido the organise.