Cuckoos and bells

Its been a very pleasant start to our drive to Greece. Our first thoughts have been "how's the Landy going to perform."  This is because we didn't have time to drive it more than a couple of hundred miles before setting off on a two thousand mile outward leg. However, the drive to Hull was a steady two hours and we reached the ferry early. So early in fact that we tried to say hello to a client at ABP offices at the dockside. Although he was in a meeting and therefore not available, we did exchange pleasantries via texts!

Then it was up the slope and over the Linkspan onto the ferry. That Is a previous project that is still going strong; a clever bit of engineering in which I was fortunate to be involved, alongside Nick Totterdell's Riverside Automation, in which the Linkspan, connected to the ship, automatically follows it as it floats up and down at the quayside, through twelve hours of tidal rise/fall.

It's a great start to a continental trip as the ferry crosses to Rotterdam overnight. A good sleep is usually to be had and disembarkation is at 8:30 the following morning. We parked alongside follow 'adventurers' who were driving a Morgan over the Alps and down into Italy. They were expecting to use a mountain pass but I doubt very much there's one open yet.

We jumped in the Landy and were away. All is motorway through Holland and into Germany. A quick top-up of diesel at €1.22 didn't damage the wallet as much as it does in the UK and then we were off again. The Landy is running on 235/85 R16 tyres and these do seem to offer a little less rolling resistance than the 265/75 that I have removed. We cruise at 65 (mph😉) and happily skip past the trucks on any incline.

I've driven many times 'in Europe' and it still takes a little getting used to. Not driving on the right, but the fact that whereas in the UK, if you signal that you want to pull-out, invariably someone will flash you to do so. Here that happens rarely; so it's easy to get stuck behind a slow vehicle if you haven't planned ahead!

The weather forecast for our route is that there's poor weather in southern Germany and through Austria into Hungary. We had such a good run on Wednesday that we covered 600km and decide to wait in central Germany and chillax. So we are here in Sommerach just east of Wurzburg in the Franken wine region. The weather is perfect so we are putting our feet up today (Thursday 21st).

German caravan and camping sites are usually perfectly run and this one is no exception. It's situated alongside the river Main and the village is perfectly preserved/renovated. It's a picture postcard place. We are very well informed of the time by chimes of the church clock - on each quarter and right through the night too. That doesn't happen in England anymore does it? What's really funny is that the tower that houses the main chime goes through the 'bongs' and then just incase you think you've mis-counted, a second bell strikes them again. Right through the night. 😩

During the day the bells are drowned out by a cuckoo. It is calling incessantly. Why it does this I don't know but whatever it's doing, it isn't finished yet!

Already the campsite is busy; with many German couples and at the moment, few Dutch. Anyone who has travelled like this will know that the Durch usually get there first😎.

As for the Landy, the only problem so far was discovered in yesterday's torrential downpours as we traveled on the A3. Somewhere a roof seam is letting water in. There is a double skin and it must be sloshing around inside, only to find an exit over the front corner of either the driver or passenger doors and because I've fitted new door seals, it doesn't run outside💦💦💦💦

Tomorrow we will continue; heading through Passau towards Vienna. Not sure how far into Austria we will get. It depends on what time we get away. Early mornings at this time of year are 1) cold and it's hard to get out of the sleeping bag and 2) heavy dew makes packing away a bit tricky. At least it's not raining though. It's 22C at the moment 🌞