Manvannoplan visits Coburg, Munster, Steinfurt, Haarlem & Gouda
Manvannoplan visits Coburg, Munster, Steinfurt, Haarlem & Gouda
Thursday 17th of October
Bamburg to Coburg (50.2531394, 10.9642921)
Today we are visiting Coburg, about forty minutes north of Bamberg and the last town that we will visit in Bavaria before a few longer drives which will take us nearer the Netherlands, and our ferry in a fortnight’s time.
“Coburg is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920.
Through successful dynastic policies, the ruling princely family married into several of the royal families of Europe, most notably in the person of Prince Albert, who married Queen Victoria in 1840. As a result of these close links with the royal houses of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Coburg was frequently visited by the crowned heads of Europe and their families. Coburg is the location of Veste Coburg, one of Germany’s largest castles and since it was little damaged in World War II, Coburg retains many historic buildings, making it a popular tourist destination.”
Its another earlyish, if 9.30am is earlyish, start as the Stellplatz in Coburg is not too big and we want to get parked there before it fills up later on. A quick pitstop at an Aldi before hitting the autobahn and we were on the way for the easy drive to Coburg, arriving within the hour. Entry to the Stellplatz / car park was by number plate recognition and there were spaces in the designated motorhome bays, although there were no facilities, but what can you expect for € 4.00 (£ 3.32) a night!
Coburg is historically important although it’s not the biggest of towns so we were only planning to stay the one night. After getting parked up we headed into the town through a tower gate, which is common in these parts. The main square was only a few minutes walk and it was yet another spectacular setting for mediaeval buildings although a few of them were being renovated and covered in scaffolding.
The market square was built around the end of the 13th century and paved in the 16th century. Seven alleys lead from the market square into the old town. The monument to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha has stood in the middle since 1865 but today was completely covered up.
To the north stands the town hall in the style of the German late Renaissance with gables decorated with figures and Coburg bay windows, and on the opposite side stands the Renaissance town hall. It’s a pity so much work was going on as the specialist magazine GEO named it the most beautiful market square in Bavaria in 2018. Not today unfortunately.
We walked about the town for ages and found one shop in particular that caught our attention. From the outside it looked like a junk shop but it contained the biggest selection of Scottish whisky you will ever find on the continent, along with Irish whiskey, Caribbean rums, incense sticks and sauces from the Far East. Completing the eclectic range of stock were minerals and fossils!
There was a tiny white trailer in the main square with a permanent queue selling only one thing, the local sausage cooked on a charcoal grill and served on a bread roll for only € 3 (£ 2.50) so that was my lunch taken care of, while The Navigator chose the healthy option and had a cold meat and salad roll from a nearby bakers.
We sat on a bench in the warm sunshine trying to calculate how much this husband and wife couple made in a day and our scientific calculations arrived at no less than a thousand euros!
After sitting for ages we made our way to Schloss Ehrenburg, a former Ducal Palace with a massive parkland which we wandered around for ages before getting a glimpse of the medieval palace high on the hill above the town, Veste Coburg. Too high for us anyway!
As we retraced our steps towards the town centre we saw The Hotel Hahnmuhle, which was either built in 1323, or that was its address, we weren’t sure!
Making our way back in the general direction of the van we came across a rather splendid Lutheran protestant church, the Stadtkirche St Moriz, another that had been given a modern makeover in 2016 while retaining most of its historic artefacts including an incredible alabaster altar piece which consisted of mainly biblical scenes, but unusually featured the Duke and his family as actors in a scene from it.
Back at the van we sat outside in the last of the warm afternoon sun with a cuppa.
Friday 18th of October
Coburg to Hessisch Lichtenau (51.1937204, 9.7237825)
On the way to Hessisch Lichtenau we sought out a Revolution Laundry, but not any old Revolution Laundry, as this was the very same one we visited on the 13th of September after leaving nearby Erfurt. We were the first motorhome to leave the Stellplatz this morning and after paying, we managed to exit through the barrier without a ticket, thanks to the wonder of number plate recognition.
The drive was just over an hour through beautiful countryside (again) and the foggy patches made it look even more autumnal, if that were at all possible. At the Esso Service Station we filled up with diesel for the next leg of the journey and LPG to keep the tanks topped up as we are using more than usual with the heating being necessary in the chilly evenings. The main reason for being here however was for The Navigator to use the Revolution Laundry machines and as she did that I had second thoughts about our next destination which was meant to be Paderborn.
In an ideal world it would have been Kassel to visit my grandfather’s grave again but the campsite we were on in 2007 in the middle of town now wanted € 40 (£ 33.15) a night so that was a non starter! We have never been to Paderborn and it was perfectly placed on our route into the Netherlands, but it was still a fair old drive, so, as The Navigator washed our smalls, I looked for an alternative overnight stopover and chose the small town of Hessisch Lichtenau which is not a million miles from Kassel.
This second part of the drive was an even more spectacular drive as the first part was on an autobahn, but most of it was on normal two lane roads though heavily wooded valleys with the trees covered in golden autumnal leaves lit by the sun as the fog was now lifting.
Hessisch Lichtenau is nothing to trouble you with and the fact that we were the only van on the designated motorhome parking area of a large, deserted car park speaks volumes.
There was a drain to dump water, the one electricity bollard was out of action and its only saving grace was that it was free. After lunch we had a nap then took a walk into what passes for a town centre, ie, a Gothic parish church from the 14th century (locked) and the town hall (locked) which was built in 1656, with the town’s symbol on the gable – the lion and the lantern.
We continued on a circular route past mostly closed shops before finding a Rewe supermarket where we bought a few necessities. A van selling bratwurst was parked in the car park doing steady business but I resisted the temptation, having had lunch in the van earlier.
Saturday 19th of October
Hessisch Lichtenau to Delbrück (51.7703047, 8.5541935)
Our next major destination in Germany is going to be Münster but I didn’t fancy driving into it on a Saturday so we chose another small town en-route for another one night stopover. The drive was again straightforward, skirting around the large city of Kassel on the way, where, unexpectedly the autobahn passed a field away from the Commonwealth War Cemetery where my grandfather rests but we had already made the decision to forego a visit this time as we had been there last year, plus it was absolutely chucking it down at this point.
As we drove on, the awful conditions lifted and by the time we arrived in Delbrück the rain had relented and it was quite a pleasant day. The Stellplatz here is next to the town swimming pool and that’s where we paid our € 9.00 (£ 7.50) for the night which included water and electricity so we indulged on both. I took advantage of the unlimited electricity and finished off the second blog of these travels which goes live on Tuesday.
The town centre was nearby but we decided to relax, turn up the heating and watch a few YouTube videos. When we arrived we were the only van parked on a space that could take about ten vans so it was to our bafflement when another van came and parked within four or five feet from us.
I might have seen the point of it if he had wanted to be near the power point which we were parked next to, but he never even plugged in. There’s ‘nowt as queer as folk’ as they say in Yorkshire!
Sunday 20th of October
Delbrück to Münster (51.9592036, 7.6582274)
Making the most of the free electricity, the heating was left on all night at a peep, a rare treat which ensured a warm and cosy night. For some reason the water bollard was not working this morning as we had wanted to top up again as there are no facilities at our next stopover in Münster, however as we drove through the town of Beelen I saw a motorhome sign pointing off to the right and it led to a sports complex with motorhome parking for three or four vans, but more importantly enough water for to fill up the tank again for 50 cents.
The drive was mostly through flat farmland and for long stretches it was straight as a die, so straight that a trainline ran beside the road with a local train alongside us for quite a few miles. There were quite a few garages on this stretch of road selling diesel at €1.49 (£1.24) a litre so I filled up, it won’t be enough see us home, but at least it’ll help along the way.
As predicted the road was quiet and we found the designated motorhome parking site easily enough in Münster. There must have been at least forty vans here already, but the same number again could easily be accommodated. Some of the vans were quite old looking and were possibly being lived in full time, making the most of the free parking.
Monday 21st of October
Münster
“Münster is a historic city in northwest Germany, renowned for its vibrant blend of tradition and modernity. Founded in 793, it is rich in medieaval architecture, with highlights like the stunning St. Paulus Cathedral, which features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic elements. The Prinzipalmarkt, a picturesque square lined with gabled houses and arcades, is a focal point of the city’s old town charm.
Münster is also known for its academic atmosphere, home to the University of Münster, one of Germany’s largest universities, attracting students from around the world. It played a significant role in European history as the site of the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, ending the Thirty Years’ War. The gardens of the baroque Schloss Münster palace include greenhouses of the Botanical Garden and the Pablo Picasso Art Museum features a collection of the painter’s lithographs.”
The city is also famous for its cycling culture, with more bikes than people. Its lush parks, lively cultural scene, and modern art museums make it a dynamic, student-friendly city.”
It was a pleasant enough day yesterday even though we didn’t make the best of it, whereas this morning is chilly and drizzly but like it or not, we are going into Münster city centre. As it was drizzling we took the 14 bus from just outside the Stellplatz to right outside the Dom, or St. Paul’s Cathedral, which saved half an hour of getting soaking wet if we had walked in.
The cathedral was built between 1225 and 1264 and had two predecessors: the first cathedral (805-1377) stood north of this building and the second cathedral was built in the 10th or 11th century and demolished when the third, the current cathedral was built. Every time we visit a building of this scale and quality I cannot help but marvel at the skill and craftsmanship, not only of the actual structure, but of the contents as well and this 800 year old edifice was as outstanding as we’ve seen anywhere.
A few things caught our eye in this Dom, with the first being the Münster astronomical clock. The clock was built between 1540 and 1542 and is one of the most significant monumental clocks in the German-speaking world. It belongs to the so-called “Family of Hanseatic Clocks”, of which other examples survive in Gdańsk, Rostock, Stralsund and Stendal in near-original condition (two further clocks in Lübeck and Wismar were destroyed in 1942 and 1945 respectively).
The third picture below is a monumental statue of St Christopher. Statues of this saint have been common in entrance ways since the Middle Ages and it is reputed that a quick look at the statue is meant to protect from sudden death. I can confirm it works as two months later we’re still alive. The statue dates to 1627 and was made by Johann von Bocholt and was only slightly damaged in the Second World War. In its left hand the statue holds a leafless trunk with branches. On his right shoulder is the young Jesus, with his right hand raised in a benediction. The Navigator and I could not work out if the tree was real or carved as part of the statue as the hand is gripping it tightly.
As you exit the main door you see the spire of another church, the Liebfrauen-Überwasser Church and this is the oldest church in the city of Münster. Excavations have shown that a small church probably stood on this site as early as the second half of the 9th century, as graves from this period have been found in the immediate vicinity of the current building. The interior was a bit more stark than St. Paul’s Church, but what set it apart was the lighting which painted the end wall a bright red colour. Very distinctive and very memorable.
On a better day one of the must-see places in Münster was not too far away and that is the Schlossplatz, also known as Münster Castle and this was the prince-bishop’s residence until 1803.The 91-meter-long three-wing complex is elegantly designed using red brick and light sandstone. In 1945, the castle was badly damaged by bombing, and between 1947and 1953 it was rebuilt according to old plans, at least externally.
Having seen it in pictures, if not in the flesh, it looks a bit like the Rezidenz Würzburg, but that building’s aspect was ruined by a car park in front of it. Both buildings however are surrounded by splendid gardens but today was not a day for sauntering around gardens so we abandoned our plans to visit the Schlossplatz and returned to the city centre via a pathway alongside a shallow river. The following is a picture from the internet showing what we missed…
There is a covered walkway on one of the main shopping street, Prinzipalmarkt, which is enclosed by a line of arches on one or both sides of the street and this gave us some shelter from the rain, but the shops were what might be called ‘premium’ or way too expensive for us anyway.
I spoke too soon there. One of the few shops that was within my budget just so happened to be on one of the main shopping streets and I could not resist buying two t-shirts for the bargain price of € 7.00 (£ 5.84). It’s not everyday you stumble upon a Primark in Germany!
The whole of the city centre is pristine. There are no shuttered shops, litter or graffiti and the atmosphere of the city is impressively upmarket. The Dutch border at Enschede is a smidge over 40 miles away and Münster could well be Dutch as the architecture is strikingly similar to any city in the Netherlands and the number of cyclists whizzing about the pedestrianised streets equally bears this out.
Our final pre-lunch church, St. Lamberti, was another of note, especially as the unique spire can be seen from many angles as you walk around the city centre. The foundation stone of the current Gothic hall church was laid on the 22nd of July in 1375 and it was completed around 1440. The striking feature of this church is the three coloured stained glass windows depicting Jesus crucified in the middle, the resurrection in the left window and the ascension in the right window.
Like a lot of churches, there is a central nave and two side aisles and at the back of one of the aisles there is a yellow neon ladder which gives the impression of it floating in mid air. Stairway to Heaven?
While the churches had given us shelter, it was now time to sit down and have lunch indoors at Frittenwerk, one of a chain of upmarket fritteries which takes a humble portion of chips and pimps it up with different toppings as demonstrated in this picture from their website…
As it was one of our last days in Germany I had currywurst with fries and The Navigator had a topping that she has had before, avocado, tomato and sour cream. Not sure the chippy in Lochgilphead would serve that, although I wouldn’t bet against a battered avocado as a healthy option one day! It was still pouring when we resumed our walk…
Just across the street from Frittenwerk was the impressive Erbdrostenhof, a private mansion built in the 1750s and designed by noted baroque architect Johann Conrad Schlaun.
The rain wasn’t for relenting so we slowly made our way towards the other side of the city via another couple of churches, one in particular, St. Clemens was unusually decorated in blue, but there were huge gates just inside the entrance to stop you entering. This beautiful church was completed in 1745 and was attached to Clemens Hospital, however during the air raids on Münster in World War II on 30 September 1944, the Clemens Church and the Clemens Hospital were destroyed down to their surrounding walls, and the restoration in the 1950s is nothing short of miraculous.
As we had a substantial lunch we could not indulge in another Cinnamood, tempting though they might be…
Just before catching the bus back to the Stellplatz we had time for one last church visit on the way.
The bus back was well worth the money as it was as miserable as ever and we needed a reviving cup of tea on our return to the van.
Tuesday 22nd of October
Münster to Steinfurt (52.1488690, 7.3474670)
The plan after leaving Münster was to head into the Netherlands for the last part of this trip but we had to come up with a Plan B thanks to The Navigator. She was on her tablet researching somewhere new to try in the Netherlands and discovered that the places she was trying were all fully booked for this week On further Googling she found that this was a week off for Dutch schools, hence the campsites were full.
Plan B was implemented when I found that the town of Steinfurt, forty minutes drive away, but still in Germany, had a Stellplatz with all the necessary facilities, and for good measure, a Lidl, Netto and Aldi to stock up on all the great German foods we’ve been indulging ourselves with these past few weeks.
As it happens you pass the shopping complex that contains the side by side Lidl and Netto so we stopped and did a bit of shopping in both, but not a ‘big shop’ until we checked out the Aldi in another part of the town. The Stellplatz was only a few minutes away so we headed there to make sure we could get a space, but there were loads of free places.
I’ve been using AI to check facts to use on this site and Fyne Editions to check spelling and research articles and I asked ChatGBT to write 150 words to describe Steinfurt and this is what it came back with…
“Steinfurt is a charming town located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, renowned for its rich history and picturesque landscapes. It consists of two districts, Burgsteinfurt and Borghorst, which were once separate towns but merged in 1975. Burgsteinfurt is particularly famous for its well-preserved medieval architecture, including the stunning Steinfurt Castle, a beautiful moated fortress that dates back to the 12th century. The castle is still privately owned but is one of the main historical highlights of the town.
Steinfurt also boasts serene parks, quaint streets, and an array of traditional German half-timbered houses. The town’s blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage makes it an attractive destination for history enthusiasts and those seeking a peaceful retreat. The Steinfurt Bagno Park, one of Germany’s oldest public parks, is perfect for leisurely walks and picnics, adding to the town’s appeal as a delightful spot for relaxation and exploration.”
As we are indeed ‘seeking a peaceful retreat’ we might stay a few days here to round off our German adventure. The peaceful retreat started really well as we relaxed all afternoon, watched a few YouTube videos and The Navigator read.
Wednesday 23rd of October
Steinfurt
The coldest night yet and when we opened the blinds we saw why – freezing fog surrounded us and to cap it all we were wide awake at 7am as there was a noise from outside. Was it a generator, nearby machinery or a gardener using a leaf blower? We will never know as we weren’t getting out of a warm bed to find out where it was coming from!
After a hot shower I settled down to edit the third blog in this Germany series and The Navigator busied about until lunchtime when the sun started to break through and clear away the fog.
Steinfurt was originally just meant to be a stopover on our way into the Netherlands but it has transformed into a destination in its own right and deservedly so. Within a five minute walk from the Stellplatz is Steinfurt Castle a magnificent series of buildings surrounded by a moat, created by a diversion of the river Aa.
The castle is in private hands and is still owned by the family of the Princes of Bentheim and Steinfurt and is used as their main residence.
The garden area is known as the Bagno which developed into the most important park in Westphalia because the sovereign in the 1700s had opened the park to everyone.
On the other side of the road is a former mill which is now a restaurant. It’s only a few more yards into the town centre where immediately you see the distinctive old town hall, crowned by an unusual spire, which was built in the 1560s.
The centre of the town, as most are, is a mix of old and new buildings, and as we walked about just after lunch it was almost deserted.
We continued walking through the town centre until we reached the Aldi and checked out it’s wine range as we are five bottles short of our 48 bottle duty free allowance. We saw some we liked the look of so will be back with the van on Friday before we drive into the Netherlands. There was a unit near the checkouts of assorted products that they were trying to get rid of and there were bottles of Southern Comfort for € 9.99 (£ 8.34) so that was added to Fridays shopping list as well!
From Aldi we returned into the town centre again and stumbled upon a K+K supermarket that we had never been in before and had our usual afternoon tea, coffee and apple cake, which was pretty good for a supermarket café.
We could see other parts of the town and surroundings that were worthy of exploring but left that for tomorrow. I put € 3 on the power bollard and we charged our batteries and devices and snuggled in for the evening with the heating on.
Thursday 24th of October
Steinfurt
We both were awake at 6am and blamed the cold so the heating was put on at a peep and this allowed us to sleep on until around 8.30am.
The one task I had this morning was to empty the toilet but when we opened the blind there was a mini digger on top of the drain. Not wanting to move from here, I went down so see if I could still empty it and the bloke said it was ok as he was digging behind the area. Relieved in more ways than one, I then carried out my one housekeeping task of the day…
It was now a lovely warm sunny morning and we stayed in the van relaxing until after lunch when we headed back into the town to continue exploring the parts we missed yesterday.
The castle is the main wow factor in Steinburg but once you pass it and walk about away from the main street you are in for a treat. The houses you pass by are historic in their own right with many dating from the 1600s, some beautifully restored and others in need of someone to take them on as a project.
As we were walking up one of the narrow streets of historic houses we noticed a pickup truck almost completely covered in foliage which seemed to have been abandoned in a front garden for decades. It even had an undisturbed parking ticket on the windscreen!
We were walking in the direction of the Gro§e Kirche, or ‘Great Church’ which was built on the site of a small wooden church built in the 900s, dedicated to the Irish monk Willibrod. The Irish monks got about back in the day as we’ve seen the Dom in Wurzburg dedicated to St Kilian as well.
It was not given the name ‘Great Church’ until around 1380, after another church, the Small Church, was built within the town. The first Protestant service was held in the Great Church on January 25, 1564.
Protestant churches have been rarer than hen’s teeth in Germany and we were keen to see how it compared to the very ornate catholic churches we’ve seen on this trip, but it was locked! A few hundred yards away is a well maintained white catholic church, St. Johannes Nepomuk, which too was locked, for restoration work apparently, but what was outstanding about here was the large graveyard around it which was incredibly well laid out. The graves, old and new, had very innovative headstones with flowers and plants everywhere and quite a few people tending to them. Three interesting churches, but all closed to visitors and locals alike.
As we continued walking towards the town centre we found another large white evangelical church, the Kleine Kirche, and we struck out once again as it too was locked. It was first completed in 1477 and dates back to a chapel of the Holy Spirit Foundation, which was founded by seven respected citizens in 1370 to care for the poor. In 1945, the small church burned down after a bombing raid and was rebuilt in the post-war period until December 1, 1956. Surprisingly, as it seems to have had no military role for the Germans in WWII, almost half of the town was destroyed by two bombs. British troops occupied Steinfurt in April 1945 and made it the seat of the British military government.
It was a lovely afternoon, the first in a while we have gone out without jackets on, and as mid afternoon approached, it was time for refreshments in a ‘Bäkerei’ and to celebrate her last full day in Germany, The Navigator ordered a cake for herself rather than “try” a bit of mine!
We took a different circular route back to the van, and on the way witnessed two police cars taking off at speed from the police station with blue lights and sirens on, which was odd given the very sleepy nature of the town.
As I mentioned earlier, this was our last full day after forty seven memorable days in Germany and it has been one of our best trips yet. Whether you love nature or history, mountains or historical cities, Germany has something to offer everyone. From majestic castles set amid picturesque landscapes to the lively streets of its towns and cities, there are countless hidden treasures to discover in this country.
We visited popular destinations like Munich, Schloss Neuschwanstein, Rothenberg, Würzburg and Münster, but also discovered some amazing places that don’t get the same headlines, but are equally fascinating. This was not our first visit to Germany, and it certainly won’t be our last, in fact we have now stayed at as many places in Germany as France or Spain…
Friday 25th of October
Steinfurt to Vijfhuizen (52.3438636, 4.6832945)
Today we are heading for one of our regular stopovers in the Netherlands, Camper Park 205 in Vijfhuizen near Haarlem. It is a big site and is usually busy but you can always get on it. The owner speaks perfect English and is a really friendly bloke who is always helpful. Vifjhuizen is unremarkable in its own right and there is not much to see or do apart from it being the site of the memorial for the 298 occupants of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 on the 17th of July 2014, shot down over Ukraine on its way from nearby Schiphol Airport to Kuala Lumpur.
We first chose Camper Park 205 a few years ago as daughter Emma flew in to Schiphol to join us for a week in our previous van and this is probably the nearest Camper Platz to Schiphol.
We usually cycle into the beautiful nearby city of Haarlem but as we don’t have our bikes with us on this trip we will get a bus from the nearby bus stop into Haarlem tomorrow morning as Saturday is market day there.
The drive to Vifjhuizen took around two and a half hours and was on dual carriageway or motorway most of the way and although the roads were busy, and it was one of the longest drives of the trip, there were no issues and we arrived around 1pm.
After lunch, we sat out for most of the afternoon in the warm sunshine watching all the new arrivals of all shapes and sizes. There is some noise from the nearby dual carriageway and planes overhead taking off from Schiphol, but that didn’t stop me from dozing off!
Saturday 26th of October
Haarlem
“Haarlem, a charming city in the Netherlands, is known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant cultural scene. Located just 20 kilometers west of Amsterdam, Haarlem is a treasure trove of Dutch heritage. The city’s medieval centre is home to historic landmarks, including the Gothic-style Grote Kerk (St. Bavo Church) with its impressive organ once played by Mozart, and the beautiful town square, Grote Markt. Haarlem is also celebrated for its art scene, as it was the home of Frans Hals, a renowned Dutch Golden Age painter; his works and more are displayed at the Frans Hals Museum. The city boasts picturesque canals, quaint cobbled streets, and a lively shopping area filled with boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants. Known as a “city of flowers,” Haarlem is closely associated with tulip cultivation and hosts the annual Bloemencorso, a flower parade that celebrates the region’s floriculture heritage.”
As I’ve said, we usually we cycle into Haarlem but this time we are taking the bus from near the site into the city centre. The N30 and 300 buses run between Schipol and Haarlem and we are situated about half way on that journey which is about fifteen minutes. The fare is € 1.50 and you tap your debit card on the machine as you enter and leave the bus, which we’ve never had to do before as you usually just pay your fare on entry.
We have been to Haarlem quite a few times in the past and today was going to add to that tally. Haarlem is a fantastic place to visit on any day of the week, but on a Saturday it really comes alive with the busy market filling the space around the Cathedral with everything that you would expect to find at a Dutch market including flowers, cheese and quality local food. Before we reached the centre we came across a shop selling bags of sweets with loads of different flavours which seem to be a Christmas speciality in the Netherlands and so we went in to have a look around. The husband and wife couple who ran the shop could not have been more generous with their samples and we only had to pick up a bag but they came over with a sample. The sales ploy worked and we stocked up for Christmas back home…
We walked around the market and the vicinity before queuing to get a portion of kibbling each, which was not the original plan as The Navigator was going to have kibbling and I was going to have frites smothered in sate sauce but the kibbling looked so good that I relented and had it as well.
After lunch we wandered around the main shopping streets and The Navigator was warned in advance that she was limited to one visit to a Hema store today, but within the hour she was in a second branch which seemed to have more deals so a few things were purchased there.
We made our way to the main canal which was lined with people sitting about in the sunshine drinking, eating or simply watching the boats going up and down the waterway and we spent some time sitting enjoying everything going on around us.
Eventually we retraced our steps back to the station and took the bus back and proceeded to sit out and enjoy the warm sunshine for the rest of the afternoon.
Sunday 27th of October
Vijfhuizen
We treated ourselves to a lazy day today after two quite hectic months in the Netherlands and Germany. The Navigator made good use of the site’s washing machine and I did some work on both of my websites and configured a few new titles for Fyne Editions.
Monday 28th of October
Vijfhuizen to Gouda (52.0109955, 4.7171554)
Weatherwise the forecast wasn’t too good for today but in a break in the drizzle we serviced the van and I had a chat with the site owner. We’ve been coming to Camping N205 for a number of years and the owner has always afforded us time for a chat and I took advantage to ask him for a favour this morning. Two of the titles I configured for Fyne Editions that have sold well are for Brits to record their overnight stays on French Aires and German Stellplatz and I had the idea to configure a new title for Dutch Camperplaats, but in the Dutch language to be sold on amazon.nl for Dutch motorhome and campervan owners, of which there seems to be millions!
Yesterday, with the help of Google Translate and ChatGPT I configured the journal and the favour I asked the site owner was to ask him to check the spelling etc and to my surprise there was only one typo and this afternoon I uploaded it onto Amazon. Fingers crossed it will make enough to keep The Navigator supplied with kibbling on her next visit to the Netherlands!
We then drove to Gouda for the second visit to this lovely little city on this trip where we would spend three nights before getting the ferry home on Thursday. Before heading to the Klein America car park we went straight to Lidl and seemed to fill up every nook and cranny in the van with Dutch goodies for the next few months as well as Christmas treats.
Once that was done we were lucky to get straight onto a place near a power bollard which is a huge bonus, not only to keep the batteries charged up but give us power for the heating to be on whenever we need it, all for the princely sum of € 8.00 (£ 6.65) a day.
As there was drizzle on and off for the rest of the afternoon we did not venture outside and relaxed in the van. There were two other British vans here and one of the couples, Stephen and Dorothy from Lancashire came in and had a chat to us for ages and they were good company.
Tuesday 29th of October
Gouda
Sometimes when it rains you hear it on the roof either as a gentle tapping sound to full on hammering down so when we couldn’t hear a sound we though we were in for a good day to walk around Gouda. However, on opening the blinds we saw it was in fact raining, but it was a fine drizzle, which is why we couldn’t hear it.
Just before lunchtime it seemed to stop so we got togged up and headed into the city centre. On the way there we passed a British van being serviced and had a brief chat to them, Steve and Anna who are fairly new to full time motorhome travel and they seem to be enjoying the lifestyle. They are on Facebook and Instagram as well as YouTube as @gatersontour.
Our car park was quite full and there were three tour buses parked up as well so we expected the shops to be busy, and they were.
There were no Christmas decorations or tree up yet but the shops were beginning to replace the Halloween merchandise with their Christmas stock so there was a bit of a festive ‘vibe’. The usual shops were visited as were a few new ones since we were last here almost two months ago. We had kibbling on Saturday in Haarlem so today’s choice was frites with sate sauce for me and The Navigator has a new topping. She has had the sate sauce topping in the past, although she prefers a mayo topping, a popular choice in The Netherlands but while we were in the queue I noticed they had a Gouda cheese topping and that’s what she had. Ok, I’ll admit the sate sauce could look better but it is delicious…
The sauces are pumped out of big tubs and they are cold, but when they sit on top of fries just out of the hot oil the sauce heats up and especially this cheese one as it made it softer and coated the fries to perfection. This may be The Navigator’s frite topping of choice from now on!
The drizzle was fairly unrelenting now so after a visit to a few more shops we called it a day and headed back to the van for our afternoon cuppa there instead of a bakery which is our usual norm.
Wednesday 30th of October
Gouda
It’s another grey, damp morning in Gouda for our last full day on European soil which is such a contrast from our first sunny, warm day here two months ago. Overall, the weather has been kind to us on the trip and has not prevented us from getting out and about to see what we wanted to.
The plan for today should be no surprise to anyone who follows this blog, a final walkabout in Gouda and a kibbling lunch at Monkfish, our favourite fish takeaway in the Netherlands. Just before we were ready to go I took the following picture of the pitches and it is so rare to see so many empty pitches.
We set off in quite heavy drizzle but thankfully it didn’t last too long and by mid afternoon it was positively warm and sunny. After a walkabout we headed to Monkfish and had our kibbling and can’t complain about the portion size which was impressive. After the fish comes out of the frier the girl sprinkles what looks like salt but she told us it was a secret mix of herbs and spices and, whatever it is, it certainly adds to the flavour.
The Navigator had her eye on a few things to take back for Christmas presents so they were bought and we eventually headed back to the van and put our feet up with a cuppa. The last few days at Vijfhizen and here in Gouda have been the perfect relaxing end to a fairly hectic two month road trip which we have thoroughly enjoyed.
Germany is not particularly popular with Brits for touring with a motorhome or campervan and we have probably seen about a dozen vans in total on our travels. Most Brits stick to France and Spain with Portugal and Italy up there as well and obviously the better weather is a big factor for going to those countries. That said, Germany has a lot to offer anyone touring with a van and the inexpensive Stellplatz network is every bit as good as the French Aires in our opinion.
Thursday 31st of October
Gouda to Harwich
A Thursday in Gouda throughout the summer months is the scene of the world famous cheese market, but with summer gone, so has the cheese market for this year but we were curious to see if the normal market would be on in the square so, after an earlier than normal breakfast, we headed over there. There was a market taking place with the usual mix of Dutch stalls, I say stalls, but for the most part they are well fitted out trucks and vans.
Back at the van I got talking to a Dutch man who was lamenting the permanent closing of the Klein America overnight motorhome parking area from tomorrow morning. We have been coming here for as long as we’ve had a motorhome and it is one of our favourite towns to visit on the continent so we will miss it as well.
There was one other thing to do as we left Gouda and that was to visit the Shell garage on the way out of town to top up on LPG as it is the cheapest we’ve bought in the last two months at € .90 (£ .83p) a litre. Someone posted on a Facebook group this morning that his local Morrisons in Bristol is now charging £ 1.29 a litre for LPG now. A big difference!
We duly topped up our tanks and set off for the Hook of Holland an hour away. We were going to be there early but we’ve been stuck in traffic around Rotterdam in the past so better to be there early than not at all but thankfully the traffic kept moving. We parked up just past the Stena terminal where there are six free dedicated motorhome overnight parking bays with a 48 hour restriction and no facilities.
As ever, the crossing was on time, smooth, and although busier than usual, there was still plenty of space to relax and enjoy the crossing, which, at £ 127 was a bargain.
We spent the night beside the Dovercourt Lighthouse on Lower Marine Drive in Harwich (51.930486,1.275230) slightly further along the seafront from our usual overnight spot, but here had good reviews on the park4night App and it was ok for a night’s stopover. The campervan who parked behind us had obviously been here before as he parked with his two left wheels on top of the kerb where our left wheels were in the gutter so we slept at an angle. Schoolboy error!
This trip was one of the best we’ve had. OK it didn’t have the heat of the Spanish Mediterranean coast but it had everything else we could have asked for with superb scenery, historic towns and cities with beautiful mediaeval buildings which look as good as the day they were built.
Germany is reputed to have 1,200 varieties of sausage and I probably made it into double figures so there are loads more to try on future visits… Overall the food was excellent, affordable and close to what the British palate is accustomed to and it is a wonder why we saw so few other British vans in the last two months.
Credit should also be given to the Netherlands for the supporting role at the beginning and end of the trip and it remains one of our favourite countries to tour.
We look forward to bringing you more travel blogs next year, but until then we wish all our subscribers and random followers a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.
To read the first blog in this series – CLICK HERE
To read the second blog in this series – CLICK HERE
To read the third blog in this series – CLICK HERE
To read the fourth blog in this series – CLICK HERE
To read the fifth blog in this series – CLICK HERE
To read the sixth blog in this series – CLICK HERE
