Category Archives: Gear

Day 31 – Who needs a plan …

Good morning, France! Queuing at the border check point, ferry in the distance

I might give a few years off the tail end of my life if I could ensure that all days work out like this one. To begin with: We did not miss our wake up or run into any sort of issue disembarking the ferry. We woke up at 5am Irish time (6am local) to both my alarm as well as the gentle Irish folk music provided curtesy of Brittany Ferries. We had breakfast, bought just in time to avoid the mad rush and vacated our genius cabin in due time to leave the ship among the first waves. I even had time for a quick shower in our ensuite.

Running around, chomping on a pain au chocolat…what a good life our kids have 🙂

Next up, first destination back on French soil: Boulangerie patisserie – one of the few things open on Sundays in this land of liberty. By the time we had our first baguette in hand we were greeted by a wonderful sunrise over Roscoff’s old harbour. The light of the new day revealed what a quaint and pretty little town Roscoff was. We stuck around for a while, admiring the strange bell-tower, walking out on this seemingly endless pier. We liked it.

Still early in the day on a beach just out of the old town, we sat for a while thinking about what to do and where to go next. We were sorely missing a Lonely Planet guide for Brittany – it has become such a part of our traveling by now. Just something to sharpen the focus and find inspiration. Without such aide, we decided on an ambling “long way” route to a campsite only 140km to the east. We were glad to be able to draw upon the Rustiek Kamperen site again.

Road to infinity

Before hitting the campground early for once, there was some road to be travelled. The ride was pretty high up there, following along through more cute villages along the shore as well as the cities of Morlaix and Lannion. The former of which was such a sudden revelation of cool and picturesque that we had to stop for a coffee and a wander. The main feature (for us) was this absolutely enormous railway viaduct crossing the narrow valley right at the point where the estuary was capped off by a small harbour and covered over to make space for the village square. Best of all, there was a path on the first level of arches accessible to cross and take in the views. A perfect surprise.

Just a short while after the baguette from this morning was ritually sacrificed on another of our now almost customary beach-side lunch stops. After lunch, given our early start, I was the only one left to really admire the scenery as snoozing ensued all around me for most of the rest of the way.

Bringing people together for an Indonesian Rice Table. The kids had their own table…mostly

That also meant no additional stops or delays before the campground, though. What a jackpot it was. Le Cheval Rouge was a rural farm renovated and run as a B&B / Glamping site by Dutch couple Chantal & Oliver. It was like it was made for us – very small and intimate, exceptionally kid friendly and without big campervans. Or many other campers at all – most other guests took the chance to stay in big family tents kitted out as glamping sites for families. Just as we were about to set up and enjoy the afternoon, the cherry on top was delivered: Sunday was the day for a communal dinner. Today it was Indonesian Rice Platter. We were just in time to decided to join in. Indonesian food? Mostly vegetarian, as Chantal is vegetarian, too! So many times, yes.

And so, we had, completely by accident, one of the coolest evenings of our European travels. A perfect warm late summer evening, everyone around a long table set out in their garden. Although we were the only non-Dutch guests, everyone was very kind in switching to German or English to accommodate us. Most of the guests were families with young children as well, the kids were playing, and the wine was good. I even got to spend a few minutes at the campfire even though the rest of my family has called it an early night.

Good times!

Day 29 – Un-cork the fun bottle

So good – what a high point to end our Ireland adventure! We love Cork – yes, I am starting with this. Who cares for a minute by minute retelling of our day?

again, the more appropriately sized ones

What would there be to say anyway? We packed up and got on our merry one. One last time deciding against the (toll laden) direct route and taking a scenic detour via the coast instead. Same as yesterday, it was really worth it. Not quite Wicklow mountains, but worth it. Probably my last single track roads on the island, framed by the sunny green pastoral landscape of the south.

Even though the reputation of Cork as the foodie capital of Ireland was calling to us, we opted to take it slow and have one last lunch on the road. Once again, a handy beach provided the perfect backdrop for a few sandwiches and some planning ahead. One last chance for the hobbits to get their feet wet on an Irish beach.

At a bit after 1 pm we had made it into central Cork. The drive in was already promising, crossing the river Lee a few times via inner city for a couple of first views. On second try we found a very conveniently located charging station right on the central island and woke both kids to get ready to explore!

hearing protection for all – AoE did not want to put them down

If you have read past blogs of ours you will not be surprised that the recommended “English Market”, a still operating market hall selling produce and delicacies, was very much our cup of tea. From there we tried to find a few self-guided walking tours (turns out this was discontinued during Covid) but ended up going our own way anyway. Teatime was up and we chose the delightfully kitschy “Tara’s Tea Room”.

We wandered from here further into Shandon quarter*!”§ aiming for another cluster of sights on the hill north of the main island in the river Lee. This turned out to lead to another brilliant stumble into adventure. The main point of interest here was the bell tower of the Anglican Church on top of the hill. Two unique features – with being able to go up for great views of the city not counting: A – it is an active bell tower, but all guests are allowed to ring the bells themselves. And B: The most adventurous ascend of any tower we had yet – stairwells down to 50cm width culminating in a wild climb through the timber framing of the belfry itself. As you pass right next to the bells, hearing protection is actually provided by the church for any adventurous visitors! I made it even with the Agent in the carrier on my back, with no more than a scraped knee. Nina was mighty impressed 😀

real cool vegetarian dish again

After that unexpected mini adventure, we decided to try our luck and go for one last proper dinner on the Island. Market Lane provided just the right opportunity we needed. So we wandered back down the hill and into central Cork on our way to dinner. Number 3 even got the chance for a second visit at a toy shop he had spotted earlier and where he had fallen in love with a particular wooden train set on display.

Dinner was once again great, including the service. The kids got their own little menus including a colouring section and were distracted for the brief wait. The food was great, too. Even Number 3 went for the edgy choice and had smoked haddock on mashed broad beans (which was very good, too).

The car was fully charged and the campground not far. The kids got to watch their good-night program while we set up the camp and were quick enough in bed that we were only a few minutes late for roleplaying. Even the 4G / WiFi was good enough for a smooth final two hours online with some of our friends before collapsing to bed ourselves.

Day 23 – The southern end: Malin to Mizen

Camping in Beara was nice despite the slightly abandoned vibe of our campground. We had so much space and quiet, the kids could be as noisy as they wanted during breakfast for a change. To make it even better, Number 3 found a plastic dinosaur another kid must have forgotten. It made both kids very happy.

one last pass – Lonely Planet recommended

Beara peninsular also has a ring road (how could they be left out) but we were a bit peninsular-ed out. Instead, we only drove a little bit along the coastal road and then turned inward to take the Healy Pass to the southern side. We had a light drizzle, many clouds and a bit of fog going up. The moodiness suited the landscape a lot! It cleared up every now and then to give us really nice views of the rocks. From the actual pass you could see down to the road which wiggled through the landscape below…quite a bit of awesome road. Probably amazing on a bike. J

recovered anchor from a failed rebel relief effort by a French armada

Now following the southern coastal road, we got to Ballylickey where the Lonely Planet advertised a foodie grocer with a cafe. Of course, we had to stop there for a second breakfast. The kids and I went for the sensible option of tea and cake while Flo couldn’t resist the sandwich options. In the end, we also bought cheese and bread for the road, all of which looked and smelled delicious.

We didn’t have a real plan for Bantry. The Lonely Planet suggests the Bantry House which didn’t appeal to us. Instead, we opted for a fast charger, a bit of shopping at Supervalu and lunch at Organico, a zero waste organic place. During lunch Flo chatted up a couple on motorbikes so we had a lovely conversation about places we’d been.

Going further south, Mizen Head was our next destination. It was a while away and offered a good opportunity for me and the kids to have a nap. The night had been short and full of terrors. The Agent of Entropy had been too cold and then wet and all of it had cost the rest of us valuable sleep. So against our habit on the road, I had a nap as well. Only Flo needed to drive. I like to tell myself that he enjoyed the quiet time but he was probably also very tired.

all together now

We woke up shortly before we stopped at Mizen Head. I was still a little wobbly and disorientated when we moved into the visitors’ centre. I knew it counts as the southernmost point of Ireland as the races seem to be Malin Head to Mizen Head. However, from the visitors’ centre you could walk over a bridge to Mizen Head Station on a tiny island. So we did. It was very cool even though the bridge worsened my wobbly legs. It had the “end of the world” feel to it. Mizen Head Station is a signalling station that isn’t manned anymore these days as everything can be done remotely.

As we had gaming on tonight, we’d picked a nice campground but when we got there, we weren’t too sure anymore. It advertised its glamping opportunities but it felt unstructured, more like a side project than a tightly run business. It was expensive, had no wifi or signal and seemed to be much busier than we would have liked it to be. We were too tired to debate or move again so gaming had to be cancelled or rather postponed unfortunately.

Day 9 – Chillax

“One night or two nights?” – “One” – “ok, thanks”. 15 minutes later, kids mingling on the playground … “could we maybe still make it two?” That was last night. We did not regret it. 7 days of travel with 7 different camp spots is taxing in a way. Taking a rest day takes the stress out of everything.

I will try to keep this short and sweet. The day was near perfect. Both kids got plenty of opportunity to engage and play with others. Number 3 made me really proud with the amount of English he practices with other kids and adults. His English has improved so much already.

jump into action every time a horse walked by (this is 2m from the tent)

We had two solid meals and a sweet breakfast treat to boot (I had the presence of mind to grab croissants at our last minute Lidl shopping). Scrambled eggs for lunch and mashed potatoes and veggie nuggets for dinner. Minor aside: There is this great line of plant based “protein” foods at our local organic supermarket. We had the “non-meat-balls” before and the nuggets for tonight. They come as a powder, to be soaked in water and fried up and they both taste excellent. More vegetarian food should be this good. As a bonus, they last forever and pack very neatly and only need water to prepare, so a great camping food all around.

Only one event broke the stride a bit: Puru Hiko’s 12v batterie ran flat one again at some point in the afternoon. What a stupid engineering oversight (DC-DC converter only triggers when the “ignition” is on). But this time, I come prepared. Bought a tiny power bank / jump start battery kit and coaxed him back to life without an embarressing round of the camp looking for a jump start from a stinker.

That was really it. Great conversations with some of our lovely neighbours, great play time for the kids and we got to catch up on sleep and chores. All ready to tackle the road again!

Day 21 – Organic Vegan Fair-Trade Hipster Dad Log

Same card for warm showers, hot water in the kitchen and…electricity to cook?

I think this “three-week-holiday” thing is just not our style. Can you believe that I have to work again tomorrow morning? There was no midnight party terror, so we were able to have a pretty relaxed morning. To make it even more so, we did not hesitate long to use the “tent camper kitchen” in the service building to its fullest. Very unusual for German camp grounds, but more than welcome today. Keeps the packing to a minimum and no extra run for doing the dishes.

Very on-brand for Germany was the fact that both hot water and the stove were charged by the minute (at least using our smart-cards as a token). The power on our site was metered as well – so the full charge over night was not that cheap, but still on par with an expensive charge card and way more convenient.

Check out was at 9 am. With all that compfort and without much of a hurry, we managed to be ready early. That meant another round on the playground for the little ones and first-in-line spot for me at the checkout. We even had some extra time after to buy a pack of feed and spend a while with the goats and chicken at the petting zoo.

So proud that he finally dared to feed the little goats!

[Nina: Flo seems to have forgotten that the playground was a “sand-and-water” playground which was amazing for the kids…just not for their clothes. The Agent of Entropy had to have a super quick bath afterwards as she had sand EVERYWHERE.]

By the time we arrived at the place in Düsseldorf where we wanted to meet one of Nina’s oldest friends, it was raining cats and dogs. With no parking in sight anyways, I still decided to drop off the rest and push for the nearest free charger. Once again, after arriving at the cafe properly drenched, I cursed the fact that Nina and I had not upgraded our gear since 2015.

Have not seen these two in way too long. Ms L and I finally live in the same country again after 14 years…if only for a year XD

It was lovely seeing Lina and Michael again after almost two years (long time readers might remember them, check out Oman from Home to Home). They have just moved to Düsseldorf. We decided over vegan coffee and organic müsli that the next time can not wait another two years and spend a lovely extended lunch huddled up in the tiny cafe called Greentrees. After a stellar performance up to that point, both the Agent and Number 3 gave up at around half past one and it was time to head home. We walked to the car, just to get everyone equally wet (the rain had not let up).

We took the last two hours in one go, making the most of our two sleeping hobbits in the back. We even managed to get the car fully unloaded and restore a vague semblance of order in our flat before collapsing into our own beds for the first time in three weeks. We were a bit apprehensive how well the kids would take to sleeping in their own room again – but it seemed they were exhausted enough to not mind.

And that was that …

Day 18 – Full throttle … to a halt

Time to leave Sweden. It will take us a couple of days to get back to Frankfurt as we choose not to drive that long with the kids in the car. Gothenburg is about 2-2.5 hours from Malmö so that’s doable. In Malmö, we cross over the Öresund bridge into Denmark, get around Copenhagen and find a nice campground. That’s the plan.

The kids were allowed to play for a bit…I mean, a long day in the car is just punishment for little kids

Rain was forecast for today but only later in the morning. Number 3 and I bought bread rolls in the shop on the campground which made our breakfast quick and easy. Looking at the sky, we decided to pack up quickly while it was still dry. With no awning, the tent was packed up super fast, thus we decided to take advantage of the kids’ bathroom. Everybody got a shower or bath. There was even time left to explore the playground a little.

As soon as it started drizzling, we hit the road. Both kids were tired out from bathing and then playing and fell asleep right away. Flo and I got to listen to our audio book, look at conveniently placed charge point and even discuss if we’d manage to find a restaurant that serves köttbullar for lunch time.

Critical gaze…yeah, nah…it’s not working

About 24 minutes before our lunch break, we heard a loud noise. It certainly startled me, Flo probably too. We couldn’t see anything straight away but it just sounded as if a tire blew. The car, however, was still running without any swerving. Flo checked the tire pressure and we were losing air fast in one of them. Time to get over to the shoulder of the road and stop. Warning light came one, warning vests came out and both our kids were still asleep. By the time Flo had emptied out the trunk to get to the repair stuff, the Agent woke up and complained that it was cold. And it was cold. Freezing in the chill wind, Flo tried to fix the tire with spray but it didn’t do any good (no more spare tires in new cars).

A road side assistance car stopped behind us and from there on, things sped up again. The tow truck would be there in 20 minutes to take the car to the workshop. Once it arrived, we all went into the assistance car and drove after our poor Puru Hiko. Number 3 was very excited about the tow truck but also anxious that we were grounded for now. The Agent simply screamed for the most part: It was cold and different and strange men were handling her car seat and wtf was going on?!?

They closed off one lane to make it a bit safer for us to tranfer into the assistence car. Number 3 was…not sure how to feel

The workshop had a matching tire available so we could have it changed right there. In no time, we were ready to be on the road again. I didn’t do anything in all that time other than look after the kids. By this point, they were also quite hungry. Number 3 had asked to have his dragon plushie with him which we thankfully managed to take. The workshop also managed to produce two plushies called “Blinky” so every kid had something to cuddle with. In the meantime, Flo had called around. ADAC, our insurance or mobility guaranty with Kia…who would make sure that we could go on now? He’d managed to get someone on the line who guaranteed that the costs for the repair would be paid but Flo should NOT pay upfront. They wanted to deal with the workshop themselves. The guys from the workshop were unhappy about it because in their experience, that just took time. In the end, they were right. It took until 3pm to get the e-mail saying “We will definitely cover the costs” to the right hands. Lucky for us, the car dealer had a restaurant so at least we had proper lunch. *le sigh*

The broken automatic tire pressure thingy that we weren’t told about but the workshop left on our dashboard

It will still haunt us in Germany though as the workshop broke one of the automatic tire pressure thingies on the tire they changed (Flo: TPMS). BUT we could continue back home! With only 2-3 hours lost!

When we finally, finally got to Malmö, I seriously suggested that we could camp here for another night. But we had to cover more distance. So we crossed over the Öresund bridge. By bye Sweden, you are such a lovely country! Thank you for our holiday!

Headfirst into Denmark, the first thing you encounter is Copenhagen right on the other side of the bridge. Trying to get around it, we hit a bit of a traffic jam and then the problem that there were no campgrounds in the city. Our originally picked one was probably still our best chance. I looked at the website, saw that they had their own bakery next to the campground and said “go!”. If everything failed, we’d probably still be able to get food at the campground. We arrived there at 6.15pm, about 15 minutes before the kids’ bedtime.

Asking for bread rolls, Flo was given four bread rolls from this morning for free. We chose our site, set up the tent in record time, ate the bread rolls and put the exhausted kids to bed. Man, what a day! Our poor kids. And poor Flo. This was not how we had envisioned this day at all. But we’ve made it. In Denmark now with a full belly and another looooong day in the car ahead tomorrow.

Day 15 – Boat, a kingdom for a boat!

Given that Number 3 has been on our case about riding a boat for most of the trip, and our spectacular fail in Malmö, there was no more delaying it. The option of boat rentals was one of the reasons we came here in the first place after all. A boat we had to rent. What kind we would leave open to some consultation with the campground owner, but it would likely come down between canoe or row boat. Kayaks (which we would have preferred) were out due to the lack of AoE restraint options and out boarder seemed to be a bit against the spirit of it.

ready to head off

So we had a long, leisurely breakfast and enjoyed the comforting knowledge that there would be no packing today. Jan, the owner, is an extremely kind and laid-back kind of guy, so Number 3 almost burst from excitement when the reception was finally opened at 9am. In the end, he advised for the canoe as the nicer way to get around and we agreed, even though I was a bit apprehensive about the twisty kind of paddling. After all, my diagnosis of a broken rib was less than 5 weeks ago, and I can still feel it and not lay down on that side.

Everyone got kitted out with life vests, we packed some snacks and water and off we went. Nina had only kayak experience so far, so we quickly decided that maybe me in the back would have been the smarter move all along and swapped places. A lifetime ago, I did a two week-long trip down a local river in a canoe and to my surprise, the right motions were still there. That also meant that I, blessed with dad reflexes, could have an eye out for the Agent of Entropy. She insisted quite from the get go that the only way to enjoy the trip was to tippy toe over one side with one hand in the water.

can I get off now?

We did a decent loop – maybe a bit too ambitions for the amount of food we took, as lunchtime sort of crept up on us. The Agent at some point refused to go on any further without the loudest of protestations. So Nina and I gave it one last big push and moored at a fallen log to give her at least a feed. Meanwhile, Number 3 and I went mushroom hunting again but got ourselves almost knocked out cold when I tried to use a decent sized (but rotten) tree as a handhold climbing the bank. It fell with a decent thud, luckily in the right direction for us. Oops …

Even with a feed, the Agent would refuse to part with mama for the rest of the way home, and so I did the last third of the way paddling alone from the back. Not ideal, but to my relieved surprise it went pain free. And so we arrived back for a late lunch, with big smiles all around (after the food, for the most part).

We really got a perfect spot this time

The afternoon flew by, with some exploration, cooking and Number 3 making friends with the 2 ½ year old neighbor. I really enjoyed seeing him as the tutor for once. The two of them played for almost an hour. His parents were really relaxed about it, enjoying the freedom that comes with those team ups (more on them tomorrow).

After all of that, bed time went pretty well and Nina and I had a good evening just for us, blogging, planning and talking in these beautiful surroundings we found ourselves in.

Day 10 – … Shelter From the Storm

We woke up and it was still gushing down, as it had the whole night. Flo and Number 3 hopped into the house to prepare breakfast, the Agent and I took a little longer. It was not only wet, it was cold as well.

our kids win in the gear department, for sure. We have some things to add to our list …

We had breakfast with Emma (I completely missed Johan that morning) and then both of them were off. Our blog needed quite a bit of love and care and the weather was still miserable so we decided to stay on the porch next to the heating lamp and blog. When the rain stopped, the kids started exploring the garden and grounds around Emma’s and Johan’s house. This short pause in the rainfall fooled us and we prepared to go out to the lake in Länna. Right before we left, it started pouring down again so Flo and I threw on ponchos in the hopes to stay somewhat dry. Except for the core, it failed.

first you feed me the blue jummy, then you take a photo – you for real?

Back at the house, it was lunch time already and decision time was getting close. What would we do next? All this rain was wearing us down. Flo dreaded taking down the tent soaking wet and I just. didn’t. want. to. have. cold. wet. feet. anymore.

So Emma gave us shelter. Johan and her both let us stay in their driveway for one more night. Giving us shelter from the dreadful weather. With the urban camping came access to a house, complete with roof. It was dry and warm, had tea and coffee and cookies, a cat, a couch to lounge and everything else that one could want in a house. Shelter. Thank you so much guys to keep our lousy wet selves around.

Number 3 was quite smitten with Emma’s cat and managed to pat him in the afternoon. As Sigge is a rather old cat, he usually hides a lot but Number 3 was quiet and careful (for once) so he got cat pats as a reward. I’m actually quite proud of him.

Day 8 – Lake time

Got up, made breakfast, started packing. The usual things we do when we move to a new campground. As Flo hinted at in yesterday’s post, it was hard to find a campground for tonight as everything right next to lake Como was fully booked already. In the end, we decided on a site next to a small lake called Lago di Piano where we could at least stay right next to the water. It is only 58km away anyway and still on our way to our next stop Como.

bye bye Aquafraggio

Once we’d packed everything including our not fully dried washing, we were ready to go. Just…Puru Hiko wasn’t. The battery was flat … again. Somehow, we still need to nail that part. -.-

By now, we knew the drill though. Flo got someone to jumpstart the 12V battery, the fully charged big battery started to charge the empty little one and we were on our way with only a 15min delay.

Driving through Chiavenna on our way to the lake, we realized that this is the biggest town we’ll come through today and we still need to stock up on supplies. Thus, we stopped again after 5min on the road for a shopping break. The Agent of Entropy had fallen asleep already, so I stayed in the car while Flo and Number 3 got the supplies. It took way longer than I had expected but when they returned with a full shopping cart rather than with the 5 things that where on my list, I had my explanation. Oh, and there was even a watermelon to be stored in the car somehow. XD

We continued our way and soon hit the lake front of Lago di Como. Most of the lake front is privately owned so we couldn’t find a nice lunch stop for a while until we stopped at a car park next to where a river flows into the lake. With our new supplies, we had an extended lunch, including dessert.

All in (and a good first field test of No3 waterproof camera)

From here, it took us another half an hour to get to the campsite. Which turned out to be a good thing as the campground is lovely! First, Number 3 and I had ice cream. Then, we went to check out the lake and decided to go swimming straight away (Sunny and temps in the high 20s). Number 3 needed only a short time to remember that he looooooooves swimming and was happily splashing and swooshing in the water. The Agent of Entropy has never been swimming before (thanks Covid) but was intrigued. She hung on to me for dear life but when I went out of the water, she immediately pointed back to the water and make certain that we’d go back in. Where she continued to cling to me. Oh well.

After the swim and a hot shower, the kids and I were almost asleep. Flo whipped up an awesome dinner including our fresh zucchini and capsicum.

Getting the kids to bed was not a problem, however, it was still rather warm in the tent. We hoped for the best, kept the windows open and crossed our fingers for tonight’s gaming session. 😊

Day 3 – Below minimum required

Ok, first on-the-road packing day. We can do this. Today’s trip is only 190km planned. Smooth sailings. Maybe we even would have time to stop for a roadside attraction. After all, our friends would be at work anyways – no point in rushing, right?

still pretty good at packing – even with spectators

Everything worked out pretty well. First time we had to pay by use for electricity. 21€ for a 60% charge. Not great, compared to my usual charging card, but a major convenience. We could start with a battery 100% charged and not worry about topping up for the day. So, with packing up at a leisurely pace, we were ready to hit the road around 10:45 am. Would have been, I should say. For I, in my infinite capacity for foolish things, reprised a well-honed tradition: Draining the battery of my vehicle.

Yes, you heard right. As some have recently learned from a clip of a well-known former Top-Gear host: Electrical Vehicles have traditional 12v batteries in them, too. See, all the car tech is old world, well optimized towards the 12v ecosystem. My 48 Volt 64Wh battery pack has as much to do with that as the fuel tank in a stinker. There are some practical considerations, too. You can’t just run something of such a huge power source – some level of electronics is required. And as in a desktop computer, it has to start somewhere, usually small. That is the 12v battery. I drained it completely by forgetting to unplug a charger and keeping puku hiko in her half-on state. When we were ready to leave, there was no juice to register the key-fob, let alone kick start the other electronics. As soon as the main drive computer comes on, it would register the low voltage on the 12v and start feeding it from the main. But we did not get that far …

Hat in hand, I had to ask the campground warden for a jump start. Of my EV … much amusement all around. Jumper cables didn’t quite work, but an emergency starter / booster battery did the trick. Main ECU came onboard and the car ran. Just like jumpstarting a stinker … only that mine didn’t sputter blue clouds from the rear but instead hummed its artificial VESS hum as if nothing had happened. There was the first half an hour lost …

Charging made easy – right they are. Every supermarket should have these.

We had a shopping / charging stop halfway, having made good time. But then, both little ones had to go to the loo just as we were heading out … ah well, here goes another 30 minutes.

Our lack of (daring to start) planning bit us again, a bit later. We had to have another stop. I did not get the cooking facilities in order in time. The butane gas for the cooker was ordered a bit too late and did not arrive before we left. The first two options to stock up were deemed to expensive at 4 € a bottle (the ones now sitting at home were 90ct a piece). So I had to try my luck at two rest stops and a hardware store, only to pay extortion prices of 5.39 € rather than lose more than this additional hour.

By now it was getting late but we were finally on the last stretch. Crossed the border to Switzerland without hassle and about 15 minutes out from our destination, I almost bunged it up for good this time. Temporary traffic light at a construction site – I missed the “stop here while red” sign and thought I’d go that wee bit back down the hill. Only, I did not switch into reverse but rather let it roll. And only used the wing mirror, without realizing that no rear radar or rear facing camera was active without puku hiko being put into reverse. When a “bang” stopped us, I almost lost it.

That is the good kind of arriving

It must have been the luck of fools, as it turned out there was absolutely no visible damage and the other driver was super cool about it when he saw us in our whole kit. No time lost, but we gained a few more grey hairs on our scalps.

In the end, we arrived quite late at 4.40 pm. We were heading over to Number 3’s Godmother and her family, so the day turned bright from there. Dinner, quickly putting our kids to bed and then staying up way too long, as you tend to do with old friends, rounded off this rollercoaster of a day.