Germany - Duisburg (Ruhr region)

The industrial heartland of Germany, Duisburg, where from a distance the iron and steel furnaces and chimneys can be seen. Why Duisberg? In Arnhem (Netherlands) I was told about this unique visit to a furnace and all ancillary buildings that made up a proper iron and steel production centre. Not in use anymore but as close as one can get to the real thing, guided tours and views of everything. Full report to follow after the visit on Sunday 29 July.

We left Geldern stellplatz at 08:00 for the appointment to have some minor repairs and adjustments done to Fifi. The loose shower door, faulty outside door catch and locker hinges needed adjusting. All this was quickly and efficiently seen to by a motorhome centre in Geldern, as referred by our dealer in England. All warranty work so no cost to ourselves.
In order to be near the steel works and the guided tours on offer, it was decided to find a campsite nearby. This almost empty site, Kaisergarten stellplatze, was an ideal one night stop, next to a busy railway line on an embankment. Maybe it's me, but trains have never kept me awake, perhaps because in my youth I travelled a good few times between Johannesburg and Paarl (near Cape Town) on the Trans-Karoo, and my ears are accustomed to the rumbling noise.

Kaisergarten in Duisburg

Visiting Furnace 5 (Hochofen 5) in north Duisburg

http://en.landschaftspark.de/the-parkk/introduction

Granted, visiting a now defunct iron works in Germany's industrial heartland, the Ruhr region, does not sound exciting. I was told of the Landschaftspark development in north Duisburg by a Swiss family cycling from Zurich to Rotterdam following the Rhine, whom we met in Arnhem. I was told that this was thus far the most eye opening of all their stops made along the Rhine. More so because it was in a region not known for leisure tourism and a facility / attraction not associated with tourists. Well, now that I've been, I can tell you that if ever you are in the area, not visiting it will be a mistake. The mere feeling of seeing something so different, and of actually having learnt something most people know nothing about, was enough reason for me to go. Yes, my guided tour was in German and I understood only about 50% of what was at times somewhat technical, the sights and views will be long remembered. English tours are available but must be pre-arranged.

I will not endeavour to explain the process of producing pig iron from raw materials - but shortly:-

Iron ore is fed into the blast furnace which is heated to 2000C at the core, resulting in a lava like substance flowing out at the end. The furnace when commissioned takes up to three months to reach that 2000C temperature needed to produce iron and has a life span of 10 years, when wear and tear on the works forces shut down and refurbishment.

The view from the top of the furnace over the Ruhr shows many, some working some defunct, furnaces and chimneys from what was known as the engine room of Europe. It brings the legacy of the Ruhr Gebiet and of the Krupp/Thyssen iron works to life and will make you understand why heavy engineering has always been part of the German psyche.

The Landschaftspark has many uses today, product launches, fashion shows, congresses for up to 4,000 people. You can climb walls, do underwater diving seeing plane and boat wrecks, cycle all over the 200 hectare site or just sit under trees and have lunch.

Will I go back for a second visit? You bet, and then do the night time tour .... !

Schematic drawing of the works

Furnace 5 (Hochofen 5)

View over the Duisburg area

One of the climbing walls

Germany - Lower Rhine area

Und so haben wir jetzt Deutschland herein gekommt, und sehr schon wieder die Rhein sehen konnte; (Grammar?)

We decided to spend a few days near the mighty Rhine, just looking at those passing boats and barges. Snoopy guided us to another view of a yacht harbour near the town of Emmerich and the harbour master showed us to a spot near a hedge, very private and out of sight from most others. We wondered why the particular site had not been taken yet, until a motorhome pulled in next to us and activated its TV dish on the roof, searching for a signal. Round and round it went and it was clear that no signal was to be had. Ah ha! - that's why our very private site was still vacant, the tree-line obscures a good TV signal. We have no TV and hence this has some unexpected dividends! Joan of course loves this privacy and her smile said it all.
Soon we had the awning out, the chairs, table, side tables, potted rose on the table, all followed. I took the bicycle into town, found an Aldi supermarket and carted home beers, potato salad, sauerkraut, Bratwurst and fresh bread. What more can you wish for?!

Joan 'at work' on the laptop

Sunset on the Rhine from the bridge at Emmerich

I took the bicycle for some kilometres along the Rhine and came across this field of mealies (maize) with the rather grand homestead next to it. Of course the mind wants to think that you could be somewhere in the former West Transvaal, but no it is less than 500m from the Rhine itself!

Mealies on the Rhine!

The enjoyment of cycling along the Rhine in Germany, and for that matter starting in Switzerland going all the way to Rotterdam, is following the Rhine cycle route. Maps are available to show you the way and perhaps take you past the most scenic places , but you may as well just follow the course of the river as best you can. There are picnic spots in many places close to the river and I noticed them to be well used, mainly by cyclists. The picture below shows tractor and trailer passing that field of maize, with the river and a barge to the left. On a sunny day such as it was there are few better things to do for the benefit of body and soul.

On the Rhine cycle route

Netherlands - Arnhem continued

There have been some indications that summer is returning to the Netherlands. We were all beginning to talk of the 'lost' summer. The day (Sat 21 July) was spent exploring the immediate surroundings of the Hartenstein estate in Oosterbeek near the town of Arnhem, province of Gelderland in the Netherlands - hope you've got all that?! Hartenstein was a hotel before the war and subsequently served as HQ for both the Germans and the British during events of the summer of 1944.
Only shortly - the Allies thought that capturing the road bridge across the Rhine at Arnhem would mean the end of the war by Christmas 1944, in that the denial of the industrial capacity of the Ruhr, would force an early German surrender. The bridge could not be taken against tenacious German resistance and the ensuing battle showed a ferocity of fighting on all sides, seldom seen on the western front.

'Pegasus' - flag of the British Airborne in WW2 in front of the Hartenstein HQ

Every year for the past 66 years the British sacrifice in this battle is commemorated by a mass walk

The view of many a paratrooper during the assault

Rebuilt and showing a very different scene to that of 1944

I found the visit to Arnhem, and that 'Bridge Too Far', to be a humbling experience and a poignant reminder of the ferocity with which this battle was fought. Both the British paratroopers and the German Wehrmacht (including units of the Waffen SS) gave it their all. Of the 9,000 British paratroopers that walked in, only 2,500 walked out, the rest either killed, wounded or captured.

We left Arnhem by crossing that very bridge in Fifi and so backtracked on the route walked by those paratroopers carrying the flag of liberation. We left the Netherlands behind us and crossed into Germany just east of Nijmegen.

It was sunshine all the way to the pretty town of Emmerich on the banks of the Rhine. A very affordable campsite at 20 Euros for three days overlooking the yacht club was found, courtesy of our GPS Snoopy. Surrounded by mainly German motorhomes and some very friendly 'Guten Morgens' when Joan appeared, left me with a right smile on the face ....

Joan I think is working on her German .... not ....

Netherlands - Arnhem

We arrived in Arnhem in the province of Gelderland, near the German border on Thursday 19 July. It rained much for most of the journey between Den Helder and Amsterdam. We made a brief overnight stop outside Amsterdam and left soon after breakfast. We pitied those who camped in tents on a water logged field not knowing where to find succour from the heavy rains of the past week. Fifi is fully waterproof and ready for more.
We decided to travel from Amsterdam to Arnhem via Rotterdam, a detour of some 50 miles, because of the indelible impression Rotterdam left on us the first time round. Those motorways through and around this port city is something to be seen.
We arrived in the Oosterbeek suburb of Arnhem late afternoon after some search for a campsite that ticked the boxes. We came across one that supposedly only takes bookings on-line. However, the manager had no problem and duly assigned us a site. I stipulated that I needed a strong wi-fi signal and he sited us next to the wi-fi antenna of the campsite.

Wi-fi antenna on the outhouse roof

A different and lovely campsite, all campers have their own little shower/loo/washbasin outhouse, a wonderful change to the daily journey of shared ablutions. You can of course use your own inside the motorhome, you do have a choice. Then again, a change is as good as a holiday .... hmm?
The other bonus was that the site is walking distance from the Airborne Museum (Paratroopers) who fought in Arnhem to capture an intact bridge across the Rhine in WW2. The movie was called 'A Bridge too Far' in what was known militarily as 'Operation Market Garden'. Yes, I can hear some say there was no chancing upon this campsite and that I intended arriving just here. Well we're only staying for four nights ....

Wi-fi aerial - now you know why the silence for almost a week. In order to up- and download pictures and other data you need a strong signal, the absence of which can be most frustrating.

Netherlands - Den Helder Naval Dockyard & Museum

Another gem of a find! This was on recommendation of a fellow Dutch 'motorhomer' we met at the previous stop. The historic dockyard and marine base of WILLEMSOORD in Den Helder. The large town of Den Helder is the northern most area of the province of Noord Holland. Napoleon referred to it as the Gibraltar of northern Europe and as such instructed WILLEM 1, King of the Netherlands, in 1812 to build a naval facility there. The Netherlands was virtually occupied by the Emperor of France at the time and the idea was to deny the English any influence in northern Europe. Of course after the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815 all this changed. The Dutch continued with the construction work and it became known as WILLEMSOORD, today a veritable historical dockyard as is the case with Portsmouth in England. It comes highly recommended.

En route to Den Helder this beautiful old Dutch barge sailed along the canal

Entrance to the Naval Museum Willemsoord in Den Helder

Aerial view of the dockyard - photo of a photo

Credit: Marinemuseum

Part of the many and varied exhibits at WILLEMSOORD in Den Helder, were these visiting ocean going race yachts. They are about to depart on the last leg of the 2011/12 Clipper Round the World yacht race from Den Helder to Southampton. A beautiful sight it was, bringing a splash of colour to the naval dockyard.

2011/12 Clipper Round the World race yachts

The Naval Museum housed some interesting oil on canvas paintings, the one below showing the HMS Monmouth engaging with the Dutch ship HNLMS Alkmaar. The scene is described as the imminent surrender of the Alkmaar with the Delft in the background already disabled. The collection of art and other memorabilia of the bygone years of Dutch sea fairing prowess, were impressive. A highly recommended visit.

Credit: Marinemuseum

We stayed for two nights on the designated motorhome parking area within the dockyard. This means you can walk around at leisure any hour of the day or night, enjoying the smells, sights and sounds of a working harbour. Fresh air, choice of harbour cafes to suit all pockets, shoppes, ocean racing yachts and the cosiness of Fifi makes for a great combination.

Also see the following link for more pictures of the exhibits in this dockyard:-

http://www.saairforce.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4794

Netherlands - Schagen

Yacht harbours do have charm and character, or is it the people you find messing around boats, or more to the point the motorhome owners who use these designated motorhome stops? They, the boaters and the motorhomers, also seem to get on well with each other. The town of Schagen in the province of Noord Holland, with its adjacent yacht harbour, has been a joy to visit.
We arrived Friday 13 July and initially parked at a newly designated area next to the yacht harbour. The harbour master duly came over to collect the fee and upon the resulting conversation we decided to relocate to within the confines of the harbour itself, next to other 'vans already there. Good views, nice neighbours and pleasant surroundings guarantees a memorable stay.

Schagen yacht harbour

Fifi and neighbours

Late night view

The harbour master's building houses the ablution block with showers, toilets, dish washing and laundry area, pamphlets and local info with all other necessary facilities for boaters and motorhomers.
Now of course stopping over at a working small craft harbour brings a continuous passing parade of boats and people. You also have to put up with general maintenance as is needed within the harbour, such as this cleaning out of holding tanks. Of course these things happen on Saturdays next to where you're parked ....

Cleaning out tanks

I subsequently went for a ride on the bicycle to the adjacent town of Schagen and found a bustling inner town with shoppers, street cafes, boules playing around the church, all in warm sunshine. The rain of the past week had hopefully moved on. I sourced a fishmonger and we had fresh cod for supper washed down with Gewurtztraminer from Alsace. There was also a good butcher/deli in town which resulted in lamb chops, smoked sausage and pate.

Playing boules in the centre of town

Further exploring brought me to this relic of World War 2, a German blockhouse built to house a power generator. It was never commissioned and the information board says it is the last relic of the war in Schagen. It was probably built as part of the elaborate German 'Atlantic Wall' defences, in the hope of withstanding the Allied advance to free occupied Noord Holland, keeping the German garrison supplied with power.

German fortification from WW2

Netherlands - Entering North Holland

Travelling north from Rotterdam, we follwed the North Sea coast of South Holland as best we could. We elected to stay at a lovely grassed campsite just north of Noordwijk, near The Hague. A well managed site it was too, with the owner not allowing cars pull attached caravans to a site, instead using his own little tractor driven by himself. This saved dodgy drivers from ruining his beautifully mown lawn and also meant a traffic free campsite. The rule did not apply to motorhomes though because on the whole once parked we tend not to move till we leave, using bicycles or public transport to get about.
Cycling along the nearby coastal path, I came across the sign below. Originally meant to be a bicycle path, it was probably soon used and abused by mopeds and the like. They were banned, until someone realised that the over 65's and semi-disabled on mobility scooters should be allowed usage. Not that I saw anything but bicycles.

Regulation and reality having to co-exist in harmony

Continuing north from Noordwijk, we decided to do some mileage leaving South Holland for North Holland and came across the first of what I would call a proper sea wall, keeping the North Sea out and allowing people a safe existence beyond it. There is no mistaking the higher level of the sea with that of the land behind it .... not an address for the faint hearted! The scale, strength and magnitude of these sea walls never fail to impress. Mainly walkers on the sea side of the wall and cycling as well as normal vehicle traffic on the land side.

Sea wall at Camperduin, Noord Holland

Farming communities on the land side

We eventually arrived at the Recreatiehaven Schagen (Yacht harbour at Schagen) south of Den Helder, which became our base for three nights.

Netherlands - 3 'beauties' :)

One of the joys of travelling is that you never know what's around the next corner. Now who would expect these three beauties in a Dutch city?! Maybe in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, or next to the harbour in St Tropez, but Rotterdam?
They were seen just outside our campsite on my way to the supermarket, being on my bicycle stopping was easy, taking a snapshot was de rigeur.

Citroen 2CV. Car for the masses 1948-1990, still going strong.

C'est magnifique!

Netherlands - Rotterdam

What a port city! And here I mean THE PORT not the city. It is quite breathtaking in size and scale, it can truly be called 'Europort' as it is the gateway by sea to northern Europe. Our ride into Rotterdam from the south using the extensive motorway network, sometimes elevated, gives you unrivalled views over the port area. It is mile upon mile of warehouses, cars for the export market in parcades, raw materials, containers and cranes and more cranes .... ! And ships of all shapes and sizes. For anyone who enjoys 'ship spotting' this is the place to come to.

Not only ships, but also barges on the Waal river (or lower Rhine (nieder Rhein) ) as some would refer to it. I said to Joan I could easily spend a day just riding around on the surrounding motorways to take it all in, fly-overs, bridges, tunnels - looking at the port, ships and boats!

A few examples:-

The coal terminal from the dunes of Oostvoorne

Pushing three coal barges, this vessel aptly named Herkules

Spraying the coal to keep it moist avoiding possible combustion

On the beach, west of the city

Entering a channel of the port. Rotterdam is also referred to as the 'Europort'.

The swimming beach at the 'Hoek van Holland'. Almost deserted on what was a very windy day.

In a strange sort of way the Dutch, their trading history over the centuries and more so during the days of the VOIC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) or Dutch East India Company, all comes together here in the port city of Rotterdam. Although Amsterdam is where the headquarters of the VOIC was, it is the modern day Rotterdam that still evokes memories of trade and goods and big money. The size and kind that made the Netherlands a colonial power in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Netherlands - South Holland

After Zeeland, the next province of the Netherlands that we entered was South Holland, crossing via two large viaducts/bridges, the Oosterscheldekering and the Brouwersdam. Engineering masterpieces and vital to protecting the inhabitants from the sea.

Under the 'green energy' of a wind turbine on the Oosterscheldekering

From Wikipedia:-
"The nine kilometre-long Oosterscheldekering (kering meaning barrier) was initially designed, and partly built, as a closed dam, but after public protest huge sluice-gate-type doors were installed in the remaining four kilometres. These doors are normally open, but can be closed under adverse weather conditions. In this way the saltwater marine life behind the dam is preserved and fishing can continue, while the land behind the dam is safe from the water. On 4 October 1986 Queen Beatrix officially opened the dam for use by saying the well-known words: De stormvloedkering is gesloten. De Deltawerken zijn voltooid. Zeeland is veilig. (The flood barrier is closed. The Delta Works are completed. Zeeland is safe.)
At the artificial island at one end of the barrier, a plaque is installed with the words: "Hier gaan over het tij, de wind, de maan en wij" ("Here it is about the tide, the wind, the moon and us (the Dutch)").

Right on the southern fringe of the province South Holland, is the town Ouddorp. We found a lovely new recently opened site that is all automated. We never book anything in advance and have no set schedule or agenda, which means we stay or leave as we please. This free and loose method of travelling means you sometimes come across these little gems.
We followed some signage for several kilometers directing us to a campsite and this is where it lead:-

Leading us on

Promising looking entrance

All automated! Entrance and use of all facilities is via your barcoded ticket. Behind the barrier the small but very clean ablution block.

Fifi standing proud next to a biggie. All park bays are level, well spaced, well ordered and managed.

Cherry on the cake was wifi included in the tariff of 18 Euros for a 24 hour period. Way to go we say!

Life in Fifi le Van(1)

Following are some pictures to explain the details of life in a motorhome. Motorhomes these days come fitted with many modern day necessities, and many more can be fitted as after market accessories if your payload and budget allows.
Let's take a closer look at our Chausson Flash 30 from the outside:-

The right side. Large garage door at the rear, bedroom window, washroom window, habitation door, dinette/lounge window, cab. Awning at the top.

Large garage door and a smaller door at the far side. Bicycles, chairs, stools, camp table, luggage and storage boxes, and whatever you don't want inside, is stored here. Access can also be had from inside the 'van by lifting the doublebed which is then kept open by gas filled struts.

Beneath the washroom window is the toilet casette. The loo flushes much the same as your home loo. This casette (box) gets a dosage of 'loo blue' a liquid which acts as a solvent and disinfectant, and takes four days to fill when used by two people. All campsites have ablutions and we use them in the main, but rain or middle-of-the-night needs, means you use the fitted loo. As a rule I empty and service it every four days regardless. For the record, you are unaware of its prescence from inside the motorhome - no odours!

The left side. Bedroom window at the back, kitchen window in the middle and dinette/lounge window in the front behind the cab.

Beneath the kitchen window is the 11kg gas bottle containing 22 litres of LPG. This costs around 50 cents (Euro) a litre on the continent and we have only topped up the bottle twice since leaving the UK costing around 5 Euros each time. The gas bottle is filled in a similar way to filling a car with petrol. No hauling it out and carting it around. Wonderfully easy! To the left of the open hatch is the fresh water filler cap.

The grids or vents are top left the toaster/grill above the cooker, the fridge vent, the hot water cylinder vent and on the right the gas flue.

Fresh water tank holds 130 liters and waste water 110 liters. So even if the warning lights fail you will know when the waste is full you are very low on fresh. Used carefully fresh water can last a week. Steady with the showering! Once again, I mainly use the camp ablutions, Joan sometimes uses 'her own' shower.

Netherlands - Zeeland province

We entered the Netherlands from Belgium using the 6.6 km tunnel under the Schelde estuary (that's a lot of water above your head) exiting in the Netherlands near Vlissingen. We stayed for two nights at Dishoek near Vlissingen. Beautiful dunes next to the campsite gave splendid views across the Schelde estuary and the North Sea. The Schelde is an incredibly busy waterway serving the ports of Terneuzen (Netherlands) and Antwerp (Belgium).
The dunes have foot paths, cafes and beach huts on the sand, with miles of beach to walk on. One is constantly reminded of the fact that much of the Netherlands is below sea level and the road from Vlissingen going north towards Rotterdam has large areas of water on the land side of the road. These 'polders' (marshes) will eventually be habitated by people once devoid of water. Crossing the Osterscheldekering is an example of how water is constantly pumped from inland to the sea.

Looking north along the Dishoek beach near Vlissingen

Foot paths are found all over the dunes with views all round