Adventure Before Dementia

This incredible adventure has been a tale of two Europes.

We started our two month journey in the east visiting the beautiful countryside of Slovenia and the stunning coastline of Croatia. Then we drove into Montenegro and through the Dinaric Alps into Bosnia.

Next we headed to the west through the Austrian Alps to the capital Vienna, into the Czech Republic, through the Bavarian countryside of Germany and into Belgium.

Our last few days were spent in Bonn, one of Germany’s oldest cities and the birthplace of Beethoven, and Antwerp, the world’s diamond capital, in Belgium.

While in Bonn we visited Beethoven’s home, now a museum, and took a lovely walk along the River Rhine. Bonn was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and has a rich history dating back to Roman times.

Moving onto Antwerp, we stayed for free in the grounds of the Kasteel van Brasschaat. The castle was built in the 18th century and used as a family home, but now the 170 acres of park and woodland are open to the public along with a leisure complex and Olympic size pool.

So, we spent a morning walking through the grounds and Alex took a swim in the pool before we headed off into the city.

Our next stop was just across the river from Antwerp and we could easily reach the old town through the Sint-Annatunnel, an historic pedestrian and bicycle tunnel that runs under the Scheldt River. The tunnel was opened in 1933 and is known for its original, well-preserved wooden escalators. Of course, these just happened to break down during our visit and so we had climb the 160 steps back to the surface - wouldn’t have expected anything less if past experiences have taught us anything!

Antwerp’s old town is lovely and surprisingly one of its highlights is its city station. Its architecture is breathtaking and it stands as a monument to the age of railway in 1905.

This city is the place to go if you want to buy diamonds. The Diamond Quarter is the world’s largest diamond centre. Here, 85 per cent of the world's rough diamonds and 50 per cent of polished diamonds are traded annually.

But our journey has now ended and despite our return being delayed by a day due to Storm Benjamin, we are back home planning our next escape.

We have:

Driven more than 4,000 miles and walked more than 600,000 steps, 240 plus miles.

Travelled through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia.

Tasted and bought wine made by monks at Austria’s oldest vineyard and home-made liqueurs from roadside stalls in Bosnia.

Eaten the best seafood straight from the Adriatic in Croatia and the country’s traditional dish, Cevapi. Tried goulash and bread dumplings in Prague, rabbit stew with famous Belgian fries in Antwerp and artisan cakes.

Met up in Croatia with our niece, her husband and friends from America as well as motorhoming friends from the UK, and met new people of all nationalities along the way.

Celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary in Germany - and we’re still together after 60 days living in a van!

My cousin told me that we are living “life with the lid off” - and he’s absolutely spot on. We’re grabbing every opportunity and breaking the routine - making our lives seem longer!

Prague is known as ‘the city of 100 spires’ for its stunning architecture and historic charm. Spend a few days here and it’s not hard to understand how this capital of the Czech Republic draws so many international visitors.

The centre of this city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features so many historic buildings, not least the Charles Bridge lined with statues, and the astronomical clock. The clock has been operating since the 15th century and we joined hundreds of other visitors to witness it chime the hour.

Now, I’m not sure what we were expecting but the guide books said it was a sight not to be missed. The clock itself was beautiful and very unique and I’m really glad we were able to visit. As the hour chimed, figures of the apostles came out in a procession along the top - but I have to say I was a little disappointed with the spectacle. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting dancing girls and fireworks, but it was a bit of a letdown if I’m totally honest.

So we moved on and queued to visit The Book Tower in the National Library. This didn’t disappoint. Eight thousand books built into a tower with two mirrors inside so that as you looked in it created a sense of infinity. Looking down made you feel you were looking into a well, look up and you were in space. Fascinating and so worth the wait.

Next stop on our visit was The Lennon Wall created 45 years ago and now celebrated as a symbol of peace and resistance. When John Lennon died in 1980, young Czechs began adding graffiti and messages about Lennon and The Beatles onto the wall. At first, the authorities cleaned them off but they kept reappearing, so they eventually admitted defeat and the wall was left as a lasting memorial.

Of course, we couldn’t leave Prague without trying some traditional Czech food and a bowl of goulash and dumplings was perfect. Next stop was an artisan cake shop and our choices didn’t disappoint.

So we left this lovely city and headed onward on our slow journey home, dropping into Nuremberg in Germany. I’ve always wanted to visit this city to sit in Courtroom 600 where the international war trials took place. Here Herman Goring and Rudolf Hess among many others were tried for their part in the Holocaust.

This exhibition is very cleverly put together with real footage from the trial being projected onto the courtroom. Although the room itself has been completely redesigned, it was easy to imagine how it was when these men faced justice. The trial formed the basis for international law and created the foundation for modern justice.

The exhibition takes the visitor through the events leading up to the trial and the parts played by prosecutors, witnesses and press among others. It’s fascinating although very harrowing and an hour was enough to be honest.

Oh Vienna! Those of us who remember the 80’s band, Ultravox will remember their signature tune, Vienna. The song tells of a brief love affair in the city - and we fell in love with this beautiful city, the music capital of the world - during our five night stay.

Vienna sits on the River Danube and is also famous for its architecture and art. Everywhere you turn, there are the most beautiful buildings and it’s not difficult to love this city. Vienna has its grand imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg Palace, and the Belvedere. St Stephen’s Cathedral in the heart of the city is also a magnificent Gothic building.

While wandering round the city, we discovered we could have a tour of the Parliament building. It was fascinating to learn about the former Austrian Hungarian empire and the part Austria played in both world wars as well as the political make up of today’s government.

Vienna was home to great composers including Mozart and Beethoven, so after visiting the architectural landmarks, we couldn’t leave the city without attending a classical concert.

The Vienna Supreme Orchestra was performing at the grand Palais Eschenbach and the programme included works by Mozart and Schubert as well as of course, the elegant Viennese waltzes, which were born in the city.

During our stay, having taken the train, bus and metro into the city, I was determined we should cycle the 14kms. So we set off along the Danube to ride into town. Now as much as it was a great experience to be cycling in Vienna, it was also totally knackering!

As a reward for our efforts, we found one of Vienna’s famous coffee houses and treated ourselves to the most amazing cakes. Well you can’t come to Vienna without sampling the pastries because the coffee houses are such an important part of its cuisine and culture. I would like to say we worked off the cakes on the cycle ride back home - but we put the bikes on the train!

We were staying just outside the city at Klosterneuburg which is famous for its 12th Century monastery. Fifty monks - now called cannons - still live and work at the abbey which houses Austria’s oldest vineyard.

As soon as we found this Alex and I secured a wine tasting and left with a crate of the monastery’s finest. That fitted nicely under the seat in Big Boy and will see us through the winter along with the numerous bottles of Croatian and Slovenian wine we have stashed away on our trip.

Before we visited Vienna, we had dropped into Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. We found the fascinating Tunel Gric which was built during the Second World War as a bomb shelter. Now it serves as a tourist attraction and as a base for events. There was an exhibition of photographs of some of the Croatian summer villas when we visited.

Zagreb has some interesting architecture including its famous cathedral. Unfortunately, the building has been closed for the last five years following the earthquake which hit the city in 2020. Not only is it being slowly restored, but work is also underway in a bid to protect it from future earthquakes.

As a city it has its quirky side too, not least The Museum of Hangovers and The Museum of Broken Relationships.

Leaving Vienna, we took what must be one of Europe’s smallest ferries. There was just room for Big Boy and one car as we set off across the Danube.

We’ve been soaking up both the history and the sun on this trip. It’s been great to be surrounded by such incredible architecture and enjoy the fabulous coastline at the same time.

Our trip has taken us to Trogir which sits on a small island connected to the mainland and the island of Ciovo by bridges. This historic town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Venetian architecture.

We stayed just a short bike ride from the old town and spent a couple of days exploring its winding streets.

From Trogir, we travelled just a few miles across the bridge to the island of Ciovo and a campsite on Labadusa Beach. This rugged part of the coast is beautiful and quite isolated so there were very few tourists. It was great to relax for a few days and recharge before heading on to the next stage of our trip.

Our next stop was Sibenik, one of the oldest cities on the Croatian coast where the river Krka meets the Adriatic Sea. The city is also significant as the place where the Croatian Navy was founded. The city’s Cathedral of St James is said to be the most significant architectural achievement of the 15th and 16th Centuries.

Sibenik was also one of the first places in the world to develop a public lighting network powered by the River Krka. On a lighter note, it’s also a great place to find the best takeaway fish straight out of the Adriatic, and chips!

Now you know how much I like climbing hundreds of steps to visit an historic relic so I couldn’t miss out on the chance to climb up to the fortress. But as it was blowing a gale on this particular day and the fact that I don’t like heights even in the calmest of conditions, we decided not to climb to the top of the castle. The view of the town and harbour from the nearby cemetery was good enough.

Leaving Sibenik, we headed up the coast to Vodice. Many motorhomes miss this lovely harbour and historic town on their travels, and that’s a mistake. We stayed in a tiny campsite of just six pitches in a lovely couple’s back garden. They made us so welcome and if we go back to a Croatia this will definitely be on our list.

Having driven the Neum Corridor - a unique piece of land that belongs to Bosnia but cuts into Croatia’s southern border - we found ourselves up against border control. After negotiating a single track cliff edge road with no barrier in most part and a sheer drop on one side, we were relieved to come across the Croatian border point. But with the help of Google Translate, we learnt that the border force officer was demanding we turn around and go back the way we had come as this crossing was only for local residents and we were refused entry. Now I’ve never heard of an exclusive border crossing before but I was not about to debate the point. So we headed back down the mountain pass and I closed my eyes trusting Alex and Big Boy would get us down safely.

We had spent the previous few days staying near the Neretva River in Mostar, Bosnia and visiting the capital Sarajevo. The old towns with their bazaars in the winding streets selling local produce and of course, the inevitable tourist tat were interesting. We crossed Mostar’s famous Old Bridge, also known as the Mostar Bridge, which was built in the 16th Century, and the Crooked Bridge, the oldest one arched bridge in Mostar, built around the same time.

In Sarajevo, we visited a mosque with its spectacular internal decoration of the most vivid colours and an early school which had offered Islamic training. These buildings were just two ordered and financed by Gazi Husrev Bey who made a major contribution to the improvement of Sarajevo. He lived in the 15th century and left provision in his will for the long term support of religious institutions in the city including the mosque. His legacy is still supporting Sarajevo and its people to this day.

While in Mostar, we spent the morning at the Kravica Falls, a series of impressive waterfalls, and the country’s most visited tourist attraction. Kravica means ‘small cow’ and it is said that long before the falls became famous, a cow fell into the river and went over the top of the falls. Everyone expected her to be dead when reaching the bottom, but she survived and the falls were named after her. The water temperature never exceeds 20 degrees, but that didn’t deter Alex as he was determined to go for a swim. His verdict - invigorating! Yeh I think that tells us everything we need to know.

We’ve left Bosnia and headed back to the Croatian coast to Trogir, a UNESCO world heritage site set on a small island between the mainland and the island of Ciovo. Trogir is known for its exceptionally well-preserved architecture so there’s a good deal to explore.

I’m so glad we made the long drive to Dubrovnik, not because it was the backdrop to Game of Thrones - because I have no interest in that - but because of its stunning coastline, architecture and history.

We had wondered whether we should visit after hearing it’s expensive as the Croatians cash in on the tourists wanting to visit the film locations. In fact, we had been told prices were so high they had driven some tourists away and the summer season had been disappointing. They were certainly charging 40 Euros a person to walk round the top of the walls of the old town. I guess no-one can blame them for making money where they can, but we weren’t paying for that.

So we wandered round the city, had lunch at a very reasonable restaurant and spent the day in and out of the narrow streets and enjoying the breeze at the harbour.

It’s certainly a beautiful medieval city which you enter through the 15th Century Pile Gate complete with drawbridge. The moat has long since been drained and construction work is now taking place to turn it into a garden.

Above the harbour, homes sit on the side of the mountain and the whole scene is very picturesque.

We were staying just outside the city close to the beach so we spent a day cycling around the shoreline. Hidden away down a track we found the ruins of the Bettera Summer House which was built in the 15th Century but was destroyed during the Russian-Montenegrin siege of Dubrovnik in 1806. During the 18th Century the famous philosopher Ruder Boskovic stayed at the house. He was famous for discovering the absence of an atmosphere on the moon of all things. The only inhabitant when we visited was a nude sunbather!

After leaving Dubrovnik, we slipped across the border to Montenegro and visited the old town of Kotor. The massive Queen Victoria cruise liner was overshadowing the port and just as many Americans had disembarked from the Norwegian Pearl.

Kotor is a medieval fortified city and a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Bay of Kotor. Above the city snaking up the side of the mountain, are the ruins of the old fortress.

We had driven through the mountains and round the bay to reach Kotor but shortened our journey back by taking the ferry. The Kamenari ferry connects the villages of Kamenari and Lepetane.

Next stop on our trip is Bosnia and after a two hour queue to get through the border, we have made it to Mostar. En route we lost the glass to Big Boy’s wing mirror when an Italian motorhome came too close on a narrow mountain pass. He failed to stop and when Alex went to retrieve the remnants of our mirror from the side of the road, he found no less than four more. Seems to be a common problem on that stretch! So we’re taping the shattered glass back into its fitting and hoping we can replace it before heading home. Didn’t we have this issue on our Scottish trip? There’s a theme running here!

Sea, sun and seafood

Our journey has taken us along the stunning coast road between Split and Dubrovnik to the beautiful Makarska Riviera. We were staying close to the beach and met up with motorhoming friends from the UK for a four night catch up. The weather has been hot and sunny which has allowed us to get out and explore the area.

Makarska - just five minutes walk from our campsite - has a quaint old town with narrow, paved and cobbled streets and a square with a lovely old church. It’s the perfect place to sit and cool off from the heat of the sun. The town also has a Franciscan monastery which had been rebuilt several times after being caught up in various conflicts since its conception in the 16th century.

The mountains tower over this pretty town creating a dramatic backdrop. It also benefits from a beautiful waterfront where the light glitters on the sea and multi million pound yachts are attracted by its beauty. Debbie and I picked out our favourite and probably most expensive, a sleek little number from Malta. As Alex and Brian went off in another direction to take more water snaps, we had a plan to try to get aboard where we could live out our shared fantasy of being wined and dined by the wealthy owners. Needless to say that scheme soon fell flat on its face when we missed our opportunity to catch one of the crew as he slipped past us onto the boat. How did that happen? But nothing lost, there’s still time!

Living so close to the sea has offered the opportunity to try the great array of seafood on offer in the restaurants. Alex and I have tucked into platters of sea bass, mussels, langoustines, octopus and squid - all so fresh and delicious. I’m sure there will be plenty more before we return to Blighty.

After walking thousands of steps across Makarska we decided we needed a relaxing day and lunch. So we set off along the coast to the next town and a recommended seafront restaurant. What I didn’t know was that before I could get even a glass of wine we had to negotiate a terrifying cliff top walk through narrow craggy pathways. Clearly knowing I have an irrational fear of heights, my friends just neglected to mention this little detail. So I arrived at the restaurant needing a stiff gin! Thanks guys! Relaxing did you say?

Our last night together was spent barbecuing followed by cocktails and drinks at a lovely waterfront bar on a beach where the sunsets are so incredible. Thanks Debbie and Brian for a great four days. We loved it.

We said our goodbyes at Makarska and as Debbie and Brian headed north to Split, we got back on the road to go further south to the Dubrovnik Riviera. We drove through the stunning Dinaric Alps, an extensive mountain range which forms a boundary between Croatia and Bosnia. Needless to say, the road winds up and down around the mountain offering stunning views of the coastline but sheer precipices on each side of the road. Around each turn there are warning signs that cows, deer and even wild boar could be crossing and I just clung on and hoped to God that we wouldn’t meet one and have to brake suddenly.

We have been visiting Pag Island in the Adriatic Sea. The island has the weirdest lunar landscape and as you look across the harbour, you could be forgiven for thinking you have just landed on the moon’s surface.

We dropped in to Pag town, with its pretty winding streets and lovely old church in the square, en route to our base in the north of the island at Novalja. Pag is famous for its salt and lace industries and there are also tiny stalls dotted across the island selling local cheese and honey.

Earlier on our journey, we had visited the stunning Plitvice Lakes - a series of turquoise blue lakes and pools with amazing waterfalls. This is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. It is home to the 78 metre high Veliki Slap - Great Waterfall - the highest in Croatia.

Our next journey would take us to the city of Split, but first we wanted to drop into Zadar to visit the old town and listen to the Sea Organ. The power of the waves plays music through a series of pipes built beneath the marble steps of the promenade. I’ve never heard anything quite like that before and it was fascinating.

Onto Split on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast and as we drive further south, the weather is getting hotter and the coastline more spectacular. We’ve been staying just outside the city and it’s been easy to get in on the local bus. Split was full of tourists, as you can imagine, and the heat and dozens of Japanese all following the usual tour guide with an umbrella made the visit tough going.

We entered the city through the ancient Roman walls of the Diocletian’s Palace where Alex decided it would be a good idea to challenge the two Roman Centurion guards to a fight. They were more than happy to oblige and armed him with a couple of massive swords to even up the odds! I respect his bravery but definitely wouldn’t have put my money on his chances. In fact, had they been the real deal he would have been defeated in the first few seconds of this battle.

Within the palace walls sits the Saint Domnius Cathedral and Jupiter’s Temple.. The nearby Riva Promenade in the harbour is known as ‘Split’s living room’ and its the idea place to sit in the shade and watch the cruise ships, ferries and expensive yachts coming into port.

We’re leaving Split tomorrow to head for the prettiest part of Croatia on the Makarska Riviera. We have friends driving from the UK so we’re meeting up for a few days to explore the area. The weather has turned stormy - Debbie and Brian we didn’t ask you to bring the British rain with you - but it’s set to be hot and sunny again on Friday so all good.

Big Boy back on the road again

August-October 2025

We’re back on the road in the old Big Boy who came of age this year - 21 and still out there going strong. Best investment we ever made!

Our trip this year has taken us into France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany through the Austrian Alps and into Slovenia. Then we’ll head down the Croatian coast and see where we end up.

So far we’ve stayed at The Rustic Apple tree campsite in Belgium, a camper parking lot in Stuttgart, a spa in Salzburg and a lovely couple’s orchard just into Slovenia. We’ve visited the beautiful city of Ljubljana - Slovenia’s capital. The river Ljubljanica flows through the city which is known for its blend of Slovenian, Mediterranean and Germanic cultures

Now you know how much I like heights! So having survived the twists and turns and sheer precipices of the Alps, what better place to start our Slovenian visit than a climb up Ljubljana’s castle. It’s 350 metres to the outer walls and there are two ways to get there - by funicular railway or to climb the steps.

The railway costs just 6 Euros a person for a return trip and takes a nice stately ride to the top. But of course, why would we pay 12 Euros when we can risk cardiac arrest and a 5K+ medical bill? So we head off and start climbing what seemed like a million steps and two broken legs. Reaching the top and finally being able to breathe again, the view across the city was worth the climb. Did I really say that?

Now we’re staying on the banks of the spectacular Lake Bled with its turquoise blue water, which is said to be the purest in Slovenia if not the world. There’s definitely a good view to the bottom and the fish that live there. We’ve walked both ways round the lake - 4 miles each way - and stopped to try to make our selection from a huge choice of ice-cream flavours. The apple sorbet was to die for and my reward for not throwing myself off a tall building when my totally irrational fear of heights willed me to do so!

So far the weather has been interesting! A mixture of hot sunny days and others which were cloudy but still warm. So we’re not complaining. Last night, we had the loudest storm I have ever experienced. I’m sure we had our own personal thunder cloud on the roof!

We have been visiting the lovely city of Aix en Provence as we travel further south towards the coast.

Aix was the birthplace of the famous French painter, Paul Cezanne. He lived in the city for most of his life and is buried here. Cezanne is honoured with a statue in the central square and the house where he lived has been turned into a museum. It was closed, however, for our visit - we wouldn’t have expected anything else if past trips are anything to go by!

Aix is known as the city of a thousand fountains although there are apparently only 100! So there’s a bit of a theme going on on this holiday. After visiting Pernes Les Fontaines boasting its 40 fountains, we have gone one better to search for 100.

Of course, we didn’t find all of them but we did come across a few impressive ones and a strange thermal fountain covered in moss where the water is always at least 18 degrees.

This city is famous for its architecture both ancient, with its typical Provence style houses in its quaint old town and contemporary, including its library with giant books built at the entrance. There is also the Pavillon Noir, a building clad in black concrete which houses four dance studios.

Next to the Pavillon is another angular, modern building clad in huge grey tiles with smoked glass windows. It is home to another dance school.

English artist, Damien Hirst has been exhibiting his work in the city and one of his pieces, The Light That Shines, sits in front of the two dance schools.

Aix is also home to Europe’s largest water wall spanning 700 square metres with a 17 metre waterfall. The water wall runs continuously apart from periods of extreme weather. On the other side of the bridge there is a living wall of greenery.

We were lucky to have plenty of entertainment while in Aix. A variety of bands played in the city in an annual tradition to mark the summer solstice and we spent an evening at a complimentary party laid on by the campsite. It was an opportunity to meet other campers of all nationalities while sharing wine and French food.

We made a last visit to the city today for some people watching over French Martinis in the central square. What better way to round off this leg of our journey before we head to Frejus on the coast, calling into Nice on the way to pick up Victoria flying in from London.

Life just gets better!

We’ve been celebrating the Olympic torch passing through Avignon with impressive free entertainment in the city centre.

A giant robotic Roman centurion joined by stilt walkers carrying Olympic rings paraded through the streets to mark the start of the celebrations. Once at the Palais de Papes - the 14th Century Popes’ Palace - acrobats staged a daring climb down the walls of the Gothic tower as a singer entertained from the parapet above.

The evening’s entertainment was rounded off with a circus performance - a perfect evening with new found friends drinking the local French wine in 30 degrees.

We agonised over whether we should extend our stay in Avignon to watch the torch pass through but decided there’s just too much to see on our trip so we needed to move on.

Earlier in the week, we walked down to the end of the famous Pont d’Avignon bridge also known as the Pont de Saint Benezet. The bridge is named after a poor shepherd who had the idea for a bridge to stretch across the River Rhône.

Benezet travelled the country as a pilgrim and amazingly raised all the money needed; but the bridge wasn’t even started until he died. It had a span of 22 arches but flooding constantly destroyed it. Now only four arches remain, so it finishes in the middle of the river.

We travelled by train to the city of Nimes which is home to the Maison Caree - the best preserved temple of the Roman world. We also visited the Roman amphitheatre, built in the 1st Century, where gladiators entertained the crowds. The arena is now used for concerts and sporting events and big names such as Elton John and Queen have performed there.

Our next visit took us to Pernes Les Fontaines, famous for its 40 fountains. We managed to track down only six! But after a 10 mile bike ride along the river followed by a five mile walk around the Palace gardens the previous day, we were too exhausted to search for the other 34! I’m sure they were impressive but that’s for another time.

We're back in one of our favourite parts of Europe - the wonderful South of France. It's great to escape the rain and grey skies of England and head for wall-to-wall sunshine among the lavender fields of Provence.

Our journey will take us to Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and finally so Frejus on the French riviera and all points in between. On the final leg of our trip, we will be joined by Victoria and friends before heading back to Blighty on general election day.

We left the UK on Sunday and made our first stop in Rouen which we had last visited just before Christmas almost three years ago on our first trip in Big Boy. It was good to go back and have another wander through the city.

On our travels, we try to stay off the motorways as much as possible to avoid unnecessary tolls and see more of the countryside. Imagine our surprise then when we noticed many of the village signs were upside down. Apparently, angry farmers had turned the signs on their heads in their protest against rising import prices, bureaucracy and the cost of diesel.

We're now staying for our first week in Avignon just across the river from the city centre. We first visited this beautiful city more than 30 years ago and it's good to be back. There's a free ferry which takes us across the river in just a few minutes and we have spent today visiting some of the sites.

We’re back home again after 67 days away - 24 hours later than intended after getting caught up in Storm Ciaran.

The storm hit Northern France hard and so we had to slightly change our plans. With Ciaran heading straight for us, we drove further than we intended on the penultimate day, to stay as close to the Channel Tunnel as possible for our last night. Then battered by strong winds and torrential rain, we crossed back into the U.K. and headed straight for a night at the Drum Inn pub in Ashford where we began our journey two months earlier, to let the storm pass.

Our last few days in France had been at a little village in Normandy - Les Andelys - on the banks of the River Seine and just 60 miles from Paris. The village was charming and a favourite stop for river cruise ships making their way through France. Having camped close to the shipping lane in Venice, we now found ourselves staying close to the shipping lane for river cruises in Les Andelys.

There were dozens of Americans spending their dollars here and the shops were geared up to catch these tourists. We prefer the natural and historic wonders, however, rather than those found on the High Street, so we headed for the ruin of the Chateau Gaillard that stands above the village. Building of the chateau began in 1196 under the auspices of Richard the Lionheart, who was simultaneously King of England and feudal Duke of Normandy.

The castle is listed as an historic monument and most of it is now in ruins but the inner Bailey is open to the public. You guessed it - we climbed up to the chateau and discovered it was the only day in the week when it was closed! We were able to explore the ruins, however, and enjoy the fabulous views across the river and surrounding countryside. It was well worth the climb.

Our drive through the Normandy towns and villages on our journey home- deliberately avoiding the sterile motorways - was so interesting with the trees showing off their stunning autumn colours. This has definitely been the most amazing trip.

We have driven almost 3,000 miles across Belgium and Luxembourg into Switzerland, Northern Italy and Southern and Northern France.

We have visited nine cities and numerous towns and villages and three spectacular lakes.

We have marvelled at eight Cathedrals, numerous parish churches, chateaux, ancient bridges and historic buildings.

We have visited bears, watched flamingoes in flight, seen herons go fishing and dodged a snake in the lake.

We have travelled miles on public transport - bus, train, ferry, boat and tram - and our bikes.

We have walked more than 450,000 steps.

We have eaten far too much gelato and too many cakes and drank too much wine and our fair share of cocktails.

But most importantly, we have visited Northern Italy which we have been wanting to do for years and spent time back in one of our favourite regions, the South of France.

We have met so many new people and helped a lovely French couple find their way to their friends’ house before being invited to spend the afternoon with them, even though they didn’t speak a word of English. Absolutely priceless.

And along the way, we have learnt some Italian and embarrassed ourselves enough in French that our grasp of the language must have improved - surely?

Leaving Miravel where we had stayed to visit Montpelier, we were lucky to see the resident pink flamingos. It was great to see these birds in flight as they joined hordes of their flock on the salt marshes, creating a sea of pink just outside the village.

Travelling north, we drove through the Ardeche Mountains National Park - said to be the best place in France. The autumn colours on the trees were beautiful and we passed through tiny villages as the road wound through the mountains. At one point, the road was actually cut into the rock face with a sheer drop to one side - absolutely terrifying. Then it was a case of what goes up must come down as we faced a steep hill for several kilometres coming down the other side - equally frightening. But the journey was so worth it as the countryside was stunning.

Here there is a famous hiking route, the Chemin de Stevenson, inspired by a trip taken by the author Robert Louis Stevenson and his donkey.

Now we have travelled several hundred miles to the centre of France, leaving the warm southern weather behind. It’s noticeably cooler with showers and we’re definitely feeling this change in temperature.

We have been visiting the city of Bourges, famous for its half timbered houses.

Another city and another cathedral; this one has been built in the Gothic-style with a cavernous interior of stone columns and 13th Century stained glass. Over the last four years, the church, which is dedicated to Saint Stephen and is the seat of the Archbishop of Bourges, has undergone a multi million pound restoration project.

In the centre of this small city, a tree sculptor had been commissioned to carve a sculpture from two giant old trees which died this summer. The trees were so much a part of Bourges that the city wanted to preserve them for future generations.

During our visit, we found an interesting Art Deco park sitting next to the canal. The park was created in the 1920s and included fountains and colourful planting alongside arches of conifer trees and even an amphitheatre. This park was a lovely peaceful place to take a break from the sightseeing.

Halloween is in full swing here and across the city, shops and their staff are holding nothing back with their decorations and costumes. Children have been getting into the spirit of of the season as well and the streets are full of witches, ghosts and all manner of super heroes. Halloween is big business in France.

We are back in the sunshine now and have been exploring France’s fastest growing city, Montpelier. This city is the third largest near to the Mediterranean coast and the seventh largest in France.

Travelling around the city is easy on the brightly coloured trams that weave around the streets, and we headed first to the Place de La Comedie. This square is named after a theatre which burned down in the 1700s and it is where the fortifications of the city were formally located. With the school’s half term about to begin, children were loving the old fashioned carousel.

We visited the Cathedral of Saint Pierre with its two unique towers at the front entrance door. The cathedral, built in the Gothic style, is a national monument. It’s just as impressive once you’re inside the building with its giant columns, stained glass windows and oil paintings. When the bells chime the hour, they can be heard right across the city.

We were also visited The Tour de la Babote which is a relic of the 12th century fortifications around Montpellier’s historical centre. The tower became an observatory in 1745 and was taken over by the Académie des Sciences. It has been listed as a historical monument since 1927.

Montpelier’s old town was charming and hanging high above these little streets were 400 pink umbrellas to mark Pink October’s breast cancer awareness campaign.

As you know if you’ve been following this blog, we love a market especially in Europe where they display all the regional produce. Montpelier’s best market is on a Tuesday and Saturday under the arches of the old aqueduct.

The aqueduct, built in the middle of the 18th century, is the largest hydraulic private project ever made in France. It is 800 metres long and has 53 arches on two levels. The project brought spring water to a water tower in the city.

Now it towers over the countryside and a huge variety of market stalls shelter under its arches twice a week selling food, wine, clothes and all manner of interesting and unusual crafts.

We wandered through the market and couldn’t resist buying fresh croissants and a strawberry and pistachio tart. Should have stuck to the fruit stalls, but no one makes croissants and tarts like the French so it’s worth the extra calories.

Alex couldn’t resist Fitzpatrick’s Irish bar for a pint of Guinness. I’ve been insisting he drinks the local French and Italian wines during our trip as they are excellent. But as we’re heading home soon I guess he’s never going to leave Blighty behind completely.

As we headed back to the station, we got caught up in a protest march in support of Palestinians. This march was just one of many taking place in the major cities across Europe. Hundreds of supporters carrying flags and banners were marching through the streets and there was a heavy police presence. Station staff had locked down the building for security and it took us and other travellers a while to find a way in.

We loved Montpelier. It was quieter than many of the other cities we have visited on our trip and it was easier to get around without so many tourists.

We’ve been walking in the footsteps of the world’s top celebrities on the Côte d’Azur. Our trip along the French Riviera has taken us to Cannes - famous for its international film festival - and Antibes and St Tropez - home of 60’s film star, Bridgette Bardot among many other A list celebrities.

At each of these towns, the harbours are jam packed with the most luxurious yachts, travelling from London, New York and across Europe to visit. Luxury villas can be rented here with staring prices of 27,000 Euros a week, rising to eye-watering sums for the most unique.

But that’s OK. We don’t need a luxury pad. We’re quite at home in Big Boy and we were just happy to find out more about what makes these towns so special.

Cannes’ connection with the stars can be seen everywhere, not least in the street art which can be found across the town. Huge murals of Marilyn Monroe, French actors and comedians and a detailed painting which included Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Laurel and Hardy, Batman and Robin and the Star Wars’ robots among others are painted on the buildings.

We loved Cannes’ old town and harbour front. During our stay, we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary, eating fabulously fresh seafood at one of the quay restaurants in one of our most favourite parts of Europe.

A quick train ride took us to Antibes, a really charming place with its old town enclosed with ramparts. The Nomad of Antibes - an unusual sculpture designed by a Spanish artist of a man looking out to sea - sits on part of the ramparts adjoining the port. The statue was created as part of a temporary exhibition but is now owned by the city and the Picasso Museum, so now it belongs to Antibes.

At both Cannes and Antibes, the daily fruit and flower markets are really special. Here you can buy a huge variety of fruit and vegetables, spices, olives, fish, meat and the most beautiful bouquets. We love a good market and bought plenty of fresh fruit.

After saying goodbye to Cannes, we headed along the coast road to the Gulf of St Tropez and dropped into the town for a quick visit.

St Tropez started life as a fishing village and it still has a fish market decorated with elaborate tiles marking its past. It also has a long connection with artists and, even though we had lost the sun and it was threatening rain, they were still out in force on the quayside.

But St Tropez as you can imagine, is extremely expensive. You’ll pay 10 Euros for a tea or coffee just to be sitting at the quayside. Our budget doesn’t stretch to such luxury, so we headed off on the next part of our trip.

The Cinque Terre - five villages with brightly coloured houses built into the hillside on the rugged Italian Riviera coast and designated a Natural Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - were the main reason we made a stop in Genoa.

We could have stayed closer than the two hour before dawn train ride needed to reach them, but we also wanted to visit the city. So we decided to get up early, grab jam filled croissants for breakfast from the little bakery in the town and take the train.

Once the early morning commuters had left, it was a lovely ride with great views of the coastline before we arrived at Monterossa, the first village on our stop. This is the largest of the villages with a lovely beach and lemons, vines and olives growing on the hills.

From here, we could hike through the next four villages in six hours with stops. Don’t be ridiculous! it was so much more sensible to buy tickets for the Cinque Terre Express and take the train. It takes just five minutes to travel from one village to the next.

Next stop was Vernazza, probably the prettiest of the five. The sun shining across the port onto it’s coloured houses was just stunning.

These villages grew up as fishing communities and it’s said that the fishermen painted their houses in bright colours so they could see them from the sea. Each has its own castle, built as a fortress to protect the community from Turkish pirates.

We decided to miss out the third village as it is the least known and least visited with its lack of port and difficult accessibility. We needed to save time at some point on this journey if we were going to make it back in one day.

The final two villages were just as charming as the previous ones. At our final stop Riomaggiore, Alex persuaded me to take the cliff walk. Here we go again! Why do I always let him talk me into this? Pleased to say I made it, grabbing onto his hand a little too tightly at certain points, and loved the views.

After battling our way through the tourists to see these lovely places and with a couple of hours to spare, we found a beach bar and finished our visit with Pineapple Mojitos. Cheers!

Our visit to Genoa earlier in our stay had thrown up some interesting quirky facts, not least at the city’s Cathedral. This black and white marble building was hit during the Second World War by a shell fired by the British naval fleet. The bomb crashed through the church ceiling but failed to explode. Now it is on show to visitors in the church.

While sculptors were working on the Cathedral in the 14th Century, a little dog befriended them and came to sit with them every day. When he failed to return one day, the story goes that the sculptors were so sad they carved a statue of the dog sleeping, in the marble at the main entrance door. The tiny dog is still there to this day.

The city’s central square the Piazza De Ferrari, has a mix of buildings of different styles including the opera house. In the middle of the square stands an impressive giant brass fountain.

Our next stop was the Port of Genoa, the Porto Antico, which hosted the World Expo 1992. From there we walked through the old town with its narrow covered walkways and alleys, known as “caruggi”, which can be found in towns and cities along the Italian Riviera.