Secrets, Surprises and Scandinavia!

So it's time we told you a secret....!

05.06.2019

I think we have to open blog 43 with an apology - there were one or two fibs in the last blog for reasons that will become clear!

For most of the Jexit trip Jase has been talking about going to Scandinavia - for those who may not know, Jase has spent time living and working in both Sweden and Norway and has quite a few of his family & best mate living in Sweden. We talked about it back in October, as a idea to see the northern lights, and also during last summer for the midnight sun. Anyway, for some reason as we left Steve's place in France, Jase mentions it again. We were both enjoying being back in France, but in some ways. we felt we'd probably done as much as we were likely to, and to a degree, it was feeling as if we'd be retracing our steps for the final part of Jexit. So the plan went back on the table.

Added to this, Jase's eldest nephew Robin was having his graduation in early June, and Jase's mum was making the trip across - could we do the unthinkable and surprise them all?

The plan started to take shape when we brought Jase's best mate (who also lives in Sweden) into the plan. He was thrilled at the idea, and said they had space for us and our van, and so the plan started to build. We also brought in Robin's mum so we could find out the plans for celebrations etc.

We spent a good amount of time while in Brittany researching Scandinavia through guidebooks and decided that it would be a great way to round off Jexit, spending the last 3 months before coming home doing a lap through Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The landscape sounds like it really will be the trip of a lifetime. After a frank discussion on finances, we also upped the monthly budget to £1,500 - the cheap months in Spain really helping us out here!

So this is what really happened....

We actually did all the things I mentioned in the last blog at La Trinite, but we left there on Thursday 23rd May and had a massive driving day from Brittany pretty much across France to Blangy-Tronville on the banks of the River Somme. Having spent about 9hrs on the road, we only had time for a short stroll to take in the view, catching a brief sighting of a kingfisher.

The following day we were on the front foot a bit, and were able to check out a couple of sites from WW1 - the first of these being the Australian Memorial just to the east of Amiens. This was a great site atop Hill 104. As with all memorials, it looks extremely well kept and is very moving. There is also a museum housed at the Sir John Monash Centre - it's a very interactive experience where they suggest you bring headphones and a fully charged mobile to hook into their Wifi - and it's all free. Really amazing site and definitely a must see.

Our second stop was just up the road past Albert at "The Great Mine". This is a huge crater created by as series of explosions by the Allied forces on 1st July 1916. Officially known as the Lochnager Crater, and in private ownership, the site is 30m deep and 100m wide. While we were wandering around, we had the good fortune to meet the owner, the son of one of the soldiers stationed here, and also had a chat with one of the volunteers who was marshalling workers over the course of the weekend. He showed us where the various battle lines were, and how the Allied forces dug tunnels for almost a kilometre to set the explosive underneath the German position. He also told us how the area became known as "Sausage & Mash". So very interesting though, and although the site was free, having had what felt like a private tour, we felt compelled to make a donation to help keep this monument open.

Our overnight stop was just into Belgium at Godinne on the banks of the River Meuse.

Unfortunately, although this was a lovely spot for most of the evening, we did have a car load of youths turn up about midnight for some loud talking and door slamming, making for a less than settled night!

Next morning (Saturday 25th May) and all was well in the end. Our journey today took us from Belgium and crossing into Germany. We had a reasonable drive and made our aim the Mohnesee so that we could have a look at the Mohne Dam, something Jase has long wanted to see, having read the various 617 Squadron books and watched the Dambusters film many times. The place was incredible - just as you expect it to look, but still awe inspiring. To think how low the planes would have flown and how they managed to hit the spot was amazing. Definitely a spine tingling place.

We spent the night just up the valley at another riverside spot at Neuhaus.

Sunday 26th May and after a much quieter night we spent a lovely morning following the A7 walking route from Neuhaus which took us along the valley floor, and up into the woods. A lovely break from driving & also spotted a couple of deer too.

After a short drive, we stopped at Rheda-Wiedenbruck which is the home of Westfalia. On arrival into the town we spotted the showroom and pressed our noses up against the window (it was closed, being Sunday!). We headed to the Aire, and waited until morning. The evening was another slightly lively affair as it seemed we'd park up near the local "doughnut spot" for groups of BMW owners who really ought to know better!

Monday morning and after a quiet enough night in the end, we headed to the other side of town to where we expected the Westfalia factory to be - turns out it had long since gone, but we went back to the showroom for a good look around the newer models - all very nice, and with very healthy price tags - but in all reality neither of us thought they beat our lovely van (bank account takes a huge sigh of relief!).

From here we did a quick pit stop at FritzBerger's camping supplies to replace yet another solar shower - they are really great and miles better than you'd imagine at heating water up, but they really only possess durability for a fortnight at a time!

From here we had planned to drive the remainder of the way to Wolfsburg so that we could visit the VW museum the following day. However, we got stuck in a very bad traffic jam as a result of a nasty accident - in the end our onward journey was halted at Bad Nenndorf where we initially gave up to get lunch and do a bit of a last shop. In the end, the motorway remained closed (and the associated traffic on the detour every bit as bad) so we found an Aire in the town, and parked up for the night.

Tuesday morning and a bright start - we had to pick up the time lost yesterday and get across to Wolfsburg - essentially VW town. So after an early start, and a blissfully easy drive we found the motorhome parking at Autostadt - unbelievably in the same car park as a "local" VW exactly the same as ours!

Our first stop was to the Old Timer's museum which has every kind of Beetle, camper and everything in between. Stunning collection of vehicles, and Jase was very much in his element. It was really interesting to see that VW was given a kick start by the British Army at the end of WW2.

Jase's favourite for the day was this T2 Westfalia 4WD which has driven across the desert - probably the least shiny one on show!

After a great value wander around (€6 each), we headed back into town for a quick spot of lunch and then onto Autostadt.

It seems this is an experience in itself - not knowing at all what to expect, we headed in and got ourselves a day ticket. The first part alone (ZeitHaus) makes it worth the €15 entry price - a multi level modern building with split level flooring housing some of the finest cars we've ever seen - especially the design icons section.

After this, we headed towards the Premium Clubhouse fully expecting to be turned away, but no, we were able to wander in. To find this - a Bugatti Veyron - the pictures don't do it justice, it looked like liquid mercury!

From here we saw pavilions housing all the main VW Group brands - Skoda, Audi, Seat, Porsche and Lamborghini. Each brand had it own message, and, to a degree, gimmicks!

VW had a number of great fun photo booths to mess about with, Jase was hoping to get another chance to beat me on the Sim at Porsche, but the queue was too long!

Our final part of the visit (which in my opinion was also worth the ticket price alone) was the car towers. From a distance, they look simply like towers, adding a modern contrast to the pre-war power station. On closer inspection you realise they actually have cars in them, so you think its some kind of elaborate advertising concept. However, from the Customer Centre it becomes clear that they are all customer cars ready for collection - how cool is that! One of the towers has a viewing area where you can see the lifts & rail system in action. Essentially the cars come direct from the line in the factory, into the tower then into the inspection area and into the customer centre ready for collection, all by rail - here's the facts:

48m, 20 stories high

Moves up to 500 cars per day

1hr lead time from factory to delivery hub

1.4km rail from factory, through to towers

8 minute direct route along the rail

2 lifts per tower

2m elevation per second

400 parking spaces per tower

75% of all VW cars produced at Wolfsburg are exported - that includes our Golf which, although it was built here, it didn't get a trip inside the towers - you can only do a collection that way if you live in Germany or Austria at the mo.

The bases are already in for a further 2 towers - what a great way to store new cars prior to delivery, and think of how much space it saves. Jase was lucky enough to get the final spot on the day to take the lift right to the top of the tower (normally an extra charge) - here's his views!

You can do various experiences at Autostadt, including a driving experience around their test track - a great day out and well worth the money.

At the end of a great day, we headed back to the van and decided to stay put for the night.

Wednesday 29th May and what we hoped would be our last day in Germany. We woke fairly early (shift change at 6am at the factory) and were headed for Flensburg which is the last German place before the Danish border. We planned a servicing pit stop just outside of Wolfsburg and spotted an Aldi on the way (for the last, last shop!). On coming back to the van it was clear our fridge, which had been increasingly getting colder and colder had hit what we thought was rock bottom! Cue a stressful few minutes while we decided what to do. As it had been getting steadily worse since we left the UK (the temp was set to +15 although it resembled more of a freezer!), Jase had already order a replacement sensor which we'd picked up at Steve's the previous week (thanks Steve). He decided to take the bull by the horns, and pulled the fridge apart in the car park! It's at times like this I am so grateful that Jase has the engineering brain he does, and nothing really fazes him. As I'm sitting there trying to work out how much food we can get in a cool box, where it would sit and how much money we might have wasted on today's shopping, Jase keeps a cool head and gets busy. 2 hrs later, and it's sorted. Amazing and €55 well spent!

However, we did have a fairly chunky drive still ahead of us - the sat nav suggesting 3.40hrs increasing to 5hrs as the traffic got worse. We also realised that the following day being Ascension Day which is a bank holiday for most of Europe, the great getaway had clearly started. We had traffic jam after hold up and I started to lose any hope of the journey time ever getting below 2hrs. Eventually, after a very scary trip around the outskirts of Hamburg we hit a free flowing A7, only to get a road closure at Flensburg! Park4Night to the rescue and I found us a spot 30km south of Flensburg - we'd both had enough. Luckily it was a lovely evening and we ended up lakeside. It was a fairly uneventful night, save for the Nigel Slater lookalike that decided it was a great evening for a nude bath - there's an image I'll not forget!

Next morning, Thursday 30th, and with much more hope in our minds we push forward to Flensburg and then onto Denmark. There was a small border presence, but not presenting us any issues we headed to Ribe towards the west side of the country. We found a lovely free Aire with all facilities and parked up. The weather was not so nice today, very cold, wet and windy. After all our travelling we were both more than happy to sit with our feet up and catch up on some reading etc. We did get a small break in the rain to have a quick wander around what we now know to be Denmark's oldest city dating from the late 9th Century.

Friday 31st May and a much brighter morning, so we headed into town to undertake the historical walk - all very interesting and some lovely sights too. We also had our first foray into a Scandinavian supermarket, only wanting bread (and maybe a cake!). Despite the Danish Krone being very strong, we were able to pick up a nice sliced loaf plus 2 proper Danish pastries, spending about £5 - not quite Aldi prices, but a pleasant surprise none the less.

After a quick lunch pit stop back at the van, we headed back out into town and had a walk up the mound which used to be the very prominent castle. Ribe's fortunes have been a bit mixed over the years, in the 12th Century, the Valdemar dynasty fortified the towns, building a castle and establishing it as one of the King's Jutland residences. However, a fire ripping through the town in 1580, and relocation of the royal family to Copenhagen saw the royal money disappearing from the town, leaving it struggling for any regional importance.

Saturday morning (1st June) and time to move on. We rolled from Ribe fairly early and headed to Marbaek (sorry to my Danish reader for not being able to get the right letter to work here!). We parked up in a lovely spot by the coast and followed a hybrid of the blue and red walking routes partly along the coast, and partly through the forest.

After lunch we rolled from the coast, towards inland Jutland and Billund - the home of Legoland! As most of my family know, I've been a lifelong fan of Lego, and have been thrilled that both the youngest nephews have inherited this love too! However, although I love Lego, the ticket prices of €45 a each was probably a step too far on our current budget! Luckily we'd picked up a top tip from fellow travellers, Our Tour Blog who were over this way back in 2016. It was a tip backed up by our Lonely Planet guide - the park's opening times & ride times vary each day, with the rides closing at least an hour before actual park closing time, at which point you can enter the park for free! By picking the right day it meant we could enter the park at 5.30 (rides closing at 6pm) but have until 8pm to look around - all for free. Added to this, we worked out that this time of year, the furthest car park (P6) is also free (rather than DKK50, or about £6). We pulled into the car park, and the wait began. There was definitely part of me that didn't believe it would work, but work it did! There was a good couple of dozen others doing the same thing - the only downside is that unless you are very quick, you probably wouldn't get a go on any rides, but that didn't bother us - it was the models that we wanted to see, and we weren't disappointed. Our particular favourites were the NASA space shuttle, the Airport, Copenhagen plus the Star Wars sets.

Staying over in the Legland car parks is not permitted, so we did a short 6km drive and found a quiet car park in nearby Vandel for the night. What a great day.

Sunday morning and our last full day in Denmark ahead of the boat on Monday. We headed further north, finding a lovely spot on the West coast near Skals - right by the side of Skive Fjord. It was a stunning day, so we spent a it beachside, enjoying the views and watching the hares.

Monday morning (3rd June) and boat day. As some of my readers will know, I'm not the happiest sailor in the world, and mostly avoid boats where at all possible. Unfortunately, in order to get across we either had to take two extremely expensive bridges from the south, or bite the bullet and sail across from Frederikshavn to Gothenburg, which would get us close to where the Billett, McMonagle & Sundlin families are based. It was a 3hr 40min crossing, and being reasonably sheltered it "should" be ok!

Anyway, first things first we headed further north and to the town of Blokhus on the coast - popular with Paracenders, but also the site of masses of German defences from WW2. It's incredible to think that the defence line was way further north from here, running all the way through Belgium, France and to Lorient (where our journey to Scandinavia started) and onwards south!

After a bracing beach walk (it was way windy than I'd been hoping...!) and a late lunch (time for digestion), we could kick our heels no more, it was time to head to the port. We arrived with plenty of time, and with neither of us having done a ferry crossing for many years (Jase used to spend most of the year going backwards and forwards when he was working in Sweden and Norway), we felt a little bit out of kilter. But soon enough we were driving into the nose of the boat and parking up for the van's furthest trip north.

The crossing was blissfully as calm as I expect it can ever be - it felt smoother than most train journeys I've taken, and the views as the sun went down were incredible.

We'd really enjoyed our brief stop in Denmark and we will definitely be back on our return journey. The scenery is more impressive than you'd expect, and the people definitely seem some of the friendliest and happiest I've ever met. Equally their speed bumps are even polite (especially compared to the French counterparts!).

On arrival into port, we disembarked through the back of the boat (loading and unloaded has obviously improved massively since my school day trip to Bologne!) and we drove a short distance to a quiet spot from Park4Night, pulling up in the almost dark just before 1am.

Tuesday morning and after a well deserved lay in, we were amazed at the view surrounding us. The day was spent quietly watching the views, and prepping this blog.

We are heading to Craig's later today and after a quiet night the surprise will be sprung tomorrow afternoon at the Graduation party. We aren't sure who is going to be more surprised, Jase's mum Sandra, his nephew Robin or his brother Mike. But one thing's for sure, I think we will both be glad to stop fibbing!

The plan is to stay with Craig, Sofia & the family until Sunday and then spend the next 3 months touring up through Sweden and down through Norway. With a bucket list of Puffins, whales, reindeer and the midnight sun, I can't wait!

As a post script to the above - it's now Wednesday night (5th June) and the cat is now out of the bag! Just a couple of pics to capture the moments (apologies the last one is blurry, but it does capture Jase's brother's reaction a treat!