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A life less complicated….

Featured / freedombird / 13 Comments

Having started an epic journey around the coast of Britain in October 2017 – with a four year gap including Covid and caring for my elderly father – Tilly (my Toy Poodle) and I (Clare a 60 something female with a severe case of Wanderlust) are continuing to travel in our Bailey Endeavour B62 campervan, predominantly within eyeshot of the sea around both the Uk and Europe.

Returning from an amazing journey through the heart of Western Europe we rounded off our trip with a sunny (and as it turned out – very warm) tour around the South East Coastline of Kent, West Sussex and little of East Sussex and the Isle of Wight and headed home to Cornwall to re-connect with friends and family for the month of August, now in September it is time to head off again….

We have now visited some 1555 beaches around the coast of Britain and 638 in Europe with still plenty more to see..

If you would like to see our earlier journeys around the UK, they have loosely been grouped together by location and you can find the links below.

NB some of the links below are not yet working properly as it is a work in progress….

Beach Guides:

To catch up with our earlier adventures in:

  1. North coast of Cornwall from 5th October 2017 to 11th February 2018 –   Freedombird in Cornwall
  2. Back in Cornwall at various times to complete the coastline – Freedombird back in Cornwall
  3. North coast of Devon from 11th February to 19th March 2018 – Freedombird in North Devon
  4. Somerset from 19th March to 29th April 2018 – Freedombird in Somerset
  5. South Wales coast from 29th April to 14th August 2018 – Freedombird in South Wales
  6. West and North Wales coast from 14th August to 21st October 2018 – Freedombird in West and North Wales
  7. North West England from 21st October to 26th November 2018 and 27th January to 4th February 2019 – Freedombird in North West England
  8. Cumbria from 27th January to 5th April 2019 – Freedombird in Cumbria
  9. South Coast of Scotland from 5th April to 25th May 2019 – Freedombird on the South Coast of Scotland
  10. West Coast of Southern Scotland from 26th May to 17th July 2019 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Southern Scotland
  11. Edinburgh and surrounding area from 18th July to 30th July 2019 – Freedombird in Edinburgh and surrounding beaches
  12. East Coast of Southern Scotland from 28th July to 15th September 2019 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Southern Scotland
  13. North East England from 12th September to 20th November 2019 – Freedombird in the North East of England
  14. Yorkshire from 14th January to 22nd February 2020 – Fredombird in Yorkshire
  15. Lincolnshire from 23rd February to 13th March 2020 – Freedombird in Lincolnshire
  16. Norfolk and Suffolk from 15th to 24th March 2020 and 28th June to 18th July 2025 – Freedombird in Norfolk and Suffolk
  17. Inland England on various dates travelling through – Freedombird in inland England
  18. West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 11th September to 14th October 2024 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
  19. North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys from 15th to 27th October 2024 – Freedombird on the North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys
  20. East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 28th October to 15th November 2024 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
  21. In the Highlands of Scotland from 15th to 26th November 2024 and 10th to 21st June 2025 – Freedombird in the Highlands
  22. West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 8th to 17th April and 31st May to 5th June 2025 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
  23. Outer Hebrides Part 1 from 22nd April to 12th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 1
  24. Outer Hebrides Part 2 from 10th May to 30th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 2
  25. East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 15th to 18th June 2025 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
  26. North and West Coast of France from 11th September to 7th December 2025 – Freedombird on the North and West Coast of France
  27. Travelling down through the heart of Western Europe from 4th March to 27th April – Freedombird in Europe Spring 2026 Part 1
  28. Continuing our journey through Europe from 28th April to 8th June 2026 – Freedombird in Europe Spring 2026 Part 2
  29. South East Coast of England from June 9th to July 8th 2026 – Freedombird in South East England

Tuesday 15th September 2026 – a walk through the Aareschult Gorge to the Reichbach Falls….

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More overnight storms heralded a beautiful sunny and warm day, For a complete contrast to yesterday we decided to leave the van on site and head on foot to the entrance of the nearby Aareschult Gorge….

Beautifully cool and mostly in the shade the boardwalk path leads through the mile long gorge….

Dipping in and out of tunnels carved into the cliffs….

At the far end we ventured out into the sunlight and took a walk around the village of Meirengin – famous for 2 things – Sherlock Holmes and being the birth place of the Meringue….

Our visit was slightly badly timed as the Bakery was closed for lunch so no meringues for us! We wandered around the village for a while and then made our way to catch the funicular railway up above the village….

To the Reichenbach Falls where famously Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty fought a deadly battle with both being lost in the falls….

We did intend to continue up the footpath but it was pretty much steep steps all the way and after the first section which largely consisted of the type of mesh step that Tilly will not climb and a sit down to recover, I abandoned such madness and we caught the next funicular back down and strolled back through the cool gorge to site….

Todays stats:

  • Miles driven – 0
  • Miles walked – 8
  • Gorge – £9.09
  • Falls – £9.56
  • O/N – £28.35

Monday 14th September 2026 – driving the Grimsel / Furka / Susten Pass Loop….

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A bit of an electrical storm through the surrounding mountains was our entertainment for the evening followed by some seriously heavy rain, such that watching TV was impossible and sleep a little fractured but the morning brought a cloudy and cooler but dry day. Perfect for our much awaited 3 pass loop, which we had intended to do in May when we were last here, only to find that the passes do not officially open until June. Well today they did not disappoint.

Starting with the Grimsel pass, a mile or so from the campsite, with the cloud level still quite low, adding a certain eeriness to the milky green lakes on the way up….

A stop at the top (2165m above sea level) enabled us to take a walk in the clouds and stretch our legs….

In preparation of the incredible series of switch backs on the way down and the equally dramatic switchbacks on the way up the Furka pass – the second photo looking from part way up the Furka Pass back at Grimsel….

At every twist and turn it was impossible not to pull up and jump out to take a photo….

At the summit of the Furka Pass (2431m) another perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy the views from every angle….

The final pass in the loop, Susten, seemed more genteel with the switchbacks a little less dramatic and wide sweeping valleys inbetween….

At the summit (2224m) another opportunity to get out and walk around and our first glimpses of the Stein Glacier which was to dominate our views on the first part of the way down….

The Stein Glacier from our descent and the long road home….

What an absolutely amazing and exhilarating drive – only 75 miles but it took us about 5 and a half hours to properly enjoy it. The roads are in excellent condition and apart from a couple of small single track sections on the Furka Pass, all wide enough to easily accommodate 2 vehicles so not in the slightest bit scary just good fun.

Todays stats:

  • Miles driven – 75
  • Miles walked – 3
  • Fuel – £87.98
  • O/N – £28.00

Sunday 13th September 2026 – a visit to Lucerne….

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Still heading south, we briefly crossed into Germany for a short distance and using the wonderful Swiss motorway network, soon made our way into Lucerne. Finding parking near the station on the lakeside, we made our way on foot into the beautiful (and busy) city….

We were totally captivated by Chapel Bridge, built in 1333 it is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe and the interior roof features original 17th C paintings by local artist Wagmann. Approx two thirds of the original bridge was destroyed by fire in 1993 which was quickly restored and re-opened….

After crossing the bridge we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the city before taking a break to enjoy the beauty of the lakeside views…

It was soon time for us to move on and continue up into the mountains to our campsite at Innertkirschen for a few days…

Daily stats:

  • Miles driven – 136
  • Miles walked – 5
  • C/P – £4.20
  • O/N – £28.95

Saturday 12th September 2026 – a visit to Colmar….

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After an uneventful driving day and overnight stop in the CCP in Amneville yesterday we continued on for a few miles to Colmar. After finding free parking behind a large supermarket on the outskirts we wandered into the old city centre…

The main hub was very crowded but as is generally the case it was possible to wander the smaller back alleys unhindered. The day was very hot so it was a relief to find the narrow lanes providing plenty of shade….

Meandering the streets we made our way to the Little Venice area of Colmar and enjoyed the colourful canals and beautiful architecture of the surrounding streets before heading back to the van….

A short drive took us to the Ils du Rhin, a long thin strip of land literally on the french / german border, sandwiched between the Rhine and the Canal d’Alsace and our CCP for the night.

We enjoyed a nice evening stroll along the pretty deserted island taking in the fine profile of Stephanmunster, an imposing building on the opposite side of the Rhine in Breisach, Germany before settling in for the evening….

Friday 11th Stats:

  • Miles driven – 198
  • Miles walked – 4
  • Fuel – £98.98
  • O/N – £13.78

Saturday 12th Stats:

  • Miles driven – 152
  • Miles walked – 7
  • Groceries – £14.52
  • O/N – £11.96

Thursday 10th September 2026 – Dover to Calais and then onto Ath in Belgium….

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An early start to our day paid off as we got to Dover in really good time and got put onto the 8.15 crossing ahead of the booked 9.45 one. Absolutely no delays going through customs at Dover and we drove straight off the ferry and straight onto the road network system without seeing a soul! So much so that we pulled up at a the first service area outside Calais to get our bearings, set the Sat Nav and change the van settings to Kilometres.

We made good headway using the toll free route via Dunkirk and Lille and after one aborted mission to access an Aire in Lessines, where the access road was being dug up with no obvious alternative route we bobbed a few miles back down the road to an Aire in Ath. It was an unusual Aire (CCP) having started life as a recycling plant, where you reversed into the slots that would have sited the skips but the concrete walls had all been painted with murals – sorry forgot to take a photo.

Once settled we wandered along the banks of La Dendre Canal and into the town of Ath….

A vibrant university town with a buzzing Grand Place, alive with people enjoying the afternoon sun and a drink or two….

Some weird sort of totems in a courtyard caught our eye but no clue as to what or why….

And of course a fine church – St Juliens and a medieval Tower – Burbant….

A pleasant walk after a longish day.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 139
  • Miles walked – 4
  • O/N – £11.18