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A life less complicated

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Having completed a large chunk of the British coastline and visited 1467 beaches on the way, ventured into the unknown, crossing the English Channel for the first time and seeing what the coastline of France has to offer and adding a further 459 beaches to our tally, we are off again. This time, as a complete change we are on the pursuit of stunning scenery and again crossing the channel and meandering down the core of Western Europe to see what we can 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

Thursday 26th March 2026 – a driving day heading south to Metabief….

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Having made the decision to head south towards the coast our journey took us back into Germany where there was another Police Checkpoint, though again we were not stopped and then very shortly into Switzerland. The border crossing seemed a bit confusing to start with as of the 3 lanes of traffic 2 were for lorries one appearing to be diverted off before the crossing (this had massive queues and a series of traffic lights to regulate the flow) and the other again being regulated through border control. I followed the third lane which then was subdivided to allow those who already had the Swiss vignette straight through and those that didn’t had to stop and purchase one. I had already bought my annual vignette online (about £38 – 40 Swiss Francs) so sailed straight through – fortunately. I don’t know why but border crossings always make me a bit anxious – I guess it is driving into the unknown.

My journey through Switzerland was on the motorway network so not very scenic, though it did snow pretty much all the way through and the roads were much busier than I have been used to. I hadn’t planned any stops as I will return to Switzerland in May so we left Switzerland part way down and headed off into the Jura mountains (back in France) and were soon up above the snow line…

I stopped here to take this photo, thinking that I might not see any further snow – ha – little did I know as we continued to climb, passing closed ski resorts until we arrive at our Aire for the night – yes – another ski resort above the village of Metabief….

Rather a good covering of lovely snow! Fortunately I was able to reverse onto a partially cleared pitch (thanks to someone having left earlier in the day) as the rest were approximately a foot deep in snow and do I have a shovel? We were soon hooked up to the electric and getting the van nice and warm and spent a happy hour or so walking down to and around the village before it started snowing in earnest…

A little later the sky cleared and the sun came out to play for a while before setting behind the mountains…

Not at all what we were expecting but an absolute joy none the less. Let’s see what tomorrow brings though I am quietly encouraged by the fact that the perimeter road way around the Aire has been cleared, as indeed have the roads to and from.

Thoughts of the day:

  • I do love a good bit of snow, so this has been a real joy and unexpected bonus – it is so pristine and crunchy – especially when you know you are able to get dry, warm and toasty inside!
  • All the border crossings into Belgium and Luxemburg were completely unmarked – apart from a sign welcoming you and outlining the speed restrictions applicable. So facing Police Checkpoints each time on entering Germany and Switzerland was a bit of a shock, not that I have been requested to stop at any point.
  • Another 3 country day for us – woke up in France, drove through Germany and Switzerland and back into France.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 177
  • Miles walked – 3
  • O/N – £13.90

Wednesday 25th March 2026 – Schonach in Germany to Schoenau in France….

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The forecast break in the weather has arrived with on and off rain / hail during the day and heavy snow forecast for the Black Forest and surrounding hills / mountains overnight, we are off to hunker down in low lying Aire where we know we will have power and water just across the border into France, literally on the other side of the Rhine.

As we begin our ascent from Schonach, we can’t help but try and imagine what this will look like tomorrow….

Indeed had we been able to find a more suitable place to stay, we surely would have hung around to find out – however….

It wasn’t a long drive to the Aire on the outskirts of Schoenau, a small traditional french village and we were soon parked up, right beside Schoenau Lake…

And set off for a nice walk into and around the village, where every one is a farmer – or at least owns an outhouse and a tractor…

Wandering beyond the village we were afforded distant views of the Vosges Mountains – I wonder if they will be white topped tomorrow?….

Thoughts of the day:

  • Having made the decision to head south, we have decided to use the Camping Car Park network of Aires that we used and got on so well with during our time in France last year as finding decent Aires in Germany and Belgium was a little tricky and Italy looks to be much of the same but only time will tell.
  • I like the CCP Aire network as they are always gated securely and generally offer EHU, fresh water and waste water and toilet waste disposal and there is 24 hour contact number if there are any problems – you can also see how many other units are booked onto the site ahead of booking online, which is useful especially where the Aire is very remote or in a city.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 53
  • Miles walked – 4
  • Fuel – £77.06
  • O/N – £11.64 (inc EHU)

Tuesday 24th March 2026 – Langenbrand to Schonach….

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Another mostly sunny day, as we continued our journey south through the seemingly endless Black Forest….

Pulling off the road for a break and a walk, we discovered the hillside village of Langenbrand – to live here you would need a healthy set of lungs as no property appeared to be on the same level…

On our way further south we pulled in to have a look at the World’s largest Cuckoo Clock and were just in time to hear it cuckoo 3pm, though not early enough to get close enough for a proper photo with the cuckoo out!….

We also had a wonder around the gift shop at the amazing array of clocks – this one standing out in particular – the craftmanship….

From here is was a short haul to our Aire for the night, high up in the hillside village of Schonach – right next to the ski slope!!

Quite fittingly we have been given a severe weather warning for snow fall tomorrow night – now tempting as it is, this location is pretty remote and I’m not sure I fancy being stuck here with no power and potentially water for a few days, so we shall be moving on tomorrow.

Thoughts of the day:

  • I am having a rethink about my plans (again), as much as I have enjoyed the scenery and stopping off at random villages or places of interest, I am missing the sea and the sense of purpose of visiting different beaches. It is also a little early to venture into the mountains of Switzerland and Austria as per my original plans as though I have winter tyres, I am not willing to risk getting cut off or caught out on the higher mountain roads that these countries do so well, whilst the weather is still so unpredictable – so we are heading south to the coast for awhile…
  • I was always a bit uncertain as to how I would take to an inland road trip and now know the answer!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 78
  • Miles walked – 3.5
  • Food – £14.54
  • O/N – £10.38 (no EHU)

Monday 23rd March 2026 – From Viandan in Luxemburg to Bad Herrenalb in Germany…

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As per, a cold night followed by a beautiful sunshiny day. We have a fair few miles to cover today, so we got an earlyish start to our first destination of the day, the nearby village of Viandan. This is our last stop in Luxemburg and well worth a stop to view this amazing hilltop castle, sitting above the historic village of Viandan. We didn’t stop in the village itself as the streets were narrow and cobbled and in fact the best views were from the road down into the village….

On our way up the road on the other side of the village was a sign welcoming us to Germany and we then enjoyed a pleasant drive through the German countryside and countless small neat and tidy villages until we hit the motorway network for a large section of our journey. As you would expect the motorways were a little busy around the major towns but otherwise free of traffic and a little boring though a necessary evil.

By mid afternoon we had reached our destination a small Stellplatz on the outskirts of the pretty village of Bad Herrenalb and more importantly on the edge of the Black Forest…

We immediately set out to enjoy the last of the days sunshine and take a walk around the village nestled in a valley….

The houses were large and what I would call Bavarian style, in the main it was quiet but there were a few folk out enjoying the sun, street cafes and open parkland.

We spotted an Heron wading in the stream – I had to watch it for a while to check it was real!…

Past the ruins of the original church and rather randomly a vending machine selling cured meats?…

A successful mostly driving day, followed by a lovely, lazy walk, what more do we need in our life?

Thoughts of the day:

  • Gone are the cycle lanes and seemingly unlimited pathways of France and Belgium – clearly the roads of Germany are for driving on!
  • Away from the cities, Germany is a lot more rural than I imagined.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 213
  • Miles walked – 3.5
  • Fuel – £65.68
  • O/N – £12.11 inc EHU

Sunday 22nd March 2026 – Into Luxemburg – Clervaux and Diekirch…

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Another beautiful day for us as we leave Belgium behind for a while and head down into Luxemburg. If I am brutally honest it was a bit of a disappointing day today as we struggled to find much to inspire us.

It was a longish drive into Luxemburg, though quite rural, it was rather bland and once arriving in Luxemburg the roads were very bendy which came as rather a shock after Belgiums largely straight roads. Our first stop was Clervaux, a small, largely residential (modern) village with a small old part containing a very attractive castle and abbey….

Otherwise the village was pretty deserted and we wandered back to the van to resume our journey. From here we headed to Wiltz, where we intended to park up for the night and wander the mile or so into the old town to see the castle. However, the park up was just 3 spaces next to a busy children’s play area and skate park and I was just not feeling it and so we moved on and after 2 more attempts to get onto very small Aires in other villages we ended up on the outskirts of Diekirch, where we took the last spot in yet another small Aire (just 6 spaces).

We headed straight out to enjoy the last of the days sunshine, with a walk along the river Sauer and a wander back through the older part of town….

Don’t get me wrong Luxemburg is clean and we drove through some lovely areas of arable land and woodland but the older more characterful parts of the towns and villages were just a bit illusive today. We have one more on our list to try tomorrow, before we cross over the border into Germany.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 100
  • Miles walked – 5
  • O/N – £6.08 no E