I received this yesterday... a penalty charge for driving on the M1 east of Budapest without an e-vignette....
I wonder how many more are coming my way....?
I will remember this when I start my new travels in November.....
Monday, 14 October 2019
A Trip to the Sea & Exmoor...19th September.
This a reminder of SUN!
It's been raining for the past two weeks and how quickly do you forget about days of warm sun and blue skies... So I've decided to write about a brief journey to West Somerset just under a month ago.....
With the car finally returned from the accident repair centre and to make the most of the late summer weather before the on-set of autumn and the remnants of hurricane weather systems, I decided to drive down to West Somerset to visit the sea and then travel through Exmoor.
The weather was wonderful, clear blue skies with enough heat to believe that it was still summer.
Driving south on the M5, I left the motorway north of Bridgewater to drive over the Quantocks and then onto Minehead having past Dunster (booked to return for lunch)...
I arrived in Minehead after the rush hour had finished.. (only joking... )
When the weather is like this then even Minehead can resemble a Mediterranean resort.
The main difference is that behind me is Butlins..... but still busy in September..
The sea was (nearly) in.... I always seem to remember it out.....
The harbour looked to be settling down for the autumn but good to see the number of boats for tourist trips at anchor...
After spending the morning looking by the sea, I drove to Dunster and the Luttrell Arms for a quick lunch in the garden..
...and then into Exmoor across Dunkery Beacon...
And then on to the Brendon Hills (still in the Exmoor National Park).. to Brompton Regis and Wimbleball Lake...
So quiet... driving in and then out of the village reminded me just now isolated the village was when visiting my father after he had moved up here...
Wimbleball Lake...
..with a thriving activity centre with a cafe that was surprisingly busy given that I hadn't met any other traffic.
Finally driving over the top of the Brendon Hills and down into the Vale of Taunton, with the Quantocks in the horizon.....
Back to the traffic and the M5....
This a reminder of SUN!
It's been raining for the past two weeks and how quickly do you forget about days of warm sun and blue skies... So I've decided to write about a brief journey to West Somerset just under a month ago.....
With the car finally returned from the accident repair centre and to make the most of the late summer weather before the on-set of autumn and the remnants of hurricane weather systems, I decided to drive down to West Somerset to visit the sea and then travel through Exmoor.
The weather was wonderful, clear blue skies with enough heat to believe that it was still summer.
Driving south on the M5, I left the motorway north of Bridgewater to drive over the Quantocks and then onto Minehead having past Dunster (booked to return for lunch)...
I arrived in Minehead after the rush hour had finished.. (only joking... )
When the weather is like this then even Minehead can resemble a Mediterranean resort.
The main difference is that behind me is Butlins..... but still busy in September..
The harbour looked to be settling down for the autumn but good to see the number of boats for tourist trips at anchor...
 |
| 'Rush hour..' |
 |
| The Luttrell Arms on the left facing the Yarn Market... |
And then on to the Brendon Hills (still in the Exmoor National Park).. to Brompton Regis and Wimbleball Lake...
 |
Wimbleball Lake...
..with a thriving activity centre with a cafe that was surprisingly busy given that I hadn't met any other traffic.
 |
| The car is still trying to gate crash the photos.... |
Finally driving over the top of the Brendon Hills and down into the Vale of Taunton, with the Quantocks in the horizon.....
Back to the traffic and the M5....
Sunday, 8 September 2019
THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS
PART 2: THE JOURNEY
There are some great travel books; 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance', Eric Newby's travel books and of course 'A Time of Gifts'...
This blog isn't one of them....
It is meant to be a simple log of places seen, the route taken and other miscellany.
Usually the lows help to accentuate the highs but in truth there were very few lows and it seems churlish to focus on these.
Some items ended up being difficult (and probably 'unwilling') to describe and they will be part of the fog of the journey.
12 countries driven through (not including Britain)......
TRAVELLING
My Car
I think I should start with the method of transport. It wasn't a glamorous split screen VW camper van or a classic car; just a straightforward Audi A3. Small enough to drive through tight city centre streets but large enough to stow all my 'anticipated' luggage and the gamut of car safety equipment that was required by all the countries intended to be visited (more later...).
I did consider buying an old left hand drive car with 100,000 miles on the clock that I could re-sell after my return showing 106,000 miles on the clock, but I just didn't want to be waiting on the side of a road deep into my journey trying to work out how to call a recovery vehicle and then wait for the car to be repaired.
The car did feature in a number of posts.. sneaking into the picture either in the distance or while parked by the side of the road.
The car had to display a 'GB' sticker.. the new licence plate, without the EU circle of stars, assumed that the UK had left the EU...
The satnav was a 21st century 'wonder'.. It became known as 'Julie' (after Julie Walters) during the journey as I felt it started to have its own personality; one of resigned impatience for all my mistakes when obviously taking the wrong direction.
Generally we would make up and all would be well.
The 'wonder' is that when driving through the numerous countries and cities, I had up-to-date traffic information for each location. In the 'old days' I would have to use driving maps that showed the general direction to our destination but could never show detailed information on city centres but in particular road works and other obstructions; let alone giving alternative routes.
I use my satnav all the time in the UK but to have my car have the same functionality for all countries was really liberating. This would not have been possible had I bought the left hand drive car with 100,000 miles on the clock....
Most cars now have great satnav systems but it still doesn't take away the wonder of using the facility right across Europe.
'Julie' and I finally fell out driving between Berlin and Munster. I kept on being re-directed back to a closed motorway. The only alternative was to drive in the wrong direction for enough time to discount the last 50 kilometres. This led to a 2 hour extension to the journey. Obviously not the fault of the navigation system... just the delay in the update...
But I had my comeuppance at the Hook of Holland when directed round and round the freight terminal, not the car & passenger terminal. I wasn't alone... I followed a collection of vehicles of a British Air Corps company doing exactly the same......
Postscript to the journey....
Two weeks ago I drove into the back of another car.... After nearly 6000 miles of driving through Europe without a scratch.. I had my first ever self inflicted accident since passing my test....
Driving on the Right
The car being a right hand drive car, the advantage of having the gear stick on my left while getting use to each country's 'driving styles' did make a difference. I'm left handed so it feels the most natural anyway. Even driving a left handed car in Europe, I still find it difficult using the gear stick with my right hand...
Generally there was no problem in driving on the right in any country; perhaps only in the Baltic States where the 'A' roads (primary) were only single lane. Overtaking convoys of lorries was impossible but without time deadlines it was better to stop at one of the many stops and wait awhile and then drive on.
I had a simple routine for all other major roads.. always look left even if there didn't seem to be cars travelling up in the fast lane.I noticed a momentary blind spot on the left, regardless of having the mirrors set to give full view. I am suffering from a crick neck but it is worth this rather than driving into fast cars
Roads
Its necessary to separate motorways with A and B roads as the contrast in many countries was to great to lump together.
Highlights:
To be continued......
PART 2: THE JOURNEY
There are some great travel books; 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance', Eric Newby's travel books and of course 'A Time of Gifts'...
This blog isn't one of them....
It is meant to be a simple log of places seen, the route taken and other miscellany.
Usually the lows help to accentuate the highs but in truth there were very few lows and it seems churlish to focus on these.
Some items ended up being difficult (and probably 'unwilling') to describe and they will be part of the fog of the journey.
12 countries driven through (not including Britain)......
TRAVELLING
My Car
I think I should start with the method of transport. It wasn't a glamorous split screen VW camper van or a classic car; just a straightforward Audi A3. Small enough to drive through tight city centre streets but large enough to stow all my 'anticipated' luggage and the gamut of car safety equipment that was required by all the countries intended to be visited (more later...).
I did consider buying an old left hand drive car with 100,000 miles on the clock that I could re-sell after my return showing 106,000 miles on the clock, but I just didn't want to be waiting on the side of a road deep into my journey trying to work out how to call a recovery vehicle and then wait for the car to be repaired.
The car did feature in a number of posts.. sneaking into the picture either in the distance or while parked by the side of the road.
The car had to display a 'GB' sticker.. the new licence plate, without the EU circle of stars, assumed that the UK had left the EU...
The satnav was a 21st century 'wonder'.. It became known as 'Julie' (after Julie Walters) during the journey as I felt it started to have its own personality; one of resigned impatience for all my mistakes when obviously taking the wrong direction.
Generally we would make up and all would be well.
The 'wonder' is that when driving through the numerous countries and cities, I had up-to-date traffic information for each location. In the 'old days' I would have to use driving maps that showed the general direction to our destination but could never show detailed information on city centres but in particular road works and other obstructions; let alone giving alternative routes.
I use my satnav all the time in the UK but to have my car have the same functionality for all countries was really liberating. This would not have been possible had I bought the left hand drive car with 100,000 miles on the clock....
Most cars now have great satnav systems but it still doesn't take away the wonder of using the facility right across Europe.
'Julie' and I finally fell out driving between Berlin and Munster. I kept on being re-directed back to a closed motorway. The only alternative was to drive in the wrong direction for enough time to discount the last 50 kilometres. This led to a 2 hour extension to the journey. Obviously not the fault of the navigation system... just the delay in the update...
But I had my comeuppance at the Hook of Holland when directed round and round the freight terminal, not the car & passenger terminal. I wasn't alone... I followed a collection of vehicles of a British Air Corps company doing exactly the same......
Postscript to the journey....
Two weeks ago I drove into the back of another car.... After nearly 6000 miles of driving through Europe without a scratch.. I had my first ever self inflicted accident since passing my test....
Driving on the Right
The car being a right hand drive car, the advantage of having the gear stick on my left while getting use to each country's 'driving styles' did make a difference. I'm left handed so it feels the most natural anyway. Even driving a left handed car in Europe, I still find it difficult using the gear stick with my right hand...
Generally there was no problem in driving on the right in any country; perhaps only in the Baltic States where the 'A' roads (primary) were only single lane. Overtaking convoys of lorries was impossible but without time deadlines it was better to stop at one of the many stops and wait awhile and then drive on.
I had a simple routine for all other major roads.. always look left even if there didn't seem to be cars travelling up in the fast lane.I noticed a momentary blind spot on the left, regardless of having the mirrors set to give full view. I am suffering from a crick neck but it is worth this rather than driving into fast cars
Roads
Its necessary to separate motorways with A and B roads as the contrast in many countries was to great to lump together.
Highlights:
- Driving across both the Storebaelt,linking east and west Denmark (18km long) and the Oresund between Denmark and Sweden (famously known as the 'Bridge' on the TV series
- Driving through the rolling hills of Fyn island in Denmark and southern Sweden north of Ystad.
- Driving into the heart of Austria from Salzburg
- Driving into the heart of Budapest, arriving at the Danube river front
- Driving, linking Spotify, listening to my favourite songs...
- Best surfaces: Germany
- Worst surfaces: UK (appalling roads driving to and from Harwich) and Serbia going south...
- Most roadworks: Germany....not surprising as the roads free of roadworks are the best
- Noisiest surface: Sweden... a different stone mix to all others (my opinion only..)
- Busiest: Hungary, a main artery linking north and south
- Fewest vehicles: Sweden, travelling north, and Serbia (from the boarder to Novi Sad)
- Fastest; legal: Germany.. between road sign speed restraints
- Fastest; illegal: Poland... drivers in large SUV's must believe they are in Germany..
- Most surprising: Poland. I had previously thought the roads would be flat; not the case.
- Drivers respecting the spirit of the law and with each other: Germany
- Best surfaces: Denmark
- Worst surfaces: Latvia.. the drive into Riga was truly awful
- Most scenic: Austria (not necessarily surprising)
- Driving the wrong way: Krakow centre, escaping from the pedestrian centre. Budapest.. reversing for a kilometre after finding the temporary route has no exit..
- Turning Left: In a number of cities, it was not always possible to see where the road is....
- Most enjoyable city to drive through: Vienna
To be continued......
Friday, 30 August 2019
THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS
PART 1: PLACES VISITED
Before the trip becomes a haze of memories I thought I would set down a number of random items that could be developed over time..
FAVOURITE PLACES VISITED
Before I get into trouble and not mention other people's favourites, all the places I visited were great; that is why I chose them in the first place.
A number I didn't spend sufficient time to make a real judgement so these will be on my next journey to visit again.
In no order.....
Dresden
I knew some history of the city and its devastation at the end of WW2. I hadn't expected such a city centre, both Neustadt and Altstadt, that has been transformed during the past 30 years. The transformation is a mix of historical re-constructions and new contemporary infills. This works well as it gives a sense of historical continuity to the centre.
While most tourists with limited time will stay and visit Alstadt, I loved the Neustadt area and in particular the river frontage and the public events being staged; sitting on the grass in the evening as the sun went down and joining locals enjoying a summer evening together....
In what I was able to see, the care and quality of the city re-construction is exemplary... It appears that re-construction, to re-build and re-generate the urban fabric, has been considered to last for the long term and not just for immediate short term commercial goals that blights British cities.
If you have a little more time, I would suggest staying in Dresden and then travelling by train to Prague, a journey time of approximately 140 minutes... but if you are in Prague do the opposite....
Dresden isn't on the British tourist map yet (which is a bonus).. Many more American voices than British voices... also a few Russians and Serbians too.....
Krakow
I had driven from Warsaw and arrived through the outer reaches of the city to the centre even getting as far as the actual pedestrian centre before having to extricate myself through a park and being stopped by the police.
The inner suburbs between the outskirts and the centre reflect the on-going investment quandaries that all current cities have; the role of private/public partnerships and new ideas on how to re-generate existing building stock.
The old city centre is small compared with Warsaw and other European cities but its history and compactness encapsulates the story of Poland. This is a tourist destination where the streets are thronged with people during the evening but without the large groups that Prague suffers from.
I was also lucky to find a wonderful apartment at short notice after leaving the booked hotel after one night. This made such a lot of difference to my visit.
Salzburg
I had chosen an apartment just on the edge of the city where the city and countryside separate.. but only a short bus journey into the centre. Having spent a week in the centre of Vienna, I reasoned a few days close to mountains as well as the historic centre would be the best of both worlds; it was....
The historic centre is small and nestles between rock outcrops and split by the Salzach.
The views from the castle and Kapuzinerberg are wonderful.
While I was there, I watched Tom Cruse running across the roofs in 'Knight & Day'.. and while not so agile as Tom... I probably did get to see more of the city than he did...
Travelling up the Untersbergbahn cable car and breaking through the cloud cover I will remember for a long time as well as the drive into the lakes and mountains to reach Bad Goisern and the Hallstatt...
Munich
This just makes in on the list even though I really needed more time to see all of the city... a place to re-visit. There are many facets to Munich which need a much longer stay to explore and understand but I've made a start.
Many memories.... the modern church, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum, the museum quarter, the Victuals Market and the drive out to visit the former Olympic Stadium and the BMW museum.
Vilnius
I liked the relaxed but optimistic outlook that the inner city pervaded. The tree lined streets, the accessibility and proposed redevelopment of the river bank for all and the mix of contemporary, post war and historic buildings all seem to co-exist without altering the overall sense of place.
I will have to visit the city again to find the post war buildings glimpsed during my first visit.
Budapest
Driving into Buda and emerging onto the Danube riverfront was one of the highlights of my trip.
This alternate imperial capital, heavily damaged at the end of WW2, encapsulates the history of Hungary since the mid 19C.
My visit coincided with the hottest period of my travel; 38 degrees but I always found some shade to hide in. The best was under a canopy of a restaurant (Dubarry) fronting the Danube on the Pest side in the evening, with trams regularly running past and boats plying up and down the Danube; a cold Martini (gin, not vodka of course..) watching the sun set below the hill of Buda.
Andrassy Avenue, with the S3 underground line below, linking the inner city with the Szechenyi Thermal Baths was another highlight..
PLACES TO RE-VISIT
Bratislava
My onward journey to Budapest only allowed an evening in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Given its historical importance and close proximity to Vienna, it is a place to explore again.. including the Carpathian Mountains. Also not so many tourists....
Beograd
On my final morning, I met Aleks in a cafe looking over the city; how green it looked. Beograd. I would like to visit the city again and spend more time looking at how the city is situated between the Sava and Danube, explore 'the new city' on the opposite side of the Sava and also use Beograd as the springboard to visit the mountainous country south of the city.
Meeting Spring Studios was also a wonderful opportunity to listen to committed architects protective of their city and culture.
WHERE NEXT?........
PART 1: PLACES VISITED
Before the trip becomes a haze of memories I thought I would set down a number of random items that could be developed over time..
FAVOURITE PLACES VISITED
Before I get into trouble and not mention other people's favourites, all the places I visited were great; that is why I chose them in the first place.
A number I didn't spend sufficient time to make a real judgement so these will be on my next journey to visit again.
In no order.....
Dresden
I knew some history of the city and its devastation at the end of WW2. I hadn't expected such a city centre, both Neustadt and Altstadt, that has been transformed during the past 30 years. The transformation is a mix of historical re-constructions and new contemporary infills. This works well as it gives a sense of historical continuity to the centre.
While most tourists with limited time will stay and visit Alstadt, I loved the Neustadt area and in particular the river frontage and the public events being staged; sitting on the grass in the evening as the sun went down and joining locals enjoying a summer evening together....
In what I was able to see, the care and quality of the city re-construction is exemplary... It appears that re-construction, to re-build and re-generate the urban fabric, has been considered to last for the long term and not just for immediate short term commercial goals that blights British cities.
If you have a little more time, I would suggest staying in Dresden and then travelling by train to Prague, a journey time of approximately 140 minutes... but if you are in Prague do the opposite....
Dresden isn't on the British tourist map yet (which is a bonus).. Many more American voices than British voices... also a few Russians and Serbians too.....
Krakow
I had driven from Warsaw and arrived through the outer reaches of the city to the centre even getting as far as the actual pedestrian centre before having to extricate myself through a park and being stopped by the police.
The inner suburbs between the outskirts and the centre reflect the on-going investment quandaries that all current cities have; the role of private/public partnerships and new ideas on how to re-generate existing building stock.
The old city centre is small compared with Warsaw and other European cities but its history and compactness encapsulates the story of Poland. This is a tourist destination where the streets are thronged with people during the evening but without the large groups that Prague suffers from.
I was also lucky to find a wonderful apartment at short notice after leaving the booked hotel after one night. This made such a lot of difference to my visit.
Salzburg
I had chosen an apartment just on the edge of the city where the city and countryside separate.. but only a short bus journey into the centre. Having spent a week in the centre of Vienna, I reasoned a few days close to mountains as well as the historic centre would be the best of both worlds; it was....
The historic centre is small and nestles between rock outcrops and split by the Salzach.
The views from the castle and Kapuzinerberg are wonderful.
While I was there, I watched Tom Cruse running across the roofs in 'Knight & Day'.. and while not so agile as Tom... I probably did get to see more of the city than he did...
Travelling up the Untersbergbahn cable car and breaking through the cloud cover I will remember for a long time as well as the drive into the lakes and mountains to reach Bad Goisern and the Hallstatt...
Munich
This just makes in on the list even though I really needed more time to see all of the city... a place to re-visit. There are many facets to Munich which need a much longer stay to explore and understand but I've made a start.
Many memories.... the modern church, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum, the museum quarter, the Victuals Market and the drive out to visit the former Olympic Stadium and the BMW museum.
Vilnius
I liked the relaxed but optimistic outlook that the inner city pervaded. The tree lined streets, the accessibility and proposed redevelopment of the river bank for all and the mix of contemporary, post war and historic buildings all seem to co-exist without altering the overall sense of place.
I will have to visit the city again to find the post war buildings glimpsed during my first visit.
Budapest
Driving into Buda and emerging onto the Danube riverfront was one of the highlights of my trip.
This alternate imperial capital, heavily damaged at the end of WW2, encapsulates the history of Hungary since the mid 19C.
My visit coincided with the hottest period of my travel; 38 degrees but I always found some shade to hide in. The best was under a canopy of a restaurant (Dubarry) fronting the Danube on the Pest side in the evening, with trams regularly running past and boats plying up and down the Danube; a cold Martini (gin, not vodka of course..) watching the sun set below the hill of Buda.
Andrassy Avenue, with the S3 underground line below, linking the inner city with the Szechenyi Thermal Baths was another highlight..
PLACES TO RE-VISIT
Bratislava
My onward journey to Budapest only allowed an evening in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Given its historical importance and close proximity to Vienna, it is a place to explore again.. including the Carpathian Mountains. Also not so many tourists....
Beograd
On my final morning, I met Aleks in a cafe looking over the city; how green it looked. Beograd. I would like to visit the city again and spend more time looking at how the city is situated between the Sava and Danube, explore 'the new city' on the opposite side of the Sava and also use Beograd as the springboard to visit the mountainous country south of the city.
Meeting Spring Studios was also a wonderful opportunity to listen to committed architects protective of their city and culture.
WHERE NEXT?........
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An Un-Wanted Reminder of Hungary..... I received this yesterday... a penalty charge for driving on the M1 east of Budapest without an e-vi...
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Beograd (Belgrade)...29th June I met Aleksandar, the Montinvest construction director of the Rossi project for brunch in a cafe in the ... -
Munich...15th July.. I took the first tram of the journey to get closer to the centre.. even after all the photos of trams in previous pos... -
Budapest...2nd July. After a haircut and sorting out the car, I decided to go back to the Szechenyi thermal baths for a swim. I chose a...