Today is our 44th anniversary and still going strong.

Today we drove around the lake, Lough Leane, to try the Tomies Wood walk.

Kim horsing around, completely free from allergies.

Gerhild and her favourite flower – foxglove!

Kim, looking stumped?

O’Sullivan’s Cascade

Our picnic spot below the cascade.

Plenty of comfy, moss-covered, warm stones to sit on today.

Gerhild full of beans after our picnic.

Our campsite is down there somewhere.

This morning we woke up in Dungarvan, looking out over the Colligan River as it enters the sea.

We drove to Killarney, to the Killarney Flesk Camping about one half hour’s walk along a busy road away from Killarney.

Today, before catching the ferry, we went for a walk enveloped by the scent of cow parsley around the Goodwick Nature Reserve

and heard a reed warbler sing in the sunshine. Like this –

The ferry to Ireland was an hour late setting off due to a plumbing problem. It’s hard to find a plumber in the UK these days.

Welcome to Goodwick.

This is Fishguard, after a very pleasant “Marine Walk” from where we are parked in the neighbouring village, Goodwick. The Fishguard and Goodwick Art Trails are quite entertaining.

Plenty of places to stay.

A very fishy wind vane.

And a fabulously fishy seahorse.

The Last Invasion of Britain began on the 22nd February 1797. Four French vessels anchored off the rocky headland of Carreg Wastad, to the west of Fishguard, and ferried ashore about 1400 men and weapons. The invaders occupied most of Pencaer, from Strumble Head to Llanwnda, but the invasion was short lived. French troops soon became drunk, on stolen alcohol, and local people banded together to resist them. Most notable was Jemima Nicholas who, armed only with a pitchfork, reputedly rounded up 12 Frenchmen.
The French surrendered to local soldiers at Goodwick Sands on 24th February 1797.

Up the mountain path from the campsite.

A sun-hat is important today.

The other side of the valley.

Plenty of green!

Mountain goat approaches.

Looks like a grand picnic spot.

It is a grand picnic spot.

On the way down.

Craig~y-nos country house

Nice campsite

Today we scampered through the Forest of Dean sculpture trail

An amazing „maiden“ Beech tree.

Dr. Beeching ripped them up and an artist put them back again, slightly modified.

Interesting idea.

An invisible tree-hugger.

Giant bugs.

In the afternoon we drove to Newent to see some old friends.

Newent lake.

Newent girls.

Chestnut tree dressed for a spring morning

Pine cones – old and brand new

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Time for a short break

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Back to the camper for another delicious lunch

Very smart campsite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on the grounds of an old manor house/ forestry training location. Trees and birds galore!

Lots of wildlife (apart from Kim)

Thursley NNR is a great place for a stroll across the heath, surrounded by dragonflies and damselflies.

We were lucky enough to see a black-winged damselfly just like this one.

Moat Pond

Sunny morning for a stroll along the boardwalk

Dragonflies everywhere

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Just in case the real ones whizz about too quickly to see.

The Sculpture Park shows a LOT of sculpture in luscious green surroundings.

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Delicious kedgeree cooked by our camper chef for our evening meal!

Waiting for the bus

A golden oldie

New work by Paul Spooner

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Q & A

In between, we enjoyed a short show by a world yo-yo master.

Hastings old town

Old friends

Hastings shop window

Michael & Maria Start’s Flea Circus

This way to the vaults of the old Hastings & St. Leonard Observer building.

How did they survive the journey?

A bit of glue for one tail and everything is hunky-dory.

Nice bit of sun and a chocolate flake ice cream!

The path to walk to Hastings from the campsite.

Old friends.

Wed 7 May – Drive to Shear Barn camp site, Hastings

This way to the bus into town.

Hastings pier

Hastings

Nice welcome

Groovy entrance

We have the campsite to ourselves today

Ancient forest & new lake

Top tree top

Aren‘t bluebells great?

So many trunks to hug.

Kim trying forest yoga

Bewl Water

Great bit of forest

An oak tree paddling in the reservoir

Even more bluebells

Today we took the DFDS ferry across the channel to Dover, lost a wing mirror in a narrow Kent road, shopped at Sainsbury’s in Ashford and drove to Bewl Water camp site 1 h 15 m.

Bluebells!

The view out of our window this morning

The start of the walk

Desirable residence for ducks?

The river bank

Kim tries nesting in a tree

This coot‘s nest looks more professional

Once Belgium’s smallest microbrewery Saint Canarus, just under the church tower.

In the afternoon we drove to Calais, to the free parking, next to a small lake, where the seagulls enjoy free parking too.

Fri 2 May – we drove 1.5 h via yet another traffic jam to Middleheim Sculpture Park in Antwerp. After we drove another 1 h to Deinze park4night, free and right next to a very pleasant river.

An interactive sculpture

Erwin Wurm‘s sailing boat

Looks like a weapon for a medieval giant, but it’s sculpture

She‘s really got tied up in this!

Quite cool

Henry Moore‘s King & Queen

Thu 1 May – drive to Wetland 3.5 hours.

27 degrees in the shade. Relaxation is the order of the day.

Kim‘s got a new sun-hat!

Colour-coordinated vintage campers.

Drive from Berlin to Steinhude. Several traffic jams made for slow going. We parked on the street as the camper parking with 170 spaces was full by the time we got there. (Wohnmobilstellplatz Steinhude Bruchdamm)

A horse chestnut enjoying the beautiful spring day.

The Steinhuder Meer being carefully checked out by „Der Hafenmeister“.

Undines Traum.