Postcards France 2023


Wir liefen heute einen schönen Weg entlang als wir eine laute Stimme hörten. „Mama, ich kann nichts mehr sehen“. Gerhild fragte sofort, ob wir helfen könnten und die Mama sagte: „Wir sind die Familie Mais und wir brauchen dringend einen Friseur.“ Papa Mais fügte hinzu: „Der Bauer hat irgendetwas gesprüht und die Haare sind wie wild gewachsen.“ In seinem Rücksack fand Kim eine Nagelschere und fragte „Darf ich?“. Der Papa nickte, es machte Schnipp, Schnapp, Schnupp und Kim verpasste allen drei einen schönen Pagenschnitt. „Oh vielen Dank“ riefen sie alle, und wir liefen weiter, froh, dass sie wieder sehen konnten.

We were walking along a nice path today when we heard a loud voice. “Mom, I can’t see anything anymore”. Gerhild immediately asked if we could help and the mom said: “We are the Corn family and we urgently need a hairdresser.” Papa Corn added: “The farmer has sprayed something and our hair has grown like mad.” In his backpack, Kim found some nail scissors and asked, “May I?” The dad nodded and Kim gave all three a nice page cut. “Oh thank you very much,” they all shouted, and we continued on our walk, glad that they could see again.


Wir campen unter einem Apfelbaum. Die Äpfel sehen so lecker aus, da habe ich einen gepflückt und hineingebissen. Der Baum fing an zu wachsen und wurde immer größer bis ich merkte, dass ich immer kleiner wurde. „Das hast du davon“ sagte der Baum, „wenn du nicht vorher fragst.“ „Entschuldige”, sagte ich „deine Äpfel sehen aber so toll aus.“ „Hmpf“ sagte der Baum. „Nimm einen Biss von diesem kleinen Apfel, dann wird alles wieder gut.“ „Oh danke”, sagte ich und kletterte mühsam hoch zu dem kleinen Apfel. Der kleine Apfel schmeckte ein bisschen bitter, ich rutschte runter, fiel ins Gras und alles war wie gewohnt. Die Sonne schien, der Baum duftete und Gerhild fragte „Was machst du da im Gras?“

We are camping under an apple tree. The apples look so delicious, I picked one and took a bite. The tree began to grow and became bigger and bigger until I realised that it was me who was getting smaller and smaller. “That’s what happens,” said the tree, “if you don’t ask beforehand.” “I‘m sorry,” I said, “but your apples look so great.” “Hmpf” said the tree. Take a bite of this little apple, then everything will be fine again. “Oh thank you,” I said and laboriously climbed up to the little apple. The little apple tasted a bit bitter, I slipped down, fell into the grass and everything was back to normal. The sun was shining, the tree smelled good and Gerhild asked “What are you doing in the grass?”


Als wir heute in die Stadt Dijon gelaufen sind, fragten ein paar Tiere, ob sie mitkommen dürfen. „Wir kennen nur den Wald!“ Als wir ankamen, war es ohne Wald so hell, dass wir gleich Sonnenbrillen kaufen mussten. Die Fledermaus meinte sie kann trotzdem besser mit den Ohren sehen! Die Leute staunten sehr als sie uns sahen!
Als wir uns am Abend verabschiedet haben meinte der Hase: „Es war schön in der Stadt, aber es ist viel schöner im Wald.“ Alle nickten.

When we walked into Dijon today, a few animals asked if they could come along. “We only know the forest!” When we arrived, it was so bright without the trees that we had to buy sunglasses right away. The bat said she can still see better with her ears! People were very amazed when they saw us! As we said goodbye in the evening, the rabbit said: “It was beautiful in the city, but it is much more beautiful in the forest.” Everyone nodded.

Postcards France 20232024-07-16T09:19:12+02:00

17 October back to Berlin

After a visit to a Peugeot garage in Kassel to reset the fault once more (3rd time), we managed to get to Berlin without the dreaded message appearing, that we can only drive for another 450 km.

17 October back to Berlin2023-10-20T10:10:47+02:00

16 October long drive to Marburg

Today, Mr. and Mrs. Flexible decided to get up early and head in the direction of Berlin.


The sky over Lausanne early in the morning.

Late in the afternoon we arrived in Marburg (https://www.marburg-tourismus.de/camping-und-wohnmobile/pois)


Marburg was quite cold when arrived so we dived into this cosy restaurant to warm up.


Spider-Man just hanging about, outside the restaurant.


Marburg looks like a nice place.


The river Lahn in the evening.

The camper now greets us with Kein Neustart in 351 km
which is boring as it’s 471 km to get home… Time to find another Peugeot garage.

16 October long drive to Marburg2024-07-16T09:21:32+02:00

14 October Grenoble street art

There is a regular street art festival in Grenoble. https://www.streetartfest.org/


Some are huge.


Some are not.


Can you believe your eyes?


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Even the youngsters have a go with a stick-up.


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Street art on corten steel!


Street art on a scruffy old wall.


How to make a harp from a boring chimney.


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My favourite.


Grenoble is surrounded by mountains.

14 October Grenoble street art2024-07-16T09:24:35+02:00

10 October walk to the Roman bridge


Walking across the valley.


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Kim snapping the „pont romain“.


Until 1860, when the Duchy of Savoy was annexed to France, this bridge served as a border between the States of Savoy and the Kingdom of France.


Great to be in the forest again.


Friendly trees.

10 October walk to the Roman bridge2024-07-16T09:26:56+02:00

9 October lazy day

We lounged around most of the day and strolled around in the evening.

The river next to our campsite.


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9 October lazy day2024-07-16T09:27:36+02:00

7 October walk to Chapelle Béatrice de Savoie


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Lunch is ready.


The trees are nicely wrapped up although it’s quite warm today.


Nice view of the Chartreuse national park.


Blue sky all day!


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7 October walk to Chapelle Béatrice de Savoie2024-07-16T09:28:29+02:00

6 October drive to entre deux guiers


Nasty yellow light lit up just before we arrived at the Arc en Ciel campsite. (€17,50 ****)

A charming French mechanic in the village fixed it promptly with his automatic diagnostic box. Let’s hope it stays fixed!

6 October drive to entre deux guiers2024-07-16T09:28:51+02:00

5 October Walk into Dijon


The river Ouche offers a quiet route into Dijon, if you ignore Gerhild’s loud new bag.


Nice leafy head in the old town.


Posh house.


Interesting puzzle for rue Musette.


In the Palais des beaux artes (free entry).


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Why are images of baby Jesus never childlike?


So what time is it?


Time to walk back to the campsite.

5 October Walk into Dijon2024-07-16T09:29:32+02:00

4 October lazy day

The sun was shining today, so we walked beside the lake and did a bit of reading.

In the river Ouche this morning.


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Kim is reading “A dead man walking” by J. D. Kirk.

Gerhild is still reading “Gute Nacht Tokio”.

4 October lazy day2024-07-16T09:30:18+02:00

3 October drive south to Dijon


Today we leave Reims and its cathedral.


Bye, bye.

OUCH! Paid €41,90 to drive for 2 hours on the motorway today. Have reprogrammed the Sat-Nag to stop that from happening again.

Checked in to Camping Du Lac Kir (€17,34)


Now we have left the Champagne region for Burgundy, so we had to try the local wine – quite fine.

3 October drive south to Dijon2024-07-16T09:30:48+02:00

2 October Vranken Pommery domain


The grand entrance steps down to the Vranken Pommery cellars, cut out of the limestone beneath Reims. The Romans started digging pits for building materials and Madame Pommery had tunnels dug between the pits. Cold and moist, just right for storing champagne.


116 steps down, which is about 30 m underground.


Mme Pommery employed a sculptor to brighten the place up for Victorian visitors.


Who knows where these bottles will end up?


The snazzy overhead conveyor system to carry the wicker baskets loaded with bottles.


Some modern art in one of the enormous pits to entertain 21st century visitors.


Mixing the old with the new.


A heart still beating 30 metres underground.


No, not snow, feathers!


Relaxed after a cool glass of Pommery champagne.

2 October Vranken Pommery domain2024-07-16T09:32:01+02:00

1 October A walk from Mailly-Champagne


Today we drove across the hills where Champagne vines grow, looking down at the river Marne.


We parked next to the Salle des fêtes in Mailly-Champagne.


Here’s the walk.


The grapes have already been harvested.


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Great autumn colours.


Some fantastic work by David Lachavanne.


They used to make bricks here, so this is the Venus de Mailly.

1 October A walk from Mailly-Champagne2024-07-16T09:32:50+02:00

30 September move to Épernay


After a peaceful night, we had a misty start in the forest today.


Looks a bit autumny out of the window.


Is there such a thing as a fog rainbow?


Now what is in there?


Mmmmmmm, that looks good!


Just as we were starting to relax. Gerhild complained that the kettle wasn’t working. An ultralight aircraft with 2 people on board had cut an overhead high-voltage line with a huge bang and then fell into the Marne river near our camp site (€25 ****). One of the victims was rescued by bystanders, then the fire brigade arrived really quickly with rescue divers. Relax, huh!

30 September move to Épernay2024-07-16T09:33:36+02:00

28 September lazy day


Kim is reading “The Man Who died Twice” by Richard Osman.


Gerhild’s reading “Gute Nacht Tokio” by Atsuhiro Yoshida.

We listened to an interesting podcast featuring Ferdinand von Schirach.

28 September lazy day2024-07-16T09:37:50+02:00

27 September 3 fountains walk

This walk is part of a long term art project called Vent des Forets. Some of the works have suffered a bit over the years.

We had a good walk around the forest, it was a bit hot, but in in the shade of the trees it was nice and cool.


Shrapnel Galeries


Nature’s art.


Picnic in a 100 year old bomb crater.


Champignons (made of barbed wire!)


Belladonna


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Salut pour tous . There is a video to go with this.


Stay to play

27 September 3 fountains walk2024-07-16T09:38:44+02:00

26 September a lazy day


Nothing special today.


Just lazing around in the shade of the trees next to the river Meuse.

26 September a lazy day2024-07-16T09:39:37+02:00

25 September up the Meuse valley

Today we drove to Camping Esperance (€15 *****) in Villers-sur-Meuse.


Of course, we had a delicious picnic along the way – some baked bread with goat’s cheese and herbs.


This is our new campsite, Camping Esperance, right next to La Meuse. If you look very carefully you can see Kim and the camper.

“Tales of the Riverbank” from Kim’s childhood.

25 September up the Meuse valley2024-07-16T09:40:12+02:00

24 September more puppet festival


Got up really early for this very poor show.


Pinocchio looks a bit worried about this strange man.


Rats doing some classic songs.


Very stylish skeleton girl.


Last show Avatara.

24 September more puppet festival2024-07-16T09:40:49+02:00

23 September the Puppet Festival


Habite-moi in a theatre.


There’s tons of stuff going on in the street, some large


… some small.


Some on stilts.


Some waiting to be called.


Ding in a theatre.

23 September the Puppet Festival2024-07-16T09:41:35+02:00

21 September The Family of Man

The exhibition.


Chateau Clervaux.

There is only one man in the world
and his name is All Men.
There is only one woman in the world
and her name is All Women.
There is only one child in the world
and the child’s name is All Children.
CARL SANDBURG


Romance!


Marriage.


Children.


Living with children.


School.


Shopping.


Gardening.


Celebrating.


Ageing.


The next generation.


Excellent design in the exhibition.


Couples.


Another couple.

21 September The Family of Man2024-07-16T09:47:43+02:00

18 September Schloss Lichtenberg


Schloss Lichtenberg in the afternoon sun.


Fischbachtal and two friends.


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The great white shark wanted to be in the picture too.

M. told us about her childhood in Château Thierry, home of Jean de la Fontaine who wrote the poem “The Crow & the Fox”.

The crow and the fox by Jean de la Fontaine

At the top of a tree perched Master Crow;
In his beak he was holding a cheese.
Drawn by the smell, Master Fox spoke, below.
The words, more or less, were these:

“Hey, now, Sir Crow! Good day, good day!
How very handsome you do look, how grandly distingué!
No lie, if those songs you sing match the plumage of your wing,
You’re the phoenix of these woods, our choice.”

Hearing this, the Crow was all rapture and wonder.
To show off his handsome voice,
He opened beak wide and let go of his plunder.

The Fox snapped it up and then said, “My Good Sir,
Learn that each flatterer lives at the cost of those who heed.
This lesson is well worth the cheese, indeed.”

The Crow, ashamed and sick,
Swore, a bit late, not to fall again for that trick.

18 September Schloss Lichtenberg2024-07-16T09:50:05+02:00

16 September walk to Neunkirchen


Beautiful day today.


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Wedding anniversitree.


The ruins of Rodenstein Castle.


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The humans moved out and the trees moved in.

16 September walk to Neunkirchen2024-07-16T09:51:09+02:00

14 September another visitor


A niece and her favourite aunt.


Deep in the forest.


A great place for a cuddle.


Tree stump with tourist.


A green meanie is after us!


Odenwald in the autumn.

14 September another visitor2024-07-16T09:52:32+02:00

13 September visitors


A happy reunion between a nephew and his favourite aunt.

13 September visitors2024-07-16T09:53:03+02:00

12 September Lichtenberg Forest


The great white Odenwald Idyll shark.


A nice cool spot for a cool fellow.


This is apparently a „UNESCO assisted“ forest.


A sleeping dragon waiting for a kiss to be woken from its long slumber.


A fine forest for photography.


Our evening entertainment.

12 September Lichtenberg Forest2024-07-16T09:53:33+02:00

10 September Lauterbach

Today there was a Volksfest in Lauterbach, which is a town with lots of timber-framed houses.


A nice detail in the town.


Oi! Let go of my nose.


Time for these 3 to go…

10 September Lauterbach2024-07-16T09:54:35+02:00

9 September Altenschlirf


The boys.


Jacko.


The house.


Eine Bank im Bankenviertel.

9 September Altenschlirf2024-07-16T09:55:13+02:00
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