http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Grey-haired-nomads/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Grey haired nomads en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:54:32 +0000 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:54:32 +0000 Motorhome News from Europe 37. Scotland 21st September 2005A Royal Welcome to The HighlandsThe final leg of our journey through EuropeThere is a strange fascination with mountaintops places of legend and mystery and various ends of the earth that us Britons find difficult to resist. One such extremity is John OrsquoGroats. Having arrived back on the Scottish mainland rather late in the evening http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/blog-437013.html Motorhome News from Europe 36 Orkney 13th September Orkney Isles of History The morning sun shone in greeting as we approached the grey exterior of Kirkwall Orkneyrsquos capital. But once inside the town we were stunned by an unexpected air of affluence. The red sandstone Cathedral of St Magnus stands proudly above Broad Street bright with hanging baskets on smart Victorian buildings and ele http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Orkney-Islands/blog-437003.html Motorhome News from Europe 35. Shetland September 2005The Vicar and Sweeney ToddShetland enjoys weather. Not good or bad weather particularly but mostly wet or windy and more often than not both very wet and very windy. In our brief affair with these Islands we have experienced only the lsquoveryrsquo bits so far curtailing much of our planned walking excursions somewhat. lsquoItrsquo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Shetland-Islands/blog-436713.html Motorhome News from Europe 34.Norway to Shetland August 2005Castaway nomads on Faroe and onwards to ShetlandGiven the choice of staying in Norway or travelling on the lsquoNorronarsquo to Faroe and Iceland at the FerryLinersquos expense what would you do When opportunity for adventure knocks wersquore not known to be slow on the uptake I had some idea where Faroe and Iceland were fr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Shetland-Islands/blog-436704.html Motorhome News from Europe 33 Norway 23rd August 2005Travels along the big fjords to BergenIt was lsquoTurn up the WowMeterrsquo time as we pulled on to narrow winding roads edging steep mountains cascading dramatically into the fjords with Janice at the wheel. We were entering the spectacular deep cut fjords for which this country is famous and its fruit growing centre where cherries raspb http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Vestlandet/Bergen/blog-436690.html Motorhome News from Europe 32. Norway 17th August 05Around about the middleThe school holidays have come to an end here and fields of buttercups have been sacrificed to the hay barns for the long winter ahead. Martins and swallows are heading south and the sun now sets at night as we prepare to travel with them for our migration across the seas from Bergen to Shetland on the 23rd August. But th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Vestlandet/Bergen/blog-436533.html Motorhome News from Europe 31.Norway 10th August 2005The beautiful Lofoten Islands and back to the mainland The Viking Gods were against us as we arrived by ferry on the island of Lofoten. Our dreams of dazzling fjords and sunlit dramatic scenery vanished in a haze of damp mist and drizzle as soon as we landed at the dock in Fiskebol. But we have never let a small thing like rain spoil our day. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-433877.html Motorhome News from Europe 25.Sweden 28th June 2005Heading north along the Baltic coast The eight hotels in the small town of Tallberg pop 400 on Lake Siljan fill up with tourists each year for the few weeks of summer. Even the Japanese come here on their four day tour of Europe wersquore told Hans Christian Andersen came here once too in 1850 did he come by horsedrawn carriage. It was h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Sweden/Norrbotten/Arvidsjaur/blog-433592.html Motorhome News from Europe 30.Sweden August 2005Abisko in Sweden and west to Norwayrsquos beautiful Lofoten IslandsThere is a chair lift in Swedenrsquos largest National Park at Abisko. Rising to about 3000ft the Linbana lift ferries skiers to the top in winter and walkers and tourists in the summer. We took the easy way up and hiked the fivehour trail across wild hillbog rich with flower http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-433875.html Motorhome News from Europe 29.Norway July 2005 Europe from the top down. Northern NorwayNordkapp. The most northerly point of Europe on the island of Magoya.Picture a magnificent cliff ragged peaks and tiny dark islands. Picture a knot of people bent into the wind at a lookout point high above a raging sea gazing north to the distant horizon dreaming of snow and ice polar bears brave expl http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-433827.html Motorhome News from Europe 28. Finland July 2005.Out of Finland into the wastes of Norwayrsquos FinmarkThere is not a lot in Inari at first glance. Itrsquos one of those places you could just pass through on your way to somewhere else and there are after all few roads from Finland through to Norway in the north. For most people Inari is on the way to or from Nordkapp North Cape on the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Nordkapp/blog-433809.html Motorhome News from Europe 27.Finland. 12th July 2005 A visit to Santa north into Finnish Lapland and snowchainsItrsquos my birthday on Thursday and we have a wager. Janice says Irsquoll get 3 emailsworth of greetings and I reckon Irsquoll get about 15 Meanwhile wersquove been researching the birding hereabouts.Page 77. Where to watch Birds in Scandinavia. lsquoValtavaara. This 10K http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/Lapland/Rovaniemi/blog-433792.html Motorhome News from Europe 26Sweden 5th July 2005Across the Arctic Circle twice and into FinlandIf I asked you to paint me a picture of Lapland it would of course have to include reindeer wouldnrsquot it It would also probably show Lapps in reindeerskin coats hood covered heads down pulling a sleigh in a snow and windlashed landscape. Things have changed a bit. These days Sami the ind http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/Northern-Ostrobothnia/Oulu/blog-433780.html Motorhome News from Europe 24.Sweden June 2005Goteborg taking the time to smell the roses to Stockholm and beyondGothenborg as we know it is one of those places you pass through when you arrive in Sweden by ferry but we had been led to believe there is more to this western port. The city was just a fifteen minute tram ride from our camp and with the promise of a bright sunny day we set for http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Sweden/Stockholm-County/blog-433530.html Motorhome News from Europe 23.NorwaySweden June 2005 Oslo Norway and on into Sweden To the best of my knowledge I have never seen a photograph of Oslo so I had little by way of expectations when we arrived at the campsite overlooking the city midmorning. The E18 motorway runs straight into the City through the tunnel under the centre and out the other side. Consequently there is little t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Ostlandet/Oslo/blog-433525.html Motorhome News from Europe 22 Norway June 2005From Norfolk to the outskirts of Oslo in a week. Yesterday the last day of May we lsquocast a final cloutrsquo looked forward to a June lsquobursting out all overrsquo and planned our departure from Norfolk for phase three of our motorhome tour of places that previous European holidays have failed to reach. Our unplanned return home in Apr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Ostlandet/Oslo/blog-433520.html Motorhome News from Europe 21. Italy April 2005From Dolomites to Lakes OK so you already know we like the mountains but the Dolomites are something else. Previously I could find them on a map of course but I really have no idea what my expectations were. Suffice to say we have both been truly captivated by their charm. We are in Italy of course but the Austrian border is no more than an hou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Dolomites/blog-432945.html Motorhome News from Europe 20.Italy March 2005Somewhere in the DolomitesItrsquos been another busy week for the grey haired nomads. After leaving Perugia we continued our tour of historic towns with visits to Gubbio and Urbino.Gubbio is like Assisi and Perugia an Umbrian hill town with grand piazzas palazzos fountains and churches. Despite it being a Sunday the town was almost empty of tou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-432722.html Motorhome News from Europe 19.Italy March 2005 Amalfi snowchains and Assisi Capri is everything you could possibly ask for. Take away the tourists and you are left with the most wonderful and romantic destination imaginable. Itrsquos just half an hour by ferry from Sorrento rising steeply from the Med on the edge of the Bay of Naples. It was busy at the portside in the summer they expect arou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Umbria/Perugia/blog-432714.html Motorhome News from Europe 18. Italy. March 2005 Sicily Southern Italy. Pompei Herculaneum and Naples NapoliOur first day camped near Palermo was a rest day catching up with the laundry and shopping. We were to stay there for the next four nights. The next day it rained heavily nonstop and we were able to get to know the neighbours. One couple from London had already been there for several http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Campania/Naples/blog-432706.html