Not too much to report today except to say that the bird park that Pam has waited to see for many years was outstanding and she managed to photograph her favourite bird, the Shoebill, Bree and I reckon it is the ugliest bird in the world. We spent all day there leaving around 4.00pm after Pam and Bree spending up large in the shop. Saying our goodbyes to Walter and Maria our Bavarian friends it was off to find a new camp site in Kellenburg some 50k out of Walsrode, a nice enough place without being outstanding it was the cheapest camp site in Europe so far being only 20Euro, recommended by us as a good place.... read more

Off again with the Tomtom loaded for the days destination of Kassel some 200km north and we decided on straight up the autobahn, oh shit not again, before we go any further on this blog I have to tell you about the German drivers, it is no wonder Germany produces some of the best F1 drivers in the world on a regular basis, they practice on the bloody autobahns, trust me you may think hey cool no speed limits but when you are new to the right hand drive roads and you have big Merc's and BMW's blowing past you at better than 180k you wake up and smell the roses. Add to that they have no manners at all just like Auckland drivers, if you are in the wrong lane more than a couple of ... read more

Well dropping off the camper this morning posed no problems and a clean bill of health was given for the van, no dings dents or scratches. Just Go were kind enough to drop us off at Luton airport where we planned to get a public bus over to Heathrow where we are staying at the Novotel close to the airport to catch our plane in the morning. I was stressing about using a public transport bus but a shuttle was about 120 pounds and the bus was only 50, a no brainer really. I gotta say the public transport system here is brilliant and after a coffee we picked up the bus and settled back to an hours drive to Heathrow, I slept, surprise surprise most of the way, a short walk through the terminal a ... read more

Heading off this morning to Stratford-Upon-Avon, which is still in the Cotswolds, the birthplace of Shakespeare, a quaint old town again dating back to Norman times nestled on the banks of the Avon River. We walked the streets of Stratford-Upon-Avon and saw the house where Shakespeare lived with Anne Hathaway but did not go in due to the cost, when you've seen inside one old house you seen em all I guess. Bree saw the witches and warlocks museum and insisted we go there. We walked through the lower level and Bree went upstairs to the museum on her own, Pam and I not being witchy people declined, Bree loved it. Visiting the new Royal Shakespeare Company building was nice and the back streets of Stratford-Upon-Avon are just spectacular, all in all though Stratford-Upon-Avon was a ... read more

The Cotswolds is a section of South West England stretching from Bath in the south up to Chipping Camden in the North and is quite literally spectacular with very old and tiny little villages dotted through a lovely rolling countryside with small forests and farmland on either side of the road. There are narrow little tree lined lanes and specular churches and manors all around. Our aim for the day was to see "Bourton on the Water" another lovely little town on our way and what do you know another Bird park, I am sure there is a conspiracy going on here, but the town was really cool with a little canal running right through the center. Much of the village is circa 1600 and parts perhaps dates back as far as the Norman times possibly ... read more