Wednesday 11th April We left home on Tuesday and stayed overnight at the Horsley campsite. It is described as being set around a lake but in reality it is more like a large pond. The amount of rain however meant that each pitch was a small lake in itself. We arrived late afternoon and this combined with the miserable weather meant we didn't venture out to explore the area. We left the next morning in thick fog. As we got closer to the south coast, the fog cleared and the sun came out. We stopped off in Brighton for a walk and lunch on the beach before heading on to our campsite at Seaford. Brighton was busy with holiday makers and french students. We first stayed at the Buckle caravan site at Seaford in 2013. I ... read more

Wednesday 21stJune Vampire Camping Bran Romania customs after crossing the Danube was a slow affair as each vehicle was thoroughly checked and our passport and van documents thoroughly examined. We bought a vignette for seven days and headed to the mountains and the small town of Bran. Initially the landscape of the Danube delta was flat with fields of sunflowers in full bloom interspersed with wheat and other crops. At the pretty town of Campulung, the road started to climb and deteriorate. Road improvements meant frequent stops at temporary traffic lights. Then the storm started and road flooded with the torrential rain. Impatient Romanian drivers and huge articulated lorries added to the excitement as did the fact that the temperature had dropped dramatically from 32 degrees to 14 degrees resulting in a very steamed up windscreen. ... read more

7th to 9thJune Batak The campsite is on the shore of Lake Batak (really a reservoir) and about 10 kms from the town of Batak. We arrived to pouring rain and thunderstorms. Apparently it hasn’t stopped raining for three weeks which is unusual for this time of year so we are told. The first evening it seemed to dry up around six. At one end of the lake was a rainbow whilst at the other end, we watched dense cloud gather and gradually creep over the surface of the water to engulf us in a white mist. The following day was just as wet so we stayed in and the day after that we left. 10th June to 12th June Sakar Hills, Biser The campsite is in the south east of Bulgaria close to the borders ... read more

30th May to 2ndJune Paralia Pandeleimona (Olympos) Camping Poseidon is described as a traditional Greek family campsite which means it is full of long stay caravans that have been added to over the years with various shed type extensions and covered in huge tarpaulins to shade them from the ferocious summer sun. We have stayed at similar Clampett style campsites in Portugal and Spain. There are a small number of touring pitches down by the beach and we were lucky enough to get the last one. Rather than Greek families, it would appear the majority of the holiday makers are Macedonians. The whole coast is clearly tourist heaven (or hell depending on your outlook!). We cycled to the nearest main resort called Leptokarya where the beach was full of bodies frying in the sun. You can ... read more

Monday 22ndMay Cycling Tour of Meteora We travelled up to Kastraki yesterday through stunning mountains and across wide plains. In the mountains, the overriding colour is the yellow of the blooming broom trees, their flowers scenting the air. Kastraki is a small village in the Meteora area and sits at the base of huge pillars of rock. It is truly like scenery from some fantasy film. The huge rock monoliths appear initially to be smooth rock faces but as you get closer you see that they have indents and grooves that have been shaped over thousands of years. We ate in the campsite restaurant (very delicious) as the shops don’t open on a Sunday. Today we headed to the big town of Kalambaka to the supermarket to stock up. After lunch we went for a cycle ... read more