Summer Hols

What Summer Hols ?

We have decided not to go away because of my neck, I have had to get stronger pain killers and they make me sleepy so I have spent the first 3 days eating pain killers and sleeping.from CartoonStock

Summer Holidays begin

The start of the holidays Hooray! Sun is shining birds are singing and the world alright... for now?

Still in Pain

I decided to take Monday Tuesday and Wednesday off I went in today for a meeting and will be in tomorrow for a meeting but I can tell you it wasn't nice, the pain is ridiculous. I just wish had a date for the MRI scan.
A couple of people have said I should go to Chiropractors or Manipulators but I think the NHS should have first stab although if this goes on I will have to bypass them I think. For more info go to Slipped disc Explained

Neck ache

4 weeks of this and no driving

I have had a bad arm and neck for about 18 months to 2 Years and it has got decidedly worse. A couple of months ago I had to go to the doctors and have had injections into the shoulder, Physiotherapy and even acupuncture. I was eventually sent to a Consultant who diagnosed a slipped disc in the neck and proscribed 4 weeks of a neck brace the one in the picture is a hard one I have a soft one for sleeping and has ordered an MRI scan for me hopefully before the 4 weeks. I am in a lot of pain mind and finding it difficult to sleep properly but if it does the trick in the long run then that's OK! I suppose driving 3000 miles across Europe and back didn't exactly help but I will take it easy from now on.

Adventure Over

Well the adventure is well and truly over. Reality has returned, the hum drum of work rest sleep has become prominent and the Danish Dash a distant memory but what a memory. I would do it again in a flash although it was tiring and sometimes frustrating but well I can now say I have been to several more countries than I could a week ago. See normality returns

Pitstop

Here we are in Rainton Burger King Uuuuuummmm!!!!!!!

Our first food in UK for a week :-(((

Rainton

Wow! we can have a Burger King just what I have always wanted!

Roeselare Belgium

We have arrived at the Park Hotel, nice setting, the first room we were given, the bathroom door was hanging off so we were given an exact same room further along the passage but this time with the bathroom door on.
The sun is shining and the town is full of people mostly English I think. Anyway the trip today was great we set off at 7.00 am from Aarhus we got to Hamburg in two and half hours which was quite good although the weather was really bad. We saw the festival goers camping in Skanderborg and felt really sorry for them. We stopped in Holland at a service station and got sandwiches then we sat and ate them in the car because the seats were soaking with the rain. We then headed on and made really good time. We followed a mixture of Eric and Dils directions which brought us directly to the hotel we missed the entrance through the archway by a couple of metres and had to go around the one way system to come round again and then into the car park.There must be a jaguar convention on because the hotel is full of jags MkII and a couple of Mk10's anyway we need to go and visit a local hostelry and check out the food situation for tonight.
We are both tired but otherwise in good spirits looking forward to coming back to Newcastle. We get the ferry from Dunkerque at 16.00 tomorrow so I will decide then if we drive straight back or stay somewhere overnight.
We will put pictures up later as the iphone is unable to get a signal or detect wireless networks.
I am busy looking for comments and we have a distinct lack of any and after all the twittering we have been doing c'mon get your twittering fingers out or look at the blog and post a comment.

Chinese Meal

Well we are back from Djurs Sommerland and a great time was had by all we stopped off at Borge and Bente's and had a chat said good bye and headed back to Aarhus. Eric has sorted the car for me and packed it very well we have room for more if there are any takers.I have phoned the hotel in Roeselare and they said if I can't make it they will not charge me so that takes the pressure off for trying to cover 1000Km tomorrow. Maria needs her bag in the car and we nees to pack little things.
We are now on our way to have a fine Chinese meal to celebrate our leaving and thank Eric and Christa for their brilliant hospitality.

Djurs Sommerland

This is a big theme park about 40 Km out of Arhus, the weather was sunny and we got the best of the day I think. Not my type of place but the girls loved the rides. For one day it cost about £20.00 each to get in but then the rides were included and they have lots of things for families to do.
The big attraction is the Pirate roller coaster.
Maria loved it but I didn't go on.





There were also other attractions like the Eagle.








and they also went on the traditional type of rides
which you get a all theme parks.



They look like they are enjoying themselves!

Fun fair Djurs Sommerland

Whale of a time

Saturday

Windy but sunny we are off to a theme park today, the girls are excited about this, Eric and I will go together and take some of the picnic, We will take food for a BBQ at the place sounds thrilling.
We have decide to go from Aarhus to Roeselare tomorrow i one go :-((

The weather is akin to being in Lancashire rain rain rain

Saturday Dujs Sommerland

Windy but sunny we are off to a theme park today, the girls are excited about this, Eric and I will go together and take some of the pictures.

End of the day

Has been a good day today. Been into town sunshine all day the girls
have had a great time together face masks and makeup etc. Busy working
out route for Sunday could be Aarhus - Roeselare in Belgium 9hrs set
off at 7 am have booked a room or maybe stop somewhere before that we
catch the ferry at 16.00 on Monday so have time on Monday. I'll sleep
on it!

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Real Danish pastries

Not as good as Christa's home made lagKage (layer cake) UUUUMMMMMMM!

Eric shopping

Eric doing the shopping for lunch and for tonights wonderful meal!

Marius Pedersen AS Waste recycling plant

This is the recycling plant where Christa works the plastic and raw waste is delivered by truck and is sorted and shredded leaving only the last waste materials to be put into landfill.

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Christa's Office

Christa works in a recycling plant looking after the logistics within the company this is her office

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Explore the seven wonders of the world Learn more!

Girls

And then there were 3 in town!

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Going to town

The girls all ready for the town!

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Photo

Hamburg at night!

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iPhone test

Hello from Denmark !

Sent from my iPhone

Using the iPhone

Well the iPhone is a cool iconic piece of kit and it does get people looking and drooling and all that but is it functional? Well I will be polite and blame the 3G companies because every time we went to use the facilities we could not connect to a network.
So when we were using the directions to find our way around it took ages to get a signal and it would invariably lose the connection leaving you frustrated we did manage to find a way around this but it does not show the iphone to the best of its abilities though.
Yes you've guessed it use a map!

Friday Morning

Had a good nights sleep, getting ready to visit Aarhus centre for shopping maybe have a few beers. The weather is overcast and the rain last night was torrential thunder lightening and 45mm of rain fell in a couple of hours so there are a few floods around the place we are staying on a hill so no worries there then.
The patio at Eric and Christa's house after the rain.

Arrived in Aarhus

Well we arrived here in Denmark at Eric and Christa's where we have had a fantastic meal. Specially caught Cod and Mackrel from the North Sea fished by Eric's brother. We had potatoes and parsley sauce and carrots followed by special dessert made by Christa.
The weather is atrocious rain thunder and lightening but we are in good company.

Thursday

Well good morning campers! What a wonderful day here in Hamburg. The sun is shining the birds are singing and the breakfast was divine, real hotel food hot cold and in between. We are planning to go around Hamburg before the final leg of the journey to Aarhus.
The journey has really taken it out of some people though a
s the photo below tends to show.

However the view from the 16th floor is remarkable. We will take a walk around the city and post more picys later today. Looking at the weather we may be in for a stormy ride the next
couple of days. See you later.

Hamburg

The Hotel is fine Maria loves it and is going to live here when she grows up :-))
We have been befriended by the porter who said we could park outside the hotel then came up to the room saying the police were going to right a ticket for parking where it was? All I wanted was a beer and some food and I had to go down and move the car and then make sure it was safe etc.
We eventually got our hair straightened, put our makeup on re straightened our hair straightened our dress re did our hair and then we were ready to hit Hamburg. We asked about food and were told the hotel did pasta and pizza. We found a pizza place around the corner a big beer and a big juice and a lovely meal just what was needed.
I had Salmon pasta and it was delicious!
The staff were great and even talked to Maria helping her with a bit of real world German on how to ask for the bill. SHe doesn't do that until Year 11 :-))


We walked back to the hotel and we wanted to go via the docks but the waitress said we would need a tram.

We did go passed the Casino and the cinema though

Dash of the Day

All the big stories and breaking news from the dashers.
Well as said befroe we had a nightmare of a journey we got so far and then we went off from our paper Michelin map but we put our faith in the Sat Nav Queen (Dil, short for Dylis) anyway we started to head for Rotterdam and then Utrech and then all over the North I honestly thought Dil was wanting to go home. Anyway eventually we saw a sign for the E30 which we thought should be right but it took an eon to get to where we wanted to be then it happened we saw the sight we had been waiting for Bremen ( 3 men and all that) we came around the corner onto the motorway and then hazzard lights all over the place. We had arrived in Osnabruck and the motorway carpark. The picture shows two lanes of four at a standstill with the temperature at 30 degrees also as the lanes funneled into one.

Did I say WiFi?

Well been trying to upload pictures forget keeps resetting 02 DE is dropping all the time can't use the technology to get anything AAAAARRRGGGHHHHHH
I need food see you later

Arrive in Hamburg 21.03

Well what a journey I'll tell about it later suffice to say that we hit a two hour hold up on the motorway due to the Germans building a new motorway. Everybody drives so fast can't believe it anyway the Sat Nav got us lost in the middle of a suburb photos to follow. We entered town centre and then ignored her when we saw the Radison Hotel 27 stories what a view. Anyway we are both starving and in need of a shower. Maria is absolutely brimming with gusto at the shower,the beds the view the service, the door handles, the carpet yes folks we have a carpet and we have WiFi so we are set up now we are going to find where to eat through wcities.com we saw veggie places on offer

Wednesday

3045 cars 3046 cars 3047 cars....... Time 9.30 or something . Well we slept but not as you know it. The day is sunny and we have decided not to take advantage of the everything you can eat for 4.95 Euros. My iPhone has been looking for its location for 20 mins but hey we are in France so take your time boys! We are just going to get ready and hit the scene, well the Mall to see what we can eat. Then we will hit the A16/E40 and Hamburg here we come I am so looking forward to a really nice hotel where we can relax, you know the ones I mean, with carpets on the floor. I have taken to saying Hi to people I meet as I'm never sure what language I should use Ah well Ce'st La Vie as they say in Ireland! watch the twitter pages and don't forget you can follow our exploits on twitter on your mobile. Hey and Gerry Noonan, who said we wouldn't get to Dover :-))))

Travelling in the rain

And in front of you you can see or not!
So there you are and this was when we could see to take the picture!

Get out of my way!

Pick on someone your own size!
You don't scare me! Well OK you do!

On ferry

Wow that wasn't bad, we were third in line to get on the ferry.Left on time and a smooth sailing was had.
Chilled on the crossing listened to music and then sorted iphone out it kept losing the connection. Using Orange 3G over here.
Anyway we got back in the car in Dunkerque and waited to get off the ferry. It was like a Le Mans start with the French the first off the grid. I took a wrong turn upset the locals (doesn't take much) and then ended up on the motorway going to Dunkerque. Now at this point I here you say what's the fuss about SAt NAv to the rescue. WHat Sat Nav and what 3G we ended up in Dunkerque. Eventually in desperation we called into a McDonalds well I thought at least the young uns would speak English no such luck well one did and they gave directions to Saint Pol sur yMer Hotel next to Carreforre.
Well that was when the fun started. We know every street and every dodgy housing estate and nice suburb. People were kind but without a common language signing is open to misunderstanding guache,droite droite guache I heard them say. Anyway we were just about on our way back to where we started when we knew we were going the wrong way. I u turned and chose a road we had not been down as there were bright lights. Premeire Classe! shouted Maria and there it was in the middle of a shopping centre. Hotel staff none existent then suddenly the shutters opened and a man gesticulated as only the French can that we were to go around the back of the hotel up two flights of stairs to our room. Well Maria wont use the water to clean her teeth she just wants to get out first thing tomorrow, we are experiencing the lower end of the market. She was somewhat presumptuous when she said she was looking forward to a swim. Anyway I am tired and looking forward to a good sleep I will try and keep time with the cars on the motorway outside 1 car 2 cars 3 cars z z z z z

We are in Leeds Castle

Hi from Leeds Castle Services thanks to Open Zone for the WiFi Maria is ecstatic about being able to surf MSN. The journey was not as bad as I thought it would be, the rain hasn't let up and in some instances the vision was scary. We are having a drink and a well earned rest before getting to Dover!
Being connected is a great thing.

Danish Dash

Phew!
found out didn't have travel insurance, found out didn't have breakdown insurance. I have now. GO Compare full breakdown in Europe etc £66.00 great!
Travel insurance for both of us £21.00 Fantastic.
Now all I need to do is pack and drive to Dover.

City Guides on the iphone

I said earlier that the city guides didn't work on the iphone then Fraser from the company emailed me this website and guess what..... it works
wcities
Fraser thanks

Scribefire Test

This is a test using Scribefire to see if it will post to the blog

Travel Checklist

Well I am busy ticking off the items, insurance, Tom Tom, passports, directions, headlamp benders. I've checked the Oil, the water the engine.I have had the car two years and today was the first time I had lifted the bonnet!
Anyway I have gone over my route again and again so I shouldn't get lost found a great app for iPods "CityGuides" but can't get them to work on the iPhone they give lots of info goto wcities

So I think I have everything I need to check tomorrow that I have breakdown cover and if not I need to sort that, last minute or what!
I think I have travel insurance through the bank if not I'll need that and then there is Euros and Kroner spending money. I am planning to just use credit card for toll roads and food etc so don't need much cash.
Not long to go now, it is getting exciting.

Booking Ferry and Hotel

Well I thought I had better book a ferry to Denmark, then I saw the prices from Newcastle and thought I would have trouble getting a bank loan to pay for the trip the same for travelling from Hull. I am right, we are an island nation, what a business providing ferry services from the provinces. Anyway I'm not going on a rant as I decided to look at Dover and to my surprise I managed to get a good deal.I also got a night stay in Dunkerque as well so we travel on the 5th from Dover and spend the night in a hotel there before travelling to Hamburg. Now I was undecided about Hamburg but I was talking to someone on Skype from Germany and they said it was a great place so we will soon find out. We stay there on the night of the 6th then set off to sunny Denmark arriving I think sometime in the afternoon. I have been getting all my documents sorted, passport, what a great service at Durham, helpful, easy and on time expensive mind for the fast track but then what do we expect. I phoned and got medical insurance and now I am busy getting all the other bits I need for driving on the continent like a high visibility jacket, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, spare bulbs, and not forgetting the red triangle, reminds me of early channel 4 :-) Oh! and the car washed, cleaned and filled with appropriate liquids in all the right places.