Norway Day 28 Friday 30th June 2023

Due to lack of  onboard information,  puzzlement over the fact that we had already docked in Harwich  harbour, and figuring  out what the hour time difference actually  meant, we rose  hurriedly at 5 am English time, and ate a full breakfast at 5.30 am in the buffet cafeteria.

A bleary breakfast Friday morning 

Back in the UK for a 4 hour drive to our home town. UK roads are so awful compared with those in Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway. We managed to avoid the worst bits of the A14 this time - where the MH becomes unstable with the HGV grooves in the road - known as tramlining. It's quite disconcerting!

Total distance for the trip was 3,038 miles - 4,860 km. Great to see all our Norwegian family for the first time in many years! We loved the trip!

Norway Day 27 Thursday June 29th 2023 Bremen to Hook of Holland to Harwich

Leaving Hoek of Holland at 9.45 pm 

Endless rows of beach huts on a cold, vast windswept beach

 After a morning swim at Wedersee we set off from Bremen for the Hoek of Holland , a 5 hour journey. Slow moving traffic at Utrecht and Hoek of Holland added an hour. We parked up behind a beach at 7 pm  and took a last beach walk in cold windy weather ☁️. We ate supper  in the van. We boarded the Stena ferry  at 9.30 pm. A beautiful sunset as we steered out of harbour. Comfortable outside cabin and roomy shower. 

Norway Day 26 Wednesday 28 th June 2023 Exploring Bremen and University N Germany

 After a sound night's sleep we went swimming in the river at a second beach ⛱️

I am drawn to this building on the riverfront across from the stellplatz

Murals in the back streets 

Library /Police station 

Universum ( tram ride from centre 11€ day ticket pp) science interactive museum 

A reminder of the power of levers 

This cup was enormous 

Temporary exhibition hall ; some young people snoozing under  these balloons

 

Temporary exhibition Universum 

Bird box collection 

Making colour filled shadows 

Tunnel walkway to the permanent  exhibition hall on 5 levels at Universum 

Tight rope across the market Square 

High wire acts entertained us over coffee and carrot cake in the main square 

State parliament building main square 

Roland , protector of Bremen 

The Bremen town musicians , I rubbed the donkey's nose for luck 

Entrance to Bocherstrasse

Bocherstrasse  rebuilt in parts, art/ jewellery shops

Schnoor district 

Great doors 

We loved this Vedersee river beach, so clean and warm 

Norway Day 25 Tuesday 27th June 2023 Schleswig-Holstein to Bremen

 

Stayed at Ostseecamping - Gut Karlsminde overnight.(+49 4358 344) https://g.co/kgs/9aNfNT

37€  per night including EHU on grass , very clean  and powerful showers cafe and an  onsite shop. Wind turbine countryside 

Morning Swim in the inlet to the Baltic sea, nudist beach but everyone including us, in togs. Very little English spoken. Missing our kind, helpful , hospitable Norwegian relatives 😢

Patrolling frigates on the far side of the inlet 

Stony beach and entry to water , but sand after a  few feet .Occasional showers.

2 of these patrolling the far shore

Dog walking one side of the beach, humans the other 

We swam before the rain fronts appeared 

Water  was bracing but tolerable, and Andy didn't wear his shorty wet suit  

Onto Bremen next.

Arrived  in Bremen at 5 pm after 153 miles , through Hamburg and bouts of heavy rain,  to obtain one of the last MH spaces on a  large MH park (Riesermobil Stellplatz am Kuhhirten, Bremen)  30 mins  walk from the old town. 20€ per night (leave by 2 pm the next day, pay by card on exit) plus 2€ for EHU (cash only) 

We walked to the local river beach 5 mins from the Stellplatz  and discovered a ferry which crosses the river Weser , so we caught the ferry across  and walked into the old town along the river, to eat out  and sight see.

Our fellow diner at the street kitchen gathered a lot of attention

Ferry was 6€ return 

Lots  of river traffic

Cathedral 

Town hall /Chamber of commerce 1500's

State parliament building 1996 ( right of photo)  constructed next to 1000 year old cathedral , was a controversial decision

 

Handsome buildings 

Lots of graffiti ' fight gentrification ' 

Large park in the centre ( zig zag style) where everyone chills in the evening 

Interesting statues 

And a lake 

Back to the other side for a drink before bed time