In a previous article, we introduced you to different systems of transport boxes for car, motorhome, camping and off-road travel.

We ourselves rely on the Wolf Packs from Frontrunner for our off-road trips. But 8 black boxes that look the same are extremely impractical in everyday life. We constantly reach for the wrong box and only after opening one of the boxes do we realise that we have opened a clothes box instead of a cooking box.

To avoid this from happening and to make sure we reach for the right box, we have labelled our boxes. And we did this on all four sides, so that we don’t always have to turn the boxes around to see the labelling on just one of the sides.

So, do you just print out a small Dymo label saying “Cooking, cutlery, gas burner” four times? No, the small labels would be quite small, rigid in content and unintuitive.

Instead, we decided to print larger address labels (101mm x 54mm) with catchy symbols using our Dymo LabelWriter 550 *. Pictograms give us a quick overview of the contents of the boxes:

A pill symbol stands for medicines, a stylised dog for the accessories for our four-legged friends, a socket symbol for cables and chargers, a man and woman symbol stands for the clothing boxes and screwdrivers and spanners make the tool box recognisable.

The good thing about these thermal labels: The print is not smeared or affected by moisture and water. The labels are quite tough.

* All links marked with an asterisk are Amazon affiliate links. We receive a percentage of the purchases made through them. Our recommendations are nevertheless honest and sincere.

Der Beitrag Labelling boxes and crates for camping, motorhome, van, offroad and boat erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Requirements for boxes and storage systems

When we started looking for a suitable box system, we attached great importance to the following requirements:

• View-proof transport boxes that do not reveal the contents. No one should be able to see what we store in our boxes when looking through our windscreen in a car park.
• Light weight. This makes the boxes easier to move, plus every gram saves fuel.
• Sturdy construction. Closures, side panels or lids should be strong and resilient.
• Boxes should be easy to stack. This means that boxes can be stacked in a space-saving and stable way, for example on the back seat.
• Boxes should be easy to secure with tension straps.

Frontrunner Wolf Pack Pro

The Wolf Pack Pro from Frontrunner are the top dogs among the transport and organisation boxes. They are shock and impact resistant and protect the contents against dust and water. The boxes can be stacked inside each other and are also suitable as a table or storage when piled up. The boxes are so stable that it is quite possible to stand on them. If the ambient air pressure has changed and a vacuum is created in the box, the Wolf Packs are sometimes a little difficult to open. Pressing on the lid can then remedy the situation.

By means of lashing straps, the boxes can be firmly lashed to the back seat, boot or even outside on the roof rack.

Keine Produkte gefunden.

Eurobox

Next-Gen Portable Euroboxes * are characterised by their durable material. Fitted with the right lids, the boxes can be stacked easily and safely and even lashed down. However, you should avoid standing on the lid with your own body weight.

aidB Eurobox NextGen Portable, 400x300x235mm, 1 St.*

• Robuster, stapelbarer Transportkoffer mit komfortablem Koffergriff und abnehmbarem Klappdeckel mit Scharnieren.
• Praktische Lagerbox mit Deckel: Der Scharnier-Deckel mit Schiebeschnappverschlüssen ist ganz ohne Werkzeug leicht zu montieren.

18,37 EUR

Amazon

Zarges Aluminium-Eurobox

In my opinion, Zarges Euroboxes * are the Mercedes of aluminium boxes. They are dust- and splash-proof thanks to an all-round foamed-in lid seal. Thanks to stacking corners made of impact-resistant plastic, they can be stacked on top of each other in a stable manner.

ZARGES | Aluminium-Universalbox | Inhalt 42 l | Außenmaß LxBxH 600 x 400 x 250 mm*

• Die Aluminium-Universalbox mit einem beeindruckenden Volumen von 42 Litern ist der ideale Ort, um all Ihre wichtigen Utensilien sicher...
• Die integrierten Stapelecken aus robustem Kunststoff sorgen nicht nur für eine rutschsichere Stabilität, sondern auch dafür, dass...

234,64 EUR

Amazon

Stier Alubox

Another inexpensive alternative in the field of aluminium boxes are the aluminium boxes from Stier *. The boxes are stackable, but less stable because there are no stacking corners. Nevertheless, due to the dust and water protection, they are also a visually appealing alternative to other aluminium boxes.

STIER Alubox, Aluminiumbox 30L, Staub- und spritzwasserresistent mit Gummidichtung und 2 Klapphandgriffen, Transportkiste aus...*

• STABILE VERARBEITUNG: Hochwertiges Aluminium und stabile Verarbeitung für einfaches Handling, optimale Lösung zum Aufbewahren, Lagern...
• GESCHÜTZT: Integrierte Gummidichtung gegen Eindringen von Staub- und Spritzwasser, geruchsneutrale Aufbewahrung

77,99 EUR

Amazon

Auer Folding boxes

When it comes to folding boxes, Auer Folding boxes * are way ahead. The advantage of folding boxes is their small pack size when you no longer need the boxes. This saves a lot of space. At the same time, the boxes are not necessarily suitable for use as steps because of the integrated hinges.

Auer Faltbox 60 x 40 x 27 mit Deckel*

• Faltbox im Euromaß mit Klappdeckel FBD 64/27 von Auer 60x40x27cm, 56L
• Lager-, Transport- und Kommissionierbox für Lebensmittel und andere Materialien

46,08 EUR

Amazon

Yorbay Folding boxes with lid

The Yorbay folding boxes * are the budget version of the folding box. Here, too, the lid should not necessarily be used as a step.

Yorbay 2 Stück 55L Profi Klappbox Transportbox Aufbewahrungsbox mit Deckel und Handgriff aus Kunststoff Mehrweg 53x36x29 cm (55L,...*

• Zusammenklappbar und platzsparend: In weniger als einer Minute ist das Produkt zusammen auseinandergebaut. Somit eignet es sich...
• Stapelbar: Aufgrund des intelligenten Designs lassen sich mehrere Aufbewahrungsboxen stabil übereinanderstapeln. Es kann in mehreren...

Amazon

Front Runner Wolf Pack

The predecessor of the above mentioned “Wolf Pack Pro” boxes was the cheaper “Wolf Pack” *. After careful consideration, we finally decided on this concept.

Using lashing straps, the boxes can be lashed inside the vehicle or even outside on the roof rack.
The boxes are so stable and can be stacked on top of each other that they do not slip apart, even on steep slopes. This means that the stacked boxes can also be used as a shelf or standing table.

Front Runner Wolf Pack*

• Robuste, stapelbare Behälter: Wolf Pack Pro Hi-Deckel wurden entwickelt, um den Stauraum in Ihrer Garage, Ihrem Dachboden oder Ihrem...

Amazon

Do you have any other suggestions for keeping things tidy with boxes and crates? What system do you use? Let us know in the comments.

* All links marked with an asterisk are Amazon affiliate links. We receive a percentage of the purchases made through them. Our recommendations are nevertheless honest and sincere.

Der Beitrag Transport boxes for van, motorhome and off-road vehicles erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

The ROWENTA RH9878 X-Force 11.60 comes on board

To be honest, I was initially willing to buy a Dyson because of the design. The devices are simply stylish and their marketing leaves the impression that there would actually be nothing better than a cordless vacuum cleaner from Dyson.

On the other hand, the devices are simply much more expensive in comparison and more inflexible in detail than the ROWENTA RH9878 X-Force 11.60 *. I’ll explain exactly why in the following paragraphs. The Rowenta cost us 279€. This is a great price for this ingenious household appliance. Meanwhile, we have two of these devices: one at home, a second in the camper.

A removable and replaceable battery

The ROWENTA RH9878 X-Force 11.60 * has a removable battery. This has several advantages at once:

• If the battery is running low, I can simply plug a second battery into the vacuum cleaner and continue vacuuming. Only important for use at home, because for the camper one battery lasts several weeks.
• When charging the vacuum cleaner, it is enough to charge the battery, the vacuum cleaner does not have to be near the socket.
• If a battery should ever suffer from old age, I can buy a new battery and change it without having to give the vacuum cleaner to the workshop.

90-degree fold-down suction base allows easy vacuuming under sofas or other furniture

With just one click, the suction tube can simply be folded down in the middle. This allows me to get under the couch without having to crawl along the floor myself. This is by far the biggest advantage of the ROWENTA RH9878 X-Force 11.60 *.

Originally, I was afraid that the suction power would be lost when the suction tube was folded down. This is not the case.

Battery life

Rowenta states a battery runtime of 45 minutes. In reality, the vacuum cleaner manages this time – even after half a year in use. I can clean the entire lower floor of our 160 square meter home and the stairs to the upper floor with one battery. I vacuum tile floors, parquet and long pile carpets in equal measure. In the camper with 2-3 times a week vacuuming, the battery and the suction power is enough for a 3-week trip.

Long pile carpet, parquet, tiles – suction power without switching modes

In the suction foot of the ROWENTA RH9878 X-Force 11.60 * is a rotating roller. This roller collects dirt from different floors and transports it into the suction tube. This is the first major difference from a conventional vacuum cleaner, which works exclusively with negative pressure.

This roller literally “combs” the long pile carpet to be cleaned and gets out some dirt that our normal vacuum cleaner would not have noticed. This is super practical, for example, even with long hair or pet hair.

But the roller has another advantage: switching between a smooth floor and carpet or upholstery is no longer necessary. I clean the living room at home and can switch from tile floor to cowhide or long pile carpet without interruption. And small carpets, the cowhide or floor mats no longer stick to the vacuum cleaner, as with an ordinary vacuum cleaner. There is nothing to hold on to – a huge benefit in everyday life. The old vacuum regularly “ate” the floor mats.

If there is a heavy object on the floor (for example, a large piece of glass or a thick pebble) and the normal suction power is not enough, we can press the turbo trigger and the vacuum cleaner will continue to suck with enormously increased suction power.

Emptying the tank

Emptying the container is quite simple. Open the container, take out the dirt, wipe dry once with a cloth. Every three months, you can also blow through the container once with the compressor, so that the filter remains clean.

From floor vacuum cleaner to hand vacuum

With just one click, the suction tube can be removed and we get a power hand vacuum cleaner. The inlet of this “hand vacuum cleaner„ then has a bristle brush on the vacuum. I use this regularly for baseboards, the car, upholstered furniture – or even in the camper.

Also ingenious: As a handheld vacuum cleaner with brush, the device is perfect for cleaning computer keyboards, notebooks or PC cases.

Special offer

Rowenta X-Force Flex 11.60 Kabelloser Stabstaubsauger, Tierpflege, 130-Watt-Saugleistung, 25,2 V Wechselakku, bis zu 45 Min....*

• EFFIZIENZ, DIE AUF DER HAND LIEGT: Ein Kontrolldisplay zeigt die verbleibende Laufzeit im Minutentakt an und ermöglicht es Ihnen, die...
• VERLÄNGERTE LAUFZEIT: Der herausnehmbare 7-Zellen-Akku (25,2 V) gewährleistet eine hohe und konstante Saugleistung von bis zu 45...

−121,96 EUR 214,99 EUR

Amazon

All links marked with * in this post are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you purchase through these links, we will receive a commission. Nevertheless, this review is real and not bought. I could recommend any other cordless vacuum to you, but I love the ROWENTA RH9878 X-Force 11.60 and wouldn’t want to be without it.

Der Beitrag Rowenta X-Force in camping use: battery vacuum cleaner for motorhome and caravan erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Gardena adapter for all common water hoses – find a connection throughout Europe

If you travel abroad a lot, you know the problem: sometimes you will find a faucet with 1/4 inch thread, sometimes with 3/4 inch thread. So that you can find a connection everywhere with your Gardena flat hose, you will need these adapters. It is best to get a small Tupperdose for storage and store the adapters near your water hose.

Gardena Profi-System-Hahnstück: Hahnverbinder für Wasserhähne mit 26,5 mm (G 3/4 Zoll)-Gewinde, Hahnanschluss für höheren...*

• Idealer Anschluss: Das Hahnstück funktioniert bei allen Wasserhähnen mit 26,5 mm (G 3/4 Zoll)-Gewinde
• Für Ihr Profi-System: Das Hahnstück ist der ideale Hahnanschluss für andere Gardena Profi-System-Teile

8,02 EUR

Amazon

Gardena Profi-System-Hahnstück: Hahnverbinder für Wasserhähne mit 33,3 mm (G 1 Zoll)-Gewinde, Hahnanschluss für höheren...*

• Perfekter Anschluss: Das Hahnstück funktioniert bei allen Wasserhähnen mit 33,3 mm (G 1 Zoll)-Gewinde
• Für Ihr Profi-System: Das Hahnstück ist der ideale Hahnanschluss für andere Gardena Profi-System-Teile

7,89 EUR

Amazon

Another tip to save space: 20m Gardena roll hose / flat hose

It is simply practical and hygienic to have your own water hose to take fresh water with you. The only problem is that a long hose takes up a lot of valuable space and is very heavy. Remaining water in the hose additionally increases the weight and can leak into the motorhome storage space. With this flat hose this is no longer a problem. It weighs only approx. 2 kg and can be stowed away super space-savingly. I personally have two of these hoses with me and can extend them to 40m by plugging them together. So I can reach a water tap on almost every camping site without any problems.

Special offer

Gardena Classic roll-fix Flachschlauch 20 mit Kassette: Platzsparende Schlauchkassette mit Wasserschlauch (Ø 12 mm in Kassette),...*

• Ideal für Unterwegs: Das leichte Gewicht und das kompakte Gehäuse machen die Tragekassette mit dem Flachschlauch zum idealen...
• Sofort Einsatzbereit: Der Flachschlauch ist mit allen nötigen Original Gardena Systemteilen und einer Spritze ausgestattet und somit...

−37,09 EUR 99,90 EUR

Amazon

Another tip for all motorhome drivers on the subject of hoses: Never use the hose attached to disposal stations to fill up your water tank, but never really do. Most likely, somebody has put it in his shit tank before.

All the links in this text are Amazon Affiliate Links, and by clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a percentage of your subsequent Amazon purchases. However, this circumstance does not influence the background of my product recommendation. This product recommendation is independent, honest and sincere. 

Bei allen genannten Links handelt es sich um Amazon-Affiliate-Links. Durch einen Klick auf einen Affiliate-Link werde ich prozentual an Euren darauf folgenden Amazon-Einkäufen beteiligt. Dieser Umstand beeinflusst aber nicht die Hintergründe meiner Produktempfehlung. Diese Produktempfehlung erfolgt unabhängig, ehrlich und aufrichtig.

Der Beitrag Adapter for all common water taps for camping and camper vans erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Restrictions due to low season and only on the surface campervan-friendly

This blog post almost didn’t exist. Although Brittany and Normandy offer breathtaking landscapes and an excellent cuisine, our daily travels sometimes presented us with various challenges, not to mention disappointments. In the meantime, in particularly frustrating moments, we said several times: “No, we don’t advertise these regions in the form of a travelblog”.

Several times we had the feeling that the travelled regions only wanted to be attractive for tourists during the absolute peak season, namely the French holiday season in July. Too often at the end of June we stood in front of closed restaurants, camping sites or even in almost extinct cities. At the Rosagranit coast in Ploumanach we wanted, like many other tourists, to have dinner in the evening, but in the whole village there were only two open restaurants, all completely occupied and fully booked. All other restaurants were still closed. There would have been enough guests. One could think to have found out slightly sarcastically why France has to struggle with such a high (youth) unemployment: Probably because nobody works – except in July. For a region that is ambitious in terms of tourism, this is poor.

For motorhome travellers there is another serious point of frustration: parking motorhomes in public parking lots is almost impossible. Height-limiting beams prevent motorhomes from entering almost all central car parks. Presumably so that motorhome owners are more likely to drive to the local campsites. This in itself is an approach that we can understand against the economic background, but which only makes sense if the campsites are actually open. Small consolation: There are a lot of motorhome sites with supply and disposal. Unfortunately, these are often located far outside the villages. Due to the lack of alternatives, we often had to park on camper sites and often had to pay for whole overnight stays, although we only spent a few hours on site. In our eyes this country is therefore only superficial.

If one would simply pronounce overnight bans on parking lots instead of height barriers, the visit of some places would be less complicated and more pleasant.

Now that we got rid of our frustration right at the beginning of this article, we can leave out the beautiful things like cuisine, culture and nature in the rest of the blog entry.
Have fun with our photos and tips!

1. Day: Porta Westfalica – Dunkerque

Dunkerque is to become the starting point of our journey. At 7:30 am we leave Porta Westfalica and make a stopover in Mühlheim an der Ruhr. Here we get the so-called ACSI card from a camping outfitter close to the motorway, with which we expect discounts at various camping sites in the low season. At the end of our holiday the 26€ Campingcard has earned us a discount of one (in numbers “1”) Euro – in our case a complete failure.

Our dog Trüffel spends the trip in the foot space of the co-driver, it is the first time motorhome with dog. We are curious what awaits us. Around 15:15 o’clock we reach the parking lot in Dunkirk.

Mirrored bunker at the beach of Dunkerque  – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

From the dunes in front of the campsite we see something silver on the horizon shining in the sun. Looks like a huge cuboid wrapped in aluminium foil. As we get closer, we realize that it is a bunker completely covered with mirror shards from the Second World War.

Michelle’s mirror image in the shards glued to the bunker – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

A kind of art project from the year 2016: the broken fragments of mirrors, in which the face of each observer is reflected, offer infinite space for interpretation.

Remains of bunkers from the Second World War – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

A few 100 metres away are the other bunkers. Not as grey as they used to be, some only covered with graffiti, others transformed into real works of art by graffiti. We do know the bunkers on Denmark’s west coast, but we haven’t seen such a bunker village as here yet. The complex here consists of several buildings with catacomb-like accommodations and guard buildings.

Graffiti with historical reference at one of the bunker remains – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Admittedly, it feels oppressive and wrong to take German photos of the bunkers. Nobody should think that we like what happened here just because we take pictures of it. Only a few days ago the D-Day remembrance celebrations took place here. During the storm on these bunkers probably countless people lost their lives. This must never happen again on European ground.

Bath cabins on the beach of Dunkerque in front of a threatening rain front – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

Towards evening we head west, into the city centre of Dunkirk. We stroll along the front row of beaches, past the bathing huts to the restaurant “Face à la mer”. The French cuisine welcomes us with mussels in garlic cream and white wine stock and the weather with a warm light in a threatening, dark cloud scenery.

Daniel was in France for the last time in 2005. At that time nobody spoke English, especially not by himself. Today we were addressed several times directly in English, when the locals noticed that we were not completely capable of the national language. A development that in itself was accommodating. In a bar we were even addressed in perfect German. Crazy world. Should that be the case everywhere now? Yes.

2. Day: Dunkerque – Cap Blanc-Nez – Stella Plage – Dieppe

The day begins with an instant coffee in the motorhome. It doesn’t taste like freshly ground coffee, but it’s a tradition, for us it’s just part of it. We set off for a short detour to “Cap Blanc-Nez”, a stretch of coast on France’s chalk cliff coast. In good weather one should be able to recognize the war rocks in front of Dover. Today this is not so. In the foggy air above the English Channel the visibility is very limited. We walk a little around the Cap Blanc-Nez and once again we notice the traces of the war. The hills around the Cap are dotted with bomb funnels, which can still be seen today. No wonder, because the Germans had installed a casemate facility here, which was able to shoot tons of projectiles into the cities at England’s south coast.

Chalk cliffs at Cap Blanc-Nez – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

In advance we had read a blog that recommended a free parking space in Stella Plage. Directly behind the dunes one can park here with the camper van and reach the wide beach in only a few minutes on foot. This should be great especially for dog owners to be able to let the four-legged friend walk without a leash. The blog was right about the parking place and the beach, but Stella Plage is a ghost town. The city planned on the drawing board was almost deserted, half decayed restaurants and bars as far as the eye could see. We dare to doubt if this looks different in the high season.

This is what Stella Plage looks like and Macron is probably to blame for it. Uh-huh. – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

After an extensive walk along the beach we return to the camper site and decide to continue our journey towards Dieppe. The afternoon is still young and we also want to have dinner somewhere in civilisation tonight. Stella Plage is almost scary, there are definitely more beautiful places.

Our dog ” Trüffel ” has fun at the wide beach of Stella Plage – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

3. Day: Dieppe – Étretat – Phare D’Antifer – Honfleur

Our plan from the previous day was only partly successful. In Dieppe we stopped at a fish restaurant the evening before and ate the first seafood platter we had longed for. Unfortunately it was very expensive, but not very good. The crabs had probably died of old age. At least we stopped at a small bar afterwards, that was a nice conclusion. The mobile home parking place in Dieppe is basically a better parking place and therefore not worth mentioning. The only advantage is that one gets quickly to the city.

Thus, before we leave in the morning, we buy some fresh pastries and fruit for the way and then we start our way to Étretat.

Michelle on the rocks of Étretat, in the background the famous rock arch – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Ètretat is definitely worth a visit, especially for those who like to take photos. The chalk cliffs and the famous arch are excellent motifs. There is only one thing you should not do here, and that is to rely on Google Maps navigation if you want to follow the route on foot to the rocks. We walk up a mountain for three quarters of an hour and then realize that the navigation app wants to guide us over a fenced golf course. Well, that’s how Daniel comes to do some sport.

The northern chalk cliffs of Étretat  – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 90 seconds

The southern chalk cliffs of Étretat  – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 90 seconds

We’re heading for Honfleur from Étretat. Here a beautiful harbour town with old houses, romantic alleys and good restaurants awaits us. If only it weren’t for the search for a suitable pitch for the night. There are about 300 motorhomes parked on the designated motorhome site, the site is packed, no chance. As an emergency solution we want to drive to another local campsite, which can only be reached by a particularly narrow lane.

When Daniel narrowly escaped a nervous break due to the narrow street, we notice that also the camping site is completely occupied. Another campsite, a little further outside has already closed, and so we search on satellite pictures at Google Maps for suitable sites. Finally we find what we are looking for. There are already 15 other motorhomes on a parking lot that is used by buses. The place is free, we stand directly at the water, definitely better than the official and overcrowded place.

The port of Honfleur at the blue hour – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max.120 seconds

After an extensive dinner in the “Le Bistro du Port” our mood gets better again. The day has been quite a good one for us, especially the frustration with the pitches in between. The blue hour rewards our efforts with beautiful views in the historic old town of Honfleur and all the trouble is forgotten.

View into the romantic back streets of Honfleur – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 individual shots

4. Day: Honfleur – Nez de Jobourg

In order to get to the Nez de Jobourg, roads and car dimensions present us with some new challenges. Sweat-bathed we finally reach our free parking space again with a view of the lighthouse.

View from the cliffs at Nez de Jobourg – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

We walk over the cliffs, Daniel climbs down the steep rocks to take pictures. If we hadn’t bought something for the barbecue, we would probably have stopped for dinner at the “Auberge des Grottes”, a cute restaurant with friendly and cordial service, where we stopped for a beer after our hike.

This is a great view from our pitch at the Cap de Jobourg: In the distance the lighthouse lights up at night. – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

5. Day: Nez de Jobourg – Mont St. Michel – Cancale

For those who want to watch Japanese tourists squeezing their way through supposedly romantic old town alleys on holiday and buy soft ice cream or plastic souvenirs made in China in the light of flickering LED advertisements, Mont St. Michel is a real must-see. If you don’t belong to this group, stay away. Take a look at the following pictures and imagine small, almost deserted alleys in the romantic lantern light. It doesn’t get any better than in your imagination.

View on Mont St. Michel – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

This picture of Mont St. Michel is a lie: It looks deserted, but it is only because of the long exposure. – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

After the overcrowded Mont St. Michel we continue to Cancale, the oyster capital of France. We quickly find a camper van site near Cancale, from here we reach the restaurant “Au Pied d’Cheval” in only 15 minutes on foot. With warm service we sit outside in the sunshine and drink Chardonnay to the best seafood platter of all times. What a cute restaurant with a great outdoor terrace. But the name of the restaurant comes from the tool used to open the oysters: a mixture of horseshoe and crowbar is used to crack the oysters – an ingenious construction that also seems to work: We do not find any shell pieces in our oysters.

The best seafood plate of the holiday in Cancale – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

6. Day: Cancale – Rothéneuf – St. Malo

The beach of Rothéneuf was actually on our list as a possible pitch. But since we were here early in the morning, we only visited this place without an overnight stay. Instead we munched our breakfast from a bakery near Cancale. During the morning walk we took the following pictures.

Dried algae on the beach of Rothéneuf – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

Low tide at the beach of Rothéneuf – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

Our pitch in St. Malo is far outside. The way to the city centre is not necessarily nice, one walks past the ferry terminals and the freight harbour. Also otherwise St. Malo has not necessarily hit us from the stool. The city is strongly influenced by tourism, with all the disadvantages that this entails: expensive food of bad quality, overcrowded places, garbage. Only at the north side of the city walls ending in the water we take a long time picture of the surf, drink a cider and then go back to the camper van. St. Malo – you can do that, but you don’t have to.

Waves at the walls of St. Malo – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 20 seconds

7. Day: St. Malo – Dinan – Fort La Latte – Cap Fréhel

Dinan actually consists of two parts: The upper old town and the small harbour “Port de Dinan”. Both districts knock us down, whereby we like the harbour area much more than the upper oldtown. We have lunch, the sun shines, which is a nice day. Those who like can spend the night in a camper van very close to the “Port de Dinan”. Today, we only use this parking place for parking (and actually we don’t have to pay for the whole night).

Port de Dinan – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

We continue to one of the most famous and impressive caps of the French Atlantic coast, the “Cap Fréhel”. Here, too, Daniel spares no effort and danger for the perfect cliff photo. Michelle can’t watch it at all, nor can truffles. But the difficult descent is worth it, great pictures are taken.

View from the cliffs of the Cap Fréhel – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

You can’t hear anything down on the cliffs where Daniel takes the pictures. No tourists, no cars, only the dull waves on the rough cliffs, the seabirds and the wind. It may sound artificial and hackneyed, but such moments are rare in life. This rocky promontory has something meditative and calming that we have never experienced before. Nothing else is important down here, just the moment – and perhaps to watch where you step.

Cap Fréhel and its lighthouse – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-time exposures of max. 30 seconds

8. Day: Cap Frehel – Abbaye de Beauport – Plougrescant – Ploumanach

On our way to Plougrescant we pass the “Abbaye de Beauport” and visit it. A ruined church that was reconquered by nature. Unfortunately the Abbaye has closed and we can only admire it from the outside and through fences.

The Abbaye de Beauport – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Let us come to a highlight of the trip, that is the coast at Plougrescant. Here stands the famous “house between the rocks”. But this place has even more to offer. This coastal section appears almost unreal with its different landscapes that are so close to each other. While we look in one direction into a kind of rock desert, we look in the opposite direction into a green meadow landscape and feel reminded of the hobbit empire of Lord of the Rings.

The “House between the rocks” in Plougrescant – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 9 individual shots

As in the Shire: Landscape on the opposite side of the “House between the rocks” – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 individual shots

The weather today is mixed. The sun is not shining, grey clouds are hanging in the sky, in between it is drizzling. And that’s a good thing, because the weather suits this landscape. In between the sun shines through the clouds and plunges individual areas of nature into a golden light, which is typical for us in Brittany. It doesn’t bother us that we often wear a rain parka, somehow it feels as if it has to be like this.

Rocky landscape like on another planet in Plougrescant – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Typical Brittany: The sun shines through the clouds and bathes the landscape in a unique light. – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Towards evening we reach our present pitch, a campsite on the Rosa Granit coast near Ploumanach. For dinner we want to go to the city and according to the woman at the campsite reception, it is only a 30 minute walk to the campsite. So we set off. It follows the most beautiful walk for a long time.

On the way to the lighthouse of Ploumanach – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

The Pink Granite Coast near Ploumanach – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Lighthouse of Ploumanach – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

As beautiful as the walk is, if you take a lot of photos, you won’t make it in 30 minutes. After 1 1/2 hours we reach the city. This is one of those sobering evenings. Of 12 restaurants, only two are open, but they are completely occupied and overcrowded. Also other tourists desperately look for a table in the restaurants. Too bad. Potential wasted in our eyes. On this evening there is spaghetti with sauce in the motorhome.

Old chapel on the coastline of Ploumanach – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

9. Day: Ploumanach – Roscoff

Today it’s all about Roscoff. First we visit the botanical garden. A non-profit association manages here with much love and work a large area, which is in no way inferior to the famous gardens in the south of England. A visit is worthwhile in any case.

Cactus pavilion in the botanical garden of Roscoff – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Also today we stand on a free parking lot south-west of the city centre of Roscoff. On foot we go inland, eat crépes, drink cider and visit the fishing port. Only in the evening we notice that our pitch is directly in front of an abandoned “ghost castle” with a terrible history.

Nothing goes on here: Ebb tide in Roscoff – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

View over the garden fence in Roscoff – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Daniel waits longingly for his crepe in Roscoff, after all the cider is already there. – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Fishing boats are waiting for the tide in the port of Roscoff – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

10. Day: Roscoff – Mont’s D’arrée – Huelgoat

Today’s tour takes us inland. At the highest mountain of Northern France we visit the small mountain chapel “Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts”. The climb up here was worth it, the view is breathtaking.

The old mountain chapel on Mont D’arré – Nikon D500, Samyang 8mm Fisheye | HDR-Composition of 9 individual shots

Fish-Eye photo inside the mountain chapel at the Mont D’arré – Nikon D500, Samyang 8mm Fisheye | HDR-Composition of 9 individual shots

On the altar of the mountain chapel travellers from all over the world have placed small souvenirs and presents. On handwritten notes on the altar the visitors ask for the fulfilment of their wishes, health, peace, justice. Let us hope that the wishes will come true.

The altar of the mountain chapel at the Mont D’arré – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Arriving in Huelgoat, we set off for the forest. In a gorge, huge, roundish stones, like shaped by a giant, await us, which are washed around or under by watercourses every now and then. Along the old water mill we make our way deeper into the forest.

Long-term exposure of the old water mill in Huelgoat – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

We make our way deeper into the forest of Huelgoat and squeeze ourselves through the narrow rocks – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Daniel explores the rocks in the forest of Huelgoat – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM

If you have seen enough rocks, you can end your trip with a cute creperie in the forest. A hearty “Galette” or a sweet “Crépes” as well as a cider will help you to process your impressions.

11. Day: Huelgoat – Le Phare Petit Minou – Roscanvel – Camaret sur mer

Today is the day when you could go on a beach holiday. The bay at the Phare Petit Minou and the sunny weather invite inevitably to it. Unfortunately, there is still a longer tour on our list, which is why we skip the part about bathing.

A sunny day at Phare Petit Minou – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-term exposure shots of 30 seconds maximum

The lighthouse Phare Petit Minou seen from its bay – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

A sunny day at Phare Petit Minou – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

View of the Strait in front of Phare Petit Minou – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Next stop on our tour is Roscanvel with the “Îlot des Capucins”, on the Crozon Peninsula. On the Crozon Peninsula you really seem to hate motorhomes. Parking is forbidden almost everywhere, but campsites do not open until July. Thanks for nothing.

Daniel on a cliff ledge of the cliffs of Roscanvel – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM

The strategic fort “Fort des Capucins” was built in 1848. With its artillery batteries, it controlled access to the Strait of Brest. During the Second World War, the island and its buildings were severely damaged by Allied bombing after German occupation. The island is not touristically developed, the access is officially forbidden, but not impossible. Those who want to venture down the narrow rock stairs should wear sturdy shoes and have no fear of heights. Neither the descent nor the stay on the island is completely harmless.

Descent to “Îlot des Capucins” – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

On the old bridge to the island “Îlot des Capucins” you can see Daniel – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM

This place is creepy. This is partly due to the eventful history of this island, its “Lost Places” character, partly due to the creepy Grafittis and the uncanny silence down here. Inevitably you have to imagine what the life of the soldiers down here must have been like. How did the people here live in everyday life? Did the stationed people long for their wives and families? Were they afraid? How long did the occupying forces know that the Allies were on their way to them? These questions contribute to the fact that a stay on the “Îlot des Capucins” feels queasy and oppressive.

The ruins on the “Îlot des Capucins” were conquered by flora and fauna – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Some ruins of the der “Îlot des Capucins” were decorated with partly creepy Grafittis– Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

In the evening we stand on a campsite in Camaret sur mer. In the small village we find great restaurants, bars, the harbour church and a ship cemetery. We can only recommend this place to every traveller.

The ship cemetery of Camaret sur mer – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

The old ship is tired – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Highlight of Camaret sur mer for us is the bar “Rhumerie”. Here there are not only various Breton beers and handmade coctails, but also various kinds of rum, refined by ingredients such as caramel, almonds, etc. wait for the guest. Rarely do you experience that restaurateurs do their job with so much joy, dedication and cordiality as here. We are thrilled.

In the “Rhumerie” of Camaret sur mer the day comes to an end – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

12. Day: Camaret sur mer – Locronan

Before we leave Camaret sur mer for good, we visit the stone circle and the ruins of the house “Manoir De Coecilian” of the writer and poet Saint-Pol-Roux.

Stone circles in Camaret sur Mer  – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Ruins of the Manoir De Coecilian house of the writer and poet Saint-Pol-Roux in Camaret sur mer – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

“Manoir De Coecilian” was once a pretty estate of the poet Saint-Pol-Roux near the coast. The house has a turbulent history behind it: on the night of 24 June 1940, a soldier of the German Wehrmacht attacked the house, killed his housekeeper and injured his daughter Divine. On 3 October the estate was plundered and many manuscripts destroyed. On 18 October 1940, Saint-Pol-Roux died in Brest. In 1944, the estate was bombed and destroyed by the Allies, a large part of the manuscripts remained missing.

Painting on the remains of the “Manoir De Coecilian” in Camaret sur mer – Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

Around noon we reach our campsite in Locronan, one of the most beautiful villages in France. Here we meet the friendliest campsite operator in the world and indulge in culinary delights. We not only buy fine Breton caramel and chocolate products, but also eat in the Michelin restaurant “Ar Maen Hir” – an absolute must-have during a visit to Locronan.

A wide selection of Breton chocolate and caramel in Locronan – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

13. Day: Locronan – Concarneaux – Pont-Aven – St. Cado

With a stopover in Pont-Aven we continue our journey. The small town, with its innumerable artists’ studios, has become a tourist magnet. Unfortunately, because one notices this at overcrowded sidewalks, restaurants and the hectic crowd. This place is not necessarily suitable for relaxing.

Ebb tide in Pont-Aven – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

In the evening we reach our camping site near the small island “St. Cado”. Also here all restaurants have already closed at 19:00 o’clock, only a small bar at the harbour welcomes us for one or two beers and cider.

The island St. Cado at the beginning of the blue hour – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art | HDR-Composition of 9 long-term exposure shots of 30 seconds maximum

A lonely house on a small island near St. Cado – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art |HDR-Composition of 9 long-term exposure shots of 30 seconds maximum

14. Day:  St. Cado – Étel – Quiberon – Montlouis sur Loire

Today we’re going to Belle-Île. We start in St. Cado, first visit the ship cemetery in Étel and then drive on to the Quiberon peninsula, from where we want to cross over to Belle-Île.

The skeleton of an old fishing boat at the ship graveyard of Étel- Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 DC OS HSM | HDR-Composition of 5 individual shots

To cut a long story short: the Quiberon peninsula is a nightmare for campers and motorhomes. Every parking lot forbidden, height barriers and not even at the roadside you can stop for a small snapshot, because all roadsides are barricaded with wooden posts. Conveniently located camping or pitches? No, not at all.

When we arrive at the ferry terminal to Belle-Île, an extremely unfriendly port employee tells us that there would be no crossing to Belle-Île without a reservation.

We are frustrated and annoyed and leave Brittany early. Another 7 hours later we reach the campsite in Montlouis sur Loire in the Loire valley. Here we buy some crates of wine the next day and slowly start our way home via the “Lac du der” at Giffaumont-Champaubert (not recommended), Luxembourg and the Moselle at Bremm. The France travelogue ends at this point.

Finally a picture of our Trüffle in the camper bedroom – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

What photographic equipment did we have with us?

Below you will find affiliate links to the equipment we use:

• Camera Nikon D500
• Camera Nikon D7500
• Lens Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM
• Lens Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 EX DC OS HSM
• Lens Walimex Pro 8mm f1:3,5 Fish-Eye
• ND-Filterset HAIDA Slim PRO II
• Rollei Cable remote shutter for Nikon
• Traveltripod Rollei Compact Carbon (980 g incl. tripodhead)
• Camera-Carrying-System Peak Design Capture Clip v3
• Waterproof photo backpack from Beschoi
• iPhone 8 Plus

All the links in this text are Amazon Affiliate Links, and by clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a percentage of your subsequent Amazon purchases. However, this circumstance does not influence the background of my product recommendation. This product recommendation is independent, honest and sincere. 

Bei allen genannten Links handelt es sich um Amazon-Affiliate-Links. Durch einen Klick auf einen Affiliate-Link werde ich prozentual an Euren darauf folgenden Amazon-Einkäufen beteiligt. Dieser Umstand beeinflusst aber nicht die Hintergründe meiner Produktempfehlung. Diese Produktempfehlung erfolgt unabhängig, ehrlich und aufrichtig.

Der Beitrag A June in Brittany – Travelling the Atlantic coast of France by motorhome erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

This map gives you a graphical overview of our route and stations.

You can also download the waypoints and the route as a KML file under this Link .

Day 1: Porta Westfalica -> Prichsenstadt
04.07.2018

Motorways, motorways and motorways. We start about 18:00 o’clock in Porta Westfalica, although we wanted to start actually already at 14:00 o’clock. Thank you dear work.

Information box at the motorhome parking lot at the Schützenhaus in Prichsenstadt – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

Around 00:00 o’clock we reach the quiet “mobile home parking lot at the Schützenhaus” in the small town of Prichsenstadt. Here you can get water and electricity for 8,50 Euro per night – in addition there is a cute information box with envelopes for the insertion of money, information about the surroundings and written information from the campground attendant that you can buy schnapps from him during office hours.

Day 2: Prichsenstadt -> Rovinj
05.07.2018

We start the day with fresh lye biscuits and coffee in a small bakery in Prichsenstadt and all that for only 4,80 Euro. This place with its wine taverns and winegrower rooms really has charm. A southern German village with old town and cobblestones like from a picture book. We will definitely come back.

fountain in the centre of Prichsenstadt, in the background the bakery – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

We buy vignettes for Austria and Slovenia at a crowded petrol station behind Munich. The first 20 minutes on the motorway in Slovenia lead us to the short statement that this country is not very appealing. As we approach the coast, however, our impression is completely different: Slovenia itself is an interesting destination for us, with its green mountain ranges and small Mediterranean coastal towns. Finally we reach the Croatian border around 18:00 o’clock. Our first destination should be Rovinj.

As the first Croatian campsite we approach „Camping Polari“. It turns out that this is just such a campsite that we did not want. Four hundred own restaurants, water parks, pool areas, stages and a lot of animation for all those who just like it. We don’t like it.

Our campsite directly on the water at the campsite Polari in Rovinj – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

No matter, because our “premium pitch” in the first row at the water compensates with its view over the bay. From the other side of the bay, Helene Fischer covers with Croatian dialect sound to us in the evenings, at least in terms of craftsmanship, quite well sung. A thunderstorm with heavy rainfall and hail interrupts the spectacle and we fall asleep with the constant rainfall.

Tipp: If you want to spend the evenings outside in Krotien, you should definitely get Autan or other anti-mosquito products in spring, summer and autumn. The little beasts will kill you otherwise. 

Day 3: Rovinj
06.07.2018

The taxi boat to Rovinj invites us at 13:00 o’clock at the campsite and takes us after a 20-minute drive to the beautiful port city. Who has the possibility, should prefer the journey on the water instead of bus and taxi or the general journey on the land way. Especially from this point of view the city shows its best side.

Rovinj is perfect to reach by taxi boat – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

The beautiful parts of Rovinj consist almost exclusively of the old town and small streets. These lead to the cathedral on the highest point of the city. From here you have an excellent view over the city and the surrounding bays.

 
View of the Old Town of Rovinj from the boat in the marina – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Here in Rovinj, street markets invite you to try out local wines and explore the innumerable little streets with their artists’ shops and cafés.

Laundry hangs in front of the shutters in the alleys of Rovinj – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

For lunch we eat a fish and seafood platter for two in the crease of a small alley in the „Ristaurante Marinero“. It just tastes great. Generally, there are many gems of gastronomy in the city: bars, cafés and restaurants offer enough reasons to stay several days in Rovinj and “eat your way through” everywhere.

In the alleys of Rovinj you can find hidden restaurants and cafés. – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

The day ends with a night swim in the small bay on the campsite, directly in front of our motorhome. After showering under the cold beach shower we are rather awake than tired.

Day 4: Rovinj -> Pula -> Premantura, Region Kap Kamenjak
07.07.2018

At home we drink our coffee from the fully automatic machine as a morning ritual, here in the motorhome we have instant coffee in the morning – with hot water from the gas hob. One last time we look at the small bay and secretly hope that not all campsites in Croatia have this resort character like this one.

Then we leave for Pula. There is supposed to be such a beautiful old arena, similar to the Colosseum in Rome. Already at the entrance to the inner city we realize that we had hoped for Pula in our imagination more beautiful. Quickly it was clear for us: Pula, that is for us the Bielefeld of Istria. Away from the centre it is rather grey and industrial, with quite nice corners, but only very few of them. Those who are here would actually rather be somewhere else. And if you have the choice, instead of visiting Pula you should plan one day more for the nature reserve Premantura south of Pula and Cape Kamenjak.

The Roman Arena of Pula – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

In the afternoon we reach the campsite „Arena Stupice“ directly above the Cape Kamenjak. Thank God, our worries were in vain, there seem to be campsites without this animation. After initial difficulties with a defective power distributor we rent a small boat with outboard motor and explore the offshore islands and coastal sections.

Camping Arena Stupice: Motorhomes in a circle on a small peninsula – Samsung S7 Rear-Camera

We anchor in a small bay with our “outboard motor yacht”, swim in extremely salty and clear sea water and Daniel gets the obligatory sunburn (I swear I really put some sunscreen on).

Day 5: Kap Kamenjak
08.07.2018

After the coffee we lift the bicycles out of the garage and set off with our bikes to Cape Kamenjak. Here the visitor can expect countless beaches with crystal clear water, pine forests and small idyllic bays. There’s only one thing that doesn’t await us here: bike paths made for classic city bikes. Our old grandma and grandpa bikes from the nineties reach their limits on the uneven gravel roads of Cape Kamenjak and their stones.

The Portic bay at Cape Kamenjak is also very popular with water sports enthusiasts – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Tipp: If you want to ride a bicycle in Croatia, you should pack mountain bikes with a decent profile and resistant tires. Everything else is torture for man and material.

At first Michelle had hoped to be able to circumnavigate the entire cape by bicycle at the coast, after all there had been enough bicycle paths signposted. Furthermore, we had already found some interesting paths on the shore during the boat tour the day before and wanted to explore them now with the bicycle. All vinegar: These ways leading around the cape prove themselves much too often as stony and stepped footpaths and were simply unsuitable for the bicycle. So we carried our old bikes around the eastern half of the cape, and then went over to drive to the remaining beaches from the “main roads” from the middle of the cape.

We grant our city bikes a short break – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

We especially remember the “Safari Bar” on the western side of the Cape. A real adventure playground for young and old has been built here between dense vegetation. Countless dense corridors through pine trees, bushes and hedges hide seating and the bar. We had a beer and a cheese and olive platter for refreshment. Maybe one or the other knows the ZDF movie “Treasure Island” from 1966 – in the “Safari Bar” you can feel a little like the crew members at the log cabin. Jim Hawkins, Silver and Doctor Livesey are just around the corner. 

Short break at the Safari Bar – Samsung S7 Rear-Camera

Also recommended is a small bay with restoration on the eastern side of the cape. In the bay „Portić“ there are delicious burgers and drinks under big pine trees. The low bar with its cute bathing bay offers a great refuge from heat and thirst and a unique ambience. 

Restoration in the bay Portic – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Day 6: Premantura Region Kap Kamenjak -> Island Cres, Town of Cres
09.07.2018

Today we leave the northern tip of Croatia called Istria. The road “66” leads us on this day through a rural region just before Raša. To the right of the road flows a river with extremely turquoise water, in the background a cloudburst illuminates the ruins of an old factory in the forest. We just have to stop and take a photo. We discover extremely thick fish in the river in front of us.

Green river just before Raša – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Shortly before Zagore we notice that our navigation system wants to send us via the island of Cres towards Krk. Well, whatever, we just follow the thing. Cres is supposed to be quite nice, Michelle says. In Brestova we drive on a completely overcrowded car ferry. We don’t notice much of the passage, because the cars are parked so close to the ferry that we can’t leave the motorhome – the doors don’t open. 

The landscape on Cres is reminiscent of a mix of Norway and Greece – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

The decision to drive over Cres was one of the best spontaneous decisions of the holiday. We follow the main road of this charming and original island, the D100 in northern direction. We drive on mountain ridges, through stone fields, primeval forests, and enjoy indescribable views.

View from the central road of the island of Cres – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

After we found a place on the camping site „Kovacine“ a little bit more remote from the village Cres, which by the way was possible for city hopping or a trip through the country so far on every camping site for a few nights also without reservation, we notice that it is unexpectedly only a few minutes on foot into the city.

In the evening the restaurants in the harbour fill up and the lights reflect on the water – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

We are clearly surprised by the beauty of this place and its small harbour. Past seductive gelatinies, onto the terrace of the pretty blue and white furnished restaurant „Feral“ directly at the harbour basin. How could it be otherwise, we order a fish platter for two and the tastiest homemade bread with the best olive oil we have found so far. It is not for nothing that Cres advertises with big street signs that the island is known for the best olive oil. Our very hospitable waiter tells us that he gets his olive oil delivered by an older gentleman, who produces the oil in his own small production. And where do we get this fine wine from? “The waiter laughs at us and we take 3 litres of the oil with us without thinking twice. With a tasty ice cream on the hand it goes back into the mobile home.

Dinner at the restaurant “Feral” in the port of Cres – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

What is the best way to sum up the island of Cres in a few words? Maybe like this: Cres is a mixture of Sweden, Norway and Greece. The trip to the island capital Cres was absolutely impressive for both of us. Not only the island as such, but also the small fishing village “Cres” is worth a visit. 

The back streets of the city of Cres also offer a great atmosphere – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Day 7: Island Cres -> Island Krk und Town of Malinska -> Camp Kozica near Sibinj Krmpotski
10.07.2018

Michelle is really a little truffle pig for beautiful places. You press a map and a mobile phone with Tripadvisor and Instagram into her hand and she sniffs out the most dreamy places, the most remote bays and the most beautiful beaches. With this gift she is significantly involved in the genesis of this blog entry. Her research leads us today to a remote beach on the island of Krk, to which we land from Cres. When we arrive in Malinska, Daniel can’t really believe that Michelle wants to go swimming here somewhere: everything is full of people, the bays are full of inflatable animals and parasols.

As we walk along the promenade of Malinska in northern direction, we pass some decayed or closed hotel complexes, or better said, what is left of it. The hope that we will find a nice place here disappears.

The “Restaurant Laguna” at the promenade of Malinska has already seen better times – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

But Michelle has done her homework with Instagram and various social networks. After about an hour’s walk in a northerly direction we reach almost deserted bays with crystal clear water.

Small harbour north of Malinska – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

After an extensive bath in the cool Adriatic water we continue our journey and leave the island of Krk over the northernmost bridge.

Cooling down in a deserted bay with crystal clear water near Malinska – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Back on the mainland we drive along the coastal road D8, the so called “Jadranska Magistrala” to the south. This road leads us past small bays and coastal villages. At the beginning of our holiday it was sometimes difficult to find small but cosy campsites in the north. Along the D8 there are more than enough camping and pitches and as many guesthouses. In the restaurants called “Konoba” at the roadside we often eat delicious fish from the grill and fresh seafood at unbeatable prices.

Tonight we shall experience another highlight. Around 22:00 o’clock a motorhome with a Fiat Panda attached by tow bar drives down the central way of the camping site “Kozica”. Almost unbraked it steers a slope floor under us on the parking bay. We are already afraid that it could obstruct our view to the sea, because the driver steers sharply to the left, drives with the alcove into a tree standing in the middle of the place. It crunches and cracks, so that one knows “There is now definitely something broken”. But the driver doesn’t brake. He drives on as if nothing had happened. After the collision he steers the motorhome to the right with the same speed and drives into a second tree. It bangs again, the tree loses some branches. The Dutchman now stops shortly before shock – and accelerates again. Now the front wheels spin. Instead of gently freeing himself from the situation, he puts the pedal to the metal until the motorhome and the team are completely stuck and the radiator fan desperately tries to save what can still be saved. During this action his front wheels have completely incorporated the power cable of a neighbouring tent into the ground. He now tries it backwards, but forgets that the Fiat Panda with tow bar is already behind the motorhome at an angle of 80 degrees. When he puts it back, he overstretches the tow bar to the Fiat and the tow bar is inserted into the rear of his motorhome. The construct might be bent now also. The Dutchman detaches the Fiat from the trailer coupling and drives it backwards behind the motorhome. It crashes again, because also the Fiat met now the tree, which also the camper got to know in the beginning nearer. Without the attachment at the motorhome the Dutchman frees now finally the damaged camping vehicle from the unfortunate situation and places itself apart from us on the lower floor. The Fiat is still standing on the tree, the tow bar is still attached to the front. Somehow he doesn’t seem to be interested at all.

Evening idyll in front of the motorhome – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

A short time later, when the Dutchman puts the power cable into the distributor, we notice what presumably brought the older gentleman to this performance: alcohol. A lot of it. What a spectacular spectacle. When we weren’t afraid of death, we had to go into the car to laugh.

After the motorhome destruction spectacle, we enjoy the view of the Adriatic Sea again with Croatian beer.

Michelle captures the moment with her camera when the campsite looks a bit like the Shire in “The Lord of the Rings”. A dreamy scenery.

View from camping Kozica to the sea – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Day 8: Sibinj Krmpotski -> Krka Nationalpark
11.07.2018

Today we continue our journey on the D8, the Croatian coastal road to the south. At the beginning of the day we stop at every little blue bay to take pictures, a little later we got used to the sights. This is the same as in Norway with the waterfalls: At the first ten we still stop enthusiastically, at some point we only take note of them. The coastal road D8, also called Jadranska Magistrala, offers many of these beautiful views of bays and small coastal villages. We can only recommend to everybody to prefer the coastal road to the domestic roads and highways, even if the driving is certainly more strenuous in some parts and also takes longer. This road alone is a real experience.

In the run-up to our trip many friends and acquaintances advised us not to visit the Krka National Park with its waterfalls. The rush was too big and the paths were overcrowded. It is 17:30 o’clock when we arrive at the national park, in two and a half hours the soccer World Cup semi-final game England against Croatia begins. There can’t be a better time to visit the waterfalls, we think, and descend the almost 1 km long footpath into the national park.

 
At the end of the route through the Krka National Park we have a great panorama – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

The park is deserted and we are almost alone. Both factors lead to unique photos without other visitors. On the 3 km long log trail through the park we hear no voices, only the sound of the waterfalls, the birds and the wind.

Log trails lead visitors through the Krka National Park – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

We both have the dream of seeing the jungle sometime. We always think of Costa Rica and the rainforest with its dense green fauna and the sounds of nature. The Krka National Park has shown us that for a real jungle feeling you don’t have to look all the way to South America, we both have the dream to see the jungle sometime. We always think of Costa Rica and the rainforest with its dense green fauna and the sounds of nature. The Krka National Park has shown us that for a real jungle feeling you don’t have to look as far as South America.

One of the numerous waterfalls in a HDR long time exposure – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

The way from wooden planks leads us over crystal clear watercourses. We see fish standing under us in the water, which seem to be only one handle away. A snake crosses the path before drifting away in a small stream. We hold our hands in the rivers and our heads under a wonderfully cool waterfall.  The water tastes as pure as tap water.

The big waterfall in Krka National Park – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

Tip: Those who visit the Krka National Park should either go to the park late in the evening or very early in the morning and think of hiking shoes. The parking lot is suitable for overnight stays for campers who can stand self-sufficient.

After several hours we leave the park, walk up the steep mountain path to the parking lot, wearing clearly wrong shoes (boat shoes and strappy sandals), and watch in one of the pubs on TV how Croatia beats England with 2:1 in the extension. Bengalos are ignited, the Croats sing and dance until deep into the night on the streets in front of the two cafés. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the World Cup we spend the night “wild” at the back of the National Park parking lot. Powerbanks charge our electrical appliances, the fridge is running on gas tonight.

Day 9: Krka Nationalpark -> Primosten -> Island Hvar, Town of Starigrad
12.07.2018

We start our day with an instant coffee in front of the car. Already at 7:00 o’clock in the morning the parking lot starts to fill up with new visitors. With the mass of tourists arriving, we notice once again how lucky we are to have been able to experience the National Park almost deserted last night. We drive back to the west in order to continue our journey on the coastal road in southern direction.

On our way today lies the small coastal town of Primosten. Similar to Rovinj, the town is situated on a small hill, the church is enthroned on the highest point and can be seen from far away.

Primosten photographed from southern direction – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

We park the car and go on foot to explore. After we have climbed the city hill and seen the church, we go through the small, slowly heating alleys back to the foot of the city to drink a glass of white wine in the marina. We watch butter and people and people on boats.

Primosten is also one of these cities, which offers many possibilities to stop in cafés or restaurants, to experience culinary delights or simply to stroll through the small shops and artists’ studios that are located in the alleys.

The town of Primosten reminds us a little of Rovinj – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

A few hours later we leave Primosten and continue our journey.

If you want to experience the traffic and organizational hell on earth, you should definitely visit the ferry port of Split. There is not much more for us to see in this city. To be honest, we didn’t really try that. The city has the charm of Marseille in the furthest corners. Apartment blocks with skyscrapers decorate the cityscape, the back streets are grey and dirty and the beautiful parts of the harbour are overcrowded by people. Let’s get out of here.

For the drivers of big camper vans the harbour of Split is a real adventure: Find your way to one of the tens of millions of ferry terminals here without any sensible signs or parking to buy a ticket. Anyway – where the hell do you get tickets here? Cross the completely overcrowded one-way street at the harbour without being able to turn right. Then turn in pure desperation somewhere in the narrow harbour area and wait several minutes until somebody lets you into the traffic flow again. Drive back through the city centre of Split until you have arrived again at the entrance to the ferry terminals. Repeat the whole thing several times until you then block a pedestrian path and a queue of waiting cars in complete shit-all-attitude in the absoulten stop prohibition in order to buy the damn ferry tickets.

When Michelle buys tickets, Daniel is asked by one of the dockers to continue because he can’t stay there. Daniel doesn’t give a shit. What does he want to do? If Daniel drives on now, Michelle will be lost forever in this minor hole. Anyway, there are some ferry signposts on the road everywhere – if there were a proper signposting here, they would all be unemployed.

A quarter of an hour later, when we finally stand in the right queue to the ferry, an old Mercedes T-model dies at the front. Someone is about to freak out – “Falling Down” with Michael Douglas is a piece of cake. The 14:00 departure is far away as the owner of the scrap mill starts to discuss with the port personnel.

A grandpa starts to “clean” our windscreen with dirty water. The smearing is the only correct expression for his efforts. Daniel shouts “No, thanks” from the car in a friendly manner. The busy windscreen cleaner continues. Daniel drives down the window further and yells at him. Now he continues swearing. His luck.

At some point we are finally on board a “Jadrolijnska” ferry to the island of Hvar. The ship is overcrowded, the coffee is reasonably clear, the staff is unfriendly. No wonder, they probably all live in this ugly city “Split”. We illegally decide to spend the passage in the round corner of the motorhome. We edit pictures and write this part of the travel report.

An hour and a half later we land on the island of Hvar. Daniel has calmed down again, the relaxing part of the holiday can go on. No island would be better suited for this than Hvar, because according to the omniscient Internet, Hvar is one of the least developed Croatian islands for tourism. Quite our thing. At the arrival, we don’t really know where we want to go, only we know that we want to leave the island in the next days at the south-eastern tip towards Dubrovnik.

Spontaneously we follow the signs to a local winegrower to buy some wine for the coming evenings. In the winery of the brothers Plančic in Vrbanjdegustieren we taste different white wines in the bottling hall and have a short talk with the daughter of one of the brothers. She says the work and the tradition associated with it are fun, too, and we can well imagine that when small disputes come much closer to the substance at work in a family business than in a normal office job. The daughter explains that tourist groups often book a wine tasting, but also those are welcome who, like us, stop by spontaneously and in pairs. We leave the winery later with some boxes of “Plančić Bogdanuša”, a special grape variety that only exists on Hvar. A great experience.

The winery Plančic on Hvar – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

While Daniel stows the wine crates in the garage, Michelle searches the Internet for the next concrete destination and finds what she is looking for: We drive a few kilometres back to the tranquil harbour town of Starigrad. Arrived there we try to find a parking lot suitable for a 6.70m long motorhome. Of course in vain. On the north side of the city we finally get stuck in a much too narrow turning hammer between two fishing boats pulled ashore there. A dead end sign would have been worth its weight in gold. After about 10 minutes of moving back and forth we got out of this awkward situation under the eyes of the local fishermen. With beads of sweat on our forehead we imagine how the drunken Dutchman would have mastered this situation: probably faster, but also with material damage and fatalities.

Also the southern part of the city with its narrow streets is not necessarily motorhome friendly. Shortly before Daniel wanted to throw in the towel to drive to another city, a small brown sign appears with the inscription „Autocamp Jurjevac“. By the, how should it be in this city also differently, again extremely narrow entrance we arrive at an almost natural camping site under high, shade donating pine trees. Parked, power cable laid and prepared for the exploration of the cute coastal village.

A narrow path at the campsite brings us directly to the southwestern harbour wall after a three-minute walk. Through the narrow lane down to the promenade we see the stern of the yacht “Corinthian” from George Town on the Cayman Islands between plants and walls. The crew of the ship is stowing a jet ski in the stern garage of the ship.
“Maybe we should buy a boat”.

 
Sunset in the harbour of Starigrad – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

We explore the romantically lit, medieval streets of the city. There are so many beautiful places, cafes and restaurants to visit, but you simply don’t have the time. Finally we eat directly at the promenade at „Kod Barba Luke“. Excellent fish, great wine, first class service. Be sure to try the octopus salad! While we enjoy our dinner, we watch the promenaders passing by. The sun sets slowly, the restaurant is bathed in orange light, candles and fairy lights will shine a little later.

Day 10: Island Hvar, Town of Starigrad
13.07.2018

We are woken up around 08:00 in the morning by the chirping of the cicadas.

Starigrad with its small alleys, hidden places and restaurants pleased us so much the evening before that we decide to spend another day here while having our morning coffee under pine trees. We sit until noon in the shade of our awning, take turns writing our blog post, drink coffee and develop the photos of the past days. Camping can be so easy and luxurious at the same time. At least until you have to empty the shit tank.

The motorhome at camping Jurjevac in Starigrad – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

In the early afternoon we walk along the promenade, drink a gin and tonic in one of the cafés at the front row of the harbour and eat an ice cream in the ice cream café „Special“. We didn’t ask for it, but the ice cream definitely tastes handmade, especially the melon and pistachio. Rarely have we eaten such a good ice cream. Happily we return to the motorhome. Despite the shady pine trees of the camping site, the inside of the motorhome feels like an oven, but the air conditioning provides relief within a few minutes.

To explore also on the day beautifully: The alleys of Starigrad – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

Daniel tries to upload pictures via the WLAN of the campsite. In vain. The internet access on the previous sites or also in cafés or national parks was rather a waste of time. With up- and download rates of a few kilobits per second for almost everything unusable. The cicadas still give their concert, from time to time we still notice it, but mostly our brain fades out the noises. Only when you concentrate on the little tormentors you notice how loud the animals actually are.

At dusk we go into town again. We want to eat at a special place that we already noticed yesterday, namely in the restaurant „La Gitana“. Under blossoming trees and chains of lights we eat one of the best meals of our holiday by candlelight and lantern light.

The restaurant La Gitana in the alleys of Starigrad – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

There are tuna carpaccio, olives from the island, scampis in buzzara sauce and grilled salmon. If you visit this restaurant and there is the homemade sangria, make sure you get it. Also the cocktails are not from bad parents, especially a gin tonic with whole star anise and lavender leaves is very appealing to us.

Day 11: Island Hvar, Town of Starigrad -> Dubrovnik
14.07.2018

From Starigrad we drive to the eastern end of the island of Hvar. The roads on this route are simply adventurous: Two cars can pass each other in some places only with the greatest care, to the left and right of the paved road it goes down directly several meters deep and crash barriers exist only a few. Rarely has Daniel experienced such roads. Mountain passes in Norway, English city centres or single track roads with oncoming traffic in the Highlands. Nothing against these 40 kilometres on the main road of the island of Hvar. On half of the way an Audi A6 with its exterior mirror at the door touches us as we stand in front of a bend waiting for oncoming traffic. We can polish away the scratch, hopefully it has completely dismantled its mirror including expensive electronics. Asshole.

Sweaty and relieved when we arrive at “Sućuraj”, we get stuck in a traffic jam for about 3 hours at the entrance to the village. The ferry from the island Hvar to “Drvenik” seems to expect many passengers today.

Back on the mainland we follow the Jadranska Magistrala (D8) further south where we cross a stretch of land that stands out like a green oasis from the rocky landscape. On the roadsides of this region farmers offer their produce for sale and at one point of our route we have a fantastic panorama over the fields and irrigation ditches.

Agricultural region between the mountain ranges – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

Finally we cross the border to Bosnia near Neum. This detour is necessary to reach the Croatian exclave Dubrovnik. The short Bosnian coastal section is remarkably different from the Croatian cities on the coastal road. It seems as if not a bit of tradition and original culture has been preserved here, as if everything had been sacrificed for tourism. According to our experience of Croatia so far, this is a strange experience. We are glad when we arrive back in Croatia half an hour later.

Today we drove a lot and both of us were very tired when we parked our car at the camping Solitudo in Dubrovnik around 19:00 o’clock. We agree: Tonight we do nothing more, we spend the evening with a white wine at the table in front of the car and eat stylish our canned ravioli. Nice, this simple life.

Day 12: Dubrovnik
15.07.2018

Around 11:00 a.m. we leave the campsite with an overpass in the direction of the old town of Dubrovnik. The Uber app works well here, even offers for boat transfers can be found in Croatia. The trip costs us 49 Kuna, equivalent to 6,50€.

Arrived in the old town, we explore the innumerable small lanes. And when we say innumerable here, then we mean innumerable. Dubrovnik’s old town literally kills one with its winding alleys, small stairs and the resulting confusion. Because the old town is huge, not to compare with the small, cute cities Rovinj or Primosten. In addition, the large streams of visitors leave their mark: Garbage, graffiti and empty bottles of liquor decorate the roadsides.

Oysters from Ston, anchovies and local wines in a restaurant in Dubronik’s alleys – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

The city has a lot to offer in culinary terms: In the centre of the old town there are many restaurants and bars, but we recommend the smaller restaurants away from the big, central squares. Here you will find fresh oysters from Ston, freshly grilled fish and great wines. Also recommended: At the northern city wall there is a bar, which can only be reached by walking through it. From here you have a wonderful view of the bays and the ships anchoring there.

Later, we absolutely want to climb the famous city wall, but when we found the ascent to this in the maze of the overstrained city, the entrance is already closed.

The photos of Dubrovnik, which we saw before our trip, were one of the main reasons for us to go to Croatia and start the long journey to the south of the country, to the exclave Dubrovnik. Now we want to see these romantic places and views of this city with our own eyes. But the reality is different. One wants to see and experience so much, but then one finds oneself searching and lost in the partly dirty alleys.

Port in the Old Town of Dubrovnik – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

At the end of the day we manage one of these great shots of Dubrovnik, which we know from various travel guides. With enough distance to the motive the photo seems almost romantic.

In retrospect we are annoyed to have started the journey to Dubrovnik, which is the farthest away. Almost all bigger cities were a disappointment: Pula, Split, Zadar and last but not least Dubrovnik. To be honest, if you are looking for beautiful old towns and tranquil places, you should save yourself the cities and spend your holidays in Istria and near the northern Adriatic and the islands. Rovinj, Primosten, Cres or Starigrad on Hvar have much more charm and character than the strongholds of mass tourism.

Day 13: Dubrovnik -> Mostar -> Krka Nationalpark
16.07.2018

After the departure from Dubrovnik around 09:00 o’clock in the morning we drive north again. We want to make a detour in the direction of Bosnia Herzegovina, or more precisely in the city of Mostar with its famous bridge.

Arrived at the border crossing, the Bosnian border guard asks us for our green insurance card. Perfectly prepared, Daniel proudly hands him the card, and the border guard informs us that the card has expired. We look puzzled at the expiry date of the map. Really. We didn’t know at all that the map could expire and now we already reckon that we have to turn around without being able to look at Mostar. Thanks to Daniel’s powers of persuasion and the friendliness of the border post, we can still enter the country about a quarter of an hour later, but should drive carefully.

Tipp: If you want to travel to Bosnia Herzegovina by car, you need a “green insurance card” for your vehicle. This can be obtained from your own car insurance. Also make sure that your insurance card is still valid.

Two hours later we arrive in Mostar. What a juggernaut. The city consists of overcrowded parking lots, garbage and ruins but also of the famous bridge.

On the facades of some older houses we can still see bullet holes and craters of explosions from the Bosnian war.

It is impossible to park the motorhome here. Altogether we drive three times through the narrow and parked city centre, but there are no parking places for big cars or buses here. The signposts of the private parking lots signal with hand signals that we are too big and should drive on. To be honest: Neither the city, nor the people here create a good feeling in us, we would park our car here somewhere. And apart from the bridge, there is really nothing nice to see here. In pure desperation we stop after the third unsuccessful attempt on the bridge south of the old town bridge and Michelle takes a picture of the famous building out of the motorhome. Mission accomplished and now nothing but away from this city and this country. Of course nice and careful.

The bridge of Mostar – Nikon D500, Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM | Art

But the trip to Bosnia had a good thing: Shortly before we leave Bosnia, we stop at the restaurant „Zagreb“ in Međugorje on the way back. Here we eat the best grill plate of all times for two persons. That alone makes a detour across the border worthwhile.

An excellent grill plate for two persons in the restaurant “Zagreb” – iPhone 8 Plus inbuild wideangle lens

With a full stomach we drive further north until we finally spend the evening again in the public parking lot of the Krka National Park near Sibenik. We witness a violent thunderstorm with strong winds, hail, high rainfall and barely get a wink of sleep during the night.

Day 14: Krka Nationalpark -> Nationalpark Plitvicer Lakes
17.07.2018

This day will be a true adventure. It all started with our navigation device that guided us 15km into a narrow forest path in the middle of nowhere to reach the National Park of Plitvice Lakes. Of course also completely from the wrong side of the park. At some point we finally arrive at the real parking lot of the national park: Our camper van stands on the parking lot of the “Entrance 2”. Here there is an extra area for camper vans and we hope to stay here overnight.

Shortly before 15:00 o’clock we buy for 250 Kuna (approx. 34 €) per person our tickets for the national park.
After the purchase of the tickets we can choose between 6 routes, which lead the visitors with different degrees of difficulty through the national park. Route A takes about 2 hours, Route K about 8 hours. Overzealously we decide for Route K, finally we have paid the entrance fee and now we want to see everything. Already at this point we should have noticed that we would not be at the camper again until 23:00 o’clock at 8 hours duration. Unfortunately this did not occur to us at this point.

So we pack our photo bag and the backpack with enough drinking water and start our hike. We agree that we actually do not want to use any of the offered promotions like boats or the panorama train in the national park, but want to explore everything on foot. And this works splendidly at first. We walk from entrance 2 at the lakeside towards the north to the big waterfall. Already shortly after the beginning of our hiking tour we are deeply impressed by the clear, blue water of the Plitvice lakes. We see shoals of fish so close to the shore that they would be tangible.

Fish in the crystal clear waters of the Plitvice Lakes – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

The route K now leads us to really every lookout point on our shore, which also means that we climb up and down many cursed hills.

Around 17:30 we reached the big waterfall of the Plitvice Lakes. From here, we start again on the western shore of the lakes in direction to the south. At some point around 18:00 o’clock we notice that the running off of the western shore really takes a very long time. The many small bays that go deep into the interior of the country and then return to the centre of the lakes extend the pure distance tremendously. Clouds come up, in the distance we hear thunderstorms and we realize that we won’t be able to complete Route K completely. The gust roller of the approaching thunderstorm catches us with strong gusts of wind and the typical cold air. We change our plan and want to cross with a short ferry trip from the west bank (P2) to the east bank (P1) to return to the starting point of our hike. We won’t see the southern part of Route K any more, but it’s better to sit somewhere in the forest soaking wet than in a heavy thunderstorm. We hope that the planned ferry will leave at this time of day. If not, there is nothing else to do but to walk the southern part of Route K, or to go back all the way we came.

One of the largest waterfalls in the Plitvice Lakes National Park – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

The time is pressing: It is already 19:00 o’clock and we think that the last ferry leaves at 19:30. In the distance we recognize the small ferry boat. Meanwhile the wind has become so strong that it blows the forest floor into our face as we run towards the ferry. In one of the bays another obstacle is waiting for us: Extreme mud. In this bay a small river flows, which has completely transformed the forest ground on an area of approx. 400m² into a swamp.

Daniel tries to cross the place nevertheless, however, after 3 steps he slumps down to the knee. No getting through at this point. Do we have to walk all the way back now? Somewhat offside lies a tree trunk in the mud soil, Michelle takes care of this jungle test and balances over the dead tree and the swampy forest soil. Daniel follows her, slips down and now also stands with his other leg up to his knee in the mud. The shoes are finally lost.

Tipp: Be sure to pack enough drinking water for extensive hikes in the national parks. Choose suitable footwear and take spare clothes with you, even if it suddenly gets colder or starts raining. You never know.

In parts of the national park, log paths lead visitors across the water – Nikon D500, Walimex Pro 8 mm f1:3,5

Around 20:00 o’clock we finally arrive at the ferry and learn that it runs until 21:30 o’clock. Luckily, we would not have had to hurry so much. Nevertheless, we are glad to have finally escaped the thunderstorm.

Arrived at the camper Daniel disposes of his not recognizable boat shoes. It is already late. We drink another glass of wine in front of the car as the last parked vehicle leaves the national park parking lot through the barrier. Now we are all alone here, in the middle of the forest on a huge area. We go to sleep, but fear the whole night over that it knocks immediately and now someone asks us to leave the parking lot. But we are lucky, nobody seems to disturb our overnight stay. For the overnight stay we pay the next morning a parking fee of 100 Kuna, about 14€ – that’s okay.

Day 15: Nationalpark Plitvicer Lakes -> Prichsenstadt
18.07.2018

There’s not much more to say here. Highway, highway and again highway, until we arrive in the evening around 19:00 o’clock, after 12 hours drive, again in Prichsenstadt. Here we already spent the first evening of our trip.

Whereby, there is still one thing to note in this cute little town: In the evening we have dinner in the „Gasthof zum Storch“. Who is here in the proximity, should absolutely stop and take a seat in the cosy beer garden behind the house. We toast with the smoky beer of a small brewery from Würgau, eat fresh leaf salad and Franconian Sauerbraten and let all the beautiful moments of our vacation once again pass in review.

What photographic equipment did we have with us?

Below you will find affiliate links to the equipment we use:

• DSLR-Kamera Nikon D500
• Objektiv Sigma 18-35mm F1,8 DC HSM
• Objektiv Sigma 17-50mm F2,8 EX DC OS HSM
• Objektiv Walimex Pro 8mm f1:3,5 Fish-Eye
• Reisestativ Rollei Compact Carbon (980 g inkl. Kopf)
• Wasserdichter Fotorucksack von Beschoi
• iPhone 8 Plus
• Wasserdichte Handyhülle für Sicherung des iPhones beim Wassersport

All the links in this text are Amazon Affiliate Links, and by clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a percentage of your subsequent Amazon purchases. However, this circumstance does not influence the background of my product recommendation. This product recommendation is independent, honest and sincere. 

Bei allen genannten Links handelt es sich um Amazon-Affiliate-Links. Durch einen Klick auf einen Affiliate-Link werde ich prozentual an Euren darauf folgenden Amazon-Einkäufen beteiligt. Dieser Umstand beeinflusst aber nicht die Hintergründe meiner Produktempfehlung. Diese Produktempfehlung erfolgt unabhängig, ehrlich und aufrichtig.

Der Beitrag Travelling the Croatian Adriatic coast by motorhome erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Who is already on the road for some years with the motorhome, knows of course also some tips and tricks with those the camper everyday life becomes simpler, the comfort is increased or the camping vehicle remains perfectly in shape without large expenditure. I wrote this list together with my father once. If you have further tips, I am looking forward to your comments or e-mails.

In this article you will find tips from the categories:

• Energy supply / power supply
• Water supply and disposal
• Maintenance and care
• Tech and Gadgets
• Security
• Eat,drink, enjoy

Energy supply / Power supply

Anker PowerCore 20100mAh

Longer time “wild” camping, without power supply? No problem with this Powerbank. With 20100mAh it charges up to 8 times my iPhone or twice a MacBook via USB-C.

Anker Powerbank, PowerCore 20100mAh Externer Akku, hohe Kapazität 2-Port 4,8 A Output Ladegerät mit PowerIQ Technologie...*

• DAS ANKER PLUS: Schließe dich den über 20 Millionen glücklichen Kunden an. Lade Anker.
• ENORME KAPAZITÄT: Dein PowerCore Akku wiegt ungefähr so viel wie eine kleine Cola-Dose (355 g - also kein Leichtgewicht! ). Deshalb...

Amazon

Inverter for 220V devices

Admittedly, many electrical consumers are also available in 12V versions for use in cars, but with some appliances you won’t get far with 12V: vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, capsule coffee makers and laptops want 220V and a clean sinusoidal output. Nothing easier than that. This inverter can be permanently installed in the motorhome and allows the operation of conventional 220V devices, although you are not connected to the electricity.

Sinus-Wechselrichter Dometic MSI 412 I Spannungswandler 12 V auf 230 V mit Überspannungsschutz I GS-geprüft I inkl. USB-Port I...*

• Mobile „Steckdose“ mit haushaltsidentischer Power – Sinus-Wechselrichter wandelt 12 V Batteriestrom in 230 V Wechselstrom um...
• Spannungswandler mit einer Dauerleistung von 350 W – ideal auch für anspruchsvolle Geräte mit hohen Anlaufströmen wie TV, Laptop...

Amazon

Honda fuel generator

Let’s go big. If you’re really out for a long time in the middle of nowhere, this device will be your best friend. Petrol powered this inverter generates 230V voltage with up to 2000 Watt.

Keine Produkte gefunden.

Adapter for CEE connection to Euro Schuko plug

Actually you should find a power connection with CEE plug on most camping and pitches. But exceptions confirm the rule and you suddenly only have a regular German socket with earthing contact available. Now you need a suitable adapter.

Special offer

as - Schwabe Camping CEE-Adapterleitung - 1,5 m H07RN-F 3G2,5 - mit CEE-Kupplung mit Klappdeckel & Schutzkontaktstecker - 230V,...*

• Maximale Flexibilität und Vielseitigkeit: 1,5 m schwarze Gummischlauchleitung H07RN-F 3G2,5 mit Schutzkontaktstecker (230V/16A) und...
• Sichere Verbindung: Ideal für den Einsatz auf dem Camping Platz, im Boot oder Garten, für Wohnmobil oder Caravan, Garage, Werkstatt &...

−4,99 EUR 11,00 EUR

Amazon

Water supply and disposal

20m Gardena roll hose / flat hose

It is simply practical and hygienic to have your own water hose to take fresh water with you. The only problem is that a long hose takes up a lot of valuable space and is very heavy. Remaining water in the hose additionally increases the weight and can leak into the motorhome storage space. With this flat hose this is no longer a problem. It weighs only approx. 2 kg and can be stowed away super space-savingly. I personally have two of these hoses with me and can extend them to 40m by plugging them together. So I can reach a water tap on almost every camping site without any problems.

Special offer

Gardena Classic roll-fix Flachschlauch 20 mit Kassette: Platzsparende Schlauchkassette mit Wasserschlauch (Ø 12 mm in Kassette),...*

• Ideal für Unterwegs: Das leichte Gewicht und das kompakte Gehäuse machen die Tragekassette mit dem Flachschlauch zum idealen...
• Sofort Einsatzbereit: Der Flachschlauch ist mit allen nötigen Original Gardena Systemteilen und einer Spritze ausgestattet und somit...

−37,09 EUR 99,90 EUR

Amazon

Gardena adapter for all common water hoses

If you travel abroad a lot, you know the problem: sometimes you will find a faucet with 1/4 inch thread, sometimes with 3/4 inch thread. So that you can find a connection everywhere with your Gardena flat hose, you will need these adapters. It is best to get a small Tupperdose for storage and store the adapters near your water hose.

Gardena Profi-System-Hahnstück: Hahnverbinder für Wasserhähne mit 26,5 mm (G 3/4 Zoll)-Gewinde, Hahnanschluss für höheren...*

• Idealer Anschluss: Das Hahnstück funktioniert bei allen Wasserhähnen mit 26,5 mm (G 3/4 Zoll)-Gewinde
• Für Ihr Profi-System: Das Hahnstück ist der ideale Hahnanschluss für andere Gardena Profi-System-Teile

8,02 EUR

Amazon

Gardena Profi-System-Hahnstück: Hahnverbinder für Wasserhähne mit 33,3 mm (G 1 Zoll)-Gewinde, Hahnanschluss für höheren...*

• Perfekter Anschluss: Das Hahnstück funktioniert bei allen Wasserhähnen mit 33,3 mm (G 1 Zoll)-Gewinde
• Für Ihr Profi-System: Das Hahnstück ist der ideale Hahnanschluss für andere Gardena Profi-System-Teile

7,89 EUR

Amazon

Folding canister

Sometimes it is simply not worthwhile to unroll and rewind the hose for small amounts of water. With this practical folding canister you can, for example, quickly fill a few litres back into the fresh water tank after a shower. And if you don’t need the canister right now, you can fold it up to save space.

Semptec Urban Survival Technology Faltkanister: Faltbarer Wasserkanister mit Zapfhahn, 10 Liter, ideal für Trinkwasser (Faltbarer...*

• Lebensmittelecht: Ideal für Trinkwasser geeignet • Zapfhahn für leichtes Portionieren • Stabiler Tragegriff für einfachen...
• Mit Zapfhahn für leichtes Entnehmen und genaues Dosieren • Kubische Form zum Stellen • Leergewicht: 188 g

9,90 EUR

Amazon

Maintenance and Care

Kukident refreshes your water tank

From time to time you should clean the fresh water tank of your motorhome. This works pretty well with Kukident cleaning rods. Exactly, those are the things your grandparents use to clean your third teeth. Fill the water tank half full, throw 200 Kukident tablets behind, wait 2-4 hours and then drive 50km to 100km through the area with the half full water tank. The broth spreads in your tank and cleans it from the inside. Then open all water taps in the motorhome and flush the water pipes and the waste water tank in the same way.  No more musty smells.

Kukident Aktiv Plus Express Reinigungsmittel, 3er Pack (3 x 99 Stück)*

• Entfernt mehr Zahnbelag als die Zahnbürste
• Entfernt 99,9% der Bakterien

19,99 EUR

Amazon

Disposable gloves

The application possibilities of these little helpers are extremely versatile: Whether you roll in the dirty and wet power cable in the morning, empty the faecal tank or check the level of the engine oil: Disposable gloves are a clean thing.

Papstar 10016 Handschuhe, Latex, schwarz, 7.50 x 24 x 12.50 cm*

• Material: Naturlatex
• Farbe: schwarz

28,66 EUR

Amazon

Dehumidifier

If you do not use your camping vehicle for a long time, you should consider using a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier removes moisture from the ambient air, which cannot damage the body. In addition, fabrics feel dry and not clammy. It also prevents unpleasant odours.

Keine Produkte gefunden.

Tech and Gadgets

Special navigation device for camping vehicles from Garmin

Maybe you are wondering why I recommend this device and why you can’t simply travel with a smartphone or a regular car navigation device. Quite simple: Standard navigation devices do not have any height or width restrictions for planning your journey and therefore often send you with your caravan or camper over unsuitable routes. Especially in countries with sometimes extremely narrow roads like southern England, Norway, Scotland or Croatia it is definitely useful that the navigation device sends you over sufficiently large roads and avoids underpasses that are too low.
In addition, camping navigation systems offer a lot of points of interest (POIs) with campsites and caravan sites and supply and disposal points. I personally also use this device for complete route planning with waypoints: Super practical.

Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D EU Navigationsgerät - 6,95 Zoll (15,4 cm) rahmenloses Touchdisplay, lebenslang Verkehrsinfos und...*

• Navigationsgerät mit 6,95 Zoll (15,4 cm) rahmenlosen, kapazitiven Touchdisplay
• Lebenslang kostenlose Verkehrsinfos via Smartphone Link oder DAB+ und lebenslang Kartenupdates, auch via WLAN

Amazon

Bluetooth speakers for musical entertainment

In the evening you sit under the awning in front of your car, drink a glass of wine and listen to the sound of the sea… Or your Spotify playlist. The UE Boom Box 2 delivers good sound quality in treble and bass. If it rains, no problem, the speaker is waterproof.

Special offer

Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 Wireless Bluetooth-Lautsprecher, fetter Sound + tiefer Bass, Bluetooth, Magic Button, wasserdicht, 15 Stunden...*

• Klangtreure bei jeder Lautstärke. Die Boom 3 sorgt für lauten und raumfüllenden 360 Grad-Sound mit tiefen, präzisen Bässen und...
• Die Boom 3 Magic-Taste ermöglicht das Abspielen, Anhalten und Ãœberspringen von Songs direkt auf dem Lautsprecher. Einfach Drücken...

−59,05 EUR 89,95 EUR

Amazon

Security

1kg fire extinguisher (powder) for the car, made by Gloria

At the latest when a coal falls from the grill and the dry grass starts to blaze under it, you will be happy about a fire extinguisher.
This small fire extinguisher is perfect for camper vans. Its small dimensions allow us to place the extinguisher close to the body door in a space-saving and easily accessible way. So we can reach it quickly in an emergency.

Gloria 1403.0000 FEUERLOESCHER F1G M.KFZ.H.*

• Brandklasse 8 A, 34 B, C
• Autolöscher

40,57 EUR

Amazon

Gas detector

Again and again one reads of accidents with leaky gas pipes or attacks on motor homes with stupefying gas, which is introduced through ventilation openings into the interior of the vehicle. When gas escapes, this gas warning device warns us. Really sensibly invested money.

Keine Produkte gefunden.

Wheel chocks

You are standing on uneven ground and your camper is sloping? No problem with these wheel chocks.

Special offer

Fiamma Jumbo Stufenkeile, Auffahr-Keil, Kunststoff, 2er Set - bis 5000 kg, 58 x 6/11 x 14 cm für Wohnwagen oder Wohnmobil*

• Lieferumfang: 2 x Fiamma Jubo Stufenkeile (Paar), 1x Tragetasche

−7,30 EUR 66,59 EUR

Amazon

Eat, drink, enjoy

Stainless steel charcoal case grill

What could be nicer than barbecuing meat or fresh fish in front of your car during your holiday? It’s just stupid that conventional grills take up a lot of space and are always dirty. Who wants to pack their black, rusty garden grill into their motorhome?
This suitcase grill provides a remedy. It can be folded and stowed away to save space. When folded up, the dirty parts of the grill are inside and do not pollute the storage space. Accessories and charcoal can be stored inside the grill.

Urban Design MQ BBQ Edelstahl Klappgrill Koffergrill Gartengrill Standgrill Grill*

Amazon

Filter coffee without a coffee machine

If you don’t have a coffee machine on board, but still don’t want to do without your morning coffee pot, you have two options: Instant coffee or this hand-operated coffee maker. Coffee powder in, hot water on it, wait a few minutes and then slowly press down the filter sieve. The result is excellent filter coffee.

Special offer

Bodum Caffettiera French Press Schwarz – 350ml / 3 Tassen Kaffeebereiter – Borosilikatglas – Edelstahlfilter – BPA-frei &...*

• Vollmundiger Kaffeegenuss - jeden Tag: Bereiten Sie aromatischen Kaffee mit der klassischen French-Press-Methode zu - ganz ohne Kapseln...
• Robuste Materialien für den Alltag: Gefertigt aus hitzebeständigem Borosilikatglas und BPA-freiem Kunststoff - leicht, stabil und...

−6,91 EUR 12,99 EUR

Amazon

All the links in this text are Amazon Affiliate Links, and by clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a percentage of your subsequent Amazon purchases. However, this circumstance does not influence the background of my product recommendation. This product recommendation is independent, honest and sincere. 

Bei allen genannten Links handelt es sich um Amazon-Affiliate-Links. Durch einen Klick auf einen Affiliate-Link werde ich prozentual an Euren darauf folgenden Amazon-Einkäufen beteiligt. Dieser Umstand beeinflusst aber nicht die Hintergründe meiner Produktempfehlung. Diese Produktempfehlung erfolgt unabhängig, ehrlich und aufrichtig.

Der Beitrag Camping-Hacks: The ultimate shopping list for campers and newcomers erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.