Happy Travelling

From Platja d`Aro with love

2011-06-13T23:06:00.001+02:00

Discovering the shores around Platja d´Aro, 01-05 May 2011

2011-06-13T21:57:00.001+02:00

Here we are in a beautiful Platja d´Aro where we´ll stay for the next 7 weeks - surely a long time, but not long enough to explore all the beautiful beaches and a coastline surrounding this place. By foot, by bike, by car, by kayak - it´s always beautiful.

Off we go. 28 april 2011

2011-04-28T18:31:00.001+02:00

So here we are, ready for the big trip again with a destination in a lovely Platja d´Aro in Catalunya. Getting up at 4 am for taking a ferry from Larvik to Hirtshals (DK) was not the easiest part of the trip, but a much funnier one than driving a traditional E6 route from Oslo to Copenhagen.

A new crew member Elg was luckily found by us on a boat to Denmark

The first sleepover in Hamburg. Same old camping place as last year.

Fun coming to the same places over and over again. The Beatles Platz in Hamburg almost one year after.

Tired but Happy Elg is discovering some old port bar in Hamburg

Our second sleepover on a french gas station

Le Cap d´Agde, France. 4 years after the first visit

Le Cap d´Agde

The first glimpse on Pyrenees

Entering Platja d´Aro, home for the next 8 weeks.

Entering Platja d´Aro on the 1st of May and finding the main street is closed for la fiesta

Göteborg, 15-17 April 2011

2011-04-17T21:14:00.005+02:00

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The opening of the camping season 2011 has been celebrated with success in our favourite Göteborg. This time we discovered more of narrow streets, cosy back yards, canels, bridges and parks. The goal was to avoid the main touristic street Avenyn as much as possible, and that we have succeeded in. Results: fell even more in love with the town, tested TTT before the big summer trip, opened a camping season and enjoyed ourselves!

Skansen kronan

Platja d'Aro, 14-18 March 2011

2011-03-18T21:18:00.003+01:00

It´s been a little spring getaway to our favorite catalonian shore with it's pearl Platja d'Aro (our personal pearl). Last time we've been here was in July when the streets were filled with the tourists. Ever since we've been thinking to come back to this place under the pines and experience it in its natural state. The best time to do it is probably in early spring, when the nature and the city are already awaken after winter, but the flood of the tourists haven't begun to flow in here yet. The weather was not exactly good, but the grey sky and huge waves only made it look more charming and dramatic. The spring was also in the air and mimosas in bloom. What else to wish for when coming from cold and snowy Norway.

Roses

Waves on our way in Cadaques

Cadaques

Raining in Cadaques

The pines of Aro

The facades of Copenhagen

2011-02-19T13:24:00.001+01:00

The easiest way to get to Copenhagen from Oslo is definitely my taking a DFDS boat, or a so called Danske Båten. It also must be the funniest way to do it as drinking is an obligatory attribution of eat. Arriving to cold and windy Copenhagen on Sunday morning is a tiresome rather than sobering experience. However, the city is always beautiful, especially the Nyhavn area with it's colourful facades.

We almost got tired counting all the VW busses on this DFDS boat model

An icy Oslo Fjord

Summing up!

2010-12-05T12:44:00.000+01:00

Better late than never. Here come some numbers which we were able to calculate after our summer trip. So this is what we´ve got:

Days on the road: 52
Days in the car: 42
Days in the hotel: 10
Distance: 7000 km
Countries we stayed in/drove by: 7 (Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain)
Camping places we stayed at: 17
Money spent on camping: 683 euro
Money spent on diesel: 709 euro
The cheapest camping place: Fehmarn in June - 13 euro/day (in July they had 23/day) and Haute Paradis in Holland.
The most expensive camping place: Hamburg - 27 euro/day.
3 flights: Brussel-Mallorca-Barcelona-Brussel
10 days of parking at Brussel airport: 94 euro

Total: fun! :)

Stockholm in color, 22-24 october 2010.

2010-10-24T16:05:00.014+02:00

Stockholm in monochrome, 22-24 october 2010.

2010-10-24T16:03:00.000+02:00

So many times we have been to Sweden, but never made it to Stockholm. To fix this unfairness we got on a plane to the capital of Scandinavia and immediately fell in love with the city. Don´t know why but it reminds me of Barcelona moved up to the north. Certainly my favorite in Scandinavia.

Cyprus. 23-30 August 2010

2010-09-05T12:25:00.000+02:00

Here we are on the hot hot Cyprus. It´s probably the warmest place we have been to, at least this summer. Cyprus is definitely full of beautiful places, however we ended up in Larnaca, which is way to urban for the right resort place (inspite of its vast shopping potentials). Places absolutely worth visiting the next time are Fig Tree Bay and Konnos Beach. We have brought home a huuuuuge luggage full of positive emotions from this place thanks to the warm and friendly people whom we were lucky to meet there and who have introduced us to the culture of Cyprus (read "food") and showed us some of its hidden pearls.

Traditional dance with the glasses on the head

Salt lake

Promenade of Larnaca

View on our street from the promenade

Fehmarn on the way home. 18-20 July 2010.

2010-07-20T22:02:00.022+02:00

We are on the way home. Everything what happened between Brussel (where we landed from Barcelona) and Fehmarn in Germany was just a transportation from A to B with only one sleep-over stop at the parking place by the high-way. It was good to come to Fehmarn again just two months after being here. High season made it almost impossible to find a place to stay, however we managed it. The yellow flowers were gone and there were not so many rabbits as before, but Fehmarn was still beautiful. Our big car holiday is officially over at the same place where it began 8 weeks ago. We´re happy! :)

Platja d´Aro, Spain. 11-17 July 2010.

2010-07-17T22:01:00.003+02:00

Another impulsive ticket purchase and here we are in Barcelona, taking a taxi to the bus station and sitting on a bus to a beautiful Platja d`Aro on Costa Brava. Guess we just loved it with a hot hot sun and warm sea (full of water as well) finally. We had some wonderful days there with a total relaxation and zero driving (good to have it this way as well sometimes). But a long way home from Brussel was still ahead us.

Tossa del Mar

The drinks of the week

On the streets of Tossa

Mallorca, Spain. 6-11 June 2010.

2010-07-11T21:49:00.001+02:00

It wasn´t even planned, however we have impulsively bought tickets to Palma and after some driving from Brugge to Brussel we found ourselves sitting on the plane which was taking us to some REALLY warm place.

Our view

Our terrace

Our beach

Palma once again

Mrs Sombrero

Palma

TTT is waiting for us on the parking in Brussel

Brugge in the sun. 5 July 2010

2010-07-05T21:32:00.014+02:00

We have never thought it would be possible, but after a long day of driving from french Giverny we ended up in belgian Brugge again, second time this summer. Not the worst place to end up in for a day or two, especially when the sun is shining bright!

At work with mamma

Chocolate beer this time

Giverny. The gardens of Monet. 4 July 2010.

2010-07-04T12:17:00.000+02:00

Another garden of another star of the french and global artistic scene ( Remember the Dior´s garden?), this time it was Claude Monet´s one pictured on many of his famous paintings.

Water-Lilly Pond, 1897

Water-Lilly Pond, 2010

A house of the master

Water Lillies (1916)

Water Lillies (2010)

Disneyland. 3 July 2010.

2010-07-03T12:15:00.000+02:00

That was a journey back to childhood which we enjoyed enormously. After spending over 12 hours here it was clear that one day is critically not enough to explore at least a half of Disneyland. Next time we´ll pay it a longer visit.

Quiberon. 29 June - 2 July 2010.

2010-07-02T12:02:00.000+02:00

The rule about all the best places located on the tip of the islands or peninsulas worked this time as well and we fell in love with Quiberon, stretching with a long a narrow stripe and surrounded by the ocean from the 3 sides. This place had everything - long and wide beaches, good nightlife and food, surfing spots hidden between the high rocks, and a swimming pool in our camping site which we used a lot! Truly one of the best places in France!

Traditional low-tide

Cote Sauvage

Golfe du Morbihan. France. 26-29 June 2010.

2010-06-29T11:37:00.000+02:00

We have spent 3 days in Port Navalo on Golfe du Morbihan in Bretagne and were surprised by a beautiful coast line there which rather reminds Norway than France. Hundreds of islands surrounded by a crystal clear water and not fewer sail boats. A place to come back.

Port Navalo

Our home in Port Navalo

Port Navalo

Taking a boat to Ile aux Moines

Ile aux Moines

Traditional "pancake" of Bretagne - galette

Port Navalo

Megaliths. Bretagne is full of them.

Midsummer celebration in Bretagne. 26 June 2010.

2010-06-26T23:33:00.000+02:00

That day we witnessed a wonderful midsummer celebration (which we have completely forgotten about and it took us quiet a while to realize what they were celebrating there) in the traditional breton style. Lot´s of local traditional music, which sounds a lot like celtic, round dancing, pancakes (crepes), beer and of course a bonfire made our first night in Bretagne completely unforgettable.

This is how it started

Just a beginning

It´s getting bigger

The enthusiasts

Here come the real fest-makers

All together now

Everybody´s dancing

Let it burn

Mont Saint-Michel, France. 25-26 June 2010.

2010-06-26T23:03:00.000+02:00

Saint-Michel, the tidal island is absolutely amazing with its constantly changing tides. They say it is a place with the biggest tide change in Europe, and it seems to be true. It´s also pretty usual to find the warnings about parking or no-parking in the particular places - the chances to find your car under the water is pretty big here.

Fire drill on St.Michel

Fire drill

The tide

Must be dangerous to swim in these waters

Parking surrounded by water

Famouse cookies

Mont Saint-Michel by night, France. 25 June 2010.

2010-06-25T23:12:00.000+02:00

We took a walk with a tripod trying to capture the Abbey at night.

More places along the English channel, France. 24-25 June 2010.

2010-06-25T21:16:00.000+02:00

Continuing our way along the English channel with its beautiful small towns and hidden pearls.

Medieval Barfleur

Lighthouse in Barfleur

Evening chill in Barfleur

Fishing without any success

Somewhere around Auderville. It´s possible to see the british islands from here.

Could not pass by Christian Dior´s house and garden in Granville

The house of Christian Dior in Granville

View from the garden of Christian Dior in Granville

House of Christian Dior in Granville

House and garden of Christian Dior in Granville

View from the garden of Christian Dior with some norwegian flag in the backgroud

Garden of Christian Dior

The first sight on the Mont St.Michel

In the garden of Christian Dior

The D-Day beaches, Normandie, France. 24 June 2010.

2010-06-24T20:25:00.000+02:00

That was a day full of history - D-Day, the battle of Normandy, the Atlantic wall and much more that has happened on the norman coast back to June 6 in 1944, when the allied troops have landed here. The D-beaches are still referred to by their wartime code names: Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah.

Museum of the Atlantic wall and a bunker

The remains of the WWII along the Normandy coast. Sword Beach.

The remains of the bridges used under the WWII. Gold Beach

Gold Beach

American military cemetery. Omaha beach.

A monument to the Danish soldiers.

Houlgate, France. 21-24 June 2010

2010-06-24T19:54:00.000+02:00

After a stressful driving through the coastal cities of Normandie we have found our paradise just some kilometers away from the glamorous Deauville. With a beach just some centimeters away from the car and the biggest sea-view ever, this little place in Calvados region of Normandie has become a perfect location for relaxation for a few days.

Evening high-tide

Beer specialities exported by us from Belgium

The neighbors in Houlgate

Low tide

Food shopping a la francaise. Biking with a baguette.

Low tide fishermen

Local speciality. A real cider from Normandie.

The difference between the tides is remarkable.

My perfect office

Some wedding just outside our "window"

Some stone art

Home

The water is coming almost to the car during the high-tide

Coming to France. 20 June 2010

2010-06-20T19:34:00.000+02:00

The first day in France has not spoilt us with a good weather either. We spent our first night in a garden/camping belonging to some mansion/pension and the next day continued our trip to Normandie along the Alabaster coast full of the white cliffs.

British military cemetery in Etaples

British war graves in Etaples

Le Treport and its white cliffs

The first sleep-over in France, outside of Le Treport

Dieppe

Dieppe, The alabaster cliffs

Dieppe. The first sunny day at the beach full of water

Dieppe

Brussel, Belgium. 19 June 2010.

2010-06-19T13:56:00.000+02:00

We haven't become very impressed by Brussel, probably because of the horrible weather. Have managed to city a little bit of the city sitting on top of the tourist bus the whole day. Loved the Atomium though!

From the top of the Atomium

We and atomium

Chocolate football players

Manneken pis ended up to be a tiny one. Wearing his new clothes dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the liberty in Congo

Belgian waffels. Very touristic ones. The real traditional ones dont look so fancy.

Brugge, Belgium. 18 June 2010

2010-06-18T13:37:00.000+02:00

Medieval charming Brugge would be absolutely perfect without that heavy rain following us everywhere.

Beer wall with over 200 types of belgian beer.

Loved that cherry kriek

Belgian chocolate of course

Just a beer menu

Belgium. 16-17 June 2010

2010-06-17T22:54:00.000+02:00

Belgium with its small beach towns has met us with a strong cold wind. It was unpossible to avoid it even in our norwegian wind-proof jackets. The towns Knokke-Heist, Blankenberge and De Haan were nice though. The genious way to explore the belgium coast line is a coast tram, celebrating 125 anniversary this year. The tram goes through all of the coast pearls, beginning almost in Netherlands and stopping at the french boarder. The perfect activity to kill the cold day!

Typical beach in Belgium - the beach houses protecting from cold wind and sun

Creative beach houses in Knokke

Promenade in Blankenberge

Beach in Blankenberge with its houses

Nice wind for the waves

Velodrome on the beach in Blankenberge

A sofa-lifting

Strange creatures on the casino of Blankenberge

Local flowers

Amsterdam - a city of the boat-houses.

2010-06-15T22:16:00.001+02:00

We are a bit fascinated by the idea of the boat-house and everything people can have on their roof tops.

A garden

Bikes. Of course.

A sofa

Just a chair and the entrance.

And a harmony

Edam & Gouda, the cheese cities of Holland. 15 June 2010

2010-06-15T10:20:00.000+02:00

It's difficult to avoid a topic of cheese being in Holland, especially when surrounded by the world famous cities of the cheese making - Edam and Gouda.

Street of Edam

Selling cheese in Edam

Edam

Cheese square in Edam

Street of Gouda

City hall in Gouda on the cheese square

Gouda

Cheese is even hanging on the wires in Gouda

More of Holland. 15 June 2010.

2010-06-15T09:57:00.000+02:00

The Amsterdam days are over and we're on the road again, exploring the corners of The Netherlands on our last day here.

A tiny village Marken, just outside of Amsterdam

Zaansee Schanse, a windmill village.

Zaanse Schans, a windmill village.

Cheese production in Zaanse Schans

Cheeeeeeese

Zaanse Schans

This is how they make the wooden shoes, clogs

Freshly made clogs

R is trying on his first clogs

We're passing by Schiphol. And the planes are passing by just over the highway.

Spijkenisse - a favorite place of R in Holland

Spijkenisse is a city of Giro d'Italia and Tour de France this year

A flower market in Amsterdam. 14 June 2010

2010-06-14T22:07:00.000+02:00

Flowers mean Holland and Holland means flowers. The flower market in Amsterdam just proves it once again.

More of Amsterdam. 12-14 June 2010.

2010-06-14T21:43:00.000+02:00

Football and canals - that's what makes Amsterdam today.

Selling cheese in Amsterdam

The orange people are celebrating the victory of Holland

The biggest bike-parking in the world

Central station

Ole Ole

Chilling in the boat

A bird is nesting in the water

Homomonument

Watching football

Amsterdam. Day 2. 11 June 2010

2010-06-11T15:56:00.000+02:00

Really bad weather in Amsterdam makes exploring of the city pretty difficult, but we are trying not to give up. After the long hours walking under the rain, it feels nice hiding from it in dry and warm museums or pubs. Specially the last ones offer lots of fun showing the world cup on the big screens :)

Almost all of the main touristic attractions in Amsterdam are under construction. Irritating. National Museum is on the background.

Museum of Van Gogh

Nice Porsche by the Cartier store

Shopping paradise

Luxurious editions of Vespas with python and crocodile skin seats

Just some Vespas

A floating cat shelter on the channel. Probably the most photographed in the world.

The narrowest house in Holland. Only 100 cm wide.

Fixing the boat house.

A "smart" solution by R. Cooling his beer in a supermarket's fridge.

Buddhist temple in Amsterdam.

The city is colored orange. On our way to watch another football match.

Difficult to choose. The red light district by night. I've managed to take a picture of it without being attacked by the prostitutes.

Someone just has no shame...

2010-06-10T22:23:00.001+02:00

It took us only 20 min to get our first pet in Amsterdam. This duck was begging for bread near and inside of the car for a really long time, not being shy at all.

Amsterdam. Day 1. 9 June 2010.

2010-06-09T22:39:00.000+02:00

Amsterdam. The sin city.First day at the camping spot full of ducks, hens, goats and other farm animals, including some european junkies. But the city is absolutely beautiful (despite from being attacked by the local prostitutes for taking pictures of the Red Light District)

A boat house

Rembrands's house

The narrowest street in Amsterdam where i have nearly been attacked by the local prostitutes for taking the pictures

Ready for the World Championship

Neighbour at the pub

The Netherlands.8 June 2010.

2010-06-08T22:16:00.000+02:00

Holland was welcoming us with rain, but it still has not deminished its charm. Endless channels,medieval villages, gardens and fabulous houses - this is exactly how we have imagined Holland. The first night in the Lowlands we spent in the small medieval village of Holwerd with the car parked between the church (ringing the bells every 30 min) and traditional dutch windmill. Idyllic sceneries and all the locals saying "Hi!" to us made the stay even more memorable.

Room for tonight in Holwerd.

Windmill in Holwerd

Holwerd

Northern Sea in Holland is not exactly full of water.

Perfect landscape for biking.

Local specialities

Our street in Holwerd

Romantic desert at home

Letting a sail boat go undet the bridge

A monument to the sluice constructors

Nieder Sachsen, Germany. 6 June 2010

2010-06-06T21:57:00.004+02:00

We left Hamburg probably a bit too soon, but having enough time to be able to enjoy the Northern sea coast of Germany on our way to the Netherlands, stopping in Cuxhaven, a beach town, with no water in the sea because of the low-tide.
Amazingly enough, we have found a camping spot just on the shore which also had wireless internet (a big deficit in Germany by the way).

Waiting for the ferry in Glueckstadt (Happy town)

Kiosk in the "Happy town"

Waiting for the sail boat to pass under the bridge we're supposed to drive

An old fire-car in Cuxhaven

Typicall german beach in Cuxhaven

A beach with no water in Cuxhaven

The beach. Cuxhaven.

My latest favorite north-german speciality - Fischbroedchen - a fish sandwich

Cuxhaven

Hamburg. A city of the broken toe. 4-6 June 2010

2010-06-06T14:11:00.000+02:00

Here we are in Hamburg. A door to Europe as they say. It took us quite a while to find a city center with our bikes, and after we have done it, something bad was supposed to happed and it happened - i have fallen down from the bike and oooops, have broken my toe, or at least it feels so, since i cant walk. Trying to do my best, we're continue exploring the city :)

The Beatles square. Here they played their first big international concert, being a small five, not a big four yet.

Cityhall. Radhaus.

Formule of Hamburg

Beer bike - the greatest invention of Hamburg

Hamburg = See

Hamburg. Day 2. 5 June 2010.

2010-06-05T21:36:00.000+02:00

Having only one foot to walk on, i didnt give up and we gave Hamburg another try, exploring it with my ESC colleague Anne, who lives here. Thanks to her, we got to see the places which we never could have discovered on our own. For example, a tunnel which takes the cars in the elevators and takes them under the Elbe river. Old technologies, but how charming they are! After it a beer in the beach oasis in the middle of the city was just perfect.

Inside the tunnel

A famous beer bike

The tunnel from outside

Beach club in the middle of Hamburg

With Anne in the beach-club

The beach-club in Hamburg

A small piece of home. Norwegian Sjoemannskirke in Hamburg.

It's not only us

On top of the St.Michael's church

From St.Michael's church

From St. Michaels's church

A guided tour in Reeperbahn, the "red lights district" area of Hamburg.

Our camping spot almost in the center of Hamburg

Luebeck and Ratzeburg, Germany. 3-4 june 2010

2010-06-04T14:04:00.000+02:00

It was a bit sad to leave a quiet idylly of Fehmarn, specially wefelt it when we drove into a city-life of Luebeck, not the biggest of the German cities, but hecktic and busy enough. After spending an hour on finding a parking place, we cycled to the city already tired and hungry. So Luebeck became just a dinner-place for us. Another hour we spent on trying to find an internet. After that the energy was left just for biking back to the car and leaving the city, which by the way is full of history, has loads of attractions and beautiful photo spots. Well, well, another time maybe. Piece and quiet we found again in Ratzeburg, a small town on the island surrounded by Ratzeburg lake. The car is parked on the hill overlooking the lake. Wild and beautiful place perfectly hidden from tourists. A wonderful restaurant on the pier with the tables just 10 cm from water is perfect for enjoying the evening beer while watching sunset. Tomorrow is Hamburg )

K in Ratzeburg

Luebeck

A twin-brother in Luebeck

Luebeck

Evening paradise in Ratzeburg

Ratzeburg

Our reception in Ratzeburg

Ratzeburg

Already traditional rabbit near the car

Our double room for the night

Lake of Ratzeburg with our camping site on the opposite side

Fehmarn, Germany. The island of rabbits and yellow fields. 31 may-3 june 2010.

2010-06-03T13:47:00.000+02:00

The first thing you notice once you're here is the endless yellow fields and lots of rabbits, they are not even shy, just laying in the sun everywhere and jumping around the beach. We have cycled over 80 km through the fields, shores and beaches, enjoyed the sun and the rain, the flowers and the rabbits. The island is absolutely worth coming back here. Nature and piece live here.

In the raps fields of Fehmarn, which we mistakenly have been taken for mustard ones.

Our neighbour rabbit

Lighthouse of Fehmarn

Typical german village Katarinenhof

Fehmarn even has a submarine

Surfing spot

Another bunny

Fehmarnsund

Froggy in Wallnau birds reservation

Monument to Jimmy Hendrix, who played his last concert here in 1970.

Capital of the island, Burg auf Fehmarn.

Sweden-Denmark 30th-31st of May.

2010-05-31T15:42:00.000+02:00

Hurra, the big trip has begun! Before coming to the beautiful Fehmarn in Germany we had to be done with the transit through Sweden and Denmark with a sleep-over outside Malmo. Despite of many previous trips here, these countries have opened up the new places and views for us this time.

On the Swedish-Danish border. Ourside of Malmo.

Moen Klint in Denmark

Roedvig, Denmark

Green friend on Moen Klint in Denmark

Moen Klint. Danmark

Moens Klint, Denmark

Moen klint. Denmark.

Danish idylly.