Andrew here again with my monthly input.
Five months on the road and you really wonder where it’s gone, but I guess when you realise we have travelled just over 15,000 km’s, been to 21 countries, stayed in 66 different campsites, climbed numerous hills and lookouts, been to so many wonderful churches, cathedrals, forts, and all kinds of museums and places of interest, then that’s where it’s gone.
We mentioned early on about the infamous Norwegian road tolls, well I now apologise Norway. We spent 3 weeks in your country, travelled some 4,000 or so kilometres and the road tolls were a smidgeon over $100 NZ; and when you think of the tunnels and viaducts we travelled on and the time and diesel we saved (against taking the back roads if that was an option, and in many cases it was not), then $100 NZ is money well spent. The reason I recap on this is we have faced some very heavy tolls in Italy and France. The other day we left Lausanne in Switzerland and crossed the border to France. To be fair the road then took us through some very scenic areas and over some amazing road structures fixed against the sides of mountains etc., but the 150km from the French border just out of Geneva to Lyon France cost us $49 NZ. Two days later, the 230km drive from Lyon to Avignon cost another $48 NZ in French road tolls, so in two days and 380km we had paid nearly as much as 3 weeks and 4,000 km’s in Norway. On our next trip from Avignon we decided to use the back roads and whilst it took us an hour or so longer it was only a handful of kilometres more, and it was quite nice to be off the motorways, but it is quite testing getting through some of the smaller towns.
I mentioned we have been to 66 campsites and one thing we can’t get over is the number of pets in campsites. It seems if you are European, you own a motorhome and you have a pet, you take it with you on holiday. Every campsite has a charge for pets and they are just an accepted part of everyday life. Of course, dogs are the most popular and we have seen all sizes and shapes, some with more than one, and in Basel a lady arrived in her small motorhome with 3 Labradors. The dogs also go with their owners on a day out. Many of the campsites are 3 -6 km’s from the centre of town, so the dogs go in baskets on the front of bikes, or in trollies towed behind the bikes. I have spoken to quite a few owners and they all tell me the dogs love being towed behind the bike in a cart or sitting in a basket at the front. We even have seen some dogs being pushed around in what looked like “baby’s strollers”. I asked one lady and she told me they were made especially for dogs. Their dog was 14 years old and they loved having him with them, so it was a way of getting him round, as he didn’t walk too far. He seemed more than happy in his “doggie pram”.
It’s not just dogs though. We have seen a couple of cats on leads and others looking out of campervan windows, a rabbit, and birds in cages. Back at Ljubljana in Slovenia we parked next door to a Spanish couple and I noted they had a bird inside the motor home. I wandered over to talk to them and found out the Love Bird’s name was Piri. He has had his wings clipped so can’t fly far, but is free to fly round the inside of the motorhome. Jaume and Susanna come from Olot in the province of Girona in Spain, and Piri the bird always travels away with them in their motorhome, providing plenty of kisses to his owners to show his appreciation.
On the financial front we have managed to go under budget for the month by $880 or $28 per day. We continue to go and see everything we can, and never say we can’t afford something. Cooking your own meals in the motorhome is of course a huge saving and going to some of these supermarkets to buy the food is an eye opener. They really are huge and the variety of food they have never fails to amaze us. I have converted Louise to actually enjoy supermarket shopping. I have been a converted supermarket shopper for years as some of you may know. More on that in a later end of the month blog.
We have saved on campsites over the past few days as we have taken on a house-sitting job in Southern France which Louise will enlighten you about in her blog.
So that’s all from me for another month, here are the stats.
Well done on the budget control. What a great adventure. jealous much!! Stay well you two.