We made it to Germany, near Duren. Gonna have a good keep and will try to get some miles tomorrow morning, before the Germans wake up. Sunday afternoon I would like to be parked as weekends here ave very busy.
Did you get to Austria yet?
Jones’s Maiden Voyage
- Thread starter Jane NotRog
- Start date
Did you get to Austria yet?
Rog NotJane
LIFE MEMBER
Today was a driving day. We were packed and off by 8am heading 400km south ish to MiMobile an Xtura dealer with a famous (amongst us Xtura owners and wait listers) as “The Porn Mag”.
We’ve developed a strange ritual whenever we see a new Xtura: how much battery has it got (we all want to see if/how they fit another 330mAh in) and what’s the heating system? As soon as we’d got in there Jane had photographed all the batteries and I’d disassembled the jump seat to look at the heater. Answers 2x200mAh and Alde 3030 - so not the mythincal 660mAh and Timberline diesel heating we were hoping to see.
Spares in hand we hit the road again. German traffic seems to be as bad as that in the UK - especially around the cities. Germans also seem to be very good at having minor shunts in traffic jams. I counted six today. With the shunts causing blocked lanes we made poor progress but eventually we stopped for the day at 15:00 in Friedburg.
Friedburg has a nice below the town but it does come with a lot of rules. We maybe didn’t understand the one about parking facing out but we did understand the one about not getting chairs or dogs out. The van next door got their rules the other way around. They parked correctly but then set up a table chairs, huge box of Coca Cola and four dogs next to Jones.
Flynn didn’t seem that bothered but their dogs were certainly agitated by us. They had to be moved out of the way every time we entered and exited. On one level, it’s nice to see Germans breaking rules. Smash the stereotypes Schwester! On another level, we’re British so we tutted at them. Flynn would have tutted at the dogs too but his floppy lips don’t do tutting.
Flynn walked and dogs tutted, we went into town. This being Saturday in Germany nearly everything was closed. We wandered round a little:
There was no English on offer. Jane managed to order us drinks and Google translated the menu but there was a fair amount of confusion around but in the end we managed to get our roast pork style one (dark brown sauce, spherical dumplings) and roast pork style two (light brown sauce, irregular dumplings). They were both good - helped by the fact that all we’d eaten so far was a tiny sandwich from NordSee at about 11am.
We’ve developed a strange ritual whenever we see a new Xtura: how much battery has it got (we all want to see if/how they fit another 330mAh in) and what’s the heating system? As soon as we’d got in there Jane had photographed all the batteries and I’d disassembled the jump seat to look at the heater. Answers 2x200mAh and Alde 3030 - so not the mythincal 660mAh and Timberline diesel heating we were hoping to see.
2x200mAh fail
Whatever. I’d arranged to pick up a few spares which they stock and our dealer in the UK doesn’t. Sadly all their sales team were back at Dusseldorf so we couldn’t talk about water filters and martin scarers.Spares in hand we hit the road again. German traffic seems to be as bad as that in the UK - especially around the cities. Germans also seem to be very good at having minor shunts in traffic jams. I counted six today. With the shunts causing blocked lanes we made poor progress but eventually we stopped for the day at 15:00 in Friedburg.
Friedburg has a nice below the town but it does come with a lot of rules. We maybe didn’t understand the one about parking facing out but we did understand the one about not getting chairs or dogs out. The van next door got their rules the other way around. They parked correctly but then set up a table chairs, huge box of Coca Cola and four dogs next to Jones.
Flynn didn’t seem that bothered but their dogs were certainly agitated by us. They had to be moved out of the way every time we entered and exited. On one level, it’s nice to see Germans breaking rules. Smash the stereotypes Schwester! On another level, we’re British so we tutted at them. Flynn would have tutted at the dogs too but his floppy lips don’t do tutting.
Flynn walked and dogs tutted, we went into town. This being Saturday in Germany nearly everything was closed. We wandered round a little:
Zzzzz
…before settling at the Gasthaus Zeiglerbrau:Gasthaus
There was no English on offer. Jane managed to order us drinks and Google translated the menu but there was a fair amount of confusion around but in the end we managed to get our roast pork style one (dark brown sauce, spherical dumplings) and roast pork style two (light brown sauce, irregular dumplings). They were both good - helped by the fact that all we’d eaten so far was a tiny sandwich from NordSee at about 11am.
Woman surprised by German pork
Flynn got another walk around town but overall travel days aren’t great for him. We resolved to try harder tomorrow.
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I am greatly honoured and will do my best to live up to the high moral standards of the committee and inject a bit of history to liven things up.
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Grianan
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Lots of Chanterelles on that menu - pfiffelingen … delicious!
Rog NotJane
LIFE MEMBER
Yeah, we swerved them but it was probably a mistake. Especially for Jane NotRog as we suspect the pork with pfipferpferplings was just pork style one with added mushroom.
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Jane NotRog
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Yesterday’s map - quite the travel day. Now to the scary bit - Austria and Hungary without a V5 and hence no Go Box, so avoiding all motorways. If there are no more posts, send cash to Der Für Hohe Bußgelder Zuständige Wohnmobil-Verkehrspolizist, Gruseliges Gefängnis, Vienna.
Is your van greater than 3.5T?
We are in Austria now.
Lenny HB
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Didn't realise you were travelling without a V5 that is very risky, any incident in most countries first thing police want is V5.
Fingers crossed for you.
Carpmart
LIFE MEMBER
With regard to the V5C, can someone open your post for you? It’s always a brown A5 sized envelope. A high resolution image stored on the phones or Google Drive etc could be useful…
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Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
Yes.
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Jane NotRog
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I’ve asked someone, good idea, thanks!With regard to the V5C, can someone open your post for you? It’s always a brown A5 sized envelope. A high resolution image stored on the phones or Google Drive etc could be useful…
I did the Rovinete on line only asked for registration not vin number
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Jane NotRog
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Friend has popped round and we have the details! Thanks again for that suggestion. I think we’ll be able to sign up in Hungary so use the motorways there.
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Last time we drove on a motorway in Hungary the war in Syria had recently started and there were columns of refugees walking along the road. It was a very sad sight.
We crossed about a hr ago from Austria into Hungary. Vignette via Vintrita app, €40.26 for D2 category and for 1 month. This will cover us for the journey back too. I think you will be D2 as well.
I have detoured from my usual route, after Wienn, usually I do S1 A4 into Hegyeshalom. Round the refinery and the Airport are massive queues, roadworks.
So. Detoured towards Sopron, what a lovely ride. The crossing is a non motorway crossing, and was thinking of you. If you can't be on motorway in Austria, you need to pick a non motorway crossing. Well this one is good. Not maned small town/village, you just need to aim for Eisenstadt then follow the national road crossing for Sopron. After that super new express way 110kmh all the way to M1 for 1hr. There is no fuel on the express way, only on M1. We fuelled at St Polten before hand.
Also, if you need some secure post to Romania, I may be able to help, just need to do some phone calls.
Forgot to add, a comfortable 28C and sunny.
I have detoured from my usual route, after Wienn, usually I do S1 A4 into Hegyeshalom. Round the refinery and the Airport are massive queues, roadworks.
So. Detoured towards Sopron, what a lovely ride. The crossing is a non motorway crossing, and was thinking of you. If you can't be on motorway in Austria, you need to pick a non motorway crossing. Well this one is good. Not maned small town/village, you just need to aim for Eisenstadt then follow the national road crossing for Sopron. After that super new express way 110kmh all the way to M1 for 1hr. There is no fuel on the express way, only on M1. We fuelled at St Polten before hand.
Also, if you need some secure post to Romania, I may be able to help, just need to do some phone calls.
Forgot to add, a comfortable 28C and sunny.
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Jane NotRog
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Thank you! Are you under 3.5T? We get the feeling that we either have go buy a go box in Hungary, or a ticket for an individual journey that only lasts 120 minutes. Even that requires more information than I’ve provided in the past to take up a job offer. So much red tape!
I feel your pain! After touring FT europe I got absolutely fed up with toll boxes and hassle around the V 5 due to how the uk list emmissions,so I went 3.5 t and what a difference, good luck stay safe .
Yes VW crafter 3.5T.
I never knew there is a E Toll for over 3.5T in Hu. I realise now that, E Vignette does not apply to you, but EToll.
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Rog NotJane
LIFE MEMBER
Our simple solution is not to use motorways. Seems like the law of unintended consequences. I guess the government expected extra revenue but they actually just force heavier motorhomes (and HGVs who don’t come that often) onto local roads 
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Jane NotRog
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Catching up with the blog…
On Sunday we left Germany and crossed into Austria. This is fraught with danger, as we don’t have Jones’s V5C, and word is that Interpol is already on our trail to arrest us for being so lax, and stealing a motorhome.
The more immediate consequence was that we couldn’t use the motorway, as Jones, being over 3.5T, needs a Go-Box rather than a vignette, and to get one of those we need… you guessed it… a V5C.
Luckily our first stop wasn’t that far into the country. We followed the Danube for a while, and then climbed into the hills above the river, leaving official roads for the first time! Jones is now truly an off-road vehicle - although, sorry to report, it was too dry for mud on the wheel arches.
Our stop for the night was at the fantastic Weisser Hof farm. I had to phone the farmer to let him know we were here.
“Do you speak English?”
“Nein.”
Despite the abrupt start, the farmer was actually very friendly, and by use of mime and Gerlish, we managed to establish that fresh water and dumping of black and grey water, were all on offer for the princely sum of €10.
Once we’d established where the sun would be later and parked Jones accordingly, it was time for a decent dog walk to reward Flynn for some rubbish days. Our path took us among sunny fields.
And then through cool woods to a couple of Danube viewpoints - sadly most of the latter was now obscured by junior members of the former.
After a game of Iliad…
I cooked a Spanish Fideuà with octopus from home, tomatoes and red pepper. Sadly the pasta was orzo, which might start an Italo-Hispanic war if we let on.
Rog got the drone airborne for the first time.
Today (Monday) was designated another driving day, to get some miles done and get to see Romania while it’s still warm. The journey was very slow-going and not much fun, but we did make progress on the V5C front - our friend Paula kindly popped into the Old Bakery, opened the envelope and sent us photos of all the relevant parts. This won’t help with the Austrians, who insist on seeing the original, but we should be able to get an e-toll in Hungary. I hope.
Just after 3pm, we made it to Römerstadt Carnuntum.
From the 1st to the 4th century AD, Carnuntum was a significant Roman metropolis on the border of the Roman Empire. Excavations started in the early 1930s, and there’s a traditional “how many amphorae do I really need to see in my lifetime” museum 7km away. But we were here because there is an amazing reconstruction of the Roman city quarter, presenting a much more vivid picture of Roman life than the usual ankle-height walls and occasional mosaic. Photos will tell the story best…
The reconstruction was done using all the materials, methods and (repro) tools of the time, based on the archaeological research of the area. It was fantastic - we highly recommend a visit.
The Roman Quarter also provides an aire - no facilities but 4 parking spots helpfully placed in full shade. They get you a discount on the museum too.
We decided after a long day that we’d eat out in town. The restaurant sounded slightly up-market so I decided that my new skirt should get its first night out. Sadly the skirt was disappointed and so was I. I must admit that I do get a little bored with Germanic cooking. Also, the service was rubbish. We had to hang around for 10 minutes when we arrived, until I decided to ding on the hotel reception desk, call someone from the hotel’s nether regions, and tell them there were people in the bar.
It was good to get back to Jones and find that Flynn had eaten his pig’s ear treat - he’s starting to settle in.
On Sunday we left Germany and crossed into Austria. This is fraught with danger, as we don’t have Jones’s V5C, and word is that Interpol is already on our trail to arrest us for being so lax, and stealing a motorhome.
The more immediate consequence was that we couldn’t use the motorway, as Jones, being over 3.5T, needs a Go-Box rather than a vignette, and to get one of those we need… you guessed it… a V5C.
Luckily our first stop wasn’t that far into the country. We followed the Danube for a while, and then climbed into the hills above the river, leaving official roads for the first time! Jones is now truly an off-road vehicle - although, sorry to report, it was too dry for mud on the wheel arches.
Our stop for the night was at the fantastic Weisser Hof farm. I had to phone the farmer to let him know we were here.
“Do you speak English?”
“Nein.”
Despite the abrupt start, the farmer was actually very friendly, and by use of mime and Gerlish, we managed to establish that fresh water and dumping of black and grey water, were all on offer for the princely sum of €10.
Once we’d established where the sun would be later and parked Jones accordingly, it was time for a decent dog walk to reward Flynn for some rubbish days. Our path took us among sunny fields.
And then through cool woods to a couple of Danube viewpoints - sadly most of the latter was now obscured by junior members of the former.
After a game of Iliad…
I cooked a Spanish Fideuà with octopus from home, tomatoes and red pepper. Sadly the pasta was orzo, which might start an Italo-Hispanic war if we let on.
Rog got the drone airborne for the first time.
Today (Monday) was designated another driving day, to get some miles done and get to see Romania while it’s still warm. The journey was very slow-going and not much fun, but we did make progress on the V5C front - our friend Paula kindly popped into the Old Bakery, opened the envelope and sent us photos of all the relevant parts. This won’t help with the Austrians, who insist on seeing the original, but we should be able to get an e-toll in Hungary. I hope.
Just after 3pm, we made it to Römerstadt Carnuntum.
From the 1st to the 4th century AD, Carnuntum was a significant Roman metropolis on the border of the Roman Empire. Excavations started in the early 1930s, and there’s a traditional “how many amphorae do I really need to see in my lifetime” museum 7km away. But we were here because there is an amazing reconstruction of the Roman city quarter, presenting a much more vivid picture of Roman life than the usual ankle-height walls and occasional mosaic. Photos will tell the story best…
The reconstruction was done using all the materials, methods and (repro) tools of the time, based on the archaeological research of the area. It was fantastic - we highly recommend a visit.
The Roman Quarter also provides an aire - no facilities but 4 parking spots helpfully placed in full shade. They get you a discount on the museum too.
We decided after a long day that we’d eat out in town. The restaurant sounded slightly up-market so I decided that my new skirt should get its first night out. Sadly the skirt was disappointed and so was I. I must admit that I do get a little bored with Germanic cooking. Also, the service was rubbish. We had to hang around for 10 minutes when we arrived, until I decided to ding on the hotel reception desk, call someone from the hotel’s nether regions, and tell them there were people in the bar.
It was good to get back to Jones and find that Flynn had eaten his pig’s ear treat - he’s starting to settle in.
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Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
Today’s map
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A lovely update and the reconstruction of a Roman buildings sounds very interesting. You are sure you aren’t at Disneyland?
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Jane NotRog
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Much more woody than that! Tsk!
Carpmart
LIFE MEMBER
No problem…
The one time I’ve had to show documents to anyone whilst travelling (police in Spain) I just opened my Google drive on my phone and they were happy with driving licence and V5C for the motorscooter electronically. They took a picture on their phones!
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The drone shots of the long shadows made by Jones at Weisser Hof farm are amazing.
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Rog NotJane
LIFE MEMBER
The food in the kitchen and shop was all real. The hypocaust smelt like it had been lit earlier in the day! You could also use the furniture and command any slaves you met to do your bidding - assuming you speak Latin. Feliciter ambo facimus. Infelix nulli servi circum erant.
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The hypocaust sounds really good I’d have liked to see a that. As to the slaves triste dictu, non habeo, ergo nihil referret
CaptainPaul
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Id in schola fecimus et ego id odi
Although I do always remember this every morning in assembly after we sang the school song
"glorious in excelsis deo pax per adas dominum" (it's part of an old hymn)
I had a dog one time and called him Pax but he was anything but it, he was as mad as a brush!
You've brought me back some memories! Lol
SCHOOL SONG
W.F. Marshall
Sing the good old Royal song, wherever you may go,
Sing of crown and castle and an ancient date below,
Sing it with a chorus, so that all the world may know
We learned the holy Latin in Dungannon.
Hurrah! Hurrah! Dungannon wears the crown,
Hurrah! Hurrah! The castle and the crown,
When Derry was a village and Belfast a little town,
We learned the holy Latin in Dungannon.
James the First of England sat in purple on his throne
When a dusty postboy brought the message from County Tyrone
From his loyal planters who were making woeful moan
And craved the holy Latin in Dungannon.
They’ll wear Dungannon’s castle with a crown above, to show
I’stablish it forever as a Royal School, and so
My citizens will bless me, and their children they will go
And learn the holy Latin in Dungannon.
By and by they’ll bigger be, and learn to play the game,
To fight their battle fairly, which is the noblest fame,
And into adults mould them, and all of them proclaim
There’s more than holy Latin in Dungannon.
Years have fled – four hundred, we’ve a shield without a stain,
RSD for ever! Sing with all your might and main.
Lift it now, go lift it till he hears it
Who learned the holy Latin in Dungannon.
Glory to the good old school beside Dungannon town!
Glory to the noble king, and fair be his renown!
And glory everlasting be with all who wore her crown
And learned the holy Latin in Dungannon.
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Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
I went to a grammar but it had public school pretensions. We wore boaters in summer, and had indoor and outdoor shoes. And of course a school song in Latin.
Nunc candendum, nunc laetandum,
Illos nunc laudemus
Qui dederunt conservanda
Hard quibus gaudemus
Apple wants to autocorrect everything to pillows, so sorry if I’ve praised soft fluffy objects instead of our founders!
Nunc candendum, nunc laetandum,
Illos nunc laudemus
Qui dederunt conservanda
Hard quibus gaudemus
Apple wants to autocorrect everything to pillows, so sorry if I’ve praised soft fluffy objects instead of our founders!
Rog NotJane
LIFE MEMBER
Jane still has her straw boater and wears it every year on her school’s anniversary the second sunday in Michaelmas term ends.
Whereas Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School’s uniform code was “no studs”.
Whereas Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School’s uniform code was “no studs”.
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