Lake Maggorie to Lake Como

This morning we left our peaceful spot on Lake Maggorie in bright sunshine and headed south on the east bank of the lake to see what we could find. There were lots of little villages but nothing that really grabbed us so we decided to head over to Lake Como.

The town of Como seems a very busy place and no opportunities to park a motorhome that we could find. After getting stuck up a dead end lane and having to do a mulit point turn whilst being watched over (glared at) by impatient Italian drivers, we moved on.

We drove up the lake to a small sleepy town called Cernobbio and parked on a free car park close to the town centre.

There is a very nice water front and water taxies leave every 30 minutes to Como Town, amongst other towns on the lake, so that`s our plan for tomorrow.

We walked around town and came across a very elaborate villa called Villa Bernasconi. It has the most amazing stone carvings on the exterior and painted panels and is a jewel of the Liberty Style that is now called Art Nouveau style.

All we could discern from the exterior was that it was some kind of museum, so we didn`t go in, but I decided we`d do some investigating this evening and may go tomorrow if we have time.

The other villa in town is Villa Erba, that couldn`t be seen from the road except the for lodge and some very sturdy security gates were firmly closed.

Later, with a bit of time to spare, I decided we`d head up the lake road to the next village, I turned off the main road onto the one to the village. Big mistake, a sign told me a height restriction of 3.5 metres, no problem, we`re less that 3 metre so off we went.

The road was a bit narrow in places but thankfully the Italian highways engineers had measured their bridges accurately and none caused a problem. Those came when we met a coach coming the other way ! It took a bit of shuffling to and fro and breathing in by all concerned but we got past ok in the end.

This narrow road seemed to go on for ever and I was very relieved when we came to a junction and could get back on the road for Cernobbio.

We are parked up on the Sosta at Tavernola, just outside Cernobbio, GPS 45.83517 9.06106. There are nine other motorhomes, just one other is British, the rest are German, Dutch and Italian. 12 euro for the night, 2 euro for electric.

The weather continues to be mixed, sun / cloud, no rain today but forecast still iffy unfortunately.

Villa Bernasconi Cernobbio, Lake Como

Apologies for the delivery vans, typical, no great building in Italy can be photographed with them in front !

Villa Bernasconi Cernobbio, Lake Como

Villa Bernasconi Cernobbio, Lake Como
Also Balcony of the day

Villa Bernasconi Cernobbio, Lake Como

Villa Bernasconi Cernobbio, Lake Como

Water Front Cernobbio, Lake Como

Water Front Cernobbio, Lake Como

Villa Erba Gate Lodge, Cernobbio, Lake Como

Belle vista le Italia .........

Yesterday was thoroughly enjoyable day taking in the magnificent scenery of Lauterbrunnen. 

The expected rain arrived around teatime and barely let up all night which left us a little despondent this morning.

It pains me to say it, given our lovely location in this valley, but with a cool breeze, the cloud cover at about 300 feet and regular drizzle, it felt more like Wales than Switzerland ! Nothing against Wales, or Switzerland, I love both the places, it`s just with the rain, that was how it looked and felt, ie too close to home.

Camping Jungfrau by the way is a lovely site, one of the best I have ever been on, the shower block was so clean you eat your tea off the heated floor tiles whilst listening to piped music or a refreshing hot shower. 
Also, it was not as expensive as I had feared, it worked out about £30 for the night, so not too bad given the location and facilities.

The weather forecast didn’t give much us cause for optimism though.

So after a brief discussion, we did what any good motorhomers would do, we set the compass for south, selected first gear and set off for…….Italy.

After all that`s what a motorhome is for, it gives you the flexability to change your plans at a moments notice, so that’s what we did.

I am very disappointed though to have missed some of the activities I had planned in the Lauterbrunnen area, but who knows, maybe we will return one day. That would certainly be my ambition.

Apparently there is an app you can download to your smartphone and on wet misty days like we experienced you just point your smartphone in the direction of whatever you want to photograph and a high definition, crystal clear photograph of whatever you had pointed at is downloaded to you phone automatically !!! Cheating or what, but very clever, and necessary unfortunately.

We had to back track somewhat towards Lucerne as part of the Susten Pass is still closed due to snow. The St Gotthard Tunnel was decided upon as our route and most of the journey was done in rain and mist so I think we missed some of the scenery due to the low cloud cover but it was still an unforgettable journey.

The St Gotthard Tunnel is quite a feat of engineering and takes about sixteen minutes to transit. Quite a bit of concentration is needed as it`s a single tunnel with a single carriageway carrying traffic in both directions, so no room for error or wandering !
A comfort break was taken as soon as we re-emerged into daylight.

Heading south (and north for that matter) it is quite a climb up to the entrances and is frequently the source of severe traffic delays. Thankfully we passed unhindered but there was a queue heading north.

We also passed the St GotthardBase Tunnel which is for train cargo traffic and is even longer.

We exited Switzerland through an unmanned border crossing and entered Italy through their very own unmanned border crossing.

Lake Maggorie was the destination we had selected and we arrived just after lunch at a small village in the foothills of the Alps called Germignaga in the Province of Varese, on the banks of the lake.

Whats more, we had found some sunshine, it`s not quite cracking the paving flags yet but it`s very welcome.

In the way Germany calls their motorhome stops Stellplats, the Italians call them Sostas and we are on a very good one looking directly over the lake. There is a park to the left of us and a recreational, a super clean childrens play park the other side with those fountains that squirt water vertically to their amusement, and best of all, our very own beach ! So all in all it’s a very pleasant stopover. Cost, well just 3 euro for electricity and 1 euro for fresh water if you need it. We didn`t. So very good value as well.

We walked 5 minutes to the local Carrafor supermarket for some groceries and I had a walk around the village this evening, it`s nothing special, but has quite a charm and some flower decorations contained in bicycles !

Also, “Door of the day” is back ………

We`ve not decided on plans for tomorrow yet, watch this space.

By the way, remarkably, we have UK tv tonight ! don`t know how, but we do !

Our view from the Sosta

Lake Maggorie and beach from the Sosta

Germignaga Sosta

Germignaga Sosta childrens play area

Germignaga village Church

Germignaga village flower decorations

Germignaga village tree decorations

Germignaga village 

Germignaga village river 

Germignaga village Door of the day

Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen

Today we set off from our little piece of  idyllic Swiss scenery and headed for Interlaken. After two glorious days by the lake, the weather forecast is not looking favourable for the next few days and to appreciate Switzerland at it`s best, we really need more clear skies.

Arriving in Interlaken it was dry, but the clouds were low over the hills, they may have been low over the mountains as we were unable to see the tops, so we couldn`t tell !

We wandered around for a while, there was a Sunday market on which kept us entertained for a hour or so. However the town itself didn`t really do it for us. I`m sure if holidaying in the area it`s a great base with lots activities nearby but the town itself is rather un-inspiring. Lots of jewellers selling expensive watches and tourist shops.

I had a site for the night near Interlaken earmarked called Camping Wang, but it is high up on the Harder with spectacular views over the twin lakes of Thunersee and Brienzersee, but going high doesn`t seem like a good idea today, so that has been dismissed.

So we decided to head south for Lauterbrunnen which is only 20 or so minutes away.

The village sits in a most beautiful gorge with near vertical sides along it`s full length and in the distance can be seen the peaks of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Sadly we didn`t see them due to the low cloud !

But tomorrow`s another day and we`ll hope for clear skies.

We parked up by the Staubbach Falls which are in the centre of the village, they are quite a spectacle with the water cascading 297 metres down the vertical cliff face and if you walk further along the lane there are a number of other smaller falls.

We decided to park for the night at Camping Jungfrau opposite the Staubbach Falls. Not cheap but a stunning location.

Despite the forecast it did brighten up this afternoon and was quite pleasant in the sunshine.  

I walked along the lane to the Trummelbach Falls which are am amazing sight from the inside but almost impossible to see from outside even when standing below them.
The glacial meltwater from the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau has, over the centuries carved a waterfall inside the mountain and clever 20^st centuary engineers have constructed a series of viewing platforms overlooking the falls with connecting pathways. There is also a lift to about two thirds of the way up (walk the remainder) and steps back down. The falls carry 20,000 litres of water per second and carry 20,200 tons of boulder detritus per year down the valley. They are the only glacial waterfalls inside a mountain and still accessible in Europe. Well worth a visit if in the area.

This evening it has started to rain and the forecast doesn`t look good.

I don`t really want to hang around here and wait for the weather to improve as the sites are expensive to be sitting waiting for the rain to stop, so tomorrow we will decide where to go next…….

PS no UK tv signal here, but were watching Swiss TV !

Interlaken Sunday Market

Louis nose directed us to this stall

Interlaken from across the Green

Staubbach Falls Lauterbrunnen

Staubbach Falls Lauterbrunnen

Lauterbrunnen`s Church

Lauterbrunnen`s beautiful Cemetry

Flower meadow Lauterbrunnen

Lauterbrunnen residents

Lauterbrunnen`s new arrival

Sue enjoying some rays of sunshine

 Lauterbrunnen valley from Trummelbach Falls

Trummelbach Falls

A day soaking up the scenery

Today Ed`s wheels have made not one single turn, we have spent the day soaking up the Alpine scenery in the sunshine. We awoke to the sound of cow bells clinking in the meadow behind where we`re parked up.

After breakfast I set off for a cycle around the lake, approximately 17 klm. It was a spectacular ride and one I`m very glad I made the effort to do. Problem was I had to keep stopping for photograph the scenery.

After that, sunbathing was the only thing we did all afternoon.

Tomorrow I think we will travel about 40 minutes to Interlaken.

Mountains around Lake Sarnen

Lake Sarnen

Mountains around Lake Sarnen

Mountains around Lake Sarnen

Some goats I chatted to

Spectacular Switzerland !

We awoke today after a peaceful nights sleep in Waldshut-Tiengen, grateful for not having rain rattle the skylights like last night. It turned out to be beautiful sunny morning so I got up early and went and took some photos of the River Rhine in the sunshine, such a difference from yesterdays efforts.

Next stop was Aldi for groceries, we`re heading for Switzerland and shopping there is strictly for those with deep pockets.

I was a little nervous about driving into Switzerland having read various horror stories about it, but let me tell you it was very simple and straight forward. On approaching the border there is a layby to pull into. I walked up to the cabin and spoke to a very friendly and polite border guard who directed me into the cabin to purchase a vignette. I explained we were over 3.5 ton and therefore “heavy” this is a good thing as it is cheaper that the alternative for lighter vehicles. I could pay for a day, a week, 10 days, six months and so on. I chose to pay £24 for a 10 day pass that is valid for 12 months. So we could use all 10 days and stay here for a while or save some of the days if we decide to return through Switzerland on the way back

We then set off for the Rhine Falls at Schloss Laufen near Schafferhausen, formed in the last Ice Age, where the Rhine drop 75 feet over a Glacial ledge out of Switzerland into Germany.

The sight is very impressive. Largely because of the way the viewing platforms allow you get within touching distance of the raging torrent of water. The force and power of the water was awesome.

The entrance was 5 Swiss CHF each, which equates to about £3.50 so very good value I would say.

Lunch was a Bratwurst on bread from a stall in the grounds, Sue asked what was in it and I suggested those thoughts be dismissed ! It was very tasty though.

We later drove down through Switzerland, across fertile meadows towards Zurich then on towards Lucerne. The vignette we purchased at the border covers the use of all the tunnels and passes and there are an awful lot of tunnels, we must have been through 20+ tunnels. The Swiss are clearly master tunnel builders. At one, by Lake Lucerne, having entered the tunnel with meadows around us, we emerged from the darkness to the most amazing Alpine scenery. Snow capped peaks and Alpine lodges on the hill sides. Spectacular, just what I`d hoped for, and in bright sunshine.

We continued to Lake Sarnen and are pitched up at Camping Ewil on the banks of the lake GPS 46.85581 8.21516.

It is a beautful setting and apparently the lake is the subject of a watercolour painting by JMW Turner, entitled The Sarner See, Evening, and dating from c.1842.

Tea this evening was “en van” before a walk along the lake side.

I continue to be amazed that we still get a satellite signal where we are !

But we`re right on the edge off the transmission footprint, I can`t see it lasting for long. Enjoying WWTBAM while it lasts.....

Here`s a video of the falls ......

I think we may have more than one night here, not decided yet ???

Sarnen Lake

Sarnen Lake

Mountains behind Sarnen Lake

Rhine Falls at Schloss Laufen

A rather wet day :(

After a lovely day in the warm Black Forest sunshine yesterday, it rained quite heavily overnight and we awoke to a thunderstorm rattling the rooflights. Looking at the weather apps it seems the sunshine has deserted us for the time being. What`s more the rain seems to be quite widespread across this part of Europe for the next few days, so making a dash for Italy seems pointless.

We continued with the original plan for today which was to drive up to Lake Titisee and then on to the close by Lake Schluchsee.

Both were picturesque settings that on a better day would have been good overnight stops, but shrouded in mist and rain, they were a different proposition. So we didn`t stay long. A bite of lunch saw us moving on.

We decided to head south closer to our next planned stop at Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen, close to the border with Switzerland.

So tonight finds us at the Stellplatz Wohnmobil-Park in Waldshut-Tiengen GPS 47.61109 8.22522. It seems like it must be a chain as we are familiar with the name now.

We are parked up just 50 yards from the German bank of the River Rhine and on the other side is Switzerland.

The weather for tomorrow seems like being a mix of sunshine and showers so we`ll go and see the Rhine Falls which are about 45 minutes away.

For the next few days it looks rather wet and I`m going to be so very disappointed if we can`t cross Switzerland in sunshine. I`d planned to take the longer senic route over the top and linger a bit in Switzerland to take in the Alpine scenery, but that`s looking doubtful now.

There`s just no point in doing that route if we`re not going to see anything due to mist and rain, so we might just head for the motorway and the St Gotthard Road Tunnel.

But we`ll decided for sure at the last minute, fingers crossed we`ll get a break in the weather and take the senic route.

No photos today, too dam wet !

Weather update : the sun is shining now at 8.05pm 

Triberg`s famous waterfalls

The first photo below is a shot of the little church on the hill at dusk when it was illuminated and looked very pretty in the half light.

Today we left Gengenbach and drove up to a Town called Triberg in the mountains, famous for it`s waterfall that is the highest in Germany and  drops 160 metres in the valley and town below. There are also Red Squirrels in the woods but we weren`t lucky enough to see any. There was cabin doing a brisk trade in selling bags of peanuts to tourists though. Apparently their favourite tread but not enough to tempt them today.

It`s a very quaint town with lots of souvenier shops full of Cuckoo Clock – the other thing Triberg is famous for. It`s also a very hilly town with almost every street requiring climbing equipment, needless to say Sue wasn`t impressed so having seen what we needed to see, we set off for Frieburg.

This should have been quite a simple 65 minute drive until we reach a road closure ! plenty of signs, but none that my limited understanding of German could decipher. So I had no alternative to set the sat nav for a road blockage and let it guide us. Well, it did to a degree but took some roads that were less than ideal ! It was however a very senic route and I enjoyed that aspect of the detour.

Sue on the other hand was gripping the armrests and turning a strange pale colour, unable to utter anything ! I swear there were finger prints grip mark imprints in the armrests afterwards.

Anyway, all`s well that end`s well and we reached Freiburg in one piece and found the town Wohnmobil stellplatz (GPS 47.99978 7.8257) without any further problems.

They have us crammed on here like sardines but it is a very good Stellplatz being quite close to the town and only 9 euro for the night.

It`s a very busy town with a big University and students tearing around on bicycles all over the place.

On the plus side it is very flat so a late afternoon stroll into the town for some tea was called for.

We had a bit of difficulty finding the Altstad (old town) but find it we did and enjoyed Schnitzel and fries (me) chicken burger and fries (Sue) accompanied by some local beer, delicious.

Freiburg suffered extensive damage in WW2 and little is left of what was there before but it`s an interesting town with some good architecture (re-built) and lots of graffiti absolutely everywhere.

The walk back to the Stellplatz was seeming less appealing by the minute and I considered a taxi or maybe the tram that runs in our direction ? The trouble was all the pay machines were in German only and we knew neither the name of the pickup point where we were or the stop we wanted to get off at ! or how much to put in the slot.

At that point, a tram arrives and we decide to get on and blag a lift. If an inspector got on, I`d have had to play dumb tourist (not hard) and hope we weren`t thrown in the town jail for the night. Anyway we got away with it, nobody asked us for a ticket and we got off at our stop un-noticed. So apologies to the fare and tax paying residents of Freiburg, we owe you probably 6 euro.

Back at the Stellplatz, we continue to receive a satellite signal and so UK television can be endured, sorry, enjoyed. A state of affairs I fear won`t be the case for long as we continue in a South direction.

Actually I have quite liked the new “Who wants to be a millionaire” I think our Jezza is doing a good job there.

The little church on the hill at Gengenbach

Triberg Waterfalls 

Triberg Waterfalls

Triberg Waterfalls

Cuckoo Clocks everywhere

Wohnmobil Stellplatz

Hans Jakob Realschule complete with graffiti

Louis very impressed with these permantly re-filled water bowls in town

Gengenbach ~ A delightful town

This morning we set off from Baden Baden to drive the senic route to Gengenbach. We travelled through some beautiful Black Forest Countryside, set of by the bright sunshine and crystal clear blue sky.

Last night I gave the windscreen on Ed a wash to clear off all the bug splatter and I`m so glad we had a clear un-interupted view of the scenery.

We are parked tonight on the town Stellplatz called Womo Park next to the Kinzig River (GPS 48.40224  8.00754)

We had a walk in the warm sunshine into town this afternoon along the river and across the footbridge. It is everything you would imagine of a Black Forest town.

Quaint timbered buildings, a tower and gates at each end of the high street and busy shops. Today was particularly busy as they were holding a market in the square so we had a brouse and Sue bought a new sun hat from one of the shops.

Louis was struggling a bit in the heat but took delight in having a lie down in a small stream that ran along a rill in the cobbles.

Later it was back to Ed for tea, salmon fillet on the barbeque, the barbeque is proving extremely useful at the moment.

Not much else to report, the fridge is playing up a bit and won`t light on gas, so I`ve identified a shop not to far away where I hope to get a part to fix it myself, if it`s in stock. It works ok on 240 volt and 12 volt but it is a bit of a problem not working on gas if it`s going to be hot.

Having said that, the forecast is for cooler weather for the next few days with some rain and I understand the UK heatwave is coming to an end also.

That shop will be the first stop in the morning before heading to our next destination……. yet to be decided.....

PS, note the little church on the hill in the first photo, nothing comes easily to believers, or so I`m sure worshipers were told ! that`s quite a climb up to there !

Before you ask, no we didn`t visit the church, it was far to hot.

Gengenbach Town view from Kinzig River walk

Gengenbach Town Stellplatz at Womo Park

Gengenbach Town Hall & busy market

Gengenbach High Street

Gengenbach Town Gate

Gengenbach Town Gate to keep out unwanted visitors

Gengenbach Town Square & Market

Kinzig River