Wednesday 27 May 2015

The Caravan Club St Petersburg and the North Grand Tour 2015. Denmark

Well we are finally at the starting point!Camping Holbaek Fjord in Denmark. We left Germany and bumped into several otger participants on the route all discussing how we were going to get into Denmark, whether it be by bridge or one of the many ferries. We had decided to go by the bridge but were persuaded to go by ferry as apparantly it took 100 miles off the driving. We werent even certain which ferry we needed to get! We found Rostock with the help of the sat nav but then it got a bit scarey. There were ferries to Russia, Estonia, oh my god all over the blooming place.  We werent sure where we were going until finally I found some helpful young woman who directed me to the do kids.  We had been there quite a few minutes when there was a knock on the car windows.  A lovely french man who was having similar problems, only worse as he didn't speak any other language and was asking ME for help! I tried to sound convincing in my best french that he was in the correct place. So there we were front of the queue....wait. Yes other cars,coaches and lorries joined us phew. A boat came! Phew. All the cars,coaches and lorries got on. Who was the last to load? The car and caravan that had been first there! Needless to say that they must have taken lessons from P and O on operating a ferry as there weren't any seats left for a 2 hour crossing! We sat like teenagers on the floor with a coffee in a cardboard cup! What is even worse is that we had spent 190 euros for a 2 hour crossing! Hey Ho we were going to Denmark. The ferry unloaded. Guess who was now last off? How do we do it? The road was terrible. Miles and miles of traffic in front of us winding down Country lanes. We were getting excited as we were getting near a motorway and we were getting low on diesel. The excitement was short lived. We hit traffic jams caused by roadworks that made the Mac look like a super highway! There were no fuel stations on the motorway. Panic!  Using the sat nav we got it to take us to some lovely little village in the back of beyond but at least it had an automated fuel pump!
We then realised that thanks to all these hold ups we weren't going to get to our planned site before it shut at 7.  Oh thank you sat nav "nearest campsite". The site again was in the middle of nowhere and the manager spoke no English.  He did tell me that he was married to a French lady who was away on holiday so we conversed in a mixture of french and heaven only knows what else! Dansk?  Or where did that language come from?!
The campsite..I am struggling to refer to it as a CL type. ..err field! It's toilets were clean but looked as though they were in disused cowshed with asbestos roofs!
So we got up in the morning and after more roadworks eventually got here. After a few minutes we were joined by my new best friends our Co Hosts. Marilyn and Terence.  They are fluent in Russian and other bombed out languages! Not only that but they understand Yorkshire having worked most of their lives in Hull! Is it that all us campers are trying to escape or are we just mad?! (It's not compulsory to answer!)
The campsite maybe has 6 or 7 of our units on and the remainder should,hopefully arrive today, making our total 38 people. As per usual 75% are caravanner, with 5 Motorhomes.  So far the Yorkshire lot are once again providing around 60% of participants! Needless to say they seem a very good group! We "borrowed "the TV room last night. Not to watch TV but to have a get together drink pre tour,  which was good fun.
So far I think that Denmark is incredibly pretty or quaint but it's like stepping back in time 30 years. It's blooming cold and windy,maybe 11 degrees. Everywhere tells you that May to June are the best months to visit. We are slap bang in the middle of it so what are the other months like?! BrRrer. Things aren't too expensive but maybe that's due to the strong pound-long may it continue!
We have visited Holbaek that is obviously geared up for the Tourist with their prices but we were the only ones there! Food and drink was very cheap. We can live with that.
So today I am grounded meeting our new arrivals and then we are all going out for a welcome meal and tomorrow...Copenhagen, ah that song in my head " wonderful,wonderful Copenhagen, beautiful Queen of the South" Is that right?! See I've got you humming it now! Hey Ho I'd better go and get dressed. I hope it's warmer wherever you are!

Our field!

Is this really money?! Don't worry Stoney-just hand it to me!



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