The border from Serbia to Croatia has a bad reputation among the campers we’ve talked to, but just like our friends the Avery’s we had no problems. The Serbian border officer even winked at me as he handed me back my passport and we were on our way! We drove what felt like forever on the highway and then had to make our complicated turn to reach the highway-side campground, which was on the opposite side. Pulling up to the motel it definitely had seen better days (sort of in keeping with a few other destinations we had encountered in the previous stops!) but it turned out that the attached campground (Motel Plitvice) was far better equipped than expected. Nice shady pitches (yes it was still roasting) and modern amenities including electricity for both types of plug points (see our camping essentials post). Having found our nice shady spot we headed over to the restaurant and decided we were going to splurge on a nice meal as we had been working down our food supplies in preparation for our camping holiday with Dani’s Mum (aka Mama G). The restaurant was relatively nice looking and as soon as we started working our way through the menu we started salivating. They had my new favourite (breaded deep fried mushrooms), pickles and many more vegetarian delights as well as a fish dish that had Dani drooling. All ready to order the waiter came over and dashed all my food dreams. None of the vegetarian delights were unavailable. What I ended up with was a plate of vegetables and a side of fries. Thankfully as the tired and more deserved driver Dani’s fish dish was still available. They also didn’t have the beer we wanted but we were able to settle for 2 large Turbourgs and were satisfied enough. This would have been totally fine had the waiter not yelled at us twice and then proceed to mock us in Croatian (funnily enough we do still understand the word tourist, combined with idiotic body language and laughter) and we are still flummoxed as to why not understanding what wasn’t available was such an offense to him. We did however have an incredible night’s sleep and were ready to push through to our next stop in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was a non-eventful border crossing and drive through to Ljubljana and as we had arrived early enough we thought we’d check out where the accommodation we had booked for the following few nights was. After finding a car park near to the centre we walked towards the meeting point for our standard introduction to a new city…the free walking tour. Ljubljana is a beautiful city with a great vibe and we enjoyed exploring it. Watching the dark clouds roll in we felt it would be best to continue the exploration when Dani’s Mum arrived the next day. Back in the car we headed out to Ljubljana’s only city campground (Camper Stop Vrbinc €25/$37.30 AUD/29.30 USD) …or so we thought. It turned out that this was actually a car park with toilet facilities and electricity, but it would do for the night. The only issue was that as soon as we had settled down at the restaurant next door the heavens opened and we mean seriously opened! Using the break in the rain to get back to the car we settled in to watch some CSI as the lightning cracked right over our heads. I’m not great in storms so it was a rough night in the van and I was grateful to think the next night we would be sleeping in a real bed again. The AirBnB we booked for the 3 of us was wonderful. It was designed as a beer cellar complete with beer barrel bed and could not have been closer to the historic centre. We spent the next few days eating all the delights Ljubljana had to offer and taking slow ambles through the cobbled streets. There was a fantastic food market and lots of lovely little bars by the river. Our next stop was Lake Bled, which is only a 45-minute drive out of Ljubljana. This AirBnB was also amazing and the owner was so friendly. She even made us a jar of raspberry jam from the berries in her garden. The lake is gorgeous and taking out one of the little boats to the island is well worth it. We also spent our days here slowly ambling and eating more incredible food before dropping off Dani’s Mum and bidding farewell to Slovenia. We were to make only one stop in Austria before meeting our friend Mel in Germany so we decided on Salzburg. What a great decision this turned out to be. It lived up to all my Von Trapp fantasies and I was able to indulge in all my ‘Sound of Music Dreams’ (much to Dani’s disgust). Neither of us are really city people but we loved Salzburg. We were even treated to an impromptu acapella performance in the church from a visiting American choir. Unfortunately we were only able to stay for one night because there was a music festival near the campground (Panaramacamping Stadtblick €17.50/$26.25 AUD/20.60 USD) and they only had space for the day we arrived. Pushing on to Munich where we were meeting Mel we found a strange little campground (Campingplatz Seehammer See €24/$34.82 AUD/27.35 USD) just off the main highway. It overlooked a very pretty lake and was predominantly set up as a permanent holiday park but despite having plenty of room down by the facilities the owner made us park at the back of the campsite, which was mildly annoying. We had arranged to pick Mel up from the bus station in Munich the following morning and then we were to drive to a campground (Camping Landsberg €15.33/$22.90 AUD/18 USD) just out of Munich heading towards Liechtenstein, which was our first real destination for the 3 of us as a group. I’m not going to lie, the only reason I picked this particular campground was because it had a schnitzel house. This holds no interest to me but I knew that my wife was going to have a field day when she saw it so I plugged the address into the sat nav and off we went. It turns out that all campgrounds in Germany shut for a long lunch period every day and as ‘luck’ would have it, we had chosen the middle of this to arrive, but in true German style the minute the office was due to reopen the man from reception arrived. We set up camp then headed to the schnitzel house. Dani and Mel managed to demolish the “Everest Platter” which was 8 schnitzels and a mountain if chips. I had to roll them both back to the car and we promptly passed out just after dark. I was excited about the next stop because ever since I had discovered the location of tiny little Liechtenstein 4 years earlier I had been begging to get Dani to take me. I’m not sure what drew me to this micro-nation but I did know it needed to be explored! Liechtenstein is on the border of Switzerland and Austria. If it takes an hour to drive through it, it’s a heavy traffic day and it is expensive, but it is also stunning. Right on the southern border was an amazing campground called Camping Mittagsspitze that looked out over the Swiss Alps. Because Liechtenstein is expensive we could only afford to stay the night (€31/$46.25 AUD/36.30 USD). This meant taking a walk through its capital (read ONLY) city before settling in for the night. Now I can’t say that this was the highlight of our road trip but I am glad I have finally been to this intriguing micro-nation.
The Black Forest in Germany was where we were heading next so we bid farewell to Liechtenstein and drove through Austria to get back to Germany (avoiding Switzerland and it has a huge road tax). What was supposed to be a quick journey was extended by a series of road works and detours but we finally arrived just in time for the pub to open at the next campground (Breisgau-Camping am Silbersee €19.65/$29.35 AUD/23.05 USD) and for Dani and Mel to tuck in to yet another meat feast (I was just happy for the large stein placed in front of me). This campsite was huge and not only had a lovely lake next to it but it was also covered in blackberry bushes just asking to be picked. Having originally said just 1 night here we decided to extend it and take a day off to play cards and relax. Having originally decided to self cater Dani and I took off into Freiburg before Mel woke up to get some food… this was definitely a mistake as it turns out everything is shut on a Sunday. After driving round to 3 separate supermarkets we gave up and headed back, agreeing to eat at the pub again that night. It was no real surprise when Dani and Mel heartily tucked into the third giant meat platter in 4 days. In theory, the following days journey was supposed to be an easy one and I had scouted out a few campgrounds for us to stay at in Triberg. It turns out that you really have to do your research in this area as there are a lot of hiker-only campsites that you cannot get to by car. Having driven up the side of a sheer mountain and reached the dead end that described itself as a campground we decided to reroute to Schiltach instead. We did however make our stop at the home of the Black Forest Gateaux only to discover that we prefer the bastardised versions back home (pretty sure cake shouldn’t burn when you eat it). On the way to Schiltach we drove past a beautiful log farmhouse with a sign for camping but knowing that Schiltach’s campground was in the centre (allowing Dani to take some time off driving) I had encouraged her to ignore campgrounds on the way. The look in her eyes told me that this isolated farmhouse was really where she wanted to be, so I spent the next 20 minutes telling her to turn round if she really wanted to stay there. I already knew as we drove into the campground that Dani wasn’t going to want to stay there but she insisted we check it out. It resulted in the predicted “no” and a 20-minute drive back to the farmhouse (Schwarzwald Trendcamping Familie Blum €28.93/$43.15/33.90 USD). This did turn out to be a great decision and we managed to secure a beautiful spot overlooking the rolling hills of the Black Forest. This place was expensive but all accommodation in the Black Forest comes with a tourist card that entitles you to free travel in the area. This meant that we could catch the train to not only Schiltach, which is beautiful but also Alpirsbach. Alpirsbach has a great brewery that used to be run by monks. It also has a great tour (if you speak German) and very reasonably priced beer to purchase in the gift shop. We also stumbled across another meat feast for Dani and Mel across the road from the train station. We had one last stop in Germany before we were heading to Luxembourg with the sole purpose of being able to pop over to Strasbourg. Kehl is the town that borders Strasbourg on the German side and this had a much more reasonably priced camping option (DCC Campingpark Kehl-Strassburg€19.25/$28.75 AUD/22.60 USD). Strasbourg was really easy to get to from this campsite that is right next to the Rhine. Strasbourg is an easy walking city and it really is worth the stop. Great architecture, lovely people and plenty to do to pass a relaxing sunny day!
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Very sad to know that we were unlikely to cross paths with the Avery's any time soon we said goodbye and ambled up the much better road to get on our way. No sooner had we driven 3km up the road than that terrifying warning message popped up on our dashboard again. This time not the engine light the message read...You have lost pressure in your right tyre! Finding the nearest gas station we pull over and although there is nothing visibly wrong with the tyre it did look a little flat so the helpful attendant pumped up our tyres and after 5 tense minutes of reading the manual we are able to recalibrate the pressure system so that the warning light disappeared. Disaster averted we set back off towards the Serbian border. We were about 2km away from the border when the light started flashing again and the dreaded message pops back up. Umming and ahhing about what to do we decide the best course of action was to get through the border then pull over. We proceed to the most run down border Dani and I had come across in Europe. We pass our passports over to the Hungarian officials as I need to be stamped out of the Schengen zone (Dani holds an EU passport so this isn't necessary) and we were waved through. We then drove through no-man’s-land to the Serbian checkpoint past old derelict buildings that seemingly once housed duty free stores and got to the next set of officials. This time we both needed stamps as Serbia is not EU and were pleasantly surprised by how nice they were. Quickly stamped and waved on we were suddenly asked to stop…as we'd been told that at the quieter crossing they can go through your whole car just because they have a lot of time on their hands. Not that we had anything to hide but our car was so carefully organised that it would be a nightmare to unpack and repack. The officer sternly asked where we were going and I informed him that we were heading to Subotica at which point with a flick of his hand we were dismissed! (I've never been so relieved) Just in view of the checkpoint we pulled over to look at the tyre. This time we could see a visible slash facilitating the leak. Thankfully we were both armed with the knowledge of how to change a tyre yet neither of us have actually done this...(Thanks Dad). I should probably mention at this point that the temperature gauge on the car read 37.5 degrees and it was burning hot. We rang Spaceship to locate the jack and the spare wheel as neither of us had been paying much attention at that point in our car tour and were told how to remove the spare from under the car. It took us an hour and a half to work out all the logistics of this particular car but hot and sweaty we finally get there! We could start our Serbian adventure. Having spent far longer doing the hour-long drive than necessary we decided the best course of action was to find our campground rather than explore Subotica. I knew there were 2 campgrounds located close to the lake so we set off in that direction hoping to spot the familiar camping sign. This is another failing of Google maps as they never give you the address only the township. Not seeing anything like a camping sign driving round the lake seemed our only option. About 500m down the road we spotted the tent symbol on a board of lake amenities and followed it. Another 200m down presented us with a sign that said "Kamping reception 500m" with an arrow pointing through a gate. Inside, there were 2 old caravans that looked like they hadn't moved since 1989 and one tent pitched up, as well as a very much abandoned reception. There was also one electricity box and a block of toilets that have also seen better days…at least a decade previously! We drove up to the restaurant on the lake where they told us we could park anywhere and that there was no charge. So despite the lack of usable facilities free is free...we were staying. This didn't seem so bad when a group of young Hungarians drove up and started pitching tents. I thought “this can't be so bad if others are here”. That seemed like a reasonable attitude until I heard a rustle outside the car and saw that there was a man sitting in a creepy party train complete with halogen lights just outside our window. He got out and walked around the back of the car and then got back in his train and rode off to park. We slept surprisingly well after the creepy man and the incredible heat inside the car. As we headed full throttle into European summer we sensed this was going to be more and more of a problem. The plan was to go and explore Subotica the next morning, however we still hadn't sorted out our spare tyre and the last thing we wanted was to get another flat and not be able to use our newly cemented skill of tyre changing. This meant finding the Volkswagen dealership in Subotica and asking their advice. They were very helpful and sent us in the direction of a tyre workshop to see if our original could be repaired. In broken English, Serbian and sign language we managed to agree that this very friendly man would fix our tyre as well as put our current tyre back on the VW rims. We were to come back in 2 hours and it would cost us €30. Although this was more than the man in VW had told us it should cost it wasn't much more and this man genuinely seemed to want to help us. We drove into Subotica and at last we would be able to wander around this Art Nouveau haven. Subotica is beautiful and well worth the stop if you have a thing for either Hungarian (yes I am aware that Subotica is in Serbia) or Art Nouveau architecture. The synagogue is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen and although it's not currently open to the public, the promised refurbishments that have been on hold for years are finally happening. It's actually so beautiful that we would come back to Subotica when it's open just to see inside. We returned to the tyre workshop just before it closed and the man we had dealt with earlier had left his brother with instructions. He artfully slid the wheel back under the car and secured it so that we could head off into the sunset. Now, electronic maps are notorious for sending you in the wrong direction or making odd choices about where you should go but our app had been pretty good so far. Not this time! In the 37 degree heat. This time it decided we were going to take a highway that had clearly been out of action for the better part of a half a century. The road mapped out was a series of unconnected bridges that led to a sheer drop. This was not going to be our route so we had to turn around and drive for the 3 time that day, past the tyre workshop and back to Subotica. This wouldn't have been so bad if the exit we were supposed to take on the highway (once we finally got on it) hadn't been shut! Luck just wasn’t on our side! This resulted in a 15km detour taking the next exit. Google maps also has this great habit of only having the town that our campground is in rather than an exact address (I know I have already moaned about this before) so knowing this town was about 4 streets we thought...how hard can it be to find?! Well, once we had driven the entire length of the town…and the next one over, Dani was ready to throw all her toys out of the cot! This was the second day in a row that an hour long drive had turned into over double that! We pulled over and managed to locate (using yet another app) the place we were heading for. The motel with attached campground had been less than a 100m from our original turn junction but as always happens in these kinds of situations, we had a choice between left and right (a 50/50 split) and we had gone the wrong way. Problem number 600 for the day...it looked seriously shut!! We followed the signs for reception and there was nobody there. Then we waited with a father and son who also wanted to check in for about 10 minutes, before Dani decided to explore around the back. What a beautiful sight the slightly disheveled old woman was as she walked around the corner jabbering at Dani happily in Serbian. We were shown to the pitches, which were lovely and had a gorgeous view of the surrounding countryside. The site was littered with fruit trees and we were finally able to relax with, you guessed it…a nice cold beer! We were gobsmacked when another couple arrived at this incredibly isolated campground. They proceeded to unpack the most boxes we have ever seen carefully stacked into a car and then even more astounding was the fact that they had managed to set up camp, cook and sit down to a meal in 30 minutes. Another sweltering night preceded the next drive to the little village of Sremska Kamenica before heading on to another Avery recommendation. Sremska Kamenica is a sweet little town just outside of Novi Sad, which is famous for it’s locally produced wine. Bermet (red and white) is a dessert wine that was once served on the Titanic and tastes a little like a chilled version of mulled wine. Now, we’re not sure whether this place is always quiet or whether it was a Sunday thing but it felt pretty deserted. It had some interesting architecture and after wandering around for an hour and sampling some wine we picked up a bottle and headed off to Zasavica.
Zasavica is another tiny town near the Sava river. It is also the home of the world’s most expensive cheese that is made out of donkey milk. If you happen to have a spare €55 you can get a small sample pack to try (we didn’t have a spare €55). The campground located just outside the national reserve where the donkeys live is beautiful and very well equipped even if it is on the expensive side. After a peaceful and cool night’s sleep the only thing to do was go for a wander on the reserve. You get free entrance if you are staying at the campground so we headed off the 300m down the road. I’m not sure it’s the wildlife haven we both imagined, but we did get to pat a few donkeys and the colts (baby donkeys) were gorgeous. We also climbed up the viewing platform, which gives you a stunning view of the surrounding wetlands. The rest of the time at the campground was spent sorting, organizing, journaling and blogging before making a decision to drive right through to Zagreb instead of stop elsewhere in Croatia. I know this may seem like a strange decision but having travelled Croatia before we knew we didn’t really have time to head to the coast and we had no real desire to see the countryside leading to Zagreb. As beautiful as it may be there are very limited camping spots along this road and our option was to stop 15 minutes from the Serbian/Croatian border or drive through. We were meeting Dani’s Mum 2 days after, so it made more sense not to have a long drive to Slovenia either. |
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