Summer Lovin’

Summer arrived with a bang last weekend and we camped in the Rheingau wine region in 32 degree heat near Rudesheim. We loved taking Boris out for a run and getting back into our ‘slow camper’ lifestyle.

 

Town of Rudesheim

The Rheingau is very beautiful with wines to match. Riesling is the main variety of this region but they also grow some pinot noir and a few lesser whites. We of course felt it our professional duty to try/buy a few and had a wonderful aged Riesling with lunch - simply stunning, perfect. We brought a few stunners home with us for special occasions – it’s not cheap.

 

Rheingau riesling vineyard

German food doesn’t improve and I’m finding it rather dull. I’ve got to stop ordering salad as mostly I find it inedible, drowned in a white dressing of an indeterminate nature.

We met some more new friends in the campsite, hopefully we’ll catch up with them somewhere along the way in their 4WD camper. This is one of the things that we love about the nomad life, we meet interesting people all the time and often stay in touch.

 

Decided to trade-in Boris - what do you think??

Actually there was a tractor meeting in the campsite - only in Germany?

We’ve also spent some time in the Ahr Valley, only a half hour’s drive from our door. So named because as you look down to the river from the vineyard walking trails, and just sigh “aaahh”. The valleys are dotted with Hansel and Gretel villages, impossibly steep vineyards and wonderful walking trails.

 

Ahr Valley Vineyards

Picturesque towns aplenty

On Wednesday we are off to the UK for the HUBB Overlanders meeting. I know you‘ll all be breathless with excitement at the thought, and will wait with eager anticipation for my trip report!!! I promise not to bore you with the details. We will be catching up with some travel friends and are stocking Boris with cheap Spanish and Italian wine to share.

There’s been some ongoing discussion in the Johnstone/Loughton household about the coming winter and where to spend it. Options include, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus… You know we need somewhere relatively warm and dry and a bit civilised, so we decided to go back to SPAIN!!. There are very few campsites open in Greece and Turkey in winter and rather than rough it for 3 months, we’ll head back to our favourite bolthole of El Puerto de Santa Maria (‘El P’ for short.)

Once we head to Turkey we’ll be roughing it for 6 months on our trek across the wilds of Mongolia, Siberia etc, so thought we’d get some luxury camping in before we head off – makes sense to us.

OK, so the wine and olive oil are also major attractions – but can you blame us? From there, we’ll head to Morocco and do a few bits we missed last time, then ferry to Livorno, drive across Italy, ferry to Split and head south to be in Greece by March. Makes sense???

Well that’s the latest plan, but you know us by now, anything could happen…