Lifetime holiday - Luxembourg anyone?
An impersonal highway hotel in Thionville, France, was our first stop. It was surprisingly clean and comfortable. McDonalds sat next door, inviting us in for a quick fish burger and beer – how civilised!
After a good sleep and a breakfast mix up (‘no’ to the €10 croissant breakie and locked doors at MacDonald’s!), we scooted through France watching the scenery flash by. Thoughts and memories arrived in my mind, but didn’t linger - moving on making room for the next memory, that felt ‘delivered’ into my head with the movement.
After a good sleep and a breakfast mix up (‘no’ to the €10 croissant breakie and locked doors at MacDonald’s!), we scooted through France watching the scenery flash by. Thoughts and memories arrived in my mind, but didn’t linger - moving on making room for the next memory, that felt ‘delivered’ into my head with the movement.
My view from the back, is not so bad!
I love being a passenger on the bike and without exception, every time I am on board, I feel I must lift my arms, and shout Yeeeehaaaaah!
Then suddenly we were in Luxembourg. Travelling from green splendour into concrete crap.
We were also in so much traffic, I am sure the population of French drivers had followed us there.
Grey city buildings, exhaust fumes, masses of people fighting to get somewhere so incredibly important - all marred our view. Unfairly probably - if we had the time and money to stop and explore each city we would, but we had to keep a balance, in our timing and bank account.
We just wanted to find a reasonable hotel.
As we were in the middle of the city we thought we'd investigate accommodation. You'd think we'd know better – €170 for one night, no parking, no breakfast, no nothing 'is a bed included?' This was not a place for budget travellers.
Noel and I have travelled most of our eighteen years of being together. The majority of that time has been within our own home, on a sailboat. Ninety nine percent of that time we were on anchor and avoiding costly marinas. Our horse trip was spent living in a tent.
Then suddenly we were in Luxembourg. Travelling from green splendour into concrete crap.
We were also in so much traffic, I am sure the population of French drivers had followed us there.
Grey city buildings, exhaust fumes, masses of people fighting to get somewhere so incredibly important - all marred our view. Unfairly probably - if we had the time and money to stop and explore each city we would, but we had to keep a balance, in our timing and bank account.
We just wanted to find a reasonable hotel.
As we were in the middle of the city we thought we'd investigate accommodation. You'd think we'd know better – €170 for one night, no parking, no breakfast, no nothing 'is a bed included?' This was not a place for budget travellers.
Noel and I have travelled most of our eighteen years of being together. The majority of that time has been within our own home, on a sailboat. Ninety nine percent of that time we were on anchor and avoiding costly marinas. Our horse trip was spent living in a tent.
Living in a tent, while trail riding in the bush - we'll be going back to a tent soon - but that's another story!
During land travel, I usually find cheap hotels that have saved us money but were memorable for all the wrong reasons.
It may sound funny with our constant life of travelling - but we've never had a holiday. Actually, that isn't entirely true; I think we had two days in a caravan park after our wedding day. We stayed in a wonderful cottage that over-looked the sparkling Pacific Ocean, on the most incredibly bright, wonderful winter’s day in Kiama, NSW.
So, while we didn't intend to stay in plush hotels, I was skimming over the back-packers and 1 star venues and looking at the best value 3 star hotels/motels and of course AirBnb.
I bet you're thinking, 'they've been on a holiday all their married lives, travelling around the world.' Well, we haven't. Much of that time we've not had a regular income, no monthly salary to gauge our worth. Through our travelling life we've rented property (when we’ve owned property) but found that too stressful with horrid tenants. We have no house now, just land and cows – cows are far nicer than people as renters.
It may sound funny with our constant life of travelling - but we've never had a holiday. Actually, that isn't entirely true; I think we had two days in a caravan park after our wedding day. We stayed in a wonderful cottage that over-looked the sparkling Pacific Ocean, on the most incredibly bright, wonderful winter’s day in Kiama, NSW.
So, while we didn't intend to stay in plush hotels, I was skimming over the back-packers and 1 star venues and looking at the best value 3 star hotels/motels and of course AirBnb.
I bet you're thinking, 'they've been on a holiday all their married lives, travelling around the world.' Well, we haven't. Much of that time we've not had a regular income, no monthly salary to gauge our worth. Through our travelling life we've rented property (when we’ve owned property) but found that too stressful with horrid tenants. We have no house now, just land and cows – cows are far nicer than people as renters.
Sometimes cows are much nicer than people! Image courtesy of James Barker at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I earn money from articles and books. It's a nice income but it doesn't make you rich, as a lot of people wrongly assume.
So, this was our holiday - a moment for us to spend a bit of time together away from the demands of a boat. They are like kids - constantly demanding attention, they can scare you silly, make you cry and laugh. But there are good sides to it of course; you travel with your own home, your own cup, pillow... But now we were staying in hotels and places we’d not given thought to.
Next: A Day in May in Switzerland
So, this was our holiday - a moment for us to spend a bit of time together away from the demands of a boat. They are like kids - constantly demanding attention, they can scare you silly, make you cry and laugh. But there are good sides to it of course; you travel with your own home, your own cup, pillow... But now we were staying in hotels and places we’d not given thought to.
Next: A Day in May in Switzerland
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