Sunday 3 July – Sittensen to Neukirchen Vluyn

Sunday morning, no rush and bacon & eggs! Nice morning so after breakfast serviced Bertie and gave him a bit of a wash, well got the worst off anyway. We know it will inevitably rain but it's a start. Last off this pleasant little spot – there were 14 vans parked overnight – and back onto the autobahns which were very busy, not with trucks which were all parked up in the rest areas, but it seemed everybody else was out rushing around the countryside.

Held up once or twice by roadworks and surprisingly often when three lanes became two. Saw one monumental traffic jam going the other way, caused by a breakdown being recovered right at the start of roadworks and nobody could get past the breakdown truck. As predicted we also suffered some very heavy rain showers but generally it was a nice run.

A comfort stop turned into a lunch break just west of Osnabruck, then we carried on back on the route we used coming out. Around 5-ish near Essen we decided we'd had enough for the day so stopped to get our bearings and spotted a stellplatze only a few minutes away. We thought the name was vaguely familiar but it was only as we approached it we realised it had been our first stop in Germany outbound. So with the sun shining brilliantly out of a clear blue sky, got the chairs out, cracked a bottle of something cool and relaxed. Dependant upon the weather we might stop a couple of nights.

We are effectively now only one (long) days drive from Calais and about a week ahead of schedule. However our feelings are that we do not mind going home early, with all the problems we've had, so we'll probably change our Chunnel booking. But before that, of course, we have to take Jamie to a vet for his worming treatment and Pet Passport signature which will mean a couple of days delay. We'll take it one day at a time now.

Saturday 2 July – Ribe to Sittensen

For a change an earlier start for no particular reason to a bright and breezy day after quite heavy rain overnight. We're only 45km from the border so reasoning that things are cheaper in Germany we delayed our shopping stop until we found a Lidl. A bit necessary as we discovered the bottled water we'd bought was fizzy and the milk, err, wasn't milk – but it goes okay on cereal; have to get the dictionary out but we think it's soya.

Shortly after we topped up with fuel and also bought a German map, another of those items that got forgotten – remember our early posts? Then continue, first of all on straight and fast ordinary roads and after lunch onto the autobahn to Hamburg. No speed limit on this one which meant we were constantly being passed by cars doing well over 100 mph and not all of them modern high power types; an original Mini-Cooper was doing his best too! My Mum used to have one of those!

Roundabout Art

Unfortunately the weather deterorated until we were going from heavy shower, through sunshine to more rain. Hamburg was very wet but turning westbound towards Bremen, and incidentally rejoining our outbound route, we could see blue ahead of us so started planning our stop. Bren espied a likely looking place at Sittensen so navigated us to, basically, a car park on the edge of the town next to a watermill and museum. Joining several other vans already parked up, we noticed there were basic water ad waste facilities as well as excellent public loos close by and a lovely park across the road; a nice place to stop. And free!

A walk after a cuppa showed once again the town didn't have a lot going for it, but the exercise did us good and we returned for tea, now having been joined by several more motorhomes of varying nationality – the place is getting quite full. But the weather is still very changeable and we had further rain showers to come.

Parking at Sittensen

Friday 1 July – Frederiksvaerke to Ribe

An earlier start to a nice bright dry and warm day, although showers did develop later. However despite our intentions we still can't manage getaways until after 11.00! Never mind we're in no rush; our plan today is to head west to the coast then south down to Germany, stopping off wherever takes our fancy.

Initially a little bit of backtracking but then cross-country on excellent roads until we picked up the motorway to Odense. This part of Denmark is proud of its agricultural heritage, evident from the many farms and smallholdings along the way. It is also relatively flat. Odense is on another “island” and is reached by another very long bridge, this one getting on for 10 miles, causing a degree of nervousness in the navigator. Expensive too – Dkr715 (£80) but cheaper than the ferry (although it doesn't take into account the longer drive of course).

Strange architecture - it's fallen over!

Lunch taken in a rest area before continuing on the motorway, with a short holdup due to a minor accident. A little later we turned off to once again go cross-country towards Ribes, said by the Rough Guide to be the centre of quite an attractive coastal area. There was a good choice of places to stop and we paused to select one, plumping for a restplatz right on the edge of the town – basically just a parking area for all types of transport with around 20 dedicated motorhome bays; a little tight perhaps but it's free and there is a service point.

A cuppa and we took Jamie for a walk to have a look at this old town. Very traditional Danish with an unusual church, which looked like (and probably was, the info board was in Danish) a new church had been built around another. Whatever, it was obviously important as it had a church school attached to it.

Return to the van for tea and a quiet evening. Unless we decide to have a look at the coast itself, we'll probably cross into Germany tomorrow. We're still having problems with the van although someone on MHF forum has come up with a possible solution, but we need to raise the front up to get at the suspect bit.

Thursday 30 June - Frederiksvaerke

Having sort of got used to it not getting dark, last night we closed all the blinds fully so we were somewhat surprised at the time when we got up. Not even Jamie had stirred and as there are very few people staying on site at the moment nothing disturbed us - we'd got used to the nearby level-crossing warning bells every 10-15 mins.

A greyish day with rain, as forecast again, threatening. Once again the awning was deployed (we rarely leave it out overnight) enabling us to air the van out but, having decided we'll take Jamie for a walk into the town, the showers returned so relaxation in the van was the order of the day. However after a late lunch the sun came out again so, carrying waterproofs just in case, we sallied forth to investigate the town and maybe do a little shopping.

Frederiksvaerke really doesn't have much going for it, it's a very nice but ordinary dormitory town typical of Denmark with a pedestrianised main shopping street having everything you would ordinarily need. Despite being on the Roskilde Fjord there doesn't seem to be any maritime connection, water being limited to a canal/river running through the town. However it has suited us for our purpose.

Late on pack everything away and showers, ready for a, hopefully, earlier getaway in the morning. We've no particular objective, just take the pretty way and enjoy whatever we find.

Wednesday 29 June - Frederiksvaerke

We plan to do absolutely nothing today, short of the essentials and sit in the sun. Unfortunately the weather had different ideas and mid-morning the heavens opened, but we had already deployed the awning and as there was little wind it was pleasant enough sitting out watching a steady stream run off the end.

But all good things come to an end and mid-afternoon the rain stopped and the sun came out for the rest of the day. So apart from taking Jamie for his walkies that was that, job done.

Tuesday 28 June – Gotteborg to Frederiksvaerke

The rock concert, which sounded like it was supposed to be a Bruce Springsteen tribute, ended around 11.00pm so it did not disturb us and after a peaceful night awoke to discover we were “camped” in the car park of a nature reserve – explains why it wasn't busy overnight or first thing. No facilities so after breakfast back to our old friend the E6 heading for Malmo. Bright and sunny again as most mornings have been but this time it stayed that way all day.

Approaching Malmo we stopped for lunch and to refuel. We could have used a short ferry crossing between Helsingborg (Sweden) and Helsingor (Denmark) but earlier research suggested it was as costly as the bridge and last night an internet search said it was closed, which apparently it isn't. So we went for the bridge/tunnel again and just followed the motorway, stopping only at the toll booth to pay our Dkr780 before entering Denmark with no controls whatsoever. Contrast that with the other direction when it was the only place we were checked.

First part is a bridge.......

...which then dives underwater!

Not having had a “break” since Mo I Rana we felt it was time to take a few days off so a little bit of research showed that North Zealand, the area north of Copenhagen, seemed to have quite a lot going for it with a choice of campsites. So we set TomTom for a likely looking spot at Frederikssund and set off across country, immediately noticing how much more relaxed Denmark seemed to be, although to be fair to Sweden we had been on motorways all the time. The site at Frederikssund turned out to be a marina with an area set by for motorhomes, of which there were none although two turned up just as we decided it wasn't what we were looking for for a few nights stop.

A small clutch of sites showed at Frederiksvaerke, just to the north and we headed for the first. Turning into the road leading to the site we were immediately impressed and decided that this would do nicely. In fact there was hardly anybody staying here but we booked in for 3 nights anyway and chose a lovely pitch in an open space which would give us full sun all day but with trees surrounding, providing protection. Kettle on, chairs out and enjoy the late afternoon sun followed by tea then a long chat with a Danish family camped in tents next to us taking a long weekend break.

Although it was clear when we turned in, the forecast is for rain over the next couple of days just about everywhere but we have all we need and plan on just doing nothing now for a couple of days.

Monday 27 June – Eidvolls to Gotteborg (Gothenburg)

Peacefull night – the planes stopped about 11.00 pm – and a fine bright warm day. After breakfast discovered that a coach had just emptied its toilet all over the service point and Terry went to remonstrate with the German woman driver, who didn't seem to be bothered. Managed to avoid the worst to get ours done, but Terry is quite surprised because German coach drivers are usually very professional.

Back onto the E6 and called in for fuel at the next available, which for a change turned out to be the cheapest we've seen in Norway. It would have been cheaper still in Sweden but the red warning light was on............ Gave Bertie a tankful of the super diesel again but I don't think it's doing much good for our problem (although fuel consumption has noticeably improved).

Approaching Oslo it started to rain and coupled with the road works and very busy traffic it was not a particularly pleasant transit; we saw little of Norways' capital city but to be fair we're not city people and again our Rough Guide didn't give us much inspiration. Maybe another time.

Once clear of Oslo the road was motorway pretty much all the way to the border with not a lot to see and we only slowed briefly as we crossed. The E6 is European road numbered so we stuck with it into Sweden and shortly stopped for a lunch break on a rest area. A little further on we stopped again, this time for a supermarket to replenish our supplies; we could have done it earlier but shopping is cheaper in Sweden, viz all the Norwegian registered cars in the carpark.

More motorway, but with thoughts of our overnight stop we diverted off to investigate three likely looking campsites, with a view to maybe stopping a couple of nights. In the end we did not like the look of any of them so returned to the motorway to head for Gotteborg, which offered several ideas including a dedicated motorhome park. But once again roadworks took a hand and completely flummoxed TomTom who got us onto a building site and then went round in circles! Even Autoroute was having apoplexy so we just tried to get back onto a main road somewhere and eventually TomTom got his act together and took us to the parking area.

Which was full! (include here you're own profanity!) However there was a large carpark adjacent where several motorhomes had decided to stop so we joined them. A lot cheaper than the motorhome park too. The only niggle is as I write this there is some kind of rock concert going on nearby (it sounds rubbish); hopefully it won't go on too late.

Lots of bridges - this was a particularly nice one.