18 April: So far so good

We left home after lunch on Sunday 14^th April in a typical April shower - just enough to spoil the departure photo. As we moved south down the M11 some of Mike’ family came out to wave to us from a road bridge. Our camp site in Kent was only a few miles from the Dover ferry to make an easy journey in the morning. Some woods nearby were full of primroses, Wood Anemones and some really early bluebells (by Cambs standards). An Eagle Owl calling in the night got Mike quiet excited until he found it the next morning in an aviary! The ferry went to Calais at 0735, formalities were non existent at either end and so even with an extra hour for the continental timing we were on our journey by 10 am. We made good time to Belgium and our first continental camp was near Genk just on the Dutch border, a big camp site but off season so eerily quiet. The site was right next to a nature reserve where we had a good walk the next morning and heard our first Cuckoo of the year, we also had fine views of Red Squirrel and Roe Deer. A pair of Greylag Geese on the lake were perhaps about to nest and feral just as they are on our pond at home (ours laid eggs for the first time just a couple of days before we left). We made a decision before we left not to exceed 50 mph (quite fast in a Land Rover) this not only keeps fuel consumption down but also we have found more relaxing - we have not overtaken once - and we have more enjoyment of the journey for its own sake, rather than just as a means to getting there. Pity about all the tractors overtaking! We camped twice in Germany once almost at the Rhine near Mainz, and again near Amberg on the road to the Czech republic.