Croft's Shetland Sheepdogs

 

                                                                                                                                                                              

& Drentsche Patrijshond

Welcome to our Portugal Project..........the travel down.....
Norway-Denmark-Germany-Belgium-Luxembourg

The travel started from our home in Norway the 5.th.of October 2006. At a certain time we thought we would never manage to  finish in time, but thanks heaven we did. The ferry-ticket was booked 3 months in advance, and saved us one day driving through Sweden. From Sørby we drove to Kristiansand, were the ferry goes from. On the way we delivered one sheltie to friends, and a puppy to Janne & Kjell in Stavanger. They met us by the ferry, and we had just enough time to talk a little bit before we had to drive on board. 

On with the brakes, and another surprise waited us when driving off in Denmark. I never ever take a ferry because I always get so sick at sea, but Charles comforted me with that this was a catamaran. Fast and going on top of the waves, so no chance to get ill this time.  We went to the restaurant on board, to have a nice dinner, but not even out of the harbour I was ill like hell.

I ran out of the restaurant with the waitress looking very strange at me, and landed in a chair close to the toilette.  With the eyes glued to the horizon, I managed to do the trip without any more problems.  But no dinner for me this day. The wind was just terrible, and that always happens when I am on a ship, so nothing new.

The trip took around 2,5 hours from Kristiansand to North of Denmark. Well down in the car we started up, took of the brakes and gave speed. Quite excited and wondering if we were able to get of the boat at all, we heard a huge bang in the back of the caravan. The stab at the ship had secured the caravan and the car with thick straps during the trip over, and forgot to tell us to wait at the harbour so they could remove them. Well...to make the story short...we removed them in the easy way by the power of the car...

On the road again, heading for South of Denmark and the first nights stop.

On the camping in Denmark the first evening, in light rain and early Autumn environment.

Early in the morning on the 6.th. of October we started the trip to Germany, where we wanted to have our second stop. Since we had a lot to do in Holland, we wanted to stay there, but it was not allowed at the camping-sites with so many dogs.  We ordered a nice camping a bit South in Germany, close to Arnhem.  The trip through Germany went in the heaviest rain and it was a really challenge also because of all the traffic, as usual. 

Before we left Norway, we had put up some rules for the trip. Not driving more that 500 km each day, not smoke in bed in the evenings, only in the mornings. Not drive more than 90 km/h, and not stop by the high-way during evenings and nights. Germany is big, and already the second day we broke most of the rules.
Finally close to the city where the camping is, we got lost in the dark and the rain. Our GPS told us to go into a street that was closed for working, and we needed to find an alternative on our own. We drove through small streets and ended up in a blind road, not able to either turn or drive forward. Thanks heaven a man came, and he told us to relax, he would guide us through. He walked in front of us, and asked us to follow him over a big park on green grass, through a closed parking-spot and finally we were on a road again. He really saved us that night from total frustration.
We reached the camping in Germany very late in the evening in pissing rain and darkness. Exhausted from the long drive under the bad conditions.

At the place we saw immediately that we were not able to come in with our long truck, and wondered what to do. Again a man came and offered help, and advised us to back in our narrow space under flashlight. Nice of him, but not nice for the caravan.  While backing in we heard a strange noise from the brakes, but managed after a lot of trouble to come in right position. It was raining hats and hens, and I have never been so wet in my whole life. The dogs needed to go out in the dark, and it was very close that I would turn and go home again to our warm and nice house.
In some way we managed to have the fences up for the dogs, prepare a good meal for them and ourselves, hook of the caravan and go to bed.
In the morning everything looked a bit better, and stubborn as I am I decided to go on.

In the morning the first day in Germany, we had an appointment showing our Dronnia at a show for Drents in Holland.  It was some sort of examination for her and her 9 littermates, and her breeders would like us to be there. The dogs were tired and we were tired after the long drive the day before.  But we managed to be there and in time for the show.

It was extremely nice to meet the breeders again, and it was also the first time I met Janny Offereins in person, the lady behind Van Groevenbeek.  All Dronnias littermates were there, and it was nice to meet them and their happy owners too. The litter in total got a nice evaluation, even if Dronnia not contributed very much that day. Something we could never expect either.

Our two old cats on tour....in Germany...not allowed to walk free quite yet....

Our caravan at the garage in Germany!

After visiting people and shows in Holland, we wanted to continue our trip south. We hooked on the caravan after 3 days in Germany and Luxembourg was next stop.  The big surprise from the parking the first evening showed up...the brakes on the caravan were gone and it was impossible to move it at all.  We called the international service-office, and we realized that it was needed with longer stay in Germany than planned.  It was Friday and no garage open, so we had to hook off again and wait until Monday. We made an appointment with a Hobby-garage, and we managed to drive to there, not so far from the camping. They told us to wait until they  had the wheels off, and better could tell what was wrong. Our caravan is a 2005 model and has gone only a few miles, so we could not understand that the brakes were gone already. The heavy load on the German Autobahn in the rain made us quite nervous though.  A smiling man came out of the garage, and told that he had found the fault. The caravan bought in Norway, was never declared from the shop. Even if it had been in for a big service before we left Norway, and also been declared for deliverance a year earlier.

The brakes and everything were still on "fabric"...so it was just luck that it was driveable after all and that nothing more was broken. They took the whole new service in a couple of hours, and they assured us everything was fine.  We know now that we will take the 2007 service at that garage in Germany on the tour home. The stop in Germany took 5 days, but we had no time-schedule.  It was still early day when we took out from the garage, so we could reach Luxembourg still that day.
We crossed the border between Belgium and Germany, and went through the Ardennes and then directly to Luxembourg.  We came to the camping early in the afternoon, in a lovely sunny weather. Finally the sun started to shine on us again.....

The camping were a bit weird, but we found a nice spot in the outer circle, and the dogs were extremely happy to run and play for some hours. We made a nice pen for the cats too, so they were able to be out in the free. We decided to stay at that camping for 2 nights, since we had such a bad start on the journey.