I’ve decided that I’m too old for this!

The second half of our amazing summer trek was very interesting. As you all saw last month, camping in Norway was a dream! The campsites are large, open, and very few people are there. The weather was rainy and cold at times, but the scenery made up for it! However, after our last three weeks camping in Germany, Switzerland, and France, I have another opinion about European RVing.

We headed out with beautiful weather. The sun was out, and it was my kind of heat-hot. Don’t get me wrong. I love traveling, but I was warned that European RVing is not like it is in the USA. As you read along, you will see why. We saw some amazing locations and lucked out a couple of times regarding the camping situation. Our first stop was at Lake Geneva in a little town called Saint-Prex.

We had an app that shared free overnight parking. The app led us to a cool street parking for 48 hours only right by the lake and harbor.

We were there on a Sunday, so the streets were quiet. We only stayed a day, and sleeping was fine since it was mostly locals who parked on the street, not on a main road. Our view was perfect! The town is super cute and has a local beachfront that wasn’t crowded.

We were fortunate to be near Voltaire’s home, which is a superb museum. 

I always love visiting museums of historical importance, and since he is considered one of the great writers who influenced the French Revolution, it was particularly interesting. Sad to realize he died before the revolution took place.

I loved the decor, and much of it is original. Wallpaper and fabrics that needed replacement were remanufactured to match the original.

The original printing press is still housed in the museum! I had to buy the only English book available, Candide, which was very interesting.

We arrived at Lake Annecy in France and found the Panoramic Campground we had reserved for a week. We had a view and neighbors to the right and left, about 10 meters apart. It was a little too close for comfort. Oh, by the way. This time of year, it was off-season. Kids were in school, and yet, reservations are highly recommended, or take your chances.

It was up on the hill, so biking can be a challenge if you don’t have an e-bike. But the view was wonderful,

And the swimming pool made up for not being able to take a dip in the lake.

Lutz convinced me to ride down the hill and ride 20km to visit the town of Annecy. They make the ride to town great for bikes and walkers. A separate path, once the old train tracks, was converted into a small road for walkers and cyclists. The water looked so inviting.

The town of Annecy was quite quaint and well-preserved, but there were plenty of visitors. Here are a few pictures of the city, also known in France as “little Venice”.

We enjoyed eating at our campground restaurant since the dinners were fresh and the prices were very reasonable. One night, Lutz had his favorite, tartar (uggg).

I had the best Caesar Salad. It was huge.

Our last evening, we had Fondue and shared another Caesar salad.

One day, Lutz took off on a bike tour around the lake while I enjoyed the pool. When he came back, he said he stopped at another campground on the lake to see if someone canceled. They said they had two spots for four nights. The next day, we rode bikes down the hill again and checked them out. We decided to take the spot closest to the lake, and the next day we arrived at Le Lac Bleu Campground.

Here’s where things get a little uncomfortable with European RV camping. We ended up in a small site, and our neighbor decided to park back in and join our patio! The place was like RV alley—one right after the other. You could hear them fart or flush their toilet. 

But we were by the lake! And we could take a dip and refresh ourselves! However, the end of the lake was a little dirty! I guess that’s why folks were jumping into the clear water at the end of the pier. The next day, we followed suit. The water is much clearer a little further out.

The campground had three pools, which made up for the crowds, as most people had invaded the beach.

Since the bike path was so nice, Lutz convinced me to take the entire 40km bike trip around the lake with him. There are a few tough hills and a stretch of street biking for a few kilometers, but it was worth the trip.

Even found a very rustic French place to stop for some sparkling water and a view. They served drinking water from the hose, and the toilet was their home toilet. Interesting, don’t you think?

We stayed in our new RV campground on the lake for four days, and then we decided to head back to Germany to do some more camping. Before that, though, I was determined to swim in the clear blue water we had passed on our bike tour the day before. So we packed up and found a perfect spot to stop and take a swim!

Lutz built me a pool! Okay, so he didn’t create it; he just repaired a pool that someone else had made.

What a treat! Warm water and warm sun.

Awwww nice. Thank you, my dear.

Our goal was to reach Bodensee (Lake Constance) and camp near the Swiss border on the lake. On the way there, Lutz made reservations for one more try at taking a dip in a beautiful lake at Petit Cortillod Campground on Neuchätel lake. Holy moly, what a trip! Thank goodness we were able to cut our four-day request to two. This campground was mostly locals and long-term folks.

And the “secluded” beach they advertised was public right out the gate! There wasn’t a single piece of grass left to spread your towel, and the water was wall to wall with people.

We went on a great bike ride to the town of Neuchätel and visited the city castle. This web post shares some personal and interesting information about this city.

Two days were plenty. We headed off to Bodensee Campingplatz Horn. What an amazing surprise! From tight, narrow, crowded camp sites to this wonderful open setting, I was encouraged. 

It was such a delight to have room to breathe. The sites were set up in a wagon train style, with all RV entrances facing the green center. All cars had to park in the car park. Plenty of room for grilling!

The swimming area was clean, and there was a large grassy area under the trees where you could lie down. It was a chilly day for swimming.

Our dear friends, Erich and Gaby, were on their way back from a camping trip in Croatia and decided to join us a couple of days later. 

We all had bikes and would take off daily to explore. Our first excursion was to the border of Switzerland and Germany, Stein am Rhein. Well worth the visit. So many nooks and crannies to explore.

A well-maintained, charming city with original homes and small shops with local gifts and hand crafts.

On the way home, Gaby encouraged us to stop in Gaienhofen to visit the Herman Hesse Museum, a famous German writer. What a life this man had. I was shocked to learn he was the one who wrote Siddhartha and Steppenwolf. I read those in my hippy days, I’ve forgotten a lot of things at this time of my life! The museum is cool, you follow his life story by moving from one exhibit to the next. They even had an English app for your phone that translated the signs.

One day, we headed to Constance. We had a super ferry ride to the other side of the lake and explored the small towns by bike on the way to Constance. 

I’d never been there and was impressed with the city. It’s a bit large for me, and tons of tourists are there at this time of year, but otherwise, it’s a great place to check out.

We took the long Ferry ride back home and could view areas we had ridden by on our bikes, like this home on Lake Constance.

One day, we all loaded up in Erich’s car and visited the Rheinfall.

These are considered the Nigrafalls of Germany.

It was a great experience and beautiful to view. Be prepared for some walking! We took a walk in the old town of Schaffhausen. It is across from the Falls.

The facades in the old part of Schaffhausen are restored and are quite interesting.

Of course, Gaby and I did some cooking together and spent the evenings catching up, laughing, and playing 9’s!

Over the past three years, we have sold our RV in the USA and our boat in Germany. We decided to find new ways to explore this beautiful Earth. These last few months, we were all set on buying an RV to head out to European unknown lands! We decided that we’re too old for this stuff. It took us four hours to pack the RV and four hours to unpack it, clean it, repack our camping supplies in the basement, and move food to the fridge and clothes to be washed upstairs. I’m looking for something simple at this stage of life. And want some room to breathe at a campsite. Not sure what our next adventure will look like at this point, but join me next month and find out how we plan our next travels.

That’s about it for last month! I hope you’re enjoying your summer. As you navigate climate change and the Earth’s challenges, I’m sending you good vibes and hope you are safe and well.

Fave New Recipe: Potato Bread 

Do you have leftover potatoes from a meal? Here’s a great solution: Potato bread! This simple potato bread recipe is incredibly delicious and easy to make.

Fave Resource: The Gluten Free Alchemist

I’ve had many people ask me for substitutes for cassava flour in my bread recipes. Here is a great solution. This lady has a site full of suggestions! Check this site out!