Rally Report - Europe 5 - 15 May 2023
Our first European rally since before covid, how we’ve missed it!
Our first rally weekend was to Aalten in the Netherlands. A lovely site in beautiful surroundings - the perfect location for the Club's first rally of the trip.
The British members went over in two groups. First were Debbie, along with Ann and John, making their way over via Harwich to Hook of Holland. This route was also taken by Pamela, Ben and Oliver a few days later. Ben, Oliver and Pam arrived to a warm welcome by everyone already at the Aalten site.
Friday evening and straight onto the first evening get together with all ralliers of the weekend. Ralliers consisted of English, Dutch and German members, quite the vast array of nationalities for our small club!
Friday evening was to be drinks and warm welcomes. We haven’t seen our European members for some years. In fact we last saw then in May 2019 at the ECCR so a lot of catching up was to be done. Once we were all settled then everyone gathered, discussing the years gone by and how much has changed in this time. The area we had been given was full.
Saturday was the day of the King’s Coronation. The Club had booked the site's hall/bar area so we were able to watch it all on the big screen. The sun was shining outside but many from the rally wanted to watch, and drink!
The blond beer went down very well!
After the coronation everyone had a lazy afternoon, snoozing after the coronation drinks and excitement of the day.
A street party meal was organised for everyone on Saturday evening. Everyone brought something to the table - so much that there was food left over. The evening stretched into late night, with everyone gathered around the middle of the field chatting and having fun.
Sunday was a lazy day, sadly some members left but plenty stayed over. We were taken to Obelink, Europe’s biggest camping accessories shop, the BIGGEST!
Obelink is huge, it sells everything you could possibly want for camping/caravanning. This passed a good few hours but we didn’t get to see all of it. It’s the IKEA for camping.
On Monday, we visited the local towns. The charity shop, a huge unit of second-hand bits, where Oliver, Debbie and Ann jones thought it would be a great idea to buy Barbie dolls to fit the clogs Hans and Arry had bought for everyone for coming to the Netherlands. A perfect idea and we decided to add bits of clothing to the barbie dolls in each country visited. Each Barbie looked out of the rear windows as they travelled.
The evening of Monday Hans and Arry took us to a steak house just and I mean just, over the Netherlands/German border, something of a strange feeling for us to be popping over the border.
Tuesday was pack up and move on day. We had only a short hop to our hoped for site, so we decided we needed to stop at Obelink again. Ben and Oliver needed chairs or rather wanted some new chairs. Ann and John jones needed a caravan part while Pam and Debbie came along for the walk, and as it turned out lunch in the café.
Onwards to our campsite in Germany, however when we arrived it was not the best of receptions, and were told they had no space. A phone call was make to Alasdair for the details of the next rally site and we were able to arrive at the next rally site early.
On arrival in Germany the weather was not what we had left, its was wet. Wetter than wet!
We were shown to our pitches, beside the river Rhine, a beautifully busy river with all sorts of intersecting boats sailing along. Many cargo boats, most with cars on, a party boat and, river cruises.
On the Wednesday, we decided to have a walk into Cologne - over a pedestrian train bridge and along the river. There are plenty of bars along the river and lunch was calling.
We popped into the first bar overlooking the river and an hour passed. We then had a leisurely stroll along the river bank, taking in the sights as we walked. The city is huge and we didn’t even see half. The walk took us to what we now know to be a famous chocolate factory. We sat outside and had a drink, not venturing inside.
Sadly, while out walking, Ann dropped her purse. When it was discovered to be missing, we had a mad dash back to the first bar but sadly it was not there. The cards were cancelled and a new driving license ordered, but thankfully on returning to England a lovely person has found the purse with all contents and posted it into the nearby law firm's letter box. The law firm emailed Ann to double check her address and to say they would be posting it back to England for her.
The whole day we walked 10kms (6 miles) but on the walk home, via Aldi for supplies, we got caught in the most horrendous downpour and we all got soaked. We even had full shopping bags of rain water!
Thursday, we had another day out, this time to the nearby charity shop, then onto lunch outside in a German water mill, lovely surroundings and food.
It was decided that Friday we would move on. The rain had put two other members off attending.
We were all going our separate ways after the rally too. Debbie went onto France to the ECCR. Ben, Oliver and Pam were on the ferry home from Hook of Holland on Sunday and Ann and John Jones were to carry on their holiday back in the Netherlands.
Friday morning, we all waved goodbye and left Cologne for our next adventures. Ben, Oliver and pam went onto Delft to the the site Ann, John and Debbie had started at when they went to the Netherlands (potentially be one of next year’s European rally sites). The site is set on a woodland location, plenty of walks from the site and easy walk into Delft town too.
Next year is being planned. I have no hesitation in advising members to come along and enjoy the trip. It isn’t an expensive, the Club works hard to negotiate good value for money and inexpensive rally fees for its members. The rally was well attended this year and next year the hope is that more people will follow.
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