Overland to visit The Great Escape Museum in Poland [Archive]

XCovlov70

04-24-2016, 01:28 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

As we will be travelling along the same roads across Wales & England to get to the Train that goes through that ‘Long Tube’ under the English Channel I will not bore you with the same pictures we have used before unless we spot something different!

Our plan for the first night after we got to France is to head for Camping St Louis (GPS Co-ords 50.83807 N 1.97637 E) which is an ACSI Camping Card Campsite, while we arrived in the dark I will get a couple of pictures before we set off the following morning!

Meanwhile as we head off out of Wales we see all the cars & trucks queuing up to pay to get in at the Toll Booths!

We will also have that chore when we return…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-1.jpg

Over the Second Severn Crossing and out of Wales we go while we get a view of the type of weather we have seen so far today…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-2.jpg

Now crossing the Border and into England…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-3.jpg

As there was not a lot happening on the route down here and we found the traffic quite light on the Motorways for a Sunday it wasn’t long before we arrived at…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-4.jpg

As we then came up to the Check in Gates we found that as we were rather early Eurotunnel gave us two options.
Pay an additional £245 ($343) to take the next train of wait for another train which was 1 hour before our booked departure for £0!
So as we had a few things to sort out we opted for a Coffee and the £0 Extra Fare for our trip under the water…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-5.jpg

Sounds like a Plan….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-6.jpg

Time to catch up with a few messages and re-set the headlights for Left Hand Driving!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-7.jpg

As time for Boarding rolled up it was around to Passport Control on the English side then pass through the French side at which point you are technically in….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-8.jpg

Then around 50 minutes later you are out of the train and off on the French Autoroute, well at least the Free bit towards the campsite…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-9.jpg

As we pass on the normal road this rather ‘Fairy Castle’ style house….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-10.jpg

While on the other side of the road was this small Windmill….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S1-11.jpg

While 2 miles further on we arrived at Camping St Louis but the daylight was slipping away as it also started to rain, as we got onto our pitch for the night, so pictures tomorrow as we put together some dinner being rather hungry after a long day!
Good night!

Da Tow'd

04-24-2016, 06:16 PM

Good to be back on the road with you folks again.
cheers
Hank

XCovlov70

04-24-2016, 10:56 PM

Good to be back on the road with you folks again.
cheers
Hank

Welcome back, and we hope you enjoy the trip. [thumbup]

XCovlov70

04-25-2016, 09:39 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Before we make our way on the next stage after our night at Camping St Louis here are a couple of pictures of the campsite….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-1.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-3.jpg

After a nice breakfast it was back on the road…….

And there are Windmills in France!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-4.jpg

And narrow roads…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-5.jpg

A Mine Bogie….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-6.jpg

The Slag heaps from one of the Mines and there were a few as we travelled along….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-7.jpg

Fishing Boat but it’s a fair way to the Sea!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-8.jpg

Well we are also in Farming Country!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-9.jpg

A very tall Radio Mast…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-10.jpg

The Circus has come to this small town and the animals are allowed out to munch the grass…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-11.jpg

Brightly painted statue of a French Soldier on a monument….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-12.jpg

As we come into the village of…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-13.jpg

We see this badly damaged church from the Battle of the Somme….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-14.jpg

While a bit further along the road is this brightly painted Water Tower!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-15.jpg

As we then arrived in a town called Albert and the next campsite which is called Le Velodrome (GPS 50.01140 N 2.65571 E). This is also an ACSI Camping Card Campsite
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-18.jpg

We had been told about a 1914 – 1918 War Memorial near Albert that was much larger than the Menin Gate at Ypres and so having got the TinTent set up and had a bit of lunch we set off to go and have a look even though it had started to rain….

So it was off through the town and off along a bit of country road to get there
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-20.jpg

As we turned left in front of this church it looked a bit like an Apollo Rocket…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-21.jpg

A very large Equestrian centre….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-22.jpg

While you can also follow the ‘Poppy Tour’ signs on the roads to get to various monuments and Commonwealth War Graves Commission sites ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-23.jpg

Ornate church on the roadside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-24.jpg

Then as we came around the next bend going up the hill the Thiepval Memorial came into view…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-27.jpg

The Museum Entrance which is going through a major extension as well as a face lift on the Memorial…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-30.jpg

The entrance to the Video Theatre in the Museum…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-31.jpg

As we then made our way in the rain to the Memorial but due to the work going on we could not get very close…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-32.jpg

While the zoom on the camera allowed me to find the names of some of the missing men….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-33.jpg

The graves of unknown French soldiers, which was interesting as their regiment was also not identified….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-34.jpg

On a good day this would be a really view out past the cross….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-35.jpg

As we came away from the memorial on the road back to Albert we saw this other memorial which we think was possibly to the Miners of the area….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-36.jpg

We then got into the centre of Albert we see the Marie (Town Hall)…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-37.jpg

Then spot Charlie Chaplin outside the Corner Pub…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-38.jpg

Followed by some rather good sculptures of the Soldiers who took part in the Battle of the Somme…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-41.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-42.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-43.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-44.jpg

As we then made our way over to the Cathedral…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-45.jpg

Then inside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-47.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-48.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-50.jpg

As we came out of the Cathedral and made our way back to the campsite TomTom got slightly confused and tried to take us up a 1 way road the wrong way!

Then having sorted that out we found ourselves going down this road which was rather nice with the Flower Baskets hanging on one side of the road while the lights were on the other. At least they didn’t need watering with all this rain!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S2-51.jpg

In reading some information after our visit to the Thiepval Memorial we learned that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for the graves and memorials of almost:

1.7 MILLION servicemen & women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the two world wars
While the graves and memorials are in 23000 locations
Those locations are spread across 153 Countries around the World

Back on the road again tomorrow, but we are keeping our fingers crossed as the Weather Forecast is saying SNOW!

XCovlov70

04-27-2016, 05:10 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Our next stage was a rather long one from Albert to Luxembourg, going across country as the alternative was around 50% longer from the original route calculated by our TomTom, but we also wanted to call into Dun Sur Messe to visit some friends….

So off we went back out via the town centre and getting the One Way System correct to allow us to do it!…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-1.jpg

Then it was on the ‘cross country roads’ with thankfully very little traffic as they are not that wide….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-6.jpg

The ‘Pink’ Marie…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-7.jpg

Interesting ‘Church Spire’!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-8.jpg

As my good lady zoomed in with the camera it looked like the Church Mice had attacked it as it was full of holes…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-11.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-12.jpg

A lot of the fields as we went along painted a nice contract with the Yellow colour of the Rape Seed that was being grown….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-13.jpg

This signpost ‘Chemin des Dames’ (Path of the Ladies) is in the area of the Aisne Ridge which was quarried for stone for centuries and left a warren of caves and tunnels which were used by the German troops as shelters to escape the French bombardment during the second battle of the Aisne…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-14.jpg

Don’t often see a Farm with a Helicopter on it’s pad!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-16.jpg

As we went past various War Memorials we noticed a number of coaches with parties of school children looking around the places, while we also passed a lot of Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries as we went across the Somme Valley….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-21.jpg

Thought for a minute we had taken a wrong turn as this man looked like he was dealing with a Nuclear ‘problem’, but then it was possibly a suit for spraying insecticide in the garden…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-25.jpg

A rather nice house that had recently been gutted by fire, which seems to be a common problem over here….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-30.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-34.jpg

As we finally come into…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-37.jpg

After spending time with our friends including a very nice dinner at a local hostelry and a rather cold night in the ‘TinTent’ we set off the following morning to complete the run to Luxembourg on a damp, dull day with the promise of SNOW along the way and at the destination!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-38.jpg

The exercise compound at a detention centre just outside a town called Montmédy which was on the other side of the road to the detention centre while the razor wire around the top was significant…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-39.jpg

While just after we croosed over the Border into Belgium….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-40.jpg

As we then saw this cart full of wood it should have provided a clue as to what was up ahead!.....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-41.jpg

Looking up at the side of the road we could see logs of wood stretching for around 800 yards as we passed alongside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-42.jpg

While in front were these two ‘Man made hills’ and lots of Steam from an absolutely huge factory….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-43.jpg

The factory produces ‘Wood Chips’ from logs of wood, while on the other side of the two huge mounds of wood chips was another part of the factory also covered in steam that produces ‘Chip Board’ for other various industried like Furniture manufacture….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-44.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-45.jpg

A little further on and we see the result of a recent SNOW fall as the trees have got a white coating on their branches!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-46.jpg

The we turn onto a National Route and come to the unmanned Belgian – Luxembourg Border Crossing as we run into the rain….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-47.jpg

Then it was over the border as the rain gets heavier…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-48.jpg

Off the National Route and onto the smaller roads and not far to our next campsite…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-50.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-51.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-52.jpg

Finally arriving at Camping Bon Accueil (GPS 49.569166 N 6.159999 E) which is also an ACSI campsite and quite a nice one….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S3-53.jpg

As we just made it to check in as the reception closes at 11:00 till 14:00, we completed the process and got onto the pitch to be met by a new dump of SNOW with some pretty large flakes coming down and a temperature of 2C!

Rather glad I put my Thermals on this morning as the forecast said it would feel like -1C and they were right for once!

We are hoping to take a trip once again into Luxembourg tomorrow if the weather is OK….

XCovlov70

04-28-2016, 08:09 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Our day in Luxembourg….

Yesterday after arriving we went out for what was a very short walk as the heavens opened up and that ‘Overhead Sprinkler System’ dropped rainwater with quite some force as well as Hailstones & would you believe it Snow!

But we managed to see this nice flower display in front of the locality Town Hall…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-1.jpg

Then a few yards further on we spotted this rather ominous dark cloud with another dump of Hailstones and Snow…….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-2.jpg

After heading back to the campsite and ‘Hibernating’ for the rest of the day and night we woke up to a foggy morning and the results of the dropping temperature and the Hailstones & Snow that had stayed around last night….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-3.jpg

I could not have moulded this if I had tried, as the Hailstones had bonded to the windscreen wiper blade!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-4.jpg

After looking at the weather forecast which said rain in the afternoon we took a chance as it hasn’t been correct so far and caught a bus for €2 into the centre of Luxembourg, and having then headed for the shopping area initially we though we had found the guys responsible for making all the FOG!

They were actually cleaning the pedestrian area with steam guns…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-5.jpg

While the view of the Vallée de la Pétrusse looks very green with all the trees…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-6.jpg

As the Bankenmuseum rises above the trees on the opposite side of the Vallée…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-7.jpg

Right on the side of the Vallée at a place called Place de la Constitution a small Fairground has been allowed to set up camp….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-9.jpg

While getting through the maze of Fairground Stalls to take a look at the Garden below was a challenge, but we eventually made it, and it looked really nice considering the weather….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-10.jpg

Then walking a bit further on we spot the Cherry Blossom which also looked very nice but not quite as good as what we saw in Washington DC a few years ago, which was I have to say spectacular…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-11.jpg

‘The Powers at B’ are currently working on the Adolphe Bridge which is one of THE main routes into the city centre….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-12.jpg

Meanwhile a temporary bridge has been built to continue to allow traffic and pedestrians to travel from one side of the Vallée to the other.
When I looked closely at the ‘Expansion Joint’ on the temporary bridge it brought it home how cold it is over here at the moment as there was a gap of at least 2 inches (50mm) between the metal ‘Teeth’ shaped like the mouth of a Crocodile!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-13.jpg

A better view of the Bankenmuseum….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-14.jpg

This building is identified as Arclor Mittal who were the biggest steel company in the world at once time, while the former owner was a company called ARBED which is still found engraved above the doorway….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-15.jpg

Next along the road was ‘The Rose Garden’……
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-16.jpg

No roses showing yet but all the rose trees were named Queen Elisabeth….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-17.jpg

We then came into the Railway Station, mainly to try and warm up and get out of the showers…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-18.jpg

While inside was this solitary stained glass window which looked better with the naked eye than a camera lens…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-19.jpg

As I managed to ‘Spot a Train’ before the heavens opened up once again, and being very cold on a not very nice day to go sightseeing we decided that enough was enough and headed back to the campsite on the next bus!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S4-20.jpg

Back on the road tomorrow and into Germany, to a campsite which when I found it on the Internet made me chuckle, but more of that tomorrow…..

ssicarman

04-28-2016, 06:49 PM

The weather is yet again disliking you. Hope it improves. A nice mix of scenery. Looks like I have another area to add onto the bucket list.

XCovlov70

04-28-2016, 10:40 PM

The weather is yet again disliking you. Hope it improves. A nice mix of scenery. Looks like I have another area to add onto the bucket list.

This weather is not only disliking us as we have met a number of people already who also did not pack warmer clothing! [nonono]

I've renamed our Bucket List to The Budget Bucket List as we get a lot of pleasure doing our own planning and removing the 'middle man' then enjoying the results even in this not very nice weather. :D:D

mrmtaal1990

04-28-2016, 11:39 PM

Read your posts and saw the pictures! Too bad for the weather, but still looks like a great trip! Looking forward to reading the rest :)!

XCovlov70

05-03-2016, 04:15 AM

Read your posts and saw the pictures! Too bad for the weather, but still looks like a great trip! Looking forward to reading the rest :)!

Hello mrmtaal1990!

Many thanks for your kind words! I too hope it proves interesting for you.

XCovlov70

05-03-2016, 04:17 AM

Sorry for the delay in getting Update in, we have had problems with getting Internet Access on the campsites we have stopped at on the way, while our current one also has no access so I am using the Local Library in a city called Plana in CZ![thumbup]

XCovlov70

05-03-2016, 04:20 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Luxembourg to Kraichgau……
08:30 and we are on the road again…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-1.jpg

Not long after joining the Autobahn we pass the sign for Schengen where the treaty was signed which is not causing a lot of controversy in Europe….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-2.jpg

Then passing over the Mosel River we cross the Border between Luxembourg and Germany….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-3.jpg

While shortly after we get caught in the Autobahn ‘Roadworks’ which continue for quite some distance and then get repeated a few times as we move slowly along….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-4.jpg

As we approach the USA Military Base at Ramstein we are passed over head by two large transport aircraft who are on their final approach to the base….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-6.jpg

While off to our right is the outskirts of Ramstein with a large Solar Panel Field close by…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-7.jpg

Travelling further along the Autobahn comes into a large valley and the Tower in the following picture which was difficult to get is part of a Castle on a hill overlooking this valley….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-8.jpg

As we enter a Wine growing region of Germany we travel alongside this rather ‘upmarket’ wall/fence which was on both sides of the Autobahn, but not sure if it was built to block fumes and traffic noise from the passing traffic onto the vines?

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-9.jpg

Approaching this bridge we find that underneath is the River Rhine….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-10.jpg

Finally get to the town of Őstringen which is not far from our next campsite….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-11.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-14.jpg

As we turn off the main road and climb up a hill, we see this small church set back on its own but it is locked up so cannot look inside…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-15.jpg

Then a couple of hundred yards further on we come to the entrance to our next campsite which is called…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-16.jpg

This is Camping Wackerhof….

Now anyone who is from Liverpool and a Born ‘Scouser’ will recognise the word ‘Wacker’ from Liverpool ‘Slang’.
In finding an explanation of the word ‘Wacker’ even though I was born and brought up in Liverpool and I did use it on occasions, I have since found that it was used between close friends who shared things, usually equally.
So “wackers” were close enough friends to share things, usually equally, while the family that own and run this campsite, see the name as one of being brave…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-17.jpg

As we got onto our pitch ourselves and set up, this caravan arrived whose owner could not reverse his unit onto the pitch, so the campsite owner brings out his tractor which must be around 40 Years old and then hitches up to the caravan and puts it in place in one easy move. The campsite owner repeated this move on another caravan that arrived 15 minutes later and belonged to the son of the family with the first one!

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-18.jpg

As we went for a stroll around the campsite we came across this room which is open for anyone to use on the site and while it is really nice and cosy, it is full of books and games for campsite guests to read and play the games….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S5-19.jpg

Interestingly while there is NO Wi-Fi access there is also no Mobile Phone signal here, so for us it is going to be 3 Nights of no communications with the outside world!!!!

Where we go tomorrow will depend on what the weather has in store in the morning…..

XCovlov70

05-03-2016, 04:41 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Our visit to Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum……

THIS IS A LONG PAGE WITH MANY PICTURES!!!

I ‘found’ this place on the Internet and thought it looked rather interesting and to be honest it was, with exhibits for everyone to enjoy…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-1.jpg
While a long time ago having nearly but not quite made it onto a Concorde Flight from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) even though the display aircraft was at a very steep angle it was interesting to be able to walk through to the Cockpit and nearly slide back down and out the door!!! ….

So off we went following the signs up the stairs to get there….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-2.jpg

Then up the circular stairs to get in the ‘Back Door’!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-3.jpg

While the ‘back end’ inside was quite wide….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-4.jpg

Looking back from the Flight Deck the aisle was very narrow, which is possibly why a number of the Cabin Crew who I met on other aircraft and flew in Concorde, did not like it. Getting things ready in the Galley which was very small, and then bringing them out on a trolley was frustrating to say the least…

All the seats were inside ‘protective plastic cages’ to prevent visitors from sitting on the seats. This was also to be found in the Russian ‘Concordski’!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-5.jpg

While also legroom at £5,000 for a One Way Ticket was also not that great….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-6.jpg

Still you did get to see how fast you were flying with the display at the front (Could not find one of these in the ‘Tupolov Concordski’ which I went in next)…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-7.jpg

Inside the Flight Deck was also quite cramped….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-8.jpg

Now for the Technical ‘Bits’…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-10.jpg

Next one to ‘climb aboard’ was the Russian Tupolov ‘Concordski’…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-11.jpg

As I once again go up the stairs and in through the ‘back door’…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-12.jpg

While looking back once inside from the Flight Deck there certainly seemed to be more room in the aisle between the seats….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-13.jpg

And more leg room for passengers….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-14.jpg

While the Flight Deck looked completely different to the European Concorde…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-16.jpg

Nice to see the ‘Exit’ sign was also in English, just in case!…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-17.jpg

With some Technical Details next….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-18.jpg

While also up on the roof of the museum was this ‘Old Lady’ of the skies….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-20.jpg

We then went down the stairs and into the first Museum ‘Shed’ to look at the exhibits on display inside, and unless I need to put in some words I am going to let you read the text pictures before the exhibit is shown in the next picture….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-23.jpg

A very large Electricity Generator made in Stuttgart…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-24.jpg

Harley Davidson Motorcycles….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-29.jpg

An 11 Man Bicycle that was owned and ridden by the Sinsheim Polizei Sports Club…..
I did wonder if they ever picked up a Speeding Ticket?
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-30.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-34.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-38.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-41.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-42.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-43.jpg

General view of part of this place, while it didn’t take long to take 195 pictures of the exhibits but not all of them are in this write up!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-44.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-45.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-47.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-48.jpg

Now this was a very BIG Engine (24 Cylinders) when compared to the car next to it!!!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-49.jpg

WOW! A ‘Tag Axle’ Merc, that is not a Camper/RV!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-50.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-51.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-52.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-53.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-54.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-55.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-56.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-57.jpg

Anyone recognise the Blond in the middle of the next picture?
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-58.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-59.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-60.jpg

As we moved into another part of the Museum we came to an area that was made to look like a Dessert setting with Military items in…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-61.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-62.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-63.jpg

Can’t quite make out why the chap in the white ‘Bib’ has got a nice smile on his face? It might have been caused by the toothpaste he was using?....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-64.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-65.jpg

Not sure if the ‘RED’ colour on this Tank was because a shell had taken a lump of the Armour Plating from around the gun…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-66.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-67.jpg

‘Rescued’ from the Mediterranean Sea…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-68.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-69.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-70.jpg

‘My Favourite’ exhibit but I doubt if I can have one for all our Overland Trips!

‘Flamenco Red’ might get slightly jealous!!!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-71.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-72.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-73.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-74.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-75.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-76.jpg

The inside of the Blown Up Tank….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-77.jpg

The Bicycle before the ‘E Bike’! (No information board available)
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-78.jpg

Part of the Cycling display….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-79.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-80.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-81.jpg

With a final comment concerning a rather nice ‘Customised’ Harley Davidson…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-82.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S6-83.jpg

While the Museum was interesting it was also quite obvious that while pictures could be taken anywhere there was a proliferation of ‘museum plates’ on exhibits so the full effect of marketing could be made when those pictures went on social media, likewise a number of displays that ‘worked’ required the insertion of a €1 or €2 coin for a very brief display of just how those exhibits operated.
Possibly the best Financially Motivated Museum I have visited to date.
Hopefully tomorrow if it stays dry we plan to go and have a look around the city of Worms, as currently it’s raining here!

XCovlov70

05-03-2016, 04:45 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A day out in the city of Worms (Germany)……
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-1.jpg

Having got into the city centre quite early on a Sunday morning and finding a parking place it was good to find that today is Free Parking ….

So off we went to have a look around this city which looked interesting on Google Earth as I did a little research….

This is Trinity Church, construction took 16 years from 1709 till 1725, it was destroyed during the second world war and rebuilt between 1955 to 1958.
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-2.jpg

With a nicely carved front door!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-3.jpg

One of the main shopping streets….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-4.jpg

A ‘Blue Dragon’ which we found out after a visit to the Tourist Information Office that there are a number of these around the city which have been purchased by different businesses and painted in their own colours.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-5.jpg

Siegfried Fountain. Heptagonal Fountain from 1921 with a larger than life statue of Siegfried the Dragon Slayer (We wonder if he ever met a Welsh Dragon?)….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-6.jpg

Nice display of Tulips…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-7.jpg

Local Micro Brewery which is also a restaurant….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-8.jpg

St Peter’s Cathedral…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-9.jpg

The entrance door to the Cathedral with a nice sculptured arch around it….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-10.jpg

As we then moved inside…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-11.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-12.jpg

Interesting stained glass windows in the main section….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-13.jpg

While inside the St Nicholas Chapel the colours of the stained glass windows were a lot more vibrant ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-14.jpg

Then back out in the main section we could see the choir pews…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-15.jpg

Then the altar…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-16.jpg

While just around the corner was a rather well defined model of the Cathedral…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-18.jpg

Then it was back outside and moving in the opposite direction to see some rather nice buildings….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-21.jpg

As we came into the Market Square there was a gathering of a number of the political parties who represent the townsfolk of Worms who are not happy with the ‘performance’ of a number of the politicians, so they were having a rally…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-22.jpg

While they were offering a Coffee & a slice of homemade Carrot Cake for €1.50 which was rather nice! The ‘carrot’ was made of marzipan!!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-23.jpg

In the outer corner of the Market Square at the end of the building called City Hall halfway up the wall were these carvings and the middle one depicted Frederic II and Isabella of England from 1235 but my history is not good enough to remember them or the date …..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-24.jpg

As we then move off to see the Jewish Quarter of the City….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-25.jpg

Just before we turn into the street called ‘Judengasse’ we see the old City Wall which used to surround the City of Worms….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-26.jpg

Then after turning left we soon come to the Synagogue with a rather nice write up on a plaque giving some of the history and stories of this area, which I hope you can read….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-27.jpg

The Synagogue….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-29.jpg

As we then made our way back we see this nicely decorated house…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-30.jpg

Following the city plan that we got from the Tourist Office we were able to follow and see the other sections of the City Wall that are still standing….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-31.jpg

Going off down this small road we see the wall at the end….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-32.jpg

Then as we get around the corner we see another large section with a walkway above which was closed and archways two of which opened onto the roadway, while a smaller doorway allowed pedestrians to pass through….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-34.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-36.jpg

While opposite was a small park….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-38.jpg

Just a bit further along was another ‘Dragon’!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-39.jpg

As we then headed off to another gateway in the city wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-40.jpg

Then turning left we meet yet another ‘Dragon’!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-41.jpg

Making our way back to the Market Square we see this rather large Ice Cream Outlet, with some very tempting selections, but it was still a bit early so we resisted temptation and carried on by….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-42.jpg

Carrying on down one of the main shopping streets we pass the ‘Winegrowers Fountain’ which sadly was only dispensing water, while a smaller Dragon was perched on top….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-43.jpg

Next up was Ludwig Square recalling Ludwig Hesse IV Grand Duke of Hesse & St Martins Church in which it is claimed according to legend that St Martin of
Tours was incarcerated in a dungeon beneath the church....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-44.jpg

Martin’s Gate built in 1904 and inspired by the forms of the city’s former norther gate which was destroyed in 1689….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-45.jpg

As we then got to one of the shopping arcades we spot another of these non-fire breathing beasts!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-46.jpg

Next was a bit of a surprise as more or less in the centre of the city is this Institution for young offenders, with its very high walls and barred windows….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-47.jpg

While we think the red brick building was the court house, inside the small water fountains was this round sculpture called ‘Wheel of Fortune’ that rotated….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-48.jpg

While not missing another Dragon at the bottom as you watched this side that shows events that impacted the city, and you will see a Jester/Clown at the 1 O’clock position on the face. He stayed upright as the side went around!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-49.jpg

While on the other side are scenes from everyday life with completely different figures on it, even the Dragon looked unlike a Dragon!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-50.jpg

After having some lunch we then started to make our way back spotting our final Dragon of the day, before we set off back….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-51.jpg

On the way back to Camping Wackerhof we decided to have a look around the nearest town we went through to get there, and found a rather nice surprise!

The town is called…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-52.jpg

With a couple of old possibly Coaching Inns, this one dated 1825…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-53.jpg

While this other one which was more or less opposite was dated 1829…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-54.jpg

Surprisingly a LARGE Fire Station, but the town is surrounded by woodland…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-55.jpg

Going up to the church we pass this scene outside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-56.jpg

While the church itself is going through some re-work….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-57.jpg

The ‘Rathaus’ (Town Hall) is at the far end of the church….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-58.jpg

Complete with a sculpture of the Town Crier & a Post Box from the United Kingdom….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-59.jpg

When we looked closer at the Post Box we see that it was a gift from the town of Abergavenny in South Wales and very close to home for us, to the townsfolk of this Őstringen as the two towns are ‘Twinned’!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-60.jpg

As we then spot this oddly shaped house but we haven’t seen one like it in Abergavenny!…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S7-61.jpg

On the road tomorrow to a place called Lichtenau and a campsite called Landgasthof Gotzenmuhle (GPS 49.24940N 10.69252E) which I found in the ADAC Stellplatz Fuhrer book…..

XCovlov70

05-03-2016, 04:50 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Landgasthof Gotezenmuhle & Ansbach……

As we departed from Camping Wackerhof we had a short conversation with Frau Wacker who was saying that there is not a lot of faith in the German Chancellor at present as a lot of things are going wrong with the influx of all the migrants and now the German people cannot even allow their children to make their way to the school bus point on their own as they did not very long ago, while they also think their freedom has been severely eroded in a short period of time.

Time to get back on the road for our next stage to Landgasthof Gotzenmuhle and a visit to the town of Ansbach….

Short run across country as we made our way back to the A6 Autobahn….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-1.jpg

In a very short space of time after we got onto the Autobahn we saw the Polizei attending an accident on the opposite carriageway while the tailback stretched for around 5 miles and the inside lane was just a wall from one end to the other of Trucks, with even a few in the outside lane who with the regulations of being over 7.5T and the time of day should not have been there….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-2.jpg

Passing by some of the Vineyards of this region in Germany!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-3.jpg

Not very long and we are off the Autobahn and on the side roads again….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-4.jpg

While the number of fields and house/garage/shed roofs with Solar Panels in & on, was very large.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-5.jpg

As we then come to our next ‘Campsite’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-6.jpg

Except it was just a sloping field at the bottom of a gravel run with a small wooden shed that had around 12 Electric Mains Sockets inside on a distribution board. The single cold water tap that went into a metal sink was connected to a garden hose pipe that went off in the grass somewhere!

I was also hoping to be able to update the travel blog at this point as the site was supposed to have Wi-Fi but I think they were joking as there was a sort of connection which periodically connected if the wind was blowing in the right direction!!!…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-7.jpg

Still we did have some interesting neighbours in the opposite field….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-10.jpg

So without any more ado, we got set up, have a bit of lunch and went off into…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-11.jpg

Only this time the parking was not Free, but we nearly made the mistake of staying in a ‘Resident’ slot instead of a Paid Parking slot, but a nice local man put us right, as we then set off into the town centre!...

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-14.jpg

As we crossed over one of the main roads and through a small gateway we see this metal statue in front, but unlike all the points of interest in Worms the ‘City Map’ in Ansbach was not providing any information on theirs!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-15.jpg

Nice artists impression of some of the buildings in Ansbach….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-16.jpg

As we then wandered around some of the town centre streets looking at the buildings and prices of items inside for comparison with back home…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-19.jpg

Sweet stall…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-23.jpg

This ‘Seat’ was actually made from a large ‘slab’ of steel that had been formed and cut to shape, but it must have taken some tremendous power to produce it!...

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-26.jpg

As we needed some Bread we went into one of the local Bakery Shops to get a loaf which you can buy a ‘Half Loaf’ in Germany and then have it sliced which in this machine the loaf is sliced ready for use at home….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-28.jpg

Inside the Tourist Information Office we saw this couple in the style of dress in Ansbach from 1870…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-30.jpg

Then it was back on the streets looking for a nice ice cream parlour!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-32.jpg

We found one not far away and ordered what we thought was going to be this one which is Spaghetti Ice Cream with a covering of Strawberry Sauce and Coconut bits…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-33.jpg

BUT….As we ordered a ‘Spezial’, there was NO Strawberry Sauce, as ours came with a Likor, a dribble of Caramel Sauce and Coconut bits…

It was nice but we think the other one would have been nicer!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-34.jpg

A sight that we are seeing more of as we wander around the towns this time of people sat on the pavement outside a shop or café with a ‘begging bowl’ in front of them….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-36.jpg

As I looked to the left hand side of the Clock Tower in the previous picture which was also a gateway into the centre I noticed a small section of the original Town Wall still in place, and very much like the wall that used to surround Worms…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-37.jpg

Nice pair of old doors in this building….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-38.jpg

We thought this was a LARGE streetlight until we looked closer....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-39.jpg

Then we saw that it is a small working model as the hands and hammer move up and down of the Gold & Silversmith from the shop below….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-40.jpg

Just outside the town centre is this large building which is residential for the some of the citizens of Ansbach while the strange metal horse stands in front along with the small fountain!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-41.jpg

Then making our way back to ‘Flamenco Red’ before the time ran out on the parking ticket we pass this very large clock whose motif has faded slightly, but still looks nice….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-42.jpg

While opposite is the Bus & Train Station….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S8-43.jpg

Making our way back to the ‘Campsite’ we have decided that as I cannot get any of the updates onto the travel blog we will continue on the road tomorrow to the next campsite which is in the Czech Republic.

XCovlov70

05-05-2016, 02:26 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Landgasthof Gotezenmuhle (D) to Brod nad Tichou (CZ)……

As the ‘Bassets Liquorice Allsorts’ family (Made of Hay Bales) see us off….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-1.jpg

Off through a couple of nicely wooded ‘back roads’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-2.jpg

We find ourselves once again on the A6 Autobahn and even more glad we are going East when we see this morning the ‘Double Wall’ of Trucks occupying 2 lanes as other traffic under 7.5T crawled along the 3rd lane as they came to the long section of ‘Carriageway Repairs’ that consisted of 2 lanes one of which was only 2.3 Meters wide, while repair work was carried out!
The queue of traffic was easily 12 Miles long and very slow moving!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-3.jpg

Interestingly the further East we went the less traffic was on our side of the Autobahn….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-4.jpg

Luvverly Morning and nice clear roads and view!.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-5.jpg

Not very long after this next picture we got the request from ‘Jane’ in the TomTom GPS to ‘Take the Exit’ as this was where we came off the Autobahn as we did not subscribe to buying a ‘Vignette’ to use the Czech Republic (CZ) ‘Autobahn’ which are classed as Toll Roads for all vehicles, while after we came off it was very interesting to see the number of Trucks also doing the same thing….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-6.jpg

Off the Autobahn and through possibly the last village in Germany as we head for the Border…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-7.jpg

Not far now….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-8.jpg

There is the Border which was completely open with not a Border Guard in sight….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-9.jpg

After a quick fill up of Diesel which is around £0.80/Litre we then started making our way on the normal roads, passing through the small viallges and towns in the Czech Republic….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-10.jpg

We past a number of outlets selling these coloured balls which we think are LED lights for outside…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-11.jpg

Oh the open road!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-12.jpg

With a ‘Maypole’ that would have been used in celebration on 1st May with people and long streamers from the top dancing around the pole….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-14.jpg

As we then enter the town of Bor….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-17.jpg

Anyone interested? It’s up for sale!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-18.jpg

While the church is in better condition….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-19.jpg

Then a little further we come to the village where our next campsite is to be found. Camp Karolina (GPS 49.820278 N 12.753333 E) which is also an ACSI Camping Card site.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-20.jpg

But first we have to pass a ‘Maypole’ with a lot more of the festivities left behind from the 1st May celebrations….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-21.jpg

Then make a right turn past the Brod na Tichou church…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-22.jpg

Before we then bear right onto a road with quite a number of potholes and rough patches in….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-23.jpg

Then after around 1.5 miles the campsite entrance appears....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-24.jpg

With a number of ‘Bungalows’ that have quite a story and history attached to them…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-25.jpg

As we get onto our pitch I see a very large building then a motif in the centre of the wall that I know I recognise as we visited the factory associated with that motif a number of years ago….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-26.jpg

The motif is the Badge/Emblem of the Skoda Car Company and the building also has quite a story and history attached to it….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-27.jpg

While that story & history also applies to this building which is now the Campsite Reception…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-28.jpg

Both the buildings were constructed in 1870 and were part of a ‘Karolinengrund Granitwork’ which you can see in the picture below…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-29.jpg

In 1937 with some re-planning by Dr Rudolf Funk the site became a ‘Summer Camp’ for the children of Skoda Motors Employees, and a commemorative plaque is still in place inside the Campsite Reception building to Dr Funk.
The large house with the Badge/Emblem on the wall was the accommodation for the camp-staff along with the cooking and refectory facilities for the Skoda Motors Children, the now Campsite Reception was also the Reception building for the Summer Camp.…..
The Bungalows that were in the previous pictures were all constructed by the Skoda Employees as accommodation for the children, and are still in very good condition….
While just outside the current Campsite was this large building which had a Dance Hall & Cinema inside for use by the children. Outside are 2 Open Air Swimming Pools, one of which you can see just to the right of the building!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-30.jpg

So just by spotting that Skoda Badge/Emblem and asking ‘why it was there’, we hear about some really nice history attached to the campsite, which we did not know until we got here!….

After getting ourselves sorted out on the pitch we then set off to the nearest town called ‘Plana’ to see if I could use any Internet facilities in the Library, to which you know the answer as you have read the previous update which the Folks there very kindly let me use their facilities.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-31.jpg

As I was doing that my good lady was having a stroll around the town taking a few more pictures to show what the town looked like and to some extent it reminded us of a small market town in England except that all the houses are painted in different colours in ‘Plana’ while in England they would all be the same colour and shape!.....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-34.jpg

Local Library & Tourist Information Office….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-35.jpg

This building was the Town Hall but is now a Local Police Station……
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-38.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S9-40.jpg

Hey Ho it’s raining again, but hopefully it will clear up again for tomorrow as we are off out exploring again!

XCovlov70

05-05-2016, 02:28 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A cold day trip to visit the towns of Mariánské Lázně (Also known as Marienbad) and Teplá along with the Cloisters which are nearby……
It felt like 0C thanks to the wind chill factor as we set off this morning for the short run to Mariánské Lázně but at least it wasn’t raining, and it wasn’t the sort of day for jumping into one of the Outdoor Spa Pools in the town and there are a few!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-1.jpg

Having found a parking space in the Tesco Supermarket car park with no time restrictions in place we set off for the walk into the centre of the town and to find the Tourist Information Office, passing some nice buildings on the way….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-6.jpg

Even the Pansies seemed to be ‘smiling’ in the cold weather!…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-7.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-8.jpg

One entrance to the central park….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-9.jpg

This Hotel was called ‘Villa Butterfly’!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-10.jpg

Complete with 4 naked ladies on top! (2 on each side tower)…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-11.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-13.jpg

The small grey roofed building was identified on the signposts as the Town Information Office while it is in fact a Tour Booking Office, and the lady inside was really helpful while also pointing us towards the right ‘Tourist Information Office’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-14.jpg

As we then passed even more Spa Hotels or ‘Normal’ Hotels ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-15.jpg

Arriving eventually at the Tourist Information Office and going inside we could not see any Town Maps but did find a nice Fridge Magnet to buy and keep as a memento of the visit while also seeing the the town was twinned with Malvern in the UK which is not far away from us in South Wales.
We then waited in the queue of people to ask if they had a Town Map and pay for the Magnet.
After we had been waiting for around 15 minutes, a local lady came into the office and as the Tourist Office ‘Assistant’ had just finished with the couple in front of us she called the local lady over, at which point the local lady pointed to us, but the Assistant insisted that the local lady went over!
So with that wonderful example of really bad manners the Magnet was dumped on the counter and we turned and left…
When we got back to the campsite the man on reception tells us that it is a regular occurrence in that Tourist Office that Tourists are ignored.
We did find that ‘Maps.me’ worked very well in conjunction with a half page map we got out of a booklet full of ‘Health Spa’s’ in the town!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-18.jpg

As we saw a number of water fountains all the water is from the spa water that surfaces in various places….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-19.jpg

On a busy day possibly in Summer this next place a number of years ago looked like this with hoards of people strolling around.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-20.jpg

It was that BIG and I could not get back far enough to get the front in in one picture that it took 7 pictures to complete! I hope you can put them together in your mind? To me it looked a bit like the Greenhouses in Kew Gardens in the UK….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-28.jpg

While this was the man who found the spa’s.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-29.jpg

While this particular outlet is called Rudolph’s Spring named after the Austrian Crown Prince as you will hopefully see on the Plaque….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-30.jpg

And there is the ‘bubbling Rudolph’s spring’ which is freely available to take via taps in the main area using your own container or you can buy a plastic cup to try the water.…
Did we? No thanks. We tried it before and was not impressed by the taste…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-31.jpg

Nice artistic light over the spring outlet.....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-32.jpg

As we came out of Rudolph’s Spring building the water fountain was in action again down at the bottom of the ‘Glasshouse’! Sorry Colonnade....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-34.jpg

We then set off to find a very large Hotel sat at the top of a hill overlooking the town as we pass by this block of ‘Residence Flats’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-35.jpg

Anyone fancy a Horse & Carriage Trip around the Town? Blankets supplied but no Hot Water Bottles, sorry!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-36.jpg

Going along a road called ‘Ruska’ we pass this shop which has a machine for making thin biscuits that are around 6 inches in diameter, and in one revolution they are ready! (No pun intended, but we did see and hear a number of Russian Tourists) ……
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-37.jpg

While a bit further along was this small Russian Church, with a BIG sign just inside the door advertising ‘NO PICTURES’ so we carried on….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-38.jpg

Passing more ‘Residence’ buildings….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-41.jpg

As we finally arrive at the ‘Hotel on the top of the hill’ which to be honest from the front looks like a very large Fortified Look Out Post for the Military with the large concrete walls on either side.
Which was a nice thought as the place is called ‘Monty’s’ and I never knew he had a Hotel here! NO we did not look around the back to see if there were any Challenger Tanks in ‘mothballs’!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-42.jpg

Methinks its time to leave and see about some lunch either on the way of when we get to Teplá….
The trip over to Teplá was short so we then found a restaurant for lunch and then went over to the Abbey/Cloister which was just outside the town, and found this description, which I hope is readable…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-43.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-44.jpg

This is what it looked like in 1735…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-45.jpg

The small main entrance gate looks rather unimpressive in the large outer wall…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-46.jpg

While after passing through the outer wall entrance doorway, the left hand side of the main Abbey now looks like this….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-47.jpg

The twin towers/spires look like this having been partially restored….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-48.jpg

And the Abbey right hand side has also been partially restored….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-49.jpg

While around the corner of the right hand side which is the Library & Convent has been fully restored, so work is continuing as funds permit….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-50.jpg

At the side of the Convent is the….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-51.jpg

This also had a Brewery for Beer manufacture but it was destroyed by the Army during one of the wars and only the water mill was left which has been completely refurbished but is only opened for guided tours….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-52.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-53.jpg

While looking through the window in the locked door of the water mill this is all you get to see….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-54.jpg

As we made our way to ask about the guided tours, the first thing you see is that again no pictures are allowed to be taken anywhere while on a tour, put that together with the fact that the guided tours are not run that frequently and are not in a particular language, so if you ‘sign up’ your tour could be in a language that you do not understand, while the chap behind the counter was not really interested in providing a decent explanation even though he spoke good English, so we gave up and came back outside and copied the pictures that are freely available on the information boards depicting scenes from inside…

Inside the Abbey
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-55.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-56.jpg

The Library
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-57.jpg

A room somewhere in the Abbey but not sure exactly where….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S10-58.jpg

At which point we then headed back to the campsite….

ssicarman

05-05-2016, 08:50 PM

Some very ornate and interesting looking buildings in the spa town.

XCovlov70

05-06-2016, 01:09 AM

Some very ornate and interesting looking buildings in the spa town.

Yes, very nice, but to stay in them was not cheap, so they could afford to look after them, unlike some of the buildings in the rear of the town that were not in as good a condition!

XCovlov70

05-06-2016, 01:12 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

After what was going to be a quick trip into Planá but took a little longer as we got to see an ‘American Style’ Marching Band playing, as tomorrow (06th May 2016) is the celebration date of the liberation of this small town by American Forces during WWII!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-1.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-4.jpg

While when we got back to the campsite the Coypu, that was hand reared from a baby by one of the campsite staff, who now calls himself ‘Moma’ was enjoying a nice fresh carrot while his two front paws held it in place as his teeth worked their way through the vegetable….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-5.jpg

Then it was time to ‘Get on yer Bike and off you go’ through some nice countryside!.....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-6.jpg

With a map that had marked out routes on….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-7.jpg

Also with some nice home-made ‘signposts’ to help you out….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-8.jpg

Quite a large section of the pathway was made up from what looked like old concrete railway sleepers that had been discarded at some point, possibly from the railway overhead when it was electrified, but must have taken quite some time to put in place…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-9.jpg

While we didn’t get to close to this rather large Ant hill….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-11.jpg

Small weir with a couple of men fishing on the opposite bank…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-12.jpg

With this cottage by the railway bridge, but not sure why it had such a high chimney and now falling down building on the end, while the cottage is still occupied...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-13.jpg

As we then after a few more kilometres came into the lower section of the village of Pavlovice and this Café, which while the door was open it was not open for business….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-14.jpg

Next after we went around the corner and up the hill and we came to the Railway Station which considering the small size of the village was very large….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-16.jpg

Continuing up a rather long climb on the road, which for ‘Er indoors’ was nice and easy with her ‘Ebike’ while it had me puffing like a steam engine we came into the main part of the village of Pavlovice!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-17.jpg

With this small church in the centre….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-18.jpg

The view looking through the windows, while sadly the lower parts of the walls are being eaten away by damp ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-19.jpg

As we turned around & started to make our way back towards the railway station we see a sign for JOSEFOVA HUŤ which is on the right with the two cars outside, but could not find out who he was .…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-20.jpg

As we stopped to take the picture of the sign and the building the warning sounds were started and the barriers lowered for an approaching train which rolled through very soon after….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-22.jpg

Then it was back to the peace and quiet of the countryside with just the sound of the river as we made our way back to the campsite….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S11-26.jpg

A nice day out and the weather has improved, while after that ‘exercise’ I am going to sleep like a log tonight!

XCovlov70

05-07-2016, 07:40 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Set off this morning after a few things got sorted out on the campsite to go to the town of Tachov calling into Planá to get a couple of items from the store and then it was off across country!….
After finding a good place to park up we set off back into the town centre, keeping an eye on the church tower….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-1.jpg

With a short walk alongside the river…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-2.jpg

Turning right and up a passageway we found ourselves in ‘Nam Republiky’ which is the main square in the town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-5.jpg

Having spotted the Pop Art Music Café in the corner (Previous picture) it was time for a nice cup of proper coffee, which surprisingly came with a glass of ‘fizzy water’!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-6.jpg

That done and the caffeine level restored, we set off for a walk around the town heading for the church tower in a round-about way….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-7.jpg

With the length of the queue at this ‘Chicken BBQ Van’ I think a number of people had already ‘Found their Chicken’!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-8.jpg

As we finally came around to the church…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-11.jpg

Just outside the church is this rather interesting piece of history…..
The right hand side concrete plaque translation reads ‘On 14th February 1945 two bombs fell on Tachov Church and neither exploded’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-12.jpg

‘Zámek’ this was the Cloisters in the town...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-13.jpg

As this building was quite elevated it gives you a good view of the lower part of the town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-16.jpg

The small man made ponds in this next picture are used for ‘fish farming’ by the houses around them....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-17.jpg

While up the road we see part of the wall that used to surround the town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-19.jpg

Along the wall at the rear was a pathway and gates that led via stairs up onto the ramparts, but unfortunately the gates were locked….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-20.jpg

A little bit further on we came to another memorial commemorating the liberation of Tachov by the American Army in 1945….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-21.jpg

While in the window of an office selling property there was this house on the market for the equivalent of £30,000 ($42,000)!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-22.jpg

While with all this glorious weather and temperature of 20C it was time for a nice Ice Coffee complete with a scoop of ice cream on top! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-23.jpg

We then made our way down to the river and looking over the side of the bridge we could see that there are fish in the water…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-24.jpg

As we sat down by the riverbank two ducks must have smelled our picnic lunch as they both came over, however it was only the female who was interested in any food that we passed over. The male was more interested in showing us his ‘acrobatics’ as he went after other things on the bottom of the river!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-25.jpg

While the man in the house on the other side of the river had his fridge in the garden with the beer in, which on a hot day made a lot of sense to keep it cool!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S12-26.jpg

Time to move on tomorrow so it’s back on the road to our next destination which is Camping Kostelec which is another ACSI site, (GPS: 49.137500 N 14.472500 E) and not far away from the BIG town of ‘Budweis’ (Ćeské Budéjovice) which even though we have been to, I am sure we will go again!...

ssicarman

05-07-2016, 12:28 PM

Scrolling down I came to the top of the ice cream coffee picture and wondered why your beer had straws in it and why there was so much head on it. Then I read the caption and.....

XCovlov70

05-07-2016, 09:04 PM

Scrolling down I came to the top of the ice cream coffee picture and wondered why your beer had straws in it and why there was so much head on it. Then I read the caption and.....

Hmmm! Not sure what to say really!:D

XCovlov70

05-07-2016, 09:08 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Off again from Brod Nad Tichou to Hluboka Nad Nitavou!….
OK, so you had a job getting your lips around the first line above, likewise over here, but we have 110 miles to go and 75% of a tank of fuel, so here we go!…..

With the Sun having risen a couple of hours ago we head off down one of the forest road as we wanted to go ‘cross country’ and enjoy the scenery and not down the ‘Toll Road’ which were required to purchase a Vignette which we did not wish to partake of….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-1.jpg

One of the first villages we went through…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-2.jpg

Main road through the village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-4.jpg

Then as we get around the corner and down the hill we see this large church on the right hand side….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-5.jpg

Part of the outside wall as we climb the hill by the side of the church!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-6.jpg

As we get to the entrance archway on our right, but we had to turn left to continue our journey….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-7.jpg

So it was up over the hill and back out in the open countryside once again!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-8.jpg

On to the next village as this bus tour disgorged it’s clients to go and have a look at this rather small church that must have had some importance as we could see it had been nicely decorated with the door open to welcome the visitors…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-9.jpg

Few more miles of open country and then we come to the next town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-10.jpg

As we cross this bridge that goes over the Vlatava River…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-11.jpg

Then turn left just before this small church in front and into a rather narrow road around a couple of tight bends, so take it slowly just in case someone is rolling along on the other side of the road!!…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-14.jpg

The ‘Fire Truck’ was just out for a run, thankfully!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-15.jpg

Climbing up through the forest…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-16.jpg

Then down the other side we come into the town of….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-20.jpg

Next little village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-21.jpg

Then it was a nice open country road with a good tarmac layer to roll along on!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-23.jpg

As we then come into the outskirts of a place called Nepomuk…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-27.jpg

Open road again!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-28.jpg

Next village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-30.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-32.jpg

Back over the Vlatava River once again….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-34.jpg

I think this was ‘Kastel Patsky’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-35.jpg

WOW! That is a ‘Penny Farthing’ Bicycle being ridden by the man in the waistcoat, while the other riders all wore old style clothes and road old style bicycles, as they went for a picnic!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-36.jpg

While a couple of miles further on we came to a very large group of cyclists all taking part in a cycling event that looked like a Time Trial but using Mountain Bikes….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-37.jpg

We then came to a set of traffic lights with some quite narrow road up ahead….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-38.jpg

As the 40 Tonne Truck went off in front, the road signs had 7.5 Tonne identified on them!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-39.jpg

Out of that narrow section so we can breathe normally again!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-40.jpg

As we get within the last few miles to the campsite we go alongside the Vlatava River and the road was even narrower in places than before!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-41.jpg

Then we arrived at the campsite which was in a rather nice location….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-42.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-43.jpg

The front entrance, which you don’t use due to the archway and tight bend getting in, while it was built in 1853!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S13-44.jpg

Time to have some lunch!....

XCovlov70

05-09-2016, 12:31 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Off this time for a look around….
ĆESKÉ BUDÉJOVICE….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-1.jpg

As we pulled into the parking space we could see this sculpture of a Spitfire Aircraft across the grass on the other side.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-2.jpg

Walking up to it, it turned out to be a memorial to the 4 Czech Pilots who flew aircraft for the Royal Air Force and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, as they lost their lives during WWII ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-3.jpg

While directly opposite is this rather splendid Museum, which was closed….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-4.jpg

So between the memorial and the Museum, we turn and head off to the city centre past this church, which has a quite fast flowing stream flowing behind the railings at the side!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-5.jpg

Continuing down this street....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-6.jpg

We come to….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-7.jpg

The main city square and its 4 sides ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-11.jpg

As we then go out at one of the corners of the square …..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-12.jpg

I think this next Bank must have been holding all the Gold Bullion due to the very heavy ‘metalwork’ on the ground floor windows. Even the entrance door looked more like the door to a Gorillas Cage!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-14.jpg

We come to the Vlatava River where even this large tree needs some support!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-15.jpg

While heading back then into the city a bit further along via this archway…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-16.jpg

We find even more archways!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-17.jpg

We nearly missed these ‘Dragon Heads’ sticking out of that rather nice grey coloured building that was in one corner of the square, with the Domes at each corner of the roof, and one on the centre of the front.
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-18.jpg

You can see the building side on in the centre of the next picture as we head off in another direction….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-19.jpg

As we come to another part along the river….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-21.jpg

Looking down this side street as we move along the river front….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-22.jpg

Then across the river to a large building on the opposite side....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-23.jpg

Heading then back towards the centre…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-24.jpg

As we work our way back to this Tower…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-25.jpg

Which has this smaller tower alongside....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-26.jpg

The whole tower is called ‘The Black Tower’ and behind this door inside the smaller ‘Pink’ tower are a set of spiral stone steps that take you up to the BIG main tower (The date on the small door reads 1553)…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-27.jpg

Having gone up the spiral stone steps, you go through this doorway and find yourself looking at some very steep wooden steps like ‘Ladders’ but wider with handrails!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-29.jpg

As you come out on the floor with the first set of Bells on, the wooden frames to hold the Bells in place are very large!.....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-30.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-32.jpg

With the ‘Bell Ringing Mechanism’ which is now electric motor and chain drive….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-33.jpg

Keep going you are nearly there!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-34.jpg

The last step to the top, and the Ticket Office where you have to buy your Entrance Ticket!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-35.jpg

The Clock Mechanism that moves the hands on the clock face on the outside of the tower....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-36.jpg

While outside I get a really good view over the city….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-38.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-40.jpg

Then there is the city square….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-41.jpg

As I come back inside before descending I see a couple of sketches of the city at different times….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-42.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-43.jpg

The Bells from on top as I come down the stairs....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-44.jpg

The steps are in some places as steep as going down inside a ship. I just wish the Hand Rail was a bit more accessible then I would be tempted to slide down that instead of going down the stairs! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-45.jpg

Back outside in the nice warm sunshine we go over and into a nice little park….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-47.jpg

Then heading off to have a light lunch we pass a shop with military memorabilia inside & this item in the window that left me wondering if it only has 2.5 Rations inside?
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-48.jpg

Down this narrow side street…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-50.jpg

Then we find a Hotel & Restaurant and first off was this nice coffee presented with a small piece of cake which had no flavour to it, while that was followed by a bowl of Garlic & Cream Soup , which also was nearly flavourless, but I guess they cannot offer soup with a strong Garlic flavour as it might just offend some customers!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-51.jpg

Light lunch over and then it was off again to find the Railway Station….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-52.jpg

As we get into a main shopping area we see this sign on the floor….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-53.jpg

With these ‘Folks’ looking like they had had a bad night out, fell in a mud pool and were now just hanging around, complete with bad hair do’s!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-54.jpg

On the other side of the road is this brightly painted Czech Bank building….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-55.jpg

Along the shopping area…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-56.jpg

Strange ‘roof’ with images in what looked like metal hanging on the wall inside, but we could not get any closer, possibly because it was Sunday and the place was closed…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-57.jpg

As we then see the Railway Station….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-58.jpg

You have to use an underground passageway to get to it when you are on the other side of the road, while the way to go is clearly signposted!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-59.jpg

As is the Bus Station, which is actually on top of a large shopping complex….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-60.jpg

Through the tunnel and out the other side, then into the Station and the main area has this mural on the wall and the year of 1908 which was when the place was first built….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-61.jpg

While outside the number of lines and platforms covers a big area….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-62.jpg

As this little electric ‘shunter’ was bringing in another carriage to hook up onto those already at the platform.
The train alongside with the graffiti on, was shortly due to depart for Linz in Austria…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-63.jpg

Time to head back to ‘Flamenco Red’ and that campsite as we pass this church which was not set alone but fitted into the row of buildings with the spire behind….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S14-64.jpg

If this nice weather holds then we will see what happens tomorrow!...

XCovlov70

05-09-2016, 01:47 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

When we got up this morning and opened the blinds we were surprised to find this ‘Camper’ outside which must have arrived late last night!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-1.jpg

While the ‘Camper’ is over 40 Years Old it was originally a Mercedes Flat Bed Truck which then had a Caravan ‘fitted’ onto it and has been used as such ever since! .…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-2.jpg

Today is time to go and have a look at a ‘fairy tale’ style castle called Zámec Hluboká in the town of Hluboká nad Vltavou, but before we did that we went for a short cycle ride down to the river and the place where the Ferry went over the Vlatava River ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-3.jpg

The road was 1.2 Miles long (2Km) while 95% of it was downhill with sections that had a 20% Gradient on them as you got to the Ferry Point…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-4.jpg

The Ferry does not run until July & August, so we just admired the view which was very nice, before heading back to the campsite….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-6.jpg

After getting back to the campsite being ‘unfit’ in every sense of the word it took me a bit of time to recover from the ordeal of ‘hill climbing’ on me bike but after a successful recovery we set off to the small town and the Castle!….
The main road in the Town is a one way street with this Church at the beginning…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-9.jpg

As we then set off on the side road up to the Castle we see this ‘Water dispenser’ outside a restaurant or it might have been a ‘Wine dispenser’?...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-10.jpg

While over the entrance was this rather large Fish Head which looked like a Catfish….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-11.jpg

Moving up the quite steep roadway we could just make out what we thought was the wall of the Castle through the trees…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-12.jpg

As we then arrive at a Plan of the estate where you can stroll around the area for free....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-13.jpg

As we come into the Castle grounds we see this what turns out to be an exhibition hall/gallery in front with a pair of very large doors at the front….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-15.jpg

Between the exhibition hall/gallery and the Castle is a large conservatory with this brass animal by the entrance…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-16.jpg

While the inside of the conservatory looks like this….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-18.jpg

Then as we come and stand in front we get a good view of the Castle which first impression is that it has ‘jumped’ off a Walt Disney film set, but it did look impressive!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-19.jpg

So we then made an anticlockwise trip around the outside of the Castle with the following results….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-24.jpg

Then in what looked like the ‘Rear Garden’ was this small plaque on the wall which seems to be of a Soldier saying ‘goodbye’ to his family as he sets off to go somewhere….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-25.jpg

Coming back around then to the front entrance and making our way inside we see. Notice the Stags Heads & Antlers on the walls which was strange to see them outside, while each one was from a different animal....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-26.jpg

The main tower…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-27.jpg

Side wall with more Stags Heads….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-28.jpg

Then looking higher in the entrance I spot the Boars Head, also on an outside wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-29.jpg

As this man works on restoring one of the inner doors….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-30.jpg

With another Boars Head on the opposite wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-31.jpg

More Stags Heads just inside the main entrance….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-32.jpg

With maybe the ‘Piece de resistance’ this Bison’s Head with the ‘pins’ in to keep the Pigeons from landing….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-33.jpg

While the entrance doors to the Castle were very big, the handles to open them were around 6ft off the ground and looked like this. The man’s face looks to be maybe Chinese while the bird has it’s beak in his left eye socket!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-35.jpg

What looked like a Door Knocker in the centre of the door was fixed and could not be used....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-36.jpg

Then out in the garden in front of the Castle were shrubs cut into shape and repeated around the edge of this part of the garden ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-38.jpg

Then making our way back out we see at the front is this Hotel which is on the estate….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-41.jpg

Then it was back down the hill and into the town making our way back to where we parked ‘Flamenco Red’ as we see this sculpture outside the Policie Station which when looked at seems to represent the Four Seasons, staring with Spring….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-42.jpg

While at various places around the town were these LARGE Eggs all painted differently….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-43.jpg

Then it was off to the Supermarket to restock and the Garage to refill before we headed back to the campsite, while a little later on we saw a rather nice Sunset as it went down behind the 4 large Water Coolers we can see over the hills…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-44.jpg

Lazy day planned on the campsite tomorrow with a couple of maintenance jobs on the ‘TinTent’ as we move again the day after….

XCovlov70

05-11-2016, 12:52 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Kostelec to Hluboké Mašůvky….

Back on the cross country roads this morning to our next stop for a couple of days as we pass this old camper that has been converted to a mobile fast food outlet!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-1.jpg

As we get to a main road and finally see some other traffic, as the ‘backroads’ have been very quiet!.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-2.jpg

Coming into the village of Dolni Bukovsko….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-3.jpg

Anyone want any ‘Firewood’ as we catch up to this tractor and trailer with it’s load of wood offcuts?.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-5.jpg

As we then come to the end of the first ‘cross country’ bit we turn left onto one of the main roads (Number E55) with a new road being built alongside thanks to EU funding and the electrified railway on the other side….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-6.jpg

As we then bear left off that main road we come to the outskirts of a town called Stitary with the Circus just outside of the town….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-7.jpg

While the Supermarket ‘Tesco’ and the town centre are up ahead, and the yellow colour of the Rape Seed still glows brightly even on a very overcast day!.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-11.jpg

The word ‘Flop’ which was a shop, was what we saw on the small sign sticking out from the wall just after the building with the all green front, on the left side of the next picture….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-12.jpg

Then back out in the countryside and having climbed a quite long road up a hill we see this very large ‘Watch Tower’ which must have a substantial view over the surrounding countryside....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-13.jpg

Next village with the ‘Speed Indicator’ telling us how slow we are going as the limit is 50Kmph….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-15.jpg

Passing the local Fuel Station just inside the town of Kunžak we see Diesel at 26.50Kc (£0.77p/Litre) Petrol at 28.50Kc (£0.84p/Litre) ....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-21.jpg

Bit more countryside and then into Dešov…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-25.jpg

Strange design on this house compared to all the others on the road in the village…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-30.jpg

As we run along another bit of road and come into….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-31.jpg

Then the campsite….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-34.jpg

This is outside at the back of the old Campsite Bar!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-35.jpg

Then just near the once used stables is this little wagon....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-36.jpg

With this small threshing machine on the opposite wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-37.jpg

After getting set up, we took a stroll into the village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-38.jpg

Spotting this novel way of drying out the Firemen’s Hose Pipes!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-39.jpg

While a bit further along is this nice little church….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-40.jpg

With the view inside through the glass door….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-41.jpg

The view across the church grounds and also part of the village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-42.jpg

Then on the way back to the campsite on the opposite side of the road we see these Potatoes growing nicely in the Front Garden….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S16-43.jpg

While next door there is a good mixture of different vegetables also in the Front Garden.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S15-44.jpg

Depending on the weather as it seems like the ‘Overhead Watering Can’ has been promised by the ‘Forecasters’ then if it doesn’t we will make a trip into the nearby town, if it does then I’m having a long lie in!!….

XCovlov70

05-13-2016, 11:27 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Hluboké Mašůvky to Plumlov….

As the rain persisted all day yesterday and all last night our hopes of a short trip to Znojmo sadly got dropped as pictures of the town seem quite interesting but not to get absolutely soaked while walking around, so now we are off on the next stage of the tour !….

Passing through the first village once again using the ‘Back Roads’ as even in wet weather they are a lot more interesting than the ‘AutoRoute’s’ we pass this house with more ‘Lightning Deflection’ aerials on the roof that we have seen in a long time! I wonder if that is synonymous with all this rain?
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-1.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-2.jpg

Solar Panels and Grape Vines next to each other, novel!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-3.jpg

Nice little church up on the hill….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-4.jpg

Next town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-6.jpg

Town centre which was quite busy for 08:30 on a Friday….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-7.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-8.jpg

And the next village which was quite close to the previous one as the rain continues to come down making good pictures rather difficult!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-11.jpg

As we get across the bridge we have to make a left turn onto another main road leading to the city of Brno. Making the turn was an experience as there were no traffic lights while determining who was going first etc was a bit of a challenge, especially with all the traffic going straight across our front in both directions!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-12.jpg

Then we are OK and on the main road leading into the city of Brno…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-13.jpg

While a few miles further on and we are entering the outskirts of Brno with the Trams now coming along the middle of the road and the vehicles on either side….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-15.jpg

I must admit that it could have been a lot more difficult making our way through this city with the feature of Active Lane Guidance that is part of the GPS system along with ‘Jane’ repeatedly telling me to ‘Keep Left’ or ‘Keep Right’! The commands were that frequent you almost felt like shouting back some rude remark, but ‘Jane’ was spot on with all the points ....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-16.jpg

I had to keep away from the right hand side of this bridge just in case the bikes scrapped the roof or got pushed down to join us!!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-17.jpg

Getting quite close to going around the centre of the city we get to see the St Peter & Paul Cathedral in Brno….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-18.jpg

While next up was a Goods Train going over the bridge we were about to pass under….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-19.jpg

As we managed to see the name SAKO as we passed the chimney a quick search on Google tells us that it is a Recycling & Energy production plant. Recycling what can be and the rest of the waste is used to create energy in an Incinerator. Behind the trees we did see compressed materials in bales ready to be recycled….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-20.jpg

As we then get to the outskirts of the city on the other side we pass lots of Tower Blocks of flats….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-21.jpg

Then we are back into the countryside and the smaller towns/villages…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-22.jpg

With some new houses under construction….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-25.jpg

International Ice Hockey Match today with the Czech Republic vs Kazakhstan so this householder is hanging out the flags and his support, while we got to see the match in the campsite later and the Czech Republic won the game…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-28.jpg

Next up was a Radio Transmitting Station, and we had never seen one like this before….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-30.jpg

Then the open road, while the Rape Seed had lost it’s wonderful brightness in this overcast day….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-31.jpg

It was also rather interesting to see that outside the villages/towns/cities the roads were in the majority in very good or excellent condition.
Inside the villages/towns/cities was a completely different story….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-34.jpg

A small Factory making Cheese which you could stop at and go in and buy some if you wanted ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-38.jpg

This next building reminded me of a block of Neapolitan Ice Cream with the three colours….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-39.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-41.jpg

As we then come into Plumlov….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-43.jpg

Making our way around to the campsite we pass Zámek Plumlov which looks exactly the same as when we saw it the first time which must be 6 or 7 years ago, and then we learn a little later that there is an ongoing row over the refurbishment costs, so nothing has happened .…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-44.jpg

The view to the right of Zámek Plumlov….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-45.jpg

The view to the left of Zámek Plumlov….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-46.jpg

The campsite Camping Zralok (GPS: 49.46050 N 17.01232 E)
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-47.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-48.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S17-49.jpg

Although it had stopped raining when we got here the weather forecast does not look good for the next few days, so we will have to see if we can get at least 1 or 2 days out into the surrounding area, fingers crossed!….

ssicarman

05-14-2016, 08:59 AM

More great pictures. Is what you are seeing in the fields actually Rapeseed or Canola? I don't think that we actually have Rapeseed here any more, just Canola.

XCovlov70

05-14-2016, 09:27 AM

More great pictures. Is what you are seeing in the fields actually Rapeseed or Canola? I don't think that we actually have Rapeseed here any more, just Canola.

Thanks,

Wasn't sure about the answer to your question so I asked Google who sent me to Wikipedia who replied as follows......

"Canola is a a low-acid cultivar of rapeseed. As a term "canola" may refer to both an edible oil (also known as canola oil) produced from the seed of any of several varieties of the Brassicaceae family of plants, and to those plants, namely a cultivar of Brassica napus L., Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera, syn. B. campestris L. or Brassica juncea. To be called canola, it must contain less than 2% erucic acid and less than 30 micromoles glucosinolates.[1]"

So I guess the 'products' are different as 'Canola' has been 'managed' to reduce certain 'items'!
Whether it is healthier in the long term for humans? It doesn't say!!! [nonono]

XCovlov70

05-14-2016, 12:45 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A day in Plumlov….

As the weather looked like it was going to be good and not rain, we set off for a walk around the town after breakfast which meant going up the road we came in on and see these figures opposite the house that looked after them….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-1.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-3.jpg

Getting to the top of the road we noticed a lot of cars parked in front of the Castle and so went to see why and if the Castle was open, which surprise, surprise it was!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-4.jpg

The man behind the ticket counter explained that they were having a Fairy Story time for the children which included a tour of the rooms in the Castle that could be seen, so we ‘signed up’ and got two tickets, then made our way into the inside grounds….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-5.jpg

Time to join the group and we all head off down the stairs into the basement ,
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-6.jpg

The first Fairy Story took place, in a large room and was about naughty people who when they met the Devil were taken away….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-7.jpg

After that finished we made our way along the corridor and saw a few in their rooms before we went up the stairs….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-9.jpg

While just before we went upstairs we all saw the White Witch who was a good Witch….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-10.jpg

Then it was up the main staircase…. http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-11.jpg

As we passed pictures of some of the former inhabitants of the Castle who came from Lichtenstein….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-12.jpg

With their hunting ‘trophies’ hanging on the walls…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-13.jpg

Around the corner and up the next flight of stairs….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-14.jpg

Then turn right and into the corridor on the first floor for the room and the next Fairy Story….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-15.jpg

This one was about the Chef who it seems cannot get the breakfast quite right for his Lord & Master of the house....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-16.jpg

The Lord and Master of the house accuses him of ‘sampling’ the food off the tray, which he did as we all saw him do it, and also tasting the red wine....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-17.jpg

As everyone moved out after that short Fairy Tale we managed to get a couple of pictures of the rooms….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-20.jpg

The next scene in another room started with all these Ladies covered up!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-21.jpg

Except one was a real person and the Chef had to guess which one, but a little voice in the background gave him a few ‘clues’!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-22.jpg

He finds her, and it is the Daughter of the Lord & Master of the House who he brings back to life with the Antidote of a Sleeping Potion that her Father had used on her! …..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-23.jpg

As the Lord & Master finds the cover laying on the floor and his Daughter awake….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-24.jpg

He then turns and sees the Chef kneeling in front of the Daughter to ask her to marry him! The Lord & Master is horrified, as he holds the Sleeping Potion & Antidote in each hand!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-25.jpg

He puts some Sleeping Potion on the Chef who collapses. The Daughter is initially stricken with grief, but she then spots the Antidote on a table nearby and puts some on the Chef who recovers.
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-26.jpg

They then run off and the Lord & Master returns, sees they have escaped and picks up the two bottles of Sleeping Potion and Antidote, but he cannot remember which is which!
Sadly he uses the Sleeping Potion and the rest as they say is history!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-27.jpg

As the audience move on to the next Fairy Tale and another room we get another picture…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-28.jpg

And a view out into the Castle Courtyard….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-29.jpg

Then move along the corridor to another set of stairs….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-30.jpg

Passing a few more former occupants from Lichtenstein and their ‘trophies’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-31.jpg

The ceiling in the first room for the next Fairy Tale was decorated by a mural which was still in good condition….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-32.jpg

Then the Fairy Tale began. I will leave what is was till the end, but a clue is that in this version there was only 1 Ugly Sister (She is the one in the yellow dress, the person with her is her Mother)!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-33.jpg

King and Queen arrive and make the announcement of a Royal Ball where it is hoped that the Prince will chose his bride and wife to be!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-34.jpg

The Royal Ball commences as each pair of ladies present themselves to the King, Queen & Prince….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-37.jpg

Then the dancing starts with a little pushing and shoving as all the ladies want to dance with the Prince….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-38.jpg

But then, this strange person appears, who can it be?….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-39.jpg

The blue coat is removed but her face is covered in a veil…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-40.jpg

While the King & Queen are having a good old ‘chinwag’ trying to recognise the pretty lady….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-41.jpg

The dancing recommences, then the clock strikes Midnight and the pretty lady disappears!.....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-42.jpg

As the audience then move into another room we look up and sadly the mural on the ceiling has also disappeared in this room….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-43.jpg

While in the next room this one has survived.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-44.jpg

With a rather large Camine in the corner, used for heating the room in previous times….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-45.jpg

As we then all gather for the final part where the Prince explains that he needs to find the foot that will fit the shoe that was left at the Royal Ball….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-46.jpg

He tries some of the children with no luck….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-47.jpg

Then the Ugly Sister and her Mother come in but the Prince sees through her disguise and dismisses her!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-48.jpg

Then Cinderella arrives, the shoe fits and they all live happily ever after!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-49.jpg

Sadly this other mural in the ceiling did not fare so well and cannot be restored as no one knows what the original looked like….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-50.jpg

As we then pass some more of the former occupants….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-51.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-52.jpg

We see some more of what the furniture might have looked like in the corridor….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-53.jpg

While some of the floors have been replaced as damage occurred in a storm that happened a few years ago….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-54.jpg

Outside in one of the other buildings we see this old Butter Churn used for making butter from milk….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-55.jpg

A couple of close up pictures of the top of the columns and along the top of the wall under the roof show some really good detail which has weathered the years fairly well….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-56.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S18-57.jpg

A really interesting morning which was good fun to see…

Hope we get some decent weather again tomorrow!

XCovlov70

05-15-2016, 10:46 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A day in Olomouc….

Taking a chance as the forecast was anything but good, we set off to have an ‘Explore’ around the city of Olomouc.

After a short trip to get there, we found a place near the Tram Sheds in the centre to park up….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-1.jpg

The using the ‘Green Cross Code’ we looked both ways to make sure no Trams were coming and off we went on foot for a walk around!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-2.jpg

As we made our way to the Main Square in the city which is called ‘Horni náměsti’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-5.jpg

This ‘little guy’ who was also visiting from the Galapagos Islands, was already there!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-6.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-7.jpg

Off in one corner was this Baroque sculpture called ‘The Holy Trinity Column… ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-9.jpg

Then a bit further around was Hercules Fountain….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-11.jpg

While in the centre is the Town Hall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-13.jpg

With its Astronomical Clock, which only chimes at 12:00 and we missed it!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-15.jpg

So we then went over to another open area that is called ‘Dolni náměsti’....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-18.jpg

While down one of the side streets is this business which helps ‘Tipsy Soldiers’ sleep it off! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-20.jpg

Off down another road and we come to….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-21.jpg

This was the Chapel but it was closed….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-22.jpg

Nice bit of graffiti on the wall!…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-23.jpg

As we turn around and see the view towards one of the Cathedrals in the City….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-24.jpg

Interesting doorway associated with events in 1942....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-25.jpg

From that building 12 Jewish people were deported in 1942 to Jewish Ghettos or Concentration Camps, namely Terezin in the Czech Republic, Oswiecim (Auschwitz) in Poland & Baranoviči in Belarus, while their names, DOB and brief history are recorded on these small brass plaques set into the sidewalk….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-26.jpg

Then a bit further down the road we see this Café, while I hope we never forget those atrocities.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-27.jpg

Strange tower on this building roof, looks a bit like the mask of Darth Vader out of Star Wars with the shape!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-28.jpg

As we then pass over the river….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-30.jpg

We see what looks like a Russian Orthodox Church….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-31.jpg

With this description as we get to the front door....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-32.jpg

While inside as we are asked to come inside by a lady who is there and is sorting out the floral displays this is what we see....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-33.jpg

On the opposite side of the road is this large building with a large number of small towers….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-34.jpg

As we then make our way back to St Wenceslas’ Cathedral….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-36.jpg

Which was interesting as visitors were going in and out while the service was ongoing!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-37.jpg

Coming out and back into the city centre we then see this large model of the city….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-38.jpg

As we then see another 5 brass plaques of people that from the names looks like a family, who were deported and never returned to Olomouc….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-39.jpg

I then see this rather nice verse about a Polar Bear on the wall…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-40.jpg

As we then make our way back to where we are parked we see all these ‘sparkly’ bits near the Tram Lines, and it is very small pieces of metal that come off the Tram Wheels as it goes around the corners in the tracks. ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S19-41.jpg

That was our day out in Olomouc, time to head back to Plumlov.....

19:30 this evening and there is a knock on the door of the ‘TinTent’ as the Campsite Manager tells us that the mains water supply has just failed in Plumlov so they have no water, and it is unlikely to be repaired until tomorrow so as we have very little the campsite have given us a refund for one night and we leave in the morning!....

ssicarman

05-15-2016, 03:38 PM

Another batch of good pictures. I especially like the shot down the street after the one you labeled heading to the Main Square.

XCovlov70

05-16-2016, 07:46 AM

Another batch of good pictures. I especially like the shot down the street after the one you labeled heading to the Main Square.

The shape of that street was not an optical illusion, it actually got narrower for a bit!

XCovlov70

05-16-2016, 07:50 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Plumlov to Hranice and then into the town for a walk around….

As the water being supplied in a couple of places on the campsite was a pink/brown colour we skipped having a shower this morning before we left Plumlov and so hit the road to Hranice at about 07:45!...

Passing this church the angle made it look like a cardboard cut out stood at the roadside, but it was the proper thing as we went past!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-1.jpg

We come into the second village on this quite short trip....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-3.jpg

As we pass a colourful kindergarden….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-6.jpg

We reach the outskirts of….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-7.jpg

Then taking the outer road and not going through the Centrum we pass this large block of flats that someone has tried to brighten up with a bit of advertising on the end wall!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-8.jpg

Get back out into the countryside and we see the Hop fields alongside the road…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-9.jpg

With a Stork that looked like it was feeding a youngster in the nest on top of the chimney….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-10.jpg

Another Hop field a bit further along with the people checking that all is going OK with the Hops…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-11.jpg

Then we see the outline of this very large Castle on top of the hill on our right hand side which we learn is called Helfstyn Castle which hopefully we will go back to tomorrow to have a look at….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-12.jpg

While a bit further along is this very long viaduct which was one of Emperor Ferdinand’s Norther Railway Viaducts, which was used to settle the difference in elevation between the divide of the rivers Odra and Bečva and the valleys of Jezernice & Hranice….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-13.jpg

As we then enter the historical area of Hranice….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-14.jpg

The Gun gave this place away as it is in front of the Artillery Academy in Hranice which now only houses the 7th mechanized brigade and the 71st mechanised division of the Czech Army….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-15.jpg

Last part of the main road through Hranice before we turn left....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-16.jpg

Turning left and then after a few yards right, we come to a rather narrow road but with a mirror strategically placed so you can see around the corner, as this was the final road to the campsite!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-17.jpg

Next we had to pass under the bridge over which is an electrified railway with 4 tracks on it….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-18.jpg

As we got through and out the other side we see the campsite “Auto Kamp Hranice (GPS: 49.5417 N 17.7421 E) and it looks a nice place, while the railway carries traffic 24/7!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-20.jpg

As I turn around I see this ‘Maintenance Train’ moving slowly along the track….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-21.jpg

Moving to the top of the campsite I can just make out the town of Hranice which is under a mile away….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-22.jpg

Top down view over the campsite…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-23.jpg

Set off for a walk into the town and we pass this house that is completely covered on all its walls by the vine growing in one corner at the front!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-24.jpg

As we continue along the road, the town then comes into view....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-25.jpg

Continuing along the one way road….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-26.jpg

We come into the main square, with a large church in the centre surrounded by all these shops, restaurants and a couple of banks.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-30.jpg

While the external archways lead to other archways inside we see a little lone figure sat outside one of the shops….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-31.jpg

Walking down to take a look we see this little fella outside as the shop owner tells us that ‘Happy Toes’ was too hot inside the shop so as it is nice and cold outside he came out to cool down and now he is happy as his Toes are nice and cold!
Well have you ever seen a Penguin wearing socks and shoes?....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-32.jpg

While after a HOT Mexican meal, you can always come out and have a COLD Dessert in the form of an Ice Cream! ....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-33.jpg

This is Hranice Castle which is now the local council offices that have been completely refurbished and are very nice both outside & in….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-34.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-36.jpg

Off down to the Supermarket to get a few required items….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-37.jpg

As we then come back we see the perfect place for a Satellite Dish!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-38.jpg

Finally we see this nice and colourful display of Pansies….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S20-39.jpg

Time to head back to the campsite and lunch before the rain starts up again as the sky gets very overcast!…..

XCovlov70

05-17-2016, 09:05 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A trip to Hrad Helfstýn ….

After a short trip back along the road we came through on and then up a steep hill we arrived in the carpark and as we then made our way up to the Castle we saw this ariel picture of the place and it is HUGE! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-1.jpg

The ‘Entrance’ is towards the left corner in the previous picture and would have been over a Drawbridge in olden times, while the outer wall in the next picture is around 9 Meters thick (27 Feet!) in some places along its length!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-2.jpg

Passing through the outer gate, you then make your way to the second gate which was also protected by a Drawbridge in days past….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-3.jpg

While looking to the right as you walk between the Outer Wall and the Inner Wall you see some of the area between….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-4.jpg

Having purchased our tickets, and Yes they do have Senior Citizen prices! We move into the inner area and see the Restaurant on our right, which was formerly the Horse Stables….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-5.jpg

And very nice it is too inside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-6.jpg

While at the side is this rather strange metal sculpture….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-7.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-8.jpg

As we then step back and see the Tower over the Ticket Office and Inner Entrance Gate…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-9.jpg

As we move up the inside of this area we see a Metal ‘See – Saw’ that was made here as there is a Blacksmithing area further inside the castle grounds….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-10.jpg

So off we then go further into the castle grounds.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-11.jpg

Across what would have been a third Drawbridge and through the Gate then turn left….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-12.jpg

After taking a quick look through the Archers ‘slit’ in the wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-13.jpg

As we come to another gateway, but no Drawbridge this time….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-14.jpg

Passing through that gateway you cannot help but notice this Tower which is the ‘Hussite Tower’ and served as a lookout tower while there are 77 steps to get to the top….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-15.jpg

And we went up it!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-16.jpg

Look out windows part way up!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-17.jpg

Then we get to see the view from the top!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-22.jpg

Looking down into this courtyard we see ‘The Studio’ on the left where iron work items are for sale and on show…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-23.jpg

While on the right are some of the outdoor ‘Anvils’ that are used when the castle has events taking place….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-24.jpg

OK, time to climb back down again!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-26.jpg

As we then head over to the Inner Courtyard, which is where the living area was for some of the various owners of the castle.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-27.jpg

As we get inside and look at the walls, we can see where various windows have been ‘modified’ as a number have been made smaller than they were….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-29.jpg

Then the Castle ‘Guide’ catches up with us and the tour starts which while in Czech we have a leaflet in English which gives us a good indication of the commentary from the Guide as we then see a picture of the archaeological workings that have taken place here….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-30.jpg

With some of the results of the ‘finds’in these glass cases….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-32.jpg

While in the next room was this example of old style preparing to be repel the invaders!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-33.jpg

In the next picture is how the Castle was ‘developed & enlarged’ while the owners who did it are listed down the right hand side. I hope you can also see the lines connecting which family did what to increase the size of the Castle!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-34.jpg

Then we went into a room where there was old currency on display and each Family had its own coins….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-38.jpg

This was the ‘Strong Box’ but we are not sure which family it belonged to as the dates make it a bit early for this sort of item to have been produced!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-39.jpg

While this lucky chap gets to ‘Guard’ it all….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-40.jpg

As we move through the ‘Basements’ we see different ironwork items that have been made by the Blacksmiths who now come to the Castle during events now staged here. The statue in the middle of the next picture took 7 days to make….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-41.jpg

More examples of the Blacksmiths creativity….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-42.jpg

As this one took everyone’s attention….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-43.jpg

Tour over we then went to the Restaurant for a hopefully warming cup of coffee, but ‘When we got there, the (coffee) cupboard was bare’ so we decided to head off into the nearest town instead, and just admired this collection of antiques instead….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-44.jpg

Heading back to the car park we then got to see a section of the wall that was 9 Meters thick….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-45.jpg

So then it was back to the carpark, by which time the ‘Attendant’ had woken up so we had no option but to pay the parking fee, then roll down the hill and into the village Lipnik nad Bečvou!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-47.jpg

Where we found a very nice little Café which provided tasty and filling open sandwiches along with excellent coffee, all for less than £5 ($7) for both of us, and they also offered FREE Wi-Fi!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S21-48.jpg

No idea so far as to what we are doing tomorrow so it’s going to be a case of watch this space!…..

XCovlov70

05-19-2016, 10:46 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Next part: Hranice – Frenstat pod Radhoštěm….

Although it was relatively ‘peaceful’ at Autokemp Hranice with the railway at the bottom of the campsite we still managed to be on the road for just after 08:00 this morning, initially heading for a campsite called ‘kemp Beskydyn’ but more of that a bit later!.....

Back on the main road this time and into the first village called ‘Belotin’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-1.jpg

Straight on at the next crossroads....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-2.jpg

See quite a few of these places and they are a bit like the ‘Old’ Transport Cafes in the UK (BIG Mug of Tea or Coffee and a LARGE Greasy Bacon Sandwich as a snack!)….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-3.jpg

Another Castle on the hill while the houses take on a ‘Tyrolean’ style as we are entering winter ski areas….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-4.jpg

Now getting near to what was to be our next campsite not far from this village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-6.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-7.jpg

Passing the Fire Station….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-9.jpg

We turn right into this single track lane for just on 1 mile with NO passing places and when we get to the entrance to ‘Kemp Beskedy’ we find it is for some reason closed! (Listed as being open from 1st May)….

So after unhitching the ‘TinTent’ and hand-balling it through 180 degrees by the entrance gate, then pulling past in ‘Flamenco Red’ and re-connecting we are back on the road to our alternative choice for ‘Frenstat pod Radhoštěm (GPS 49.551760 N 18.204634 E)
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-10.jpg

As we pass this rather inquisitive group of Wooden Cow Head carvings out of a single tree trunk!.…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-11.jpg

Passing more guest houses with a Tyrolean style roof….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-18.jpg

The mountains that you can see are called the Beskydn Range....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-21.jpg

It wasn’t very long before we came to the entrance to Frenstat pod Radhoštěm Autocamp, which having been here before and thought it was very nice we knew we would have no problems, and it still is very nice, but it is well maintained by the Town Council.
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S22-26.jpg

After getting the Wi-Fi back which was ‘Not available’ when we checked in, we have been able to check on the weather and so make plans to head off into the Mountains to get to a very special and very old wooden church…..

More hopefully tomorrow!...

XCovlov70

05-20-2016, 11:05 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A trip to the Beskydy Mountain Range and a Special Chapel on top!….

Yesterday evening having seen a picture on a noticeboard in the campsite the lady on reception told us that the scenery to get to this place was very nice, so we decided to give it a go! .....

We set off this morning for the very short trip in ‘Flamenco Red’ with the bikes loaded on top to a Ski Chair Lift at Ráztoka that is just South of a town called Trojanovice….

Having then bought our ‘Pensioner’ tickets and also the ‘Transport’ tickets for the bikes, we watched as they were loaded up, hoping that the nuts were tight enough on the front wheels for the trip up the mountain!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-1.jpg

Sitting in the next ‘Lift Chair’ having bought ‘One Way Tickets’ we got to see some what we incorrectly thought was part of the cycle route back down….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-2.jpg

While keeping an eye on the bikes as we moved on up….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-3.jpg

Looking back it was a bit misty across the landscape….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-4.jpg

Then it was down into a dip before you start going up the other side while the lift occasionally went slowly and then speeded up again….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-5.jpg

As we then got over the rise we could just make out the top station, where the lift was slowed right down so the attendant could lift both bikes off the hooks as the chairs went around…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-6.jpg

After then putting some bits back together and getting sorted out we set off for a look around at the top, while the first thing we spot are these carvings….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-7.jpg

Then we see this picture of a rather impressive building….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-8.jpg

Sadly it caught fire around 2 years ago due to an electrical fault when some wiring was replaced. Being made completely of wood, on top of the mountain and miles away from the Fire Brigade the fire was burning fiercely when they arrived and not a lot could be done, however as the building was unique and full of history the local people have started a restoration fund while also having the metal cover made to try and protect what is left so that it can be rebuilt….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-11.jpg

While next door is an equally impressive all wood building….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-12.jpg

As we then move down the road, across the mountain range we see the Pilgrimage Chapel of Saints Cyril & Methodius at a height of 1129 meters above sea level, which we are going to cycle over to along the Mountain Ridge!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-13.jpg

When I zoom out the lens of the camera it looks a long way off and a small ‘lump’ in the middle of the picture….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-14.jpg

This is the Ridge Track we are going over….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-15.jpg

As we then set off we pass this other little chapel by the Ski Lift….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-16.jpg

Off we go and the first section is a climb which leaves you short of breath even before you get to the top of this first bit!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-17.jpg

As we then come to this area which is at the side of the track with little piles of stones that have been mounted on top of each other….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-18.jpg

While the view at this point is rather nice…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-20.jpg

Along a flat section and then we start to go downhill and come to this statue which tells us we are still on the correct path!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-21.jpg

The track then goes down and then rises to this ‘T Bar’ Drag lift again with stone piles around the top of the lift….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-22.jpg

With this view down the ski run….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-23.jpg

Then after a couple more ‘up and down’ sections we arrive at the rear of the chapel….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-24.jpg

Which has had a number of the wooden tiles replaced with new ones….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-25.jpg

Moving around to the entrance at the front….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-26.jpg

While moving inside we see that the construction is brick with a facing while the chapel on the outside is covered in wood….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-30.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-32.jpg

Time to head off back….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-33.jpg

As I then spot through the trees the building that was badly burnt and just how big it was…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-34.jpg

We then after a few more ‘up and downs’ along the track get back to the chair lift….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-35.jpg

Then head off on the 6km road back to the bottom of the chair lift, only to find that it seems the road is closed as they are Tree Felling, but as there was no sound of any buzz saws and no one around we went under the plastic tape and continued!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S23-37.jpg

Finally we get back to ‘Flamenco Red’ struggle to load back up the bikes then head off back to the campsite for a very late lunch, and maybe a short energy replacing nap!

XCovlov70

05-21-2016, 12:20 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

48 Hours in Frenštát!….

A trip into the town for a look around, for which we went back again 48 hours later when we found out that there was a Festival on!....

The main square….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-1.jpg

With the Maypole and Town Hall which is undergoing a ‘clean up’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-2.jpg

One of the two old churches near the town square….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-3.jpg

The ‘Mini Library’ where you can borrow and place a book that you have read for someone else. Pity there were no English books as I had just finished the one I brought with me!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-4.jpg

One of the roads out of the town square….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-5.jpg

While this is one of the main roads out of the town…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-6.jpg

The town square from the other side….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-7.jpg

The connecting pedestrian passageway to the main road….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-8.jpg

With another church on another road out of town that will take you to the ski lift area….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-9.jpg

Then 24 hours later it was all change for the Festival….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-10.jpg

As we rolled up to listen to this very good Austrian style ‘Oompah’ band that certainly had the feet tapping away….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-11.jpg

After they had finished their time we had a look around at some of the stalls….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-13.jpg

Then we found this traditional pastry….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-14.jpg

That you can have in a variety of flavours, and looks like a Large Coiled Compressed Spring (It’s the only way to describe it Honest!)but made of a sweet puff pastry which is coated in either Cinnamon, Nutmeg or Brown Sugar, and is delicious for a sweet toothed person!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-15.jpg

Then directly opposite was the Chutney stall with a number of different varieties and flavours….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-16.jpg

Then the next band was nearly ready to perform....
I have to be honest and say that their first number was ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’ and sadly as a song it was ‘murdered’. It was played as if each note was the last one and really lacked any continuous flow of the music….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-17.jpg

So without more ado we headed back to the campsite via the pathway alongside the river, which was rather peaceful just listening to the water flowing over the rocks….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-18.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S24-19.jpg

Off for a visit into a town called Rožnoz pod Radhostěm tomorrow.…

XCovlov70

05-22-2016, 01:56 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A day trip over to have a look at Rožnov pod Radhoštěm and the Valašske Muzeum V Přirodě….

While the trip over was very short, the scenery going over was very nice, but more of that and a little story later….

Finding a parking place was fairly straightforward as we arrived early and it was Sunday which is free parking except in car parks that are owned by private attractions, so we parked on the road just a few feet away from this old church....

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-1.jpg

Then set off via this archway into the town centre….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-2.jpg

Passing large blocks of flats which have been brightened up since being built during the time when the Czech Republic was a communist country….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-3.jpg

As we turned a corner we see these little handmade figures under the tree….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-4.jpg

Then we come into the Town Square….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-5.jpg

As we walk over to the church at one corner of the square…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-6.jpg

This man is in his National Costume as a number of boys and girls are getting ready to take their first communion….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-7.jpg

After a cup of coffee we then head off passed this quite new natural stone house which looks totally different to what you get used to seeing here, to visit the Muzeum which is also called ‘Skansen’ by some people as it is somewhat like the one in Stockholm (Sweden)….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-8.jpg

As we get to the exit gate for one part we see this nicely carved tree trunk….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-9.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-10.jpg

With a short diversion to the river that passes through the town….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-11.jpg

We then spot the ‘Tourist Train’ but we are then quite close to the Muzeum Entrance….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-12.jpg

Getting inside after we get our tickets we move into the Muzeum and see this very good small model of that large building that was virtually destroyed in the fire on top of the mountain, and the model looked like it was a very ornate and nice building….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-13.jpg

As we get outside we see and hear these two ladies playing a musical instrument that is a long wooden pipe and the sound was rather nice….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-14.jpg

Then we move into the exhibits of the Muzeum which in this section it is called ‘The Wallachian Village’ and consists of farmsteads, shepherds’ cabins, cottages and a mill set in a landscape that is typical of the fotthills of the Beskydy Mountains, and thankfully nearly all of them had plaques in English giving out information about each of the buildings, while the first one is below!….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-15.jpg

Three large Water Wheels and the Water Tank on the top, that when you open the gate the water falls through and turns the wheel providing the power to the mill for various things….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-16.jpg

As we look and go inside through the main door....

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-17.jpg

The Blacksmith moves across to a large grinding wheel to sharpen an axe as the first water wheel turns the grindstone….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-18.jpg

The second water wheel would have turned this ‘cogged shaft’ which in turn….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-19.jpg

Would have lifted these 2 very large and extremely heavy ‘Hammers’ but sadly it is no longer in use….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-20.jpg

While the 3rd Water Wheel drives the shaft just in front of the ‘Hammers’ that pushes that long wooden pole which is leaning over that in turn operates a set of bellows to heat up the Blacksmiths fire, and he was just in the process of releasing the lever on the wall to start it up….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-21.jpg

After a couple of minutes the fire is very hot and the metal he is working is ready for working on the anvil….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-22.jpg

Next piece of interesting ‘machinery’ was this…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-23.jpg

The Oil Crusher building….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-24.jpg

The machinery which consisted of 2 very large square beams of wood pinned into a frame at the far end, while at the end with the ‘Wheel’ the beams were on screw threads that when you turned the Wheel it drew them together, so anything in between literally got crushed!

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-25.jpg

3 types of nuts/seeds that could be crushed to extract the oil from them….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-26.jpg

From left to right in the next picture, you have a Seed ‘Cake’ after being crushed, and the small metal container along with the end pieces that held the seeds in place to allow them to be crushed as the beams came together with wooden trays underneath to catch the oil….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-27.jpg

Next was the Flour Mill….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-29.jpg

The grinder into which the wheat was fed into the top from a hopper, which then passed between the mill stones coming out at the front and as the ground wheat was then vibrated across the sieve the flour fell through the mesh of the sieve while the chaff was vibrated into the bucket at the end….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-30.jpg

The large ‘Cog Wheel’ that was connected straight to the Water Wheel on the outside of the Flour Mill that drove the grinder to make the flour….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-32.jpg

Bread oven, finished flour storage and millers room…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-31.jpg

The water wheel outside the Mill….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-33.jpg

The water ways that provided the water to each of the buildings….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-34.jpg

We thought that this was just a lump of wood in a field, but it had a purpose as it was when you looked closer…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-35.jpg

An Ants Nest…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-36.jpg

Next building needs no explanation…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-37.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-38.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-39.jpg

While initially this row of short tree trunks was a bit of a mystery…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-40.jpg

Then as we looked inside the little doors and saw the small wooden frames, the penny dropped! Honey Beehives…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-41.jpg

Dwelling and farmhouse for 8 people……

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-42.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-43.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-44.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-45.jpg

As the logs that were used to build the walls of the houses, then any gaps between were filled with straw and moss, to make the building weather proof…

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-47.jpg

A child’s ‘Go Kart’ with a single wheel at the front and straight handlebar for steering. Use your feet for brakes or point it uphill till you manage to stop!!!...

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-48.jpg

The dried fruit store….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-50.jpg

The building…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-51.jpg

The stone cellar….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-52.jpg

The upstairs storage area….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-53.jpg

The old school….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-54.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-55.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-56.jpg

While the Teacher kindly let us include her in the picture of the classroom….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-57.jpg

Next was a very large dwelling house that because of the surroundings I could not get a picture of it, but there were plenty of rooms inside, and an interesting upstairs section!....

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-58.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-59.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-60.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-61.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-62.jpg

As we climbed the stairs to the upper floor it looked like the floor was tiled with small stone tiles, while what look like logs of wood are in fact wooden ‘storage vessels’….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-63.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-64.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-65.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-66.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-67.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-68.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-69.jpg

A very interesting time in all spent going around the Muzeum.

As we then headed back to the campsite we spot these 2 Pit Heads which it turns out were going to be a Coal Mine that was started in the communist era when a very rich source of coal was found underground, however due to the area becoming a ‘Protected Zone’ the coal mine was not allowed to proceed and so the Pit Heads have stayed unused and will remain so….

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-70.jpg

Not surprising when you look at the scenery around which is beautiful…..

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S25-71.jpg

XCovlov70

05-25-2016, 12:33 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Back on the road from Frenštát pod Radhoštěm to Vrbno….

Sorry folks! My laptop ‘died’ 3 days ago and after some time spent in a computer repair shop it is good for nothing but 'scrap' so I have been putting together a method whereby we can continue to get some decent pictures and update the blog as we go along!

Yesterday weather wise was absolutely abysmal with thunder, lightning and very heavy rain until late afternoon, while this morning as we set off to our next campsite which is also a change from the plans we laid it was a dismal, dreary and damp morning as you will see....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-1.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-5.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-6.jpg

We then spot this light pinkish/yellow building in the distance which looks very large….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-7.jpg

Then we get closer & can see that it is a rather grand chateaux but have no details….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-9.jpg

As we make a sharp left hand turn off the main road onto a narrower ‘cross country’ road this Fire Engine comes towards us with all the blue lights running but as the camera shutter went off it was in between the lights flashing!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-10.jpg

As we then went through the next village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-11.jpg

We went along a road and across the cross roads not realising that the road ahead was closed as a dam wall across a lake that had a road going across was being rebuilt and there was no way we could get through, so we had to turn around, then make a left turn at the end of the road we had just come down, then another left turn when we came to the next junction to get back to the road we should have come along if we had come across the dam road! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-13.jpg

Railway crossing on the way to Vítkov….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-16.jpg

New ‘Summer House’ under construction....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-17.jpg

Narrow cross country road….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-18.jpg

Then it was through the forest ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-21.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-22.jpg

As we then see the lake again where the dam is at the end we should have come over…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-23.jpg

Next village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-24.jpg

As the lake continues on our left hand side….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-25.jpg

As we the get to the next village….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-26.jpg

The road finally passes the end of the lake….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-27.jpg

Then a few hundred yards further along we pass all these little ‘Summer Houses’ in a large field that also looks like vegetables are being grown….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-29.jpg

As we missed the City Signpost for ‘Bruntal’ on the way into the place we got it on the way out! That’s why it has the red stripe going through it! BUT the next 4 pictures are from the town as we passed through....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-30.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-34.jpg

As we then came into…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-36.jpg

Back out in the countryside…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-37.jpg

But not for long!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-38.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-39.jpg

Must admit it felt longer driving between the villages than the impression given by the pictures…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-41.jpg

As we got through that village we came to some ‘Roadwork’ signs where for quite a distance after nothing was happening and then we started to see long rectangular sections of the road that were ‘missing’ as they had been dug up, and they were all over the road with no further warning, as 40 Tonne Trucks were coming towards you and also trying not to drop their wheels in the holes!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-42.jpg

This little place is a ’Pub’!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-43.jpg

Then we reach this large statue in wood at the entrance to the Hotel/Restaurant & Dolina Camping….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-44.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-45.jpg

As we then get set up after registering, then around 30 minutes later the little caravan pulls in with a family of 4 from Poland!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-47.jpg

Time to enjoy what could be the last of the Sunshine for the next 4 or 5 days as the forecast is looking very bleak….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-48.jpg

Even some of the small clouds passing cross the Sun looked interesting wth their different shapes…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S26-50.jpg

Let’s see what happens tomorrow!

XCovlov70

05-26-2016, 12:06 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A visit to Vrbno & Karlova Studánka….

The Weather Forecast for both the places ‘advised’ us that we were 100% in for Thunder & Lightning with Rain, while they got it wrong again as we had a completely dry day!

So we set off for a look around Vrbno which is not far from the campsite and didn’t take very long, however we did get to see a couple of things which were quite interesting ....

This is the center of the town with the man sat on top of the tall stand in the middle of the traffic island…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-1.jpg

While just across the road is this wooden carving of a man and his bicycle….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-2.jpg

Could not quite make out what all these concrete columns were for other than holding up a very large roof at some point in time, while the question was answered back at the campsite!

It used to be a very large wood processing factory, while around 20 years ago there were 5 others in the town, now there is only 1 making wooden pallets while the wood from the forest is transported 250Km by Truck and Train to other wood mills. That’s ‘progress’!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-3.jpg

As I turned around to get back to the man road I spotted this classic car which is called and ‘Aero’ not sure by whom it was made but when the engine started up it was a 2 Stroke which was possibly Trabbant?
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-4.jpg

On the road back towards the campsite we pass these blocks of flats….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-5.jpg

While a bit further up the road is this factory, but not sure what they produce here as the company make a lot more than just Motorcycles now….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-6.jpg

Then we pass this rather nice house in its own grounds, set back from the main road ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-7.jpg

Next stop was the Spa & Wellness Town of….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-8.jpg

So having parked up around 0.5miles out of town in the forest with a group of walkers, we headed back passing this little babbling brook and waterfall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-9.jpg

While at the top end of the town is this ‘Artificial Waterfall’ which I think they meant was ‘Man Made, but looked good!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-10.jpg

Old poster giving a ‘Bird’s Eye View’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-11.jpg

One of the many Hotel, Wellness Centres & Restaurants in the town! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-12.jpg

Not sure if this place ‘Sold’ the Mineral Water, but you could get it for free further down the road, but this place was closed so we didn’t find out!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-13.jpg

The main road up through the town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-14.jpg

The Statue was next to the building where you could go with your ‘container’ and fill up for free with the Mineral Water….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-16.jpg

Inside the building was an encased paper letting you know what minerals and elements the water contained from an analysis carried out!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-17.jpg

As I had a small bottle with some ‘normal’ tap water in I was going to drain that out and fill up with the mineral water BUT I decided to use the top off the bottle to take a sample and try it, and from a personal point of view I am very glad I did as while it tasted like carbonated water I did not like the strong tastes that were registering in the grey matter between my ears, which when I looked down into the bowl and saw the colours I could understand, so the cap went back on my bottle with the ‘normal’ water in! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-18.jpg

Having said all that, the colour of the statue outside the building when compared to the bowl in the dispensing room seemed to be very similar!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-19.jpg

Residential Wellness Centre….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-20.jpg

A statue of a Stag next to one of the small ponds, but not sure if it contained the mineral water….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-21.jpg

Another ‘artists’ painting of the town while that Residential Wellness Centre is in the middle of the picture and was clearly the biggest building in the town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-22.jpg

Some of the other buildings in the town….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-23.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-24.jpg

This one was the concert hall as we found out by looking through the windows!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-26.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-28.jpg

While this Wellness Centre was another Hotel & Restaurant….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-29.jpg

Then just to the left of that previous building is this Villa which looks like it could be rented by a quite rich family, as they spent time ‘taking the waters’….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-30.jpg

The front view of the Villa….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-31.jpg

The rear view of the Villa….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-33.jpg

Looking back up the main street from the bottom of the town, as we see the dark rain clouds gathering!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-34.jpg

As we then made our way back along part of the walkway alongside the river…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-35.jpg

Passing the statue of the Stag & the Mineral water outlet as another person had been in for a quick cupful….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-36.jpg

Getting back to ‘Flamenco Red’ we come out of the town…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S27-37.jpg

Heading back to the campsite we really expected to run into the rain, but having been ‘advised’ of a 100% probability it just didn’t happen!....

Now tomorrow is supposed to be worse, but I am not keeping my fingers crossed, I will check in with the campsite reception as the lady there got it right from the Czech Weather Service!

ssicarman

05-26-2016, 06:51 PM

Interesting area. Judging by the style of the roofs of the buildings they get a good bit of snow in the winter.

XCovlov70

05-27-2016, 08:29 AM

Interesting area. Judging by the style of the roofs of the buildings they get a good bit of snow in the winter.

Yes, exactly right as we have also seen quite a few 'Drag Lifts/T Bar Ski Lifts as we have traveled along the roads.

XCovlov70

05-27-2016, 08:45 AM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

A visit the city of Bruntál….

As the Weather Forecast for today was no better than yesterday we decided to take a chance and go back to Bruntál as it looked interesting as we passed through a couple of days ago and we were not to be disappointed!...

Setting of it wasn’t long before we came to those ‘roadworks’ where rectangular sections of the Tarmac had been removed, while now they had been replaced and rolled in, but with traffic cones that left getting along the road difficult, especially for the BIG Trucks that we saw!...
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-1.jpg

After parking up once again away from the centre off we went to have a look and it was not far again till we came into the centre with this church on the outer part….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-2.jpg

While just to the left of the church was this ‘hand monument’ but no description of why or what it represented….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-3.jpg

On the other side of the road was this small Brewery….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-4.jpg

Then we found the main square….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-5.jpg

With a couple of interesting water features!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-6.jpg

As this boy pushed the large stone ball to go one way around as it was sat on a cushion of water from the fountain….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-7.jpg

I wondered if it would go the other way around and there was only one way to find out, so I tried and it did and continued to do so for quite some time until the water pressure was reduced, then it reverted to going back in the opposite direction again!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-8.jpg

Then it was someone else’s turn….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-9.jpg

As we came away from the square we nearly missed this place which after we went inside we spent a great time in the company of a lady who spoke very good English and accompanied us around on a guided tour of this Museum, which was formerly the residence of the Teutonic Order and Habsberg Empire from 1625 to 1918!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-10.jpg

The model of the Chateau/Castle….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-11.jpg

While the roadway inside the entrance door to the courtyard is made up of wooden blocks!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-12.jpg

Then after walking on the wooden blocks you come into the courtyard with the Sun Dial up on the wall which was quite accurate but could not handle the 1 hour change for Summer Time!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-13.jpg

The rear entrance with the old hand pumped fire appliance in the corner….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-14.jpg

As we waited to be joined by our guide we see this wine barrel top that must have been around 6 feet (2 meters) in diameter on the wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-15.jpg

Then we are off up the main staircase with the crests of the former Habsburg residents on the wall….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-17.jpg

While just down below is this still roadworthy Piccolo car from 1905!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-18.jpg

Then we had to get kitted out with special ‘Overshoes’ to continue through the rooms which have very nice wooden floors as you will see later ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-19.jpg

This is a picture of one of the Habsburg in the robes of the Teutonic Order here….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-20.jpg

As we then start to move through all the rooms of which I think the guide told us there are 47 in total in the Chateau/Castle….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-21.jpg

The guide as we moved into the next room pointed out this cabinet in which there are no metal screws or nails. While it has been taken apart and put back together a few times it is held together by wooden pins…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-22.jpg

In nearly every room there was a writing desk of some sort, some with possible hidden draws/compartments in….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-23.jpg

One of the many bedrooms, while the room behind was a library, behind that was a full sized walk in bathroom that the last Habsburg had added along with a hot water system and electric lighting….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-24.jpg

A reading room, with books in several languages….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-25.jpg

The book on the table in the next picture is the oldest in the building and weighs 27Kgs (59Lbs) while another rather ornate writing desk sits in the alcove…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-26.jpg

Next door was the Astronomical room with books and instruments associated with astronomy….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-27.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-29.jpg

Then we got a better look at one of the parquet floors, which when you saw it you realised why you had the overshoes provided as you could literally ‘skate’ along on the polished floor….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-30.jpg

In the centre of the next picture is an altar that was the only item that survived one of the fires that happened in the building….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-31.jpg

If I remember correctly one of the requirements of the Teutonic Order was of celibacy so there are only single beds in the bedrooms….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-32.jpg

Next along was the gun room, with not surprisingly all sorts of alarms activated if you got too close!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-33.jpg

Then we came into a very large room which was used for entertaining….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-34.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-36.jpg

Then we came into one of the family rooms with Father on the left, Mother reflected in the mirror and a Nephew on the right…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-37.jpg

Going from there we find ourselves in the Far East Room with Chinese embossed wallpaper and black lacquer cabinets that contained some interesting items from other countries….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-38.jpg

Like this Indian Perpetual Calendar that ran from 1924 to 2013 that was a present to the Grand Master of the house and order….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-39.jpg

In the next room were paintings of all the Grand Masters and their Coats of Arms….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-41.jpg

While this painting was of the last Grand Master to live there….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-42.jpg

If you are looking for somewhere special to have your wedding ceremony then this next room is for hire, but not sure if you are issued with the ‘special footwear as you arrive!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-43.jpg

Then finally we move into the Chapel of St George, as the painting shows him killing the Dragon above the altar….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-44.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-45.jpg

With a final look at the courtyard Tower that had to be taken in 2 pictures as I could not get back far enough!
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S28-47.jpg

See what happens tomorrow!

P.s. That Aero Sports Car that we saw was made by Tatra Motors who still manufacture Trucks, but no longer made cars.

XCovlov70

05-29-2016, 12:24 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Yesterday saw a Thunder & Lightning storm roll through here with one almighty lighting ‘CRACK’ directly over the campsite as I was walking up to reception to pay for our stay late yesterday afternoon, after that the Thunder, Lightning and Rain continued for around 15 Hours continuously, which meant we did not get much sleep last night !

Now it’s time to move on and get back on the road to our next place which is a diversion from our planned route….

Next stop is to be Camping Baranova (GPS 50.524655 N 16.351786 E) which is just inside the Czech Border with Poland, but our route from here will mean we go into Poland and then out again back into the Czech Republic!....

Misty morning as we head off over the mountans….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-1.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-2.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-5.jpg

This stream yesterday was just a little trickle as we passed a man who was putting small fish in for later fishing as we went out quite early for some groceries….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-6.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-7.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-8.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-9.jpg

Small village Fire Station....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-10.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-11.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-13.jpg

Freedom Monument….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-14.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-15.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-16.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-17.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-18.jpg

As we were travelling along this road while having not seen any at all Poppies started to appear alongside the road, then we came to a couple of fields that had a large number growing giving the field a red glow!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-20.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-21.jpg

As we get close to the Czech – Polish Border…
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-22.jpg

The Poppies continued to line the roadside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-23.jpg

Then we came into ‘Bila Voda’ and somewhere between here and ….….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-24.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-26.jpg

Zloty Stok, we went over a totally unmarked Border Point!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-27.jpg

As we are now in Poland!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-28.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-30.jpg

While the next BIG town was Kłodsko….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-31.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-33.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-34.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-35.jpg

Followed by….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-37.jpg

Brick manufacturing plant with new bricks ‘drying out’ in the yard….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-38.jpg

As Poland was enjoying a 2 day Public Holiday of Thursday & Friday with Saturday & Sunday it might have been why there were ribbons on this large cross at the roadside….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-39.jpg

As we come into the next place in Poland….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-40.jpg

We see this place which is literally cutting down a mountain to make gravel….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-41.jpg

Then a few yards further on we are at this time the identified Border Crossing and back into the Czech Republic….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-42.jpg

Then it was down a few lanes....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-43.jpg

Over a narrow bridge….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-44.jpg

Down a leafy lane….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-45.jpg

Then we arrive at the campsite….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-46.jpg

Reception….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-47.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-48.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-50.jpg

The view from the rear of the campsite….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S29-51.jpg

Fingers crossed for a dry day tomorrow!

XCovlov70

05-30-2016, 10:35 PM

Overland to visit Stalag Luft III.

Having read the information booklet that we were given on the campsite yesterday we decided to go back into Kłodsko today and visit the Bastion or TWIERDZA as it is known in Polish.

It is one very large fortification that took around 200 Years to build!!!!....

The ‘white section’ by the name Twierdza Kłodsko in the next picture is the Bastion which is occupies nearly as much land as the town! ….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-1.jpg

The ‘Visitor’ entrance….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-2.jpg

The Claustrophobia ‘Warning’ for people about going into the Underground Tunnels in the Bastion!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-3.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-4.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-5.jpg

The water well that we saw as we made our way for the Underground Tour along with a group of Polish Schoolchildren….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-6.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-7.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-8.jpg

Some history presented by the Guide of the Schoolchildren in Polish….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-9.jpg

With a small picture of the type of layout of the tunnels inside....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-10.jpg

Then the door is opened, the lights turned on and off we go, mind your head in some parts please!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-11.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-12.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-13.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-14.jpg

A ‘window’ for the use of a soldier and rifle as some parts were just inside the walls and not below ground level….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-15.jpg

The Guide then set off a number of ‘shots’ as though a rifle was being used, hence the smoke which were very loud and realistic, while initial reaction by a number of the girls were screams, followed quickly by pictures of themselves in their state of ‘shock’!....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-16.jpg

As we then saw the barrel of ‘Gunpowder’ used for the rifles….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-17.jpg

Considering that the tunnels are all brick construction they are in good condition in the majority of areas….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-18.jpg

We then came out of the Tunnel Tour and set off on a Self Tour to look around the rest of the Bastion that started off with….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-19.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-20.jpg

Then in this Alarm Bastion we read this plaque which I hope you can also read….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-21.jpg

The dark section in the next picture was one of the many places where the prisoners were chained to the walls inside this place….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-22.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-23.jpg

This is about another person who was a Priest, and whose picture is beow what happened to him....
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-25.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-24.jpg

As we make our way between the next two sections we climb a set of steps in the wall on the left hand side…. http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-26.jpg

This lets us see the very top section of the Bastion called….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-27.jpg

Which is the Round Tower in the next picture.

As Mobile Telephony had not been invented at the time there were no antennas attached to the building….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-28.jpg

While the view over the town is quite spectacular….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-29.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-30.jpg

Looking at one of the viewing holes, the wall looks like it is around 3mtrs (9feet) thick….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-31.jpg

While getting to the upper section of the Bastion we find….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-32.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-33.jpg

Next stop was….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-34.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-35.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-36.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-37.jpg

Moving along we then come to…..
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-38.jpg

As we enter the Tennaille we spot this Green Door with a Blue ‘Arrow’ on and decide to open it and see what is on the other side as it was unlocked!….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-39.jpg

As we then find ourselves in the area where the 75 Musketeers would be based, which has been set up as a display area….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-40.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-41.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-42.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-43.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-44.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-45.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-46.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-47.jpg

The Military Hospital….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-48.jpg

Which consisted of these two rooms….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-49.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-50.jpg

While next door was the later installed fire fighting equipment….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-51.jpg

http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-52.jpg

As we then made our way back down and out of the Bastion to have a look at the Old Town below the Bastion….
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad307/Traveller11/The%20Great%20Escape%20Tour%202016/S30-53.jpg

That's next up after I have sorted out the pictures!