We are on the move again

[Bill & Charlie Burns]

Hi All,

Charlie are off on our travels to BG again, does anyone want to hear about it or is it too boring now.

[Paul and Irene]

Yes lets hear it, will take our minds off all the doom and gloom over hear. Take care ,hopefully see you both shortly.

[liath]

Hi Bill and Charlie,
We would love to hear about your travels. Have a safe journey.We arrive at the Grand Resort in June ,cant wait.
Hope to meet you at Packos for a pint.
Liath

[Bill & Charlie Burns]

Morning All,
Well alot has gone on since the last trip a year ago, some for the better and some for the worst, which I would think 99% of us are all saying the same, so its now 2012 so lets all look forward to some sun and fun.
After loads of shall we,shant we,do we dont we, we ended up making the move last week and say to hell with it lets get up and go, the only trouble was as we have just moved home all our BG gear was in a rented garage some 50 miles away, so off we trott and once again car is loaded to the hilt, mainly this time with the crapp we cannot use at our new place so take to BG and throw it, we would have been better going to the tip but thought you know what that might come in handy over there.
So we are loaded and ready for the off on Monday morning, until Saturday all was sorted then we have a family get together and we are both that rough on Sunday we move it all to last Tuesday 15th, so change all bookings, and a day in bed ready for the off .
Get to Euro tunnel at 05.30 and get booked on the 06.19, sadly as we fluffed about we pay full price for trip but no way could we have done monday, uneventful trip across, we left in brillant sunshine and land with it p-----g down, normal for France, off we head into Belguim and the world and all open up, with all elements thrown at us, Rain, Sleet and Snow it was horrendace, at one stage you could not see further than 10 mtrs infront, with the road completly covered in snow and ice so bad so that a car had aqua plained into the woodland onto its roof, that slowed them down for about 5 mins then they all go crazy again.
We follow this weather right into the heart of Germany, and would think it added a good 2hrs on the journey, what with roadworks etc; we arrive at a first hotel in Regansburg right down in Munich area, about 17.30 so been up since 04.00 and feeling pretty cream crackered but have 900+ kms under our belt, get into hotel room all looks good so dump suitcase and head out for a stroll to loosen up and a few beers and food then to head back for a early night, went into an italian Rest; was ok but have had better but was really too tired to enjoy.
The highlight of the day was in Regansburg there are and must be some really sick and weired people, Why well in a mater of 200 mtr there were 6 chemist, 3 places for injury fittings and the first person we see is a old guy around 70 walking down the street in a floral dress and jesus sandles, wish I had taken one of Charlies old frocks with me now !!! got back to room and fell asleep at 20.00 until 06.00 so peolple who know me know I do not sleep, jesus I was tired.
Well woke in morning and start looking round the room got a picture on the wall of a naked women, whats wrong with that you ask, the toilet door is see through glass and at breakfast its full of young single ladies, now those of you who remember Benny Hill would always think how come that happens to him and never me. Lets stay another night Charlie as it would seem that we are rude and should do some sightseeing, a few words were said one ending in off so I load the car for the next part of the journey, destination Croatia some 800 Kms away, lets hope weather is abit better, one thing we did both like was the price of diesel at £1.10 approx a litre and as I put in 100ltrs a good savings had.
Day 2 too follow

[Bill & Charlie Burns]

day 2

We left the hotel at around 08-30, still wanting to stay and Charlie wanting to go we leave with the silent treatment, would you like a drink dear, UGH!! is the reply so the first 100km is peacefull and then it starts to rain again, plenty of roadworks and single lanes on M/Way but no real delay, we reach Austria pay the road taxes and tolls and start our journey through, its raining its sleeting but all clear apart from the road works, surley they should pay us to drive on these roads, nothing much to report going through here, only that fuel is dearer here than UK so if your going to drive fill up in germany, ( now I go off the track abit, some of us out there do not like the germans, sad but true, is it the war, because the guy in charge was Austrian and we all love the place, just a thought, me Im happy with them all )
Once out of Austria we hit Slovakia or is it Slovenia ( I never Know but it begins with S and cost 6 euros to drive through it, mind you seems a nice place) get out the other side and we are in Croatia,
Still raining but sleat and snow gone thank god, M/Ways pretty good but still a few of them poxy roadworks, but hey me and her are now talking and are looking forward to the next overnight stop, we arrive in a place called Brodski Stupnik about 10km off of M/Way and its a wine area and about 40 km from Serbian border, better still the hotel also has its own vineyards and makes it here also, we get to the hotel it is huge, ground floor is where they make it, 1st floor is where they drink it and the 2 nd floor is where you recover from it the bedrooms, and if you could hear the noise coming from Charlie you would know she is still recovering, we got in the resturant around 18.30, had a few beers and then ordered our food and some wine of course, well the food was out of this world and I would say as good and if not better than some of the top restarunts we have had the pleasure of eating in over the years, the wine was devine and this was washed down by there own made port, was great shame charlie did not like it, it meant I had to drink it , well would have been rude to leave it.
Will Re-vist for sure.
Got into bed I think at around 21.30 and woke at four, now going to get shower load car have breakfast then ready for the off, we are heading for Sofia next, but must first conquor Serbia so will do update then if wi-fi about. By the way fuel even cheaper here. Cheers

[Bill & Charlie Burns]

Day 3,

Well after a good old farmers breakfast of home killed meats, cheese, fresh eggs and homemade jam we hit the road ready for the next phase, we are about 75kms from the border into Serbia, where if anything happens Serbia is the place for it, after a final fill up of fuel we enter in Serbia around 11.00, about 10min wait and we are through, only problem could not find place to buy green card and once we knew where it was it was too late to turn round as we were through toll gate, ---t no we have the worry of getting stopped and fined, if all goes well we can buy at other end and will be ok, so we make sur we keep to speed limit to avoid being stopped, road pretty good although to come across another accident on other side, a large artic which is total right off, now way did they walk away from this one.
Last time we came into Serbia we had a slight problem with someone trying to stop us just outside Beograd, so this year I bought a friend along to help, a 1 mtr adjustable wheel brace for comfort, got in and almost out without stopping, but just as we were leaving the centre there is an almighty bang and the car rocks from side to side, jesus they dont want to stop us now they want to blow us up!!!!! on checking round we notice the lorry on oppisite side had a blow out while passing us and the blast bounced off us, but we are ok, Charlie wants the toilet all of a sudden but we are ok.
Rest of journey was pretty good and rain held off, now all we have is the border to worry about, we arrive at border around 14.00,pull up and notice the office for green card is closed, ---t now we will get knicked and we have heard they like charging what they like so its 130 euro for card plus a fine so we reakon around 250 euro,of i trott to the first booth and see a guy there thinking i will deal with it out of the car without being asked for it, this guy sends us back to the office , still closed i return to the booth and get directed to the next booth and the police man with the gold on jacket, ---k now i will pay he is the boss.
Excact conversation ( Me, sorry sir i have a big problem, him what big problem, me the office is closed and i have no green card, him no problem GO, me go what about card, him no problem GO ) have i stepped in some of the s--- that is laying around or is it my loving eyes not going to wait to find out jump in car and leave, Always said what a nice place Serbia is !!!!!! and save 130 euro + in the process, get into BG no problem then we celebrate with a good old english saying f--k that was handy.
Our next stop over night is Sofia, start heading in the centre and heavens open up and within mins the roads are flooded and you cannot see a thing, we get into the centre and it all comes to a standstill with police everywhere, they are not here to greet us surely. turns out there are some guys from other coutries wanting to invest in BG, next we know the main road is closed and loads of cars bikes and everything screaming round and we are all diverted, great sat nav gets us all this way but only works on main roads in BG, anyway after 45 mins going 2 kms we find hotel just off main street, We booked into a Best Western and have always been good hotels and this one does not let us down and cheap, park car in under ground carpark unpack travel bag and hit the bar, cannot get out as every where is flooded, so after a fewwwwwwwwww beers we had a meal and hit the bed around 22-00 lay in bed watching english tv and mulling over ther journey we have had over the past few days.
We wake in the morning around 06.30 have shower and head for breakfast, looking out the window its is still raining and cold, once down stairs we head for restaurant only to be told buffet is OUTSIDE around the POOL, STOP IT you are having a laugh, no it was correct, so there we are with ice cold plates and food, still at least there are no flys about to pester us, anyway after a good laugh we grap a frozen roll with meat and sit down, once defrosted we load car and head off to Elenite.
We leave Sofia around 08-00 in the rain again, about 1 km outside sofia everything comes to a holt again on otherside is a major accident 2 lorries and 5 cars this time it is ugly they have tents round one car and others are beyond knowing what makes they were, why do they have to drive so crazy in this sort of weather no-one knows.
Anyway off we head and land in Lidl S/Beach around 14-00, was hoping that the new M/Way was complete joining Bourgas but no such luck.
We arrive at app; around 15.00ish, god what a change (FOR THE BETTER WE THINK) new road is open and better than the old one, shops etc being built everywhere and the new app block by us not as intrucive as we thought, We are greeted by Kath, Keith, Bev and Joe who basicly took over and unloaded car for us, and will say very much appriciated and the neck ect was at its end.
App all good complex looking good although weather not good at moment but suits us until we settle in.
With the euro being better it made it a better way for us to travel and would do the same route again but would not stop in same hotel we did on first day unless i was alone ( Charlie will Kill Me when she reads this ) look forward to seeing some of you again this season if you can make it and about your trips, if we can advice on travel regarding hotels please get in touch, we used Agoda .com for all hotels the same as all previous years. Cheers