Adventures With Harvey

Allez les Noirs!!!
Colour, singing, chanting, passion – there could be no doubt we were in Paris for one of the biggest rugby games this town has ever seen. Yes, we’re talking about the opening match of the Rugby World Cup and we Woodies are beyond excited to be here and delighted to share our experience with you. Resplendent in our AB’s kit and NZ flags we braved a tropical 35deg of heat for the trip into town by bus and sweltering metro. There we met our Irish friends who had morphed into supporters of the best team down under. Place de la Concorde has been transformed into a giant fan zone so off we went to soak up the atmosphere, make new friends and prepare for kick off.

And make new friends we did!!! It seemed like every group of happy tricolour fans wanted to have their photo taken with us and exchange greetings/predictions for the big match. Like most rugby crowds, everyone was hugely convivial and in the most excellent of spirits – we were not foes, but fellow revellers there to soak up the atmosphere and rejoice in the collegiality of such a momentous and historic occasion. We spent a couple of hours there before it was time to brave an even more crowded and stifling metro for the trip to Stade de France - the excitement levels were huge but still far from their crescendo!

Stade de France holds more than 80,000 spectators and, although the official crowd was only 78690 we didn’t spot an empty seat anywhere. Right from the start of the opening ceremony there was singing, chanting dancing and plenty of “Allez les bleus”-ing. Throughout the day and evening we were more than happy to reply with our own chant of “Allez les noirs” which always elicited a great response from any nearby Frenchies. We were warned that the singing of La Marseillaise would take the roof off and again we weren’t disappointed, such passion, energy and verve – your correspondent and his wife agreed that it was the best rugby atmosphere we’d ever been part of… and the whistle hadn’t even blown for kick off yet! Of course the result was disappointing however in all honesty it did little to detract from our enjoyment of the evening and the spectacle – it had been more than 2 years since we purchased our tickets for that game and your author is delighted to report that the experience exceeded the anticipation.

So what else has happened since our last report which concluded with a wine festival in Cochem on the banks of the Moselle river? If you don’t already have a suitable beverage, please grab one as we have a few more tales to tell.

There was still one more day in Cochem and yes, there was another castle to visit. Although the day was overcast and chilly, we kept plenty warm enough with the uphill trudge that is normally required for a castle visit. The guided tour was excellent and we were very impressed with the gatehouse entrance way which itself looked larger than most people’s houses! Originally built around 1000AD, the castle was completely destroyed by invading French forces in 1689 before being faithfully rebuilt to the original spec in 1869-77 by, you guessed it, another Frenchman. The view looking down the Moselle river and the patchwork of grape vines on the steep embankments either side was breath-taking – we could only imagine what it would have been like on a sunny day!

Our visit to Cochem ended up with quite a cock-up! Having driven more than 20,000 miles largely without incident, your correspondent managed to reverse Harvey into a tree which had mysteriously appeared overnight (amazing how fast these things can grow!). Fortunately the only damage to Harvey is a bent ladder which is most inconvenient given it is no longer safe to climb and we have quite a bit of gear stored in the roof box. Not to worry, we’ve already borrowed one ladder so that will have to be the plan going forward. However sadly the main casualties were the bikes, each had a badly ruined wheel, and the outer of the two (mine as it turns out) also had a slightly bent frame. We were initially hopeful that both could be repaired however on inspection by a bike shop shortly thereafter we were informed that although a replacement wheel/tyre was sufficient for the inner bike, sadly there was no way back for mine. Your author was very dark and grumpy for a few days, firstly at his own driving ineptitude but secondly because after almost 3,000km he had become quite attached to the bike. At least every second day it was being used for sightseeing, grocery shopping, a run to the laundromat, or with paniers full of produce from the local market. With 2 months to go on this trip, we needed to replace it if possible so luckily a dealer of second-hand refurbished e-bikes was found and a comparable replacement procured on our way into Paris.

Our NZ friends, David and Julie were heading further down the Moselle River for another wine festival, this time at Bernkastel-Kues so after an overnight at the gorgeous little riverside town of Traben-Trarbach we joined them for further Reisling and exploring! One of our favourite things about these last weeks has been the lack of any native English speakers – ever since arriving in Germany we’ve been far enough off the beaten track that it’s almost exclusively German being spoken, along with a smattering of other European languages. To the point that if we hear an American, English or Aussie accent, it causes a head-turn and for us to comment how long it’s been since such a thing was heard. With all these larger European countries, we’ve learned a smattering of the local language so it’s no problem to greet people, order drinks, say thankyou or excuse me etc. Even in the smaller towns there are plenty of English speakers around and if not, there’s always rudimentary sign language or Google translate. The highlight of our evening in Bernkastel-Kues was the street parade followed by crowning of the wine queen – just so wonderful to be in amongst the huge crowd of locals and participate in what I’m sure is the biggest knees-up in that part of the world each year. The weather was warm, wine excellent and company even better. Too much fun!!!

From there we carried on west, stopping briefly in Luxembourg to have the bikes assessed and repaired and buy some LPG which was much cheaper than in either France or Germany before turning south into France and the province of Alsace. Over the 80 years following the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, this part of the world ping-ponged between German and French ownership no fewer than 4 times so it’s no surprise there remains a heavy German influence in the area. We stayed a couple of nights in Thionville, partly because it was laundry and chores day but also because your faithful correspondent was in need of a war history fix! Like many of you, the term ‘Maginot Line’ was familiar to this author but practically he had little idea what it actually meant. Luckily nearby was the largest fort on the line: Ouvrage Hakenburg and it happened to be the weekend, when guided tours are offered by a team of enthusiastic volunteers.

Built between 1929 and 1935, this was one of more than 100 forts constructed by the French in the inter-war years to protect against another German invasion. As is often the case, the scale of these endeavours is jaw-dropping – around 10km of tunnels bored into the side of a hill, several km of which include railway tracks and 6 combat blocks bristling with guns capable of firing shells more than 12km away. 2 enormous ammunition dumps, 3 huge diesel generators and the capability to house more than 1000 troops for up to 3 months without resupply make this one formidable fortress indeed. This one is a little unique because the underground train is still running (and transporting tourists like me on visits), and also one of the huge 160 tonne 4 story high (within the bunker of course) 360deg rotating guns is still operational and was demonstrated to us by our guide. History tells us that the Maginot Line was in fact never breached, and for this reason the Nazis invaded France by the (thought to be impenetrable) Ardennes Forest instead. However all these forts were handed over to the Germans as part of their 1940 armistice and some (including this one) were later converted into underground bomb-proof factories. A truly monumental example of the resources man is prepared to commit to defending himself and his country!

We were delighted to see that the route between Thionville and Paris took us back through champagne country and, with a couple of days up our sleeve until the important Paris date, what better interlude could there be!? Those with good memories will recall that last year when in the area we visit a winery named J Charpentier which Anita had been to some 20 years earlier. Located in the tiny town of Villers-sur-Châtillon, we discovered there were another handful of champagne houses therein so back to J Charpentier it was, with time also available to visit his neighbours. The weather had warmed up again and we were now experiencing fine sunny weather with highs in the mid 30’s so your author and his champagne-tasting companion enjoyed a couple of afternoons reacquainting ourselves with the produce of this fine region (and procuring a bottle or 3 to celebrate an upcoming birthday later in the month when some friends from NZ will be joining us).

So with a detour to collect the replacement e-bike and a hair-raising drive through the chaotic streets of Paris, Harvey was delighted to find himself parked up for 5 nights in one place, Camping de Paris on the banks of the Seine. Other than the rugby on Friday we have also enjoyed catching up with 3 of our good mates from Russell: Steve & Emma and also Monsieur Tony, formerly of The Duke (well known to our Russell friends). David and Julie are also here in Paris along with one or two others so altogether it’s been a social few days as you might imagine. Another highlight for your author was to ride his new bike the 12km or so from the campground to Montmartre via the Arc de Triomphe (a rather hair-raising 6-8 lane roundabout with no lane markings), Champs-Élysée and Place de la Concorde and back later in the day. The afternoon also included a visit to Galleries Lafayette and a stroll around Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur to check out the artists and other happenings on this most picturesque of hilltops.

Tomorrow we are off on our northern loop which will take us back into Belgium for a week or so (stops in Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp) before heading south for our next important RWC date – All Blacks vs Italy in Lyon on Sept 29 and a little birthday party for team pink the next night. That’s about it for this exciting edition – thanks once again for keeping us company, we’re having the best ever time and love sharing our travels with friends and family. With much love as always (and go the All Blacks!!!)…

The Travelling Woodies

Cochem Castle, originally built 1000 years ago...

... but rebuilt by a Frenchman in the 1870's after lying in ruins for 200 years...

amazing castle entrance

...you can see why it was worth the effort, the view was spectacular even on a cloudy day

plump Reisling grapes ready for harvesting

the evening view from our Cochem Stelplatz looking back towards the lock - there is a steady stream of river traffic, still a few cruise ships and also plenty of freighters

cock-up in Cochem! :-(

welcome back Mrs Bronze Mimic

Traben-Trarbach #1

Traben-Trarbach #2

great to be hanging out with David and Julie again

Harvey in amongst the grape vines

plenty of pumpkins for sale on the side of the road

you can buy almost anything from a vending machine in this part of the world!

a cone of fries - just what was needed...

... as is a most excellent German sausage!!!

Bernkastel-Kues 'crowning of the wine queen' parade

these two seem to pop up everywhere!

Guided tour at Ouvrage Hakenburg - one of the largest on the Maginot Line. Paul, our guide, was excellent - these guys are all volunteers and enthusiasts and do a great job!