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Mike and Holly’s Road Trip

This is the personal blog page where we will share some notes about the places we visit and the walks we do for our friends and family who are interested in where we go and have gone on our road trip through Europe. There are also some grid references to various free camp spots we stayed in throughout Europe and the Balkans too.

Enjoy! H&M x

Click on the buttons below to skip to a country of your choice!

6 month overview video

France

We watched the sunrise and light up the Dover Cliffs on the ferry to Calais. Upon arrival at Dover we had our Covid passes on our phones checked but not the ‘engagement-sur-l-honneur’ document which they said you must have. We also got our passports stamped so we have visual proof of entry.

Château de Chambord is the biggest chateau in the Loire Valley. We are passing through to get to the south of Spain whilst the weather is still bad ‘up north’. We will be driving further south towards the border near San Sebastian over the next few days. Overnight Free Camp Location at Château de Chambord: 47.6171981,1.51454,16.48

We have had engine trouble! Well, the engine oil cap fell off and oil leaked everywhere. We have been to a garage and they led us to a scrapyard, who couldn’t help us. We then went to Peugeot who were not helpful considering we have a Peugeot Boxer. However, Citreon were amazing, as were Norauto. When travelling in a van it’s good to know that the European (and better) version of Halfords is Norauto. Overnight Free Camp Location at Uztariz: 43.386605,-1.4941218,16.96

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Spain

Our travel video for Flight Free UK

We have made it into Spain. There were no checks at the border near San Sebastian. We decided to head up the hill near Hondarribia to Jaizkibel. The views were beautiful and so we went for a walk and had lunch. It then started to rain, so we took that as a hint to continue our journey south. Overnight Free Camp Location at Jaizkibel: 43.3531357,-1.8424644. We were asked to make a film about our trip to Spain to promote travelling on the ground instead of flying, you can find out more about the company here.

We had a lot of driving today crossing the vast emptiness of midland Spain, which looks like one of the centre of the concrete industry. We finally got to the beautiful UNESCO city of Salamanca. This roman bridge was declared an Artistic Historic Monument in 1931 and was the main road into the city until 1973. Overnight Free Camp Location at Salamanca: 40.9596571,-5.6753829

Mogarraz in the Parque natural de Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia, Spain

Camino Del Agua is the woodland walk that we did today. It is a circular route through the Parque natural de Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia and finishes at the beautiful village of Mogarraz. It is quite a popular walk full of little bridges, glens and bird life. This village has unique architecture and the square had a really nice atmosphere which we would recommend visiting. You can see the route for the walk we did on AllTrails here. Overnight Free Camp Location at Alberca: 40.4889649,-6.1169799

The image above is from our Puerto Del Portillo, Peña Huevo (1414m) Peña Carbonera (1505m) Walk. This has been one of the best walks of the trip so far with amazing views and we saw águila real (golden eagles), buitres negro (vultures) and cabra montés (mountain goats). We have a great little park spot so will be staying in this area for a while as it is also pretty quiet. Overnight Free Camp Location at Batuecas: 40.4572106,-6.1364564

pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) — Pine processionary caterpillar (*Thaumetopoea pityocampa*), Spain

On the walk today we saw a few of these caterpillar trails. They were touching head to bum in a row of about nearly two meters. A little bit of research shows that these are all following the pheromones of one female and are heading into the ground to cocoon themselves.

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Portugal

Today we drive to Portugal just north of Badajoz. There were no border checks on the back road we took in. We then travelled through Alentejo to a lakeside where there was a bar called ‘Bar da barragem do Caia’ which was open and had sunset views. We saw another campervan parked down by the lakeside and so we joined them and then decided to walk back up to the bar for another beer. Overnight Free Camp Location at Barragem do Caia: 39.0058751,-7.1405687

Today we visited a winery which now features on the website I am working with, CamperGuru, a cool new site listing loads of great camp spots. We parked up by the lakeside and listened to the birds for the evening. We also tasted some of their olive oil in their tasting barrel room, and brought a bottle.

We have spent a few days following the Guadiana river through Alentejo, which happens to also be the Spanish / Portuguese border. The Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is where they have reintroduced the Lynx, unfortunately we didn’t see any even though we did find a cool park up spot in the middle of nowhere down a track, just down the road from Mertola. Overnight Free Camp Location near Mertola: 37.623659, -7.664010

As we get into the Algarve region, we explored the small town of Alcoutim which has toilets and showers at the marina. It is a small marina where the boats can moor up for free away from the Algarve coastline and they had a great cafe with our favourite treat, Pasteis de Nata. Overnight Free Camp Location in Alcoutim: 37.4683443,-7.4723328

Overnight Free Camp Location near Alcoutim: 37.4227384,-7.4555543

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Spain (again)

We are back in Spain now and are exploring the Costa de Luz, the coast of light, however it is more like the Costa de viento, the coast of wind. There are a variety of places along here where some the motorhomes just do not move on, it is full of German, Dutch and Spanish vans who look like they live here full time. Rota seems to be the Benidorm for motorhomes.. I wont bother sharing the link to this place as we didn’t stay long and wouldn’t recommend it.

There are however some cool spots, which are choca-block again with full-time vanners, who don’t move on. So we did spend a night in a quiet woodland near the Parque Nacional de Donana, but decided to move on the next day. The coast here is too close to the industrial area of Huelva which pollutes the estuary.

The wind which was scheduled for the week has made us head inland over the top of Gibraltar into the Parque Natural Los Alcornocales. Here we found a beautiful little walk through the Cork and Gall Oak woodlands following a stream with views through the mountain range and vultures overhead. It was peaceful here, but we have been inland for a while so needed to head to the coast. We found a cool park up which is one of our favourite so far, just outside Gibraltar, not far from the drug smuggling area of La Linea. Overnight Free Camp Location at Parque Natural Los Alcornocales: 36.2273115,-5.5862262.

After a few days enjoying the sunshine with some yoga on the beach, a bit of sea swimming, only a little, then we decided to head inland to the Parque Nacional Sierra de las Nieves. We walked up 1778m and in the morning woke up to a frozen ice land. The drive up to this spot was 8km on track and we were just hoping the road wasn’t icy. Mike ran down and I followed in the van. All was absolutely fine. Overnight Free Camp Location at Parque Nacional Sierra de las Nieves: 36.6903393,-5.0463962.

We then went to Ronda. It is a mountain town which is home to the birth of bull fighting, which is not why we went in the slightest, however I wanted to see this bridge. The Puente Nuevo bridge is crosses a gorge over about 300 feet.

The Sierra Nevada

We spent three days in this beautiful national park. I have wanted to visit the Sierra Nevada for a while now as it is where you can find some of the biggest mountains in Spain. One of the walks we did was up Cerro del Trevenque (2083 m). We also did a circular route up La Boca de la Pescá at 1518m. Overnight Free Camp Location at Sierra Nevada: 37.0635514,-3.5585236.

Sierra Nevada Cerro del Trevenque 2083 m — Cerro del Trevenque (2083 m)

We then headed to the coast for a few days where we visited Almeria and had a brake pad change, then overnight at beachside town of Roquetas de Mar. Overnight Free Camp Location at Roquetas de Mar: 36.80440897142173, -2.576065098369255.

Then we went over to the quiet cove of Carboneras where we went for a swim, walked up the Torre del Rayo and explored the ‘Templo Hippie de Miguel Ángel’ before heading inland to the Sierra Espuña National Park.

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Sierra Espuña

I have been to the Sierra Espuña, just outside Mercia, once before with Julia (read the article here) and really wanted to go back with Mike. We stayed in the carpark at La Santa monastery which had an amazing cafe with great coffee! There were loads of walks and bike tracks around and we spent 3 nights here just exploring the mountains and the small village of Aledo.

After leaving the mountains we met up with the CamperGuru team who we are working with to help create an awesome website for cool and unique spots to sleep for campervanners. After this we stayed along the coastline at Santa Pola as there was good signal, good weather and the 6 nations was on!

We bypassed Alicante and headed up into the mountains above Benidorm to a free campsite outside the small mountain village of Castell de Castells. Here we did a couple of walks through the olive groves and up into the mountaintops. Then we stayed at a campsite in Campbell which is going to feature on CamperGuru. Will post the link here when it is live.

We were going to head to Valencia for the Fallas Fesival however the Sahara sandstorm came over and now there is just a storm and it is raining so we couldn’t see any fireworks so just headed to a monastery in the hills above Valencia to sit it out.

Monserrat Mountain Range outside of Barcelona

The weather has turned and so we have decided to drive up the coast to go hiking in the Monserrat Mountain Range near Barcelona. Now, instead of heading inland at Tarragona towards the Pyrenees we are going to take the ferry to Italy for the better weather. We will take the Barcelona to Civitavecchia ferry with Grimaldi Lines. Our tickets have a cabin which I think will be useful for the 20 hour, overnight journey.

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Italy

Riserva Naturale Regionale Montagne della Duchessa

When we arrived we headed inland to the mountainous national park after visiting some thermal pools.

We drove to Cusano Mutri in the Province of Benevento as we didn’t want to drive the coastline between Rome and Naples. We found this beautiful mountain top village and an easy park up spot. We were shown around the village by an 83 year old man who spoke no English and then had amazing pizza at Millenium Pizzaria.

We then drove to Pompeii which was really interesting. We stayed at a campsite we found on CamperGuru as we didn’t want to risk free parking as we heard stories about van break ins around the Naples area.

We then decided to drive the other side of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park in the province of Salerno along the coastline. Probably wouldn’t advise this route unless you are in a VW T5 as this is probably the worst road we have been on! We did find some cool ports and beaches but the road was pretty tricky and falling away down the cliff at some points.

Alberobello trulli Unesco World Heritage Site — Alberobello *trulli* Unesco World Heritage Site

We visited the Alberobello Trulli houses which is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. I am so pleased we came here off season as it was pretty quiet, I would hate to visit in the peak season, you wouldn’t be able to move!

We spent some time in Puglia exploring the olive groves and beaches. We parked up one night on the west coast and watched a beautiful sunset as bats danced around our heads. After a few days exploring this area we took the ferry from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa.

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Greece

From Igoumenitsa we took a few days to get to meet our friends on the island of Lefkada. We were based in the Town of Lefkada which makes a great place to stay to mountain bike, go out on the water, and hike. After this we went to Vikos Gorge Pindus Mountains of north-western Greece. Eripus is the region and there were many bridges built between the villages of Zagori.

There are 45 bridges throughout this region connecting all 46 hidden villages, apparently paid for by a wealthy resident or a nearby monastery the local priest to help the locals go about their business and the goods to be imported.

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Albania

From the mountains we headed further north into Albania. At the border of Kakavia we were asked for our passports and the vehicle ownership document, which we showed the V5C which seemed to suffice. Our first port of call was to pick up a sim card from Vodafone in Gjirokaster. We got 30gb for 2000 Leke which is about £13. The secret tip I will now share with you is to download the My Vodafone AL app to get an extra free 10gb.

From the UNESCO town of Gjirokaster, and after visiting the castle, which was amazing, we headed into the moutains to the Lengarica Canyon and to stay in a meadow at Permet Hot Springs. There were about five other vans and a few stray dogs which we fed. There was only one walk which was an eight mile circular route along and over the canyon which was pretty cool.

We drove to Vlore and then to Berat, which was okay but probably wouldn’t go back there because Vlore had loads of building work going on and it actually was really smelly, which I wouldn’t normally mind but this was pretty intense, the beaches were full of litter and the stray dogs looked in such poor condition. Berat castle was nice to look around and we had lunch at this highly recommended place, Temi, which turned out to be pretty average. The highlight to the few days in that area was a trip to Apollonia. It is a really preserved archaeological site which is really easy to get to in a van. The information boards are in English, French and Albanian.

We spent then a few days at Buona Vila near the Shkumbin river which flows down from the city of Elbasan. It is near the Divjaka-Karavasta National Park which is great for wildlife but also full of litter that has flowed down from the mountain villages and from the city.

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Here at Buona Vila we made some amazing friends, Serge, Haffsa and Luca were a French/German/Moroccan family travelling in their amazing van and we really got to know them well and had a right laugh. One evening together we had a bonfire with marshmallows and in the distance we saw another bonfire, which turned out to be a cabin on fire, whether it was deliberate or not who can say, but Mike did see car headlights drive down that dead end track about 20 minutes before we saw the fire..

The Syri i Ciklopit cave near Tirana was amazing. There was a great place to park at a restaurant where we had dessert and a drink before heading further north. The walk to the cave takes about 45 minutes and the restaurant owner asks if you need a guide, we didn’t, it’s only one track, but his son will try and follow you and get money from you to use him as a guide, but with a firm ‘no’ he backed off. The cave was one of the most amazing caves I’ve been in, remember to take a head torch!

We thought about heading into the mountains from here up to Ulza Regional Nature Park and beyond, but as we got to a park up we found on Park4Night we weren’t 100% convinced. We went in for a drink and then decided to turn around as the weather was due to come in with a whole load of rain. We then drove further north to near Shëngjin.

This next location is where we have done something which has changed our life. At Mario’s Bar Ledh, near Kune Beach, near Shëngjin we adopted a stray dog, Alba. You can read about that story in full here.

We then spent a few days at Thethi National Park which was beautiful. The drive up was pretty steep and took a fair amount of time. I managed to use my Water to Go refillable filter bottle here as there were rivers and waterfalls all around.

There was some beautiful wildlife in the national park, birds of prey, wild horses and lots of amphibians.

We then stayed around Shkoder until Alba, our newly adopted dog, could get her next jab. We stayed on a campsite, which you can find out more on CamperGuru, here, which was right on the lakeside.

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Montenegro

We drove into Montenegro and were pulled over at the border, but no asked to open the van, they just asked us some questions about where we were going and what the trip was for. We then drove along the edge of Skadar Lake National Park. Which is the same place as Shokder, just spelt differently.

We parked up at a dock near this cute little village and met a Spanish couple who were lovely, they had two dogs and so Alba made some new friends. We were asked to not sleep at that spot so we just pulled up to the roadside in this village and then back back to the spot the next day.

From here we had to head back to Podgorica as I had to fly back to launch my new children’s book ‘Chesnut and Daphne‘. We had a wonderful wedding with Guy and Sophie and Mike had a fun time travelling with Callum too. Top of page ↑

We’re back in action!

We had a fab time at home and seeing all our friends – congratulations to Guy and Sophie on their beautiful wedding in Devon. The boys went for a morning swim in their OddBall s budge smugglers!

Guy and Sophie pre-wedding swim at Tunnels Beach, Ilfracombe, Devon

Back in Montenegro we went to stay with Mike’s brother, Stephen for a few days to check out his new cabin in the hills above Kotor. He is also writing a blog which can be read here.

After visiting the cabin we went down the coast to Budva Old Town where we had a lovely meal within the walls of one of the oldest urban towns on the Adriatic.

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After exploring on foot Budva Old Town we drove further along the coast for a really quiet overnight spot on Luchina Beach at Petrovac, then we headed north to Biogradska Gora National Park.

It was €3 each to enter the park and then if you want to stay overnight in the carpark it is €22 which is quite expensive for the fact you are still in the Balkans, but we paid it, had a hot shower and the use of the toilets (squat toilets!) Here we did two walks, one around the lake, we went off course a little and saw a beautiful nose horned viper (Vipera ammodytes)! The second walk took us through the trees up to Bendovac. Grid reference for where we slept: 42.8963608,19.6010097. Top of page ↑

Durmitor National Park – this is probably one of our favourite places so far. We spent about 4 or 5 days here. We hiked to the foot of the tallest mountain, Bobotov Kuk. We didn’t go up as there was still snow and this was Alba’s first proper mountain day. There are so many cool places to park here, either at the abandoned ski lift or up on the Prevoj Sedlo mountain pass.

CROATIA

After our visit to the mountains we decided to head back down towards the coast and go into Croatia back to the Prevlaka Peninsula. Here we met our friends Rob and Rabia and their dog they adopted from Albania, Gaia. We also made some new friends, Charlie and Tasha who have a great Youtube channel, you can check it out here.

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We stayed here about a week or so. I will be uploading a full vanlife in Croatia blog soon. Watch this space.

SLOVENIA

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We came into Slovenia from the south, just north of Karlovac, and headed for a night at Zuzemberk, we then found a climbing book in an Iglu shop in the capital. After this we went to scout out some climbing at a mountain side place called Creta, then to explore some castles, and north up to Logarska Dolina where we stayed for about one week before heading west towards Italy.

NORTH ITALY

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We entered Italy at Kranjska Gora and then explored the area and took a cable car from Camprosso and hiked to the amazing Cima Del Cacciatore. From here we went to Sella Nevea and up into the mountains on one of the narrowest and steepest roads we have done yet, give or take.

There are quite a few different footpaths up here depending what sort of walk you want to go on, including some via ferrata sections.

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We are now 6 months into our trip and below is a video overview of some of the things we have been up to.

We got into Tarvisio and found a nice park up just on the edge of town. In town there were lots of choices of places to eat. I tried to practice my Italian but the waitress just spoke to me in German, I think she just assumed I was another german tourist, to be fair to her, there were no other UK vans. In fact, on the whole trip so far, we have only seen about 4 other UK vans.

Stray cats in Montenegro

After spending some time in Montenegro I wanted to find out more about the charities and organisations that are around to support the animals on the streets. As anyone who has been to Kotor knows, this is probably one of the most popular ‘tourist destinations’ in the country with cruises coming into the bay all through the night; there is also a high street cat population.

Photo Credit: Kotor Kitties

So, who are the Kotor Kitties?

Kotor Kitties is a combination of three registered charities (UK number 1189591) whose main aim is to raise funds for neutering and to spread the message around the country of the importance of sterilisations.

Led by volunteers, the organisation uses licensed and registered local veterinarians to spay / neuter animals to reduce the population of unwanted animals and therefore reducing the pain and suffering that can be caused.

How much does it cost to spay / neuter an animal in Montenegro?

Kotor Kitties’ rate is €36.30 for female cats (€30 + 6.30 VAT) or €24.20 for males (€20 + 4.20 VAT). The 21% VAT is charged by the Montenegrin government.

Kotor Kitties say “We want to see this tax removed, both to help make sterilization more affordable, and to emphasize the government’s commitment to solving the problem of overpopulation. As added incentive, we believe they should remove the tax on all veterinary services for sterilized animals. Breeders or owners who choose not to sterilize their pets should of course pay the 21% VAT for vet services.”

I agree with what Kotor Kitties say here and I will be writing a letter to three government officials below:

President: Jakov Milatović. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakovmilatovices

Prime Minister: Dritan Abazović. Email: kabinet@gov.me Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abazovicdritan

Mayor (President) of Kotor: Vladimir Jokić. Email: kabinet.predsjednik@kotor.me

I was going to draft a letter which will make it easier for others to write to the pre-mentioned personnel, but I can see the Kotor Kitties already has one. You can download it from this link here.

Kotor Kitties - Stray Animals In Montenegro

Photo Credit: Kotor Kitties

What do I do if I see a stray cat at my holiday accommodation?

Kotor Kitties say: If there are homeless cats around the hotel, guest house, or vacation rental you’re staying in, take note of whether they have water and a regular feeding schedule. If they do, take time to thank the manager or host, and tell them how nice it is to see that they’re cared for!

If the cats are not being fed and have no fresh water, talk to the management about how much you enjoy seeing the cats, but how much nicer it would be to see them well cared for! And be sure they understand how simple and cost-effective sterilization is, to keep the situation around their business pleasant.

Be sure to point out the benefits of a well-cared-for group of cats:
They help control rodents year-round, even when they’re fed.
They will discourage new cats from moving into the territory.
They are much healthier once spayed or neutered and treated; problem behaviours like fighting and spraying to mark territory will decrease and usually disappear.
Tourists are charmed by visiting with healthy cats and dogs; they frequently miss their pets at home, and enjoy cuddling them when they’re healthy and well cared for.
There will be less build-up of garbage from left-over food left by well-meaning tourists if there is an identified food-water-shelter space.
Remember that your voice − whether you are a tourist or a guest − is very important to the host and you will be listened to!

Photo Credit: Kotor Kitties and Holly Brega

How can I adopt a cat or dog from the streets of Montenegro?

Kotor Kitties does not help visitors to adopt, however they share loads of useful information on their website and links to companies that can help you here.

If you are travelling in a van and would like to bring an adopted animal back into the UK, you will need time (about 4 months) to get all the tests done and:

Pet Passport (you can get these from the vets).
Potentially may need an animal health certificate to leave Montenegro, but a passport should suffice.
Microchip: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards ISO 11784 and ISO 11785.
Rabies Vaccination. The animal needs to be over 12 weeks old. You must wait at least 21 days after the primary vaccination to bring your pet into the UK.
Titre Test. Your pet must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination. The results of the blood test must show that the vaccination was successful (rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml). The results could take about 3 weeks to be returned. You will have to go back to the same vets to pick up these results. You must then wait 3 months from the date the blood sample was taken before you come into the UK.
Wormer. The treatment must have been given by a vet and stamped in their passport, no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before you enter the UK. I am going to create a list of English speaking vets in France who can help with this.

You can find out more about bringing an animal into the UK, here.

For more FAQ’s visit the Kotor Kitties website here: https://kotorkitties.org/en/for-visitors/

Suffolk Women’s Land Army Day at Saxham Hall

Sunday 9^th June 2024 was a jam-packed afternoon with exhibition, displays, Suffolk Punches, tractors, living history and of course cake!

The highlight for the day was undoubtedly the presentation of the wonderful ‘Certificate of Thanks’ to Veterans and families that we had commissioned and signed by Lady Clare, Countess of Euston – Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk! These were presented by Deputy Lieutenant Air Vice Marshall David Murray CVO OBE.

We were so honoured to be in the presence of three wonderful Veteran land girls who are 95-99 years young respectively and we had both the BBC and ITV broadcasting highlights from the event and we also had radio interviews lined up before and after the event with BBC Suffolk and Suffolk Sounds.

The Hall looked superb! We took over the main entrance Hall, which proved to be a beautiful space for our mannequins, tables and display boards all telling wonderful service stories of Suffolk, which then lead onto the main reception and entertaining area which was the screening and speeches room.

Holly Brega’s documentary ‘The Land Girls and Horses of Suffolk’ was screened three times throughout the day and there were many questions asking what is the next film project… All we can say now is, watch this space…

The exhibition looked fantastic and the lawn outside was covered with marquees bustling with tea drinkers and miles of bunting, kindly set up by the Barrow Benefice.

We had a superb tractor and trailer set up for photographs and Coxwell Stud jumped in amazingly after a last-minute cancellation and brought their wonderful Suffolk Punch mare called Coxwell Rose and her 6 week old foal Coxwell Golden Honeybee, who delighted the crowds of visitors.

We also had fantastic raffle prizes lined up from local businesses including the Theatre Royal in Bury, The Open College of Equine Studies, SheGrowsVeg and the Food Museum, plus many more!

A huge thanks goes out to all our fantastic sponsors who have made generous donations that have helped us make the day a truly remarkable event. A massive thank you goes out today to the Soil Cinderellas – the living historians who helped make our day run so smoothly, and what an enjoyable day it was too!

Thank you to Julia Eversden our WVS welfare worker who kept us all fed and watered whilst we were flat out and saleswoman extraordinaire! Pauline Aa, Fiona Benson and Lisa Marie Edwards who were splendid curators in the exhibitions; talking to visitors and answering their questions, Michelle Alana for being Raffle and Merch Meister and Carrie Page for delighting visitors with her Knitted land girls, and the army of felt rats that had everybody talking. Big shout out too to the boys Joe and Michael who are always so ready to help out and lend a hand on the land!

On behalf of Trustees Nicky, Vicky, Sue and Holly we just want to say thank you to everyone who came along and supported our event.

The event was sponsored by:

British Sugar

P D Hook

The Open College of Equine Studies

S. Beresford Evans for Home Office

Dragon Supplies

MBC Construction

Chesnut and Daphne

Historical, rhyming, children’s picture book

Synopsis: Launched at Newmarket Racecourse Jubilee Day in May 2022, this book is based on a true story from local Suffolk lady (and Former Land Girl). This picture book follows a day in the life of ‘Chesnut’ the Suffolk Punch horse, and his best friend ‘Daphne’ the Land Girl, as they deliver milk from the dairy to schoolchildren during the 1940s.

The Author: Holly Brega, born and lives in Suffolk says: “There is a gap in the market for sharing female based WW2 stories to children. In addition to the documentary film I have produced (aimed at adults) about the Women’s Land Army and the history of the Suffolk Punch Horse, it is clear that the future of these two important subjects is being lost.

It is therefore paramount to share tales with the next generation to create that spark of interest and keep these stories alive. That is what I aim to do with this book.”

Illustrations: The illustrator, John Thurman is also based in Suffolk has based each illustration on a Suffolk landscape, from Cheveley Primary School to fields in Hawkedon and the oak trees in Lawshall.

Order here

Saxham Hall WLA Day!

Join us for a captivating afternoon filled with history, gratitude, and the spirit of the wartime era at Saxham Hall, just outside Bury St Edmunds. Co-hosted by the Barrow Benefice and The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust, this family event promises to be both enlightening and delightful.

Date and Time: 9^th June 2024, 1pm-5pm

Location: Saxham Hall, Great Saxham Bury St Edmunds

What to Expect:

Documentary Screening: Sit and enjoy my documentary ‘The Land Girls and Horses of Suffolk’ on a comfy sofa in the oval hall.

Living Displays and Exhibits: Immerse yourself in a visual journey through time with living displays, photographs, memorabilia, and stories that vividly showcase the invaluable contributions of the Land Girls during World War II.

Nicky Reynolds, WLA Historian: Gain insights from Nicky Reynolds, a renowned Women’s Land Army historian, as she shares stories and details about the remarkable role women played during these challenging times.

Recognition of Suffolk Land Girls: Join us in honoring the former Suffolk Land Girls and their families. Each will be presented with a certificate of gratitude to acknowledge their service and dedication.

Musical Time Travel: Enjoy the enchanting melodies of wartime music, creating a lively and immersive atmosphere that transports you back to this unique period in history.

Homemade Wartime Cooking: Indulge your senses in a taste of history with homemade wartime recipes, offering a culinary experience shaped by the rationing challenges of the war.

🎗️ Support a Worthy Cause:

All funds raised during this event will be dedicated to the creation of a permanent memorial statue in honor of the Suffolk Land Girls. The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust will oversee this noble project, ensuring that their legacy is eternally recognized.

📅 Save the Date, Make History:

Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable afternoon filled with appreciation, education, and a touch of nostalgia. Let’s come together to celebrate the resilience and contributions of the Land Girls who played a crucial role in shaping our history.

For tickets visit: https://saxham-hall-wla-day.sumupstore.com/

Why I love Scotland

Scotland holds a place dear in my heart, from spending my time outdoors exploring on foot or bike, here are my top reasons why you should come to Scotland…

Firstly, it has to be the trees… In Scotland you can find some of the oldest trees in the UK. My favourite time for woodland walks is in Autumn.

The Stone work… There is something magical about the castles, circles and bridges that can be found here.

The Wildlife… Who doesn’t come to Scotland armed with their camera!

Hiking – If you want to bag a Munro and drink hot chocolate from a flask over some of the best scenery then of course Scotland is the place to be.

Suffolk Punch horse visits local primary school for Remembrance Day with Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust.

Barrow Primary School near Bury St Edmunds is paying tribute to the Women’s Land Army for Remembrance Day by welcoming a Suffolk Punch horse and Land Girls to the school.

The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust has been set up to raise awareness of the work the Land Girls did for the war effort which included working with horses, and hosted a day of talks and activities at the school.

Historian, Nicky Reynolds and Volunteer Sue Dring opened the day with an assembly which included a reading of a poem followed by a two minute silence. The children participated in an afternoon of activities including; butter churning, strawberry planning in the Dig for Victory garden, drawing of a horse and trundle, learning about how ladies signed up, writing their thank you cards to the ladies and the work the Land Girls carried out.

Nigel Oakley, former President of the Suffolk Horse Society, was on the ground with Teazle, the Suffolk Punch horse answering all the questions from the students about the breed, his harness and what he was used for on the farm.

Author and Film-maker, Holly Brega co-ordinated the event with teacher Victoria Bush and Rev’d Lynda Sebbage. Holly was on-site signing her new children’s book ‘Chesnut and Daphne’, which tells a true story about one of the jobs a Land Girl carried out during WW2. Illustrator John Thurman, from Lawshall was also at the event, delivering drawing lessons and book signing. Buy the book here.

Working together with The Barrow Benefice, there are talks of a local all-inclusive Women’s Land Army family farming day in 2024. To be kept in the loop about this event, please join the mailing list for the Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust here: https://www.suffolkwomenslandarmy.com/

Enjoying the meadows

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
– Aldo Leopold

Since I’ve created my documentary about the Women’s Land Army I have delved further into reading about how our landscape has changed over the years, and what the future holds, for farmers in particular. I’ve been looking into how diversification is key and how the future lies with regenerative farming, looking after the soil and the biodiversity in and around the farm itself.

Naturally this led me to our relationship with the land, and how many feel apart and disconnect from it, when it is actually somewhere we belong. We all know that science has proved nature reduces stress and makes your feel happier; being outdoors in nature also uses less energy than direct attention activities such as laptop work, scrolling on your phone, or watching a film, which is why taking a week out camping can do wonders for your wellbeing and is a form of self care.

This year I have watched the seasons change in the fields around where I live, and it has been fascinating seeing how the different flowers all have their own time to flourish. I have found that the seasons all blend together and you can’t really say where one ends, and another begins. Personally I quite like this lack of clarity and the blur between the two; it makes you realise we can’t categorise everything and put it in a box with a label.

I believe that camping is a form of self-care. It’s an area in which you can fill with only the necessary items that you need for living and relaxing. It’s about providing your soul with joy and creativity, and I find is the best remedy if you are feeling stuck in an uninterested place within your mind. There are no deadlines or to-do lists here, it is an outlet to express all those ideas which get stuck inside of you on a day to day basis. A place to work on you.

“Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience.” —
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some of my favourite gear:

Robens Klondike PRS Tent

My favourite features on this tent are the side windows and the wide open door way.

Cora and Spink Pickle Bag

My favourite features on this bag is the side zip pocked and the roll top.

Visit my Robens blog here.

Screening List for ‘The Land Girls and Horses of Suffolk’

Since the launch of the 40-minute documentary ‘The Land Girls and Horses of Suffolk’ at The Hold in Ipswich, partnering with Suffolk Archives, the film has been well received all over the county. Below you will find a list of upcoming screenings.

Past Screenings:

– The Hold, Ipswich

– The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds

– The Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth

– Elmswell History Group

– Stowupland History Group

– 1940’s Tea Party at Great Saxham Hall, Suffolk

Future Screenings:

to be confirmed

Find out more about the documentary here

Watch the trailer

What people are saying…

“Thank you for sharing. Wonderful documentary, very enjoyable. Fabulous ladies, beautiful horses.“
– Amanda

“So well done Holly – I’m sure your father would be immensely proud of you. My 93 year old mother wants to know why it’s not being shown by the BBC.”
– Kay

“Thank you for showing your film and talking to us, it was thoroughly enjoyed.”
– Stowupland History Group

“Amazing Holly, very informative. You present it in a very natural, lovely manner.”
– Karen

“Watched last night. thanks for sharing, very enjoyable.”
– Tracey

“Great film, well done Holly.”
– John

Donations are made to The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust.

The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust Website

Exploring North Macedonia

The Balkan country of North Macedonia is about 85% mountainous and is an undiscovered mecca for hikers. Officially, the Republic of North Macedonia since 2019, is a landlocked country between Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania and Greece. And we loved it.

It is an undiscovered expanse of mountains just waiting to be explored. It is a candidate for joining the EU, and when this happens I feel things will really take off.

As we are not really city people, we didn’t take in the sights of Skopje as most blogs suggest that you should. Our short itinerary took us to Ohrid, Galičica, Mavrovo and the Sar Mountains. We visited in October, and would recommend this time of year as it is simply stunning with autumnal colours.

We brought the 15 day, third party, car insurance at the border on the north of Lake Orhid for €50. It was all pretty simple; we pulled over, moved around the stray dogs and went up to the first floor to the Sava office. She had a card machine so you can pay in cash or card. Then we headed to Ohrid to find some food at get our Macedonian denar.

Ohrid

There’s a great, but simple, park up on the outskirts of the town of Ohrid overlooking the town. It can be found on Park4Night (#47643). There were bins and water fountains along the walkway. It’s just but a short walk into town where you can explore the old walls of the city; be sure to take the walk out the back of the city to the Church of Saint John the Theologian through the woodlands. Enjoy Milenko’s viewpoint and you will see there is a secret little bay here too. Keep an eye out for some red squirrels.

We picked up a sim card from A1 in the town square on the waterfront. It was €5 for 20gb that lasts 15 days. We had to pay cash – there was a cash machine just off the square.

I wanted to try their classic baked bean dish, Tavce Gravce. It did not disappoint! That paired with traditional bread was literally one of the best dishes I have ever had.

Galičica National Park

We drove up the zig zag road into Galičica National Park. The entrance fee is 200 denar (€3 per person) and we found a perfect spot in the middle of a vast open space in the mountains. The rangers turned up and were really friendly; they said they have no problem with us staying here. We also saw some Syrian refugees who were making their way into Serbia; the rangers were really friendly to them and helped them to the border, where there is a Red Cross centre. I can’t believe they have walked over 2000km between February to October.

There are some great walks up here. You can find a variety of routes on OutdoorActive – but do check on Strava to see if there is a blue line as we did find some of the paths non existent! Follow the white and red markers for the footpaths.

Click here for OutdoorActive routes.

Mavrovo National Park

This national park is home to the lynx and the brown bear. Mike saw a lynx, but we haven’t seen any brown bears, only bear scat.

Tresonce in Mavrovo National Park

Our first park up spot was down a very narrow, van scratching lane to Tresonce where there was the most beautiful woodland walk along a beck to a waterfall and cave. As the water level was relatively high ( Mid-October) we could only get so far. Also there was a metal ladder type thing which Alba couldn’t get up so we stopped.

The stray dogs so far have been present of course, but nowhere near the scale as they are in Albania. I am not sure why but will find out. I met someone who has a family member who transports the dogs to Scandinavia, so that might be the situation throughout the country. I will write when I find out.

Toni Voda in Mavrovo National Park

To get to our favourite area of Mavrovo National Park you’ll need to drive to the south of the lake and then head up into the hills. There are loads of hills to explore up here. We spent a wonderful time parked up in a variety of places on the open meadows above the little village of Monvovo.

The shepherd passes once or twice a day – very friendly however if you have a dog, do be aware that there are many Kangals around! These dogs are the most stunning animals I have seen. The alfa male has a spike collar incase he gets attacked by wolves.

There is also a riding centre up here where they do pony trekking. The ponies are brought down in winter, I went out on one of the last rides of the season.

Leaving Mavrovo heading north to the Sar Mountains we stopped for lunch at Restaurant Evropa Garden. I would highly recommend this place. The vibe wasn’t anything special as it is a wedding venue that does food – but the food was SO good! There is really easy parking here for campervans. I would recommend the grilled stuffed pepper.

Sar Mountains

To get to the mountains we drove to Tetovo (which was pretty hectic on market day) then we took the road up to Popova Shapka. Our camp spot was found on Park4Night and it really is in the middle of the hills. From here there are some amazing hikes in the Sar Mountain range. You could do some overnight walks here too.

Matka Canyon

We aimed to get here on a Sunday; I would never plan to do that again, buses after buses were coming in and out. We couldn’t park, could barely turn around. So we decided not to visit but to continue our journey. If you plan to come here – do not come at the weekends, and arrive super early!

Leaving North Macedonia

Leaving the country we took the northern road to Bulgaria, and stopped to have an early dinner at Kuklica Etno Restaurant. The food was good and the service was friendly. We found eating out in the country on the whole pretty cheap. (About 10€ for a dinner for two).

Top tips for Visiting North Macedonia:

Get a SIM card in Ohrid.
Do plenty of research regarding hikes.
Make a list of traditional food to try.
Take longer than 15 days.

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Visit Croatia – Vanlife Diary 1

Croatia – 1st Entry from Montenegro

We first entered Croatia on the 1st June from Montenegro. We went to join some friends we made in Albania on the Prevlaka Peninsula, which is an old abandoned military base which overlooks Montenegro.

The border crossing went smoothly, they only asked for passports not the v5c or the pet passport, albeit they didn’t see Alba. But we have crossed this border quite a few times now as we have visited Mike’s brother who has just bought a plot of land in Montenegro and he is setting it up to be an eco-retreat next summer. There’s some more information about that in this link.

Prevlaka Peninsula

Is the entry point to the Bay of Kotor, which came under Austrian Empire rule in 1813 where they built a fort, which you can un-officially go in. Then Nazi Germany took over during WW2, you can still walk through the communication tunnels today! (It’s incredible, take a head torch).

We left here and went to top up some water at a nearby tennis court. Two minutes around the corner from here is a beautiful water garden. There is a little car park and a tranquil looking restaurant, the water garden follows the man made streams into and around the flour mills. There are some information boards in English and it is the perfect spot for a picnic.

Kupari Bay of Abandoned Hotels

Still heading north we decided to visit the abandoned hotels of Kupari. We had heard about these from a couple who are also travelling in their van, @weboughtavan, and decided to take a trip there. We arrived at night and even though we had our head torches we decided to wait until morning to explore, one because I was worried about what would be on the floor and we had Alba’s feet to consider, but two, I was a little scared in the dark!

I found out that these once exclusive hotels, built in the 1960s (except The Grand, built in 1920s) were used by the elite of the Yugoslav military where it became a place you could only get a booking if you knew someone. All seven were then destroyed during the 1990s Croatian War of Independence. They are only about 10km from Dubrovnik and you can park up here for free, exploring these hotels is a must do – but watch out for the broken glass if you have a dog with you.

Dalmation Coast

We stayed at Ploče on the windsurf beach which was fab. After driving further north, we had thought about having a beach day but changed our minds seeing how busy the coast was already (beginning of June), so many German vans! We shopped at Lidl where the car park was pretty easy for the camper, before heading to Cibača Pizza Trica for dinner. You don’t get a normal size pizza here, they are all ‘jumbo’! We got one each and then had a takeaway box so we could have the leftovers for lunch the next day. I would highly recommend this place. The parking is a little limited, but there is a sports pitch just down the road which I think would be worth parking at and then walking up about 100 meters or so.

As the coast was too busy for us we found a spot on Park4Night which was up a rather steep mountain side near Bast, the road was really made only for 4x4s however we made it up, just! Up here there was a mountain spring and some climbing pitches. We didn’t have any climbing gear with us at this point so we couldn’t make the most of this location. I would say it is worth going if you have a 4×4 and take supplies for the duration of your stay.

Self-build campervan conversion insurance

We then decided to head into Bosnia at Gornji Vinjani Border and out again at Granični prijelaz Izačić on the M5. We only stayed in Bosnia a short amount of time because a message came up on the dashboard saying ‘Engine will not restart in 300km’. We knew there was an engine light and worked out it was the N0X sensor which needed to be sorted so just incase the 300km was a mistake and meant 30km, we thought it would be best to get the work done in Croatia where we have loads of data on our phone to get us out of trouble if needed.

So, who are the Kotor Kitties?

How much does it cost to spay / neuter an animal in Montenegro?

What do I do if I see a stray cat at my holiday accommodation?

How can I adopt a cat or dog from the streets of Montenegro?

Some of my favourite gear:

Past Screenings:

Future Screenings:

Watch the trailer

What people are saying…

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Croatia – 1st Entry from Montenegro