After 2 months of preparation – from getting the house ready for our absence, to settling our cat in with our neighbor, who so graciously agreed to cat sitting, to final packing (Bruce) – departure day was finally upon us.
Our darling son drove us to Spokane International Airport, dropped us off and after a flurry of hugs and kisses told us to call when we needed a ride home.
Our trip was three legged: Spokane to Seattle, Seattle to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Amsterdam. The longest leg was ten hours and was surprisingly uneventful. By that I mean our economy class seats were not the most uncomfortable seats we’ve flown in and it was an overnight flight so we had the opportunity to sleep some of the flight away. One of us did, Bruce did not.We had our first view of Germany’s beautifully kept farmlands from the plane as we approached Frankfurt airport. There was an hour layover between flights to Amsterdam and we needed that hour to go through customs and find our departure gate.

By the time we disembarked at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, 17 hours after leaving Spokane, Bruce’s back was aching so badly he was having difficulty handling his 13 lb carry-on bag. Our 50 pound rolling duffle bags were way beyond our desire to lug onto and off of the train, so we opted to take a taxi to Utrecht, the neighboring town where Donna and our future “home” resided. While expensive, at 120 euros, the taxi ride was a solid investment in time and pain management.
Late Friday afternoon we had our first look at the Hymer camper van which was to be our rolling home for the duration of the trip. Larger than the VW campers we had used on our past trips, it has a rear kitchen, actual bathroom with a hand shower, 5 sleeping berths and not quite as much storage as we had hoped.
A past owner was evidently in love with all things English because they had permanently decorated the interior in a British motif. The cabinet doors were painted Union Jack blue, walls were painted white and the sides of seating areas have a London landmarks wallpaper. Its rather jarring at first glance (and at second glance) but we had been warned in advance and as long as the mechanics of the van are sound we can live with (and perhaps tone down) the cosmetics.
The previous owners had also left the van a mess. We don’t know if they left in a hurry or didn’t give a damn, but there was a lot of stuff in it.

Saturday we discovered our whole water system has leaks somewhere between the freshwater holding tank and the bathroom. Turn on the kitchen faucet and water drains out onto the bathroom floor – and the toilet holding tank is full. That means no wash up water and no toilet – but we do have lots and lots of toilet paper! We cannot get on the road until it can be repaired and repairs won’t begin until Monday due to the weekend.
Current thought is the previous owner did not empty the tanks before they departed and the water lines froze during the winter.
Thankfully Donna has facilities we can use as repairs are made, but we want to get on the road. We have places to see and the clock is ticking: we are in Schengen territory and can only stay for 90 days before we must leave the Schengen Agreement countries for 90 days. It appears the refugee crisis has help reinstate border crossings and casual long-term tourists are caught up in the crackdown.

In brief – the Schengen Agreement of 1985 says non-EU visitors may stay in Schengen countries for 90 out of 180 days. If your trip is longer than 3 months you must spend the rest of the 180 days out of Schengen countries. Then the calendar resets for another 90 days within the Schengen borders.
We have traveled Europe long term two times since the Schengen Agreement was enacted and have never had any issues: in 2000 for 13 months and in 2008 for five months. This time all we are hearing is how we must respect the limitations. Our itinerary will be affected by those limitations. We have until July 26 before we must get outta Dodge for 90 days. We’ll have to decide where we shall go. Our choices outside of the Schengen area are the UK (always a favorite) and Croatia and surrounding countries.

 

The countdown has begun.
We are returning to Europe – and all the lovely countries within – for our third extended visit. Like our previous two trips, we will be camping our way across multiple countries by purchasing a used camper van in Utrecht, NL.
Now though, we are making lists and checking them twice, trying to cover all our bases as we prepare to be gone for an indeterminate time.
Our baggage allowance per person is 50 lbs for check-in and 13.222 lbs for carry on. We bought 2 rolling duffle bags and own two smaller carry-ones. I have been googling how to pack for longer trips using only a carry-on bag: Use packing cubes and take 7 tops, 4 pants, a dress or skirt, 3 pairs shoes, sweater and coat and make sure they can all work with each other.
I have been packing and re-packing my bags trying to eliminate frivolous clothing and necessary misc. items, but I am going to be gone for far longer than these websites suggest, and I NEED A GREATER VARIETY OF CLOTHES TO WEAR!!!! I have 12 tops, 8 pairs of pants (skort/jeans/capris), leggings (winter/summer), 4 prs shoes, 4 outer wraps (2 sweaters, rain and 2 jackets), one dress and a bathing suit.
We bought 2 large and 2 medium sized packing cubes from Amazon which have been of immense help. I’ve packed all my tops in the medium cube and pants and leggings, bathing suit and sweater in the large one.
We also have a variety of electronics and accessories as well as items to help supply our camper van that must come with us.
The bottom line is this: my duffle bag weighs 48 lbs and my carry on bag weighs 12 lbs. I have a 3 lb. cushion!
Bruce hasn’t begun to pack yet and I can’t wait to see how he does.