August 19th, 2019 - September 2nd, 2019
Part 1 - ENGLAND
August 13th:
The boat left Dunkirk at eight, so we departed from Ghent at five. A few days before departure the weather expectations were terrible, we even considered not going, but now, on the boat, the weather looked promising, despite a few dark clouds over the Channel. The ferry had a speed of 21 knots, which is about 40 kilometers per hour. Very soon, the white cliffs were visible. The ferry had vegan options, but they were expensive and not all that great.
Unfortunately, we were not allowed on the deck, but we did get a nice view from the window.
Driving on the left side of the road and converting the miles to kilometers required some adjusting and time. Luckily it was not too busy on the roads and some minor mistakes were fixed without serious discomfort to other drivers.
We made a small walk in the woodlands near the foot of Dover Castle and came across the Blériot Memorial. Blériot was the first to fly over the Channel in 1909 and crashlanded his plane at this very spot.
Afterwards we looked for a Lidl and have a lunch at the White Cliffs of Dover, after which we made a nice walk. The harsh winds made the day feel colder and sometimes it was quite a steep path.
There's a wreck at the beach and a stairway leading towards it, but it was high tide, so we decided not to take the stairs down.The dark clouds forming over the cliffs lead us back to our car.
It was not easy to find a place to sleep, as in, a place where you could park a campervan and sleep without either paying a lot or getting into trouble. We have a campervan because it's fun to have everything with you, but also because we're on a budget. British law regarding "wild camping with a motorhome" is unclear, but as far as I found, it's not illegal. Sleeping in layby's is permitted, while it's not allowed in private parkings and such.
Eventually we found a small spot near Tolsford Hill's telecommunication tower with many fields surrounding it. The animals grazing in the fields weren't too keen on people, there were no hugs for us.
We ended the day with cooking and relaxing.
August 14th:
As we drove towards a lake called Bewl Water we passed a small village with an amazing church that was so right out of a fantasy movie. We stopped the car as it was drizzling soft.
Apparently it's a classical exampel of a British medieval church, but it was new to us. This church, the All Saints church in Biddenden, was built in 1283. I don't know if it are the same stones as back then, but the church and surrounding graveyard do have that vibe.
We then drove to Cranbrook where we made a walk through the forest. The rain made the the paths muddy and at some points even inaccessible.
Then we continued to Bewl Water. It was more a activity center (aimed at kids and families), so it was not the quiet place by the water we had hoped for. We then circled around the lake as we searched for a decent spot.
We found a layby but the traffic drove so fast that the van shook back and forth. A bit further down the road was something that resembled a parking. We walked nearby and then prepared to go to bed. A loud bang on the door followed. "I'm sorry, you can't park here", the lady said.
I expected this, but thought it was worth the try anyway. Back to the layby then.
August 15th:
We woke up early as the cars racing past shook the van. Luckily, the local Sainsbury's at Royal Tunbridge Wells openend at 7, so we didn't have to wait long to get some breakfast. While Sainsbury's is clearly more expensive than Lidl, their range of vegan products is wider.
After grocery shopping we took a walk through the town and made a stop at Starbucks. While I had bought unlimited data back in Belgium, to use in the UK, but there were several issues with my provided, and Starbucks has a good internet connection.
After Royal Tunbridge Wells we wanted to go for a walk at Tidebrook.
We parked the car at a open space at the start of a forest, but failed to see a low-hanging branch. And part of one of our back windows shattered into a million pieces.
There was no internet connection, and we didn't want to leave the van like this as we went on a walk, so we decided to drive back to Royal Tunbridge Wells, to a hardware store.
Because we had no internet we had to guess our way back. Luckily, our memory was good enough and we made it to the town, where we had connection again. On the parking lot of the hardware store we taped the entire window shut with duct tape.
Anyway, after this small ordeal we drove back to the same spot and parked the van (minding the trees and branches this time). And we went on our walk.
The walk went through many fields and we saw many sheep. Unfortunately, the sheep were too scared to give some hugs. There was also a warning sign talking of a bull, but we didn't see him.
At an open place in a field there was a fire. Someone had gathered a lot of wood and set fire to the make-shift pyre. Not our business, we thought, but ... the wind blew hard enough to maybe light the nearby trees of the forest. So, when we didn't find the owner of the field, we saw no other alternative than to call the fire department.
We waited for them to come, to guide them from the street over the hill and to the fire. After extinguishing it, the commander assured us that we did the right thing. Better safe than sorry.
The walk was coming to an end and we drove back to Sainsbury's to buy more groceries.
And then we were off to Brighton.
Near the Falmer-campus of the University of Sussex we found a nice and quiet spot, near fields, sheep and horses.
August 16th:
As we opened the door of the van, we saw horses grazing in the field. This is a nice way to wake up and start the day.
We left the car there and walked to the nearest bus stop and took the bus to the center of Brighton.
The gardens of the Royal Pavillion were beautiful, but the fake Indian facade of the building itself reminded us strongly of Efteling, a unique theme park in The Netherlands. We didn't go inside though.
Brighton is known for its pier. It's full of entertainment and food stalls. But vegan food, that was unheard of.
Longing for a bite to eat, we dropped by Greggs. The vegan sausage roll (their first vegan product) was new since January of this year, so we were just in luck. The moment we decided to go to the United Kingdom, this vegan sausage roll was something I wanted to try. And now, in Brighton, we passed by a Greggs and that was just the perfect moment.
Holy shit!
It is good. It is really good.
Healthy? Probably not, it's still fast-food, but it is really good, definitely for that price too. I'm not ashamed to admit that we ate several.
Also, for all the carnists who wonder "where do vegans get their protein from"? The vegan sausage roll has more proteins that the one made from animal parts.
We took the bus to the Booth Museum of Natural History. Museums of natural history are often stuffed with dead animals, either skeletal or taxidermised. While it is an amazing opportunity to look at certain animals up-close, it still feels wrong to pay to see it. This museum, however, was free. Their collection of birds, butterflies and insects is vast.
As far as we knew, Brighton had little more to offer us at that time, so we went back to the car, our decision was hastened by the forecast of heavy rainfall.
August 17th:
The weather was better today and we wanted to just take it easy, so we opted for a walk in the neighborhood, through the fields and meadows, alongside trees, through a herd of sheep and alongside horses, seeing many flowers and hills in the distance.
August 18th:
Near the town of Dorking lies Box Hill, an old fortress with a nice view over the surrounding area.
The paths are sometimes really steep. But the view, oh the view. It's worth it.
August 19th:
After a walk along the river at Box Hill we drove to my main reason for wanting to visit the United Kingdom ... Stonehenge.
The closer we got to Salisbury, the more excited I got. I kept looking round, hoping to see the Neolithic wonder.
As much as I wanted to see Stonehenge, I found the price too high, especially since I also wanted to place my hand on the stone in an attempt to connect with the past.
We parked all the way at the other side, a small parking lot near Woodhenge and the Durringon Walls. I would have never heard of these monuments and others along the path to Stonehenge, had we parked at the official parking and paid for entrance.
Woodhenge is - just like Stonehenge - a type of earthwork from Neolithical times, often in an oval or circle shape. Woodhenge was built with wood, as you would suspect from the name. The wood is long gone, so they have used stone stumps instead.
Fun intermezzo: amazing British comedienne Eddie Izzard has a really funny bit (but I am biased, I love her work!) about Stonehenge, check it out!
There's not a lot to see at the Durrington Walls, an earth mound going in a circle, but it was nice to see, knowing that this is at least as old as Stonehenge itself (and it might even be older).
There's a path from Woodhenge going all the way to Stonehenge.
Along the path is the Cuckoo Stone, a large significant stone that was used by several cultures throughout history, including the Romans.
Going further along the path were herds of sheep in fields and meadows. My heart started racing. In the distance we saw Stonehenge, small, but there it was. The closer we got, the more excited I got, there were times that I got nauseous from the nerves.
And then there she is, up close, Stonehenge.
If you don't pay, you can still visit the monument. Buying a ticket just gets you like a few meters closer. This distance was good enough for me. I felt the magical and mystical effect. It was phenomenal. Breath-taking. A real moment of real happiness. A dream come true.
After this spectacular moment - that's forever etched into my being - we drove to Tisbury and looked for a place to sleep.
August 20th:
We wake up outside of Old Wardour Castle, the ruins of a six-sided castle built in the 14th century. The six-sided model was copied from a French design.
During the civil war half of the castle got destroyed, what's left is open to the public.
The audio guide tells the story of the history of the castle and mixes it with accounts from people who lived back then and there. It was very interesting and very entertaining.
From the castle we could see the New Wardour Castle and the surrounding landscape.
After a short nap we drove to Bristol. We booked a B&B as we felt that we deserved a decent bed.
Since we could only check in after 6 in the afternoon, we thought we'd treat ourselves to a restaurant. Koocha Mezze is a vegan restaurant with Persian influences. They have so many mezze-dishes, but we managed to choose five, including two dips. Their Zaataar bread was heavenly.
Back to the B&B.
Good god, we got a loft bed, with a sad excuse for a ladder. Honestly, the roof of the room was so low that I could hardly get in the bed from the ladder. Right next to the room was the bathroom, resulting in a lot of noise. Luckily the hostess understood our complaints and promised to give us a refund if we decided to leave.
And we did. We drove around and found a calm parking spot in a dead-end-street.
PART 2 - WALES
August 21st:
As we opened the door of our van and put on our shoes, we were greeted by a couple of cute dogs. One of them almost jumped in the van, only to be stopped right before by the accompanying human.
We crossed the river Severn into Newport, Wales.
At the local Starbucks we planned the next couple of days.
We drove to Llantony in the Vale of Ewyas (Welsh reads like a fantasy language of Elves, fun fact, Sindarin - one of the Elven language created by J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired by Welsh, and it's one of the many languages that I want to learn), to the ruins of an old priory.
The priory ruins were stunning. The landscape was amazing. We decided to stay here until tomorrow. But first ... we toured the ruins of the priory after which we walked through the meadows filled with sheep and over hills.
We wanted to get to the top of the Hatterrall Hill Ridge, unfortunately the small path leading up (and the rest of the hill going up) was covered in bushes, there was no way we could get up there safely. Shame, though, because on our side of the Hill was Wales, and on the other was England. On the Ridge itself was a path as well. The view must have been wonderful. Maybe another time.
When we got back to the Priory, we decided to get a cider at the bar of the hotel, which is housed in part of the priory.
August 22nd:
Today was a rest day, partly forced by bad weather and heavy rainfall, partly because we were on the edge of being exhausted and could really use the break.
We stayed in the car and watched Game of Thrones (this also felt like the right environment for it).
August 23rd:
Because we can't sit around watching Game of Thrones all day (well, we could, but that would be a waste of vacation-time), we went for another walk, albeit short.
After the walk and breakfast, we drove to the Waitrose in Abergavenny, a huge supermarket with a whole range of vegan products, including a vegan alternative for duck.
Brecon Beacons is a mountain range and houses the highest mountain in South Wales.
We stopped for a quick bite near the Pontsticill Reservoir and there we heard a 19th century steam train.
We continued on the road to Taf Fechan forest in Merthyr Tydfil (sorry, I just love these names). A walk through this idyllic and magical forest (which translates into Owl's Grove) let us dream of a world with no humans, it was so quiet, not a sound of human origin. A babbling brook and a path surrounded by a moss-covered forest, this is truly awesome.
Right before we got back to the car, our walk brought us to Torpantau Station, which is where the steam train has its final stop (only in the summer). The train rides to the village of Pant, just a few kilometers away.
A bit further down the road is the Blaen Y Glyn Uchaf parking lot (which translates to The tip of the highest glen). The parking lot was surrounded by waterfalls and pathways leading to several of them.
Brecon Beacons is one of the first regions in the United Kingdom to introduce the "Dark Sky" policy. This means that light pollution is reduced as much as possible and the result would be that you could see many stars and maybe even the Milky Way, provided that it's a clear sky.
We saw so many stars, way more than we had ever seen. No Milky Way today (which reminds me of a song), maybe later.
August 24th:
The parking lot was full. The verges of the street were also full of cars. We managed to find a spot.
And then we started our hike. Up the twin mountains. The hike up was quite challenging, which was a bit embarrassing as several families with small children just passed us by.
But after a long walk, with many stops to catch our breath, but also to take pictures, we reached the summit of Pen y Fan, the highest mountain of South Wales. The summit gave us a wonderful view over so many things, so many landscapes and villages, hills and forests. We could see our car, we could see the lake where we planned on sleeping, we also saw Torpantai Station, this was a nice place to just sit for a while.
From the summit you could also see a lake that goes by the name Llyn Cwm Llwch. Not that we had any plans, but one source claimed it was a great place to go swimming, while another source raged about the amount of leeches in the water.
Fun fact, the Fan Dance is a 24 km long race that is part of the SAS selection process where candidates march - in full gear - over the Pen y Fan.
The route took us down along the summit of Corn Du, but also gives nice views. On the path down we were greeted by hordes of sheep (and for some unexplicable reason, many sheep during our entire UK-trip felt the need to empty their bladder as they looked at me, while I had never seen a sheep pee before), and some really friendly cows. One of them came close enough for some head patting and nose boops. She was really photogenic and sweet.
The route came to an end and we got back to the parking lot. We drove a small distance to the nearby Beacons Reservoir to rest for the night.
August 25th:
We woke up at Beacons Reservoir where the Taf Fawr flows. We took our food out to the water of the reservoir, where we had our breakfast on the bank. Sirens sounded in the distance and came closer. Apparently a serious accident happened really close-by (as in, we could see the two ambulances, the fire trucks and police vans from where we sat, it was right on the other side of the reservoir).
The accident caused a serious traffic jam and police officers were tasked with guiding the traffic. We had to take a big detour, but this detour provided us with a much nicer view than the busy road that we normally would have taken. The destination was Asda, a supermarket with public bathrooms.
From there we set out to Snowdonia. It turned out to be a bad Sunday, right near the previous accident (which was resolved by then) was a new accident, but seemingly less serious as there the police and fire department weren't involved. The trip towards Snowdonia would take close to five hours so we wouldn't be able to do much else.
The Llyn Clywedog viewpoint was a nice resting place, but was not suitable for sleeping since it's right by the road and there were no public restrooms. But the view was good!
At Llyn Trawsfynydd we found a spot to park and sleep. We took a short hike nearby and found an decommissioned nuclear power plant (from the Magnox-type, which is the same type as the nuclear plant from the Sellafield disaster, by the way). It was decommissioned in 1991 and is calculated to have returned to its pre-nuclear state by 2083.
As we walked near the plant we could here a loud buzzing emanating from the electricity towers which sent the power from the plant to the village. We had a general feeling of uneasiness.
We returned to the car and spent the night.
August 26th:
The plan for today was the world's fastest zipline, which is also Europe's longest.
But first, breakfast at the lake. The mist that covered the lake added a very special effect.
The van was old and crappy, Snowdonia is quite hilly, so we took a detour along the coast.
The death ride was not for me as I still had issues with things near my throat / hypersensitive gag reflex. The zipline went over an old quarry which was now filled with clear blue water.
The restaurant had one vegan option, which was a simple and basic tomato saus pasta, only ... the tomato sauce was more something you'd expect at a Chinese restaurant. It was like a sweet and sour sauce, but not completely.
We then drove on to Caernarfon. As we walked along the harbor and beach we entered the castle ruin dating back to 1283. This ruin is very well kept. It was a wonderful ruin and it was definitely worth the visit.
Since it was only fifteen minutes away, we decided to cross the bridge and drive to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. While I managed to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull fairly quickly, I don't think this would be so easy.
We found a quiet spot and decided to rest there for the night.
August 27th:
Beddgelert is a small village in Snowdonia and was named after a dog named Gelert. The owner of Gelert, called Llywelyn, entered the nursery and did not find his baby in the crib. He did see, however, Gelert sitting nearby with blood in and around his mouth. The man could draw no other conclusion than that his faithful dog killed his child. He took his sword and killed Gelert. At the sight of the dog being killed, the baby began to cry. The man found his child in the corner of the room. The man began to cry. He had killed his dog for no reason, and his child was still alive.
As he took the lantarn and approached the corner, he saw his unharmed baby, but he also saw a dead wolf. Then it all became crystal clear to the man. Gelert, faithful Gelert, had protected the child and killed the wolf.
Filled with grief and remorse, the man erected a statue for Gelert and gave the village its new name.
We drove past university city Bangor and came to Abergwyngregyn. Abergwyngregyn is home to the Aber Falls. After a walk from the parking lot next to the Afon Rhaeadr-Fawr (afon meaning river, and Rhaeadr-Fawr is the Welsh name for Aber Falls), along trees and mountain sides, we found the stunning waterfalls. It was a busy place, many people were enjoying the sight, several parents let their children play in the water below, others were eating their lunch.
Turning back towards Bangor, we then turned south again and drove towards Pont Pen-y-benglog, near three lakes called Llyn Idwal, Llyn Bocklwyd and Llyn Ogwen. Each lake has hiking paths around it, but the parking lot was super busy and from the road we could see throngs of people. We decided to come back another day and drove on to a village called Capel Curig. The internet promised us a parking spot, a public bathroom and several nice walks in the neighborhood. The bathroom was locked, however.
August 28th:
The gentle ticking and dripping of rain on the roof of the van woke us up. The weather forecast for the coming days didn't look promising.
After our breakfast in the van, the rain had stopped, so we put on our walking shoes and went for a short walk in the area. Through sheep-filled field and along Llynnau Mymbyr we cross the Nant Gwryd and entered a forest that was home to many small waterfalls and subsequent streams.
We ate dinner in our van and then drove back to Bangor for groceries and the local Starbucks for further planning and use of the internet.
The plan to go to Pont Pen-y-benglog was not cancelled, so we tried to go there again.
The A5-road there goes a long time past the Nant Ffrancon Pass, the valley that houses the Nant Ffrancon. A surreal moment happened. A small plane flew through the valley, it felt like a scene straight from an action movie.
We parked at the parking lot (makes sense, right?), used the restroom facilities and off we went towards Llyn Idwal.
Through the rock formation we then got to a large stone overseeing the Nant Ffrancon Pass. What a view! Mountains, moss-covered rocks, the ocean in the distance.
As we went further on the hike, we came at Llyn Idwal itself. The sun had already began to set. Sunlight and shadow created a magical dance on the mountain sides.
The entire walk was not really that long, but it was oh so beautiful. By far the most beautiful walk of this trip.
We searched for a place to sleep and found Cae'n y Coed, a forest not far from Capel Curig.
The nightsky was filled with stars.
August 29th:
While I wanted to write that we were awakened by raindrops carressing the roof, it actually sounded more like a bombardment. We hopped behind the wheel and drove off, getting a coffee at a cafe near Capel Curig.
Blimey! We never thought it possible, but the village had less than 300 inhabitants, but the cafe had soy milk and vegan cake. And the prices were reasonable as well!
Betws y Coed has a beautiful church with ample parking space. Someone at the nearby information center gladly informed us about the many walks you could do nearby. We opted for a walk through the forest with a view over the village.
Afterwards we drove to Fairy Glen.
Holy fuck, what a disappointment.
The parking space is small and weird, the parking spaces have different sizes.
As we neared the little gate towards the path to Fairy Glen, an old mean woman ran towards us. She's the owner of the nearby B&B.
"You parked there?" she asked almost barking.
We acknownledged this.
"You going to Fairy Glen?" followed.
Again, we acknownledged this.
"One pound per person per vehicle." she demanded, immediately holding out her hand like a beggar. And demand was the correct term and not an exaggeration.
But, okay, whatever, two pounds for a mystical walk called Fairy Glen, no problem for me, even though a shiver ran down my spine and it felt like I had just sold my soul to some meanspirited creature.
The walk itself was not really fun either. There were several streams throughout the Glen, but the bridges crossing the streams were either in very bad shape (missing planks, planks bending under the weight of a regular person and such) and / or very slippery.
Then there was the path towards the waterfall, down at the larger river. The stone staircase had rocks of uneven height that we so slippery that you almost had to go down while sitting on your butt.
I had such high hopes for this place, but it was an enormous disappointment.
It can't always be a win, I guess.
PART 3 - ENGLAND
August 30th:
Today was the start of Vegan Camp-Out.
Before we headed to the festival, we went for some grocery shopping.
The closer we got to the festival grounds, the busier the roads got.
The queue to enter the grounds was long too. Good to know that so many people were into veganism and this festival though.
As we roamed the terrain for some food, we spotted the Unity Diner foodtruck, next to the truck stood Earthling Ed. There were two queues. Those that wanted to buy food, and those that wanted to get a picture with Ed. We also went for the latter. And the amazing thing was that it really felt like he took the time to talk to everyone. It wasn't just "picture, smile, next". He talked to everyone that wanted to get a picture, he asked them where they were from, and this helped many people relax more. He really did seem genuinely interested. His smile also felt real. As for personal boundaries, if the other person wrapped an arm around Ed for the photo-op, then he would return that; if the person didn't do it, then he didn't either.
I have seen some celebrities in my lifetime, but none felt so genuine as Ed.
After the photo and a bite, we headed towards the screening of the movie Planet Vegan. But the sound was poorly mixed and too loud, and the acoustics of the room were far from ideal. The screen was also too low causing a third of the film to be displayed on the back of people's heads.
Ed's speech at the main stage was welcomed by a barrage of cheers. But here, again, the sound and acoustics were far from ideal.
Back in the car we heard the bass coming from the afterparty at the main stage booming on the parking. We try to go to sleep.
August31st:
Even though many interesting talks and workshops were scheduled, we feared the sound issues would be too severe to enjoy them. So we decided to leave after we got some food from a food truck. In hindsight, Vegan Camp-Out does profile itself as a festival with music, talks and workshops, rather than a conference. And while there's absolutely nothing wrong with such a festival, it's less for us since we're more on the reserved and quiet side.
We decided to drive to Kent. The closer we got to the London-area, the busier the roads got. We stopped for gas and as we went to pay in the shop, a trucker approached us. "Hey, you guys are from Belgium, right? You understand English, you're an intelligent people". Not gonna lie, this brought a smile to our faces. He then proceeded to warn us about huges traffic jams around London and the roads that we had to take. The trucker was so kind to tell us how to drive instead, avoiding the busy traffic jams around the capital.
Night started to fall and the road to Kent was still long, so we talked and decided to return to the Zig Zag Road near Box Hill (where we were on August 18th). We knew that it was a good place to sleep.
As we sat in the van watching some more Game of Thrones, we were startled by pebbled flying towards the car and loud banging noises.
It was a Saturday and the local youth wanted to drift on this parking lot. With no indication that they were to leave anytime soon, it was up to us to leave. A bit down the road was another perfect spot where we then parked.
The sound of a helicopter drew our attention.
Not long after, several of the drifters' pimped up and tuned out cars came racing by with loud music. The helicopter kept hovering over the forest area with a search light.
September 1st:
We were woken early up by a herd of cycle fanatics, so we drove to Perry Wood, near Kent, and tried to get some more sleep.
When we woke up (again, and intentional this time), we saw many people walking their cute dogs.
The woods were filled with grey squirrels. We ate our breakfast with smiles on our faces.
We walked in the forest, and got back to the car, but there was still a lot of time to kill before our ferry tomorrow, so we drove to Canterbury and went to the local Wagamama. We knew this restaurant from in Antwerp, but the vegan menu was a lot bigger here in England.
After a walk round the famous Cathedral, we drove back to Perry Road.
September 2nd:
The ferry would leave Dover at 15:10 only to arrive at the port of Calais at 17:40, but we were too early at the Dover port. Luckily, we were allowed to take an earlier boat, saving us an hour and a half.
The trip across the Channel went smoothly, the weather was nice, we were allowed on deck.
England and its cliffs shrank and France got bigger.
