2026 May
As we do every year, Bodenheim is our destination for the first weekend in May. We can’t say for certain, but we reckon this is our 18th time there. This year, we take a week for the outward journey. Our first stop is Diepholz. We’ve been here years ago in the rain and mud, but today the weather is lovely. A great spot for its 5 euros, with water, electricity (in case you need it) and waste disposal facilities.
Ernst spends the afternoon on the radio; Sylvia has a new knitting project and a book.…
The next morning we discover that the electric waste valve is faulty, so we cannot empty our grey water hold.
Our next destination is Herford. The Bordatlas (2024 edition) describes this paid-for spot as offering views of the River Werre. That sounds good, but to get there you have to walk to the far end of the car park!
Payment is only accepted via an (outdated) German EC debit card. Fortunately, during opening hours, you can also pay at the swimming pool across the street. As it is a paved car park, Ernst is able to (temporarily) repair the wiring of the drain valve relatively cleanly. He’ll do a more permanent job after we get home. Ernst switches on the radio again.
After about 100 kilometres, we’re near Brilon. We thought it would be nice to pop over to the airfield where Ernst has been gliding in 1985 (!).
Even from a distance, we can see lots of cars parked there.
It turns out there are no flights today, but a ¼ mile drag racing event is taking place on the runway. Without a ticket, we’re not allowed to visit the clubhouse of the aeroclub, and we’re not particularly interested in the extremely noisy drag racing. So that was a short visit! We carry on to the motorhome site.
It turns out to be run by the local archery club. A pleasant spot with all the facilities and fairly quiet at night.
The centre of Brilon is within walking distance.
With a bit of local help, we find the - quite run-down - Jewish cemetery.
Further evidence of the Jewish community that once lived in Brilon is the presence of a number of Stolpersteine (stumbling stones). Nowadays there are more than 100 Stolpersteine in Brilon. Eventually there will be 123!
Afterwards, we enjoy a beer on the terrace in the sunshine! The weather is still lovely, though it is a bit windy.
Our plan is to head to Wetter. The motorhome site, which has no other facilities, turns out to cost € 7.50. That in itself isn’t a problem, but the spot is right next to the swimming pool’s air conditioning system, which makes quite a lot of noise. As Sylvia is worried she won’t be able to sleep there at night, we look for another spot. We settle on the site next to the tennis club in Amöneburg.
Payment here is also € 7.50, to be put in a letterbox.
No facilities, but we can use the tennis club’s Wi-Fi. During the day, many patients of the physiotherapy practice park here too, despite the sign stating that it’s reserved for motorhomes. We are the only motorhome here and we suspect that not many people stay overnight.
As we need to empty our waste tanks again, we drive to Homberg (Ohm), 12 kilometres away. There’s just one of the six pitches left. It’s a really cosy spot next to the town hall, where we have a chat with motorhome owners from various countries.
And another go at the radio.
As we’d finally like to go out for supper, we decide to leave our walk to the town centre until later in the afternoon.
First, we visit the castle, which is situated a little higher up. Volunteers are hard at work maintaining the beautiful castle gardens.
We enjoy an ice cream on the terrace of Capri, with a breathtaking view over the town and the surrounding countryside.
Finally we set off in search of the former synagogue, marked with an H on the historic city map. First we go to the wrong H, which turns out to be a bus stop (Haltestelle), but eventually we find the house on Schloßgasse where the Jewish community once gathered for synagogue services.
We didn’t fancy the Greek restaurant, so on the way back we ate at the Turkish snack bar with a few small tables. A nice cold beer and a delicious meal with plenty of fresh salad.
The next 100 kilometres take us to Villmar. At first, we aren’t too keen on the motorhome site.
We need to do some shopping, so we drive to the Rewe on the other side of the village. Afterwards, we enjoy a brown bread roll with cheese and salad, made especially for us, on the terrace at the bakery next door. Back at the motorhome site, we discover it’s right by the River Lahn. Unfortunately, the restaurant next door has been closed since two years.
A walk along the Lahn reveals what remains of the marble industry, like this old turbine shed, which is still in use today (to generate electricity).
We slept really well despite the nearby road. We know there won’t be any water or toilet facilities in Bodenheim this year, so we need to top up our water and dispose of waste before we head there. As it’s May 1st and all the shops will be closed, we also need to do our shopping for the whole weekend.
In Eltville am Rhein, we visit a Lidl. The motorhome site turns out to be right across the street, but it’s full because there are also cars parked there for the food bank, and besides, it looks very unattractive. We drive on to Oestrich-Winkel and, with some difficulty, find the motorhome site next to a sports centre. A great spot, but no water etc. We’ll just have to sort that out in Eltville tomorrow morning. Ernst turns on the radio; Sylvia goes for a walk through the vineyards with a view of the Wine Estate Schloss Vollrads in the distance.
Eventually, we decide to spend the night in Mainz, where we get one of the last pitches and where we can fill up with fresh water the next day.
We are now just 20 kilometres from Bodenheim, where we arrive at 10 am on the 1st of May. The front section of the field is set aside for this weekend’s wine tasting. We are positioned behind the (new) planters.
A new, larger toilet block is under construction but isn’t hooked up yet. After a warm welcome from organiser Wolfgang, a very relaxed weekend begins.
Once again, it’s radio, a book and some knitting, with a bit of a natter with other participants. It’s 25℃, sunny with a bit of a breeze.
Because of the 1st of May, the restaurants aren’t taking bookings and we don’t feel like going out to find a place with a large group. As an alternative, pizzas are ordered, but we still have some fresh supplies that need using up.
On Saturday, there’s a small market in the village with coffee, cake and wine. Sylvia pops over at the end and takes a few photos on the way.
In the evening, there is the traditional group barbecue, followed by a fascinating travelogue from Krabbe about his trip to Iceland. This year marks the 25th time this weekend has been organised. Will it be held again next year?
And finally, here’s a nice overview. Perhaps it’s time we got ourselves a drone with a 4K camera as well...
Photo: © nunmachmal.
Originally, the plan was to drive back in two or three days, but we’re also tempted by the idea of driving on a Sunday when there’s hardly any heavy goods traffic, and just pushing on so we can reach Hesel by the end of the day. In the end, it takes us 6 hours to cover the 486 kilometres, and we’re back home just before the thunderstorm breaks.
The van performed brilliantly, so we’ve promised it to give it a good wash with the pressure washer someday.
As for the radio, it’s clear once again that conditions can vary greatly from day to day, also depending on the frequency band. But on the “good days”, the antenna performed quite well and the number of contacts is satisfactory, most of them digital ones, given Ernst’s hearing problems.
