Rob Mieras is a 4×4 driving instructor and has the patience of Job when it comes to teaching new offroading skills to nervous drivers. We had the good fortune of joining them on a camping trip to Freizeitpark Mammut in Germany, which was just fabulous.

The highlight of the week was definitely learning how to gear down steep slopes and charge through muddy pools. But it all started rather slowly for me … Let’s face it, keeping control of a beast that weighs more than two tons is scary. Read the rest of this entry »

Building a camp fire is not allowed in most of the camping spots we’ve visited in the last couple of years, both in Holland and in Germany. But this one was different.

Freizeitpark Mammut is huge, with lovely grassy fields, ginormous trees and slopes to match, with forest areas, marsh lands and open savanah-type areas. It’s an off-roader’s dream!

But I digress … I was harping on about the campfires. Because that’s the way we used to camp as kids - rugged, full of adventure and a mesmerising fire to capture your memories.

And then there was the mud. Read the rest of this entry »

Oldenburg in Germany is some four hours away from us, but we took a drive there on the 16th of December, to meet up with our cousins for just a few hours at the Christmas Market.

These German markets are renowned for their festive spirit and good cheer. It was worth the effort and we found the greatest gifts … love, care, attention and time with family and friends. Read the rest of this entry »