Entry 5--September 8
After all the anxiety and frustration of the previous Friday, picking up Rover on Monday turned out to be very simple. Another taxi ride (€52 this time), less than a two-hour wait in the shipping company’s office on the dock, and literally a thirty-second customs check: then we put the license plates back on, affixed the "USA" decal (a requirement, not jingoism) and were on our way.
The first thing we had to do was stop for gas (about $9/US gallon). We were delighted to find that we could also fill our LPG tank at the same station for about €2.40 /US gallon. Not only that, but we didn’t need any special adaptor fittings--like, for instance, the ones we had paid $170 for that we’d been told we would need. Instead, the supply hose had a fitting that we screwed on to the tank’s input, and we filled it just like you fill a gas tank. It shut off automatically at the necessary 80% full. The ease of the operation may be a result of the increasing use of propane for automobile fuel in Europe.
We drove south along the coast of the North Sea, never actually seeing water, stopped at a grocery store, and found our way to a lovely rural campground outside Bredene, near Oostende, with many permanent trailers. We’ve seen about five people in the campground, so we think most of the units belong to people who come in on weekends. There are bike paths everywhere and we intend to use them.
We spent the afternoon unpacking and putting everything in its place. Now that we are here and have cleared customs on both ends, we can admit that we did not ship the motorhome empty as the shipper required. (Neither does anyone else whose webpage we’ve read on the subject.) We had put locks on the underbed spaces and closet and filled them with everything--linens, dishes, tools, some food, two folding bicycles, pots and pans, clothing, cleaning supplies, books, bedding, folding chairs and table for outside--so it looked empty. On the plane we carried with us some additional clothing and the computer, camera, gps, and telephones. Our two checked suitcases were not full. When we inspected Rover, we found everything just as we had left it, although we could tell that a few of the unlocked cupboards had been opened.
All in all, it is a great relief to be here, to have everything with us, and to be recovering from jet lag. Our biggest problem right now: David cannot find his passport.
(Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion! AND for an answer to the question (with photos), "So what does one do for nearly three days in Brugge, the most expensive city in Western Europe, while waiting for your RV to get off the boat?")