Europe by van Day 5

Our quiet free parking ended up quite noisy till 10 as cars poured in - there was a football match nearby with loudspeakers. At the end of it Mr C had to go out and manoeuvre the van as someone needed us to move as someone else had blocked him in. Just as well there was no gin taken last night. After that it was very peaceful.

We left at 8.30 but it took us 15 minutes to find our way out to the A1, the route we had seen on google being closed off. The Austrian motorways were busy till we by-passed Vienna. At the border we bought a number-plate recognition pass to use the motorways on Slovakia. Google helped us round the complicated interchange systems around Bratislava.

We had about 10 miles after the motorway up a narrow valley on a winding single track road then a further 1/2 mile on an even narrower road to reach our campsite Konibar Kemp Pod Jazerom, the nearest we could find to Banska Stiavnica, a remote UNESCO town.

The camp site, surrounded by trees, in a narrow, steep-sided valley, is very basic. Strangely the owner (or manager, not entirely sure) is English. There are a few tents, a couple of cabins inhabited by a crowd of noisy young men, and a couple of camper vans.

After a beer and our sandwich, we walked 1/2 mile up the very steep hill to a lake where I had a swim. There were a few cars parked up, all SK, with fishermen and a few swimmers and sunbathers. A young women dipped her toes in and said it was too cold. She’s obviously not swum in the North Sea (or paddled in the Baltic!) I found it perfect.

On our return I found the showers redimentary - there was no light in the tiny hut which housed one shower, so Mr C stood at the open door so that I could find my stuff in the dark. The water was warm which was good as the sun left the site by 4 and it has cooled quickly.

The owner says the road to the town is pretty mountainous and might be tricky. Mr C asked if a bus used it. It does so we’ll give it a go.

We drove 274 miles today.