Zutphen 2019

Over the winter our motorhome spent 3 months at Frankia for repairs, where the well-known roof problem of the 2002–2006 Frankia models was fixed. After such a long time without a motorhome, we were longing to finally get back on the road.

Our first trip after the break was a shopping tour in the Netherlands. We want to redesign our garden and terrace in the spring and had discovered an interesting garden centre.

On Friday afternoon we set off for the Netherlands and headed for the motorhome pitch in Zutphen. The pitch is very idyllically situated by a pond right in the town centre. Fresh water and electricity are available right at the pitch; you pay via a website on which you have to register. The overnight stay itself is free – only during the day is there a parking fee of 2 euros.

When we arrived there was a little snow, and everything looked very idyllic. We explored the town a bit and looked around the area. Less than 700 metres from the pitch there is an Albert Heijn XXL store with everything you need.

After a quiet night we left the pitch at around 9 a.m. and headed for the garden paradise. We reached Fonteyn (https://www.fonteyn.nl/) after 40 minutes. The store has plenty of parking, so we got a space even with our big motorhome.

In the store we couldn't stop marvelling and could hardly believe the dimensions. In Germany, if you're looking for a garden shed or a pool, for example, you can quickly find a dealer, but the exhibition area is usually rather small. Here it's exactly the opposite.

I can't give any real numbers for how many garden sheds alone are set up here (I'd estimate well over 100), or how many swimming pools or hot tubs are on display. The range goes on with patio roofs, barbecues, seating areas and much more.

In the store, staff walk around with free fresh coffee and offer it to customers, and there are little snacks and drinks on many corners – all free of charge.

After a few hours we left the garden centre full of inspiration and headed for the Oosterik garden centre we already knew, as it was on the way. Oosterik is very well known, and if you're looking for flowers, shrubs and garden accessories, you've come to the right place. There's also lots more to discover here, from furniture to decorative items.

Then we crossed the border into Germany for the next shopping stop, XXXLutz. The big furniture store is right on the border, and there's also a MediaMarkt in the same building. So we stopped here too and strolled through the shops. With a motorhome it's a bit difficult to get a space in the car park in front of the entrance on a Saturday afternoon. It's easier behind the building: when you drive into the car park, don't turn right towards the entrance, but straight away to the left.

We also found a pitch for the night very quickly, as we already knew it from an earlier stop: the free motorhome pitch in Salzbergen, not far from the motorway. Fresh water and waste disposal are available, but I can't say much about the prices, as we had enough electricity and water. When we arrived there were already 4 motorhomes there. There are 6 pitches right next to the hall (but it's very hard to get TV reception there) and one at the front by the road. We parked right on the tarmac pitch by the road. The road isn't very busy in the evening. After a quiet night we drove on in the morning to Rila, a delicatessen importer with its own motorhome pitch.

Right next to the visitor centre is the large adventure garden, which invites you to linger. Unfortunately it was too cold for us, so we only did a short round.