Weekend Getaway: Camping in Relles Mühle

Our First Camping Trip 

Relles Mühle

     Two years ago, my sweetheart and I talked about the possibility of camping. I got overexcited, as I tend to do when an adventure awaits around the corner, but he said, "Maybe next year." I was not pleased, but he was right. He usually is, not always, but quite often. (Don't tell him or I will never hear the end of it!) Why was it better to wait? To begin with, I had just moved to the Netherlands from Mexico. On top of that, we were trying to figure out: how to be together, who we were as a couple, and which were our new roles as individuals and as a family.

     Fast-forwarding, I'm delighted to report that it's been two years and we feel... Well, I'll leave it to the amorous you to complete that phrase. I don't want to be too corny, as my darling would say. 

     Anyway, now that the hard part is over, we are focusing on enjoying more of the simple things in life, like camping! Today, I'll be sharing our first camping trip, including our road and hiking routes, info on the camping site, and the budget as well.

Hitting The Road

     We left on a sunny then rainy Friday afternoon and drove from Eindhoven to Relles Mühle Camping site. The distance is about 200 km. It took us under 3 hours, so it was an easy and pleasant ride. 

Arrival

   

     Relles Mühle camping site is on the German side, but just crossing the river, there's Luxemburg. The staff was very friendly. They spoke German and Dutch, so we got to practice our Nederlands! After we paid, they assigned us a spot. It was beautiful: shaded by trees, a few meters from the river, listening to the water flowing, and not a care in the world... Immediately, we set up all our equipment, Decathlon of course. Easy peasy! 

     When the time to finally relax arrived, my love had my cooking chair ready. How romantic, right?

     For dinner, we had some nice quesadillas with jalapeños, salami, and for drinks, Dutch beers. Note: We do need to work on how to cool our beers without adding to our camping equipment...Any thoughts?

Hiking

          The next morning we took our time just chilling. I felt connected to my hubby and treasured him immensely. We caught up, had some delicious instant coffee and later made some toast for breakfast. I must add that the apricot jam was homemade by my Dutch friend Inge (Thank you, dear!).  Around 1 pm, we were ready to go: I made sure I'd packed enough goodies for our venture. The route we followed is called Nat'Our Route 2 (L-Tintesmühle/D-Dasburg). It's quite a long trail. Honestly, I was shocked when I found out (yes, I did find out during the hiking, not ahead of time), but it was totally worth it! Of course, there are other shorter routes. it is up to you to decide which one works better for you. 

     The weather was humid and sometimes a little rainy, but it didn't interfere with our plans at all. Here, take a look:

      You can imagine how exhausted I was by km 15 but didn't complain nor regretted it. On the contrary, I was thankful for the effort my darling had put into it: getting all the equipment, choosing a camping site, finding the best route, driving, and even geocaching!

Geocache hiding place

Budget

          Was it expensive? In our opinion, not at all. The camping site was 38 euros for two nights, and a total of 42 euros for the gas (round trip). About the food, I don't know exactly, but I'm sure it was under 50 euros. As we say, if you add it all up, it is almost the same as one night of dinner and drinks in the center. Crazy, right?!

Camping Benefits 

     Everyone has their own reasons on why to go camping. For me, its about connection and living a simple life, something I learned after moving to the Netherlands. In case you need different reasons, here are some:

• Outdoors. Fresh air can improve serotonin levels, blood pressure, digestion, and immune system.
• Socializing. Spending quality time with your dear ones makes you feel happy, create unique memories, and the sum of all can extend your lifespan!
• Moods. By being in the sunlight you can improve your melatonin levels and feel better overall. 
• Less stress. It's hard to be annoyed or angry when you're having fun, right?
• Exercise. By moving around, as when biking or hiking, you burn calories and help your cardiovascular system. 

Final Thoughts

     I hope camping is in your current or future plans. If you have any questions about our experience, please get in touch. It'll be a pleasure to help in any way. As a matter of fact, today begins our second camping trip... Stay tuned!

Tot de volgende keer!