MY VIEW Travelling with dogs is an ice breaker
Jane Knagg says travelling with dogs can be a real icebreaker
A reader recently asked about travelling with dogs and we’ve not only found it easy, but they can also be a good icebreaker and means of contact with others.
After years of cottage holidays in the UK and Ireland to enable us to easily take our dogs, we took the plunge and bought a motorhome.
Although we’ve used the ferry to Ireland, leaving the dogs in the car for a couple of hours, we’ve found the tunnel to be preferable when travelling to France as it’s quicker and they don’t have to be left alone in the vehicle.
On a three-month trip last year with Luna, our nine-year-old, we discovered that European countries love dogs, welcoming them in bars and restaurants, even quite smart ones where in the UK they definitely would not be allowed. A couple of delis we visited also invited our travelling companion in.
However, in some places the beaches are not dog friendly. Some lakes have designated swimming areas but, in many places, the mountains, valleys and rivers provided endless opportunities for lovely walks.
Yes, having a dog with us at times prevents us doing things we might like to. Visiting castles, museums or suchlike isn’t easy, particularly if the weather is hot and you can’t leave your pet in the ’van for a couple of hours and you don’t want to turn a two-hour visit into a four-hour visit by taking it in turns. But we prefer the countryside to cities so that wasn’t an issue. However, we couldn’t have travelled for three months without her so were prepared to make compromises and we’re now introducing our youngster to the lifestyle.
The upside is that we have spoken to some lovely people because of the dogs, often simply because they don’t recognise the breed, German shorthaired pointers – even trying to translate that to other languages can provide some amusement. These encounters include people in English pubs to whom we’ve chatted for so long the quick pint has turned into a meal (a real hardship). There was a crazy American woman in Sorrento who kept asking Luna to Facebook her, plus numerous Americans, Canadians and Australians travelling in Europe and missing their dogs so taking advantage of having a quick fuss of ours.
An effusive Italian woman in Menaggio declared ‘Amore, Amore!’ with her hand on her heart. We spent several happy hours with a Belgian couple who owned spaniels at Lake Iseo.
We thought a French woman in Géraudot was telling us off for allowing our dogs in the lake, but she was actually asking if her children could throw sticks into the water for them and then brought over her English husband for a long chat.
A jovial Frenchman wanted to know if we used boot polish to keep them so shiny (at least with our little French and his miming we think that is what he was asking!), while a young couple in Braemar were not only interested in the dogs but also in our motorhoming expeditions.
All these people and many more, with whom we’ve passed a pleasant few minutes while out walking and those who’ve oohed and aahed at them piled in a heap together at a bar, we would have had no communication with but for the presence of our much-loved travelling companions.
Sometimes it is too hot to walk them so, sadly, we have to sit in the shade with a glass of something cool and other times we get soaked having to take them out in the rain, but leave them behind? Not likely!