Falafel

Falafel

 This middle-eastern dish is nutritious and delicious. For about a dozen falafel you will need:
1 cup of dried chick peas
1 large onion
½ head of garlic
1 bunch of parsley
Hot green pepper, to suit your taste (or use paprica instead, if you don't like spicy food)
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
oil (for frying)
flour
DIRECTIONS
Soak the chick peas overnight and drain.
In a food processor or a pestle and mortar, grind and mix together all the ingredients, starting with the garlic and adding the onions, the parsley, chick peas and spices.
Use a little flour to bind it together.

Shape into meatball shape and deep fry. If, like us, you are not too kin on deep frying, you can place on a greased tray and bake in the oven until golden brown.


Serve with tomatoes and parsley or other salad in a pitta bread.


If you don't have an oven in your camper, you could use a non-stick frying pan with lid and fry in very slow heat. In this case you may like to shape them a little flatter and turn them over after 20 minutes or so.

Free Camping

Now let's face it. You don't see signs like this very often.
Yet we are not the type who go to a camp-site with a swimming pool, bars and restaurants, for two weeks and then go back home. We like to roam.

What is free camping and how much are you subject to the regulations while travelling in your campervan is open to debate.
There are some amazing countries in Europe, such as the Scandinavian countries, that would let you "wild camp" almost anywhere. It is the "freedom to roam" or "every man's right" that sets those countries apart as you can pitch a tent almost anywhere in the countryside.
In most other European countries you will come up against some regulations forbidding free camping. Yet travelling around in a campervan you don't pitch a tent, you just park and therefore are not subject to those regulations. Of course if you see signs that say no caravans overnight, you don't stay there overnight.
Travelling and camping for more than 30 years now, we found that if you are sensitive and sensible you can always find a place to free-camp. Remember that unless you pull out your table and chairs all you do is parking your van.
We have so far free-camped in Australia, Scotland, England, Wales, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Scandinavia and Finland and we never, ever had any problems.

We always try to be sensible, respectful and friendly and never leave any rubbish behind. Some times we stopped somewhere and slept quietly alone, and other times we slept in the company of other like-minded people. Birds of a feather flock together.