I love caravans. I think it’s down to watching this cartoon as a lass…..
…..and spending the majority of my summer holidays caravaning around the Loire Valley and other parts of France with my family – which also ensured my lasting love of cheese, cornichons, water slides and (guilty pleasure) table tennis. Ok not exactly LOVE of table tennis. I just get a real kick from the thought that goes into a caravan’s design – the way sofas become beds, taps become showers, tables fold away into the tiniest space.
Here’s my tribute to the most gorgeous caravans around….far cooler than campervans, cuter than winnebagos and perfect for weekend escapes….
Lovelane Caravans and campsite is situated in a far-away corner of the Cornish coast, by the Lizard Peninsular, and is a treasure trove of these beautifully restored vintage caravans, all with the most whimsical touches of decor…..
(all images courtesy of Lovelane Caravans)
Meet Doris…normally resident of the Isle of Wight, she is currently the star of the Chelsea Flower Show thanks to garden designer Jo Thompson, who has enhanced her 1950′s British credentials by decorating her with memorabilia from the golden age of camping, and surrounding her in a garden of native birches, irises and roses….
(top 3 photos courtesy of Vintage Vacations, bottom 3 from the Nostalgia Exchange)
La Rosa campsite (and hotel) is at the beautifully ramshackle end of the ‘glamping’ spektrum, with a real mash up of romany gypsy wagons, airstreams, an Irish-Catholic themed wagon ‘The Santa Maria’, an Elvis van, and a large red big-top which acts as a fancy dress / bar area. The place is filled with the most bonkers of car boot treasures and lies just a short drive from seaside-tat heaven that is Whitby.
(Photos courtesy of Fill up your Eyes)
Huettenpalast Hotel, Berlin
If you like your caravans a little less ditsy, a little more edgy (which is quite a niche market to be fair), then next time you’re in Berlin forget the Michelberger and camp out in one of these super cool little indoor caravans and cabins at the Huettenpalast
(all pics courtesy of Huettenpalast)
Wow just goes to show caravan’s aren’t just those horrible beige misery vessels you see clogging up the M1! I want to go that caravan hotel in Berlin. Wonder (Tow) Ba!