Kobarid, Slovenia

We arrived in Kamp Koren on the bank of the incredible Soca river at about 6pm having driven round, over and in some cases through, the most terrifying incredible mountain ranges.

Having left the pristine, wealthy and most definitely Western European country of Austria at lunchtime we had travelled through the northern tip of Italy (through towns which bore no resemblance to their Mediterranean counterparts at the tip of the boot) before arriving in Slovenia with its distinctly more Eastern European feel, amidst dark clouds and thunderstorms.

Kamp Koren is nestled in a valley with imposing mountains on every side, the pitches are a free for all within clearings in the woods on small patches of gravel. If you were being kind you'd call the washing facilities rustic, although basic might be a better description.

At first I felt quite hemmed in by the mountains, found the climate quite oppressive and was depressed by the levels of dust and numbers of biting insects, but that was before I settled into an evening on the campsite terrace eating pizza and drinking slovenian beer whilst the boys played with children of various nationalities and the sun went down on the incredible turquoise river.