And perhaps you could travel with a group or family so that you have support. Indeed, there may be other motorhomers in a similar situation who will happily share their ideas with you: ask how they cope. It is a normal reaction to feel that this is not fair – because it isn’t fair! You may resent that you are having to alter your future plans due to the dementia. But it is what it is. You’ll find yourself saying that a lot as you struggle with acceptance.

This will bring into question other emotional needs, such as the need for meaning and purpose in life. And it will also bring into sharp focus the issue of mortality, something we all have to face eventually. Are you making all the decisions without consulting your partner anymore (so that they feel a loss of control and autonomy)?None of us know what the future will bring. My dream for a long time has been to travel and so if you are sitting there with a dream too, if you really want it, you can get there too. If you find yourself saying “I’d love to do this or that someday” or “I wish I did this when I was younger”, then think again. Hoping to do something someday doesn’t work. Someday may never come. Start doing small things that will get you nearer to realising your dream today.

It’s going to be different from now on. If your partner has dementia you’re going to have to think for the two of you. It is here in this seventeenth-century Baroque cathedral that Mozart was baptized and later regularly played some of his most popular tunes on the “Hoforgel,” one of five organs in the Cathedral. Salzburg Cathedral has survived more than 10 fires and was completely rebuilt three times in its 1200-year history. The dome, at 71 meters high, is impressive and the 16 frescos, each depicting a scene from the Old Testament, painted by Italian artists, Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari, are quite remarkable. Austria welcomes tourism with open arms and like in Lake Bled we are gifted with local access cards during our stay, which provide free local transport, reductions in entry fees to local attractions and a daily activity programme. From Hopfgarten we take the train to Kitzbühel, a small Alpine town and fashionable winter resort, famous for its annual Hahnenkamm downhill ski race. Boutique shops (selling plenty of lederhosen and dirndl) and cafes line its medieval centre and rooftop terraces provide sweeping views of the valley. A patchy memory is aided by routine. So visit the places you’ve always loved, even if that’s just a few miles up the road.

Our Adventure Before Dementia

This article is written by Hobo Trudi who has 25 years of working with the elderly and coaching those who care for them. She trained with the Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance as a Dementia Care Coach and worked as Deputy Manager of a care home. In my quarter of a century of working with the elderly, I have seen many ‘elders of the tribe’ living happy, contented lives with dementia. Yes, there are changes, challenges, compromises, and restrictions…but we must never forget the ability of us humans to adapt.

If you’ve been motorhoming for some time why stop now? Retaining a sense of normality in your life is vital. If motorhoming is something you’ve done for years keep going for as long as you can! Get out, have an adventure, don’t let dementia get in the way! Becoming self-compassionate means that you don’t neglect your own needs. Do what you can to help yourself deal with the challenges as they arise. And when you’re on the road, don’t be embarrassed to explain – if you need to – that your passenger has dementia. People genuinely understand these days…and if they don’t, move on! Legend has it that a temple to the ancient Slavic goddess of Love, Živa used to stand on the location of today’s glorious Gothic church, Church of the Mother of God, built in 1465. The wishing bell, allegedly donated by the Pope, following the death of a local nun, is there for those visiting the church to chime. It is said that anyone who rings the bell three times and believes in God will have their wishes granted. We are here in Toledo because John once owned a Triumph Herald in the 70’s, but secretly lusted after a Triumph Toledo and because our friends who have travelled extensively in Spain have told us it’s their favourite Spanish city. Toledo, ‘ La Ciudad Imperial’, the strategic and geographical crossroads of the Iberian peninsula, a melting pot of Roman, Visigothic, Jewish, and Muslim history and the heart of Catholic Spain, glows on the distant hill top beyond the plains of Castilla-La Mancha, as we share una botella de vino tinto and a lovely meal at Camping El Greco.

Site Customisation

An imposing landmark on the city’s skyline, it’s central Europe’s largest intact fortress and one of the best places for a panoramic view of the city. The fortress dates to 1077 and was built to protect the archbishops from hostile troops. We took the funicular to the top and strolled amongst the courtyards and fortress walls. Also, for those interested in Salzburg’s history don’t miss its many museums; the Marrionette Museum, Museums of the Rainer Regiment and the Princes’ Chambers. Dementia is “a syndrome in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities.” (1) In effect, it is brain damage of one type or another (with each type causing a variety of different symptoms). Let’s be honest: travelling in a motorhome with a partner with dementia will be different – and could occasionally be difficult – but not necessarily impossible.

Stories and legends, just like our language and landscape help to define our identities as a nation. And now as we leave Slovenia with its caves, castles, lakes and legends and head North into Austria, I can’t help but feel that there is so much more to explore in this small and beautiful country. I will definitely return to Slovenia and next time I will be donning my walking boots and cycle helmet and heading to the hills and forests to discover more of its stories and legends. And who knows as I walk through the forest, amongst the brown bears, wolves and wild boars I might even stumble across a dragon!This architectural complex comprising the Cathedral, Residenz (the centre of the Prince-Archbishops power) and the Benedictine St Peters Abbey, houses 5 separate museums, so give yourself plenty of time to wander through and soak up Salzburg’s Baroque history and culture. The highlight for me was the Cathedral’s Organ Loft, which gives a unique perspective of the Cathedral itself. Our brains are frazzled with facts by the time we leave the museum so a coffee and apple strudel in the impressive Residenceplatz, the historic centre of the city, is well overdue. There is a young musician on a piano in the square, treating us to some Mozart as we watch the horse drawn tourist carriages gracefully trot round the square. Being Austria, very clean and efficient, somebody is left to clear up the whoopsies after the horses have done their business. And so, there are many “Municipal Equine Cleansing Operators” on bicycle also frequenting the square. In Glasgow they would be better known as “the pedalling shit shovellers”. We are visiting the island of Arran with good friends for a week filled with wonderful walks, good food and wine, and lots of fun to celebrate the arrival of a new decade. Alzheimer’s Research– the UK’s leading dementia research charity, dedicated to causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure. Maybe you or your partner has known for some time that “something” is wrong. But what are the first clues that point toward the possibility of dementia? We have a few days to scratch the surface of this amazing city. Below are a few of the places we decide to visit.