Here, under Stories, you can find regular updates about our experiences with our Arto 85E, which we have named “Marilyn”. And, of course, we’ll try not to keep you waiting too long between posts...
... speaking of which: we need to tell you all about the pick-up process in Polch and our first few days with Marilyn!

No doubt many of you are already familiar with the pick-up process for new vehicles in Polch. For those who aren’t, we can highly recommend it! When we arrive, we find Marilyn waiting for us in the large hall, gleaming and eager to start her maiden drive. Luckily, the name we’d chosen turned out to be a perfect match for her glamourous good looks!

We’re handed the keys and have the chance to look around her by ourselves – before the detailed briefing begins. Amid countless “Ahs” and “Oohs” we’re shown Marilyn’s vast array of on-board technology. And believe us, we’ll have a lot to tell you about very soon! What a day.

So, after a few days of settling in and a brief weekend excursion nearby, we finally head to the coast over the Easter holiday!By the way, did you clock our number plate yet? MYK for MarilYn, very fitting! :)

With her champagne-coloured paint and blue accents, Marilyn is perfectly suited to our taste and ready for our trip to the sea. OK, we admit it: we’re already head-over-wheels in love! Frohmi takes photo after photo in honour of Marilyn – clouds, light, shimmering champagne and beautiful blue tones.

Meanwhile, Bo gives her some TLC to make sure she looks her best. Frohmi worries we’re overdoing it a little and prefers the idea of swimming to polishing...but Bo is simply captivated by Marilyn’s all-round stylishness.

Unfortunately, winter is still dragging its feet and the weather is not on our side. However, this means we have ample time to play with all the on-board tech, and above all to thoroughly test – and enjoy – some fine motorhome living. When on the road, we like to cook for ourselves as much as possible, and Marilyn’s kitchen does not disappoint – especially the external gas socket.

So we prepare a hearty Easter breakfast by the sea – lovingly prepared and then devoured in a flash! What a fantastic spot!

As it’s Easter, we naturally feel obliged to paint some Easter eggs. Some friends from Hamburg are visiting and they bravely let us hold our egg-painting session in their new motorhome ;) Fortunately, no paint was spilled! The result is a very beautifully painted Stranddeko-Marilyn Easter egg ...

However, Marilyn finds our Easter egg rather “meh” and goes a step further, turning herself into an elegant Easter nest.

All in all we enjoyed a great start to our journey with our Marilyn – a chilled out weekend with friends, fun and relaxation and, of course, the sea! Motorhome living, indeed. It’s what we live for!

For our main Easter trip, we naturally headed to our favourite location, the Brouwersdam. Incidentally, we’re often asked: where is that amazing spot on the beach where you take those great photos? It’s the artificial dam between the islands of Goeree-Overflakkee and Schouwen-Duieveland or, more simply, between the towns of Renesse and Ouddorp. And yes, it really is a unique place, because you rarely find such a wide range of activities and opportunities for relaxation compressed into such a small area. Of course, that attracts a lot of people, especially during the holidays. So you’ll find a lot of caravans and motorhomes gathering at the “Dam” –

but only during the day, because sleeping’s not permitted there. Our favourite overnight spots are in Ouddorp on the island to the north:

http://www.driveincamperpark.com
A perfect campsite with barrier system

http://www.campingbrouwersdam.nl
New, beautifully landscaped campsite with pitches

https://www.klepperstee.de
Good alternative site directly opposite the Drive-In-Park. Book a pitch in the short-stay site here from 5pm to 10am. You can book online and, if you pay by credit card and enter your vehicle’s registration, you can drive straight in.

And don’t forget to stop off at one of the chic beach huts to enjoy the view and the ambience. For example at

http://www.natural-high.nl/de/
The one and only, the true original and our all-time favourite beach hut.

https://www.brouwersdam.nl/nl/eat-see.html
On the Grevelingen side, newly built and super stylish, in summer there are tons of amazing activities

http://www.werelds.nl/strand/fotos
New, slightly more up-market and definitely recommended

http://www.strandpaviljoenpaal10.nl
Perfect for an evening stroll on the beach at Ouddorp

If you have any questions, just ask us :)

So our first Marilyn love story is already finished and, yes, we really are in love with her!

Frohmi’s favourite features:
- Of course, just the great looks, the paint job, the blue highlights
- And, even though they seemed redundant at first, the support legs. They’re just so cool!
- And the fantastic sound system!

Bo’s favourite features:
- The toilet and shower, your own private kingdom!
- Definitely the 18" wheels and rims
- Just the all-round premium quality

Of course, we’ll tell you all about the other on-board features, and what you can do with them.
Above all, we also love the reception our stylish Arto gets wherever we go – people are always looking, pointing, waving, and even introducing themselves and asking questions. We really enjoy the positive “flair” (N+B pun intended) that Marilyn radiates, and we can’t wait to experience more adventures with her.

So look out for more stories soon!