Category: Germany

Tuesday & Wednesday 17  – 18 July

Topped up with gas and food which took a while and along the way we came across the castle (The Schloss Lieser) we saw from the other side of the Mosel.  It is the most striking building in this village and looks very modern with walls of glass and windows facing onto the river.   The village is stunning and is certainly worth a walk around.

Our campsite for two nights: Stellplatz im Moselvorland, Losnich – GPS N49.975140   E7.043320

It is well into the afternoon so our hope of finding a waterfront spot diminish but here there were a few shady spots left on the waterfront and we were within five minutes of grabbing one of the last ones.  We opted to move to the back row where some large trees gave us shade for the rest of the afternoon and we still had views of the river.

Enjoyed a great rump steak and a good red on the Cadac (all from Lidl!) until the sun left the sky at about 10.15pm.

Morning brought with it another beautiful sunny and hot day so found a shady spot at the front and after a long walk through this village relaxed and read for the rest of the day.

Quaint village and buildings with lots of Weingut’s offering wine tasting but little else.  The only shop in town (bakery with a couple of other items) was open from 7am to 11am only.  Beautiful view across the river and vineyards enjoyed by a constant line of cyclists heading in all directions – very relaxing.

Thursday & Friday 19 & 20 July

Our campsite for two nights:  Moselvorgelande Enkirch – GPS N49.983631    E7.121740

It is getting hotter by the day and as we have travelled the last 15 months in much cooler weather, we are struggling to stay cool now.  The temperatures are now in the mid thirties so our choice of overnight sites rely mostly on the ability to park in the shade somewhere.

This is a large Stellplatz and while there were a couple of front row riverfront spots, opted to tuck in under some massive trees where we had shade all day.  No biking over these two days as it was just too hot.

Not a very interesting village but had a bottle shop which was also the villages supermarket, variety store and post office.   A small bakery and fruit shop uptown filled all the gaps for everything else we needed.

Struggled at first with the hard crusty bread rolls but are now finding we would not go back to the soft ones we have back home.  Look forward to these for lunch each day.  Most stellplatz’s have a daily bread service and it is amusing watching the queues form around the bakers truck each morning. They also have the equivalent of a Mr Whippy – an Italian ice cream vendor – that comes around twice daily and it gets as much attention -if not more – than the bread man.  The Europeans really love their ice cream!

Met Ted and Desley here from Tamborine Mountain in Queensland in the late afternoon and spent some really wonderful hours until late catching up with news of their travels and sharing some of ours.  So refreshing hearing the Aussie accent again as it is not often we run into Aussies particularly so close to our own back yard.

Continued the conversation next morning and soon it was lunchtime before we knew it.  The Camping Fuhrer came round to collect the rent so made a quick decision to stay on – the shade was just too good to leave!

Had another BBQ on the Cadac – such a wonderful compact and very versatile friend now.

Saturday 21st July

The stellplatz (motorhomes only) are now filling quite early as it is the summer holidays and we are finding it more difficult to find good spots now.   Many of the camping areas (tents and caravans) are already filled to capacity with little more than room to swing a cat.  The tents are like small houses – so glad we do not have to camp in these sites.

We also have the advantage of not needing electricity so often find good spots in the unpowered areas.  Our solar panels are magic and we cannot understand why so many Mohos do not have them. 

Our campsite for one night:  Moselufer, Reil – GPS N50.026272   E7.14530

Another great spot where we stayed in back in October – so just had to revisit.  One of the best bike rides we have experienced which over 25 kms takes you through vineyards now covered in lush green leaves heavy with bunches of grapes.   We pass by a tractor towing a covered wagon where tourists occupy fresh air (air conditioned) seats and are taken for a vineyard tour and up to the local castle high on the hill. 

The bikeway is just wide enough for the tractor so cyclists move to the side to let it pass.  The trail meanders through the hills providing splendid river views.  We passed by several villages including the fairytale village of Briedel and finally ending up at Zell.  

Stopped in a riverfront Weingut (wine bar) and sampled a cool Mosel Reisling before heading back.

The local Imbiss (snack bar) at the campsite was in full swing so joined in with the crowd which became more intimate when a storm hit and we all huddled in a small covered area for a couple of hours.  Had intended to eat there but the vendor closed early as we were pretty much water logged with no room to eat.  Watched sodden bike riders pass by, happy not to have been caught in this storm.

Sunday & Monday 22 & 23rd July

Stopped in at Zell Barl where there is a massive commercial shopping area with every conceivable store you would want.  Sent the driver off to buy things on the men’s shopping list while I stocked up on the eats and drinks.

Our campsite for two nights:  An Der Fussgangerbrucke, Zell – GPS N50.029400   E7.177740

We visited this village by bike on the previous day so just had to spend more time here.

The village is on both sides of the river and the campsite was right at the entrance to the pedestrian bridge leading to Old Town on the other side. 

Just an amazing little place where the buildings on the river were mostly privately owned,  colourful three storey Bavarian style homes and tucked away behind these, the Main Street was a market street with numerous restaurants and quaint little shops.   

Strolled up and down and took in the atmosphere, stopping at an Imbiss on the river for a cool ale.

The stellplatz is on the outskirts of the camping area where the summer crowd were packed in like sardines. 

Lovely view across to Old Town Zell from the Stellplatz but a long walk to the facilities which were on the far end of the campsite about 800m away.  We were not lucky enough to snag one of the shady spots here so felt the heat of the afternoon sun.

 

GERMANY

We are back in Germany again and still think constantly about how lucky we have been to meet such wonderful people everywhere in our travels.  Starting way back in April last year with my family in Poland – Barbara, Piotr, Kornelia and Kamil who welcomed us into their home and hearts.

We enjoy writing to our new Polish family and our new European friends including Michael and Anne, Ralf and Martina, Marie-Louise and Robert, Michael and Pam, Debbie and Mike and Linda and David and thank you for making our journey so special. ❤️

Thank you also to our family and friends in Australia for keeping us up to date with local information and scuttlebutt.  We do miss you all.❤️

Friday 6th and Saturday 7th July

Crossed the bridge at Echternach in Luxembourg and we were back in Germany again.  We crossed borders between the two countries a couple of times as we moved towards our next destination.

Our campsite for two nights:  Am Den Zwei Pappeln, Ensch – GPS N49.827332   E6.835630

Back on the Mosel again, this campsite is set amongst vineyards and the Mosel.  Very shady with large nearly level pitches and lots of grass and shrubs in between.

Great biking here so took off through the vineyards and visited two small villages along the way before heading home.   Every man and his dog uses the bikeways and there is always people to meet and things to see along the way.

Directly opposite the campsite is the little village of Ensch which has a pedestrian and bike pass way to it that runs under the highway.  Everywhere we go, even though it is summertime, it is difficult to find people walking around the streets and most of these little villages look like ghost towns.  Only places you see people are in outdoor restaurants or on the bikeways.

There is a Hoffest (courtyard festival) advertised here for the weekend, so we are keen to join in the fun after dinner. 

This is only a very small village with only a little shop but the campsite is peaceful and quiet and just a great place to relax, read, bike ride and talk with the locals. 

The Hoffest was a hoot with all the locals here (about 80) as well as many from the campsite.  Only about five tents with long trestle tables and bench seats (beautifully decorated with flowers) which made for great communication.  The bar of course being the most popular with the food stall selling wursts  and other German delicacies for dinner, coming a quick second.  The two piece band started at 8pm and the tiny tots (about 4 years old) started the dancing).

This is one of the many things we enjoy the most – seeing their little villages and enjoying the local people who are so hospitable and friendly.

Could have stayed here forever but as the saying goes “life is too short” so we are keen to move on though at a much lesser pace and with no more long distances to travel planned.  Short is sweet!

Sunday 8th and Monday 9th July

Our campsite for two nights:  Reisemobilplatz Trittenheim – GPS N49.824310  E6.902990

It just gets better.  There are so many stellplatz’s along the Mosel to choose from and they get such high ratings and comments. It is difficult to choose and most are only a few kms apart.

Trittenheim is one of the larger villages and is in such a beautiful setting.  We sit on the edge of the Mosel and watch the pleasure craft go by.  Dredges taking goods up and down the river and cruise boats taking passengers to wherever.  Swans peacefully glide along the river and come up on the bank just in front of us. 

Across the river, the vineyards cascade down the mountainside for as far as you can see and in front of these, bikers can take the river bike way for hundreds of kms.

Took to the bikes and visited little villages along the river stopping at a Yachthaven at Neumagen Dhron (though no yachts only powered pleasure craft here) for a shandy.

Has been ideal weather over the last few days so have had the Aussie BBQ “German Style” most nights – though not sure how much longer my driver will be able to stomach the spiced meats 😱.

Tuesday – Saturday 10-14 July

Our campsite for four nights:  Sonneninsel Minheim, Minheim – GPS N49.865929   E6.941790

Such a breeze only travelling short distances as we travel along the Mosel.  Which Stellplatz today I ask?

We had such a wonderful time in Minheim in October, couldn’t go past this Stellplatz again.  Only a bike track separating Ziggy to the banks of the Mosel and again vineyards hugging the hills on the other side.   Grapevines are in full bloom now with young grape bunches starting to develop – certainly prettier now than in October where it was the end of the season.

It is now officially the silly season here (summer holidays) but so far we have still been able to get front row seats to the views though the number of Mohos in campgrounds and on the road has increased dramatically.  Think the secret is to arrive between 10.30 and 12.30 because after 2pm front row seats are rare.

Bike trails hug the river on both sides so spent the four days riding between villages on both sides.   Only a short distance away, crossing the bridge takes you to the really great village of Piesport.   There are a couple of Stellplatz’s closer where you can walk to the village but we opted for the quieter, shadier and greener spot at Minheim. 

We spent some wonderful hours last time at Piesport, sitting at the Moselblick Restaurant right on the banks and watching the boats go by.  Boat traffic was a little quieter this time as it was not the weekend.

Biked a few more kms and landed back in Neumagan-Dhron.  We had biked there from Trittenheim the day before but entered the village from the other direction this time.  Again stopped at the Yachthaven for a beer before returning the 10kms back to Minheim.

Four great days of sunshine (though it is getting hotter by the day) and lots of biking left us exhausted but happy at the end of each day.

A really great Stellplatz and comes highly recommended.

Sunday – Tuesday 15-16 July

We are searching for shady spots now (would you believe it!). After spending more than 15 months of colder temps we are now searching for some shade as we are not accustomed to the sun any longer.

Our campsite for two nights:  Mosel Stellplatz Wintrich, Wintrich – GPS N49.883629   6.948370

This Stellplatz fit the bill nicely with row upon row of majestic tall trees along the riverfront and we found a spot that kept us in the shade for most of the day.

Biked into Bernkastel-Kues around 12 kms away.  We visited here in October but were limited by time so could not do the village justice. 

This time we arrived before lunch and spent the afternoon here.  It is a tourist Mecca with larger river cruise boats using it as a stopover. 

The old town on one side of the river is spectacular and was alive with tourists.  Such fairytale buildings with flower boxes In full bloom were in and around the town square.

Th main residential part is on the other side but again some great sights along the riverfront.

Villages pop up everywhere and it so enjoyable exploring them.

Stopped on the riverbank when we saw the most amazing castle on the riverfront on the other side.  Most castles are high on hills but this one was waterfront.

Thankful to arrive back at Ziggy to find her still in the shade and crashed on the chairs for a well deserved rest.

Another highly recommended Stellplatz particularly if you want to visit  Bernkastel-Kues, though there is a day parking spot for Mohos within a short walk to the old town.

 

Wednesday 27th – Saturday 30th June

Our home for four wonderful days and nights:  STELZENBERG with Martina and Ralf

Caught up with Martina and Ralf in their lovely home.  It was only a few weeks ago in Croatia where we shared some great places and experiences together yet it seemed like a lifetime ago.  We had so much to catch up on so we rambled on about our adventures for the whole day and late into the night.  Met their lovely friends Petra and Walter that evening and enjoyed a wonderful BBQ “German Style” on the back deck.  It is summer here now so it is still light well after 10 pm.

The schnapps came out at the end and it was evident no one wanted to go to bed.  Ziggy was parked on a pad at the front of the house so did not have far to stagger home.

Did so many things and saw so much of this lovely part of Germany over the four days.  No driving for my driver as Martina expertly drove us from village to village and my driver became a passive passenger!

First off to the Schlossberg Caves in Homburg.   Originally in the 17th century the sand extracted from here was used to make glass. 

During World War II they served as protection against bombing raids.

They have recently been extensively reconstructed and now are a tourist attraction where some of the caverns are just amazing and accentuated by colourful lighting.

Sitting high on the hill and on top of the caves are the remains of the ruins of the Fortress of Homburg built in the late 16th century during the Renaissance era.  

Our turn to cook dinner tonight so the Tennis Club in Kaiserslautern was the venue where Petra joined the four of us.   There was a tennis camp on so we sat and watched the future tennis champs in action.  Had the best and biggest Parmy ever and needed both Ralf and my driver to help me out to finish it.

After brekky on went the walking shoes and we headed to the forest which backs on to their home for a leisurely four hour walk through the Pfalzer Forest to Trippstadt.   The walking track is well used by the locals and even though it was a work day, we passed many walkers.  It was so breathtakingly beautiful with the track taking us through huge forests and by and over clear mountain streams. 

Surprisingly did not see any fauna except for a few frogs croaking away in the streams. 

Stopped three quarters of the way in this 13+ mile hike at a camping ground for coffee and cake and didn’t realise until we resumed our hike, how far we had come and how much further we needed to go.  An amazing walk, the longest by far I think we have made so far.  Think we were all tired at the end of it.

Big day on the road next day where we visited the very touristy village of St Martin.   A must visit village – one of those magic little places where everything is a picture worth capturing.  It is set amongst vineyards for as far as you can see and every second place is a Weingut offering wine tasting and/or accommodation and meals or both.

Stopped in at the Consulat des Weins for wine tasting.  Highly recommended by Ralf and Martina as being one of the better Weingut’s in the area.   Beautifully set out with as many wines as you wanted to taste.  Just take a glass and help yourself to whatever you wanted.   MMmm???  one could get quite plastered if not careful.  Tried a couple of really delicious wines – sparkling for Martina and myself while Rob savoured the still whites.

Onward through a number of quaint villages to Bad Durkheim where we were shown the worlds largest wine barrel which is in fact a restaurant with no windows.

Finished this wonderful day at Weisenheim am Berg in a trendy restaurant named Solo.  The entry doors leading into the courtyard are large enough to fit the front of a castle and once past these you enter the courtyard which has a poolside setting in the middle of a lush green garden.  Bean bags are everywhere and every place setting around the pool is different.  No two tables are the same.  Guests were sitting around the pool on bean bags sipping their coffees and dangling their feet in the cool water.  The place was packed but we were lucky enough to get the best seat in the house as it was vacated just as we arrived.

Thank you so much Ralf and Martina for sharing your home, your friends and your family with us and for the special friendship we have shared and hope we can continue when you visit us in Australia.

Ralf and Martina both work at the Kaiserslautern Hospital and were able to provide advice and drops for the Driver’s eye problems. The eyes are much better and we thank them for their expertise,  time and trouble in this matter.

Sunday 1st July

Our campsite for tonight:  Mettlacher Abtei-Brau, Mettlach – GPS 49.498161N    6.596750E

Small uninteresting but well situated Stellplatz in the carpark for the Abtei- Brau (brewery).  Right on the outskirts of Mettlach with only a few minutes walk to the centre where there are numerous factory outlet shops.  Very pretty Main Street with outdoor restaurants on both sides.

The walk into town passes by the former Benedictine abbey which is now the Head Office of Villeroy & Boch.  A massive park sits behind the building where there is an interesting 20 metre tree covered in foliage and shaped to a human figure with a bird’s head.

Monday 2nd July and Tuesday 3rd July

Took a 1.5 hour boat ride on the Saar River which took us through a Lock system and then past a wonderland of forest trees and around the famous Saar River Loop (Saarschleife) – a very important tourist attraction in this part of the country.  Very peaceful and enjoyable trip but 20 minutes x 2 was taken up going through the lock system twice so did not leave much time n the river.  There is a good view of “The Cloef” viewing platform from the boat. Cool shady bikeways run along both sides of the river and would have been a better option.

Left the Stellplatz and headed a few kms to Orscholz where we ventured across the Treetop Walk Saarschleife – Cleof Atrium.   It is a 1250 m long wooden platform stretching high above the treetops and ending at the tower high on the hill. 

A walk around the circular five storey boardwalk of the Cleof Atrium takes you to the top platform with the most unbelievable views of the river loop and the countryside in Germany, France and Luxembourg and mountains and villages in the distance.  Really worth the €10.

Our campsite for two nights:  Reisemobilpark Saarburg – GPS 49.601131N    6.596750E

Didn’t realise until we arrived here that we visited this village last October. 

The Stellplatz is one of the better ones with really wide pitches and some bordering the river under shady trees – you have to get in early to get one of these and I think you can book ahead.  It is about a 2km walk along the river to one of the prettiest villages we have stayed in. 

The walk along the river to town gives you a panoramic view of the Old Town cascading down the hill on the other side with row upon row of beautiful three storey Bavarian homes, a large cathedral, the Town Hall and the castle with the highest vantage point, providing a stunning picture.

Across the bridge you follow the cobbled stone streets up into the centre where a thunderous cascading waterfall splits the Main Street. Little bridges take you from one side to the other where each spare spot is taken up with outdoor restaurants.     Flower pots are full of coloured flowers which makes for stunning photos.

After lunch we walked back along the river took off the bikes and rode for the rest of the afternoon visiting quaint little villages along the way.  The bikeways here go forever on both sides of the river.  I am just so thrilled at being able to have this biking experience but again sad that I didn’t learn much earlier in life.

Hot and thirsty we returned and sat in the little garden at the Stellplatz where they offer drinks, cakes and coffee until around 6.30pm – really a great Stellplatz.

Took off on the bikes again straight after breakfast but in the opposite direction and on the other side of the river.  Heavy dark clouds appeared on the horizon so after stopping for coffee and cake at a small waterfront clubhouse peddled home in light rain.  Very refreshing.

 

Friday 22nd June, Saturday 23rd June, Sunday 24th June

On the bucket list was a visit to Stuttgart to visit the Porsche Museum.  Found an ideal spot in Park 4 Night only a short walk away but the five spots there were already taken by cars.   This whole area is a motorhome nightmare with very few places to even turn around, let alone park.

We stopped in frustration and phoned Porsche directly.   Normally you have to phone ahead or go online to book a place in the Moho area.   We received directions on the phone to this area which is chained and with a password number to enter.

The street name we were given took us down a one way single lane road beside a railway line.  On one side, cars were parked nose to tail the whole way leaving just enough room for one car to get by.   The bad news was that there was a half metre drop off on the opposite side beside the railway line.  We couldn’t turn around so had an extremely nervous ride where we were only cms between the parked cars on one side and the half metre drop on the other side.

Got to the end with no sign of the chained fence we needed.  Asked a few people who really didn’t help much so no tick in the box for this  bucket list item.  Not sure where we went wrong but the scary drive was enough  to make us move on.   Didn’t go back the same way!!! 

The Driver phoned the Porsche Sales Department and cancelled his order for the 911 Careera Turbot

Very impressive buildings as we drove by and took a couple of photos.  Hundreds of people everywhere and traffic was at a standstill even in the middle of a working day.

Ended up being a very long drive today so were extremely happy to find a place and settle down for a while.

Our campsite for three nights:  An Der Carnot’schen Mauer, Germersheim – GPS 49.219959N   8.377730E

Had three wonderful relaxing days here in this super little town.

The campsite is about five minutes walk to town in one direction and the same to the mighty Rhine river in the other.    Very pretty spot with great big beautiful shady trees and a credit to this town for supplying such a great spot.

Visited the tourist office first thing and armed with maps headed into town. This old garrison town is surrounded by a fortified wall with two impressive moated entry structures on two sides of the town.  It has its own military jail, garrison hospital and commandant’s headquarters still standing but now used for many other purposes.  Not a very large central town area but some beautiful parks.

This area is famous for several bike ways, the most picturesque is the Veloroute which runs for 110 Kms with much of it along the Rhine.  The most scenic is the stretch from this town south to Worth.

Our longest bike ride took us from Germersheim to Leimersheim – a return distance of about 30kms. 

We took a wrong turn which added a few extra kms to the ride.  Rewarded ourselves with a long stop at a small restaurant on the Rhine near the Ziegelei Museum where the Navigator was introduced to a Radler – like our shandy in a bottle.  Just what the doctor ordered – may never have a straight beer again 😄

Did several rides over these days each time finishing with the 10 km ride back to this restaurant where you could sit and watch the boats go by.

Sunday was festival day where the local African people set up a stage on the waterfront and entertained the crowd with some of their local music and dancing.  Quite a large contingent of Africans here.

Highly recommended for cyclists (even the less experienced like the navigator).

Monday 25th & Tuesday 26th June

Happy birthday Chris.  Good to see you have a great friend in to create a feast for a King (and queen) on your special day.  Hi Eli – my you are growing up so quickly and talking so well now.

Did not travel very far today and after leaving the Black Forest and all its beautiful scenery we are now bordering the Pfalzer Forest which is renowned for its vineyards.

There are tons of Weingut’s (vineyards) to choose from to stay and it was difficult making a final choice. 

Our campsite for two nights:  Wengut Eberle, Burrweiler – GPS 49.246712N   8.080760E

This site only has three spots but the area set aside for Mohos includes tables and chairs in a beautiful fruit tree garden setting overlooking acres and acres of vineyards and little villages dotted everywhere in the distance. 

The village a short walk away is very small but quaint and has only a couple of small shops.  Think Monday is their “ruhig day” (closed rest day) as we did not sight a person anywhere.   The family here were very helpful and just lovely.  Electricity is included in the small cost (though we do not use it as our solar panels more than fill our batteries without it each day).  No other services except Internet which is super fast and a real bonus for the Driver.    I become an Internet widow when on the odd occasion we get a good internet service.

Ziggy is happy again as she had a super spring clean on the inside.  Fortunately she is really only one room – but a very well used room.

Lots of reading, internet and taking in the magic scenery for most of the two very relaxing days.

 

Monday 18th June – Germany

Our campsite for tonight:  Reisemobilstellplatz, Geisingen – GPS 47.919868N  . 8.649630E

Have not written bullet points for our blog for a few days, so the memory of some of the next few entries may be a little shorter than normal.  We try to do bullet points at the end of each day and find if we don’t, then we have to rely on memory which these days, given the amount we see each day is not reliable.

This campsite is really well laid out with lots of space and grassed areas separating every two pitches.  Lots of greenery and trees which gave it a very lush relaxed feel.

Explored this small village in no time at all.   Not a lot of photo opportunities but a really great overnight spot.

Tuesday 19th June

Made a special happy birthday call to my little brother Mike before heading off on the bikes to explore the many villages in the area.  Happy Birthday little bro!  Judging by the cake on Facebook – well celebrated.

Bikeways here were fabulous and saw lots in the couple of hours while passing through a few smaller villages.  Quite a few car dealer places along the way where there were cars with camouflaged paint jobs and fake body parts – new test vehicles my driver tells me, were in a number of car yards so had to stop to check them out.   No badging on these so you could not make out the car type but suspected they were Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

Left the campsite after lunch expecting an hour’s drive to our next destination.  Partial highway closures caused gridlock on the highway directing all traffic (including massive trucks) through a town.  Several roads converged into one intersection where the traffic lights caused pandemonium.

Our campsite for tonight:  Stellplatz Freiburg Im Breisgau, Freiburg – GPS 47.999779N   7.825700E

Four hours later we arrived, very hot under the collar and frustrated.

This is an old Stellplatz but its walking proximity to Freiburg – around 20 minutes to Old Town, made it worthwhile.  Not many places left by the time we arrived so unfortunately we had a choice of only a couple of very hot and sunny spots.

Wednesday 20th June

Straight into Old Town first thing after breakfast.  Beautiful shaded tree lined streets made the walk pleasurable with an amazing school on the way for lots of photos.  Obviously a church school with two massive spires featuring coloured mosaic tiles.

This town is a bikers Mecca with its cycling infrastructure boasted as being unequalled anywhere else in Germany.  We passed by a bicycle parking station -three levels high with a restaurant on the top floor. 

In the City, Bicycles were parked everywhere at any post available – literally thousands of them and where normally you would need to look out for cars, here in the city, cyclists are the major hazard.

The Old town’s feature is the cathedral – Freiburg Minster – building of the Blessed Virgin –  with its main tower 116 metres high.  What a wonderful structure taking up a whole block with a large square all the way around it.  Market stalls selling fresh fruit, deli items, food and of course souvenirs took up every spare spot in the square.  Unfortunately the cathedral was closed for several hours with a special mass being held inside.

Really worth the few hours we spent here going down the many small cobbled streets where leather shops in particular are a feature with so many beautiful bags and shoes to choose from.

Left the campsite in the late afternoon as we did not want to stay in our hot spot for the rest of the day – it was around 30 degrees in the shade.

Our campsite for tonight:  Wohnmobilpark Ortenau, Meissenheim – GPS 48.416000N   7.777390E

Another well laid out small Stellplatz in a small town.   Lots of greenery and trees which we welcomed and soon found a shady spot to settle in.    This is a popular spot and soon all spaces in the main section were taken up.  There is an additional overflow area which is just beautiful with a feature being a large communal fire pit and lots of interesting artefacts scattered around.  No shade though and would be a great winter spot.

Bike trails lead out from the back of the Stellplatz linking up to bike trail down the Rhine bikeways – not today though as it was too hot with no breeze at all.

This town has the most amazing modern looking Rathaus (town hall) we have ever seen.  Most town halls are in historic or old buildings but this one was right out there.

A pretty little town but not a lot to do apart from the bike ride.

Thursday 21st June

Still hot today so opted to move on without  bike ride.

Our campsite for tonight:  Parking Lehwiese, Schiltach – GPS 48.290871N   8.343960E

This village was highly recommended by our campsite friends (Gunnar and Anna) we met at the campsite near the Eagles Nest.

Rated as one of the top ten most beautiful villages in Germany, this village was truly so picturesque.   The campsite is gratis and mostly taken up with local cars so arrive by 8am or after 6pm.  A tight entry point into the parking area but really worthwhile as it is set in a beautiful grassed area bordering a crystal clear shallow pebbled running stream.

Views from the car park look across to the Old Town which we couldn’t wait to explore on foot (too hilly for bikes).

Only a short stroll across a beautiful old bridge where on both sides of the bridge, colourful flower boxes were in full bloom. 

Through and along narrow cobbled streets where every three storey Bavarian home was built in the 17th century. 

Every home featured brightly coloured window frames with contrasting window shutters – greens, blues, yellows, reds – every conceivable colour. 

The stream ran through the middle of Old Town, again with quaint little pedestrian bridges with the flower boxes.  Everything is so well kept and clean and pretty.

It is difficult to describe how picturesque this village is – but should be high on the list to visit.

 

Monday 11th June

Needed to get some spare parts for the window struts for Ziggy so Der Freistaat, Sulzemoos, was highly recommended by Gunnar and Anna.

Our campsite for tonight:  Der Freistaat, Sulzemoos (near Munich) – GPS 48.281799N   11.261300E

Certainly not tree or sea change but basic parking area for Mohos and caravans for up to three nights gratis.  Has services for small change.

This place is huge and has a sales showroom, shop with every conceivable thing you could wish for to deck out your new moho and spare parts.   Service areas for several Moho brands including Hymer.

The staff in the shop and service areas were absolutely fabulous and so helpful and spoke excellent English.  The service department provided us with two new struts for both the large windows which were becoming increasing difficult to stay open on their hinges.  Took about 15 minutes for us to replace both.

Stayed here for the night amongst a full car park of Mohos and again the tropical storm came in right on cue at 4pm.  Highly recommended as a stopover to replace parts and service.  This place is massive.

Tuesday – Thursday, 12th- 14th June

Our campsite for three nights: Allianz Arena, Munich – GPS 48.221851N   11.624720E

Allianz Arena at night

We had such a great time in Munich during a previous trip, decided to come back again. 

What a magic football stadium – the outer circular walls looking like a huge mass of bubbles and at night lit up a spectacular red.  Buses come and go all day bringing in eager football fans to do a tour of the stadium.

Great separate facility for motorhomes and each day fully packed out by late evening.

Rained the day we arrived and continued on all day and well into the next day so took advantage of the great wifi and waited for the weather to clear.  Did a walk around this great stadium but got a drenching so headed back to dry off.

Set off early next morning to the UBahn station located on the other side of the stadium.  Only a 15 minute brisk walk around the stadium or shorter if you cut through the stadium (only possible during opening hours).

Marienplatz – looking towards the New Town Hall & Glockenspiel

Picked up a Tage ticket (day ticket) for around €12.60 for both of us which gave us free travel on several types of transport until 6am following morning.    Took the U6 line and 11 short stops later arrived at Marienplatz – right in the heart of Old Town Square.

Another view of the New Town Hall in Marienplatz

The square was abuzz with tourists and there was a queue at the tourist office there to pick up info on things to see and do.

Started with the Glockenspiel (or Carillon which it is now called) in the tower of the New Town Hall which attracted a square jam packed with spectators at 11am, 12 noon and 5pm.

A close up of the Gllockenspiel

The New Gothic Style Town Hall built during 1867-1909 is the most spectacular and is only one amongst so many wonderful structures around the square – Marienplatz rates highly in our top ten squares in Europe.

A view of Karistor

Spent six hours walking the streets.  There are so many stunning churches in this part of the world and we thoroughly enjoyed going through the Frauenkirche Cathedral, St Peters Church (stunning interior), St Michaels Church and the Theatiner Church.

Most of the streets in centre of the Old Town are designated Pedestrian Only areas making it easy to get around trouble free – Literally hundreds of shops line these streets.

The two separate entrance Gates to the Old City built in the 14th century – Karistor and Isartor are decorated with colourful frescos and are imposing entrances to a magic Old Town.

 So many more places that we visited that should be mentioned but are not as there is not enough room to mention them all.

Could not resist a litre or two of beer and a Weiner Schnitzel at the Hofbrauhas – a real icon and a must do while in Munich.  

Looking towards the Hofbrauhaus

The traditional Bavarian band set the scene as waiters dressed in lederhosen and serving maids dressed in traditional German gear served stein after stein of beer (sometimes three steins in each hand) to the hundreds in the beer hall – what a hoot!. We ate lunch here in 1978 and it is still just as impressive, even though a tad expensive.

Nothing like a litre of dunkel Bier in the Hofbrauhaus

The Viktualienmarkt just outside the Old City was a diners delight with street after street offering everything and anything you could want to eat with table and chairs in outside areas set up under shady trees.

The location of the campsite and its proximity to the UBarn made the visit to Munich so easy.

Friday – Saturday, 15-16th June

Our campsite for two nights:  Waldbad, Gunzburg – GPS 48.462791N   10.269360E

This is basically a swimming and water park set in acres of forest trees with large expanses of lush green lawn where people lie in the sun after swimming or enjoying the water slides.  Beach volleyball courts and areas large enough to kick a football are also within this park.  Bit cold for us to swim in but lots of the moho people here took advantage.

Entry gate to Gunzburg

The community has set up this beautiful little spot for several Mohos where there is only a wire fence between us and the Waldbad – such a serene view and so very quiet given the water activities which are quite a way in the distance.

Gunzburg street scene

Gunzburg is only a ten minute walk from the campsite, and also a bike path runs by the campsite and leads into the Old Town which is quite hilly in the town area itself.   Had to leave the bikes at the entry to the Mall which is “Pedestrian Only area” and enjoyed the short but beautiful Main Street here – again dotted with restaurants where the locals filled the tables.

Walked the bikes until out of the hilly village and took a path running along the Danube which was not as pretty and mostly gravel so gave up after about an hour and returned back to our lovely setting in the forest.   Many of the bikini clad maidens stayed until the sun went down.  The driver commented on the wonderful eye candy  – bet he was not the only one.

Had two great nights enjoying an outside BBQ using our Cadac, which has been fabulous to use.  The sun does not disappear until around 9pm here so there is lots of outside time to be enjoyed sipping wine, eating and listening to our iPod music.  The salmon was super delicious – that is something coming from this navigator who is not a real lover of fish.  Wrapped in alfoil, coated with a light oil, onion rings and tomato slices and gently cooked and turned for several minutes – yummy!

This place is very popular and was full by early afternoon with extra Mohos parked outside the gates overnight.

Sunday 17th June

The roads and auto barns are super and we pass by those continuing rolling green hills and farm land.  It makes every day seem like a trip into the country where you end up feeling on top of the world and refreshed.

Our campsite for tonight:  Stadhalle, Riedlingen – GPS 48.151699N  9.478080E

This is just a gratis parking area but right beside the Danube again (smaller tributary though) where there is a bike path again to explore.

Saw lots of people coming from a particular direction so thought it might be markets.  We walked right bang smack into a the annual Fish Festival where the Schwabische Altback Musikanten band of 10 or so horn players entertained the crowd while cooks treated the crowd to meals of fresh trout and Zander fillets (was a fish festival after all).

Riedlingen Fire Brigade House

When in Rome – so again this non fish loving navigator had to try the Zander – highly recommended by my driver.  Was delicious with the German made potato salad adding the extras.

Riedlingen architecture

Sat with a lovely family of three and engaged in a total German conversation.   Here in Germany we rarely come across someone who does not speak English.  Most that do speak English want to practice their English on us so we speak German and they speak English – very amusing but it is what makes our trip so worthwhile – the people.

Riedlingen street scene

In this area (Baden Wurttenberg) many people speak Schwabisch which is a special German dialect which other German speakers may not necessarily understand.

Waddled out after a couple of beers and lunch into the Old Town which is a short walk across a small bridge.  With each corner we came across another set of delightfully restored three storey Bavarian style buildings.    Being Sunday not a lot was open except of course restaurants and ice cream parlours.  Everyone was enjoying these sweet treats but lunch left us too full to even contemplate one.

Riedlingen architecture

Back to Ziggy where we chatted with our German neighbour.  An old man travelling alone after losing his wife a few years back.  Loves the travel and meeting people.  Said it was his only option now since losing his wife – how sad for him but he said  – better to travel than to just sit and wait for his time to go.

Only had room for a glass of wine before lights out and slept like a baby.

 

GERMANY

Friday 1st June

Our first camp selection was closed as the Gasthaus had had a serious fire and was cordoned off.

Took another hour and another border crossing to our next stop.   Straight through the border with only a sign to indicate we were back in Germany.  No vignettes in Germany which is a treat.

Our campsite for tonight:  Gotschenalm, Bischofswiesen – GPS 47.648312N   12.936930E

Plan was to find a place close enough to visit The Eagles Nest – Hitlers Summer House. 

A great location right next to the ski lifts and a restaurant.  The views across and down the valley were fabulous but we were in need of water so spent only one night here.  There are no services here except the use of the restaurant and the WC.

The chairs from the ski lift had been taken down and were neatly stacked in the carpark ready to reassemble for the winter months.   Brought back memories  of our skiing days at Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Hopfgarten, Soll, and Obertauren as we looked at the big trail maps and talked for hours about past ski trips.   Such wonderful memories.

Not a great day weather wise with light drizzle and a storm threatening so bunkered down until dinner time.  There is a €10 cost plus local mountain tax of €2.60 each to stay here but you do get a voucher for €10 to spend in the restaurant within 24 hours.  The driver had an upset tummy but still we ate what was a fabulous meal on the deck overlooking the ski runs.

Saturday – Wednesday –  2nd – 6th June

Set off early next morning with my driver still unwell.

Our campsite for several nights:  Reisemobilplatz Rasp, Oberau – GPS 47.651711N.   13.070550E

Another highly recommended spot for those wanting to visit the Eagles Nest.

The Stellplatz is high up in the mountains, again with a fabulous mountain and valley view.   It has all the services and we quickly filled the water tanks and then spent the next few days waiting for the weather to clear enough to visit the Eagles Nest.

Met some Swedish Australians (Gunnar and Anna) who were eager to engage in lots of conversation.  So interesting to hear their story.  They live permanently in two motorhomes – one in Sydney and another which is Swedish registered but they leave in storage in Spain whilst they are in Australia.  They spend six months in Australia and six months in Europe with much of their overseas travel spent in Germany – one of their favourite countries.

They have many more Aussie stickers, kangaroos, harbour bridges etc then we have which made us feel a little inadequate, Aussie wise.

Took a few days for the upset tummy to clear (not sure what he ate or drank to cause this) but with the weather predicting lots of storms and bad weather over the coming days, we took advantage of a reasonable day to head off to the Eagles Nest.

Drove Ziggy to the carpark in Obersaltsburg only about 5kms away and then booked the ticket for the buses to take us up to the Eagles Nest.  They run every 25 minutes and cost around €33 for the two of us return and cover entry to the Eagles Nest.  One cannot go up by car to the top but the very fit can walk it – not for these two little old ducks!

The scenery was more than spectacular as we climbed higher and higher until we were way above the clouds.  Think this must be the top of the world, you could see forever in all directions.

On arrival at the entrance, we headed into a foot tunnel through the mountain (so cold) to an amphitheatre where a lift took us for a 42 second ride to the top.

Another tick in the “bucket list” box  as we explored the Eagles Nest which is now predominately a massive indoor and outdoor restaurant with a few rooms still in their original state.

Given it is still not peak season, it was really crowded with people looking like ants scattered in and around the house and hillside adjoining.  

 Enjoyed a great lunch on the deck overlooking the world!

Headed back to Oberau for the night.

Thursday – Sunday 7th – 10th June

From a tree change to a lake change as we headed for the Chiemsee which is one of the largest lakes in the district.

Our campsite for several nights:  Wohnmobilstellplatz Bernau am Chiemsee

It is a new mobile home park that takes around 25 mobile homes only with no caravans or tents allowed.  Only 6€ for 24 hours and all services provided with a small cost for showers.  No internet unfortunately and don’t need electricity as the solar panels work exceptionally well and fully top up the batteries each day.

Such an excellent location only metres away from the lake where there are sailing boats, paddle boats, and everything that floats on water available for rental.  Even have a ferry that does half and full day trips around the lake – it is huge.

Spent 4 fabulous hot days here just relaxing, reading and taking off on the bikes and exploring for a good part of each day.  The bike trails go forever and the only thing that brings us back is a large thirst and the need to mingle with the locals.  Both were satisfied at one or more of lakefront bars and restaurants.

Have felt like being in the tropics over the last couple of weeks as about 4pm everyday the dark clouds come over the mountains followed by thunder and then torrential rain and then back to sunshine – very odd but very refreshing.  We believe we are experiencing a very early summer already.

The camp ground has filled up every night with many mobiles turned away to find somewhere else to park.  Don’t think we will be “alone” again and soon will be fighting for a spot ourselves.

Strange also are the number of four footed residents – 90% of Mohos have at least one and most at least 2 or more – all shapes and sizes.  Just beautiful to see how they are worshipped here and are taken to dinner in restaurants and even climb aboard buses for sightseeing tours with their owners.

The record for dogs in a motorhome was 5 at Bingen am Rhein.

Friday 13th and Saturday 14th October

We are now looking for a campsite for two nights.  Criteria was it had to be picturesque, along a river, a town with some good restaurants to choose from and of course a good bikeway for this novice to enjoy.  Stopped at a few potential spots along the way but being very fussy about choosing a really good one, so moved on a few times until we arrived here.

Our campsite for two nights:  Zeltingen/Rachtig

We saw this spot back in March when we were headed for Poland but did not have time to stop here.

Filled all the criteria and again we got the 5 star spot in the front row overlooking the Moselle with the village right across the road.  Very pretty little village with lots of character, though no historic buildings.

It was a warm day though still overcast so the bikes came off and we set off.  Travelled to the town of Bernkastel-Kues around 12 kms away and spent a few hours exploring.  The hub for river cruises, it was so busy with tourists.  Really a great place and would like to have stayed longer but it was now 4pm and was time to head back. 

Cheated on the way back with a little help from my pedal assist electric bike but a real achievement for me.   I envy Rob who looks so at ease on his bike.

Woke up to a foggy day, couldn’t see more than a metre or so into the river.  Today was our special day – fifty years to the day we met and 45 years married.  Our anniversary and the real reason for trying to find somewhere special to celebrate.

Zeltingen has many rose gardens in the Main Street and right outside Ziggy was a rose bush with one red rose in bloom – quickly picked and placed on the table for breakfast.

The fog lifted and the most beautiful blue cloudless sky replaced it.  Set off on foot after lunch to explore the town and to find a restaurant with atmosphere for tonight.  The twin villages of Zeltingen and Rachtig join at a bridge on the Moselle and both had restaurants to look at.  Long story short, after 2 hours of walking, the Spanish restaurant we were keen on closed last year, so good excuse to stop at the replacement and have a pint before returning back to Ziggy.

Couldn’t find one with real atmosphere but had a great meal and some super local wine.   The menus here have two pages of food choices and 10 pages of wine selections.

Sunday 15th October

Headed off early next morning, with fog thicker than the day before. 

The temperatures have been so much milder over the last few days, we are hoping for more of the same.  All the prime places along this river are full of German motorhomes and by midday, most are full to capacity.  Bit like at home, where most of the retired people travel before or after school holidays.

Our campsite for tonight Sonninsel, Minheim

Fog still thick when we arrived here, it was difficult to see any view.  Within a couple of hours it lifted and again another magnificent cloudless blue sky appeared. 

Again took off on the bikes for hours only stopping along the way for refreshments before heading off again on one of the prettiest stretches of river and villages to date. 

Watched a Viking ship full of guests make their way along the river at Piesport. 

Lots of walkers, bikers and past a wedding venue where guests strolled along the paths past beautiful riverfront homes, restaurants and vineyards.

Didn’t realise till now how much you wouldn’t see if you didn’t have a bike.

Monday 16th October

Again a foggy day, we headed up the mountain into still heavier fog.  Couldn’t see much at all but eager with anticipation of another beautiful day ahead.

Our campsite for tonight: Reisemobilpark, Saarburg

We have left the Moselle River now with the intention of heading west towards England.  Ziggy is booked in on 31st October for service and MOT so with only two weeks to go, we need to travel toward France or Belgium soon.

Once leaving the Moselle, we travel through uninteresting large industrial towns until we arrive here on the Saar River. The fog is lifting and we are again blessed with picture perfect blue skies.

Off with the bikes and again after a few kms decide to cross the river into the village of Saarburg.  What a surprise – an old town with a castle and waterfalls running through the Main Street. 

Restaurants on both sides of the waterfalls and all fully packed out on Monday for lunch – would you believe!  After locking the bikes, we became part of the scene and enjoyed a super lunch before heading back for a well deserved rest.

Sunday, 8th October

Heading towards the Rhine Valley now.  Our angels from Waldsee Therme – Rolf and Agnes, highly recommended doing the right side of the Rhine heading toward The Netherlands – most picturesque they said.  So we are headed in this direction.

Still drizzling today but from experience, the weather patterns change many times during the day.

Our campsite for tonight:  WellMobilPark, Bad Schonborn

An interim stop only and apart from the Therme nothing this town has to offer in the form of interest or architecture.   Spent a couple of hours wandering around the town with very little open.  Had the worst hot chocolate and coffee in a little bakery/cafe where all the locals were eating massive slices of yummy looking but unhealthy cakes and sweets.

Had an argument with the camping fuhrer (everybody is some sort of fuhrer here) such a bad word – conjures up images of Hitler for me.  Purchased a 24 hour Internet connection for 1 euro which we thought was great value.   Our first mistake was to check on the iPhone to make sure it worked then logged out and tried to connect to the iPad.  Fuhrer omitted to tell us that the password worked on one device only and was not interchangeable.  Long story short after a heated discussion, they gave us another password and we happily connected to the computer and used massive amounts of Internet for the rest of this miserable rainy day.

Monday 9th October

Definitely needed to find something special today as the last 24 hours we have travelled through a lot of industrial areas with not much to see.

Our campsite for tonight:  Reismobilstellplatz, Bacharach am Rhein

One campsite was front row on the Rhine but was packed quite early.  Seems like the locals are still out in full force with most motorhomes having German number plates.

Too cold to go riding as again overcast and windy so headed into the small village.  Named the Medieval Village, it did not take long to see why. 

The buildings were just so unbelievably old (but beautifully restored old).  Very busy touristy area but really special and a must to visit.   The bricked arches with medieval towers atop were at each entry point to the town. 

Behind arches were narrow cobbled streets with amazing old structures and vineyards climbing from there to the steep hills above.  The obligatory castle overlooking all of this.  Such an amazing place.

Tuesday 10th October

So much to see and so many fairytale towns along both sides of the Rhine.  Castle after castle perched high on the hills overlooking these towns and vineyards in between.

Couldn’t get into Koblenz as it was fully packed out.  Only a small Stellplatz for 10 motorhomes but ideally located to sightsee Koblenz.  Have very fond memories of Koblenz from previous trip and the town has grown substantially.  Such a shame we couldn’t get in there.

Our campsite for tonight:  Kranchen, Lahnstein/Koblenz

Drove a few kms out of Koblenz and found this great campsite right on the Rhine River.  Magic spot with only a bikeway and green lawn down to the river.  The view across the Rhine is of a pretty little town which is overlooked by a fairytale castle.  The Rhine is busy all day with river cruise boats and barges – the height of activity.  The hills adorned with rows and rows of vineyards now changing colour to the Autumn shades.  Would have been absolutely wonderful to have some sun but again a dreary overcast day.  

Headed for the bikeway and travelled for around 25klms along the river.  The bikeways are littered with Autumn leaves and the scenery along the way just so special.  Finding it hard to get enough practice on the bikes – too long between rides so I feel like a beginner each time.  Doesn’t bother the locals who seem to go out in all conditions.  Bike riding is a way of life here and I am so jealous of the confidence these people have on the bikes even riding on busy one lane roads.

Highly recommended spot if you can’t get into Koblenz.

Wednesday 11th October and Thursday 12th October

Travelled along the Rhine forever.   Village after village and castle after castle each worthy of several photos.  Decided to move away from the Rhine and head toward the Moselle River.  There were so many camping spots along the way to choose from and all are directly waterfront with so many priced at a small 7-10 euros.  It was difficult to make a choice.

Our campsite for two nights:  Moselufer, Reil

Beautiful spot again right on the river.  Extremely busy with mostly German motorhomes.  It is quite amazing to see other people’s reactions to a motorhome with GB number plates.  Sometimes feel like we have two heads the way that they stare at us and we are ignored until they learn we are from Australia – their attitude towards us then seems to change.

We have now been challenged 3 times about Brexit until we tell people we are from Australia not the UK.

Walked through town in the afternoon.  Very hilly with narrow cobble stoned streets.  Most people in this region are wine makers or associated with them so there are many wine houses or wine stuhbles as they are called here all eager to sell you their wines.

The waterfront streets were extremely busy with walkers and bikers and many places to stop and eat or drink or just enjoy the view.

Along came a tractor pulling a passenger cart with about 8 people sitting at white clothed tables sightseeing and wine tasting in the cart as they moved along – couldn’t believe it and just wanted to capture this on film but just too slow.

At the entry to the campsite, there was a small cafe open all hours and was the meeting point for the large number of motorhomers in the camp.  Great place to get local knowledge.

Took advantage of a reasonable day and headed off on the bikes.  The bikeways were excellent and took us through many vineyards and villages – just what we were looking for.  Stopped along the way and watched as the grape pickers carried large buckets up and down the steep hills to the sorters who stood on the backs of trucks, separating the grapes from the stems – very labour intensive.  Even saw one of their trucks with a porta loo on the back!

Rode for in excess of 25 kms – longest ride yet and can’t describe how super it was – can really understand why everybody here spends so much time riding.  Two + hours later came home happy, tired and with sore parts that I never knew I had.

Wednesday 4th & Thursday 5th October

Weather has not been good for a few days now.  Some rain during most days and it is getting colder each day.  Can understand why many Stellplatz close at end of September. Maximum does not go above mid teens now and minimum most nights is single figures.  Our Doona is really warm and cosy so nights are not yet a problem, though might invest in flannelette sheets soon.  Still looking for slippers for Rob.

Gas heating works a charm so the odd blast of hot air is really appreciated from time to time to warm things up quickly.

Our campsite for two nights: Reisemobilpark Turm & Kristelle, Dietingen/Rottweil

With one of the highways closed near our destination, NAVIE took us right through the middle of Rottweil.  The centre of town is a real picture.  The camera came out and happily snapped whenever we could to capture the wonderfully colourful and restored historic buildings.

Just outside Rottweil stands the 246m high ThyssenKrupp Tower, Germany’s highest observation deck.  Currently under refurbishment so could not take the lift to the top.

Dietingen is only 3 kms away from Rottweil with a wide bikeway between the two towns.  The Stellplatz is only a short walk to the small town and houses the mineral and Fossils Museum “World of Crystals” at one end.  Really well set up Stellplatz in a rural setting.  Museum is only open a couple of days a week and only for a couple of hours.

The Internet speed was excellent (has been hard to find anywhere) so took advantage whilst it was raining.  Really quaint little town with well kept large homes, a church and a couple of businesses.  Pretty much an outer suburb of Rottweil.  It was bitterly cold and the wind was so strong we opted not to do the bike ride into Rottweil.

Friday 6th October & Saturday 7th October

Still wet and cold when we left and drove most of the way through rain squalls.

Traffic was horrendous with roadworks and stop start traffic particularly through the main towns.  Should have taken no more than two hours but took more than three.

What a find this place is.

Our campsite for two nights: Weingut/Weinstube Geiger, Dierbach

Just on the outskirts of this little village, set behind a Winery, there are five level terraces with large spots overlooking acres and acres of vineyards.  For €10 per night you got a coupon to the value of €4 to spend on wine or food in the restaurant which is only open on Friday and Saturday nights, free electricity and water and grey and black water disposal.  Internet is also free but you can only get this on the first and second level terraces which were fully booked out by a group.

Sat in the bar and did some wine tasting during the afternoon.  Wine cost was so inexpensive and the quality was excellent.  A really good white priced at €3 for a one litre bottle and a little more for a great red.  Several to choose from to suit all taste buds.

Though our cellar was really full, we bought 6 of each and a couple of their cream coffee liqueurs for €9.

Just had to have dinner there as well – a real hoot.  Restaurant opened at 6pm and was fully booked out by 6.05pm.  Best guess around 80 Germans, eating, drinking and singing in their best voices accompanied by two piano accordions. Dinner was traditional German cuisine with most dishes made of pork, roast potatoes and of course sauerkraut.  Even The Driver ate the sauerkraut.  I think we left around 10pm and the place was still packed.

Ventured into the small town for a walk mid morning.  Lots of other places in town offering wine tasting but very little else apart from homes, some accommodation, a town hall and sporting field.

Came back for lunch but soon after the rain came down again so the bike ride through the vineyards was postponed.

Took the opportunity to do some long needed washing and housework but enjoyed the tranquility and picturesque view of the long lines of grape vines spreading out over the hills in front and to the side of us.

Had such a good time last night, just had to go back to restaurant again.  Walked across at 6.00pm only to see two buses parked outside.  You guessed it- not a spare inch inside.  Sadly headed back to Ziggy, opened up a bottle of our best white, turned on the iPod and conjured up a good curry – had a great night and thought about going across later to have a glass of wine – the rain came down again so that was the end of that.

Next morning our wine was delivered to our door by a little red truck (Door to door delivery) how good is that!  Packed up and left in the rain.

Definitely highly recommended, particularly on weekends – but be in the bar before 6pm to get a seat.