4 - West to Bavaria and the River Main

Wed 20th Sept

Another pleasant day in Dresden. We visited the Oktoberfest, where we were amused to see scores of sparrows gorging on the sheaves of grain....and we have found another favourite cafe ...Kunst Cafe Antik, effectively a cafe inside an antique shop, antiques, paintings and other objet d'art around, all for sale. Very pleasant indeed.

Kunst Cafe Antik

Thurs 21st Sept

Walked into the centre again, for breakfast at Dresden 1900. Very civilised - and just 80 yards from the Frauenkirche. I find it impossible to walk past the Frauenkirche without taking a photo,

Frauenkirche - seriously beautiful

Now, 175 mile drive west into Bavaria. The weather improved, and got considerably warmer, the further west we went. We have stopped at an aire in Bamberg, on the river Main. Bamberg is simply glorious! Some wonderful mediaeval architecture, little shops and cafes, and market. No wonder it is a world heritage site. Of course, the bright sunshine was a welcome change, too! Our plan is to spend a couple of days here, then wander along the wine route along the Main. We did that 3 years ago, and it was so pleasant it just had to be repeated. And we're hoping we can find the lady selling seriously tasty Cox's Orange Pippins again. It was when we tasted those, 3 years ago, and they tasted just like apples always used to, that we realised how tasteless British apples have become.

Bamburg - the aircraft designer was born here

Bamburg - the eyes have it;)

a tradition that started in Paris. Write your and your true love's names on a padlock, lock it to a bridge, and throw the key in the water. I did notice some lovers hedged their bets by using combination locks. There was also a motor bike piston attached - not sure what that was about...

Bamburg, town hall

1430 miles, N49.8864 E10.9029 height 932 feet

Fri 22nd Sept

Yesterday's sunshine had us fooled - today  started cold, grey, and touches of rain. Again we walked into Bamberg beside the Danube-Main canal (no barge traffic). By 11 am the clouds had gone, the sun shone, and we were way overdressed and very hot. We went for drinks near the centre in a 14th century pub that brews its own, very dark, beer - Wirthaus sum Schkenkeria.

Bamburg, town hall

Victoria "pissoir" (in French!) and grafitti

Bamburg

Bamburg

Bamburg - not Wedgwood pottery!

If you are in the area, Bamberg is not to be missed, an absolute gem. If you are planning to stay on the aire, get there by midday, as it filled up quickly, even at the end of September, and you need lots of €1 and €2 pieces for the parking meter - €15 for 24 hours.

brewery cum pub - Wirthaus sum Schkenkeria.

Bamburg

Bamburg - if she feels sleepy she might just "drop off"

Sat 23rd Sept

A gentle drive to the Main valley, to  Isenheim, right beside the Main. Only €5 pn, and it is stuffed with motorhomes. The lucky few get a berth overlooking the river, the rest of us are in the second or third rank. Commercial barges do go past, but nothing is as good as barge traffic on the Rhine, battling against a strong current, or sweeping down fast with the current.

 Isenheim is a tiny village, but has an Art and History festival under way this weekend and next. All nicely rural and local. Along with stalls of children selling their toys and books (I bought some good walking poles for only €5), and standard "craft" stuff, there was a charming family of Syrian refugees selling ayran (delicious diluted and salted yoghurt), Arabic tea, and similar.

1483 miles N49.888 E 10.1787 height 797 ft

Sun 24th Sept

It looks like the car park we are is gearing up for a veteran car rally, so we left before it got too hectic and we were hemmed in. Only a few miles, to Vorsach, which we visited 3 years ago. very touristy, but very pleasant. A jazz band was playing to a large audience in the market place. We have never seen a town with so many bakeries - and some lovely cakes.

We are parked in a large, but busy, aire right beside the Main, and we have a good view of the barges going past - some are huge!

Reading The Independent, it seems that the new Hard Left Labour party is going to nationalise everything again, when they get back into government (The new Hard Right Tories are surely doomed!). That explains Comrade Corbyn's antipathy to the EU - nationalisation is completely against EU rules, as unfair competition. So between Brexit and Corbyn, Britain's economy will be dragged back to those awful days of the 60's and 70's, when the IMF had to bail us out, and we were "the sick man of Europe". (I got a b******ing for my Italian blog for bring politics into it, but I remain a committed Europhile and John Major Centre extremist! "Decency above all" - seems to be sadly lacking these days)

N49.8645 E10.2209, height 843 feet

Mon 25th Sept

A few days ago we emptied one of our gas bottles, and as we have started using the heating, which rather hoovers through gas, we wondered about getting more. We thought it likely the closest would be Frankfurt am Main, which we should reach in 10 days or so, but we have an LPG POI on Sally Satnav, downloaded and installed just before we left, which gives us locations of LPG refill - and the nearest is just 600 yards away. What did we do before satnavs?! We are staying here another day - and buying more cakes:).

This afternoon a truly enormous barge went past, at least 400 foot long, bigger than my frigates of decades ago. You have to wonder how it gets round the bends, but it does, and at quite a speed.

Tues 26th Sept

Firstly, refill LPG and diesel, secondly, to an excellent nearby supermarket - Edeka, a Waitrose equivalent, to top up milk, meat, wine etc. But we forgot the butter:(

Finally, drive less than 5 miles to Nordheim, where there is yet another aire beside the Main. A small town, and stuffed with small wineries. The local white wine we have tried has been very nice.

Next to us in the aire is a Dutch motorhome, towing one of the oddest cars I have seen, a Czech made Velorex, made by a bicycle manufacturer and based on the Morgan. Made of tubular steel, it has 3 wheels,  leatherette covers for the bonnet, sides and boot (where the 2 cylinder motorbike engine is) Only the doors are metal (and, I would guess, the floor). This one was built in 1952, and the Dutch couple have owned it for 15 years. It certainly attracts attention - numerous people came and took photos, and asked about it.

Velorex, 1952, based on the Morgan. Except for the doors all the covering is fabric, just clipped on

N49.8595 E10.1769

Only 4 miles today, and a large chunk of that was getting LPG and groceries!

Wed 27th Sept

Drove the 3 miles back to Vorsach to the Edeka supermarket, mainly to buy butter and the delicious rolls with toasted seeds on top - just a pity we picked the unsalted butter:(. Then, a few more miles to Dettelbach, another small town beside the Main. This is easily the nicest Main side town we have been to, a charming gem. The town has provided a fine, well appointed aire right beside the river, only 5 minutes walk into town, for €5 per night. And a big Edeka supermarket is only 2 minutes.

Dettelbach rathaus. That is not a rat, but Rosemary, you can see in the centre

Dettelbach

Dettelbach

Dettelbach

Dettelbach

Towards the evening Rosemary watched as a some fishermen in a small boat unloaded some enormous (10 foot long and 18 inches diameter) black fish, and a number of smaller, but still big, babies. A bit of googling revealed these to be Wels Catfish, which have increased in numbers and size in German rivers because the water is getting warmer. They are inedible, do nothing but lie in holes at the bottom, and prey on salmon and trout. Later, I watched the fishermen pull more out of the water, just scooping them from the bottom with nets on poles.

netting giant catfish

N49.8006 E10.1686 height 758 feet

Thurs 28th Sept

Whilst Rosemary went into town to paint a picture, I used the new walking poles to storm along beside the river to the next town Main Stockheim. There is an aire here, too, but not nearly as nice as the one here at Dettelbach.

In the evening we went to La Strada, an Italian restaurant in town.

Fri 29th Sept

Dettelbach is so nice we are staying here for a third day. It rained for a good deal of the morning, but brightened up later.

Sat 30th Sept

We have progressed a few more miles to Frickenhausen (via the Edeka supermarket), to probably our last campsite of the trip. Ironically, it is more crowded and less well situated than the aires we have been staying on, at considerably higher cost. However it does have a washing machine, and wifi (but which costs €4 per day). These were the 2 main (only) reasons for coming here. The washing machine situation is laughable - just one domestic washing machine for a large and crowded site, so there is a queue of washing waiting its turn. Being a domestic machine, it takes 1 to 2 hours for each wash. Compare this with a site we stayed at in Italy, a smaller site, which had 2 commercial washing machines, which did a complete wash, well, in only 30 minutes. We then tried the tumble drier -rain and thunder were forecast for 6pm - and this took 4 hours to almost dry our washing. We took it out just minutes before the heavens opened.

I haven't mentioned the campsite's situation. Beside the Main - but also beside a large chemical works, with tall chimneys belching fumes, and a rather noxious smell. On the plus side, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and you can forgive a lot with friendliness like that.

N 49.6689 E10.0752 height 768 feet

3 - A foray into Poland and back to Dresden

Tues 12th Sept 2017
Now in Potsdam, in a motorhome and bus park on the outskirts, having driven just 14 miles from Berlin. We liked Berlin, a very pleasant city, and public transport is superb.

The parking is about a mile from the various royal palaces at Potsdam. We walked there - some dramatic buildings, and a lovely garden. We could have done with better weather, but it didn't actually rain. From the palaces it's about a 20 minute walk into the town of Potsdam. Like Berlin, very pleasant. And it has a C&A, which closed in the UK about 25 years ago. Was always good value, and I bought a few shirts.

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Sushi for 2, only €22, Potsdam4

Wed 13th Sept

Heavy rain & winds in the morning, so we stayed put in the van. No pleasure in getting soaked! But weather improved later, and we walked in again. Rosemary visited the Neue Palace, whilst I just looked at more of Potsdam

windmill, and another palace Potsdam

Chinese tea house, in palace grounds, Potsdam

Brandenburg Gate, Potsdam

Thurs 14th Sept

2 nights here have cost €20, but there are no bunkering facilities. We have taken a scenic route (i.e longer and more difficult) to Bautzen, some miles due East of Dresden. We have been away 2 weeks, and the need for some clean clothes is becoming pressing! We are at our first campsite, Natur und Abenturecamping. It gets good reviews, and is actually very nice. Could do without the bitingly cold wind, though.

1053 miles

Fri 15th Sept

We caught a bus the 2 Km into Bauzen. In the nearby village we asked someone where the bus stop was. He explained it was some way away, and gave us a lift to a bus stop much closer to town, where, he said, there were more frequent buses. The bus dropped us at a bus station, some distance from the town, and it wasn't obvious which we had to go - but we found it eventually.

The town is largely unspoilt, having never been bombed during the war, with many fine old buildings. It has 17 mediaeval towers for defence,  A very pleasant and interesting  town. We made the mistake of catching a bus back just as the schools were chucking out (13.30). I HOPE (probably unrealistically) that British schoolchildren behave better. You have never seen such pushing and shoving to get to the front of the queue and get a seat. Even an elderly disabled lady was only offered the disabled seat reluctantly. British pensioners stood no chance!. I have to contrast this with Italy, when we have always been offered a seat (to be honest, I really don't need it, but it would have been nice to have been offered)

Bauzen

Back at the site - a second batch of washing to be washed and dried. Reasonably strong wifi here - we shall miss it when we move on

Sat 16th Sept

Moved another 40 miles or so to Gorlitz., right against the Polish border. In fact the border - a river, divides the town. we walked the mile or so into Gorlitz,, which is absolutely delightful, stuffed with unspoilt mediaeval buildings - just lovely, although there are some areas that look like cold war era caricatures.

would that we could swap Merkel for May!

Art Deco department store from 1905

We took a short walk across the river into Poland - no passport required - and boy, what a difference! You would never guess that this side of the river had once been part of Gorlitz - quite depressing. A really horribly decrepit block of flats looks over the river to the beautiful and huge cathedral the other side. I can inly imagine it was built like that as a deliberate insult.

over the bridge into Poland

The view of Gorlitz from Poland

the view of Poland from Gorlitz. Don't tell me those flats at the back weren't meant to be an insult!

Today has been a day of brides. We had coffee near the town hall, and every half hour another bride arrived - in a variety of shapes and sizes. One left in a real US army armoured car, with a convoy of Harley Davisons as outriders. Between each wedding a man emerged with a vacuum cleaner to suck up the confetti, ready for the next batch -  a never ending job.

 

We are staying on a private aire, in the grounds of someone's house, that Rosemary found on the web, only €8 per night, inc electricity, but it is a bit of a squeeze. You have to admire his entrepreneurial spirit

private aire in the grounds of a house - also a motorhome hire business

N51.139 E14.9791, height 882 ft.

Sun 17th Sept

Weather improved for most of the day - very hot at times, cold at others, and some rain. I have been using Google Maps to give me directions for walking around a city, and very good it is too. To save battery I turn off the screen and keep the phone in my pocket. Every so often a loud female voice from within my trouser pocket says "turn right onto Gruberstasse", much to the consternation of passers by. We lunched at the "Rat Cafe",  where the food was very tasty - not at all rat like...

Rat Cafe

Mon 18th Sept

I was woken at midnight by several violent sneezes and and a sudden heavy cold. I've never had one come on so suddenly, or in the night, before.
Time to move on to Dresden. We came here 3 years ago and loved it to bits, We are parked where we stopped last time, directly over the Elbe from the Frauenkirche, adjacent to a bridge, so a 5 minute walk gets into the city centre. The aire - really a car park, with attendant, costs €18 pernight, and bunkering is expensive - but worth it for the easy access to a lovely city.

overnight in the centre of Dresden

Frauenkirche

Frauenkirche - destroyed in the Dresden raid 1945, left a ruin by the Communists, rebuilt after reunification. The black stones are original. A lovely church, inside and out.

Dresden 1900 - our favourite cafe (and free wifi)

Art gallery advert

other adverts are pretty good, too...

We have revisited our favourite sites, eaten the best chocolate ice cream ever, had coffee in our favourite cafe - Dresden1900, which has an old tram in the middle of it, and watched a performance of  Manon, the ballet by Massenet, at the Opera House. We hadn't intended to go to the ballet, but Rosemary wanted to spend €11 each for a guided tour of the opera house, in German. We found we could watch an entire ballet for the same price, although the seats were right up in the Gods, on the edge. There were plenty of empty seats so we moved to some with a better view. That was the first ballet I have been to, and I have to say it will probably be my last - but the music was superb.

N51.0564 E 13.7428 height 512 feet. 1256 miles (Parkplatz Gosse Meissner)

Tues 19th Sept

In a flurry of emails and phone calls, we have sorted out the requirements spec and a price for "Molly", our new van. Some items, like a larger larder and an external power socket, seem too pricey to justify, but we do have a stack of  other extras, including 4 leisure batteries.

I think I have my sudden cold under control. I normally use Contac as a cold relief medicine, and I thought I had some on board - unfortunately not - it is very effective. Mr Google found me a pharmacy, and the pharmacist located a substitute, and this seems to be working too.

Evening, just as we put our meal out to eat, 2 hot air balloons inflated and took off from right in front of us - we had a cold meal tonight!

We have walked in for the evening, to take some night photos, and update our blogs at Dresden 1900. Another joy of Dresden is the superb quality of some of the buskers. 2 opera singers, one soprano and one mezzo, were performing in the open air beside the Frauenkirche (and right outside Dresden 1900). A large crowd gathered, just as it did 3 years ago. I have a video which I will attempt to put on YouTube, when I have a decent connection.