Onwards and northwards

The car demanded oil today. It's never done that before, so slightly worrying. But we have put it through its paces. Long hot drives with some big hills. The car isn't far off reaching 200,000 miles so it's getting on a bit... 

Anyway, enough car talk. If it gets us back to blighty, that would be nice.

We left our 'place in the Black Forest', and returned to Schömberg, partly to buy oil, partly to buy some food and partly to return to the bakery that we enjoyed sitting in for a cuppa, yesterday. It's funny how quickly you can feel an affinity for some places. This bakery became our local. For 12 hours. The chances of us visiting our local again, ever, are more or less nil...

The beginning of our journey took us through more black forest. It was impressive.

Big swooping curves, as we climbed hills and dropped down into wooded valleys. Well, the car did. But enough about that. 

Eventually the land flattened out and the roads became Autobahns again. We have been very surprised by the sheer volume of traffic on these roads. We thought that sort of density of vehicles was the reserve of the UK. The moment we joined the first autobahn, the traffic going the opposite way was at a standstill. For miles. It was so bad that people were out of their cars. We looked on with pity, mingled with apprehension, knowing that we might experience similar. It's funny, though, how you can't avoid a certain smugness when you see a jam which you are not part of. I don't know why. Fear? That's what most unreasonable thoughts are rooted in. And it wasn't long before we were in a similar situation, wishing we were on the other side. Feeling smug. We spent what felt like an age, sat there. Handbrake on. I could write a whole lot more about the motorways and other drivers. No? OK then.

We thought we were in flat country until we arrive in Rotterdam tomorrow evening. Then, a rift of amazing proportions opened up before us. It was the Moselle river. Cut into a very deep valley. The sat nav screen suddenly looked like a child had taken a blue felt tip and scribbled all over it. It was a mass of hairpins, with the road switching back and forth in a frenzy. When we reached the river, we had to climb out of the valley on a road called Panoramastraße. Incidentally, why do the Germans run their words together? My theory is that they keep forgetting to hit the space bar in between the words. It's like reading website addresses all the time. 

Anyway, Panoramastraße. It lived up to its name. The views were beautiful. We assumed, especially given the name of the road, that there would be somewhere to stop and point the camera at the vast view of valley, woods and river but, alas, no. You'll have to take our word for it being a fine view. 

We arrived at our final accommodation of the trip (not including an overnight on the ferry tomorrow) This is the 11th different place we've stayed at. They have all been so different. We have loved that, and loved 10 of them. This is a smallish hotel up high in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of a small village. Both yesterday and today's hosts have been real characters. Yesterday, the guy had a broad grin and was so laid back. I don't think anything could have phased him. Today's host was very amenable and pleasant but communication was not so easy. He started every conversation, then shortly into the sentence, words would fail him and he would continue with gesticulations. I, with my usual determination to be of help whether it was helpful or not, would then agree wholeheartedly with his gesticulations. We got there in the end. It's easy to assume the host's method of communication was purely down to dealing with a sycophantic English man but I have the impression that, actually, this was how he always rolled. 

We drove into a nearby town in a quest for sustenance. It feels far more like France now. Sleepy little villages and towns that bolt most of their doors after about 2pm and big, rather brutal looking granite church buildings. 

However, there was a pizzeria and it was open. At the beginning of this trip we went to a pizzeria and shared a pizza. It seems fitting to have done so again at the end. 

It came as no surprise that, although this is an Italian restaurant, a whole page of the menu was given over to Schnitzel. Including a Schnitzel topped pizza.

Driving back from our pizzeria, a light came on in the car, telling me that the engine is experiencing an issue...

As long as the car gets us to Rotterdam tomorrow, it really will be the end. And the issueing of the final blog. 

You better start praying that the car makes it.

                   Our local. (In Schömberg)

Coffee at a restplaz. Just noticed my impressive sun tan line which works well if my shorts are the same length as my cycle shorts...

Guess who's going to bump their head when they get up to go to the loo in the night.

The above are pictures of what we saw driving up ftom the Moselle. We couldn't stop to take photos. Thank you, Google street view!

Typical of most buildings where we now are, with big views in every direction from this town.

Sat waiting for pizza in the shadow of the austere looking church.