21 September 2024

Early autumn holiday, 21 September 2024

Aschaffenburg, Bavaria 

Another very long drive today; it should actually have taken less time than yesterday's, although slightly longer in terms of mileage, but due to roadworks, roadworks and more roadworks, to say nothing of sheer weight of traffic, it didn't. 

Blégny-Mine offers free services, even water, so we made use of them and filled up - after all, since the water is provided free of charge, rude not to, really! We were away shortly before 10:00 am, and our first port of call was some 50 km down the road, in Düren! I However, we were badly held up crossing the border, which we thought at first must be because they were checking passports or something, but in fact it was an accident which had closed a carriageway. The traffic was already slow where two lanes merged, but when a third had to as well.... 

My favourite Lidl in Germany is in Düren! I did a very large shopping, including much of the stuff on offer there this week - wine, Sekt, Bratwurst... and even rolls for lunch! 

So far, so good. But as we neared Köln, the traffic got worse and worse, as did the holdups. The SatNav claimed there was a route 15 minutes faster - as, indeed, did the variable signs above the A3, but everybody else had the same idea. So it was slow, slow, slow - and even more roadworks than there usually are in Belgium, never mind Germany! Once we were past Bonn, things got easier, though, and we found a random rest area in which to stop for lunch, and then on and on and on down the busy motorway until we got here. Although we are in Bavaria, we are not far from Frankfurt, and saw a lot of planes going in and out, plus one going across the taxiway that the motorway goes under. 
The aire here is very nice, just beside the Main. I was afraid it would be flooded, but luckily not, and shows no sign of having been. All the same, we are parked on the side furthest from the river. The Swan Whisperer went for a walk, and I did some tai chi to loosen up. And as it is Saturday, I hope he will soon go and cook our sausage and mash! 

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