Remembrance Holiday, 10 November

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning, so we were not particularly early setting off, but after breakfast we drove up to the Park'n'Ride by the station and took a tram into Strasbourg, where we had arranged to meet the Daughter who is enjoying a child-free weekend with her choir. We walked past the Cathedral and the rows of tourist tat, and found a very nice place to have a cup of coffee. Only it was raining - nearly  the first rain we have had all holiday apart from six spots at Freudenstadt.

The Daughter had left her music in her hotel room, and didn't particularly want to walk back there, but we had bought an up-to-three-person ticket so she could go on the bus with us. We did that, and then got a tram to the Opéra area, where she was to have a rehearsal. There was a very nice restaurant where we treated ourselves to flammekueche and a beer, and then the Daughter left for her rehearsal and we went back into Germany and did a Last Shop (in Germany) as we'll be in France from tomorrow onwards. 

After that I have spent the afternoon listening to the radio, reading and knitting while the SW decided he wanted to go back into Strasbourg to see if it was illuminated, which I don't think it was much. He has just returned, rather wet!

Remembrance Holiday, 9 November

This morning was cold and foggy, but by the time we had had breakfast, it had cleared and was a lovely day. We went for a walk round the town and I was delighted to discover that I could cope with quite a steep slope, even at altitude, although I had to take it very slowly and not talk!

We walked down to the lake via acres of do-the-tourist shops, mostly wanting to sell you Black Forest ham, which I dislike or cuckoo-clocks. We wandered round one shop which was full of them. I had no idea of buying one, but they were lovely to look at in their displays, all set to a different time so there was barely a moment in the town when you couldn't hear a mechanical cuckoo. This was nearly disastrous as it's what the Swan Whisperer has as his phone's ringtone, so when he got a call we almost didn't notice!

When we got back to the motor home we used the services and then headed on. We had hoped to visit the biggest cuckoo clock in the world, which is really a tourist shop in its own right, but we couldn't see how you got there without paying, which we were not prepared to do. So we headed on and drive through Freiburg im Breisgau, a town which we last visited some 4 years ago, pre-motorhome. We even drove past the hotel where we had stayed!

However, the place where we had planned to spend the night, not far from there, was a bust as it was full and they were expecting more so we asked if we could stop long enough to eat our lunch, and then we decided to come straight here to Kehl, across the river from Strasbourg. We had been going to come here tomorrow and head on on Monday morning, but as it is, we'll probably leave mid-afternoon on Sunday, after the concert. So we get an extra day in France, always good, but we'll need to rethink our itinerary!

Meanwhile the SW has gone for a walk and I am relaxing.

Remembrance Holiday, 8 November

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning. Not as long a one as he had hoped, but still.

We had discovered that the camp site where we had hoped to stay tonight was, in fact, closed until 15 December, but a bit of detective work led us to discover that there was a fully-serviced aire near Titisee Station. So we decided to head off, but hardly had we left Vohrenbach when there was a sign saying "Road Closed", and a diversion. After a few minutes, we were delighted as we found ourselves driving over the prettiest Alpine scenery (no, the Black Forest is not the Alps, but at over 1,000 metres, who can tell?), with cattle grazing on green pastures and farms dotted about the place seemingly at random. We stopped at what I think was the highest point for the SW to have his coffee, and then he went on an explore before we drove off.

Next stop was an Edeka in Neustadt, which was very big and very difficult to find anything in until you realised that all the groceries were round the perimeter of the store and all the non-food stuff in the middle.  However, I got our bits and pieces in the end, and then we came down to the parking area we had thought of. It is expensive for what it is and, worst of all, very noisy as they are obviously working on the railway - no trains - so getting on with it and even now at 19:00 still the sound of pneumatic drills.

I was very tired, for some reason, so read and dozed most of the afternoon while the SW went for  a walk around what I gather is a very tourist town. Hope to see it for myself  in the morning.

Remembrance Holiday, 7 November

This morning, after breakfast, we both went for walks in different directions - the Swan Whisperer walked or ran round the playing-fields and I went to the grandly-named Black Forest Shopping Centre, and spent a very happy time wandering round a huge Muller and an even huger Rewe. I was terribly restrained in the Muller and only bought some 4711 shower gel; I stopped myself from buying any more socks (they did have some lovely ones) or a really nice rucksack.... Or indeed, a Christmas present for my daughter and/or sister.

When we got back to the van it was time to head on to Donaueschingen, whereupon we had lunch and then set off to find the source of the Danube. This is a spring in the grounds of the Schloß, with seats all round it reminding me of the Pool of Bethesda!

However other places also lay claim to being the source of the Danube, and the SW wanted to visit one at a place called Martinskapelle, about 35 km away. So we headed on, right up into the mountains, and there was a car park and a pub called the Donauquelle, but no phone service, and as I really didn't want to be out of touch for so long, we came sadly away. We didn't really want to go all the way back to Donaueschingen, but the first place we thought we might be able to stop at turned out to be a building site.

But a couple of miles down the road I saw a sign for motorhome parking, so we followed it, and here we are by a children's playground in some random town which I think is called Vöhrenbach. We are at altitude - 799 metres - but my lungs are ok; not sure how they would have liked Martinskapelle which was a good 450 metres higher.

Remembrance Holiday, 6 November

Pforzheim is not the prettiest of towns, although it has some lovely suburbs. It is very industrial, and our first port of call this morning was to an industrial area where we used the services (we knew they were there) and then investigated what they can the 360° Gasometer.

This turned out to be a museum, but entry was €11 and we couldn't see that they had any bumph in English, so we thought not and came away. There was an ice rink, too, but guess what? It closed at noon on Tuesdays and we were now 11:45 (had we known there was one there, we might have got up earlier!). But I did the necessary daily shopping, and used a cash point, so that was all right!

Then we came away and drove down through the Black Forest, stopping somewhere to have lunch - it was a hikers' car park so no signal, but peaceful. Then we drove down here, to Freudenstadt - we came here in September, but I'd forgotten that when I was working out our itinerary! There is a shopping centre on one side and a swimming-pool on the other; we thought of going for a swim, but it's a bit cold now so have decided not to.

Remembrance Holiday, 5 November

It feels odd to remember the date with no fireworks to remind us.  It was a dark and cloudy morning  but that had meant it was much warmer overnight. I didn't even have my rug on top of my duvet, although I did have a hot-water bottle.

The Swan Whisperer went out for a run, and while he was doing that I got breakfast and then went to the local bakery. I did intend to get cash, but the nearest bank, just across the road from the bakery, made a minimum charge of €6 to get money out not using their own card, so thanks but no thanks, and I ended up borrowing from the SW again! Not that the rolls I got at the bakery cleaned me out - they were only 50 cents each, and huge and delicious.

We drove down the A8 to a town called Pirmasens, though some truly spectacular autumn colours. I didn't take photos as I thought the colours wouldn't show very well. I visited an Edeka there and we had lunch, resisting the temptation of a sausage from a stall because we already had rolls and need to finish the sliced bread at breakfast.  And, just as we were about to head on, I lifted up the bolster I use to support my lower back while we are dining, and there was my favourite black cardigan with pockets! I originally bought it to replace one I'd accidentally left in Sussex (since returned) and liked it better as it was softer and had pockets, and was so sad when I'd lost it. I am ridiculously pleased to have found it again, even though it is not quite warm enough at this time of year. 

We drove on to a tiny little village on the border as the SW had walked along the border on the French side and wanted to do so again on the German side. I did some knitting while that was happening, and would have liked to have had a cup of tea when he got back, but he wanted to get a much driving done in daylight as possible, so we headed on, and had the tea when we got here on the outskirts of Pforzheim.

Remembrance Holiday, 4 November

Today marks the 40th anniversary of our engagement, which amazes me somewhat. It was bitterly cold overnight and there was a frost, but we were warm in bed and it wasn't bad enough to freeze our pipes. And the heater is very efficient!

After breakfast, we walked into the town up a rather steep hill, which my lungs did not like, and bought bread and a slice of cheesecake to celebrate (it was not very nice - too sweet).  We set off after using the services, and set sail to Luxembourg, where we parked up near a statue of a man on a horse to have lunch and a quick glimpse of the Grand Palace. The railway station seemed grander!

We then drove to Saarbrücken. It appears that our family doesn't have much luck visiting this city, as when my daughter came here with her French exchange, many years ago, it was a Saturday afternoon, and all the shops were firmly shut, as was the case in Germany, back in the day. They are more civilised now!  But when we arrived at the aire where we had planned to spend the night, there it wasn't! It was being built on. However, we have found a car park behind a church which is OK - a bit  noisy as it's just below the motorway, but nice and near the river so the SW can go for a run in the morning.