Oberstdorf and more, 26 May 2022

Today is Ascension Day, and a public holiday here in Germany, so all the shops are shut but the tourist attractions reopened - not only the posh new Nebelhornbahn, but also scooter hire, a road train round the town, a horse and carriage ditto, and the hang-gliders were out in force.

As has often been the case on Thursdays at Oberstdorf, there was nothing we really wanted to watch until the afternoon, so we spent a quiet morning doing various chores around the van. The Swan Whisperer could have gone for a long walk with our friends, but he was tired and I'm really glad he didn't as I met them coming home and they were exhausted!

We went out to lunch in a local restaurant. The food was delicious, but spoilt by too many flies. The waitress stuck a piece of tape on the end of the table which killed them, but we were still swatting them away every other mouthful. I should say this was out of doors - the weather has been lovely today and it was much too nice to sit inside.

So we didn't have pudding there but walked into the town to the ice cream stall which does sell lovely ones. Then we wandered back to the van - I did get the bus one stop but the SW didn't have a mask with him so he walked up to the bus stop and waited for me. We had about 15 minutes to organise ourselves before heading on.

And that's when I discovered that my new-found fitness had abandoned me; either that or they had made the road up to the rink steeper overnight! Had to stop three times to get my breath - very unimpressed. And after watching the Gold IV and Silver III women's artistic, I realised I wasn't going to be able to stay to watch the dances, which was a real bummer as it is my favourite discipline. So I went back to the van, stopping quite legitimately to talk to friends en route, and have been watching the dances on live stream, wishing I wasn't quite so tired and aching. Tea and chocolate has helped, but I think paracetamol will help more! ☕🍫🍵🦋

Oberstdorf and more, 25 May 2022

Still wet when we got up. But the clouds gradually cleared during the day,

and the next two days are supposed to be fine and dry. 

We went to the rink to watch a couple of friends skate, and then there was a gap, so the Swan Whisperer came back to the motor home to use the services and I went for a walk through the tourist section of the town, which I had not yet visited. Nothing much has changed, although they have moved the wool shop, and some of the shops look newer. Still lots of do-the-tourist places, though, and I was tempted by some wooden fridge magnets shaped like skated with Oberstdorf on them. But at €3 a pop, a bit dear for tossies! 

I got to the station in good time to catch the bus back - getting out at the right stop this time - and then the Swan Whisperer came with me to Norma as I wanted him to carry beer back. Of course, we met up with our longest-standing skating friends and spent too long catching up with them and missed the first couple of skaters we wanted to see! Oh well.

I stayed in the rink for the rest of the day - we grabbed a sandwich from the cafe for lunch - although the SW went for another walk. We sat with our friends for the big Bronze Women III class, and then the SW and I went and had dinner in Zorans, above the rink, sitting with yet more old friends, one of whom had skated in that class.

After which, I had had enough and came back to the van to watch the really good skaters on the livestream, but the SW stayed on to watch them live.

The Nebelhornbahn doesn't open until tomorrow, but they have been running empty all week. This morning this car was sitting quite still above the road - I suppose to test breakdown procedures. 

Oberstdorf and more, 24 May 2022

Today was the first day of competition. It is really nice this year because it is so much smaller, and it feels like 20 years ago when we were there - in those days at the Mountain Cup - for the friendship and fun as much as for the skating, if not more so. In recent years, Oberstdorf has become so big you don't really get to see people outside of your own little clique, and watching is a marathon!

The competition didn't start until 10:45, so I made a big vegetable stew which will do us at least twice with various accompaniments - pasta, potatoes, chicken, eggs... When we were ready, we headed on up to the rink. I was delighted to find the way there seems a lot less steep than three years ago, and I didn't need to stop for breath - I must be fitter than I thought!

The rink is the same

except that there are no seats in the little café, and the kiss'n'cry has two hard seats instead of the usual sofa. Some people, but not all, wear masks, but it is not compulsory except on public transport and healthcare. 

I took advantage of a lull to head down to Lidl, which is the same only different to at home. They do fresh milk, unlike in France, and also blood orange juice, which the Norma next door doesn't do. I had just missed a bus coming back so pottered around Woolworths until one was due, but stupidly got off a stop too early.

We were late getting back to the rink after lunch as the SW got a phone call and couldn't get off the line. He is far too polite to hang up on her, which I should have done, with the result that we missed some skaters we should have liked to have seen. Ah well. Stayed at the rink until about 4, but then had suddenly had enough, so came back to the motor home and flaked out with the live stream and some YouTube videos (so jealous of the Daughter, who has already been on the Elizabeth Line, as had another of our friends!). 

Oberstdorf and more, 23 May 2022

Lovely to wake up in Oberstdorf this morning! It was a lovely morning, to, and rapidly became very hot.  After breakfast, M came over with her toothbrush, which had discharged itself, and it has been sitting on my portable charger all day.

Then I went round to Norma, the supermarket next door, to get one or two things, including strawberry cakes for lunch; I forgot to take a picture of them, and at €3.10 each, we aren't going to have them very often this week!  I also forgot to buy rolls, but did get some nice bread.  Bumped into a couple of friends, which was nice. 

After lunch, E came round, and it was lovely to see her.  But the SW and I wanted a walk, so when she had gone, we set off in different directions.  I walked into town, as far as the Bahnhof, and then it began to rain, so I got the Ortsbus back as far as the ice rink and said hello to a few people there, and watched some of the ice dancers practising.  Then the rain was (temporarily) away, so I came back to the motor home,

to be joined by the Swan Whisperer.  It has been raining more or less (but mostly more) heavily ever since, so we spent the rest of the afternoon reading and dozing.  Then I got supper - midweek mushroom pasta - although I found I wasn't very hungry, and now M has just come to collect her toothbrush.  It is still raining!

Oberstdorf and more 2022, 22 May

So when I woke up this morning, I suddenly thought, why don't we get our act together and head on, and then stop at Leonberg where we had planned to spend the night, for Church (on livestream) and lunch, and then head on all the way to Oberstdorf, having another night here. 

So that is what we did. Church was a bust, as we couldn't get the livestream to work properly, but we had a good lunch and then headed on. 

There are road closures on the A8, so the satnav took us on the B28 and B10 to rejoin the A7 at Ulm. We stopped somewhere - a random layby full of lorries that aren't allowed to move on Sundays, but there was room for us, for the SW to have coffee, and then we did not stop again until we got here. 

For obvious reasons, it is three years since we were last here; they have poshed up the "sanitaires" and it looks much grander inside. 

The SW went up to the rink to see who he could see, and I got supper. It is very warm here, and  it is supposed to rain soon, as it so often does in the evenings round here! 

Oberstdorf and more 2022, 21 May

I overslept this morning! I woke, as I usually do, around 07:00, took my tablet (which has to be taken at least 30 minutes before a caffeinated drink) turned off the alarm which had been set for 07:30, did the various Wordle puzzles and started to look through Facebook - and the next thing I knew,  it was 09:00! I consoled myself with the knowledge that it was only 08:00 in the UK and it wouldn't matter if today's meals were on UK time rather than European time! 

As, indeed, they turned out to be. The Swan Whisperer booked himself on a tour of the mine for 11:00 - sooner him than me; I don't think you could pay me enough to go down one of those! This didn't finish until nearly 13:00, and then we needed to use the services before we set off. 

Our first port of call was a supermarket, naturally enough, and I was delighted to score some coloured eggs,

which I didn't think they sold in Belgium. I couldn't, however, find any fresh milk, although I did get some cream. Very strange. Thank goodness the Norma in Oberstdorf usually sells it. 

After lunch we set off to drive to this place, Kirchberg, where the aire is behind a motorhome rental place.  The electricity isn't working, so when the proprietor came home, he kindly brought out a cable for our use. We are right behind a large shopping centre, but it has a glorious view.

It was a pleasant drive, although I dozed most of the way. The roads were extraordinarily quiet by German standards. 

Oberstdorf and more 2022; 20 May

Today was always going to be a long and dreary drive across Belgium, and we were not disappointed! As is so often the case, endless traffic jams, road works, accidents (not, thankfully, involving us) and massive thunderstorms! 

While driving through Flanders, and we noticed endless poppies growing on the central reservation, which was not exactly a field, but... 

And eventually we arrived at Blegny Mines,

which is an excellent aire in the car park of a former mine, now a museum. The SW went for a walk and got wet but I had a nap. I am tired today after the excitements of the past week! Germany tomorrow.