Bavaria. 2023

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Bavaria D1
An uneventful drive in glorious weather across to Hull, apart from a suicidal deer leaping across the road in front of us, which we missed by approximately 36mm, before driving straight onto the overnight ferry. All you can eat evening meal and breakfast which was good and plenty of choice for increasing the waistline. I was cheated overnight since it said breakfast at 6.30 not knowing that it was 6.30 local time, and as this was 1 hr in front it meant getting up at 4.30. No wonder I am yawning.
The motorways out of Rotterdam are very boring in flat country with modern industrial buildings and chemical works. Lorries account for about 25% of the traffic as we enter into farming country with dairy farms, grain crops and vegetables plus the odd large fields covered in solar panels. After the 300th wind turbine we saw our first old fashioned windmill and then we knew we were in the Netherlands.
Late morning we spotted a Mc’Donald’s sign so pulled off the motorway only for the building to be elusive to approach on unfamiliar and busy roads, so Maccydees will have to wait.
We knew were in Germany when we saw the signs for Monchengladbach of Eddie Waring fame and his ridiculous ‘It’s a Knockout’ programme. It was here we saw a massive deep open cast coal mine the size of Blackburn with a nearby power station and wind turbines galore. Enough to make our Government go green with envy. The autobahn exit signs also changed from UIT to AUSFAHRT - how dare they. Another McDonalds later we stopped for a break but chose another franchise just in spite for the bad experience earlier.
The flat country gave way to hills around Koblenz, about 300 miles away from Nuremberg, which was a bit more pleasant on the eye, but where are the sheep? I can see two weeks of bratwurst and pommes coming up.
We saw no speed cops or cameras, which was a relief, but it did mean that we were being passed at at least 100mph by the Audi’s and BMW’s, whose drivers had grown horns as soon as they sat in the car.
After passing kilometres and kilometres of roadwork expansion projects we arrived at the hotel to meet many of the group already there before venturing to an excellent Thai restaurant for our evening meal. Still awaiting the arrival of Paul and Bernadette who are having trouble with the trains. Let’s hope they make it safely.

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Photos

Lufthansa Offices in Cologne