BMW European Delivery - Day Seven

---

No need to bore you with the details of another massive buffet breakfast. As you have probably surmised by now, I experience the culture of a land by what I can toss into my belly. And I certainly appreciate the German culture.



Checking out of the hotel I was more than a little bummed to realize that we were entering the final phase of this European Delivery operation. Henceforth the rest of the mission would involve one night stands as we made our way down country to our extraction point at Munich Johan Strauss Airport. Upon punching in the address of the next hotel into the GPS I began to question my own wisdom in planning the next leg of our sojourn. Like my bounteous breakfast this morning I fear I bit off more than I should chew. The drive to Schwäbisch Hall that looked like just a short drive on the map was in actuality more than 4 hours away. And on the Autobahn most of the way. No scenic drive today.



However we made pretty decent time despite the heavy truck traffic. The fact that the heavy loads have to stay out of the far left lane gave us the opportunity to zoom quickly most of the way. Never topping 120 mph we covered the 261 miles in 3 and a half hours including a stop for gas and the use of the WC. Once again it was a beautiful sunny day. Temperatures were climbing close to 50 as the morning wore on. The only negative was the simple fact that my butt was sore as hell after sitting for so long.



We arrived at the Hotel Smartino (http://www.hotel-smartino.de/en/home.html) on the outskirts of Schwäbisch Hall just after 1:00. Unlike any of our other hotels this one was ultra-modern and more motel than Gasthof. It was clean, new and full of modern amenities like big bathrooms and showers, big screen TV, free toiletries and excellent internet. We didn't tarry. After unloading our bags we headed to the Old Town of Schwäbisch Hall.



This was another site we had visited decades ago during our pass riding days on Pan Am and TWA. Absolutely nothing looked familiar to us as we descended down from the heights to the little city nestled in the Kocher River valley. We parked in the first public parking garage we passed and tried to follow the posted signs leading to the Altstadt (old town). But before we even got out of the garage there were no more signs indicating where we should go. We ended up emerging onto a deserted cobblestone street. We followed a couple that headed-off to the right. Wrong move we discovered much later. We walked and walked past residential and professional office buildings expecting to eventually come into the Old City and the shopping district. Instead we came to a busy highway and a couple of gas stations. We continued walking toward a big bus depot not sure if we were even in the right city.



At this point I thought about turning around and heading back to the car. Looking back at the big hill we descended and realizing how much of an uphill climb that involved, I decided to push on. Finally on the opposite side of the bus staging area we saw a Volksbank. Since we were having some problems withdrawing funds from the banks in the Grimma area because none were part of the Plus network, we tried the ATM at this bank. We knew we were back in the “good” part of Germany when we were able to withdraw the full $800 limit our home bank normally allowed.



Walking out of the bank we seemed completely surrounded by young girls. Everywhere we turned 17-25 year old lasses were out shopping like it was the day before the start of the fall semester. Perhaps the Spring-like weather brought them all out of hiding. Many didn't bother to wear jackets as the bright sun warmed the streets of Schwäbisch. I have no clue why there were so many females and yet no males of the same age in town, but I made a mental note to come back here sometime in my next life.



Of course my wife immediately became infected with the same disease that seemed to possess these locals of the fairer sex. She began ducking in and out of every other storefront we passed. Thankfully she fought the temptation to actually buy anything but as my stomach began to growl louder and louder with each passing minute it became tougher and tougher to steer her in the right direction. I kept hoping we'd pass some kind of Würst stand but because we were in one of those rare periods in Germany when no festivals or holidays were impending, I searched in vain. Just when I was beginning to lose hope, we chanced upon that most German of all food establishments – a Dõner Kebab shop. The Mrs. wasn't hungry but it had been 5 hours since my last feeding. I ordered the Dürüm accompanied by German fries. My snack spilled off my plate and was almost more than I could eat. Somehow I was able to wash it all down with a diet Coke. I felt like I needed a nap after that feast.



Feeling restored I endured a few more blocks of window shopping as we drew closer to the river. I hoped to explore a Jack Wolfskin store as this seems to be the German equivalent to our obsession with everything with the North Face logo. Fortunately I never saw one.



Along the Schwäbisch Hall riverbank scores of girls and mothers with babies strolled casually in the warmth of the afternoon sun. Unlike Grimma, this was a beautiful pedestrian walk. Colorful homes, cobblestone streets, window boxes with flowers and wrought iron merchant signs served up numerous photo ops. It felt like the first day of Spring. The only thing marring this high was the faint smell of fresh cow manure wafting through the air. That pungent scent permeated the air everywhere we walked.



We continued walking back up the steep sloped streets of the old town observing more and more locals venturing out to enjoy the sun, Many sat at outdoor cafes sipping coffee and eating ice cream. As we walked through the narrow medieval streets occasionally we would remember just a little bit about our previous visit. When we reached the summit of the hill we looked up at the market square where the old church rose high above us. This was familiar: to the left was our hotel where we stayed back in 1982. The hotel, Gasthof Goldener Adler ( http://hotelgoldeneradler.de/en/), had changed quite a bit. No cars on the street and outdoor dining tables where none existed before. No longer was there a garage attached to the side of the building. The hotel had expanded and seemed doubled in size. So did the rates. It had become much more deluxe over the decades. I feel pretty sure they no longer give you a bowl of lard to spread on the fresh home-made bread baked on site.



Ironically, leaving the market square soon brought us to the steps leading up to our seemingly isolated parking garage. Had we just gone left after exiting the parking lot we would have been mere steps from the one area of town we remembered from the past.



We still had an hour or two of sunlight left. Again we just hopped in the car and drove with no particular place to go. The farther we drove out of town the stronger that smell of cow dung became. I guess the farmers took advantage of the warm sunny day to get an early start on spring planting. I was beginning to lose that new car smell inside the X1 and take on the essence of L'eau de bovine.



This leisurely foray took us up into the hills above Schwäbisch Hall. The views were incredible but there was nowhere to pull off the road for picture taking. We continued driving toward the ever increasing stench of poo. Out on the countryside we could see freshly plowed fields as far as the eye could see. Somewhere out in this rural region we drove into a tiny fortified hill town. The little hamlet of Vellberg is barely mentioned on the internet. The Wikipedia entry is only one sentence. I thought it was one of the most picturesque places we saw on our trip. Very cool. Apparently the local castle is now a hotel. With rooms going for 80 Euro per night this place goes in the “next trip” notebook.



Neither of us was particularly hungry but we knew we'd hate ourselves much later if we didn't take advantage of the chance for another meal in Germany. With nighttime now upon us we drove back to Schwäbisch Hall. He found a free parking spot near the Goldener Adler Hotel and thought about going in for dinner. However I saw an out of the way little restaurant on the opposite side of the market square that looked inviting. We liked what we saw on the outdoor menu. Almost as soon as we walked inside I wanted to walk out. The place didn't exactly have a whole lot of German charm and was too brightly illuminated for my liking. There were no customers inside, just the owner sitting at the bar. He welcomed us inside and before we knew what was happening we were seated with menus in hand. I've said it before and it was true once again, it's impossible to get a bad meal in Germany. Although not up to the standards of some of the other restaurants we had enjoyed, this little tavern served a delicious Goulaschsuppe and a nice Jägerschnitzel with Spatzle. And how can you screw up a Hefeweizen from the tap? Even though we thought we weren't hungry we cleaned our plates and ordered another round of beer. We were the only patrons the whole time we were there except for a few seedy looking dudes who came in to play the slot machines near the bar.



This being our second last night in Germany the unpleasant task of packing up all our souvenirs and other purchases loomed. We went straight back to the Hotel Smartino and spent the rest of our evening trying to cram all that junk back into our suitcases.

---

Photos

The Day's First Photo
We spent our entire morning on the drive from Grimma to Schwäbisch Hall. Boring highway the entire drive. It wasn't until after 2pm that we were able to check-in at our hotel then drive to downtown Schwäbisch Hall. I took this picture as we emerged from the big parking lot partly because of the interesting half-timbered buildings but mainly so that it might help us find our way back to the nondescript building where the lot was located.

Steps Leading Down from the Lot
When we were ready to return to our car hours later I didn't need to look back at these photos. Seeing this wacky bannister told me we were in the right place. The modernistic behind us where the lot was housed was the city's new town hall.

Once Again...Where is Everybody?
We had a choice of left or right as we came down the steps. We went right which was wrong. Next time we will know better. At least we got a nice long walk in that day. And we avoided buying too much as we headed away from the shops.

This Looks Interesting
As we walked down that long deserted pedestrian street we spied this old tower. Upon inspection we saw that it was part of a doctor's office.

This is What I Remembered from the 1980's
After finding that delicious kebap lunch and doing some waiting while Gail shopped, we headed downhill toward the river. The only way you'd know it was winter when looking at this photo was by seeing the people in warm coats. The sun was bright and warm, kids were in short-sleeves and people were sitting outside on the deck of the restaurant on the other side of the bridge. Even the trees on the hill looked like they were green.

The Scenic River Kocher
It's a shame Schwäbisch Hall isn't on the major tour itineraries. I found it a great little town with some stunning architecture and scenic views.

Like a Dollhouse
I assume most of the "old" buildings in Schwäbisch Hall are reconstructions built after the War, but it still felt like there was history everywhere we looked. We passed this half-timbered Playmobil-like structure on our way to the local grocery store.

An Old Town Gate
Presumably the town was once surrounded by a Medieval city wall as protection from marauding hordes.

Lokking Back at Old Town SH
The spire in the background is from the main church at the market square.

One More of the Many Bridges in Town
If you look along the riverside wall you'll see some of the many people tanning and enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Some More Old Town Charm
We continued walking alongside the river toward the little park on an island in the middle of the stream.

Maybe It's Getting a Little Colder
On the shady side of the river no one was basking in the sun. It looked like the outdoor restaurant customers were heading inside too.

Crossing on the Old Wooden Bridge
To get to the little island we had to walk over this sturdy wooden bridge. There was a nearly identical one on the opposite side of the island.

Medieval Skyscrapers
I never would've believed that men in the Middle Ages could construct buildings with 6-8 stories. It must have involved some serious engineering prowess lifting beams that high without modern machinery. There were many high rise Medieval homes in Schwäbisch Hall.

The UN of Birds Meets in Schwäbisch Hall
Ducks, pigeons, geese and even a seagull gathered along the banks of the Kocher River to iron out the differences dividing the aviary world today. After the conference the membership met for a banquet featuring stale, moldy old bread.

I Took this Exact Same Picture 30 Plus Years Ago
And it looks exactly the same now as it did then. However, today the weather was infinitely better.