Still in Bavaria

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STILL in Bavaria
We are enjoying Germany so much we just can't seem to leave! After staying three nights in the campingplatz in Dinkelsbuhl, seeing yet more walled medieval towns, including Rothenburg ob der Tauber which was pretty amazing. While we were there, we managed, by loitering on the town hall steps while they screened of the town square, to watch a Bavarian folk dancing group do their thing on Easter Sunday. Needless to say we didn't have to pay the euros you were supposed to to get in! The procession into the square, along with the dancers, the bavarian band and a few dignitaries, also included a large sheep draped in greenery. We didn't manage to stay around long enough to see what the significance of that was! Easter is a pretty big celebration and we woke on Easter Sunday to find a small basket of Easter eggs and chocolate outside our camper van. There was a basket outside every camper and caravan and as this particular camp is a large one with over 500 sites, an awful lot of work goes into providing that little treat. I thanked the lady in the office in my best German and my very best English. As we had seen the northern end of the Romantic Rd, it was time to head south towards Switzerland. As always, when we intend to do a short driving day, it ends up being a long one due to the lack of camping grounds on the road from Augsburg until almost at the end of the road! This road is well signposted on long straights and at random intersections but at other times the signposts just disappear or go in more than one direction, as was the case in Augsburg, where after heading around the inner city in both directions at least twice and with Dean ready to pop a blood vessel, we employed the GPS to get us the hell out of town. There is a lot less to see at the southern end of the route. We were a bit passed it when we drove through Landsburg, so didn't get out for a look around but it would be worth a look, and finally stopped a few kilometers from the end of the road at Bannwaldsee, beside a lake. Today we headed about five minutes down the road to Schwangau, the location of two very impressive castles. The first is Schloss Neuschwantein, which is the castle that Walt Disney based his Disneyland castle on. It was a 20 minute walk up the hill but an impressive sight. We treated ourselves and took a ride back down in a horse and carriage.(it is half the price to ride down instead of up!) the other castle is Schloss Hohenschwangau, which we didn't venture as close too and just took a photo from the bottom of the hill. Both of them a great sight to see at the end of the Romantic Rd. We have now headed to Lindau, on the shore of Lake Konstance, the edge of which is encircled by Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As I said before, we are liking almost all of what we are experiencing in Germany...the friendly people, although they do stare at us and the orange van quite strangely at first, the fantastic weather...better than in Spain at the moment we have been told more than once, the amazing scenery and history and the great roads, (Dean really does wish he was on a motorbike!) However, there is one small aspect of Germany that does leave a bit to be desired and that is the food. Whilst the sausages and anything pork they cook really well and with a lot of variety, they do seem to have a penchant to mess with their vegetables in ways we don't understand! Obviously cabbage, pickled and flavoured in every imaginable way and not always to our taste and potatoes! What wrong with a good old potato either mashed or roasted or even boiled but they serve these round, sticky/stodgy glutinous things that have no taste at all! Apparently it's grated potato and I reckon it's mixed with semolina or polenta or something like that and made into a dumplings and then boiled. I won't be repeating them in the camping menu but they love them here and they are served with everything! We have slowed down our pace a little and enjoying afternoons in the sunshine. Hope all of you at home have managed to do a bit of the same over Easter. Love to all.xxx

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Photos

Dinkelsbuhl
Walking the wall around the medieval town

The Romantic Road, Bavaria, Germany
Another small medieval town

Comments

[Wendy]

So Germany's a hit with you too..Vanessa said that was her favourite place when she visited last year and she'd love to go back. Must be good eh! And you can read German already?!...I'm impressed! Have fun.