Day 16: Kassel to Walsrode

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Leaving a little late today we headed off to Walsrode, the bird park Pam has been waiting for, the largest in the world, so they say and it has the Shoebill, what I reckon is the ugliest bird in the world. But before that it is off to see the monument to Hercules, say what a Greek god in Germany but I kid you not it was. We drove up there as we didn't fancy the 507 steps from the bottom. This monument was built circa 1700 and is in the process of being restored but it is a fantastic structure a huge stone edifice around 100m high and a base of maybe 100m diameter with the bronze statue of Hercules on the top. Leaving here it was off to Stockhausen the name of the town that is the same as Bree's family name, this was a little town some 50k north of Kassel. Leaving there is was back on to the autobahn speeding north towards Walsrode. We have noticed many service areas along the way where you can stop, well off the road and even use toilets provided. some are huge stops where there are restaurants and service stations, trucks stay here and drivers sleep as needed. We decided to fill up the tank while we were there, big mistake we ended paying 20 cents per litre more than in town, bugger. Getting closer to Walsrode we came across a small herd of wild deer running across the paddocks and as Pam got out to photograph them they took off across the road nearly getting bowled by oncoming traffic. Pulling in to the Walsrode car park we saw a few other camper vans and thought we would stay here the night, it was a nice location with trees and surrounded by the park and animals. We parked next to an older large van and after settling in for the day I got my chair out for my evening beer, supping away the old fella from the van next door wandered out with a beer as well and being the good Kiwi in a foreign land I introduced myself and was answered in thick German, the only thing I understood was the word beer so that was a good start and we had something common. He managed to show me the can of beer he was drinking and told me it was brewed in Bavaria the best beer in the world he reckoned so he promptly went back and got me one. The next thing was his wife came outside and so did Pam both with a glass of red wine in hand and one thing led to another and we ended up drinking Schnapps half the night. Their names were Walter and Maria and it is quite amazing how you can converse with a limited understanding on the language, a great night was had by all.

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