Days 5 to 7 - in it for the long haul

 It's time to catch up. The reason for a few days away from the blog is just the amount I driving I have been doing the past two days. In fact, total mileage since I left home is now over 1100 miles.

Sunday was our last full day in Saarburg, and a lunch time meal was included in the tour package. We decided not to go to any of the tourist traps, but head out a few hundred yards into the backstreets and try a traditional restaurant we had seen and I booked the day before. I say I because Giles and Linda don't have any German, so I made what I though was a passable booking with the old owner for the next day. When I asked him if he wanted a contact name, he answered in good English that it wasn't necessary as he did not expect to be full.

The restaurant itself was warm and clean, but had the look of a much older style - say late fifties. The old man (aged 77) and his wife (aged 74) ran the restaurant efficiently, but decidedly slowly....because at that age, if you are carrying two bowls of soup, you do it with a grim determination not to spill any. The food itself was excellent - soup followed by pork schnitzel (flattened pork steak coated in breadcrumbs) with various sauces, and a really zingy salad. 

The real problem, however, was much the same as the UK, where people have stopped going to restaurants, or at least lost the habit of doing so. Apart from a couple outside, we were the only ones there. It was difficult to see how he could continue, both economically and mobility wise. A pity.

Monday was a long drive to a Stellplatz (Aire) right close to the middle of Alsfeld. The Stellplatz is run by the council, has about 40 decent sized places, and offers electricity and waste disposal but now toilet or shower. As you would expect it was very tidy, and no evidence of dropped litter or antisocial behaviour, and also full - we got two of the last few places available, and you cannot book in advance.



Alsfeld is beautiful, filled with really old half timbered buildings.






Here is a little German toilet humour, found in a bar in Alsfeld:




Today, Tuesday, was a long, long haul from Alsfeld to our new site in Potsdam, just the other side of Berlin. It was all motorway, and the inside lane was just rammed the whole way with Polish trucks. It was noticeable just how empty Germany is, with huge open spaces between the towns.

We have four nights here, and tomorrow starts with a walking tour of Potsdam. Of course, Berlin will be visited as well. 

Comments

  1. Wayne J24 August 2021 at 09:54

    Love the pics of the Fachwerkhäuser (half timbered buildings). Still to visit Potsdam, but lived in Berlin for two years which we loved.

    ReplyDelete
  2. queenfan25 August 2021 at 09:07

    Wonderfull pictures. Your caper will bring a lot of fun in your life. Free traveling to the nices places in Europe and far begind. I feel this wont be your last trip.
    They say Berlin is a wonderfull city with a lot of interesting architecor. Enyou David. Sad that Ann isn’t with you. It was her dream to. In your hart she’ll travels with you!
    Have fun and keep it safe David!
    Greetz Katrien

    ReplyDelete
  3. queenfan25 August 2021 at 09:08

    Queenfan is my nickname

    ReplyDelete

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