2009Page1

Summer 2009 Page 1

Page 1:Germany & CZ Page 2:Austria,Venice & Germany Page 3:Germany & Belgium

View 2009 Summer in a larger map with points of interest table of contents -NOTE: this map appears to have a zoom malfunction - the route lines do not zoom with the map. Hopefully temporary!

Well here I am, the end of June 2009. This time I'm solo, Taylor & Thor remaining in Toronto. My friend Kees picked me up at the airport and we used the first 2 days servicing the Rialta - oil change & front brakes.

Hier ist eine selbstportrait im stein von Schloss Braunfels der

Baron von Jefferson Campervan:

I stayed in a cool stellplatz just north of Haarlem, 2 minutes from the channel.

Sat. June 27, I left Haarlem & drove to Düsseldorf, staying in a stellplatz (12 euros) right on the Rhein, a 5 minute walk along the river to the Düsseldorf Altstadt.

Walking in the Altstadt I heard some great jazz coming from the famous Zum Uerige Brauhaus - natürlich I had to go in for a couple of Düssel Alts and a local specialty, Blood Pudding ( actually a sausage with raw onions).

A stroll along the Rhein brings me to the Gehry buildings, careening out of the earth alongside a canal.

Mon. June 29 sees me on the road to Köln (Cologne), just a few kilometres down the Rhein. Again a perfect stellplatz right on the river for 8 euros a night, electric extra. About a half hour walk along the arcaded river path to the Altstadt, or a 5 minute subway ride, the station right at the stellplatz. They herd sheep on the riverbank to keep the grass cut! On one walk, I stumbled on an outdoor sculpture park.

Thursday July 2 I leave Köln heading south along the Rhein to Koblenz, where I head east on the Lahntal route (the road follows the valley ("tal")of the river Lahn).

Stopped & took pics of a few castles, of the remains of the first bridge across the Rhein captured by the Allies intact (only to collapse under the weight of armoured vehicles!) Towns of note along the Lahn were Balduinstein, Limburg, Weilsburg (where I stayed in a stellplatz) & Braunfels. In Weilsburg I stumbled into the Kirche while the organist was practising - always a treat to sit alone in a church with full pipe organ recital...

Along the Rhein:

Along the Lahn:

Limburg:

Schloss Runkel & Weilsburg:

Schloss Braunfels:

Leaving the Lahn, I drove to Gelnhausen, where I spent Friday night freecamping. This city was an Imperial city about 840 years ago. While strolling through the Altstadt, I stumbled across a local pageant. About 2 dozen very talented actors were dressed in typische costumes of the 14thC; after an exposition in the central square, they broke into small groups, touring around the altstadt, where each character would give an exposition in front of a house or monument from the Middle Ages - often the exposition turned into a small play, with 2 or 3 characters interacting to good effect.

Saturday the 4th of July I drove south through the low mountains of Western Franconia to Lohr am Main, which claims to have the "Snow White" Castle, but I also did a brochure-guided tour of the old town, which included a Romanesque Church and a glass of the local hefeweizen vom fass right at the brauerie.

I next drove along the Main river a few more kilometres to spend the night in a stellplatz on the river in Karlstadt, the old town wall with its towers on one side, a castle ruin hovering overhead directly across the river. Hier I meet Joachim von Waldenburg, who is very knowledgeable on wohnmobil matters & gives me a number of valuable travel tips.

Departing Karlstadt,I make my way to Bamberg, one of my favourite German cities; I have been here a few times before and this time, as always, I revisit the classic Schlenkerla tavern for Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier and Frankische Bierhaxe. This time I tried the rauchbier schnapps as well, & end up walking out with half a litre of the stuff!