Kategori: Autumn trip 2021

Time to go further south.

The weather was sunny and nice when we left the campsite.

Above is a photo of the small ”lake” that was next to the campsite. Agreed on that we absolutely did not want to swim there.

Passed a small hill that was completely covered with trees. Maybe hard to see in the picture, but in the middle of the hill is a church.

We went to ”Point Alpha” which was an observation post on the border between the BRD (West Germany) and the GDR (East Germany). Point Alpha began patrolling / guarding at the end of 1945 and on the East German side, changes were constantly made to prevent people fleeing to West Germany.

The picture above was taken, next to a watchtower, on what was the East German side. They had guard dogs patrolling the border and in addition concrete barriers were buried so that you could not dig under the last mined part before the fence on the left. The fence was also connected to low voltage, so that there would be an alarm to the East German forces patrolling the border. On the West German side, there were only watchtowers (and freedom). It was not until November 9, 1989, that East Germans were allowed to cross the border into West Germany freely.

The monument above stands outside a small museum located in former East Germany.

We then continued the journey down to the Moselle Valley.

t was quite nice to get to the Moselle valley where we followed the river to the southwest through villages and houses.

Arrived at the small village of Ernst, where we finally managed to find places in a rather cramped parking lot. Einar had a Teams meeting in the evening and then we had dinner.

Then we went away to drink some Riesling wine and ended up at a small cozy restaurant where we drank semi-dry wine produced by Paul Reitz. The wine had tasted real good.

On the way back to the parking lot is this vending machine. There you can buy wine 24/7 if you want.

Was just over 30 miles journey this day.

The next day we cycled along the Moselle from Ernst towards Cochem.

As you can see in the picture, it was nice weather, and actually really hot outside.

Stored the bikes from us and went to the square in the picture above and drank a glass of semi-dry Riesling at the restaurant that is seen on the left in the picture.ter i bilden.

Then we walked around and looked at the ”town” for a few hours.

Then we found the restaurant in the picture above.

Sat and watched people and the Moselle with a glass of wine in hand. Then we tried to find a grocery store, but did not succed. Gittan and Pelle cycled back to Ernst while we cycled across the bridge to an Aldi store located on the other side. Passed a gravel field where we spent the night in 2018. Now it seemed like you could not stand there anymore.

When we came back, after a total of 13 km bike ride, we had some Serrano ham and Parmesan cheese washed down with a glass of bubbly. Later in the evening we went to the same restaurant as the night before. Most people at the restaurant recognized us and greeted us. The wine was as good as the day before and we bought some bottles with us.

The next morning it was hazy and just below 20 degrees outside. We emptied greywater and then went on.

We went to the campsite which is just outside the campsite in Zell. It was cloudy and hazy outside, but definitely not cold.

After we got ready, we took the bikes into the city itself. Took a short walk on the footbridge over the Moselle. The campsite is hidden behind the trees on the left.

Cycled to a restaurant, located opposite the campsite. There we had to fill in paperwork about Covid-19 and that we were vaccinated. Ate some bruchetta and then also good soup which was washed down with some good wine.

Then we went just as usual to weingut Theo Engel to buy some wine. His wife Thelma stood behind the counter and let us taste their good wines. We bought, of course, some bottles here as well. Talked a bit with Thelma about floods and she said they were used to the Moselle flooding, almost every year. She advised us to go to the town hall and have a look at the water levels they have had when it was extremely high.

We went to the town hall, and there you could see that the Moselle had been really flooded sometimes. The bottom marking is about 1 meter above street level, and the street level was several meters above the current level of the river.

Just like on previous visits to Zell, there was ice cream, before we went back to the campsite. In the evening we received ”home delivery” of the wines we bought earlier.

Sunny and nice the next morning, and quite warm already at breakfast.

As you can see in the picture, the site is quite close to the river.

Left the parking lot and went up to the mall in Barl, to buy food. As in all other places, there was a requirement for mouth guards indoors.

Took a picture off the roundabout cat in Zell before we left town.

Lots of vineyards on the slopes next to the Moselle.

After a few miles we arrived at Brauneberg, which was today’s destination. First went to the parking lot and looked, but it was full. A man told us that you could stand with the motorhome on a large fence near Nussbaumallee. Was the same when we were in Brauneberg on the vin/gatufest i september 2008.

We thought it looked a bit muddy on the hill down to the field, but still drove out and stopped after a while. When we had to fine-tune the layout, we got the explanation that the other cars on the field were a bit asymmetrical. We were stuck in the mud with the motorhome.

Had a chat with the others who also were stuck and they said that you would probably get help to leave the field, from a winemaker with a tractor, when you wanted to get out of there. So we set the table for lunch and relaxed. (Gittan and Pelle did not go out on the field, they went to the parking lot in Graach instead.)

After lunch, Einar went to a building site and borrowed some long planks. Was no problem to lift the car with hydraulic support legs and put the planks under the front wheels. Then it worked to drive forward one meter, so that we stood a little smoother. The hydraulic support legs then set the car straight and also reduced the pressure on the wheels.

Met two nice Germans who offered us a glass of Krombacher Pils, which they had in a 3 liter barrel. Holger and Ralf said that they had been to the wine party in Brauneberg many times, together with a lot of friends. They said that in 2019, before the pandemic, there had been about a thousand motorhomes on the field.

After a few hours, they started to push the motorhomes loose, to get a little better order. They offered to push off our car, but Einar said that it was probably already loose because he moved it a little earlier and reduced the pressure on the wheels with hydraulic support legs. Was no problems to move the motorhome without any help.

There were several of us who helped new arrivals to get loose when they got stuck.

In the evening we went up to Nussbaumallee and ate some good food which we washed down with something called Federweißer. Bettan took a ”Mosel plate” and Einar took schnitzel. The food was very good, but the drink was sweet and not good at all. Had to take a glass of semi-dry Riesling wine to get rid of the taste of the sweet drink.

Was not so many miles journey, along the Moselle, this day.

The following day we had a little walk around the festival area.

Went down to the Moselle on a little asphalt road that was probably used for launching boats. Saw lots of swans, some of them in the picture above.

Was quite calm water on the Moselle this day.

Decided to take a little bike ride, to see if we could find some ripe grapes to photograph.

Did not have to cycle far to see ripe green grapes

Managed to see some red grapes too.

Next to the small village of Wintrich there was the opportunity to take a short break and buy something to eat and drink. We were content with a glass of semi-dry Riesling wine. Cycled back the same way to the motorhome. Was about 8 km bike ride in sunny and warm weather, so it was nice to take a shower in the motorhome afterwards.

In the afternoon, Gittan and Pelle came cycling from the parking lot in Graach. We went to the festival area together.

We sat down at some of the tables, which stood outside, each of us had a glass of semi-dry Riesling Spätlese from weingut Willi Haag. Make sure it was ”Juffer-Sonnenuhr”, because we had heard that it was the finest wines. (A little unsure of what ”Juffer” really means.) Visited several of the five winegrowers along the street.

When we sat inside weingut Fehres, these playing musicians appeared outside. It was really dark outside when we went back to the camper. We were not jealous of Gittan and Pelle who would have to cycle back to the parking lot in Graach. (However, it only took just over 30 minutes for them to get there.)

The next day it was time to move on. Made a call to the campsite in Rüdesheim to find out if there was room for us, but it was full right then. Changed plans a little and booked golf time at Jakobsberg Golfanlage in Boppard the following day. Also checked that there was space at the camping Sonneneck which is quite close to the golf course.

It was really hazy when we got ready to leave Brauneberg, but they had promised clear weather.

The journey went on winding roads both up and down.

Just south of Ürzig you could see that the more than 1700 meters long Hochmoselbrücke was now completed. The last time we saw it was when we went from Zell to Graach on our summer trip in 2018. By then it was not ready.

We then chose a rather steep and winding road that went up above Ürzig. Became a lot of riders on narrow roads with many beautiful views. When we started approaching the campsite, it became a stupid choice. In a T-junction we could then choose on a viaduct that was 2.5 meters high or on a street that was 2 meters wide. Got to back back a good part and take another better path

Finally arrived at the campsite, where it was really hot out in the sun. The awning did not provide much shade because the sun was quite low, so we sat in front of the camper. Later in the evening it was grilled for dinner and then we sat outside until it started to get chilly.

On this day we traveled just over 120 km on beautiful and winding roads.

The next morning we went and picked up the breakfast rolls in the restaurant.

It was hazy outside, but it cleared up pretty quickly. We packed all the golf stuff in Gittan and Pelle’s camper and then went up to the golf course, it was easiest that way.

We were at the golf club in good time so that we had time to train bunker shots before it was time to go out from the 1st tee.

A little cold winds when we played the 1st hole. In the distance you can see Marksburg Castle.

After we had played a few holes, it was much warmer. In the picture above, the ladies are on the way to hit from the red tee on hole 6. You have to get the ball over a ravine to get out on the fairway.

View from the 10th tee in the picture above. Right there it was a bit overcast, but later it cleared up and got really hot.

Even from the 18th green, Marksburg can be seen on the other side of the Rhine.

After the round, we had planned to take a shower at the golf club, but it was stated that the changing rooms were closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Went back to the campsite, where it was no problem to shower. Before we went to the shower, it was coffee with freshly baked muffins (which we made in our airfryer). A little later we went to the campsite’s restaurant and had dinner.

Round trip between the campsite and the golf course was not that far.

We had decided that Bettan would start her life in retirement with a motorhome trip.Some of the destinations were given, as she has some favorites. Unfortunately, it was not possible to go in the Ahr Valley, as it was hit by huge floods in mid-July.(It will be years before everything is restored.) At least we were hoping to experience a little warmer weather than at home and avoid heavy raining on our trip. We had, already in June, both received 2 doses of vaccine against Covid-19 so the Covid certificate was in the Kivra app on our mobiles. On Sunday 5 September, we started our late summer trip by going to Mariestad. We knew that several campsites close last September, so the plan was to be back in early October. We chose to go over Örebro, because the road over Stockholm never goes faster, whatever the GPS says. The weather was overcast most of the way, but no rain. When we arrived in Mariestad we went to the mobile parking lot in the outer harbour. Parked our motorhome and then took a little walk.

In the marina it appeared that the temperature was well below 20 degrees and that all vacations were over, since almost all pleasure crafts where in the harbour.

Took a picture from above as well.

It was less than 300 km from home to Mariestad.

On Monday, we sat and circled possible destinations on the Map of Germany.Then we went to Mariestad Golf Club.

We got a nice spot with a view of Lake Vänern.

The floor in the toilet/shower room had started to creak (after 6 years), but we had an idea of how it was fixed. Someone (Bettan) had to crawl in and tighten the wood screws that hold the floor in place. It worked according to plan: the floor went quiet.

When Gittan and Pelle arrived, we sat outside and talked. Took a picture from above on the lineup.

The weather was nice, so you could see the sun go down.

Isn’t so far distance between the outer harbour and Mariestads GK.

Got a nice round of golf the following day, with nice weather. Afterwards we sat out eating Onsala sausage and Parmesan cheese. It was windy so we cranked out the awning and put up the windshield. We sat under the awning and had dinner. Then it was an early night.

Took a photo of our line-up before heading towards Caravan-Svensson in Lidköping, where we looked for a new lock for our table in the motorhome. There was no lock that fit, so after shopping in a grocery store we went on to the motorhome park at Bengt in Örkelljunga. We walked across the street to Old Mike’s Diner where we had dinner. Later we sat outside the motorhomes and talked until bedtime.

When the store opened on Wednesday, we got a new lock for the table, which Einar screwed in place. Filled the gas canisters, at gasolesset, before we went to Helsingborg.

We got up on the deck and snapped a photo as we were on our way to Helsingør. Not visible in the picture, but a larger pleasure boat was in the way of the ferry we went on and there was a lot of honking for a while.

Stopped at Farø and had coffee, in the shade (was quite warm outside).

While we were sitting there, an ambulance helicopter landed in the parking lot. But the helicopter crew just sat outside and talked.

When we left Farø and continued towards Rødby we met an ambulance at high speed, it was probably the one the helicopter was waiting for.

In Rødby we ended up first in the queue for the ferry towards Puttgarden.

The journey went on without problems so we ended up at the motorhome lot in Heiligenhafen where we stayed for the night. Unfortunately, it was a bit chaotic there, as their booking/payment system did not work. Could not access toilet/shower and power. Managed to check in to the locations via the Luca app on the mobiles, but it made no difference. It was nice and warm, so there was no need for us. We stayed outside until it was dark and the mosquitoes started coming.

This days journey was about 350 km.

The next day we went to the golf club Hochwacht. Only 1 motorhome was parked there when we arrived, so there was plenty of space

We stood on either side of a small ”ridge”. We turned out the awning, because it was raining a little bit. Got golf time just after noon, so there was no hurry.

We actually had decent weather most of the time, were a bit hazy and rained at the beginning of the round. It was hot outside, so the rain didn’t bother.

Towards the end of the round it was sunny and really warm.

After a shower and dinner, we sat outside until it started to get dark. A thunderstorm lit up the sky from time to time far away, out over the Baltic Sea. It was so far away that the thunder didn’t reach us.

Only a short trip this day.

The next morning it was hazy.

It seemed to be competition day with different activities. At the driving range stood a large inflatable dartboard, in the middle of the photo, which one could shoot balls on.

We packed up and headed for Hameln. Had decided that we would avoid the Autobahn.

In the beginning we went through small cozy villages and between them there were green leaf tunnels.

After a while it became, not entirely unexpectedly, ”stau” and it became a much slower pace. We were still impressed that everyone always left a lane in the middle between the cars, for rescue vehicles.

At least the traffic floated quite nice until we got to Hachmühle. The road to Hameln had been closed. Now it got a little messy as we tried to find a good way that was open.

At last we got to Hameln. The first site we went to was full, so we headed for the next one. It is located outside campingplatz Hameln, and was also full.

But the camping host moved tables and chairs away from a small outdoor terrace and said that there we could stand. Fitted ok and even got an electrical connection.

We decided to order pizza for pick-up, in the restaurant. Just had room for chairs and tables between the motorhomes.

The pizzas were great, and incredibly good. It was a bit sleepish after dinner, so it was an early night.

Travelled more than 370 km this day.

The next day it was a bit hazy and the rain hung in the air as we went into the old town for some sightseeing.

We were able to glimpse part of the motorhome lot as we crossed the bridge.

On the other side we saw a footbridge, which had embellishment that had to do with the city’s most famous fairy tale. (There’s a gilded rat at the top of the bridge span.)

It was Sunday, so only the restaurants were open. But we just wanted to go around and have a look at the old town center. Several of the paving stones looked like the one in the photo above.

There´s a trail with rats out of the old town.

We wondered if all the bells on the house at the square were just decoration or if they actually rang sometimes.

In a store, which unfortunately was closed, you could buy these potions.

Took another route back to the motorhome and then passed the European place.

It is located opposite Hameln’s concert and congress hall, which of course has been dubbed ”Rat Catcher Hall”.

Then continued the journey through small villages surrounded by forests and cornfields.

Stopped in Hünfeld, where we took in at Knaus Campingpark, after first trying to stand in the motorhome lot outside the campsite. The place tilted so much that we gave up.The campsite is located next to a golf course, which we have played many times. Unfortunately, Golfclub Hofgut Praforst was not in the golf booklet, so we did not plan a round of golf there.

We travelled a couple of kilometers that day too.