Tues 15th
Nice and cold overnight so a good sleep was had by all! We decided
to go back to Schiltach in Germany as we had unfinished business. Easy drive
back to find the stellplatz very full of vans and cars in between. We squeezed
in a corner right by the grass after a very nice gentleman moved his car out
for us. . Nice place and good to be back. The other 2 Carthago vans were giving
us a bad name by parking very inconsiderately and taking up far too much room. BBQ on the grass that night as the
weather was glorious.
stellplatz in the sun
Weds 16th
Very hot again so an early cycle ride along the valley to
Alpirschbach for café und kuchen. Lunch then onto the museums. One on the
history of logging and wood cutting machines, pharmacy one for Tina then onto
Hansgrohe – manufacturer of baths and taps. Lots of very expensive and funky
taps to play with. Amazing how many types of shower heads you can buy. That evening we were enjoying tea on “our
lawn” when we were politely asked to move as they were setting up for a
concert. German efficiency was observed as they quickly set up tables, chairs
and the bar. It was really great to sit and enjoy our evening meal and listen
to the local brass band right in front of us. Excellent.
setting up for concert
pharmacy museum
Thurs 18th
Very short drive along the B500 which twists along the top of a
wooded set of mountains. Famous amongst bikers – Chris and I rode it 3 years
ago on one of our summer trips. We stopped at a very rustic campsite in
Ottenhofen and enjoyed a very nice grassy terrace with great views. The owner
appeared at his house window and looked as if he had never seen a ray of
sunshine! The showers were disgusting and the loos stank – you had to flush it
with a hose pipe. Weird. A cycle ride to explore our surroundings revealed that
the outdoor pool across the road from us was closed due to water quality
problems caused by all the recent storms. What a shame as the chute looked good
fun.
Friday 19th
Back into France and to Bitche in the northern Vosges to visit the
huge citadel which towers above the town. The free aire was right beside the
entrance. Very nice with 5 well kept separate pitches. Opposite us they were
busy constructing the arena for the forthcoming Medieval show. A walk around
the moat down into town was very hot but
worth it for the views. That evening we enjoyed
a very nice meal of venison in the only restaurant we could find. Good
choice!
Bitche - free aire
Sat 20th
In the morning we went up to the Citadel and thoroughly enjoyed the
tour. The headphones supplied automatically picked up the audio to the many short films
that told the story of the siege of Bitche by the Prussians in 1870 after a disastrous
war started by the French. What a huge
place with lots of remaining artifacts on display.
glamorous !
view from citadel
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