18th June 2011

Left Cernay and joined the motorway, it wasn’t long before we had crossed the Rhine and the canal next to it and had entered Germany-not that you’d know as the sign was disappointingly small! A quick stop at a services to buy a more detailed map book and we were soon leaving the motorway on the outskirts of Freidburg, the gateway to the Black Forest. The satnav was working well and the signage for the “Stellplatz” was easy to follow, so we quickly found it. It was fairly busy but we found a parking place which was big enough and easy to get out of. The Stellplatz are like the French aires, just parking areas with water and waste disposal. This one had a small reception where we paid for two nights, 8 euro’s a night and were given an electric meter to record what we use, you pay for it when you leave.

After a coffee we walked into town, about 10 – 15 mins, and had lunch at a café. The town is covered with tram tracks and has a major railway station, so getting about would be easy but the trams are fairly quiet, so you have to be careful as they go through the pedestrianized part as well! Found a tourist info where we obtained a map/walk around the old town which we will use tomorrow. Outside was a square with the town hall on one side and a grand old church covering two others, in the centre was a fountain. Every street seems to have a deep water gutter about a foot wide & deep going down it, sometimes in the middle sometimes on one side, I bet that’s fun after a couple of beers! As we came out of the info shop there was a wedding reception being held in the square, bride, groom and guests all drinking bubbly and eating snacks whilst mixing with the shoppers! I’m not even going to ask Em!

On the way back Lynn walked into a hairdressers called “ Killer hair” and had her hair done, wash, cut and blow dry all for 13 euros, Germany does seem a little cheaper than France. Now she can say she has had her hair done in each country!