Arrived Frankfurt on Thursday this week, and spent the rest of the morning getting to Heidelberg by train. After three trains and a bus I was warmly welcomed by Stefan Knopf at his motorcycle B&B and touring facility in the suburbs of beautiful Heidelberg.
Exhausted from the trip over, and the jet lag and time difference, so a short day, and off to bed on Thursday night. I did manage to pack most of my gear into the aluminum cases and soft bags to put on the bike. Dinner was at Perpperoni, a Stefan recommendation, and I had a plate of Doner, which is a kebab meat made from poultry with nice yoghurt/dill sauce and salad. Tasty and filling and not expensive at all.
Friday morning dawned with gray skies and some rain sprinkles, which are normal for my motorcycle trips. I left Knopf headquarters and got a fast lesson on driving in Germany as I worked my way out of Heidelberg in light traffic. Lots of new rules to absorb, and I only had 100 or so close calls in the first few hours.
My only plan was to head in a Southerly direction, with a possible goal of seeing the ancient town of Rothenberg ab Tauber, a walled town that is a major tourist attraction.
I made it to Rothenberg, getting lost a few times, but with a nice ride in German countryside, along the Neckar Valley, stopping in Neckarsulm to see a great motorcycle museum and to have a cup of coffee and cake, the first of many stops.
Rothenberg was crawling with tourists, but well behaved tourists. I had a pizza and coke at a cafe off the town square. Everyone is Europe smokes.
I headed out to Detwang, 5 minutes from Rothenberg, and found my campsite, the Romantishe Camping. Not romantic at all, just a lot of cute recreational vehicles convention. Some friendly family types, but the language barrier makes it hard for some to make contact. Too bad, as I really enjoyed talking to the ones who tried.
I got a bit depressed being alone, as everyone was paired up, and mostly with kids. Took a long walk feeling sorry for myself and then back to the tent, for a decent nights sleep. It rained overnight, but I was snug in the tent. Cold enough to wear full clothes to sleep in though.
Tomorrow I am off further South across the rest of Germany and into Switzerland.....
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