We’re… still in Germany!

| Mairead

Germany is a very big country! We spent less time on the road yesterday – just eight hours. We did have a new high of 38 degrees (Celsius) which only made us all the more excited when it went down to 33! Also, we had a very happy experience at the hottest point in the day.

20 06c

(ooh some shade…)

There we were motoring along when we come to a complete stop – a traffic jam. Traffic jams don’t usually bother motorbikes so we tootled along between the lanes. All the German and Dutch drivers moved out of the way to let us through, which was very nice. But eventually we came to a foreign (!) camper van and it moved into our way instead. Anyway the truck on the other side moved further away and let us through, but we were still no nearer the front of the jam. Now we were sitting in the middle of a three lane motorway, sun beating down and hot air coming from every vehicle around us. Did I mention under appreciating the air-conditioning in our car?

20 06a

(Traffic stopped as far as the eye can see. That’s the camper van in front to our left)

That’s when we noticed the services area. So, a little more tootling around the front of the trucks (one of which was now leaking water onto the road) and we reached the petrol station. Denis had a little (illegal) plan to continue out of the services area and ride on the shoulder of the road. Fortunately, he didn’t have to, there was a man stopping all traffic leaving the service area and he stopped us.

20 06b

(See those great clouds and those mountains are the alps!)

Btw, I forgot to tell you that I had done a year of German classes when I was 18. If you’re a regular reader here you’ll remember that a year isn’t long enough for me to have any level of fluency but plenty of time to say “hello”. As “hello” in German is “Hello!” (or at least that’s what it sounds like…..) I had learned another phrase “Sprecken zie English?”

20 06d

(Nice German town we found on the back road… doesn’t it look like Clonmel?

So as the man is explaining in perfect German why we cannot go back on the motorway I interrupt with my phrase. And he understands me! And he speaks English! And he tells us that a truck had dropped its load so we will have to take this other route, pointing to a back road out of the service area.

20 06e

(Look! We found Amazon!)

Well, you could have knocked us over with a feather! Never before have we seen a back road out of a service area! In fact we have spent many riding miles wondering how the employees at the service areas get to work. Do they live at the service areas? Is there an underground tunnel to the nearest town? No, there’s a back road!

We’ll be crossing the border to Austria today and then late today we’ll arrive in Venice. We may take a day to acclimatise (sleep) but then…. what should we go see in Venice?

Until Italy, Mairead.

We’re in Germany!

| Mairead

Right so, you might remember the rain-soaked day we left Ireland? Where the moisture dripped from our clothes and our helmets? Well, the moisture is back but now it’s on the inside – I’m perspiring and Denis is sweating. It reached a high of 36 degrees (Celsius) today. We packed lightly… except for warm bike gear which we wore, which we were still wearing until half an hour ago. Now we have to find a strong bag to wrap it all up in and tie it to the top of one of the panniers (there’s no room inside!)

1806c

(Very hot sun – very good for growing flowers and food…. not relationships)

Stress levels are high after nine hours on the hot road and there’s talk of irregularities with the planning. I did the planning… might have underestimated the effort involved in getting to Italy in four days….. might be a little frosty (not the weather) around here for the next few days.

1806e

(More sun)

So, in an effort to jolly things up a bit as we rode silently along I started thinking about all the things I’ve under appreciated about living in a wet, damp country….. the temperature (how bad is 13 degrees?), an overcast day (we all need an excuse to sit by the telly), the soft rain (yet again Isabel you are right! (Isabel is from Spain)), the smell of wet footpaths (who doesn’t love that?)

18 06f

(Cute little windmill on road to Germany)

Starting to feel a bit better already. Maybe it’s the warm shower and the cold beer?

Until tomorrow, Mairead.

First stop….. McDonalds

| Mairead

We’re in McDonalds! Now… it’s not what you think…. we’re not eating (well unless you count the Applepunt – possibly an apple tart?) It’s the Wi-Fi we’re after.

1806a

(We’re saved!)

We arrived at our overnight ferry in plenty of time last night – at 7.30pm for a midnight sailing. They allow you to board 3 hours before sailing to avail of their great food! Yes, great food on a ferry. Unfortunately I was too hungry and tired to take any photos so you’ll just have to take my word for it. I had scampi and Denis had catfish (or possibly pollack!) There was something wrong with their satellite so no wifi. Denis is working as we go so no wifi is worrying. Hence straight off the ferry we head to McDonalds.

1806d

(Lots of greenhouses in Holland)

Throughout France on previous trips we have availed of their free wifi but had no idea if it was available in the Netherlands – it is. And it’s fast! So the sun is shining, the work is getting done and the Applepunt is warm. The weather is warm and sunny, the people are friendly and the music is bubbly, we’ll be here for about twenty minutes.  Life is good.

1806b

(Coffee rating? Hmmmmm)

We’re off to a place called Halsenbach in Germany next.

Until then, Mairead.

We’re off……

| Mairead

Hello world, I’m back… and we’re off to Italy. As I write we’re sitting at a table on the boat to Holyhead. I got the departure time wrong but not too wrong. As we tied down the bike on deck 5, the loading door rumbled shut. Very close. Later today we have a six hour ride to Harwich in Essex and then another ferry tonight to The Netherlands but first…. breakfast.

17 01

(Happy Denis)

It was raining very heavily as we left Greystones and it continued all the way to Dublin Port, so our rainproof gear is sopping – not a problem for us but the next people to sit on these seats will wonder….

17 02

(Very wet outside)

We will arrive in a place called Hook of Holland tomorrow morning and begin a three day journey to Venice. We will pass through the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. We will stay for five days in Venice and then move on to Florence. We will also visit Siena. (Maybe we need more time?) And we’re taking you along with us, so rest up because soon I’ll be asking for your help in 1.Recommending places to visit and 2.Learning some easy Italian… (you may remember from a previous visit to this beautiful language that I tend to use my hands and arms more than my words…. a form of communication no doubt!)

17 03

(Denis will be rating coffee along the way… this one gets a Blah)

Until next time, Mairead.