Frankfurt

Frankfurt ended up being a pitstop more than anything else, as we were bound for the north. It was a great place to do laundry! I say that somewhat facetiously, but when you've been travelling a couple of weeks, a hotel room with a washer and dryer is a welcome thing. Don't worry - I won't post any pictures of our smalls...

Our room had lovely views of the city!

We did get out and about a bit...

We found a traditional pub-type restaurant (I'm sure you're beginning to see a pattern emerging) where they served apple wine in large ceramic jugs. I assumed it would be something like cider, and I couldn't have been more wrong. It was super tart, and at first taste I wasn't sure I would be able to get through the whole jug. Again, also wrong.:) Above is a before pic, and fortunately, there is no after pic...

We rented a car in Frankfurt and bought all our camping equipment there. Mark left me in the hotel, industriously laundering, while he went to pick up our wheels. He came back very unhappy, complaining about the "shitbox" car he got stuck with. Great, I thought. This will make the next couple of weeks great fun...

So imagine my surprise when this greeted me as we left the hotel:

Cheeky monkey! He was delighted with our transportation. And miracle of miracles it had GPS in English! I cannot stress enough what a difference this made to our travels. Never, ever again will I attempt to navigate in an unfamiliar country without turn-by-turn instructions, and a little blue dot that shows me where I am. We named our guidance system Catherine and happily followed her directions across six countries - I credit her with single-handedly saving my marriage.:) Mark had fun on the autobahns, living his speedracer dream, while I kept my eyes on my iPad and studiously avoided any glimpse of the speedometer. Sometimes it's just better not to know...

And so, with the car loaded to the gills with six months' worth of luggage, cases of beer and a complete camping kit, we set off for Strasbourg, where we had our first campsite. Once again, I can whole-heartedly recommend this method of travel! I liked being able to see how people in different countries enjoy their summer holidays, in a way we couldn't have if we'd stayed in hotels. We spent about 250 euros or so putting together our camping kit (including the boules!), and it paid for itself in the first week. I love our little tent!

One tip, though: Europe is the land without ice. That little blue cooler became the bane of my existence for a week or so until I figured that out. We'd go into the campground reception and try to buy ice, and they'd look at us like we were crazy. Most people had electric coolers that you could plug into the cigarette lighter in your car, or the power stations in the campsites. Alternatively, they also sell cold blocks at reception. You'd buy a couple of frozen ones at the first place you went, then swap them out when they melted as you went along. Thank you to the man in Denmark who finally explained it all!

Next post: our adventures in Strasbourg and Alsace. But Leighana, I hear you say, isn't that in the opposite direction from Scandinavia? You are correct, sir! All will explained in our next exciting instalment...