Saturday 14th September
Who would have ever guessed that we would ever get up to blog number 300? Looking back it looks like we’ve covered most of Europe, which is one of the reasons that we started stewarding but after today I’ve come to realise that we have barely scratched the surface.
We had an email yesterday from a couple we met in Portimao in 2014 and again in 2016 at Amercao de Pera, can we visit them? Of course we can.It’s only 80 miles away and autoroute most of the way.
This is the lovely Bernhard and Ursula. They gave us co-ordinates and with a little tweaking we were directed straight to a free Stellplatz on the bank of the River Main.
They’re not here so a quick phone call and within three minutes Bernhard was with us. What we hadn’t realised was that they had moved to Miltenberg two years ago.
First beer of the day, lots of chatting and use of Google translate, I startle Ursula and Bernhard with my vast knowledge of German and forgetting themselves think that they can talk at 100 km/h and I’ll keep up. Many things got lost in translation and phones were regularly scowled at as they messed up.
This is part of the view from Bernhard and Ursula’s house, forming part of the city wall we have what we think is the Nuns entrance closest to us and at the rear the Wurzburger Tower built in 1400. The rest of their view is taken up with mountains and trees and the castle.
This is the tower from the other side. The tower used to contain prison cells but now everyone is very good and they don’t need them anymore.
We’re given a guided tour of the town. Many of the River Cruise Ships call in to this town, it really does have a lot of history.
This is the fortified end of the bridge, we’re exploring this more tomorrow, (we think we know what the plan is for the day, it was given to us in German!).
This is the exterior of the oldest guest house in Germany, mentioned in texts from 1411.
Inside it looks fantastic and the food looks amazing but it is full with tourists from the river cruises. Unbelievably, I walked through a pub without having a drink.
More half timbered wizardry, I can only think I like half timbered buildings since my father half timbered the hall at home with some very old (so he says pointing to the carpenters marks) timbers nicked off a building site. He liked the half timber look because it didn’t really matter if anything was square, it just looked more traditional.
For a small town the shopping street was very long and full mostly of independent traders, although mostly catering to the tourist trade.
Apparently, a photo of these buildings is on display in JFK Airport.
The Main river looking upstream towards Wurzburg.
Four little pissers all looking very pleased with themselves. The story goes that the young boys would climb the castle steps and then see how far they could wee down them. Bring back the innocent pleasures of the good old days I say.
We accidentally went into a beer/brewery shop and relieved them of this gift shop. I know where I’m putting the beer, not sure where to put the stein, Frankie is already groaning at the seams.
After our tour we were whisked off to a Weinstub in the country for a very good meal of (huge) pork cutlet and potato salad and a lovely glass of Spatburgunder and then off into the mountains to a cloister which makes it’s own beer.
More beer of the day (and the cheapest we’ve found anywhere. €3 a pint and it was lovely. I made a mistake with the one on the middle, it’s radler and Lucy loved the can she had the other day, this one was less pleasant.
Oh no, more beer of the day, Bernhard has presented us with our own steins with lids to stop the pesky flies having freebies.
Tonight, we are in the stellplatz by the river. tomorrow we’re going to fill up with water at Bernhards outside tap and return to the aire. The plan is for a bit of cycling and then to meet up with our fantastic hosts tomorrow evening. I think!!