Day 2: Germany and German Bakeries

 Note the blue line was yesterday's journey and the pink was today's. Today we head from mid Germany down to the Black Forest.

We found our campsite late at night last night and now wake up to an amazingly green and peaceful setting in St. Goar am Rhein, Germany. Did I mention our Crazy Camper (http://www.crazy campers.nl)? It is very cheap compared to renting in the rest of Europe or the UK…but you don't get a choice of designs. Nigel wasn't sure about being given the butterfly van. I liked the cow one as it looked like we might be delivering fresh milk.

  At the camp there is fresh bread you can order the night before at. Hearty German bread delivered warm to the campsite. We order 4 multigrain buns. Yum.

 The camping site, Friednau, is a wooded area that has a small creek 800m from the river Rhine that runs the long length of the campsite. One odd thing about the campsite is that the dish washing facility is in the women's washroom. Go figure! We discover this as Nigel wandered over to wash the dishes.

 We camp at the very top of the field at the last electrical outlet. It is a great setup. We have a double bed inside that converts into a table and seat. It has a fridge, double ring cooker, a sink plus is all equipped with what you need (chairs, outside table, 2 outside burners, fuel, dishes, etc). You can pay for further things like a tent, bedding, etc. (Note the castle on the hill overlooking the site above).

 We drive down in the morning to the village of St. Goar (note the Rhine on the left). Today I am driving.

 What a nice tiny town. The majority of the houses are up a steep mountain face behind the shops.

 I had made a note of a couple of shops to visit today when everything would be open. One was the bakery with all the German cakes!

 And all the hearty German breads! The other was a little grocer. Food shopping in other countries is a window into another culture.

 We head off south down the road through small German towns heading for the Black Forest. We stop at one rest stop to discover a toilet that has a little arm that comes out from the back, rotates the toilet seat in a complete circle while cleaning the whole thing.

We stop to eat out buns in our camper van while it rains outside. It turns out Nigel is so car sick trying to navigate that we decide that we will switch back to me navigating and him driving.

Did I mention the Rhubarb Strudel (already half eaten in the picture above) and the decadent (and giant) Black Forest Cake oozing with Kirsch. The taste just stays in your mouth it is so decadent! (and cheap at 3.50 Euros for both).

 Back on the road. "Ausfarht" = exit. I say it out loud every time we pass one. I like the sound of it. Nigel may go mad at some point.

 We begin to climb as we near the Swiss boarder. The temperature begins to drop and the houses look built for a lot of snow as the roofs change to steep slanting styles.

 We arrive at our German campsite, Sulzbachtal, just on the outskirts of Sulzburg. It is located at the foot of a hill with surrounding vineyards. It is a short walk to the village of Sulzburg (which boasts a natural pool) which we will wander tomorrow. Good night!