20160707 – Chiemsee, Dachau, Betzenstein, Nuremberg And A Day With Old Friends

Off down to Chiemsee, the largest lake in Bavaria.

Catch the ferry over to the castle. Stop for the usual morning coffee and then have a stroll around the island. Finally find the castle, after wandering off course. Wendy says that’s not a castle. Have to agree it’s more of a palace, but hey ho it’s impressive from the outside. Our culture overdose means we forego another tour around the inside.

Back on mainland Wendy has her ice cream lunch.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157219388670249&set=a.151197510248.229935.621375248&type=3&theater

Call in at Rosenheim old town for a look around and a coffee. Find a great spot for coffee in the old square. Superb for people watching especially as there is a 2 Euro coin glued to the pavement to tempt people to try and pick it up – see photos. We get about 4 attempts whilst we’re there.

In the evening we have tea in the Aying Beer garden. All very tasty and relaxing. But what is it with Germany and it’s failure to accept credit cards. Do they not know this is the 21st century and the rest of the World has moved on from cash – especially the Euro!

---

VRBO Kaps Review – 5 Stars

Set off to our next stop 4 days in Konigstein near Betzenstein.

On the way we stop off at Dachua concentration camp. It’s now a free memorial to the millions who died in the camps. A very sombre and stark reminder of what mankind is capable of. Worrying. Sadly it could happen again, especially the way the radical islamist are promoting terror, it wouldn’t take much for such a backlash.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157216871920249&set=a.10152635544405249.1073741825.621375248&type=3&theater

Drive up to Konigstein. More road works and delays than in the UK. A 2 hour drive takes 3 hours.

Arrive at Haus Am Markt to our quaint junior suite. All very comfortable in a little village.

Have another tasty tea sat out at one of the hotels around the village.

---

After a interesting and individual continental breakfast we decide on a lazy day after all the driving of yesterday.

Drive down to Pegnitz for a wander around to see how it’s changed. Have our morning coffee in the old market square.

We go to buy some chocolates for our hosts tomorrow. I only get 3 words of german out and the old lady behind the counter sjuuttles off in a panic to get the young assistant, who can obviously speak English, to deal with me. So much for my german, but I try, and manage the rest of the transaction in German.

Then have a drive around to Betzenstein and surrounding areas. By now it’s only 13:00, Nuremberg’s only 30 miles away so we decide to have a look around. We’ve been before but over 25 years ago. The usual nightmare driving in, finding the old town and then finding parking.

End up fairly central in the old town. Just in time for Wendy to have her lunch before she expires from malnutrition and starvation. First area we wander around is like a little middle eastern section, now we know where all the immigrants are.

Wander around the old town a busy litter strewn mixture of old town with modern big city stores. Unusual for a German city it needs a good clean up.

To avoid yet another horrendous traffic jam we drive back down the country lanes. Pass through some lovely small old towns with character. Might have been better visiting them instead.

After another busy driving day we have tea at a restaurant near Konigstein. Menu choice is a tad limited but food is excellent, beer is awesome and all very cheap.

---

Breakfast and a lazy morning.

Meet up with Jurgen and his family for a lovely lunch at Veldensteiner Forst followed by afternoon tea with delicious cakes in their garden. It’s about 28 years since we saw them last so we had plenty to catch up on and many photos and reminiscences. Lovely to see them all, although it makes you realise how old you are when they are all grown up with their own teenage children. Jurgen has teenage daughter and is 2nd director at a secondary school. Loves his job as a teacher.

Then we walk across the road to Henri and Margits house for afternoon drinks. Henri takes us to see his new depot in his awesome 7 series BMW heads up display and for Wendy sat in the back there’s TV’s, massage seats, spa air freshener – wot no jacuzzi! Henri now has a massive Diesel Oil business with over 50 tankers and now petrol stations. Rudi his son work in the business. Henri still works in the business every day, including Sundays, and is justly proud of his business.

Followed by a lovely evening meal in a Schlossbrennerei in Betzenstein. It is so hot we all dine out side. Andy, Gerd and their teenage children join us for dinner. Of course no meal with Henri would be complete without some good German beer and rounded off with a quality Schnapps – feurwasser. Again it’s about 25 years since we last saw them, so we have plenty to reminisce and catch up on. Andy has 3 children and is a Mediator and along with her husband Gerd runs a thriving supermarket.

All our friends and especially their children seem to be very happy and prospering. It was awesome to see them all after all this time, a whole generation later. I don’t think we’ve ever eat so much in a day, drive back to Konnigstein, well after Noddys gone past big ears.

Interesting to talk to Andy and family about BREXIT. They are a tad confused as to why we voted out. I explained our view, but forgot to tell them that another key factor in the vote was a protest vote, people were fed up with politicians ignoring the masses. They seem overall in favour of the EU. Andy likes the idea of an EU army for peace. Whereas Henri, as a business man, is a lot more sceptical of the EU especially the bureaucracy. Margit had an interesting view in that she feels they are a wealthy country and it is right that they share their wealth. Generally most seemed to agree that immigration was out of control. I think it is difficult for them to appreciate how our country is being swamped. Especially bad for us in the Blackburn area where we already having a burgeoning muslim presence trying to erode our cultural norms and overloading local services.

---