Where's Mike?

Section two: Scandinavia to the Alps

Click here to see Section One: Departure through Scandinavia

Monday July 25th

Bliesdorf, Germany:  Welcome to the mainland.

Am enjoying my first few steps on German soil...well at least my first few step in 2005...at about 17:30, with a glass of dry '04 Riesling, sitting in my folding chair, and contemplating what to cook for dinner. I am cashless, and don't feel like driving around in search of an ATM, so will certainly have to dig through the dregs of the cooler and dry-bag. Shortly after arriving via ferry into Puttgarden, Germany, from Rodby, Denmark, I saw a sign for a campground in Bliesdorf. A few minutes later, I was struggling with the German language as I checked into Camping Wlakyrien located on the Mecklenburger inlet, on the Baltic Sea, of Northern Germany. The language problem is an abrupt shock after traveling with an English speaking friend, in Scandinavia, where everyone we ran into spoke English well.

This morning, back in Denmark, I was fed and showered by seven, and in the process of packing my bags in the tent when I looked up and saw a little Korean boy standing at the door. I had smiled, and said hello, earlier, and he took that as an invitation to be friends. Fine by me! In addition to a nice scrap book, Junho showed me a self portrait finger painting he did the day before, complete with birds, clouds, the sun, and a worm.  He is six or seven years old, he forgot which, is on a camping trip with is older sister and parents, and, although he does not know exactly where he lives, he is pretty sure it is Korea, and the door number is 28. He was a good kid, and he kept me company while I packed up my stuff, and his parents packed up their stuff. They too were headed for Germany today.

Once packed, I left my car at the campsite and walked over to the metro for a trip into Copenhagen. I figured wandering around a bit during the light of day was in order, and this trip also gave me chance to check my email in the square...before a shower sent me running for cover. When it came time to return, I jumped on the blue train heading back toward the campground, and found out that the B+ train does not stop at my station. In fact it skips a lot of stations, as I learned riding the B train back. The extra 15 minutes, gave the rain a chance to start in earnest, and I was soaked through by the time I made the five minute walk from the station to the campground.

I made a quick drive south to Rodby, where I caught a ferry into Northern Germany and headed to the campground in Bliesdorf.

Managed to get the owner of Camping Walkyrien to point me in the direction of the tent sites, after showing me the cabin I must have asked for in my badly broken German. I did not manage to pay, however. Something appeared to be wrong with the credit card machine, and I have no Euro, so I am supposed to come back after 18:00 when his daughter would be available to work the card scanner. I decided to go with no power (typically an additional 2-4Euro) and see how the Coleman works with just the V-50's 12 volts. The manual said not to go longer than four hours without having the car running, so I will have to remember to unplug it.

Starting to rain, so I am closing down to burn up some dinner.

Tuesday July 26th

Bliesdorf, Germany: Last night was a total blast. Once the rain started in, I dug out the ski poles Rich left with me, and pitched the main door into a pretty nice awning...the second time the awning has been needed to date. This makes for a pleasant, if somewhat cramped area to cook dinner in a dry location, without having to actually cook inside the tent. Sautéed veggies from the bottom of the cooler, a bit of heated red sauce on the side, and some shredded cheese to top it all off. Sure worked for me, and I was able to clean out the cooler as well. A piece of dark chocolate, and the last glass of Cab, left over from the night before, made the perfect dessert.

As I was cleaning up dishes one of my neighbors, Gerrit (pictured left with Anna) came over with an offering plate of grilled sausages. A very nice, and friendly, offer, but having just eaten, I declined with my thanks. His walking around did make me realize the rain had stopped so I headed back to the office, well after 18:00 at this stage, and paid for my nights stay. The owner's daughter had no problem making the card scanner work.

On the way back, I swung by to thank Gerrit once again, and he introduced me his other friends. There were three couples (Saundra and Jan below, and Thomas, AKA Porky, pictured below left with Gerrits girlfriend, Elizabeth) staying in their sophisticated encampment made up of three sleeping tents and a 12X12' Easy-Up. Sounds pretty basic, but since Gerrit is an electrician by trade, he ensured the Easy-Up was completely wired with lights and sound...in addition to a two ring stove top, fridge, coffee maker, and who knows what all? The guys all met through their work with the volunteer fire department back home, and this camping trip is an annual event for them.

Spectacular electrician that Gerrit is, he was not able to fix the electrical problem his car had on the way here. "Too small of a system...I work on bigger things." He got it towed to a shop and it was being repaired over the next couple days.

Of course they insisted I try the local drink of Northern Germany, Strothmann & Coke, and accepting their offer was my first major mistake of the evening, as they soon began producing a plethora of Strothmann, Southern comfort, and mixers for everyone's taste. I chipped in an unopened bottle of Jack, Rich and I had gotten from duty free while sailing from Sweden to Denmark. These Germans were here to have fun, and they were going to make sure I got a proper welcome to Germany, and had fun as well!!!

Elizabeth, Gerrit's girlfriend, pictured left with Thomas, mentioned something about spending another night on the cold-hard ground, so I asked why they didn't bring a sleeping pad. She explained, while punching Gerrit, that they did bring a pad, but forgot the plug. They were in luck, Rich left his with me when he headed out of town so I produced the loaner to a couple of very happy campers.

At some point during the evening a couple of young women (late teens or early 20's?) came by and were chatting in German to the rest of the group. I didn't understand any of the verbiage, but the body language made it look like these girls were looking for some drinks and fun. They were dismissed on short order, with glares from the girls, and rolled eyes from the guys, and then Gerrit explained. These girls were here with their family, told mom & dad they were headed to the beach, but in reality just prowled the campground looking for sex, drugs, and rock & roll. "No, they are not prostitutes. They don't charge. More like whores, you understand, Mike?" Gerrit explained. I was starting to. I guess these girls, and girls like them, are somewhat of a standard fixture in many campgrounds around Europe, although I had never heard of that before. The girls headed over to another tent of a half dozen loud and rowdy teens, where I am sure they got a better reception. It was an interesting exchange that I have never seen camping in the past. Welcome to the mainland.

Anyway, even later in the night I managed to make it back to my one tent encampment, blow up my mattress, and collapse.

This morning, as I was lazing around my tent, Gerrit came over offering hard boiled eggs. No thanks, I would rather just get another few hours of sleep, please! However, I did need some Euro, so I jumped in the car to find the battery 100% dead. Someone forgot to unplug the Coleman last night. Damn. Porky (this is his nickname, of course! Thomas is his real name) offered me a jump, and I soon realized that Volvo made the trunk opening totally electronic. No way to open the trunk, to get the jumper cables, which are properly stored with the spare tire, if your battery is dead. The neighbors a few tents down had cables, and I was soon back in operation. Ok, so the Volvo is a safe car...just not the smartest.

Found an ATM to get cash for another nights stay (Gerrit's girlfriend insisted on me staying so they could use the mattress again), took a hike in a bird sanctuary, walked around Gromitz, a nice little harbor & tourist town, and headed back to camp for dinner and an early night.

"More Strothmann, Mike?"

"How is your head, Mike?"

My head will be fine, thank you...as long as I don't have to drink any more of that poison. It was very clear, and cold, as I sat typing away in my shorts and pullover. It is supposed to get down to 6 Celsius tonight, so joining the group, in their gas heated Easy-Up, for one beer before bed, sounded like a brilliant idea. Just one, as I plan an early start on a long drive to Amsterdam.

Aug 9th: Gerrit sent me this photo taken the night I decided to go to bed early. It was just too funny to pass up. It looks as if Gerrit is already asleep, and Thomas is about to explode! He still has the energy to melt cheese in front of the heater though! Great times, but I was happy to be in my tent at this stage. :-) You can see the hotplate, coffee maker, and fridge in the back ground. Now THAT'S camping.

The other photo he sent, of Saundra, Jan, Gerrit, and me, is above.

Wednesday July 27th

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: As planned, I was up early this morning. Fed, showered, and packed long before my new German friends showed any sign of life. I am guessing that this must be the difference between one beer and partying into the wee hours. I wanted to get the spare mattress back, but, knowing they were there to enjoy a vacation, did not want to wake them up. I went on a hike to the beach, for an hour, or so, instead.

There are several things I want to do and see in the Netherlands...The Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank's house, a coffee shop, the Red light district, some old windmills, part of the dyke system, take time to ponder why someone would build a home/city/country below sea level, buy a bike & car rack to haul it, canal tour, bike around the city, find a new brush head for my sonic-care, and get a power adapter for my cell phone. I have a lot to do, was told the drive would take me about nine hours, and, although I was not looking forward to that much car-time, I wanted to get moving.

By the time I returned from my little walk, the Germans were showing signs of life. I got my (Rich's) mattress back, we said our goodbyes, and I headed off. It was a long drive, and, with two 30ish min stops for a stretch & snack, and a one hour long, mostly fruitless, stop in search of the electronics, I arrived seven hours later. No speed limit on the autobahn really helps the time fly....Avril Lavigne sounds better at 100mph plus, but I can handle Black Box Recorder, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Third Eye Blind, and more, at <100. Mileage drops to about 8mpg at 120mph. Aerodynamic lift can make it sound/feel like the rocket box is tearing off the Volvo roof at anything above 130. I could swear I was getting airborne as I approached 222kph...my favorite speed to hit on every visit to/through Germany. Breaking distance is quite different than what one gets used to in the US. No matter how fast you think you are...someone is faster.

Unfortunately, I will be back in the US, with their speed limits, the next time I see the car w/out the box.

The closer I got to Amsterdam, the thicker the air became. At first I thought it was smog, but then realized it was just humidity. Wow, it was hot and muggy as I pulled into a Camping Zeeburg about four clicks from heart of the city. They had space, but none with power. Remembering my experience from two days ago, I decided to look at one other place, and, by the time I got there, it was dumping buckets, lighting was rampant, and much of the power grid was out. Driving in Amsterdam is hard enough, but once you remove the traffic signals and add enough rain to make them difficult to see, regardless, it is a real challenge. Six inches of water on the road in places, all the ditches full, and overflowing, water cascading from every building and overpass. Incredibly fun to witness, until one needs to get out of the car.

This next campground, Gaasper Campground, had no power sites left either, I was soaked through, and the force of the rain, and small amounts of hail, driven by 30+mph wind actually hurt the skin. I did not feel like making camp in this anyway, had budgeted for up to 40 nights in hotels, and saw this as a great time to use one of those cards. A long, hot shower felt as good as having the chance to clean up my gear after three weeks of fun.

Sat July 30st

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: I am leaving Amsterdam...not quite as bad as Leaving Las Vegas, but, after four nights in a city, I am ready to get back to the simple life.

Thursday morning, after checking out of the hotel, I headed back over to Gaasper Campground, located about 20 minutes from downtown Amsterdam via Metro, and next to Gaasperpark on the Gaasperplas (Gaasper Lake), a serene area of woodland and flowering plants. The guy at the reception desk was not sure if they had any tent sites with power, so I needed catch The Woman On The Bike and ask her.

Ok, I went outside, saw no woman on a bike, so decided to look around at various campground features, mainly the large fields designated for tents. As I wandered back to reception I see a couple of bikes, and I see a couple of women, so I ask one if she is The Woman On The Bike? "Yes, that is me." I ask about a site  with power and she says there will be room and that I am ok to register. I then follow The Woman On The Bike, Jacqueline, as I found out later, to my site. Lots of tents around, but barely anyone moving. I guess they like to save the afternoon for waking up in Amsterdam. That can be good for me too, at times.

When you stay at Gaasper Campground you must realize the rules are strictly enforced. The help were all polite, but rules were rules, and you got a list of them when you checked in. Registration lines should be kept straight, your tent needs to be here, and not six inches over there, your car must be parked in this manner and never that manner, gate closure times are firm...as are the bar, restaurant, and store hours. Whew, welcome to prison camp. For me, it was interesting to note, but I didn't really mind since I tried to keep a fairly neat camp anyway, and, as soon as I could set up my tent, I was going to hop the metro (three day pass for ~12e) into Centraal Station for a look-see anyway.

Earlier tonight (I am writing this on Sat the 30th) I wandered into the camp cafe, for a night cap and got a chance to talk with the owner who explained the firm closing times, and turning people away in order to close down at ten pm. "Most of them are stoned tourists. If you don't give them clear boundaries all kinds of trouble starts. We want everyone out, on a slow business night like this, by ten pm." As he was saying this, three people were refused service, but he had the bartender pour me one on the house. Rules are rules, but if you can carry on a conversation, there are exceptions.

When some guy in his early twenties walked in looking for a piece of bread, and talking as slow as molasses, I began to get the picture. Again, very nice people, but just in a position where they have to handle the situation as best they can.

Anyway, the past three days have been great fun, if not a bit of a blur, for me in Amsterdam. I managed to get some of what I wanted to do, done. The first day I took the train into town, and just wandered around aimlessly to see what I could see. I had no map, compass, or GPS to get in the way of people watching, gazing at architecture, or anything else I wanted to do. It was great. I stumbled across the flower market and actually found it to be fascinating. I have never seen so many varieties or quantities. Hanging, potted, bulbs, seeds, wooden, cut, arranged, fresh, painted...you name it, it was there. I also saw the amazing canal system, non-flowing, dirty, grimy, sometimes stinky, filled with run-off water from storms, any ground water seepage that may exist, and a minimal amount of brackish harbor water which occasionally works its way in. I can see this as a great idea for transporting people and goods around a city a thousand years ago, but am not convinced it is the most sanitary method for today. However, the Dutch are definitely on the right path with their bikes. Supposedly 40% of all wheeled vehicles in Holland are of the two wheeled variety. It was not until my third day in town that I decided to actually get a map, and search out the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank's House.

The Rijksmuseum was terrific. They are in the middle of a re-model, so only a small portion, of all the best work, is on display. Just how I like to do my museums... Even with the reduced display, I took about two hours to wander around. Much faster than most of the other visitors. The famous Night Watchman was being enjoyed by everyone immensely, but I actually enjoyed some of the pottery (interesting vase on the upper left...each hole holds one tulip) and still life's better.

Never was able to get into Anne Frank's House, which is about my only major disappointment, although there were many other things on my to-do list I missed out on as well. The lines were always too long for me to want to wait. I even went back late one evening, and people were still wrapped around the block...not even a guarantee it would still be open once I finally got to the door. Also, I never did get that canal tour. I saw the long, covered, crowded tourist boats floating on the brown water, and decided to look for a small dinghy instead. It would be closer to the brown water, but at least I would have been able to create my own tour. Although I never did happen across the place that rented them out...a map would have come in handy that day.

I thought I would wander into a coffee shop, have a drink, check out the scene, and, since I don't smoke, maybe try a brownie, or something. Went into Bulldogs, supposedly the first coffee shop in town, asked for a beer...just something to sip on while I ponder the Marijuana Menu. The bartender looked at me like I was some sort of an idiot.

"Look here man, this is a coffee shop. We sell pot, reefer, marijuana, bud and other mind altering drugs. We can do it legally, unlike in your country. Does your dealer back home supply you with cocktails when he makes his drop?"

I am thinking this guy needs to take a hit to mellow out a bit...you don't know, what you don't know! I am also thinking, IF I did have a dealer back home, I bet drinking the occasional beer, while making the deal, would not be that big of an issue. So I move on, to a much more local, and friendly place. No, none of the coffee shops sell alcohol, but sparking water, sodas, and more, are all just fine. The bartender at this one told me if I want to go next door, buy a beer, and bring it back, it would be ok, but keep it fairly low-key, as that is not really allowed. I just grabbed a Coke there instead and was fine.

The scene in the coffee shops was interesting only in that everyone was way more mellow than a bar...probably why they don't want the drunks in there. You can order African, Malaysian, B.C., Nigerian, Ecuadorian, American (yea Crescent City CA!), pot, hash, drugs, mushrooms and the menu of locations & items goes on and on. Definitely worth a stop, but if you are not into drugs, a quick stop is all that is needed. Prices range from a few euro to over a hundred, depending on what you want.  A piece of Special Cake is five euro, a glass of Special Chocolate Milk is only three euro. It also seemed you can get either pre-rolled joints, or the raw materials to make your own. Anyway, sort of cool, but not really my deal.

What I found more interesting was the day I am sitting on an outside patio, sipping a glass of wine, as I admire the Old Church (Oude Kerk) and it's gardens. Then realize the Old Church is in the middle of the Red Light District, and my outside patio is next to a Coffee Shop. Clergy, prostitutes, pot-heads, locals, and tourists, all playing well together...just as it should be.

Of course no photos are allowed in the narrow alleys of the Red Light District, other than the multiple police surveillance cameras set up throughout the RLD and around any coffee shop. The working girls/women rent small rooms (from the city???) and then hang out in their doors or windows trying to entice anyone and everyone in for some fun. I wandered through one afternoon, and the streets were crowded with tourists of every age interested in seeing what goes on there. 50 euro for a S&F seemed to be the standard rate.

Lots of other good times, and interesting things to see in Amsterdam. It would be a shoppers dream, there are several galleries and museums I missed out on, and also a few WWII displays that could be very cool, I think. However, it may be better to visit in the spring or fall when not quite so hot and muggy. We got rain almost every night I was there. Hard rain! The Cool-Tie, a funky little sponge-like head band that Denton and I never needed last year in France, came in handy on more than one occasion. I plan on pulling out of town early in the morning and heading for Dortmund to check out some Hymer-Mobiles.

Sun July 31st

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Ok, I wound up staying one more night in Amsterdam. Woke up this morning and it was raining way hard, and I couldn't deal with breaking camp. Instead I took a drive up to the North coast to check out the dyke system, the beaches, and other interesting things. Had lunch at Bergen aan Zee, giving new understanding of my trip to Africa two years ago when I flew a site on The Garden Route called, Brentononsee...I could never find Brentononsee on the map, but there was a town of Brenton nearby. Duh, Brenton is the main city, and Brenton On the Sea is simply that...the sea side community of Brenton. Of course things would be similar in South Africa and the Netherlands, being as the Dutch were a major African influence, back in their day. Anyway, I watched some kite, and wind, surfers battle the storm, and then headed farther north, on the small, poorly maintained, road, until until I came upon a long pile of dirt of an extended dyke near Camperduin. This called for a bit of walking to fully check it out...in addition to checking out the dunes to the south side of it. The dunes were a good 100 feet tall, while the dyke was about 30 feet. Plenty for a very high tide and low pressure system of the century. This is, supposedly, a 100 year dyke system. That is to say, it should protect against any floods or high tides predicted in the next 100 years. I am curious as to why the dunes are about 100 feet, yet the Dutch still feel their 30 foot dyke system will hold for the long-term... I don't really want to be in the Netherlands, without a Zodiac, for the live demonstration, however.

This dyke is actually quite the large, and complex, civil engineering feat. Starting on the west side (the Ocean) there is a two lane paved and/or cobble stone service road at sea level, it then slopes up at about a 30 degree angle, and that too is sealed in some fashion...at times with pavement and at times with large bricks of concrete or rocks. The top is another two lane service road, but not necessarily paved. The back side is just sloping dirt down to another two lane service road, which is sometimes a paved road for the general public. After that there are several low lying fields, ponds, windmills, and Holland in general. It was odd to stand on top, look away from the sea, and see buildings below sea level...although this is not the norm, as I originally thought. Most of the buildings are at, or slightly above the average sea level. A lot of the land is below sea level, but it seems to be mostly fields. Any high tide, or storm, would certainly flood vast areas without the dyke and windmill system. For me, this was definitely one of the most interesting things I saw in The Netherlands, and one of my main reasons for visiting. Highly recommended for any civil engineering nut. Not that I am civil, a nut, nor engineered.

After taking the above, hazy, rainy, hard to see photo, from the top of the dyke...looking east over a small village that is actually below the high tide level of the sea, I continued farther North to Den Helder, walked around their Naval Museum, saw that the navy must have been in that day, because there were a good 50 gray ships docked all over the place. I then headed back toward Amsterdam. Rain or shine, I am leaving for Dortmund in the morning!

Mon August 1st

Dortmund, Germany: I had never heard of Dortmund until I began planning this trip. I then found out the largest dealer of Hymers, Dürrwang-Morlein, in Europe has their showroom in Dortmund. Even though I wound up not getting a moho, I really wanted to examine them for a potentially longer trip in the future.

It took a little doing, but I was finally able to make the directions that Frank Waffel gave me via email a month ago. His directions were spot-on, of course, but I, in my wanderings, wound up approaching from the West instead of the Southeast. Once there, the first thing I noticed was the lack of salesmen trying to knock me down. No one came up to me at all, so I spent an hour plus wandering in and out of every imaginable configuration of Hymer-Mobiles there was. It was great...no pressure, no stress, no one bugging me, and this is all because the price is the price. No haggling, dickering, commissions, or BS. Perfect.

Many of the units had these great "garages" of various sizes, swiveling driving chairs that doubled as dinning chairs, interesting fold away bathroom basins that really saved space, and the basin faucet doubling as the shower head to boot. The finish was very nice, good sized fridge, and about the only thing I did not like was the lack of counter space. I have fun cooking, make a mess while doing so, and need places to put things. All in all, they are great units.

When I was done looking around, I went up to the desk and asked to see Frank. He was there, remembered me, was happy to see me and help in any way he could. The Signo 100 A I had been interested in seeing was sold out, but he had one of the sold ones, not yet delivered, that I could look through. He also clued me into the fact that the Signo 100 A is the same layout as Hymercamp Classic 514. All that is missing is the flashy red highlights, which I didn't want anyway, and the name.

The Exses was the other unit I was interested in seeing but wound up not being as impressed at I had hoped. Just not enough storage area, and too many places to sleep. Still not sure about the Exses, I will have to think about that one some more. I do really like the compact size. Just a bit larger than a van that would be perfect for two. Frank mentioned a new model, one on a Ford chassis, that will be introduced at the end of August at the large Camper Van and Caravan Show in Düsseldorf. He invited me to come and take a look at all the new models, and I think I will, if within striking distance.

I also wound up buying this great pasta strainer from their camping store. It is orange & yellow, made of hard plastic, and looks great! Things are MUCH cheaper here in Germany than Rich and I found them in Scandinavia.

By this time it was getting to be late afternoon, I had already driven almost two hours that day, and, after missing lunch, was thinking about dinner. Frank mentioned a great little campground, only a few miles away, in Hohensyburg. He said it was right on the river, quiet, had a lot of level sites, and was a good value. It wound up being only 12 euro including power, and showers, and that works for me. After a stop at a large grocery & home store to pick up my new five euro BBQ, and some grillin's to burn up on it, I was off to set camp, start the Barbie, and do some laundry. One thing I failed to get, when getting my BBQ, were a good pair of tongs, or gloves, to move the coals around...Tanya, of next door neighbors Johnny and Tanya, from Denmark, came to the rescue with some tongs, fun conversation, interesting bits of information about the area.

Dinner was great! Had a large salad, some sautéed veggies, and the best thing was a mixed grill consisting of a chicken thigh, a small piece of beef, and two types of sausages. I ate about half of it, and will save the rest for lunch, except maybe that chunk of chewy mule they said was beef. That needs to get chopped into some morning hash.

Yikes!!!! I just about hit the roof. If there were a roof a roof to hit. I was peacefully sitting in my chair, typing away before bedtime, around 22:00, when something started cuddling up to my feet. Scarred the heck out of me. Nothing to worry about, just a small porcupine! I have seen as many porcupine in the last month, as I have seen my entire life. Be sure and put the garbage in the bin, and do your dishes, before you go to bed. Good night.

Tuesday August 2nd

Neckersmund, Germany: After my scare, I slept well, and got up early. I had heard there was a nice walk along the river, and around the lake. There were also row boats to rent, and that sounded like a fun way to get a little exercise before a long drive into the Alps.

Few in the camp were awake, but the office, oddly, opened at 07:00, so I grabbed the key for the gate, and headed for the river. This early in the morning it was very still, and, of course impossible to rent a boat till around 10:00. That was ok, all I really needed was 20-30 minutes of walking around to get the blood flowing, so I headed downstream to a bridge about a click away, cross it, and head up stream between the lake and river. I see another bridge in the distance, so decide to make it a loop. Get to the bridge and find it is a train trestle. No problem, I have crossed many a trestle in my time and, luckily, a train just went by. I boulder my way up the footing sticking about 12 feet above ground, grab onto some of the scaffolding, and I am up. Hmmm. Another train goes whipping by, so I decide to wait a bit. In another 10 min, another train goes by. This is a long trestle with no walking space, and I am not sure I can make it over, before the next train shows up. I see another bridge farther up stream so decide to climb down, and go for it. Another train passes by as my feet hit the dirt. On my way to the next bridge, I pass a major pollution source and watch the reddish, frothy, water pour into the river from a nearby plant of some sort. It almost reminded me a  nuclear generation plant, from the three large cooling towers, but security and signage was incredibly non existent and there did not seem to be enough power lines, unless it was an incredibly small plant, coming from it. Regardless of what it was, it was pumping out some serious toxins.

I got to the next bridge, now about four clicks into what was supposed to be an easy walk before breakfast, and see that there is no access to it for hikers. Totally fenced off, so I keep going to the end of the trail, on the wrong side of the river, and then turn around and head back for about ten clicks in 1.5-2 hours. Regardless of the pollution in the river, the walk was great, with views of the castle ruins on the ridge above, lots of wild flowers, early morning fisherman, and a bunch of hikers and bikers.

After Breakfast and a shower, I checked out, and headed for the Alps...

A few hours down the road, I saw a sign for Heidelberg, remembered hearing some good things about it, so found the closest campground I could. It was right on the Neckar river, about eight clicks from Heidelberg's old downtown, in a town called Neckargemund. Despite the light rain, I used my new barbecue again and loved it.

Wednesday August 3rd

Argentiere, France: So I am once again enjoying the Alps and the magnificent views of the heavily glaciated Mt Blanc massif, albeit just the lower reaches, on account of the cloud layer and intermittent sprinkles.

This morning I broke camp and wandered around Heidelberg...one of the few cities in Germany spared the destruction of WWII. These old churches and buildings have not been renovated. They are original. Heidelberg is supposedly also the oldest university town in Germany, dating from the late 1300's. It is quite nice just to wander around, if you don't mind a ton of tourists like me!

It was a beautifully clear and windy afternoon, as I began a fast drive to Switzerland, where I ran into rain again. Saw no one in the air as I drove past tons of flying sites. Wind and rain seem to be plaguing Europe well into the summer, but I don't mind. The occasional glances of high mountain peaks are enough to keep me happy.

With the weather as it was, I decided to just keep going until I got to Chamonix. May as well be in the heart of it all, I figured. I set up camp a few clicks upstream of Chamonix. With all the cloud cover, it is at least fairly warm. The rain is turning to drizzle and I am off to get some sleep.

Click here to see Section Three: The French Alps