Monschau to Rothenburg

My alarm clock awoke me at 07:00 and I spent the next 30 minutes hitting snooze and having amazing lucid dreams. Breakfast was excellent, as is always the case in Germany, and by 8:30 I was packed on off to the Nurburgring. The B258 is enough to convert the likes of Jeremy Clarkeson to the ways of the motorbike - it was on a par with the A82 in Scotland. Here's a couple or three shots from the trip to the ring:







When I arrived at the main visitor's car park (which also houses an amazing museum of vehicles that have raced on the ring) I learned that you had to go to the town of Nurburg to get a free view of the track. After a while I found another visitor's area - it turned out to be the place where people go to actually race. But, alas, no ring-side view. Since I wanted to get to Rothenburg reasonably early I left Nurburg and headed East to hit the main roads. After a mile or so I spotted bikes and cars parked along the side of the road; on the other side was some patchy forest, and then... the ring! So I parked the bike, grabbed the camera, jumped the crash barrier, walked through the trees, and followed my ears to the roaring sound of bikes and cars, new and old, screaming along a bend of the ring. There were still hand rails here, even though the area was not official, and a handful of people were sat around. It was so amazing standing there with my camera and I managed to get a couple of shots...












(There's a couple of others on the Blog set on Flickr).

After half an hour or so I set off once again for Rothenburg ob der Tabuer.

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Rothenburg is essentially a tourist town, or at least the alter stadt (old town). But it is nevertheless fully of wonderful buildings and tens of bikers (probably hundreds in summer).




The town is (I believe) encircled by a wall, an entrance through which is shown above. My only hassle is that the bike is parked about half a mile away, and it takes me at least two journeys to get all of the panniers to and from the hotel. More exercise in the morning (unless I can sneak the bike past the barrier!)




I've found an excellent hotel, right in the center, and more excellent German food. More pig, but just the one this time! And so, with the clock tower striking ten, I must sign out and hit the sack - it's hard work all this holidaying.

Stay cool all.

Jon.