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I manage to follow the Newbury signs and get on the motorway. I'm doing so well and making such good time going north to Leicester that I decide to pull off into a small town and mail my postcards. First town I cruise through I don't see a post office and had to cruise downtown 3 times before I figure how to get back on motorway. I'm making such good time on the motorways now that I can't stand it and decide to hit another small town to look for post office. This place was busy. No place to park, asked kid on bicycle and he said best bet was to go to the pay lot and leave car there. I couldn't see paying to park my car so as to mail four post cards. So cruised around this town twice until figured way out. Now I've had it and its 10:30 and the post offices close at noon cause its Saturday. But I'm making such good time I make Leicester (pronounced Lester) by 11:30 a.m.
I headed to this good sized city because there is a guy here who wrote an article for the BMWMOA and he said for anyone who comes to England to look him up and gave his phone number.
So I see a pay phone in front of this tiny general store and I go in to ask how much I put in the phone. Young girl was hard to understand like the man at the first B&B. I called the number but the guy was not at home but left a number on his answering machine where he could be reached. So I put another 10 pence in and call that number but for some reason the number doesn't work. So I look on the list of BMW riders in England and I see another guy who only lives 6 miles outside Leicester. So I call him and while we are talking I run out of time on my next 10 pence and it hangs up on us. As I'm looking for another 10 pence I see someone waiting to use phone. I let him have phone and go in store again to get some change for the phone. Come back and call the guy back again and he says he will be up to see me. I go back in store and ask girl if there is a post office in town. She says yes, across the street and down that way not too far. Well the BMW guy shows up at ten minutes 'til noon so we walk down the street and find the post office on THIS side of street. Finally mailed cards I'd been carrying around for 3 days. We walk back to cars and I am to follow him home. I can now see why he didn't just give me directions to his house. He lives outside the city in a small town and you drive through farm country. The roads don't have names. At most intersections there are signs pointing to this village 2 miles or that village 3 miles that way. Each village consists of four or five homes that are near each other. So we get to his house and I meet his wife. They are Ken and Margaret Wells. 63 years old. He has a 1968 BSA he is putting together in a shed and his 1993 BMW K75 in another shed. He rents a garage but it is so small his car barely fits in. He has a Renault.
We eat sandwiches and decide to go to motorcycle museum outside Birmingham, about 30 or 40 miles away. We all go over there and I paid their way in at 3.5 pounds each. Rained for first time while at the museum. Must be 200 motorcycles. Impressive. On way back he drove around showing me the highlights. We get back to their place and decide to go out for dinner. He calls up and makes reservations. We drive down there and eat. I decide to try whatever they are having. When it comes the meat is shaped like N.Y. strip only it is HAM with pineapple and cheese. YUCK! Dinner cost me 30 pounds 60 pence. We go back to their place and talk a while and hit the sack as they must be up early so as to marshal a charity walk-athon.
Sunday May 4, 1997
As I'm getting dressed in the morning I look out the window and here comes the milkman making his rounds to several of the houses. I left 40 pounds under the pillow.
We ate cereal and I follow him back to the motorway and I head north. Night before I had figured I might make it to York on Sunday. There are more motorcycles than I can count even though it is pouring down rain. I'm making time on this M1 motorway. I stop at Leeds for gas and decide I might be able to make Scotland after all. It has been raining all morning but clears up by noon. Shortly after noon I stop at Alnwick. The entrance way is a brick wall and is so narrow the cars can only go through from one direction at a time. I drive through the crowded downtown and find myself leaving by the narrow opening and so have to make a u-turn and go back through the opening a third time. This time I find a parking spot on a side street. Also found a pay phone booth. Make long distance call to Luton to confirm my plane flight for Wednesday. Start walking a round looking for a restaurant. After surveying whole town, best place looks like Carlo's. Good British name. Ordered cottage pie to see what it was. Ended up being beef on the bottom with a potato cover over it. 5 pounds.
On way out of town got lost and drove right by the castle, I guess that is why all the people come to this city. Almost decide to stop but figure it's 2 p.m. and if I want to get to Scotland I better keep moving. Made usual bad turn and had to turn around and try again to get back on motorway. Forgot to mention in Leeds I made a wrong turn and was going the wrong way down the street. I saw all these arrows painted on the street and they were pointing right at me. I made a hasty u-turn and was staring at a red light. Good thing it was Sunday.
After getting back on the motorway from Alnwick only leaves me a short way from the Scotland border. Soon after crossing border can see the ocean, North Sea or whatever, water as far as you can see. Scotland is even more beautiful than England. It has higher hills. Steep cliffs to water edge and everything is green.
I drive up to Edinburg but take the by-pass around downtown. Took the 702 south and started looking for a place to stay. It is only about 4:30 but is dark and raining again. I see a few B&B signs covered up with blue NO VACANCY covers. So now I'm headed south and like the Ever Ready bunny I just keep going. I want to spend one night in Scotland. So detour west to go to Dumfries (home of Robert Burns). Don't see anyplace to stay so think I may have to go to Carlisle but don't know if that is in Scotland or England. So on way out of Dumfries I do the obligatory wrong turn and drive by a B&B that looks promising so I make a u-turn and the guy rents me a double room for only 25#. Very nice place. Clean and has off street parking and shower in room. After taking a shower I washed two shirts and two pair stockings and three pair under shorts.
Monday May 5, 1997
bank holiday
Got dressed, packed and hit the road by 7:15 a.m. Immediately hit first gas station to fill up car and get a fruit drink for me since they are out of milk. Raining still since last night and raining very hard. I drove south back into England but this time I took the road along the western coast. Going up the center of England all the farmers use hedges for fences but over here on the west side they have rock fences.
I was going to have lunch in Liverpool but missed my turn and ended up going east to the M1 motorway. Traffic is terrible because of the holiday. Got off at some little town for lunch but couldn't find a restaurant open. Got on M1 again and it is 17 miles to next stop with food. I'm starving by now. About 2:30 by the time I eat the fish and chips. 6.55 pounds. Way too expensive. Decide to go all the way to Luton and get B&B for two nights. Got to Luton about 6 p.m. and don't see any B&Bs. So expand search farther out. Still no B&B. Stop for gas and ask for room, he is no help. Expand search for B&B. I'm now almost 20 miles from Luton airport and still no B&B.
Finally run across a Lodge Inns in Little Langley. 37.5 pounds for a room not nearly as nice as last nights B&B. Took shower and washed four t-shirts in sink. Rained all day.
Tuesday May 6, 1997
Woke up to a sunny morning and hit the road about 7:45 a.m. Decided would go to Canterbury and then Dover. Took M25 until unintentionally exited and had to find way back on again. Then missed the M2 to Canterbury so headed straight to Dover. Kept seeing signs so and so many miles to Dartford tunnel. When got there the tunnel was a bridge over the Thames. By now it is raining for a while and then sunny for a while. Was rainy when I got to Dover. Took a couple pictures and drove into an area where they were charging each vehicle to pass through. I don't even know where it lead to but I stopped and pulled over. Had to change film in camera and as I looked around saw sign to A2 and knew that would get me to Canterbury so backed up a ways and cut through gas station to get out. Was going to have lunch in Canterbury but it was typical crowded city with no parking. So I decided to go to Bedford and get a room early and then go eat. Bedford is roughly 100 miles from Canterbury so was about 1 p.m. Still couldn't find any B&Bs so ask girl at gas station while getting 5 pound worth of gas. She sent me to a place I had on my list from the internet. No one answered and I wasn't too disappointed as it wasn't in too good a part of town. So drove around for a couple hours to every near-by town looking for a B&B. Never did see one I liked. Finally decided I would have to stay at same hotel as last night. So drive 20 miles south and get to the city but can't find the hotel. Stop at gas station and buy 2.5 pound worth of gas and get directions. I finally found it but they don't have any rooms left. Gives me phone number of another place in town and I call them. Also full. It is 4 p.m. Decide to head up north and get away from London. Drove north 35 miles and ended up staying at a motel on the motorway for 47.95 pounds ($77) . Walked over to restaurant and ate Boston Bean Stew and a glass of milk. Came back to room and took a shower and washed blue shirt and a t-shirt and shorts. Oh yes, the Dartford tunnel was a tunnel on the way back.
Wednesday May 7, 1997
Got out of bed about 6:45 a.m. and hit the road around 7:30. Had asked the desk attendant last night how to cross the motorway and head south. Well messed up somewhere after cleaning ice off wind shield and ended up in town. Circled the town twice before found gas station out at fringe of city. Got 3 pounds worth of gas and a pint of milk. Finally finished the pastries I bought in Winchester Saturday morning. Drove around until saw a sign for the M1 and Luton Airport. Made it to the airport with only one wrong turn. Drove through airport twice looking for place to drop car. Gave up finding a place and parked in a temporary spot and got out to ask a cop. They are all over. At both entrances to airport they are pulling over all trucks and vans. He didn't know, told me to ask inside. Eurocar didn't have a booth, just a phone on the wall. So I asked information and she told me to turn in at the car rental sign in the parking lot. So tried again and assumed "car hire" meant rental and left car in a spot with a Eurocar marker. Lugged bags to airport and picked up the Eurocar phone to see if I am suppose to check in. He took the license plate number and told me to give key to information desk. Sat in airport for 7 hours talking to 3 couples and working crossword puzzles. In the morning there were swat teams with automatic weapons walking around the airport. They cleared out by afternoon. About 3 p.m. I went to counter at Debonair to check in, got a ticket and told to go to gate 1 at 4 p.m.. At four there is no one at what I thought is gate one and the sign over head says Dublin. So I walk over to Debonair (with all my luggage) and they tell me to hurry to gate one. So I go over there and still no one there but at gate 2 someone is there, so ask him and he says that's not a gate. I need to go through the Departure door to get to the gates, so the guy at departure gate checks my ticket, then I have to clear the x-ray security(and all the time I'm getting later) then have to walk through waiting room to gate one. He checks ticket and passport and walks me outside to airplane. Make it onboard and after an hour it lands and I knew my schedule said it was a 3 hour flight. Finally stewardess says those going to Munich stay seated. All but six of us got off and a whole new bunch got on. We take off again and I start conversation with woman who was reading computer magazine. She spent 1 1/2 years in Mexico City. Can speak German, English and Spanish.
Got to Munich and picked up rental car. Had car agent draw me a map to Comfort Inn Hotel. I got lost. Drove around in dark for some time. Finally saw someone, an older man coming out of a building where he was working. I stop in middle of street to ask directions but he can't speak English. We sign language 'til I'm suppose to follow him to hotel. I guess he got lost too, because we stopped at a restaurant and went in but no one knew where the hotel was and no one spoke English. So he motions to follow him and we find a different hotel. He takes me in and we find a young girl who can speak English. She draws me a map and the old man heads home and I follow map to hotel. Almost ten thirty by time I get room. Man in charge is oriental. In England the rich people were all Indian or Packistani. Washed socks, t-shirt, underpants, long johns and blue shirt in sink after taking a shower.
Thursday May 8, 1997
Got off about 7:30 a.m. to Dachau. Followed signs there but drove around for 20 minutes and didn't see anything about the prisoner camps and not much happening between 8-8:30 there, no one around but a few old people out. Had a big day planned so took off for the castle down south. Was cloudy and cold, 40 degrees F. when I woke up. Stopped once for gas mainly to get something to eat. Neither old lady spoke English and they debated which pump I should use. Finally topped up tank and got a Gatorade (didn't have milk) and some cookies. This becomes important later because of the change I got in return. Continue driving to Fussen and can see castle way, way up on mountain. The clouds are so low they are covering tops of the taller mountains. Very pretty but very cold. Pulled into automated parking lot where you take a ticket, like at airport. Walked around town which is flooded with tourists. Heard four people speaking English so asked them the way to the castle and they told me which way to go if I wanted to walk, or you can take horse drawn carriage. Girl said it was 20 minute walk but not that bad. HA HA I walked it but was sweating all the way. Twenty minutes of walking straight up. 10 Marks or $6 for tour. There were three lines depending on language you wanted the tour in. Had to wait for 20 English speaking people to arrive before they will start a tour. After sweating on the way up, then standing there with the wind blowing I almost froze. After maybe 15 minutes our tour starts. Up stairs and more stairs. Good thing for the rest we had waiting. Castle took 17 years to build from 1869 to 1886. King Ludvig was declared insane at age 40 and next day found floating in lake. Tour lasted 30 minutes and then long walk back but at least it was down hill. Got back to car and for some reason could not get ignition to work. Was sweating again. Didn't know what I was going to do. Fiddled with it for 5 minutes and finally got it started. Then decided I didn't know how to get out of parking lot. There were no people at the exit. So parked car and walked up to little building but no one in there either. So walked back to exit and saw people putting cards in machine and the arm would go up. Asked a family how to get out and they spoke a little English and said to go to building. I said it was empty. She said automatic. I said machine and she said yes-yes. So back to the building and now I see two guys putting coins in machine and getting a ticket. So stick my ticket stub in and it says I owe 6 Marks. I try to feed a 10 mark bill in but it kicks it out. Same thing with a different 10 mark bill. A couple of motorcycle guys come near and I ask them for help, but they can't speak English. So I hold up change in my hand and one of them points at a coin, I put it in machine then he points at another coin in my hand so I put it in. Out comes a receipt and off I go. I finally feed that into machine and the arm goes up and I'm headed north.
Getting hungry but all the restaurants seem like big fancy places so finally go by
one seems nice and small. Make u-turn and go back. Go inside and of course woman doesn't speak English but something about she doesn't do small meals and points up road 200 meters and says menu. It looked like a bar so kept going and finally drove through town with a Mc Donalds. Stopped to use the john and got 2 cheeseburgers, fries and coke. Very expensive here. Woman in front of me spent 40 marks or $24. Mine was 8 marks.
Headed straight for Rothenburg. Too late to take Romantic Road so head up autobahn. Got here and saw a hotel I had written down from the internet so stopped but the parking wasn't what I liked so he sent me up the road to a place. Not crazy about this place either as is right in city and is a hotel, but is 70 marks or about $42. Unload car and then go back out to look for old city. Stumbled right into it. Walked around for some time and then bought four post cards, 2 t-shirts and a doll for Ma. Came back to room and took shower and washed underwear and blue shirt. Checked map and laid out route for tomorrow to Wittenburg. 336 miles.
Friday May 9, 1997
Packed up and went down stairs to pay my bill and headed for gas station to fill up and get cookies and orange drink. Made it up to Wittenburg area before noon. Made mental note of motel just off autobahn for only 80 marks but wanted to check out places in Wittenburg. Drove the 20 km or so to Wittenburg and decided didn't want to stay there so drove back out to first motel but thought there was a second one closer so turned around and drove all the way back to Wittenburg and never did see second motel I thought I saw. Now I remember I need to exchange travellers checks for dm as the week-end is about here and the banks will be closed. See this little bank either on outskirts of Wittenburg or small town before Wittenburg. Make u-turn, go down side street, make u-turn come back make another u-turn and find parking spot. Walk into bank and no one speaks English and they don't cash travelers checks. She points me down the road so I head off and soon see another bank. Make u-turn and park on dirt just off road. Walk across street and see bank closed and hour ago. Go back to car and head for market square. Find bank open and turn in English pounds I had left over and 3 travelers checks. Now after 1:30 p.m. and still need room. So get in car and drive back to first motel again. Third time I've been here but get a room this time. Sign out front says 80 marks but she charges me 70 marks because it is the weekend. Take room for two nights because she is pretty. Nice room and cheap also. Berlin is only 60 miles from here and will go there tomorrow. Unpack car and head back to Wittenburg. Fill up tank second time today as gas is only 1.569 marks per liter. Park car in main parking area with all the tour buses. Walk into town square again and stumble into the Martin Luther Museum way out on the edge of the old town. Spend 6 marks for ticket but most everything is in German so was mostly impressed with old bibles made with wooden covers that were chained to pulpit.
Came out of museum and got lost. WALKING! Walked for half hour, getting tired, asked old man on bicycle, he didn't speak English of course but we agreed on market square, he pointed and said 5 minutes. He was right, glad to see the market square as then could find car parked about 4 blocks away. I never saw so many old people riding bicycles. I mean OLD people.
On way back to motel can't find restaurant so stop at gas station and have attendant microwave me a chili plate. Get a coke and eat there standing up. Buy a cake and leave for motel room. Take shower and wash underwear.
Saturday May 10, 1997
Slept in until 7:30 a.m., didn't hit road until 8 a.m. Went to grocery store and bought bread, lunch meat and liter of milk.(milch in German) Sat in parking lot and ate cake from yesterday and drank milk. Got on autobahn and headed north. Before long the road was like a wash board and there was a speed limit of 80 km. Was like that for some time and then got slightly better and the speed limit was raised to 100 km. Finally got on good road again. I guessed the road went bad when crossed into East Germany. Got on the ring road around Berlin. Missed expressway to downtown so had to drive through farm land and small towns and finally hit a big city. Drove this way and that and when was totally confused I parked and got out to ask a man getting in his car across the street. I point to myself and say American. He shakes his head and starts to get in his car. I say tourist, where is tourist place. He gets out of car points straight ahead and says Checkpoint Charlie. I say how far, he shrugs. I point at feet and then straight ahead and he says "Ya". I was only one long block from where I wanted to be. Praise God.
Went into the Check Point Charlie museum for 7.5 marks. Then walked around looking for other sights. Didn't know where to go so had to buy city map for 9 marks. Headed for car and stopped in store for milk and mustard. Sat in car and ate while looking at map to see where I was. Decided I might be able to walk to Arch and Reichstag from where I was. So made a map in my pocket notebook so as to get there and then be able to find car on way back. Don't want to lose car like last night. After eating I set out walking and it takes me half hour to get to Arch. This is main tourist spot. People and tour buses everywhere. I walk over to the Reichstag and take couple of pictures and then come back to Arch and decide to take open air bus tour for 25 marks. Waited ten minutes for one to show up. Ask tour woman with orange hair if I'll be able to understand any of tour. She says yes so I climb upstairs. She does the tour first in German then in English. We get about half way through and they change tour people. A guy comes up and asks if anyone speaks English and I say yes. He says "One is enough." So now he has to give his speech in both languages. I'm the only English speaking one on the bus. The tour was to last 1 1/2 hours but after about one hour we were at Check Point Charlie and I decided it would be wise to get off since we were close to my car and it was cold, windy and raining on and off. It would sprinkle and then the sun would come out then it would get cloudy and windy. Berlin is totally under construction. They were hard at work today which is Saturday. So got back to car and looked at map to see how to get out of city. Started out well but then make a wrong turn, got back on course and soon make another wrong turn. After 3 or 4 exits from autobahn to turn around, finally headed south to motel.
Dropped things off in room then went out to get gas. Came back and talked to pretty receptionist and she got phone number for Munich airport. I need to confirm flight tomorrow. She says 50 phennings per minute to call Munich.
Sunday May 11, 1997
Got up about 6:45 a.m. and packed everything. Sort of dreaded leaving here. Tried to call Munich airport but operator kept asking something and I didn't know what she wanted, must have been a recording. Went to front desk and paid and had the new receptionist call for me and I confirmed flight.
Headed south to Nuremberg. Was cloudy in morning but burnt off and became quite warm. Sweet young thing at Hotel 5 said it would warm up and it did. Drove right through Nuremberg to old city and parked next to castle unknowingly. Walked up around castle and asked a couple girls to take my picture. Not five minutes later a young couple asked me to take their picture. Walked down into the heart of old town. Sat at outside cafe to eat and rest my legs but didn't get waited on so when legs were ready I left and climbed the hill back up to car. Guess what. Got lost trying to get out of old city. Then was all mixed up when in new Nuremberg. Ended up leaving city to the southwest instead of southeast. Was long way before realized where I was so figured I would continue west to the Romantic Road since I had missed it on the way up to Rothenburg as it was late that day and I was in a hurry to get there before dark. So took the Romantic Road south and then headed east and past the airport on way to Landshut as it was 6:30 and rooms not easy to find in Germany. Stopped at hotel that was on list I got off the Internet. 50 marks per night and worst hotel of the trip. I'm on the third floor, shower down the hall, toilet in another room down the hall, no tv, no radio. I need two more nights but hope it isn't here. HA HA Door to room has skeleton key. You can look through key hole into the hallway.
Monday May 12,1997
Got up about 6:45 a.m. and packed. Went down stairs and ate the free breakfast that comes with room. The last time I bothered to eat the breakfast was in England the first two mornings. Had slices of meat and cheese and glass of milk and orange juice.
Drove into Munich and ran into commuter traffic. Was looking for BMW Museum but had no idea which way to go so just drove around for a while. Finally stopped for gas and asked directions. Still lost. Next ask man working on road. Still don't see it. Stop at another gas station and two men set me on the right path. Now where to park. Drove around place which is about 1/2 mile drive as the complex is more than just a museum. Second time around decide to park block away in one hour limited spot. Who ever checks these, right? I park, get camera and lock car. Start walking and see female cop writing ticket to car 4 places in front of me. I go up and ask her if the sign says I can only park one hour like I don't know already. She can't speak English so I point to watch and to sign and hold up one finger. She nods yes but gives me idea she would give me slack but next cop may not know I'm foreigner so she writes a note which says something on it but all I can read is 12 o'clock which is giving me almost 1 1/2 hours. Tells me to put note on inside car in windshield. So I walk on up to museum and go in wrong building, woman inside sends me over to right place and I look around at toy models they have for sale. Guys on internet want to get R75/5 model. I see one but it has no price tag so ask guy behind desk and he says it is not for sale any more. I ask if I can buy it in town and he doesn't think so. But when I say my club wants 10 of them he picks up phone and calls someone. They talked in German. He tells me he can get 10 but doesn't know price. Thinks it is 40-50 marks. I say that is fine so he has me leave my name, address and phone number. He will call next week to let me know detail and will bill my VISA card if I decide to take them. So I decide to take tour and he says tour is on the house. Gives me a guide book and set of head phones. You wear the phones and plug them into each display you are interested in and punch a button for the language you wish to hear. Walked through display and came back and bought two post cards for Steve and Debbie. Walked back to car and started driving toward center of town and decided it isn't worth the hassle and go around block and head out of town.
Drive back to Landshut to look for nicer room. Drive around but can't find hotel on my list. Stop at grocery store and girl draws me a map but still didn't find it. Drove through several more small towns but nothing looks good so decide to try north and further away from airport. Half hour driving back to autobahn then figure half hour to nest big town. Stop and buy lunch meat and milk and eat at roadside rest area. Driving north and decide to take side road to see if can find any rooms for rent as there never is any rooms on autobahn. Didn't get very far when drove by big place says pension. Looks expensive but I'm getting desperate so turn around and go back. Some kid watching television says 47 marks and gives me a key to check out room on my own. Looks good! Third floor and roof slants but is clean and has shower and john in room. Go down and tell him want room for 2 nights, he checks and says ok. I take one bag up and then go for ride into small town about two miles over but it is crowded and streets are narrow as always so come back to room and call it a day. One more day.
Tuesday May 13, 1997
Woke up about 6:45 a.m. Loaded one bag and put in car. Came in and asked about post office. Owner woman's young teen daughter speaks a little English. Told me how to get there and that it opens at 8 a.m. Ate breakfast here with three other guests, two young guys who were together and one older man in a suit. Had slices of meat and cheese with hard roll and milk. Never did see post office so headed for Dachau again. Never did find it the first day but determined today. Good thing I was determined. Drove around and around and finally ask woman, she can't speak English so calls over some other woman who just happens to speak fairly well. Ask about post office here but they are in different directions, forget that! Got lost. Finally stop and ask a man where these other people were going and he said the Dachau Prison Camp. I had parked in front of it. I said to him they need to put a sign up. He looks around and points to a sign about 4 feet long and 1 1/2 feet high that says something
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