New Place...

Along with the border and the dam, this was our transition day. We moved to the apartment we'd be staying in for the next 8 days. It's much easier doing this with a car, then taking your luggage on a train, because you can see things in route. Of course, if we hadn't rented a car, we would have packed a lot less.

Anyway-- not a smooth afternoon, and the morning had gone pretty well. First, we decided we'd go see the Teufelsmauer-- the Devil's Wall, or at least a section of it. Looked easy enough. Somehow though, we couldn't find parking, or the wall, or anything. It was reminiscent of our trek in the snow through the Schwarzwassertal last December, looking for the Devil's Wall there. Maybe I'm just not meant to see his wall, who knows?

Then, after being overheated, frustrated, grumpy (no afternoon coffee), we decided to just go to the apartment, even though we told the landlady we wouldn't be there until four. Yeah. Well, the car GPS (the phone was being hinky, because the burner is old and google maps on it is less than good), kept taking us on a route where the road was closed.

I had to route us through the town of Thale, which is the biggest tourist trap (not that I have anything against that sort of thing) in the area, and it was packed. So many people. So many cars. It's like the Harz version of Gatlinburg, but with witches instead of hillbillies. Looks interesting .though, and we'll be sure to go back next week.

As we're driving up the very narrow (barely fitting two cars), very twisting road, speed limit 100 km (yes, it's only 62.4 mph but), with cars coming at us fast and rocks sticking out almost into the road... Yeah not fun.

Finally reached the village of Altenbrak. It's remote, tiny (not even a bakery or convenience store) and seemed like a great base because nothing is far from anything here. It's pretty, lots of hiking nearby, but that road in and out... Not so sure about that.

We went back down the mountain to the town of Blankenburg for dinner. It has a castle (now a hotel), a couple restaurants, but was kind of run down. The main reason we went, to go to Lidl and get food for breakfast and a couple dinners. And beer. Success.

Dinner was a shared doner plate. It was good. The last time we tried doner, was at the Dresden Christmas Market, made of duck. This was more traditional, and pretty good. Czytaj więcej