Chasing new locks.
In our last post, we talked about the break-in in France and how we were rushing to Germany. We were hoping, that it would be easier to change doors and locks there (Hymer is a German brand and we actually speak German). It should prove that this was not the case. We spent a few days talking to locksmiths and workshops, but because Mr. Hymer is an elderly gentleman, it is almost impossible to get that kind of replacement for him, without having to tour a lot of junkyards. So we decided to change locks ourselves and secure the camper even more. Now it is almost impossible to break in anymore and we have been equipped with a really well-functioning alarm system. One of the workshops we went to (Gast Caravaning), was kind enough to put the camper on a lift and scan it to find the tracker we wrote about in the last post. There was none to find and we figured that those who had been “visiting” us at the parking lot, had brought it along.
We keep going.
After a bit of talking back and forth, we agreed to continue our adventure. The last 10 days after the break-in had worn us well and we were almost completely discouraged. But we wouldn’t let such a bunch of thieves get us down! So we decided to explore Germany and tried not to think about everything we had lost. Even though it was hard not to. Some of it was the hard drives with pictures from our trip. Fortunately, many of them are here on the blog or in the Cloud, but unfortunately not the latest ones. Therefore, the blog has been a little quiet and there are a few places, that we have not been able to write about, as there are no related pictures.
Stupid thieves.
The first stop on our way was Öhringen. Now you might be thinking about why we didn’t just leave Germany and go to Italy as originally planned, but we had to stay. We had to pick up new chargers for our Pathfinders. The thieves had taken them, believing it to be the chargers for the computers. Fools! But now we also got to see the small cozy town Öhringen.
Maultaschen & Freibad.
In Öhringen we tasted the local specialty Maultaschen. It’s “bags” of pasta dough, filled with meat, spinach, and herbs and it tasted good. We were also in one of Germany’s many Freibad. It’s a bit like public swimming basins, but they often also have a large outdoor pool area. The one we visited also had water slides and other fun water park activities. It costs 3-5 Euro to get in and you can have a shower at the end too. It’s a great way to spend a fun day, for a little money.
Going to the market.
Since we were in Germany, we decided to see Nuremberg. On the way there we made a stop in the town of Erlangen. It was actually a coincidence because we saw a huge market off the highway and decided we wanted to see what they had to offer in the stalls. We bought a couple of DVDs with some series (good to have if you need a lazy day in the camper), but in addition, we had to admit that the market looked like a large mover central. A lot of stalls with an incredible number of laptops, telephones, jewelry, etc. Obviously stolen goods.
Botanical garden.
But Erlangen itself was a nice town and as we went on, we came across a botanical garden. Here, of course, we looked at a lot of plants, but we also tried to cuddle with some large goldfish. Or maybe it was Koi? It was fun anyway.
An unexpected cave.
Inside the garden, there was an old stalactite cave which, like the botanical garden itself, was free to enter. None of us had been in a cave-like that before and once again we were amazed by nature. So strange looking and yet so beautiful. Various places around the botanical garden we were met by “piggy-banks”. Of course, we emptied our pockets for coins. A beautiful garden like this must cost quite a bit of money to run. Outside the cave was an old lady, collecting money for stray cats. She got the rest of our pocket cash.
Never made it to Nuremberg.
We ended up forgetting to go to Nuremberg. That’s what happens when you see so many other beautiful small towns. And the southern part of Germany is full of those. The Germans are super friendly and accommodating and they make great food. Be sure not to miss out on visiting Germany.
E&M
– Text: Eva. Adding, captures and photo editing: Malthe
