2019-07-23 Alsfeld To Waiblingen

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Alsfeld To Waiblingen

We awake in the aire at Alsfeld to another clear blue sky, it is already 26°C by early to mid-morning. The temperature rises steadily, by lunch time it is 36°C.

From Alsfeld we take the A5 to Munzenberg, A45 and A3, both good roads, towards Aschffenberg, where we stop on the service layby at Helmstadt parkplatz Bavaria for lunch. It is a truck stop, but we find shelter under the tree, use the toilet and have a good break.

We send a text to Martin and Ruth Grill saying that we will arrive around 5.00pm, Martin returns the text with a photo of their house and where to park. Back on our way on the A3 to Kist where we take the A81 south towards Heilbronn, to Grossbottwar. Here we leave the A81 and take a local road (L1115), a narrower road, through Backnang to Waiblingen. On this road we stop at Hardtwald forest layby and have a short walk to stretch our legs. We arrive at Martin and Ruth’s house about 5.20, just as Ruth is returning from school on bicycles with Ellie (aged 9) and Kevin (aged 6). Martin comes out from the house where he has been with Kenny, aged 12 years (who we remember).

It is good to see the family after so many years (maybe 5 years) and probably ten years since they left Lancaster (and Lancaster Baptist Church) where we were in the same bible study group together. We have a tour of their house, which is four storeys, the lower story is a ‘granny flat’ where Ruth’s mother, Gertrude lives. This lower floor used to be a fully tiled butcher’s shop, but when they bought the house, they had it completely stripped out and is now a very light and airy, spacious two-bedroomed ground floor apartment with a walk out patio door onto the garden.  The upper two/three storeys are where Martin and Ruth and the family live.

It is open plan, with kitchen, living/dining and a balcony forming the middle floor, the upper (third) floor has four bedrooms, master bedroom also having a balcony plus bathrooms (2) of course. In the attic (fourth storey) is Kenny’s bedroom ‘retreat’… ideal for a teenager wanting to get away from his younger siblings! After a tour of the house, we sit inside where it is cooler and catch up on ten years of news and activities. As it is still school for the children (last week of term) we need to eat, so Martin lights the BBQ and Ruth, Gertrude and I prepare the food for cooking. We sit in the garden in the shade, although it is still very hot (the high thirties) the children play, we talk and eat and drink wine and Bavarian beer. Grannie puts the children to bed and the evening darkens to night. It all passes very quickly. Martin must go to work in the morning and the children to go to school, but we agree to meet Ruth for breakfast.

Alsfeld To Waiblingen

Summary of motorhome journey through Germany and France

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