Weinsberg DE to Mittelbergheim FR

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Weinsberg to Mittelbergheim

Motorhome Journey Weinsberg to Mittelbergheim FR

Another slow start to the day here at the Stellplatz in Weinsberg, Germany. We service Hymer, emptying tanks and filling with fresh water, leaving Weinsberg by 10.30am. Back on A6 west, calling at REWE and Aldi at Rauensberg. REWE was not a good shopping experience: cramped store with narrow aisles, boxes blocking aisles and staff stacking shelves also very expensive! We do not buy but cross the car park to Aldi… quieter, calmer, wide aisles discreet staff and no boxes or blockages anywhere! We do our usual food shop: milk, ham, fruit, salad and vegetables. It is now 12.30pm so have lunch on the car park, much cooler today, sunny but only 16°C. On our way again on A6 around the very industrial Karlsruhe onto A5 all the way to Offenburg (about 120km).

Somewhere north of Offenberg the traffic slows to a standstill, there have been collisions (plural) further along the road. There is a 50 minute delay as we wait first for the doctor and emergency services to pass, the traffic parting down the middle (like the biblical Red Sea) then the police and finally the breakdown truck to remove the vehicles. The Germans are very disciplined when driving, as the traffic comes to a slowdown they pull left or right to leave a clear passage for emergency vehicles. It reminds us of living in Canada and the road discipline there, we once saw a traffic light failure at major junction of two dual carriageways. All the drivers simply treated it like a 4-way and it worked perfectly. The UK could learn a lot from other countries.

We pass the time by watching a family of storks with their huge (untidy) nest on top of an old mill chimney, the circumference of the nest is as wide as the chimney top. Mother stork is stood preening over and grooming her two half-grown chicks whose heads and necks pop up every so often as if checking on their surroundings. It is a comical sight to watch and it passes the time quite easily. The human activity can be just as interesting: like the couple who are clearly bursting to use the toilet… under the bridge they both jump out of their car, she runs up the embankment and disappears in the bushes, he is not so bashful just gets his tackle out and has a pee in full view of the queues of vehicles!

Finally the traffic starts to move, it was quite some crash; a VW size van had rolled several times and was on its side about 70 or 80 m from the crash site and the other car. Back on our way to Offenberg where we leave the A5 and cross the Rhine on L98 into France. South around Strasbourg on A532, turning due south on D500 (Route d’Alsace) to Mittelbergheim. Our access here is blocked by a road closure for building works on the main (narrow) street. A big problem for us as the diversion route is only 2.0m wide (Hymer is 2.35 m). A 10-point turn in a narrow street and then three sides of a long rectangle (around the fields of vines) to get to Zotzenberg Cemetery parking area. Two motorhomes already here but plenty of space for us. We park next to the picnic table facing west (and the vines and art walk), fabulous views.

It has been a long day: 128 miles /206 km, 5 hours of travel with several delays. We stretch our legs and walk around the wineries: Schwob, Hirtz, Gilg, Wittmann (all still here). The closed road is now open, the workmen gone… we arrived at the wrong time! We open red Pinot Noir and relax with baguette and salmon rillette, it is late so we can watch the sunset. Later I cook chicken Thai green curry, yum!

Mittelbergheim must be our favourite place in France; a small town surrounded by gentle rolling hills covered by vineyards that produce wonderful Alsace wines. Mittelbergheim town is full of narrow streets lined by wine producers and sellers where you can taste the produce and buy wines that will never be available in a UK supermarket. Next to the cemetery is a parking are where motorhomes can stay free of charge, there are no facilities.

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