SUMMER 1963 TOUR, p.8

Wednesday, July 24: We woke up at 06:30 and packed to go, since Rose felt better, except for some trouble walking. After the rather skimpy breakfast-included , I left Rose to wait at the church near the scenic river, while I went to pick up the car and some milk. We then paid DM 2 for a spot in a parking garage and went shopping, ending up with a pair of lederhosen for DM 37 and another DM 8 for "upholders". I kept them on, felt fine!
We picked up a Belgian hitchhiker, a music student on the way to Yugoslavia for 4 weeks on a Nf 500 budget, planning to stay in Youth Hostels which charge DM 4.00 for dinner, bed and breakfast! After Karlsruhe, we dropped him at Baden Baden where we tanked and Rose found another bathroom.
Now followed the famous Black Forest, which was indeed fabulous, what with the wide views, curves, castles, hotels and numerous Dutch tourists. A small red light worried us and during our picnic lunch I read the manual and decided to stop at a garage and charge up the battery. It then took another 5 minutes for the light to go out and cheer us up; I wished the other Dutch tourists- with- car-problem a similar rapid solution.
Rose not only had to go to the bathroom a lot, but also decided to lie down on the backseat; but the scenery was too good to miss.

We enjoyed the clear creeks with swimming kids, mirrors at street corners, colorful houses and many crosses before Freiburg,

Freiburg

where we briefly waited in a large queue (file, line-up), but soon got out being one of the very few to proceed to Colburg, while most traffic went on to Basel.

We raced to try and make it to the French border before 17:00, only to find that it was open day and night and there was no inspection! We stopped in France for a beer and milk and spoke French and German with equal ease. Here the roads were worse and emptier and things appeared less organized-to-outright sloppy. Many "ugly ducklings"' Peugeots on the road!
After some trouble driving through Colburg in the Elzas/Alsace, we had an excellent dinner for two at a mere Nf 8.00 somewhere in the mountains and vineyards near Soultz - (since 1987, European geothermal research center!) , where we pitched out tent, read and wrote till almost dark, 20:45, enjoying the view of the small town below us.