2011 Europe Tour: I need to learn this GPS.

The Ring! Spot the Spot Tracker doing an 'OK' message...

Next day was another cracker of a day weather wise, clear blue skies and a crisp cool outside temp. We got underway about 10:30 and made it to the Nurnberg Ring about 12:30. Last night, Udo and I had some fun trying to sort out how to get the Garmin Mapsource to route the roads he had suggested. It took a heap of waypoints set along the road but the PC Mapsource finally would auto route the way we wanted. BUT… When it came to my GPS (Garmin60CSX), it was another matter. The GPS had us going in circles hitting waypoints and then ask to turn about, and re-routing us along other roads. Bugger, I was ignoring the GPS in the end and taking roads I thought I would get us where we needed to be. (the GPS auto routing is upset by us wanting to take the smaller roads, even with that setting set in mapsource. The GPS re-calculate the route based on what it decides to do)

Winding Roads.

Still we had a great day, twisting and winding up and down narrow lanes and roads. As we made our way to the Nurnburg Race track. Where we visited the info centre and started to check out the museum. But it looked like it was all in German and with time not on our side. We headed to our destination on The Mosel River and a camp ground Udo had suggested for us. (the race track opened at 4:00 pm which was far too late for us)

More fun smaller roads and before long we were setting up camp, and getting some dinner sorted out.

A View into the Mosel Valley.

Weather was fine but cool, almost everyone else seemed to be in shorts and T shirt. But we did feel the cool breeze in the valley and were soon in our fleece tops to keep the cold out.

pluck a Duck. Or a Goose!

Dinner Guests.

We met a NZ push biker who had been riding about Europe for the past 8 weeks, with quite a few left to go.

Tim the NZ Pushbiker, and our camp.

camp the reception and facilities area.

Thursday 15/09/11

We spent the day touring up the Mosel Valley, looking at all the sights along the way. Along this area they have the steepest vineyards in Germany. They are literally on billy goat tracks! Weather has been great again today, we have been very lucky.

Old Bridge over the Mosel River.

Hornby Railway village, That is, it reminds Deb of the model train set villages.

A Fort/Castle ?

Around lunch time we looked for a public park, to sit & have a bit of a rest & a cuppa….but couldn’t find any to our surprise! So we pulled up at a newly developed area along the Mosel River, we set up the billy on a big rock & had a cuppa & a snack. Then we took a short cut onto the autobahn, which got us to the Rheine River. Beautiful scenery once again, large river boats, some quite large with 14 x 2 or 3 wide, 40 foot containers with a couple of 20 footers up the front.

We are staying at a very, very busy kamping platz, with our tent pitched in amongst rows & rows of RV’s. Over the weekend there is a Wine Festival in this town, with an expected 110,000 people converging on this town to celebrate the grape crushing festival. We plan to be out of here tomorrow lunchtime after a 3 hour walk up to one of the Castles on the ridge line of the Rhein area.

This Video is of how Deb and I get onboard the bike. Deb has to load up first, as her short legs can't swing over all the bags that are in the way.

Well you’re now up to date. We are having a good time, still enjoying the camping, although the camping grounds are quite different to Aussie camp grounds. But that’s to be expected as we’re in Germany ;)