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We set off from our home in West Yorkshire (just) in beautiful sunshine to get to Hull where the evening P&O ferry waited to take us to Rotterdam. Not a bad option to get to the Continent for us. About £250 including meals (buffet dinner and breakfast). The cabins are clean and reasonably spacious - what more could you ask for? My tip is wait until later before going for your dinner as there are massive queues as soon as it opens. Same thing for breakfast. Long irritable queues...wait half an hour walk straight in?
The boat sailed off down the Humber in bright evening sunshine right on time. A perfect start.
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The next morning dawned on a grey and wet Rotterdam. The skies were overcast and a light rain dribbled down. Full waterproofs? No there were tiny patches of blue sky - must improve? No, within 10 minutes rain was bouncing off the roads and a stop under a bridge gave me and Jen, my wife a chance to go for the full gear. By the time we reached Venlo where my Satnag decided to go by a back road across the town (yes, it was set on fastest) I had discovered that my top half waterproofs were better suited to being a sponge! Luckily by the time we reached the Autobahn the skies had cleared and the sun shone. The second problem was that my wife's Cardo Rider stopped working. The base unit, for some reason would only transmit. Couldn't see anything wrong so we'd have to manage. We had decided to make the first day a long one, 498 miles to Augsburg, slightly damp and in silence, where we had booked a B&B hotel. Don't know if anyone else uses them but they're a relatively cheap chain of hotels which I've used for years. They're basic clean hotels where the rooms are en-suite, there's free wifi and they do a cheap optional breakfast in the morning. The tip is to pre-book on the internet as you can save a bit (around €5). The downside is they are usually on a ring road but invariably near a restaurant of some kind. However the Augsburg B&B is on a main tram route into the town beginning near the old Messerschmitt factory. So a wash and brush up and a quick trip into town to get some dinner. For me and excellent Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Burger with a mega ice cream to finish all washed down with some excellent beer.
Although we didn't intend to we decided to stay another day to look over Augsburg. When we tried to rebook the hotel receptionist sent us back to our room to book online as we would again save money. Top tip.
Augsburg received quite a bit of attention from both the RAF and the USAAF during the war thanks to the aforementioned Messerschmitt factory as well as lots of other businesses crucial to the Nazi war effort. This meant much of it had been rebuilt but luckily in the old style. One of the most important things I wanted to see was the Fuggerei. This was the world's first social housing and pre-empted the likes of Saltaire, Bournville and Port Sunlight by some 300 years. The enclosed village is still occupied and the rent remains unchanged from the 14th century (about 96 cents per year!).
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Here's the entrance. because it's occupied you are asked not to take photos.
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This is Hans Fugger (yes - really). Hell of a codpiece.
We also had a look at Bertold Brecht's house nearby up a beautiful alleyway. I have always loved the Threepenny Opera so was pleased to have a look at his birthplace.
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Later (after a light lunch) had to have a look at the Industrial Museum based in an old textile mill. A very interesting museum lacking only one thing ... visitors! I think they were disappointed we didn't want to see the machines running but as my wife had in the past managed a steam-powered cotton mill i think we've seen enough looms. However the first machines we saw were these.
Bit of a surprise. It's a long way from Accy to Augsburg!
The special exhibition upstairs was a bit of a surprise. A history of ladies stockings! Excellent exhibition with a touch of the erotic. I'd like to believe I rose above all the many photos and appreciated the movie of various women through the ages clipping and unclipping suspenders for the art it undoubtedly was...but I couldn't.
Augsburg is a surprising place with many beautiful nooks and crannies. I can recommend it instead of it's more usual neighbour Munich.
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As I was looking for a new waterproof top I did briefly consider Lederhosen but Jen reckoned I didn't have the legs ... or wallet.
Another good dinner Weiner Schnitzel for me!
tbc
We set off from our home in West Yorkshire (just) in beautiful sunshine to get to Hull where the evening P&O ferry waited to take us to Rotterdam. Not a bad option to get to the Continent for us. About £250 including meals (buffet dinner and breakfast). The cabins are clean and reasonably spacious - what more could you ask for? My tip is wait until later before going for your dinner as there are massive queues as soon as it opens. Same thing for breakfast. Long irritable queues...wait half an hour walk straight in?
The boat sailed off down the Humber in bright evening sunshine right on time. A perfect start.
View attachment 262736
The next morning dawned on a grey and wet Rotterdam. The skies were overcast and a light rain dribbled down. Full waterproofs? No there were tiny patches of blue sky - must improve? No, within 10 minutes rain was bouncing off the roads and a stop under a bridge gave me and Jen, my wife a chance to go for the full gear. By the time we reached Venlo where my Satnag decided to go by a back road across the town (yes, it was set on fastest) I had discovered that my top half waterproofs were better suited to being a sponge! Luckily by the time we reached the Autobahn the skies had cleared and the sun shone. The second problem was that my wife's Cardo Rider stopped working. The base unit, for some reason would only transmit. Couldn't see anything wrong so we'd have to manage. We had decided to make the first day a long one, 498 miles to Augsburg, slightly damp and in silence, where we had booked a B&B hotel. Don't know if anyone else uses them but they're a relatively cheap chain of hotels which I've used for years. They're basic clean hotels where the rooms are en-suite, there's free wifi and they do a cheap optional breakfast in the morning. The tip is to pre-book on the internet as you can save a bit (around €5). The downside is they are usually on a ring road but invariably near a restaurant of some kind. However the Augsburg B&B is on a main tram route into the town beginning near the old Messerschmitt factory. So a wash and brush up and a quick trip into town to get some dinner. For me and excellent Mushroom and Swiss Cheese Burger with a mega ice cream to finish all washed down with some excellent beer.
Although we didn't intend to we decided to stay another day to look over Augsburg. When we tried to rebook the hotel receptionist sent us back to our room to book online as we would again save money. Top tip.
Augsburg received quite a bit of attention from both the RAF and the USAAF during the war thanks to the aforementioned Messerschmitt factory as well as lots of other businesses crucial to the Nazi war effort. This meant much of it had been rebuilt but luckily in the old style. One of the most important things I wanted to see was the Fuggerei. This was the world's first social housing and pre-empted the likes of Saltaire, Bournville and Port Sunlight by some 300 years. The enclosed village is still occupied and the rent remains unchanged from the 14th century (about 96 cents per year!).
View attachment 262737View attachment 262738
Here's the entrance. because it's occupied you are asked not to take photos.
View attachment 262739
This is Hans Fugger (yes - really). Hell of a codpiece.
We also had a look at Bertold Brecht's house nearby up a beautiful alleyway. I have always loved the Threepenny Opera so was pleased to have a look at his birthplace.
View attachment 262740
Later (after a light lunch) had to have a look at the Industrial Museum based in an old textile mill. A very interesting museum lacking only one thing ... visitors! I think they were disappointed we didn't want to see the machines running but as my wife had in the past managed a steam-powered cotton mill i think we've seen enough looms. However the first machines we saw were these.
Bit of a surprise. It's a long way from Accy to Augsburg!
The special exhibition upstairs was a bit of a surprise. A history of ladies stockings! Excellent exhibition with a touch of the erotic. I'd like to believe I rose above all the many photos and appreciated the movie of various women through the ages clipping and unclipping suspenders for the art it undoubtedly was...but I couldn't.
Augsburg is a surprising place with many beautiful nooks and crannies. I can recommend it instead of it's more usual neighbour Munich.
View attachment 262743View attachment 262742
As I was looking for a new waterproof top I did briefly consider Lederhosen but Jen reckoned I didn't have the legs ... or wallet.
Another good dinner Weiner Schnitzel for me!
tbc