This is a wee report from our recent trip over to Germany for the Hinterstadtlfest in Jockgrim which was attended by about 20 GSers.
On the Wednesday, me and Christine met up with Andi (Cunning fox) and Tracy, Rab (Robmack) and Gordon (G.C.) at the Forth Road Bridge for the run down to the Newcastle ferry. We had a few bevvies on board and then had a fastish blast down the Dutch and German autobahn to reach Jockgrim on the Thursday about tea time. Andi and Tracy had peeled off for an overnight stay in Bacharach am Rhein. Rab and Gordon and me and Christine then met up with AndyT and Coolcarbon and his partner Max who'd arrived in Jockgrim a day early. We had one or ten drinks in preparation for the arrival of the rest of the troops the following day.
On the Friday, me and Gordon, AndyT, Coolcarbon and Rab headed out for a run into the Weinstrasse area at St Martin for a coffee and then took the back road called Totenkopfstrasse into Pfalzerwald (Palatinate Forest) to pick up the Johanneskruez road down into France at Weissembourg. It's about 50 kilometres of really good biking roads. We had to do it then as it's closed to bikes at weekends. We met some German bikers on vintage Indians and HDs;
Some pics:
By the Friday evening, we'd been joined by Kev (Whatton), Beetle Al, Neil23, George and Joyce (Mr and Mrs Grizzly), Wully and Di (Fruitcake), Mike (Floyd) and Fiona, Tara (Raboomdea)and Garfield. Some made the trip a long weekend and others were making it part of a longer Euro trip.
We had a meal in Zum Elefanten (where the majority were staying) and we were joined by my Mum and Dad. They'd met a few of the group 2 years before and know Grizzly and Joyce. To prove that it is indeed a small world, my Old Man and Grizzly worked in the same department of Michelin in Dundee during the 70's and early 80's before my parents moved back to Germany.
After the meal, the kilted hordes headed down to the festival site where we carried on drinking in the fashion that is now expected by "Die Schotten" as we were dubbed by some Bavarians. Tracy developed a bit of a liking for Jaegermeister and ended up drunker than ten pirates. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Tracy), I left my camera at Zum Elefanten.
Some more pics:
We had a good time at the festival but this was only a dummy run for our main event: the Saturday
The following morning, most of us headed out of Jockgrim in various directions for a run. Poor Tracy couldn't make it out of bed. Me and Christine headed into Nord Scharzwald with Neil, Mike and Fiona, Andi and Kev.
We rode part of the great road that is the B500 and saw hundreds of bikes. The weather was probably a major factor in the amount of folk out. We stopped off at Bad Herrenalb for coffee and kuchen and then headed down to Freudenstadt where we bumped into Grizzly and Coolcarbon.
At Bad Herrenalb, we met a German lad with learning difficulties who was with his blind carer
Then it was back to the Zum Elefanten at Jockgrim to get the tour T shirts and kilts on for some serious drinking at the Hinterstadlfest proper
We headed down to the festival site at Hinterstadtl, which is the old part of the town
Frau Ronno felt a bit religious so she retired to the church steps with her bier
Kev got into practice for his later exploits which involved a locked hotel door, 2 Polizei, a female Red Cross worker, a skew-whiff kilt and a bare arse being pushed by said public servants through a ground floor hotelroom window.
The fest was a mega drink and laughathon. I can even remember some of it.
Most folk had a quiet Sunday and some others left Jockgrim to make their way back home. A few hardy souls managed to make the closing ceremony of the Hinterstadtlfest and me, Christine, Andi and Tracy managed to blag the last 4 biers of the event from a grateful bierstall owner, thanks to the amount she'd made from "Die Schotten" over the previous two nights.
By Monday, everyone had left the two bases: Zum Elefanten Hotel and s'Froeschl pub. It was a really great weekend and me and Frau Ronno really enjoyed the company in what for us is our spiritual home. Our thanks to everyone who made the not insignificant effort to come.
Me and Christine were staying on for another two full weeks and we spent some time down in Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. It was our first visit to Salzburg but we'll be back. We were blown away by the city. Here's a few pics from our trip into southern Bavaria and Austria. We walked up to the Kehlsteinhaus on Obersalzburg: Hitler's Eagles Nest (and back down again) as well as walking to the summit of the Jenner berg.
Walking up the route to the Eagle's Nest forced you to walk part of the way on the main road which is ony accessible to the tour buses which is a pity because it would be a great run on the bike
At the summit, perusing the menu with an injured finger caused some funny looks from the other tourists. I couldn't understand their interest
Our day in Salzburg was a bit special. Christine celebrated her 40th birthday and we enjoyed the sunniest day of our trip among some beautiful architure steeped in history
Berchtesgaden itself is a lovely wee place. You can see the Eagle's Nest on the summit of the backdrop mountain here
We returned to Jockgrim to spend a few days with my family there before we headed up along the Mosel and stopped off at Klotten for two days before making the ferry home
Then it was north for the ferry and back to normality.
All in all, it was a brilliant trip and quite possibly our best one to Germany yet.
On the Wednesday, me and Christine met up with Andi (Cunning fox) and Tracy, Rab (Robmack) and Gordon (G.C.) at the Forth Road Bridge for the run down to the Newcastle ferry. We had a few bevvies on board and then had a fastish blast down the Dutch and German autobahn to reach Jockgrim on the Thursday about tea time. Andi and Tracy had peeled off for an overnight stay in Bacharach am Rhein. Rab and Gordon and me and Christine then met up with AndyT and Coolcarbon and his partner Max who'd arrived in Jockgrim a day early. We had one or ten drinks in preparation for the arrival of the rest of the troops the following day.
On the Friday, me and Gordon, AndyT, Coolcarbon and Rab headed out for a run into the Weinstrasse area at St Martin for a coffee and then took the back road called Totenkopfstrasse into Pfalzerwald (Palatinate Forest) to pick up the Johanneskruez road down into France at Weissembourg. It's about 50 kilometres of really good biking roads. We had to do it then as it's closed to bikes at weekends. We met some German bikers on vintage Indians and HDs;
Some pics:
By the Friday evening, we'd been joined by Kev (Whatton), Beetle Al, Neil23, George and Joyce (Mr and Mrs Grizzly), Wully and Di (Fruitcake), Mike (Floyd) and Fiona, Tara (Raboomdea)and Garfield. Some made the trip a long weekend and others were making it part of a longer Euro trip.
We had a meal in Zum Elefanten (where the majority were staying) and we were joined by my Mum and Dad. They'd met a few of the group 2 years before and know Grizzly and Joyce. To prove that it is indeed a small world, my Old Man and Grizzly worked in the same department of Michelin in Dundee during the 70's and early 80's before my parents moved back to Germany.
After the meal, the kilted hordes headed down to the festival site where we carried on drinking in the fashion that is now expected by "Die Schotten" as we were dubbed by some Bavarians. Tracy developed a bit of a liking for Jaegermeister and ended up drunker than ten pirates. Unfortunately (or fortunately for Tracy), I left my camera at Zum Elefanten.
Some more pics:
We had a good time at the festival but this was only a dummy run for our main event: the Saturday
The following morning, most of us headed out of Jockgrim in various directions for a run. Poor Tracy couldn't make it out of bed. Me and Christine headed into Nord Scharzwald with Neil, Mike and Fiona, Andi and Kev.
We rode part of the great road that is the B500 and saw hundreds of bikes. The weather was probably a major factor in the amount of folk out. We stopped off at Bad Herrenalb for coffee and kuchen and then headed down to Freudenstadt where we bumped into Grizzly and Coolcarbon.
At Bad Herrenalb, we met a German lad with learning difficulties who was with his blind carer
Then it was back to the Zum Elefanten at Jockgrim to get the tour T shirts and kilts on for some serious drinking at the Hinterstadlfest proper
We headed down to the festival site at Hinterstadtl, which is the old part of the town
Frau Ronno felt a bit religious so she retired to the church steps with her bier
Kev got into practice for his later exploits which involved a locked hotel door, 2 Polizei, a female Red Cross worker, a skew-whiff kilt and a bare arse being pushed by said public servants through a ground floor hotelroom window.
The fest was a mega drink and laughathon. I can even remember some of it.
Most folk had a quiet Sunday and some others left Jockgrim to make their way back home. A few hardy souls managed to make the closing ceremony of the Hinterstadtlfest and me, Christine, Andi and Tracy managed to blag the last 4 biers of the event from a grateful bierstall owner, thanks to the amount she'd made from "Die Schotten" over the previous two nights.
By Monday, everyone had left the two bases: Zum Elefanten Hotel and s'Froeschl pub. It was a really great weekend and me and Frau Ronno really enjoyed the company in what for us is our spiritual home. Our thanks to everyone who made the not insignificant effort to come.
Me and Christine were staying on for another two full weeks and we spent some time down in Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. It was our first visit to Salzburg but we'll be back. We were blown away by the city. Here's a few pics from our trip into southern Bavaria and Austria. We walked up to the Kehlsteinhaus on Obersalzburg: Hitler's Eagles Nest (and back down again) as well as walking to the summit of the Jenner berg.
Walking up the route to the Eagle's Nest forced you to walk part of the way on the main road which is ony accessible to the tour buses which is a pity because it would be a great run on the bike
At the summit, perusing the menu with an injured finger caused some funny looks from the other tourists. I couldn't understand their interest
Our day in Salzburg was a bit special. Christine celebrated her 40th birthday and we enjoyed the sunniest day of our trip among some beautiful architure steeped in history
Berchtesgaden itself is a lovely wee place. You can see the Eagle's Nest on the summit of the backdrop mountain here
We returned to Jockgrim to spend a few days with my family there before we headed up along the Mosel and stopped off at Klotten for two days before making the ferry home
Then it was north for the ferry and back to normality.
All in all, it was a brilliant trip and quite possibly our best one to Germany yet.
I recognise the pictures from Fruedenstadt (especially the cakes!!) having spent a few holidays there in the past.
