Step three- Germany

We were approaching Liege (Luik) happy to be up and heading towards Germany on a quiet Saturday morning. Belgium had been nice but it was time to head on down the road, maybe tomorrow we would settle down, but for the moment we’ll just keep moving on. (The keen eyed reader amongst you will have noticed the Littlest Hobo reference there). I’d found Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davies a little too frenetic for six o’clock in the morning so we’d switched to Count Basie, which seemed much more appropriate and even Austin, as we tootled through the Belgium greys and greens, began tapping his windscreen wipers along. The mist turned to drizzle which became rain and just as Austin was wiping his appreciation of the Counts smoothing tones, about half way through ‘sent for you yesterday’ the wipers gave up the ghost. So we had to struggle on towards the border hoping the rain didn’t get any worse, because, for the moment at least I could see where I was going-Germany.

'Mat-Nav'

For about an hour after I passed Liege (Luik) the rain stayed the same and I kept my passport handy. Shows what a Euro-guru I am because by the time I reached Aachen I was pretty sure I was in Germany but hadn’t stopped to cross a border. Apparently there aren’t any in this region of new Europe. So there we were happily pootling along the Autobahn, blissfully unaware that I was on the motorway, and therefore didn’t get a moment to worry about doing it. A few people had suggested I take the back roads and avoid the racetrack that is modern Germany’s road system. Yet most of the drivers were pretty respectful of old Austin and the idiot behind the wheel, so we just kept creeping along in the rain until we stopped over at a campsite near Koln (Cologne).

At Koln

Sadly on this trip, Germany, like Belgium will only get the briefest stop. The plan was to cross quickly and head for Austria just as my parents had. I must be honest, as I put up the still wet tent under yet more brooding grey skies I was quiet keen to get further south as soon as possible as get some sun, because since leaving the west country it has got colder wetter and more miserable each day. I’ve had my coat on everyday so far.

I had planned to push on to Erlangen where mum and dad stayed in 1967 but instead stopped a little short in Offenbach just outside Frankfurt to catch up with an old videographer friend Klaudia and her family. We both studied photography together in Tokyo, far too long ago to mention here. Also it would be nice for two other reasons; firstly I may be developing a chest infection so I’ll need to see a doctor and secondly I’ll try and get Austin looked at. Fingers crossed for both of us.

So we battled on now heading south looking for a rhythm and some sun.

Also the spam and mash routine is now finished (I can ask the doctor to check if I have scurvy, too). By the time mum and dad made it this far they had just about built up the courage to try food shopping, it was that good old fashioned point of saying ‘drie’ a little too loudly.

A big thanks to klaudia and her family for feeding me up, taking me to the doctors and setting me back on the road.

Don't forget there are loads of photos, old and new at the facebook page The Escape Committee by Matthew Button





Have a good week folks, Cheers Matt