Frankfurt to Speyer

Frankfurt to Speyer

 

The German efficiency manifests itself upon arrival at Frankfurt - the Europecar counter is obvious - the directions clear - the car looks good - fire up the iPhone - start the Tom Tom - onto the autobahn - off to Speyer.

 

Korngasse 15 and the Maximillian hotel prove elusive on a busy festival Sunday afternoon in this historic town located in the environs of Hockenheim motor racing circuit - the old meets the new! - ask a few questions - get the car close to the hotel - wander the streets - the locals are soaking up the spring weather - 28 degrees - they stroll - they cycle - they sit outside cafes with their kids and their ice creams.

For the newly arrived antipodeans north is still south and south is still north - eventually locate the hotel - not really a hotel - a guesthouse located over a café - book in using broken german and sign language - where Is the parking garage? - some instructions tell us where it is rather than how to get there - that is not the immediate problem - where did we park the car ? - eventually we locate it and transplant it into the parking house - back to the Maximillian - some sleep to adjust the body clock .

 

Wander the town - a long wide open plaza lined with outdoor café tables - the Dom at one end and the city gate tower at the other - this is reiseling country right on the Rhine - rest a while outside the pub near the Dom - enjoy one.

 

 

Stroll back to the gate tower end of the plaza and settle in the Maximilian Café - Bernie asks about a menu item - again badly broken german and english translates it as baby sheep -schnitzel and a lamb mushroom dish with a bottle of RR make up the meal - we are joined by an American - not the stereotypical American - rather a relaxed logistics manager who sees America as part of the world rather than the world itself - we talked about his kids, the American economy and motor racing for he was an f1 tragic - we talked about the autobahns - he was not going to tell his wife about travelling 240 Kph earlier in the day - we find our way up to our room - Dubai to Speyer- a big but pleasant day!

 

 

 

I kicked myself - i should have known "schmuck" means "schmuck"