Wednesday 8 October

Day 17 and we've not had a non-driving day since we started this “holiday” so whilst we have never rushed about we could probably due with a break. Perhaps that is why are getting tired so easily. Shades of our first ever overseas trip, again to Germany, when all we did was drive.

Pumpkin display

Pumpkin & straw people

So first off a walk into town – we forgot one prezzie – but Beirenbronn is not touristy and there was nothing suitable. Never mind, we've plenty of time to put that right. So service the van and on our way.

We’re now on the last leg of the Schwarzwaldhochestrasse (got it right at last) and even had signs for it, so headed for the start/finish point of Baden Baden. Again beautiful scenery which would have been much better with some sunshine but it remained cloudy though the rain kept off. A warning sign indicated that the road was closed for repairs but as other traffic was using it we gave it a go and found it was a bridge being repaired that was temporarily being closed. We got through okay however and quickly found ourselves on the outskirts of Baden Baden. Then in a 3km tunnel underneath it, then almost onto the motorway out of it! Spotting a stellplatze we managed to divert but it was still some way out of the city so we just stopped for lunch. Perhaps next time and there will be a next time as we found the Black Forest enchanting and want to return.

Last views of the Schwarzwald

Roundabout art!

So where next? Having failed twice already to see anything of Luxembourg we decided to route that way via Saarbrucken. A little bit of motorway saw us entering France and we remained on French roads for the rest of the day. This is the Alsace Region and it felt most peculiar that all the town names were German while everything else was French!

Getting close to our normal stopping time Bren called up the Aires info and spotted a likely candidate at Bitche which turned out to be in the Citadel car-park and free (for a change). This will do us!