Traffic at 20 kph - but we are no longer in Romania!

Talk about first world problems today!
We are heading to the Nettetal region for the wedding of couchsurfers who stayed with us a few times in 2010-11 - Anne Zenz and Steve Blyth.  When Anne sent us advance notice of the wedding last year, we had always hoped that our plans would work out so that we could come!

We need to leave Steph and the kids about 9 this morning for the 477 km, 4 hour 51 minute trip north to Lobberich, the main town in Nettetal and where Anne's family come from. Steve is English and it turns out that his very big, close, extended English family are travelling en-masse for the wedding.

We get away on time, and in our haste, leave the bag of car food which now also has my tablets in it - too bad, by the time that Steph gets back from the supermarket and finds it, we are too far to turn back! Couple of days won't kill me (I hope).

Despite my pretty good sense of direction, we are taken further to the east than I thought, but I soon realised that the autobahns follow roughly the rivers and ridges.
It was pretty obvious early on that the trip time was going to be out.  We are told by Google Maps that 'the traffic is worsening, you are still on the fastest route'.  Tell you what, don't go anywhere if you need to be in a hurry at the end of the summer break here in Europe. No joke, we were literally back down to the 20 kph crawl - in two stints for almost an hour each. Yes, there are roadworks, but the bigger holdups are where the 150 kph fast stretches come to and end and fall back in to two lanes instead of three or even four. Fast cars are absolutely no use in this here and now!  And in the other direction, the traffic jams went for more than 20 kms - at an even slower crawl.

We are travelling amidst a virtual united nations - there are lots of people from the Netherlands pulling small caravans headed home, there are Brits and French and Italians all headed north.  There are trucks from across the eastern states again - lots from Romania, Poland and Lithuania with the occasional German one thrown in too.

I stop just once as we needed fuel and we made one comfort stop - both quick and just kept travelling. Despite this, we don't arrive in Lobberich until 4:15 pm this afternoon - and I am well and truly over this drive.

We have traversed some pretty country - the wine fields planted down the slopes to maximise sunlight in a relatively short growing season (well, compared with Australia), we cross first the Rhine River with the barges busily shipping their stores up and down river, and then the Mosel River before it confluences with the Rhine in Koblenz.  At one point, I consider getting off the autobahn and travelling along the river, and then realise what a stupid move that would be - if the traffic is bad here, I can only imagine how bad the scenic route would be!! Sorry, not too many pics today - Michael couldn't be bothered with the camera.

As we cross in to the Nettetal region, we pass a huge open cut gravel mine with the drag-lines very visible as a blight on the horizon. 

Finally we arrive and after a bit of a problem, find the hotel where Anne has booked us and its car park.  Before long, we have changed and head downstairs to meet up with Anne and Steve.  There are lots of hugs and some tears. Some reminiscing and updating on each others lives before many more people begin to arrive for the first of the wedding gatherings.  We are excited to catch up with Anne's brother Johannes who also stayed with us, and to meet her parents for the first time.

Tonight is to allow the guests who have come from many parts of the world - including a number of Australians who are now working and travelling in Europe - to meet each other before the wedding tomorrow afternoon. Great idea.  

Lots of German bier and lots of curry wurst and schnitzel for dinner - the hotel staff are run off their feet.  Anne had warned them about the number of people to expect, but somehow, I don't think they thought so many would eat, or drink, so much!

The obligatory Mr/Mrs Herr/Frau game is played to the delight of the audience and the occasional embarrassment of the bride and groom.  By 9:30 pm, Anne is calling it a night and I head upstairs to write up the blog and battle with a poor internet connection.

Tomorrow - the wedding!

The packing continues

Breakfast at Hotel Krone is standard but fresh and they make great coffee.

 I am drinking peppermint tea now in an effort to avoid dairy products with my flu.

As we head over to Steph and Felix this morning I make a short detour to their new house that I have not yet seen. Sure, the houses and the blocks are larger, but the streets noticeably smaller.  There are workmen at the house, so I don't go inside.  Looking at the driveway down in to the garage, I wonder how even Steph's small Renault Zoe can even fit down the drive.

Yesterday Mathilda was busy in the street, and this so reminds me of Izabella when she comes to our house. Turns out it say Best Friends Forever. Henri is the name of the horse she has been riding this week!

Back to the current house and there is more cleansing of gathered stuff - clothes, bags, plants. More boxes to pack. But Steph has decided against wrapping and packing glassware (which I could be doing) because it takes extra cleaning at the other end.  She will just put them in a basket and carry them over.  Me, I save all the boxes for our glassware and each time we move, they get put back into their boxes. EVERY TIME.

Lunchtime here is normally the main cooked meal of the day but as we are going out for dinner tonight, and as the children will not be home for lunch today, Felix just pops down to the butcher and comes home with wurst rolls. Two plain, and two pizza.  They are warm and unctuous! We add German mustard and hoe in. You end up with juices running down your chin - VERY yummy.

At the new house, the kitchen workers were drilling to install the rangehood, and all of a sudden, one of the banks of downlights go out. Steph's cousin's husband Thomas has done the electrics, and they are on holidays in Hungary this week, so they will have to wait for his return next week before it can be sorted out.  Aah - the joys of new houses!

And wouldn't you know it - have just done a search on Rotary Clubs in Schwäbisch Gmünd. One meets at the very hotel we are staying at. And they met yesterday at 12:30. Too bad I was feeling so poorly. Oh well, I'll try to go when we come back after visiting Romania.

And the surprises continue at Hotel Krone.  Tonight we are booked in with Steph and the family to their annual Jazz im Garten - and they proudly announce that this is their 14th year.
As we are upstairs getting changed, we can  here the band warming up below our room. When we get downstairs, there is mein host playing the Double Bass! A very versatile man indeed!!
And the food was fabulous.
And the music was great.
And the company was special.
And the service was spot on.
And everything was just so right in the world tonight!

We order drinks and once they take our orders, serve us all very generous plates of mixed salad - so refreshing and just enough to sate the hungry beast. 
Felix, Mathilda and I had the Paniertes Schwieneschnitzel - Felix with Pommes Frites and Mathilda and I with Spatzle with the most amazing gravy that the chef tells us he cooks over 3 days.
Steph has the Unser Sommersalat - a large salad with fish pieces and grilled scampi.
Niklas, like most four year old little boys has a large plate of pommes frites and ketchup (or is it a large plate of ketchup with chips!!)
And Michael, well of course he must try something special.  He orders the Wild aus der Region: Rehragout mit Freiselbeerbirne, frischen Pfefferlingen, Kronenknopfle und Salat - Venison ragout with Pfefferling mushrooms, potato dumplings and salad.

Steph heads home with the kids about 8, Felix follows at 9 and Michael and I head upstairs at 10:30 with the moon high in the night sky, hanging over the party lights burning brightly.