Days 3, 4 & 5 – Umleitung! It’s not the type of ‘tour’ we were expecting . . .

Heading steadily south east towards Slovenia finds us zig-zagging across parts of southern Germany not on the Grand Tour itinerary. It’s all thanks to that one word. Umletiung.  “Detour” to you and me.

Several towns and villages cut off from through traffic – on our route. Lots of new road construction going on. Causes us consternation. Missy our Co-Pilot oblivious to all of them. She’s not been updated.

Fortunately we’re managing our days differently to previous. Lessons learned and all that. Shorter journeys and earlier set off times find us pitching up mid-afternoon latest. Gives us chance to go and explore locally. Saarburg a perfect example of what we could have missed.

Trippstadt and Camping Ausweis supplied our lakeside pitch on day 3 . . .

Camping Waldpark – Hohenstadt on day 4. Frustratingly the site is 500 metres from a huge telecom tower. Yet could we get a signal? 🙂

It doesn’t always work out just as planned though. Oberammergau is tonight’s stop-over. (Sunday 2^nd) South of Munich. Arrived shortly after 1pm. Reception closed. Unable to book in. Opens at 3pm! Lunch and route planning for tomorrow’s heave ho, up and over the Brenner Pass filled in. Aiming to steer clear of the Austrian motorways. With no vignette purchased or a MOHO Go Box on board we don’t want to face a hefty fine.

Oberammergau has a unique history and is world famous for it. Every ten years the town honours the vow its inhabitants made to God in 1633, when they prayed for his saving mercy as the Bubonic plague threatened to wipe out the town. He did spare them and so they have dutifully performed a Passion Play ever since. Even without the play the town sees a lot of tourists. Winter skiers and summer hikers. Today’s heavy mist puts the kybosh on a wander up slope, so we slope down into town. Its buildings awash with ornamental (some just mental) murals.  At any minute we were sure to bump into TweedleDee or TweedleDum.

Most shops aimed at the tourist. On offer traditional goods. Temptation nearly got the better of us at this shop, but unfortunately it was closed. Pity . . .