Day Four

Day Four – Bacharach to Baden

I had a difficult time sleeping last night so I ended up taking a sleeping pill at 11:40 and another one at 12:40.  After that I slept great.  So great that Sarah had a hard time getting me up but I finally got up and started the day, slowly.  We had another wonderful breakfast but I decided that the caffeine in the tea from the previous breakfast might be affecting my sleep so I had almost no tea today instead of the four cups from the previous day.  We’ll see if that helps. 

We had all pretty much packed everything the night before so that was not a problem this morning.  Actually we packed what we needed for the next two or three days in our small suitcases so we wouldn’t even have to remove the large, heavy ones from the back of the car.  We paid our bill and got on our way.  Luckily for us, they had had to move our car so other cars could leave and they had left our car pointing in the right direction. Wonderful.

We started down the highway going south so we were in all new territory.  We were aiming for hitting the autobahn as soon as possible, but we missed the turns.  They seem to put up road signs for each little town that comes next, but they don’t indicate where the large towns are until you are close to them.  Anyway, we saw lots more countryside than we were planning but we still enjoyed experiencing the small towns. 

We finally got on a large road headed in the right direction and it was very interesting driving on the autobahn.  Our van does have nice pickup to it – I enjoyed that.  I was surprised that the autobahn was mostly two lanes but we did move quickly and it seemed that no slow drivers were trying to drive in the left lanes.  I went back and forth between the lanes because I was faster than many of the cars but slower than many others.  I tended to hover around 130 – 150 but I noticed I was going 160 at one point.  Those numbers are in kilometers per hour and 160 kph is about 99.4 mph so it’s not quite as fast as it seems.  Believe me when I say that there were many drivers going much much faster. 

We knew that we had to go near Karlsruhe but somehow we missed the turn onto that autobahn and continued about 50 km past the turn.   Actually there was a very nice little church that I wanted to see in Bad Kappau so that’s why we went that way!!!  We filled the tank up with diesel and it only took two other customers to teach us how to use the cash mechanism at the gas pump in order to get the gas.  They were very nice and helpful.  We headed back toward the autobahn and found the pretty little church and a place to eat lunch.  The place we ate lunch we call Schnitzel World but it was really part Subway and part restaurant and part 7/11.  I had another Subway sandwich and a Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream cup.  I’m so glad I get to experience all these new things – I had never had Chunky Monkey before.  Paula had a Hawaiian Schnitzel and the others had pepperoni pizzas.  The funny thing is that the ‘pepperoni’ were really just yellow peppers and not pepperoni!!!  We figure there was a little problem with communication there but it was okay.  We each paid .50 Euro to go to the restroom and then we were on our way again. (It was at this time that I got a call from Elaine who is taking care of my mother while I am gone.  They seem to be doing well and Elaine even took my mother to Sunday School and church today. It’s so nice to know that I don’t have to worry about my mother during this trip.) We backed up about 3 feet and then had to wait for a car at the gas pump behind us to leave.  He finally left and another car pulled into his place immediately so we had to wait for him.  It was frustrating to me to have to wait, but being the extremely patient person I am (!) I waited.

We got back on the autobahn and backtracked to the correct Ausfart to Karlsruhe and went on our way.  We did have slower traffic sometimes because of road construction but mostly it was clear sailing.  We saw a sign for an Autobahnkirsche so we pulled off to see it.  They have lots of areas where you are still in the confines of the autobahn, but you can pull over to gas stations or rest areas and then right back on the road.  This rest area/gas station also had a church in it.  It was vey unique to us so we took a photo and got back on the autobahn again.  We exited correctly this time and rode into Baden Baden.  The reason for this town’s unusual double name is that the city of Baden is in the county (or province) of Baden Wattenburg so it is called Baden n Baden or just Baden Baden.  Aren’t you glad to know that ?!?!?!?!? 

Baden Baden is a very bustling city with tons of tourists and pretty crowded narrow roads.  We wandered around the busy part of the town, then drove up a twisty mountain road through a ritzy neighborhood, then through a beautiful walking and pet and playing field park and back to the busy part of town.  We looked and looked for street names we recognized from the map, but couldn’t find any that we needed in order to get to out hotel.  Finally we saw two policemen giving tickets to cars that were parked on sidewalks and asked them for help.  He said it was not at all easy to explain how to go to the Hotel Am Markt so I offered to let him drive our car there for us.  He said no (surprised??) but he also said to follow him!!!!  They both got in their car and on we went winding through streets, with our very own police escort, I never would have thought should have been driven on.  After lots of twists and turns we arrived at the hotel.  It is beautiful and is right at a beautiful church.  The lady at the hotel had to unlock the coated wire to let us in the parking lot and she directed me in how to park – correcting me once even.  We got up into our rooms and due to the luck of the draw, Paula and I are roommates tonight, while the other three share another room.  The hotel is small, but somewhat luxurious in many ways.  The rooms are average size and everything is quite modern which we like. 

We put our luggage in the rooms and went out to hit the town.  We walked around some, but couldn’t really find the ‘walking only’ area where lots of shops and restaurants are located.  Sarah did some scouting about and we asked the lady at the hotel in order to get directions.  We walked down the hill (street) and found the area.  The shops were closed but there were still many people out walking about.  It was a nice walk but the horse and carriage businesses and trams were already closed down so we couldn’t tour the town.  We did find a biergarten and sat outside for a really nice meal.  We had beer, wine and water, Bavarian and Nurmberg sausages, saurkraut, roasted potatoes and French Fries, pork steak, Weiner Schnitzel, spaetzle and a large pretzel.  Everyone sampled everyone else’s food and we all enjoyed it.  When we finished dinner we had the waiter call us a taxi for some of us to get back up the mountainside street to the hotel while others hoofed it back.  Sarah made it up all those steps but they about killed me.  I made it, but barely. 

When back at the hotel, Paula, Sue and I grabbed towels, swimming suits and got tickets for the Caracalla Thermal Baths, one of the spas for which Baden Baden is famous.  Actually the word “bad” means bath or hot springs.  We chose to go to the spa where swimming suits ARE worn instead of the one where suits are NOT worn.  Again, we ordered a taxi and even though he took us the long way around, it was worth it.  The baths were beautiful and much larger than I expected.  We finally understood how to work the process for changing into swimsuits and storing our clothes and getting to the pools.  We had a wristband that locked and unlocked the lockers and kept up with how much time we spent at the pools.  We first entered the largest indoor pool and really enjoyed how warm the water was – 93 degrees.  We sat under a waterfall and thought about how good life was!!!  Then we discovered the outdoor pools, so we went over and swam out to one of them.  From the neck up, I was quite cold but I was certainly warm from the neck down.  There was a great deal of steam rising from the water considering how cold the air was and it was just great to be there.  We noticed the center contained an area that seemed to be full of people and like a spa within the pool so I went to check it out.  The current inside that area was much stronger than I expected and it pulled me under then swept me into a man on the side.  I was apologizing to him while his friend laughed at him, but since I didn’t yet have my balance I ended up grabbing the friend’s butt as I tried to stand up.  By this time, I was thoroughly embarrassed and left that area.  I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t even explain what happened to the others until I calmed down some.  We stood under a really strong waterfall and sat in bubbly tile seats and just enjoyed the wonderfully warm salty water.  An older German man tried to talk to Sue but communication just didn’t work.  Later, when we went back into the hot tub area, he and I made full body contact but I’m not sure it was an accident on his part.  I also got to stand in the strongest current in that area and it was totally glorious.  Later we went back inside the building and found an area containing 55 degree water and Sue and I managed to dunk ourselves very quickly before exiting that water.  It was cold!!  Right next door was the pool with the 100 degree water and it was my favorite.  There was a waterfall in that pool that I think will leave bruises on my back tomorrow – It was painful but it also felt great.  We then went back to the original tepid water, then out to the other outdoor pool when had such a current that it floated us around the pool.  Then we went back to the hottest one for a few minutes and left.  We did leave something at the spa – our swimming suits.  We knew that we would be doing that and now it’s done.  More room for souvenirs!!!!!  We asked the fella there to call us a taxi and went back to the hotel.  We are tired, but feeling relaxed also.  Actually my back hurts from that waterfall but it was worth it.

Tomorrow we may take a tour of the city in a horse drawn carriage but we are not sure.  We will be taking the scenic highway, not the fast highway, deep into the Black Forest, or the Schwarzwald to the town of Schiltach.  This is the area where they do lots of wood carving and making Cuckoo clocks.  Sounds like good shopping to me!!!

Score for the day:  Zero speeding tickets, zero wall contacts, one tired speedometer from measuring one hundred miles per hour.  You could say we were traveling Quigley, Quigley!!  Got that Don???