Glamorous Assistant Gone AWOL

Bad Marienberg

It threatened to be one of THOSE days, when nothing goes right, but matured in to a fabulous late afternoon swim and meal.

An hour?s drive to a stellplatz found us walking around a deserted and overgrown leisure pool. The pools were drained, the flumes, flumed no more, the fountains had spouted their last spurt! Perhaps this was why it was ?kostenlos? (free) to stay for the night!

We could have stayed and visited saunaparadies, which boasted 13 different types of sauna, with temperatures ranging from 95 to 40 degrees. Curiously the ?arktic-sauna? was at 90 degrees??? From the sauna menu, one could choose salt or menthol, or panoramas or kristall! I was tempted by the ?Mentalsauna mit musikuntermalung? at a balmy 85 degrees, but Dozy was disgusted by the thought of ?textile free? so we drove on another hour, heading for Bad Marienberg.

We were held up by what appeared to be a German version of a SAGA road trip. This consisted of a tractor pulling a covered wagon which contained 20 geriatrics boozing on wine and beer and generally having a riotous and merry time. They were particularly amused at holding up an English motorhome for 3 miles.

As we approached Bad Marienberg, we were dismayed to see a road ahead closed and a sign posted umleitenung (diversion) This meant we spent the next 20 minutes at, the sat nav informed me, a stubborn 10 miles away. Just as we moved to within a tantalising 8 miles from Bad Marienberg, we entered a small town to find a fire engine in the middle of the road, and the streets thronged with people all presumably observing some local Germanic ritual or custom. This entailed a further detour around back road entrails.
However, on our eventual arrival we found a splendid stellplatz and had a great swim and slide and tingle in the fun pools.

Later I had a glamorous assistant to help me barbeque, but she left, so I have blipped Dozy instead.

Today?s Travel: 104 miles
Nightly Fee: 10 euros