We would be storing our Suzuki V-Strom 650 in Heidelberg, Germany, until next year. Knopf Tours has a storage facility with more than 600 bikes. We’ve known the owner, Stefan, for years and have watched his kids grow up. A couple of them are now working in the business as Stefan is finally stepping back from some of the day-to-day duties.
But before we parked the bike for the winter, we still had a few adventures left. We would spend a couple of days in the Black Forest—a little recon mission for next year’s visit with my kids.
Our destination today was Mont Blanc, rising 15,771.9 feet (4,807.3 meters) above sea level. This massive mountain sits on the border between France and Italy, with Switzerland just a short distance away. We thought staying in the nearby town of Chamonix would provide a little relief from the 100-degree (39-degree C) temperatures.
When we arrived, it was already hot. Traffic was miserable. The whole place seemed to be packed with people.
The first campground just said no to us. No tents allowed.
The second and third campgrounds only had designated pitches. Apparently, there was no such thing as simply finding an open patch of ground and pitching a tent. That seems quite common in the U.S., but not over here. Maybe tent campers don’t bring in enough money. Or maybe we’re just considered “those people.” I don’t know.
There was one more campground just north of town that didn’t accept reservations. First come, first served.
What did we have to lose?
We pulled in. They were busy, but they still had a few open pitches. Nothing with electricity, but we had a place to set up camp, and that was good enough for us.
The bonus was the view.
Mont Blanc towered over the valley, its summit surrounded by massive glaciers and a collection of other snow-covered peaks. We had somehow managed to find ourselves a front-row seat.
There was a hop-on, hop-off train that ran through the valley, and when we checked into the campground, they gave us free tickets to ride it. That first afternoon, we made ourselves comfortable, staring at the mountain and talking about the trip over a couple of adult beverages.
The evening temperatures finally dropped enough for us to get a good night’s sleep. Still warm, but comfortable enough.
The next morning, we walked to the train station through a pine forest. Every once in a while, we caught sight of a little critter disappearing into the trees, but what really caught our attention was the intense smell of the forest.
The day didn’t even hold a promise of rain. Just clear blue skies and stifling, humid heat.
About halfway to the end of the line, the train stopped, and everyone had to get off. We had just crossed from France into Switzerland when we learned that a large tree had fallen across the tracks. If we wanted to continue, we would have to take a bus to the next station.
We decided to wander around the little village instead.
A small stream tumbled over rocks as it meandered through town. A main car bridge and two covered pedestrian bridges connected the two sides, all decorated with colorful flowers.
We wandered through the village and found a small gift and coffee shop. We ordered a couple of cappuccinos and sat in the warm morning sun, looking up at the glacier-covered mountains.
Not a bad way to spend a morning.
The next morning, we decided to take the ski lift to the top of the mountain for another look at the scenery. The gondola climbed from roughly 1,800 feet (550 meters) to about 5,700 feet (1,740 meters) in just minutes, providing incredible views south toward Mont Blanc and across the valley.
At the top was a restaurant with an observation deck. We paused there for a cappuccino, enjoying the much cooler temperatures and the incredible views.
Back at camp that evening, we got a brief rainstorm. Rather than cook in the rain, we decided a pizza sounded like a much better idea.
The next day, we made it to a lake in Switzerland. The campground looked promising at first, but turned out to be another overcrowded collection of tourists enjoying their holidays.
The lake itself was beautiful.
We walked down to the beach and had a beer while watching kids play with their families and friends. It was one of those scenes that reminded us that summer vacation looks pretty much the same everywhere.
The food, however, was another story. A hamburger was about $25.
No thanks.
We walked into town and found a market where we bought something to cook back at camp. Much better.
From Switzerland, we headed back into Germany and toward Triberg, considered the heart of the Black Forest.
And if there is one thing Triberg has plenty of, it’s cuckoo clocks.
Large ones. Small ones. Cheap ones. Expensive ones. Cuckoo clocks seemed to be everywhere, with some of the grander examples selling for thousands of dollars.
We had found a place on Booking.com that looked really interesting: daheim Indoorcamping.
This place was unlike any campground we had ever seen.
It was once a parking garage that had been converted into a huge, multi-story, air-conditioned warehouse. Inside, they had built all sorts of unique lodging choices. You could spend the night in a Route 66 camper, a safari tent, or even a Christmas-decorated wagon.
And then there was the pub.
They brew their own beer right there.
Pub closed? No problem. Just get a beer from the outside vending machine.
So cool.
We ended up staying in a little Snoopy-decorated house with its own gated yard. After getting settled, we had a drink and wandered into town.
At the end of town is the Triberg Waterfall, Germany’s highest waterfall. It’s easily accessible by a short hike along a paved walkway.
After the waterfall, we toured a cuckoo-clock museum. Before heading back, we stopped for a German schnitzel, Schweineschnitzel, chicken with mushroom gravy, and a Triberg German Pilsner. Of course, there was Black Forest Cake. It was invented here.
Delicious!
Just outside town is another attraction—the world’s largest cuckoo clock. We took a ride through the surrounding Black Forest before eventually finding the clock. It was so large that it took up the entire side of a building.
And then, finally, it was time to head toward Heidelberg.
The next day we arrived at Knopf Tours, where we would leave our bike and gear until next year. The plan is to return and continue our ride into Scandinavia, eventually ending somewhere in Eastern Europe.
We got the bike ready for storage and then did something we hadn’t done much of during this trip.
Nothing.
We just decompressed.
After everything we had been through, it felt pretty good.
Our flight back to the States would leave early in the morning in a couple of days, bringing this chapter of the journey to an end.
It was an interesting journey, to say the least.
I hope things go better next year. Where is our next adventure? You would never guess. Stay tuned.
Cheers to no broken bones,
2WANDRRs
Recent Comments