What I’m Seeing

A bunch of Scots, a couple of Irish and me are off to Jockgrim in Germany on the bikes for a few days soon. Ronno, the guy organising the trip is a bit of an artist and has designed us a tee shirt.

While we’re there the town is having it’s festival, beer and wine. The pic below gives a good idea of festival area. The street (Ludwigswtrasse) is closed to traffic and the bierstalls/eateries and band stands are in all the yards and car parks.

The hotel Zum Elefant is the building with the visible courtyard at the bottom right of the pic. It’s only a 5 minute walk from the Fest site. The festival is on Friday (for the first time this year), Saturday and Sunday. Normally it’s only the 2 days.

The hotel is a small family run place that serves great bier and good food at very reasonable prices (well thanks to the pound v Euro, it’s not as cheap as say 2 years ago). A good steak costs around 12 euros with chips and salad. The menu isn’t vast but it’s more of a small pub than a hotel.

Our plan is to arrive on the Friday around 5 ‘ish. It’s 350 miles or so from Ijmuiden (Amsterdam). Just have a meal and a few drinks at the Elefant and play it by ear about visiting the festival on Friday.

Saturday: have a wee run into France (we’re only 12kms from the border) and then pick up the start of the Deutscher Weinstrasse at Schweigen Rechtenbach. Have a wee run up the Wine Route and into the Pfalzerwald. Back in the afternoon for the Fest and stay there into the evening listening to Oompah music and slapping our thighs drinking Bellheimer bier.

Sunday: Have a run into the north Schwarzwald (it’s only about 45 mins from Jockgrim) although not too early

Monday: Have a wee tour about locally (Sunday and Monday can be interchangeable depending on folk’s heads )

Tuesday: Head back for the tea time ferry at Ijmuiden.

Looking forward to it.

Nice meal and great service at Felicini in West Bridgeford on Saturday night.  Nice picture on the bill as well.