A little too much German efficiency

Originally published 5 June 2013

​Wanna know what this is? It's a German parking ticket. The town we stayed in last night was totally flooded. I parked outside of town on an entry road with about 10 other cars. The Inn keeper said it was fine there as they had relaxed the parking laws because of the flood. Guess what. They didn't. I got a 15 euro parking ticket.

​So we go back into the flooded town to find out where we have to pay this thing. We are told by one of the locals to pay it at the police station. We ask where the police station is only to find out it's flooded and under water! So....to recap......the police in this one horse town with a population of a few hundred, who's station is under water, are out writing buckets full of tickets to anyone parked anywhere....because everyone is parked wherever they can. It wasn't even marked no parking where I was!!! While up to their butts in water...they still find time to write parking tickets.

Bonn street market

We find out we can also pay at the bank....which is..............UNDER WATER. So we head to Bonn and I will try to pay it there. We arrive Bonn, and Laurie, David, and Sheree go to Beethoven house while I solve the ticket issue. I find a bank that will do the transaction......but require a 12.50 euro service charge. The teller wanted to know why I didn't just take it to the police station. Which was....................................UNDER WATER. I paid the fee and got the thing wrapped up.

Dinner in Boppard

​After this, we wound up wandering the Bonn street market. I always love those! After that we headed back up river to Boppard. Which was gorgeous. AND not flooded all the way! We wandered the town, had a wonderful dinner (I had wild boar sausages with kraut and potatoes)! It's such a nice place!

I have family in the tobacco business!

​I'm headed to bed now. Still worn out and I hope the swelling/scratchy sinuses are just allergy and will go away. I'm wore out. Here's a bit from Laurie!

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David loves ice cream!

Boppard kids playing in the flood waters

After a picnic lunch on the road we arrived in Boppard and spent the afternoon exploring the town. We went in the church built on top of the baths from the Roman fort (see below), The old city wall from around the 1400s (I think) is incorporated into some of the houses here which is kind of interesting. There are remains of a Roman fort from around 400AD that once had 28 towers and housed 600 soldiers. This is a quaint little town typical of the Rhine Valley towns set on the side of the river up a mountain. Unfortunately some of it was still under water but not nearly as bad as St.Goar. ​

Disappointed that we didn't get to ride the B9 up the Rhine valley but it is completely under water so weren't able to share the whole Rhine experience with David and Sheree. But it has still been fun and we had an excellent dinner tonight and Sheree and I did a wine tasting which of course led to her buying some good Rhine valley Riesling wine. Our inn keeper is an Englishman with a very quick and dry sense of humor so its been fun, After breakfast we are off to Munich tomorrow.

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