Hilden to Zürich
FRIDAY 17 JUNE. Posted 3 weeks later.
Hilden – Cologne – Wiesbaden – Darmstadt – Heidelberg – Karlsruhe – Baden Baden – Freiburg in Breisgau – Titisee – Schluchsee – Waldshut-Tiengingen – Döttingen – Gerolsdwil – Zuerich. 600 km / 373 miles
Walk Milo in the Benrathwald before breakfast.
Von & Barbara — Frühstuck in Hilden
Meet Ba for breakfast at konditorei before going to see Chris’s car decal and screen printing firm. He calls to say he’s broken down on the autobahn. So instead we go and buy sunglasses for the Swiss maids in old Hilden, stuff for a picnic lunch and a map of Switzerland. Sunny, dry, no memory of last night’s torrential storm.
Altstadt Hilden
A long way to go today and we’re expected in Zuerich at 6pm, so it’s back through a big stau to the north of Hilden to reach the autobahn going south. Von driving. Get off the autobahn and head uphill till we find a car park in lovely woodland at the start of various serious walks. Tiny bathing pool with (allegedly) health-giving waters. We picnic in sunny solitude at an old picnic table where we wrap the sunglasses for presents.
Stop in Freiburg. The Cathedral is under scaffolding, preparing for the Pope’s visit in September. Had coffee, Sachertorte and Schwarzwälderkirschtorte (of course) in the cathedral square. Yum. Yum. Yum. Freiburg very proud of its open sewers in the streets. They look v clean.
Gwyn drives on ordinary roads to Titisee. Rain starts falling heavily. Big detour. David texts to ask where we are. Rain slackens off as we enter Switzerland.
Von map reading into Zuerich. Visit Oerlikon by mistake. Cross the Hardbruecke by mistake. Completely lost. Drive in circles. Finally find the lake. Then it’s easy to find the Fam. Fritzen in Hirslander Strasse. They look fit and well and genuinely pleased to see us. Milo’s first steps in Switzerland! The girls have grown into young beauties. Delicious supper of saltimbocca and Swiss potato spaetzle. Take Milo for a late night walk in the hot rain up to the posh hotel restaurant with a view over Zuerich in the rainy night time. All I needed was to go to bed.
