Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 23:42:38 +0000
Reply-To: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: trip report, Europe 2018, part 1
In-Reply-To: <3c935c96-d6db-d033-ab85-767bf17b937f@gmail.com>
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I'm trying to get up the courage to ask Mark about renting his Van in Europe.
From: Mark Drillock <modrillock@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2018 4:18 PM
Subject: trip report, Europe 2018, part 1
After a couple days of sightseeing in Stockholm I picked up our 87 Westy
from storage in Amsterdam, all went smoothly again this time. Connected
the batteries and started the engine. I drove her on to the elevator and
down she went to ground level and out the gate of the storage business
for what I expected to be the last time. Stopped for fresh gas and air
in the tires, then about 2 miles to the campground to get her ready for
a couple months of travel. I had about a week to get in the groove
before picking up my wife Anne in Munich. I planned to work my way south
through western Germany and as luck would have it an American couple
camped near me in their Westy had just come north that way. They
suggested some nice camp stops along the Rhine and I took their
suggestions, happy to be exploring the countryside leisurely on mellow
roads rather than on the autobahn. The farmlands and hillside vineyards
were pretty and idyllic, making me sorry Anne was missing it.
In Stuttgart I visited the Porsche museum and the next day the Mercedes
museum. Both were interesting but the Mercedes one was more so for me
with more diverse vehicles and longer history. In between I stayed at an
urban campground adjacent to a fairgrounds where a crowded spring
carnival was underway. Lots of laughing and group singing into the
night, they drink beer everywhere in Germany. The party music and
screams from the rides eventually wound down but I was happy to move on
after only one night of it. I dropped down to the edge of the Black
Forest in hopes of meeting a friend of a friend who has a VW van
customization business in a small town there.� It was a very beautiful
drive but I found a sign on the door that they were closed for a time,
so it was off to Munich ahead of schedule.
In Munich I again stayed at a campground in the city, in an area of
large public parks and waterways as well as good public transit. Lots of
other T3 vans and VW campers were there and I spent time talking with
their various owners. My campsite was next to a long flowing pond for
competitive rowing and the spillway at the water entry had lines of
people in wetsuits with surfboards, taking turns riding the "wave" that
formed there. I think this went on day and night though I never checked
very late. This camp also had an outside vending machine for BEER, open
to any passerby. Not even that expensive, same price as cokes from an
adjacent machine. Thirsty for a beer? Camp store closed? No problem!
From when I picked up the van I had been desperate for an oil change,
with 2 years and 14k miles since the last one. I was having no luck
finding a place that would do it and I later learned it was because it
happened to be the time of year when people had to or wanted to remove
their winter tires with other service getting done at the same time.
Every place I checked was jammed and said it would be a week or two
until they could squeeze me in. Finally in Munich I spotted a quiet
looking 'vehicle inspection only' shop who agreed to let me do it myself
with my tools as long as I took the used oil with me. I was relieved and
quickly did so, putting the used oil back into the liter bottles the new
oil came in. When done I held out a fist of cash and the young manager
took a single 5 euro note with a smile. Still holding out my hand of
cash I asked where I could take my old oil but he shook his head.� He
said he didn't know and that usually people returned old oil to the
place they bought their new oil. I had bought my new oil and a bucket in
Spain the year before and had been dragging it around while watching for
a place to change it on the sly. Now I was faced with dragging the old
oil around for a while too.
From the oil change place I decided to drive to the BMW museum for a
tour and then head out of Munich to find a camp more convenient to the
remote airport for the night before Anne was to arrive. The BMW museum
visit was great, though seeing exact models of cars and motorcycles I
once owned as historical museum pieces gave me something to think about.
The next day leaving the campground I stopped to use a gas station coin
operated vacuum cleaner and noticed an oily gravel area next to it.
There it was, a capped pipe sticking out of the ground, for people to
dump their used motor oil into an underground tank. Happy day. With the
van cleaned up it was time for the airport, to meet Anne. Our 30 year
anniversary was coming in 3 days.
Amsterdam camp https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1793709.jpg
Rhine shore camp https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1793708.jpg
Stuttgart camp https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1793707.jpg
Munich camp https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1793706.jpg
Mark
