SERT Day 2

Rain, Rain, Rain

Kiel - Itzehoe - Cloppenburg - Scheidam (Nr Rotterdam)

Distance: 391 Miles

Still unable to enter the boot, but not smelling yet as we forunately had with us our washing gear and a change of undies in the cabin we headed off the ferry onto German soil at around 10:00 a.m. Our nagivation skills failed us immediately as we headed out of Kiel on the most North Westerly road available instead of the Autobahn due south to Hamburg as originally planned.

The weather was so foul that, on discovering our mistake, we decided that the Autobahn wouldn't be much fun and a more cross country route was chosen. By the time we reach Itzehoe our stomachs were ready for lunch, so a quick stop at a super market before continuing onward to eat our German delicacies on a ferry accross the Elbe, although I don't think Mrs VL thought the smelly cheese was all that delicate!!! We didn't get out and was pleased that the hood kept out most of the huge amounts of spray as the open ferry crashed into the waves.

During the journey my mind was desparately churning on how to get into the boot with the minimum amount of damage. A plan was hatched and we stopped in Cloppenburg to purchase a very shiney 13mm ratchet spanner (1/2" was not available and the comprehensive tool kit was locked in the boot). We took advantage of a slight let up in the torrential rain and refueled ourselves with a very traditional German "Subway" after a good leg stretch around the town.

By now, it was clear that our planned 7 p.m. arrival time was optimistic and even more worrying that the number we had to contact our hosts was clearly wrong. This problem was solved by using the Saw Sharpner as a middle man and our hosts were informed to expect us a little later.

A couple of hours of motorway driving completed a long 12 hours on the road and we arrived outside a very fancy choclate shop beside a canal. Over which our host for the next 2 days, the Chemical Spaniards, have a wonderful flat.