Wednesday, 13 May 2009

May Day fun

10th May 2009

It would appear that may day is a much more important affair over here than
it has become back home, with celebrations going on in all the towns.

We had our planned cycle trip along the danube on the 30th, covering some
50km in 3.5hrs, it was great but my was I saddle sore. Much in need of
sugary food we wandered into town in the evening to find the first of the
celebrations under way. In the town square an enormous maypole was being
lifted into position using ropes and poles. All the men were in traditional
costumes and in my English naivity I assumed that after going to all that
effort to raise the pole they would dance around it the next day. Well it
appears they don't do the dancing bit. I thought this was a bit strange but
as Chris rightly pointed out you don't dance around everything you put up!

We left Donaueshingen on the 1st and drove up motorways and side roads to
Bad Wildbad, not a a traffic jam in site. It appears to be a peculiarly
English desire to spend bank holidays sat in cars. On our drive North we
saw lots more towns with poles and also encountered a a number of wooden
huts, being towed around on the back of tractors and full of people
drinking beer, throwing confetti at passing traffic and pumping out load
europop.

When we arrived at the campsite in Bad Wildbad, a pretty spot on the banks
of the river I caused huge concern amongst the campsite staff by trying to
use the washing machines. It appears they do it for you and an old lady
appeared in a chequered apron operate the washing machine. There was a
heated discussion in German about how to turn it on and finally I got a
small amount of the washing loaded into the machine, and was told it would
take 90 minutes. The old lady was seen to come back a couple of times and
tend the machine, I gave up all ideas of doing a second load after the
panicked look that they gave me.

I began to feel like I had been transported to a parallel universe, where
everything was just slightly awry. This was not helped by going for a walk
along the valley and finding a big field full of piles of logs being
watered copiously.

If anyone can explain any of this please do...........

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