Leaving France, Rivers, Fish and mountains

So Poissons or we thought Fish, a small and on the whole uneventful village not far from our campsite and the first proper village we went through on our way to Germany. Why we all wondered, Ford, River, Field I understand/get, I still struggle with Upper and Lower Slaughter, but Fish there is a river in there somewhere. OK there could have been a pond, but we missed it. I suppose this is a case of lost in translation.

Following our sat nav and the quieter roads we headed east and south, from France towards Germany and Lindau on the Bodenzee. As we travelled onward the architecture of the houses changed, A more alpine style of house prevailed with steep roofs. The Vosges mountains came towards us reminding us of their volcanic past and adverts for overpriced mineral water. The road flattened out, on of the highlights being a flock of storks in a field feeding. I would like to say that the girls were fascinated and pressed their noses to the window to see the spectacle unfold as we passed by. Grunts of “Yes Dad”, general indifference was fairly typical, well I suppose when you have to compete with Sonic the Hedgehog you are not on to a good thing. However both myself and my wife were impressed.

Following the D424 we came to the Rhine just after Markolshiem. As we passed a low slung hydro electric plant we crossed a bridge and found ourselves passing a picnic area, well there was a table and a couple of benches. We pulled over ate our lunch, more bread and ham and cheese, watching the traffic trundle by. I would like to rhapsodise about the place and tell you lots of interesting things, but there is nothing really to tell. It was a place between. So we got in the car and followed the road around and over the bridge into Germany.

I did try to explain the significance of the Rhine in the history of Europe, how it was the longest river in Western Europe and it represented a cultural and political border for over 2000 years. Both children looked up from their DS’s and condescended to provide their father with a look of, well, Dad is trying to tell us something, again, before returning to their true love. My wife smiled knowingly and drove on.

In France I have a general idea of what is going on, my schoolboy French is augmented by all those times it has been my emergency language, before resorting to pencil and paper or waving my hands in the air or maybe both at the same time.

Although I will admit to gaining a CSE grade 4 in German at school, thank you Mrs Hannan

I knew the difference, once we had passed the sign telling us that we were in a different country, the road changed, and he surroundings changed somehow it was different. Not like the change between England and France where there is and immediate change, here it was subtler but it was still different.

This was another country altogether this was Germany