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Today we planned on taking a ferry across the lake to the island of Mainau, famous for its botanical gardens. We are up in good time and head into the town to buy tickets for the 10:10 ferry. Yesterday when we made our enquiries the desk was manned by a very helpful chap with excellent English, this morning we are not quite greeted by Frau Ichnichlichenglisch, and we are the second group of English in the queue. OK, we're in a foreign country and have no right to expect others to speak our tongue, but that doesn't give her the right to raise eyebrows, mutter German oaths under her breath and be as unhelpful as possible. We tried buying ferry tickets but she wanted to sell combined ferry and garden ones. The garden has a concession for wheelchairs but she couldn't process that without seeing Nick's blue badge, then as soon as she saw Ali getting out the currency card she managed 'No, cash only' and printed out two tickets. €77.60 appeared on the screen. We assume the tickets were still on her desk as the automatic door closed behind us.
We decide to move on, and by the time we reach the van Ali's anger has reduced to 'furious'.
After packing up we go to check out and explain why we're leaving a day early. The ever-so helpful and friendly receptionist [who looks like Mma Makutsi from No.1 Ladies' Detectives] is shocked and tries to apologise but it's no fault of hers. She suggests we could take the van on the ferry from Meersburg to Konstanz and drive near to Mainau [it's an island with a causeway].
We decide to head for France via Frieburg. The first part of our journey is on very busy roads but the built up areas soon become woodland, vines or maize. The trees are clearly turning to autumn colours and would probably look lovely but for the hazy mist.
Traffic gets lighter and faster on the autobahn and on the derestricted road Nick decides to stretch Mary*Lou's legs. She is still pulling strongly when he eases off with Snoopy showing a true speed of 75mph before settling back to our normal 55-60. A few miles down the road traffic slows and filters into lane 2 past a warning triangle. A large German RV has had a blowout and the shocked looking couple are picking up all the fragments of their shredded tyre but they won't be able to put it back together, they'll need a new one.
The wi-fi in Freidrichshafen was very hit-and-miss and we need to start looking at ferry times and prices to get us home, so during a stop we find an ACSI site near Mulhouse [open to 15/10] and head there. We cross the border into France and immediately feel more relaxed; familiar road signs, easier pace. We drive through Alsace and Mulhouse and reach the campsite. It closed today until April! Once again ACSI information lets us down and the fury meters start twitching. We are pondering our next move when two French motor homes arrive together and we watch as they try the gate, ring and get the answerphone and poke pointed fingers at their ACSI books. Their body language suggests they too are aggrieved and disappointed. Ali gets out for a chat with them, there is much shrugging and waving of camping and aires books before one of the men says 'Suivre moi', follow me. So we set off in behind our new allies in an international convoy of peace and goodwill until they lead us to an aire Ali had seen, in a Super-U carpark. The two Frenchmen have a discussion, obviously here won't do, so they get back in, wave 'follow us' and we scurry off again to a lovely, peaceful little site at Burnhaupt-le-Haut. It is open, has space and we all park happily. Monsieur No.1 even helps Ali plug in the electricity.
So a frustrating day that started with the worst of German uber-efficiency ends with a laugh and some good old bonhomie and laissez-faire.
Footnote: the wifi only works by the bar, but we didn't stay longer than necessary.
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