MONDAY 9th JULY 2012FRANKFURTLeisurely start this morning - packed up and checked out, a bit of a choke at the bar and washing costs on the bill! - then got a ten minute taxi ride to the station where we had some breakfast and went to the DB lounge (similar to the Qantas Club) where we relaxed and used the free wifi while we waited for our train! Our online purchased train tickets were for reserved seats in first class (38 Euros each - a steal) and we were allowe...

SATURDAY 7th JULY 2012BERLINAhhhhh! A lovely sleep in! Didn't surface until eight thirty and then found a little cafe and had a beaut coffee and some waffles for brekky, sitting outside because already it was very humid and quite hot! According to the waitress the hot weather is most unusual as it normally only gets to about twenty five degrees here in summer, and everyone is sweltering!The concierge in the hotel had booked the hop-on hop-off bus tour for us ...

FRIDAY 6th JULY 2012BACK TO GERMANYCaught up with a few of the group at breakfast this morning and said farewells, then we ordered a large taxi to get us and our gear out to Heathrow! An old Vauxhall Zafira driven by an Indian bloke about seventy five years old turned up, and we had to help him get the cases into the back, before we set out off!!! As it turned out he was a bloody good driver and got us through the early morning traffic in no time, obeying all the...

TUESDAY 3rd JULY 2012GERMANYAfter a very early five forty five wake up, we were on the road at seven thirty and heading for the Black Forest. We made a stop at the Rhine Falls, which although not very high, had a very impressive flow of water over them due to the heavy rain over the mountains in the past few days! The clear green water was thundering over the rocks, with spray going everywhere! We had a coffee at the riverside lookout and saw dozens of large trou...