Wednesday May 16th, departure from Grundfos Center to a hotel in Germany
Now almost ready for departure
The last suitcases and bags are being loaded. As usual we go by the "Vesti" express.
There is a need for something to eat and drink on a tour.
Birthe is having a close look at the lunch.
From Grundfos May 16th at 7 in a bus. The weather was very nice, but that ended when we reached the German border and the rain started and went on and on. It was a little depressing, for the next four days. We did not see much on the first part of the trip to the the hotel in Vogelsberg on the other side of the Kassel mountains. The rain stopped when we arrived at the hotel, that looked better for the coming days.
Thursday from Germany to a hotel in France
The next day, Thursday, we left the hotel directly to the Grundfos company in France. The weather was fine, it seemed to be better driving south. We arrived at the hotel in Saint Avold at about 13:30. There was time to get settled, change of clothes and have something to eat before we had to leave the hotel.
It was nice to be able to eat indoors, there was some rain, and it was cold too.
Yes, finally time for lunch after many hours of driving in the bus.
Here we are in front of our hotel, waiting for the bus and our guide.
All we need is Patrick and the bus, then we are off.
Grundfos France, known as PGF.
A very empty parking space. The factory is closed today.
The flags were there for us, after all.
Thursday afternoon: Petanque tournament from 14:30 to 18:00
There was a planned tournament with the French at 14:30. We were 20 from Denmark to play. Since the factory was closed both Thursday and Friday there was not so many people from there as there could have been. There were 10 French players, but they knew exatly what it was about. There were two Danes and one French in each team and a positive spirit. We knew some of them from tournaments before, they were in Bjerringbro at the Olympic Games, and also from our visit in 2002. You can say that Denmark was the winner, there were more Danes than French to win. We were playing in two parts and all were playing against each other. Number one and two went on to the semifinal and the winners to the final. There were many good games and the winner could have been anyone to the final. Around 19:00 we vent back to the hotel tired, but after a good day.
Now it is time to play Petanque with our French friends.
There was a surprice to Patrick. A T-shirt with a picture of France and Corsica.
All players ready to play, both French and Danish.
There was a small token to our French friends. It is obvious that Petanque is very popular in France, nothing is missing, even a hall to play indoors was there, which was very well, since the weather was bad.
Look at he happy Frenchmen, what can we expect.
All the Danes were also happy, and full of expectations. Now we will beat our French hosts. There was revenge in the air after the last time in 2002.
Løkke, Benthe and Birthe look after the pictures, are they ok?
There was sweat on the forehead from the beginning.
The Danes were also in doubt.
The French are talking, the Danes are not so bad after all.
What to do now?
Without food and drink there are no heroes.
A fantastic kitchen staff.
A Frenchman on his knees, that is not good.
Now we have to see who is best.
Now Gudrun, it is all up to you, all the Danes trust you.
Benthe and Jens with a Frenchman.
Inger Marie and Henry together with a Frenchman.
A proud and happy Patrick in his new T-shirt.
Friday: A boat tour and a visit in Strassbourg
The French had arranged a tour for us with a trip by boat and a tour to Strasbourg.
When we got up in the morning the summer had arrived in France. We left the hotel in high sunshine and about 20 degrees celcius around 10 to the Vogeser mountains, where there was a channel between the Marne and Rhine rivers. It was a great experience for everyone to see and try their sluice systems, especially the famous chute where the sluice and the ship sank 100 meters down the side of the mountain, and later came up in the same way on the tour back. By using a system like that, they save 17 ordinary sluices.
After the boat tour we drove into Strasbourg to do the city.
Arriving to our tour on the canal.
It is always good with a guide to the route.
The tour boat, ready for us, for a very different tour than we had imagined.
The lunch was ready for us when we came on board, very lovely.
Patrick is just checking that everyone is in place.
It was a very lovely tour with a unique nature along the canal.
The canal is located at the bottom of the mountains, the tops are very high from here below.
Suddenly, while we vere sailing, the canal stopped. If you are looking down, there is a road. How to sail on?
You can see it on the picture in the background. An impressing construction.
You can see how they move the boat up and down. Note that it is all dry, not a drop of water on the whole construction.
You can see here how far down there is to the river below.
Looking at the top of the picture, you can see the big "bath tub" coming down. It is full of water, and there is a boat in it too, and all the water stay inside.
The cathedral of Strasbourg.
Gathered in front of the cathedral we are divided into four parts as to what we wanted to see in the¨ city.
In the picture among others: Jens - Brian - Carsten - Karin - Gerda and Margit.
It is obviouis that the good weather has arrived in France.
In the picture, among others: Inger S. - Ib - Sv. Åge - Lisbeth - Ruth and Jens Peter.
A lot of people find their way to the square with the cathedral, situated in the old town.
It is not possible to find a nicer picture of a street.
There are also hot dogs (bread and sausages) in France, but the size is bigger than in Denmark.
They were very delicious, more tasty, but the size, no thank you.
One of the streets close to the river Mosel.
There are a lot of old houses.
Everywhere, someone wants to sell you something.
A view down the river Mosel from one of the many bridges.
There are tour boats on the river, we did not use one of them, but the river looks nice.
Saturday: Departure from Saint Avold to Germany
A small present to our four guides in Strasbourg.
Patrick and hans wife were two of them.
It was time to think about going home, but some shopping was needed before returning to Denmark. We had to buy new petanque balls. You pay almost three times for a ball in Denmark, so there was money to save. At about 11 we left Sanit Avold heading towards Göttingen in Germany where we should stay overnight. It was a quiet trip until suddenly smoke came from the bus while we were on the highway. We pulled over and everyone out of the bus. There was both a mechanic and an electrician in our party and they quickly figured out what was wrong. The wires to the heating system had melted. Fresh air into to bus, everyone on board and we could continue the trip to Göttingen. We settled in and had something to eat.
Wonder if it could be possible to have a small one more?
OK, it was possible.
Sunday: From Germany to Bjerringbro and home
We left the hotel in the morning to drive the rest of the way home to lovely dear little Denmark.