We slept very well again, but not quite as well as the night before. Immediately after getting up at 9 o'clock we have a quick coffee and then start to get the motorhome ready. That means everything that can fly around must be stored in the cupboards and the closet, the dishes must be washed and all windows closed. There is a checklist in the rental vehicle which proves to be very useful for this. Depending on what you forget before you start the journey, it can get quite expensive. For example, if you do not close the roof hatch and it is torn off by the wind while driving. Before we start there is also a big event coming up: the first use of a supply and disposal station! We're skipping breakfast today.
At the station there is a grid on the floor for the so-called grey water - the water that has been used for washing hands, rinsing and showering. Then there's a dispenser with two faucets and a hole on the floor. The hole is for the contents of the cassette toilet, the two faucets for rinsing the toilet and for filling the fresh water tank. Fortunately, in this case we can immediately see which faucet should be used for what purpose.
Disposal is then also quite quick and easy, only with the refilling of the fresh water tank we are unlucky: the faucet does not provide any water. Luckily I didn't take a shower yesterday, because we still have at least 25% remaining water in the tank for flushing the toilet and washing our hands. Then we just have to fill up in Trier. From the Ohmbach reservoir it is still about 100km, which we can travel without problems within a short time. There is hardly any traffic and this time we use the motorway again. It is not that interesting but it is simply faster.
In the early afternoon we reach the pitch at the winery G.F. von Nell. It has space for approx. 15 motorhomes. Only a few visitors are here and we can choose one from several free lots. The motorhome god is clearly on our side, because a little later the pitch will be completely overcrowded. Some mobile homes even have to park in the field. Thursday is a holiday and probably many people use their long weekend for a short trip to Trier.
After our arrival we ask our neighbours about the supply facilities. Unfortunately, the fresh water faucet is also defective here. But we learn that there is another one in the winery. To use it, we first have to drive over a narrow bridge and then backwards up a 50-metre-long driveway, under a gate into the inner courtyard. As it were the acid test of manoeuvring with our giant vehicle. I check the height of the passage: maximum 3.10m, this just about fits.
As we pass through the gate, Claudi gets out to check from the outside that we really don't get stuck anywhere. Especially the awning, for example, is a thing that one can hardly keep an eye on just by using the co-drivers mirror. But the gate as well as the awning remain intact. After we have refilled the fresh water tank and also registered at the reception, we return to the pitch. There exists no disposal facility here, which is why it is clear that we can stay only for a maximum of about two days before it gets ugly. But that should be enough for our visit of Trier.
Since the weather is still good and the sun shines all the time, we tilt the windows so that it does not get too hot in the vehicle until we return in the evening. Then we set out to explore the city by foot.
Trier was founded by the Romans and was of greater importance to them. For example, the city was at times the imperial residence of the emperors in the West. As a result, there were and are many Roman buildings, some of which fortunately are very well preserved, so that one can admire more than just a few remains of walls.
According to Google Maps we should be able to reach the amphitheatre on the outskirts of the city in about 20 minutes by walking - but we are actually a bit faster. The entrance fee is not exactly cheap with 4€ per person, but one can also buy various combination tickets with which one can then visit further buildings in Trier. This can also save you some money. Of course, there are guided tours in theory, but we are too late. In addition there are free orientation maps at the entrance which already contain a quite detailed description of the site.
This was supposedly designed for approx. 20,000 spectators and is therefore easily overseeable. There are two entrances to the arena and the remains of the spectator terraces. These consist only of green hills with a few retrofitted stairs and paths. Below there are several passageways and former chambers for animals. As in many (maybe all?) Roman arenas the floor was undercellared. There was a lifting platform with the help of which animals, people and other things could be transported directly from the cellar into the arena.
We can reach this underworld via a staircase, clearly a highlight of today! There is water everywhere, which is why we can only move over given walkways. Larger accumulations of water mark the holes in which the counterweights of the large lifting platform used to move. The bases of the platform are still visible. According to the orientation map, various texts (e.g. incantations for underworld gods) were also found on lead signs. It is dim and light only falls through a few small glass windows on the ceiling. Very dark and atmospheric and definitely worth a visit! A year ago we had already been to Itálica in Spain in a similar amphitheatre - but there was not much to see from the cellar.
After we ascended again it looks like rain. Stupid of us leaving the windows on the motorhome tilted. Since the risk of water damage is too high for us, we make our way back to the pitch. In the future, we'll always close everything off before moving more than a few meters away. Luckily we hadn't got very far this time.
After we arrive we take a short break to search the net for the nearest bathing opportunity in Trier. We finally have to take a shower, but with this inconvenient way to get fresh water supply here at the winery we want to save water. The Trier indoor bath is not far from the pitch and is also perfectly located on the way to the city centre. So we pack our swimsuits and walk there. At the baths they offer tickets for only one hour - perfect for us. Besides showering we can also swim a few laps.
Refreshed and revitalized, but hungry, we continue into the city. It is already getting dark, so we just take a quick look at the Porta Nigra and then start looking for something to eat. We stroll across the market place and through small side streets. It's really busy, people are everywhere and the city seems lively and is also quite pretty to look at. It has many old, beautifully decorated houses.
We discover a diner called Burgeramt and eat really good burgers there! Another highlight! And as if that wasn't enough, we are really lucky again, because without knowing it we arrived just in time. We are practically the last guests to get something to eat. Shortly afterwards the kitchen closes although it is still not late. Whew! Whether the Burgeramt always closes so early, or whether it is because tomorrow is a holiday, we do not get to know any more.
Full and tired we return to the pitch and let the evening end comfortably.
Continue reading
- Thursday, 10.05.2018 - A day in Trier
- Friday, 11.05.2018 - Visit to Luxembourg city
- Saturday, 12.05.2018 - The last day of our trip
- Sunday, 13.05.2018 - Time to go home
