- the Nimbus needed an engine check at Schempp
- the Transit van was in for a rego check
- the 302 was in for calibration
- our heroes had to drive 2100k to Schempp then Szeged
Sat 10 july - everything is shut for the w/e so might as well go sightseeing - we became movie stars when the TV crew turned up at the neighbours' to film the battle b/w residents and the local golf club pelting golf balls into their backyards. Anders (on babysitting duty with the 2 girls) took us to a nature reserve to the north - the red deer and wild boar had been hunted out in the 1800's - but reintoduced in the early 1900's - the peat bog was drained so it could be mined for use in concrete production during WW2 - but re-flooded recently to re-establish the wetland. From there to the beach - and the mile-long ice-cream queue!
Sun 11 july - we gave up on the 302 arriving and Anders drove us 100k to Arnborg to steal another one out of his D2A - ah to have a huge green all-over landing field, with glider hangars, trailer hangars & onsite cabins! On a walk down the fjord towards the neighbour's waterfront cottage we almost stepped on a snake ... in Denmark? What the ...?
Mon 12 july - Anders drove us 50k to Randers to collect the new number plates from the Danish motor registry - picked up the van (& quick fit number plate holders), took it home, cleaned it, packed it, hooked on the trailer - then discovered our brand new Tom Tom ordered with European maps actually had USA/Canada maps instead - that's helpful!
Pulled out the paper map I'd bought while backpacking round Europe in 1978 - fortunately it's pretty simple to get to Schempp - head south 1100k & turn left at Stuttgart. Except the getting to the freeway bit - within 2 mins of leaving Anders' we ended up in a dead-end residential street & had to back out! Scenery gradually changed from extremely neat & all green to less neat & some brown (ripe) as we went south. After about 6 rest stops full of trucks, we eventually found a park for van & trailer near midnight & got a few hours kip in the back of the trannie.
Tue 13 july - Another couple of hours drive, left at Stuttgart, left off the autobahn, 2nd abfahrt to Kirchheim Teck, missed the turn into Kreben Str (sign behind the trees but couldn't get a nimbus trailer round the turn anyway), so turned at next street intending to do the block ... well after dog-walkers & bicyclists went round us, and cars gave up & backed away, we eventually backed the trailer round the corner & went round a bigger block to the Schempp factory in a narrow residential street!
7.50am - arrived (10 mins early) - within 10 mins the trailer was off the car, the gilder out of the box, the Arcus out of the workshop & the Nimbus in! Bernd asked where we'd stayed & deduced we'd be needing breakfast - which caused us to burst into song ....We come from a land downunder
We drove all night with Viking plunder
They took us in and gave us breakfast
Then they checked to see our donk works!
So while 2 apprentices under Bernd's direction did the 25 hourly incl belt change, we breakfasted in the staff canteen, went shopping at Aldi (change from highway food), walked into the old town, found an optometrist to weld the arm back on my glasses (looks like a bought one - only 23E - you just can't beat German engineering!), lunched on German sausage, talked to Tilo just back from Prievidza, and had a factory tour ...
3.00 pm - first engine run - dead cut on one side - much fiddling ...3.30 pm - new ignition
4.00 pm - 2nd engine run - successful!
4.30 pm - glider back in box, trailer back on car, car back on autobahn, continued east ...
Many THANK YOU's to the Schempp staff - couldn't possibly have had better service!!
About dinner time found a servo for fuel, food & shower - ah the autobahn system ... you could live inside forever!Soon after dark started looking for a rest stop to sleep - again about 6 rest stops to find a spot (clearly we need to start earlier!)
Wed 14 july - tight squeeze getting out of our parking spot b/w the trucks - crossed into Austria & paid first toll - 7.90E for the day - scenery becoming even less neat & browner as we headed east - with some harvesting (much relief!) - crossed into Hungary - paid next toll - 4000 HUFs (about $20) for a month - at Budapest turned south to Szeged - at the Serbian border (oops) turned back north to Szeged - eventually found the airfield & trailer park - waaaaay too hot to rig - so found the apartment, Lars & Heinz, the pool, a restaurant, beer, food, internet & a bed (a real one) - yaaaay!Stay tuned for the next exciting episode ...
- how long (& how many people) will it take to rig the Nimbus with its 6 piece wing, 10 hoteliers, & instruments held on by suction caps & cliplock?
- will the calibrated 302 ever turn up with the Danish team?
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