Our five week tour of Germany was coming to an end and the Black Forest beckoned. Above is Schiltach, pretty much in the centre and a good few hours drive through tall pine trees. Apart from the lack of gateaux it’s exactly how you would expect…

Of course the famous gateaux was invented elsewhere and was named after the local cherries. The pizza and wine were delicious though.

On the way we’d stopped a few nights at Bad Worishofen. Because of the spa and mainly because we were snowed in (absolutely nothing to do with the naked spa night every Saturday, honestly)

Ravensburg en route to the Forest also had a marvellous Christmas market…..

And then upwards to Gernsbach at the top of the Black Forest. Our stops have been lead by weather and car parks which have meant some great lesser visited towns. The lovely folk of Gernsbach asked several times why were there! More beautiful buildings, amazing views, friendly bars and Christmas lights of course…

A prankster did, however, put a dead fish up our waste drainage pipe somewhere in the area…. made us jump then laugh!

Van behind in overnight fish stop…

And now to France via Switzerland  (quickly as the weather was blizzard at best).

Merry Christmas, Doz and Elaine x 

Fairytale castle anyone? Well, if you could see it through the blizzard Neuschwanstein was impressive. It was also tourist central and overrun with camera wielding groups (like us just minus a dog)

As we could barely see the castle for the snow, never mind the beautiful alpine view, we decided to leave before getting stuck in the car park. Shame as it was quite a building.

We’d spent a couple of busy (and stein filled) nights in Munich before heading down to Lake Tegernsee and the small town of Bad Wiessee. We’d treated ourselves to a few nights in a hotel and, being Germany,  I was even allowed in the breakfast room. The lake and surrounding hills were stunning and everywhere so Christmassy. We loved it.

Dogs in Italians, bierhaus’, taverns and hotels – me and a couple of terriers in Munich! 

It seems that every town in Germany has a shiny, bauble filled Christmas market. And every market has lots of sausage stalls driving me nuts (so far I have managed to steal two much to Elaine’s embarrassment). Above and below is Ingolstadt…

Top left is the yellow Old Anatomy Building, the 1818 university setting of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. As is obvious Ingolstadt also had a rather pretty, and busy, Christmas market. 

Bavaria is one handsome town after another. Donauworth, above, was our next stop, it’s motorhome parking is free so more to spend in the very accommodating bars. Dogs can go almost anywhere in Germany and are made to feel most welcome.

Above is Nordlingen, a random town we chose but see what I mean about handsome towns… It has a circular medieval wall you can walk all the way round, countless timber houses, lovely hotels and, of course, a wonderful Christmas market. More hot wine and sausages…… 

Before we’d got this far we spent a noisy night in a car park in outer Nuremberg. Chosen because it was close to Luitpoldhain a lovely park that was once the site of huge Nazi rallies. Reclaimed and full of dogs and chatting locals (quite rightly)

 Dogs in Mexican restaurants – one…