On Sunday as we were heading to Einsbach, we were delighted to find in our book one that was free (kostenlos) and had free electricity (strom). It was a motorhome dealership in nearby Sulzemoos, and on arrival it did as promised and provided free parking and electricity for the night. Many other motorhomers were parked up inside the massive dealership (one of the largest in Germany) and so we parked, plugged in and had a lovely night's sleep.
The next day, after shopping for groceries and running some errands in nearby Dachau (Rachel successfully bought an iPhone SIM card speaking only German to the cashier - it was very impressive), we returned to the dealership to find no one parked there. It was only 2pm, so we assumed nobody else had arrived yet, and proceeded to buy some supplies (including a super warm doona) and exchange a gas bottle at the dealership.
Afterwards, we headed back to our camping spot from the previous night and parked. There was still nobody else there. Assuming it was just a quiet night we grabbed our books and read for a couple of hours.
At 7pm sharp, the motorhome dealership closed and locked the gates. We were locked in, parked in amongst hundreds of motorhomes for sale. Nobody else had arrived and parked for the night. It was just us. The gate hadn't been locked the night before. It was at this point we realised we were in the wrong place.
We nervously watched as the dealership employees drove past us, opened the gate, drove through and locked it again. There was no way we could sneak through without having to have a confusing conversation in German, and try and explain why we were parked inside their private dealership. Rachel's German is good, but not quite up to telling this whole story to a confused and possibly angry motorhome salesman.
We slept fitfully that night, with all the blinds and shutters closed, and using as little light as possible so as not to arouse suspicion. After dark I connected up the power, but it had been switched off.
Just before 7am we woke to find the gate still closed. Soon afterwards we peeked through the window again and saw a man open it, drive in and leave it open.
We made a break for it. Still in pyjamas, we tossed our dishes in the sink, grabbed the electrical cord and started the car. I tried to drive as though I was supposed to be there, like I was following an instruction to move the black motorhome up to the showroom, and drove out the gates.
Nobody followed us. Nobody asked us any questions or looked twice at the black van driving away at 7am. They were probably watching us from inside thinking "Ja, ve got anuzzer one! It is so funny ven zey run avay like zat!"
Rachel: On Tuesday, after finally being freed from our motorhome prison in nearby Sulzemoos, we travelled to Einsbach. In 2004, while studying German in year 11 at school, I lived in the little town of Einsbach near Dachau for one month over Easter. The Hainzinger family were my gracious hosts and I attended school in Dachau with Veri, my host sister. I returned home somewhat heavier (thanks to all those pretzels, Easter eggs, sausages and cheese sandwiches) and an affinity for German beer. Oh and I was a little better at speaking German too. Later in July, Veri came to Australia for one month and the exchange was complete.
When I knew we were travelling to Germany I got in touch with Veri and arranged to catch up. We went to Veri's new flat in Einsbach for breakfast. Despite having been seven years since I last saw her she hadn't changed a bit but we had a lot of catching up to do. In a bizarre consequence, Veri has also finished her law degree (she's just completing her compulsory legal training by working for the State of Bavaria) and even has the exact same car as me.
After a delicious breakfast with her and her boyfriend Ingoll, Veri took Matt and I into Dachau where we wandered about the castle and it's gardens and enjoyed lunch outside in the sun. It was wonderful to be able to chat and relax. We then went back to Veri's and walked to the other side of Einsbach to Veri's parents house. It was quite a surreal experience as everything was EXACTLY the same, including her parents. Even her younger sister who was 9 when I visited and is now 16 looked the same, only taller. Veri's dad is still the mayor of Einsbach and a few of the surrounding villages (including Sulzemoos).
We enjoyed a traditional Bavarian dinner of Weisswurst (white veal sausages) and Leberkase (a meatloaf of liver and cheese), both of which are delicious. We washed it down with some good ol' German beer.
Veri's parents don't speak much English so Matt sat there sipping his drinks (which Veri's father was all too keen to keep refilling) while Veri or I translated for him. He would occasionally tell a story or ask a question in English or even say a few words in German. I was so surprised at how much I could still say and understand considering I haven't spoken it since finishing year 12 six years ago.
We said our goodbyes and drove to Munich where we spent the night in a Stellplatz at Allianz Arena, a big stadium on the outskirts of the city where they let motorhomes stay when there isn't a game on.
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