A downer in Germany (No Alexander though)

Germany has been a major disappointment - but may work out in the end.

Tuesday
Pretty seedy from the flight and the condition of the hostel room made me less than cheerful.

Wednesday
Another bloody public holiday - everytime I try and contact Ellsbett there is a public holiday. Regardless of that I decide to embrace the challenge, get out and about, catch some trains, do some walking. I find a map at the train station and on it find Thalmassing (the town Ellsbett is in) and WieBenburger Str (the street Ellsbett is on). Ah-hah I've found them. I catch the Underground to the end, find the street and walk the entire length of it - No Ellsbett.
I ask a weary soul at a bustop if he's ever heard of Ellsbett - Blank look. I show him my piece of paper - "Oh you need Thalmassing - it's that way but I don't know how far" - I am in a subdivision where each street was named after a regional town!
Walk back to the Underground and ask a taxidriver if he knows where Thalmassing is. He doesn't, but consults his Compaq iPad and merrily informs it is about 70 Euro.
Catch the train back to the city, go to a bookshop and buy an atlas of Germany
Find a nice coffee shop and drink overpriced coffee whilst paying to surf the web, find a car for thursday & friday
Go back to my 20 euro a night flee pit.

Thursday
Checkout of Flee city
Ring up Ellsbett to confirm visit to find that the 2 people I have dealt with so far won't be there. The person on the phone is trying to tell me that maybe I should come another time. After I explain that I have come from Australia and that I am leaving on Saturday they promise that someone will talk to me.
Pick up rental car.
Nice Audi A3 1.9 litre TDi - I want one
Plan trip to Thalmassing, drive 210 km, look for WieBenburger Str and can't find it on the city map billboard, consult German atlas, discover the other Thalm'a'ssing - the one where the 'a' has umlots. That would be the one that is only 50 km from Nurmberg ( where the u has umlots!)
On the third try I finally made it to Tham'a'ssing.
The people at Ellsbett were very friendly and helpful. The 2 people I have had contact with in the past were both around (although one had to leave for a meeting - I will see him tomorrow) and to top it off they suggested a nice hotel in a nearby town - and for only 31 euro a night.
So, in the end, things worked out well.

Friday (planned)
Visit Ellsbett again,
return to Nurmberg
return car
stay in a more salubrious motel

Saturday (planned)
do some sightseeing
catch train to airport
fly home


It is amazing that so often when I do stuff toward the Biofuels, I meet all sorts of intangible problems, as if there is some sort of opposition from somewhere. I really believe that what I am doing has a long term significance and that I am looking after GOD's creation. (either that or I am dillusional - your choice)