26 March - We're Off!

Our first day.  Three hours spent driving to Dover followed by another five hours comfortable but tiring drive on largely deserted European motorways to get to Zell in Germany. What more to say about the day - apart from the two hours sat in the queue and hardly moving at the ferry terminal because of enhanced security, missing our ferry, along with hundreds of others, and catching a later one and generally having a longer day than planned.  But we are now here in Zell, a small town nestled in the valley of the Mosel .

Last time I was here was two years ago when I helped a friend drive to Rome so she could join her partner there.  It was she who told me about Zell, how nice it was and about the 'famous' Black Cat wine they produced.  I decided I had to buy some.  The trouble that time was that we arrived late on a foggy Saturday when everything was shut and left early Sunday before it opened.  I had spent that night in Zell, face pressed against the windows of the many wine shops on the high street - bedecked for Christmas in a way that only Germany does - knowing I would not be getting any bottles to take home with me.

Because of this I had persuaded Lorraine that Zell should be the first stop on our road trip to Italy: this time some of that wine would be leaving with us.  So what better time to arrive than late on the Saturday of an Easter weekend, tired and weary, with Easter Sunday the only opportunity to go to the shops before we depart?  Zell is still a lovely town nestled in the Mosel valley - although it does not have quite the charm it had at Christmas time - and it is still shut.  Maybe next time.....