Hoxter

After just a short journey from Wewelsburg we holed up in stunning countryside near the town of Hoxter. A little Wohnmobilehafen in the village of Bellersen was a great place for us to stay for a few nights as the nearby Bistro (Fierendorf) has Wi Fi and serve superb Schlemmerschnitzel with the obligatory selection of mouth watering beers

From Bellersen we said our goodbyes and headed for Hoxter for the night next to the receding swollen river we had cycled to just days earlier

bet you thought they had gone bust.....

Another day another marathon bike ride!

Nina starts out smiling, enjoys the ride, goes quiet for ages, then wants to kill me at the end when she has no idea where we are and various secret areas are sore!

Hey ho...can't drink beer without a little pain later.....

Wewelsburg Castle

We visited here with trepidation knowing that although the castle was a must see, we were acutely aware it was once a former SS Instructional facility, or so we thought

I must say the museum and meticulous attention to detail was a little overwhelming at first but as with all German exhibitions relating to this awful time you are left feeling better for your visit

The SS HQ building was free of charge to visit as it is regarded as an educational facility and is replicated throughout Germany

In 1934 Heinrich Himmler turned this magnificent triangulated castle in to a SS Cult Centre for the 'enlightenment and education' of SS officers

These dungeons were actually used initially for correction purposes relating to witchcraft way back when but used during WW2 for other purposes as you can imagine

There is much to see here and the history of the village and its inhabitants are well documented

On a lighter note I'm sure I've seen this place in numerous war films, quite eerie really

There were two concentration camps locally during the war and their inmates were used heavily to restore parts of the castle on Himler's wishes.

This place never really fulfilled the expectations of its early occupation by the SS and for some reason its intended use never materialised

If you are passing go here, its well worth it..

Now then...

If money was no object we'd have one of these converted for touring

Dream on....

Potts Brauerie, Oelde

This next brewery looked good on paper and was even better in the flesh

Our initial mistake might have been to arrive too early but a good lunch and a few tasters padded the afternoon out nicely

This place has got it sorted

Butchers, bakers and delicatessen all within a working brewery open to the public

The baker at work 10 feet from the bar

Landbeer, our favourite of the day

Caught me!

2 days a week here and all I can carry would be fine

Germany (Westfalia)

It seems as soon as we entered Holland we were across it and in to Germany

A little research on Tintaweb revealed a detailed map of german breweries to be explored, exploited, abused and enjoyed. I really hope this map will not become our new travelling companion as I'd rather hoped we would strike a balance between good living and the outdoor exercise thing....

Clever...dumb balance really

So after a shortish drive we found our first new venture all in the name of research and international relations at Klutes Brauerie near Havixbeck

The deal here was Trink, Trink und denn Schlaf gut im der Wohnmobile am Parkplatz next door!

The steak was as predicted, big, tender and gone in just a few minutes!

Payback next day was cycle, cycle

Windmills are not just for the Dutch

Rietburg moving slowly eastwards was a lovely town criss crossed by cycle paths and spotless streets