Day #37 Karlsruhe rest day.

Market place with Greek goddess!

        Over night the air cleared and the rain moved away to the north. After breakfast, I attended to my  buggy's tyre change requirements. I now have this task down to a fine art and replace a tyre in about 10 minutes flat. Practice makes perfect! It amazes me that even  my small distortions to the rotational action of the wheel can be so destructive to tyres as they scuff the concrete.
      Sauntered forth in to the elegant small city of Karlsruhe. It has been remarked that the layout of Karlsruhe's streets, a semi-circle with radiating spokes/streets, was the inspiration for L'Enfant's design of Washington, DC. The city was obliterated during WW11, and it interesting to note how it was reconstructed with new buildings that respected the look and feel of the original. Much of the central area has been converted to attractive pedestrian shopping areas, including numerous well subscribed pavement restaurants. Industrial establishments have been excluded from the centre city area, there being a preponderance of medical clinics, architects and services supporting the large university.
    German supermarkets:
            Small in comparison to UK (Tesco) and Canadian  supermarket stores. The range of items seems to be limited, with special sections for 'in/out'  food & non food flyer items--ends of lines etc.Competition on price seems to be intense. Frequently supermarkets are bunched at the very edges of towns, next to farmers fields, likely to capitalize on lowest possible land prices.Buildings look utility and seem to be of a single design for all the chains. Prices are likely as low as possible--perhaps too low and service is terrible, particularly at the checkout, there being almost always a single girl and 25 customers patiently lined up. This customer, purchasing perhaps 2 or 3 items, now dreads the inevitable 15 minute check-out line.
           With new tyres, I am heading south again tomorrow to Rastatt, last stop before the spa and casino town of Baden Baden.

 Type of overnight lodging: Karlsruhe youth hostel.
Cost of lodging: 31E.