New Tread

Slow start for some reason but eventually I took off with the dogs and a ruptured old car wheel to a tyre dealer in the small village of Stetten, 10km from here. You will find any many villages, small one man band part time  car tyre workshops with a car lift, tyre remover and balancing machine and little else. They don't usually stock tyres but simply order them for you and fit them. Naturally much of their income comes from changing tyres in spring and autumn as winter tyres are mandatory if ice and snow on the roads.

Nowadays there is also a "trend" to people ordering their own tyres on the internet and having them delivered to such a "partner" workshop who for an agreed price do the work. This was how I had ordered the tyre. In fact I know from personal experience and indeed a family member has such a workshop, that the prices the workshops offer for new tyres is actually just as good as those on the internet. However I had chosen this method as I had received a 17€ discount voucher from an online service and simply wanted the cheapest possible legal tyre. Drifting performance etc was not on the list of priorities.

Charming young guy who had told me to be at his place around lunchtime - I suspect his lunch break from his full time employment. Although I said I could leave the wheel and collect it some other time, he insisted on dong it straight away. And indeed within 10 minutes all was done and paid - 15€ including old tyre disposal and a good chat. When I got home later, I did mount it on the car as the oldest (twin of the demolished one) is barely legal and if the wait for the overdue MOT goes on much longer will be illegal.

Then a great walk in the beech forest above Stetten along the fitness parcour. Flash and I left out the various exercises and simply enjoyed the lovely weather. Luna was too busy looking for squirrels to see the signposts.

Again a wonderful evening walk later on with majestic alpine views and spectacular sunset. Sadly the last such day for a while.