Tauberbischofsheim to Freudenberg

June 29, 2015

A unique day

It's not every day you get to experience another country's dental care but I did today, for the first and, I hope, last time.

Our original plan had been to leave the Romantische Straße and cut across to Bamburg at some point after Rothenburg. Then we decided to skip Bamburg and ride from Tauberbischofsheim to Wertheim (on the Main) along an interesting-looking route we saw on our map. That was to be the first leg of our ride today (and it turned out that all of our ride today was along the Liebliches Taubertal Radweg).

I had been experiencing some pain in my upper jaw almost since we arrived in Germany. Something was awry, triggered perhaps by the pressure changes during the flight. Unfortunately, it was getting worse and interfering with sleeping and eating, two things one wants to enjoy on holiday, not to mention being pain-free. By the time we got to Wertheim, I had decided I needed to see a dentist. The nice young woman at the tourist information gave me directions to a dental office and when I arrived just before noon, I was given an appointment for 2:15. We killed the time by finding a bookstore to purchase a map of the Main Radweg and then going to a bakery where Al devoured a sandwich and I carefully ate a sort of mini pizza, thankfully very soft. I also went to a bank machine and withdrew my maximum, the equivalent of $500 CDN. We moved on to a park where I worked on my journal until it was time to present myself at the dental office.

There, I was assisted in completing new patient forms after I signed a declaration that I hadn't come to Germany for this service and stated when I was leaving the country. They were not able to bill my dental insurance directly since it's not from the EU, but I said I'd pay and make a claim when I got home. As it turned out, it was a good thing Al suggested I get some cash because they didn't take cards.

The patient room was very modern and all white. What was most unusual was the apparent age of the dentist. She didn't look a day over 25 and she had an intern watching her who seemed to be still a teenager. The diagnostic procedure included probing, application of cold, and an X-ray and, as I suspected, there was something really wrong. The dentist's English was okay, but not up to communicating her diagnosis. She drilled out my existing filling, applied an antibiotic, and placed a temporary filling. I am to see my regular dentist when I get home, and until then, I should "be careful" when I eat, as there is a risk of my tooth breaking. Okay, so long as it doesn't scream at me!

We returned to the Main Radweg. As the freezing came off, my jaw was a bit achy, but no more throbbing pain. We rode at an easy pace to Freudenberg.

We found a room at the Hotel Goldenes Fass (Golden Keg). It's a more modern building but it seems to be something of a theme hotel, the theme being mediaeval (knights and damsels). There seem to be special group packages available for weddings and other celebrations. Al says he saw heart decorations in the town but I didn't notice.

After dinner on a terrace by the river, we walked up to the ruins of Freudenburg. On the way, we passed the "oldest house," whose arched doorway bears a date from the 11th century. The house has been kept in good condition over the years and appears to be a family residence today.

The ruined castle, Freudenburg, is used for amateur theatre productions. The current show, on weekends only, is the Niebelungen. The caretaker (?) was there and let us in to take a look. There are a large number of seats and the show seems to include a dragon.