Starting high atop the Stelvio Pass, our plan for the coming week was simply to continue east and explore Italy’s world renowned Dolomite mountain range ( “Dolomiti”, to the Italians ), briefly cross southern Austria and then head south down the Adriatic coast with a brief stop as we crossed Slovenia. If that sounds like a lot, it’s actually all very close together ( the beauty of Europe ! ).
The run down the Stelvio Pass was just as exciting as the climb up to it and again we saw plenty of folks out walking, riding, but mostly driving this iconic road. Scenery was at all times breathtaking as was the variety of exotic cars we saw testing out its famous curves. Highlight was a classic Aston Martin DB5, closely followed by an E-type Jag of the same vintage. I was drooling. More Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s than we could even count !
Very grainy shot as it was enlarged but the classic lines of the DB5 are clear. And look what is coming behind it !….another classic. The unmistakable, incomparable, E – type Jaguar. And, being driven on the Stelvio, no less .
After a little bit of rural northern Italy we approached the famous Dolomite mountain range. If we did not underestimate the stunning beauty of the Dolomites ( their reputation is very well deserved ) we most certainly did underestimate how popular they were. The roads were intensely busy, parking ( anything, even small cars ) was a real challenge, and getting access to its more famous hikes ( Seceda, Tre Cime, for example ) proved nigh on impossible. The fact that it was a Saturday again ( did we not learn anything from last Saturday in Chamonix ? ), one of the last weekends of summer, and probably the most perfect day of the year meant that it was a gong show of people and vehicles. Loved the couple of days, total scenic overload, but could have done without the crowds.
Views coming off the Stelvio PassHo hum…..just another Italian exotic car on the Stelvio Pass ( lol ! ).The Italians all love to travel to “Le Dolomiti” !Dolomites in the distance.Beautiful lighting when we camped the first night.Dolomites – in places reminiscent of Torres del Paine in Chile.Dolomites, near St. Christina.One of the days was picture perfect – the bluest skies, the greenest mountainsides.One of those places where you just had to get out and soak it all in ( when you could find a place to stop !!).Paso de Falzarego, the pass we went through. Coming down into Cortina d’Ampezzo ( site of the 1956 Winter Olympics.Pretty Lago do Ghedina, just outside the ski village of Cortina d’Ampezzo.This is typical of what one faces on a beautiful summer’s day in the Italian Dolomites -Tre Cime ( and Seceda ) are a couple of the more spectacular ridges/formations and attract huge traffic. We could not even get parking, much less make our way to the gondola where the line ups were brutal. Fortunately still many other stunning views elsewhere in the area.Tried twice to access Tre Cime but they turned us back both times 😟.People parked miles away, then lined up for buses. Crazy popular place.Still lots of beauty here beyond just the well known ones.
At this stage we’d had our fill of beautiful mountains, our necks now kinked from constantly twisting 180 degrees to take it all in. Leaving Italy through southern Austria we ended up spending a couple of days in and around a pretty town called Villach. The front brake job we had skipped in Amsterdam ( due to a parts delay ) still needed doing ( if not before, then certainly after the workout they got coming down those high passes in Switzerland and Italy ! ). The local Mercedes dealer was able to get them in and install them in 2 days so we decided to wait it out and have the work done there. The folks at MB in Villach were super helpful and once the parts arrived it was all done in just a couple of hours – we should now be good for many more mountain passes !
Extremely helpful service from Mercedes Benz in Villach, Austria. Thank you, Mary and Michael.
From Austria we will finally start heading south again – in the coming blog we’ll share an update on Slovenia and our first days in Croatia.
Museum of the Cold War era on the Austria/Slovenian border.
Till next week…😉
In Case You Wondered
Q: What do you do for medical insurance being away for so long and isn’t it expensive ?
A: We’ve used several different medical providers over the years but most recently have been using IMG Global, a US company. They have a good reputation, offer a variety of tailored options, and make extensions easy ( a feature we often use ). We returned to Canada in late May, 3 weeks before our policy expired, and they even provided a pro-rated premium refund. In our experience, few companies do this. Most importantly they allow us to select a higher deductible ( excess ) in order to keep premiums more affordable. We “self insure” up to $2,500 USD and so far ( fingers crossed ! ) that’s worked well for us.
From our first visit here in 1985, and through a couple of others since, this has always been one of our favourite countries – and one of the countries in the world that we admire most.
Had not thought of castles in Switzerland but passed this one near Martigny on the way in from France.We were also surprised by what looked like terraced vineyards in the area – wine, from Switzerland ?
This visit we had a few specific goals – drive some of Switzerland’s great mountain passes, explore regions we had missed before ( in the south and south east ), revisit a couple of our favourite places, and finally, visit some old friends we had last seen a few years back at an Overlander camp in Buenos Aires.
First, the road trip. From the very beginning of our retirement travels ( back in 2019 when we created the OneEndlessRoad website ), our primary goal was simply to drive some of the worlds great roads. In the years since we’ve been working our way through many of them ( the full Pan Am, the “full lap” of Australia, to name but a few, and of course, countless legendary national road trips within these long national and international routes – Chile’s Carretera Austral, Argentina’s Route 40, Australia’s Gibb River Rd and Cape York Track being among the more memorable). Switzerland, while not offering any such lengthy road trips of note, does offer some world-renowned high mountain passes (one of which was even featured in a classic James Bond movie). While sadly not doing it in an iconic Aston Martin DB5, we still managed to drive the famous Furka Pass ( featured in Goldfinger ), and nearby Grimsel Pass, the even more stunning “Paso de Stelvio” ( Stelvio Pass ) connecting Switzerland with Italy , and the Fluela Pass ( connecting Davos to the Stelvio Pass road ). These, in addition to the impressive back roads we took across Crans Montana and the Appenzell region made for an incredibly memorable driving week in Switzerland – it’s just that kind of postcard-like country in which every direction you look, you see something of stunning beauty. Equally impressive was to see the range of truly exotic and iconic European sports cars traversing these routes, along with a couple of old British classic cars as well. Seems we were not the only car ( or, in our case, ‘van’ ) buffs on the road in Switzerland that week.
Swiss countryside in the way to Furka Pass.First view of Furka’s famous switchbacks.The view down over Furka from above.A tedious, slow climb but made it to the top. Here the elevation is 2,429 metres.You might recognize this famous ( but now closed ) hotel from the car chase scene in the James Bond classic movie “Goldfinger”. It was built into the inside of a very tight hairpin bend. Still attracting tourists over 50 years after the movie made it famous.Hotel Belvedere, Furka Pass.Tacky tourist shot !From the Furka Pass to the almost equally challenging Grimsel Pass.Traditional Swiss scene at the bottom of the Grimsel Pass.
In between all these particular mountain pass roads, time was made time for revisits to Interlaken and Lucerne, two of Switzerlands prettier attractions which fell conveniently within our path across the south of the country. Both offered exceptionally clear and sunny days making for memorable return visits.
Brienz, near Interlaken.Downtown in beautiful Interlaken.View from Interlaken.A street scene, Interlaken. Not sure which city started this “inverted umbrella the” thing, but we have now seen it in at least half a dozen other places.Mountain road en route to Lucerne.Our prettiest camp spot in Switzerland- just across the lake from Lungern. We woke up to this view.Lucerne city – one of Switzerland prettiest.Selfie time.
Great road trips and scenic cities are always highlights when you are on the road but so too is the opportunity to catch up with old friends. We had kept in contact with Peter and Nicole over the past 3 years since last meeting them at a campground in Buenos Aires as we wrapped up the PanAm. We enjoyed a few wonderful days together there and went out for dinner in the city on a couple of occasions. They’ve spent many years traveling South America in their 4 x 4 VW and we have enjoyed following their overlanding adventures since we left them. Fortunately, this summer found them back in Switzerland for a few months R&R so it provided a great opportunity to stop by and see them in the picturesque community of Gonten where they live. It’s a stunningly beautiful place and close by is the city of Appenzell where we joined them to watch one of Switzerland’s seasonal “cow descent“ ( or Alpabfahrt ). A visit to the nearby Laderach chocolate plant gave us the opportunity to get involved in making some chocolate and to learn about just exactly what goes into making this legendary Swiss product. Sharing the time with them and their good friends Bruno and Regula ( just back from an overland trip to Georgia themselves ) and enjoying a traditional Raclette dinner with them was a real highlight of the trip so far – I don’t think we have had such an intense culinary and sensory experience in some time ! Thank you, Peter and Nicole !
Visited Laderach chocolate factory – hand a hand in making some for ourselves and enjoyed learning how the Swiss kits make it so well.The “blonde” chocolate fountain. I took a few extra tastes at this one – divine !Our creations on the conveyer for cooling.Lois’s finished map of Switzerland.…and mine.In the almost 4 month long hunt for Europe’s best hot chocolate, the search ended with this one from Laderach. No surprise then that one of the best chocolatiers should make the best hot chocolate !Wonderful reconnection with our dear Swiss friends, Peter and Nicole – we’d last seen each other in Buenos AiresHappened to stop by as Bruno and Regula were visiting while n route home to a Switzerland from Georgia – great tips gleaned about a possible trip through there.Nicole treated us to a traditional Swiss Rackette dinner. The BEST cheese !Shout out to Peter, whose impressive array of tools helped me with some maintenance on the van. High light of our stay in Gonten – the traditional Swiss “cow descent”, or Alpabfahrt.If we were not listening to church bells, then it was cow bells. Such a peaceful rural sound- the bells can be huge !
From Switzerland, the plan is to tour through Italy’s legendary Dolomites for a few days before heading to Slovenia through eastern Austria. Lots to see. I’ll close this week with a few shots of our last “drive” in Switzerland – from Gonten, south east to Davos and on through the Fluela Pass to Zernez and then to the Stelvio Pass on the Swiss / Italian border ( exhilarating, to say the least !).
Left Gonten for the Stelvio Pass – almost missed the fact that it cut through the bottom of Liechtenstein and this beautiful castle in Balzers.Scenery en route to Fluela and Stelvio passes.A couple of Lotus’s and a Porsche Boxster overtaking us on the way to Stelvio. We were overtaken…..a lot !Memorial at Stelvio pass marking a military battle in WW1.Camped for the night, atop the stunning Stelvio pass.Signs marking the options to go down. Stelvio sign in the middle.View down from the top is Stelvio. A spectacular drive with incredibly tight hairpins, some requiring 2 point turns in our 7m long rig.
Till next week…..
In Case You Wondered:
Q: How do you determine where to stay each night ?
A: We have been asked this one a lot. I have periodically been adding pics of camping/parking places ( to show what’s typical ) but it seems people are especially curious about this. While campgrounds are certainly available if one needs to use them, we are fully self-contained and hence generally avoid them. There is just no need, and in Europe they can sometimes be congested as well. They can also be expensive, especially in high season, and the popular ones require booking in advance – and we always avoid that !
In cities it’s very common to use 24hr parking stations ( these allow you to get right downtown, but you are “parking” and not “camping” in the strict sense of the word ). The term “camping” is probably used somewhat generously in some cases. In these situations, one does not put chairs or awnings out – but we are still very thankful and appreciative of the flexibility to stay so close to downtown areas ( we are very respectful and certainly “don’t bite the hand that feeds us” ! ). So far anyway it just seems much easier to do this in Europe. Park4Night ( an app ) is the “bible” of European van/RV travellers in this regard. The iOverlander app is good all over the world though not quite so strong in Europe. Both these apps show both free and payable locations where one can park/camp overnight. The options are numerous – we’ve never worried about finding a place, ever.
Personally when deciding where to stay ( though some would prioritize differently ) we focus on security first, convenience of location second, flat( or “flat’ish” at least !) third, with reasonable quietness next. Any other benefits are a complete bonus. We don’t hesitate to drive right downtown and have done so everywhere we have been, the advantage of having a rig that, while spacious, is still quite easy to manoeuvre.
Memo to self – when you think it might be a good idea to break up an otherwise long flight from Kelowna to Amsterdam with a few stops en route, think again ! What could’ve been done in 12 hours stretched out to almost 20, meaning we arrived in Amsterdam absolutely exhausted. Lounge passes, we thought, would make things easier, but that of course assumes you can get into the airport lounge….not when they are full, you can’t ! We just should have known better – chalk that one up to a case of “seemed like a good idea at the time” 🙄.
While the return flight did not go so well, things did get better on arrival – initially. The good news was that when our van was collected it was as sparkling clean as we had left it, very well cared for, and started up immediately. May seem rather obvious but one does worry about that when the vehicle has been stored for over three months. Very happy with that. We then drove straight to the same campground we had stayed in just before leaving Holland, checked in and had a pretty good night’s sleep. So far, so good.
The van looked sparkling clean when we picked it up and started right away after 3 months of no use ( phew ! ).The Swallows Nest campground, Ter Aar, near Amsterdam.
The next day we had a previously scheduled appointment with Mercedes Benz Amsterdam to replace the front brake pads ( routine ) and to ( very likely ) replace the EGR – an emission component, under warranty, that has plagued us ( and thousands of other Sprinter owners around the world ) before and was acting up again. We’d planned all this before leaving Amsterdam in May and had asked that they ensure the parts would be available when we got back. Let’s just say it did not go as planned ( no parts on hand ) and cost us two unnecessarily wasted days. Worse, they found an unexpected ( and serious ) issue with the rear passenger side shock absorber – I’ll spare casual readers the blow by blow of what happened but for those more curious about mechanical malfunctions I’ve added relevant detail at the end of the blog; not what you want happening on your first days back in Europe !
One must make the best of a bad situation ( always ) so we used the unexpected time in Amsterdam to further explore the city. Having hit the major tourist sites on two previous visits, this time we split our days between wandering the canals and sampling all the cheese and pancakes on offer ( when in Holland…..) as well as taking in the amazing sights of “Sail 2025” a 4 day expo of famous tall ships and other assorted marine vessels which happened to be on right when we were there. Made for a couple of extremely busy days ( the city was packed ) but certainly helped us take our mind off the delays with the vehicle. The entertainment was amazing !
The 2025 “Amsterdam Sail” event was in full swing while we visited – we went over two days. Have never seen so many tall ships in one place !“Sail 2025”The line for a public toilet in Amsterdam during Sail, 2025 !Amsterdam Central Station.Cheese stores everywhere in Amsterdam. It was fun to do the samples – some delicious cheeses !…..and bikes. Bikes everywhere!On a hugely busy day the Amsterdam canals were jam packed with tourists.Famous canal houses near Amsterdam station.
With only one of three vehicle tasks completed while in Amsterdam ( the shock absorber problem fortunately, as it was the most urgent) we pushed on from Amsterdam on our intended route south, first destination being the historic and beautifully maintained town of Troyes, in France. This took us through Belgium, via Antwerp but skirting Brussels, and on through the areas of France known as The Marne and Ardennes ( famous battle areas from WW1 and WW2 respectively – I can recall my grandfather, who fought in WW1, speaking about the Marne). As the day went on we passed monuments to those battles and many others, along with the very sad sight of thousands of white crosses marking the graves of young soldiers who died in the conflicts. Heartbreaking to see so many of them – their lives tragically cut so short.
Driving out of Mercedes Benz, Amsterdam. While the staff there were delightful we were quite sick of the place after visits which spanned three consecutive days due to a delay in getting parts and an unexpected power outage.
This time we passed through Belgium – no sightseeing but we did buy, what else, some chocolate !
As it turned out we never got to Troyes that day – between stop offs in Gouda and Breda ( Holland – for the cheese, of course ! ) and requisite stops at some French battlefields we only got as far as Vouziers where we stumbled on a great municipal camp site, and, purely by happenstance, the gravesite of Roland Garros – tennis fans will know him for his name adorning the stadium which hosts the French Open. Sadly, Garros, a fighter pilot, was shot down just one month before the Armistice was signed in November, 1918. He was famed for a revolutionary invention – the “through the propeller” machine gun which made him a legend at the time.
The grave of famous WW1 French airman, Roland Garros. His name lives on at the French Open tennis stadium.Sadly shot down just a month prior to the war’s end.Travel rural France and you will see lots of WW1 and WW2 cemeteries. It’s said that “Old men start wars, young men fight them”. Sadly, so very true – some of these still in their teens.A monument to a great battle fought in WW1 in Suippes. Over 10,000 soldiers are buried here.
Just a few hours further south is the small city of Troyes. While there was much damage in the surrounding area, Troyes escaped it during the two wars and as such its old town retains some of the best classical urban French architecture in the country. The cobbled streets, narrow alleys and colorful facades made for an enchanting visit. Not a place either of us knew about before but want to extend a big thanks to reader,Tjalle, for the tip – well worth the stopover !
Old town, Troyes.Old town, Troyes.Narrow alleys and buildings that are leaning. In some places they touch at the top.On the day we visited it was the 81st anniversary of a World War II battle near Troyes involving mostly US serviceman. Lots of American flags and a classic Willy’s Jeep.Troyes cathedral.Another beautiful Troyes church.So classically European. Troyes is a very beautiful town.
From Troyes we continued exploring some of the classic small, traditional French towns in the region. After the predominantly wood style buildings in Troyes, it was interesting to see the contrast with the almost exclusively stone buildings in historic Flavigny sur Ozerain. Flavigny sits up on a mountaintop with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Typically French and very picturesque, we look forward to exploring more places like it in the coming week.
A picturesque riverside setting in Mussy sur Seine where we stopped for lunch.Traditional French street scene in Flavigny Sur Ozerain Another. They do such an amazing job keeping/restoring old buildings in France. Flavigny is one of the more famous towns in the region.
Till next week…….
Appendix 1: The Dealership Visit Fiasco:
The brake pad check and EGR inspection revealed exactly what we had expected ( no surprise there ), but then things went totally pear shaped – not only were the parts NOT on hand, they could not give a firm date for when they would be available. Incredibly frustrating, but it got worse. While doing a quick visual inspection of the van they noticed that the passenger side rear shock absorber had sheered off from its top mount and was ( literally ) dangling loose from the other end in the wheel well. This was bad enough news but on closer inspection the bolt had not just come loose and fallen off, it had actually snapped inside the chassis rail and could be ( we were advised ) very difficult to remove. Yes, this is when you hear yourself saying, “For the love of god, why my van !”.
The intended one day dealership visit ( “and it should all be done” ) notion turned into three consecutive days of visits ( a power outage in the area causing additional delays ) with the only positive outcome being that the bolt was successfully drilled out from the chassis rail and the new bolts were ordered and installed ( as a preventative measure I asked that the other side bolt also be replaced figuring it may soon succumb to the same metal fatigue that did its partner in ). Bolts, of course, are cheap – Mercedes hourly rates in Holland, are not; $710 ( CAD ) later, we had the van back and the rear shocks, at least, were now all good. Brake pad replacement and EGR install would need to be done elsewhere due to parts availability ( or should I say, lack of ). Apparently, according to my Canadian installer/supplier, the shock bolt snapping is not uncommon ( yes, I was assured, it can and does happen even though one has upgraded suspension to handle the extra weight ). At this point, after three days in and out of the dealer, we decided to move on. Never a dull moment on the road. I will provide an update on both the brakes and EGR matter when they are dealt with.
The bolt, visible on the top of the driver side shock absorber, sheered off completely on the passenger side. It left half the bolt stuck inside the chassis requiring a special tool and much expense ( and stress ! ) to remove…😟.The passenger side shock absorber. While in the dealer for routine brake pad replacement they noticed the passenger side shock absorber had broken free of the chassis mount. The sheered off remains of the mounting bolt are visible in the green circle. Result of simple metal fatigue after thousands of kms of severely corrugated roads in Australia and just eventually collapsed they suspected.
By the time this blog appears in your email we should be back in Europe and ready to return to the road (where did the last three months go ?). A bit of a “one off” blog in that it’s mostly about our time away from the road so if you’re expecting exotic pictures and tales from Europe you’d best wait till next week. That said, we’ve had the most wonderful summer and managed to catch up with many ( but certainly not all ) of our friends and ( Canadian ) family. What follows are some highlights of our time back in Kelowna – more a “friends and family” update this time as opposed to our normal travel journal, but we’ll be back to the Europe pics and stories next week.
First up, lots of time with our granddaughter!
A friend’s retirement party provided a rare opportunity to catch up with dozens of old colleagues – all at once ( thanks Laura ! ). We have reconnected with other old friends and we’ve also done some travel within BC, taking an opportunity to visit Lois’s brother, Mark ( and his wife ) in beautiful Comox on Vancouver Island. All in all, a wonderful time with everyone – more boats, bars, bikes and beaches than we can remember ! Here is a selection of pics:
Canada Day festivities.Neighbourhood block party.Kelowna Golf Club with old colleagues, Dale and Ernie and their wives.An evening with good friends, Sue and Darrell at their cabin in Vernon.Lois, Mark, Dawn on the pier in Campbell River, Vancouver Island.A sunset on Vancouver island.Lois taking the helm.Lois reeled in the biggest fish of a successful day – this ( almost 20 lb ) Chinook salmon…!Caught up with old friend, Norm, while visiting family on Vancouver island. He and his family had relocated to “the island” a few years ago.
In addition to all the visiting, we were also delighted to receive a visit from Kym and Lyn Bolton, an Australian couple who have overlanded much of the world, most recently shipping their Fuso 4×4 from Australia to North America where they will travel for 12 months before shipping on to Europe. It was delightful to have them with us – Kym had been a big part of the inspiration for us taking our van to Japan, a country they had travelled to with theirs just a few months before us. Kym builds overlanding vehicles in Australia ( https://aav4x4.com.au/ ) – they make a great product and quite a few of our neighbours were admiring their rig parked in our driveway.
Kym and Lyn Bolton, Aussie Overlanders who stopped over with us.Like I said, they’ve done most corners of the globe !We met Kym at a camping show back in Australia.
On a slightly different note we were delighted to be introduced to Alex and Nadja, a couple that met us through a mutual friend and who are very keen to get into overlanding in future. A wonderful evening was spent sharing all our tips and answering many questions; what vehicle, diesel or gasoline, which route, how to insure, the intricacies of shipping, need for carnets, and so forth. Wonderful to be able to share what we have learned and to reciprocate with others the information that we sought when we started this lifestyle back in May, 2019 ( oh my god – 6 years already ! )
Alex and Nadja, picking our overlanding brains while out for dinner in Kelowna.
Continuing the info sharing theme, good friends, Charlie and Penny introduced us to Kevin and Mandy (their neighbours) who are part way through a van build themselves and wanted some perspective and opinion on our own experience – again, a wonderful afternoon spent sharing tips and advice. Not sure we’ll ever be able to repay the many folks who similarly guided us but we feel we are getting there !
Mandy and Kev’s Sprinter. Beginning the conversion process.With Mandy and Kevin.
Two birthdays were celebrated – our granddaughter, Hadley’s 2nd and my 64th ( yes, Lois and the kids took very good care of me ). Also picked up a few parts required for some minor repairs in the van ( unsurprisingly, imperial fittings are scarce in metric Europe ) and made arrangements to have our brakes done on arrival in Amsterdam – 102,000kms on the original pads, pretty good, I thought, all things considered. News wise, we’ve been as gripped as any by the unfolding events in the Middle East – perhaps more so, in fact, since it’s one overland route we are considering after southern Europe. Encouraged to see some semblance of normality returning in the past 2 months after a violent June. Let’s hope the peace holds 🙏.
Biking around Wood Lake with good friends, Sue and Darrell. First long ride on an E-bike ( so much fun !).Wrapped up our last week in Kelowna with Mike and Aurora and family – on a gorgeous Okanagan day.Ditto.One last day at the lake….we will miss it !
In the last few days of our time at home it’s been busy; cleaning house, packing and, of course, some preliminary planning. Vehicle insurance has been reactivated , medical insurance re-started and so forth. There’s also been some preliminary route planning – I say preliminary because we are always flexible and often change our plans . Just the way we roll…! There’s a little trepidation at returning while it’s still high season in Europe, we know it’s extremely busy in quite a few places- our plan is simply to avoid major tourist locations until September.
Fussen itself is picturesque but the big draw at the south end of the Romantic Road is unquestionably the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. Absolutely stunning, and well worth going out of our way to see it. The story behind it is fascinating, along with the tragedy of the king that built it. I’ll leave the following pictures to document our route north on the ”Romantische Strasse” ( as it’s known in Germany ) but a few favourite spots on the route ( to the surprise of no one who has travelled it ) would include Dinklesbuhl, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Wurzburg itself. If you ever imagined what it would have been like to live, and/or travel through the Germany of centuries past, this road is a must. I’ll confess to originally thinking that it was a bit of a kitschy tourist gimmick, but it absolutely is not; rather, it’s a well connected route which pulls together some of Germany’s most beautiful and historic sights in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. It’s world class and Bavaria is just beautiful everywhere you look – we were so glad to have taken this detour for a few days on our way out of Germany.
Fussen, GermanyEn route to the Romantic Road.First stop, Neuschwanstein Castle.Up close ! The guided tour took about an hour but no pictures were allowed inside 🙁The castle, in all its glory.Great views of Bavaria from the castle, including another castle ( just over Lois’s shoulder ).One can’t get lost on the Romantic Road, just follow the signs !Dinklelsbuhl.Dinkelsbuhl.So tough to resist this….it’s everywhere !Rothenburg o d Tauber.Rothenburg is famous for its Christmas items. Selection is huge !Rothenburg.Rothenburg.Fortress Marienberg, Wurzburg.Beautiful Wurzburg, the northern end of the Romantic Road.For some reason everyone was on the main bridge drinking wine when we visited – like, everyone ! Wurzburg.Wurzburg Residenz.
The last place we wanted to see ( and had time for ) in Germany was Nuremberg. Just slightly off the Romantic Road (so not too far off our path) this city has a long history and ( sadly for Nurembergers ) was heavily associated with the Nazi era. It was here that many of Hitler’s largest rallies were held, that some of the classic Nazi films were shot, and perhaps appropriately, was the scene of the famous Nuremberg Trials, where, between 1946 and 1949 top Nazi leaders were prosecuted. As a World War II buff, I simply could not pass up this opportunity, especially to see the very scene of the Nuremberg Trials.
The wonderful city of Nuremberg provides secure, flat, convenient campervan parking close to the city. Three days, free of charge. Predictably it’s often full !Sebalduskirche ( church ), Nuremberg.Covered bridge, Nuremberg.
It was moving to actually stand today in the very courtroom where the scales of justice were applied to such hideous crimes committed by such truly evil leaders. It’s very well laid out with intricate and graphic detail telling the whole history of the trials and the court. One thing I learned that I did not know – why this particular courtroom, number 600, chosen for the trials ? Apparently, this was the very room where Hitler conducted sham trials for political opponents and other undesirables during the 1930’s. Perhaps fitting then, that some victor‘s justice might be meted out in the very same room.
Nuremberg Trials court, Nuremberg.“The” courtroom ( 600 ), where surviving senior Nazi’s were tried and sentenced ( many to hang ).A picture ( of a picture ) of senior Nazi’s on the defendants bench during the trial.
Of course, there is lots of other history, famous food, and some beautiful architecture in Nurenberg, which we explored. It’s a tradition to try Nuremberg sausages and bratwurst – delicious I might add !
From Nuremburg, one long day along the autobahn got us to the outskirts of Amsterdam. Here we found a wonderful rural campsite where we could relax, do some overdue van cleaning and preparation before putting the vehicle in storage nearby. This all worked out well and we felt fortunate to find what seems like excellent storage in a secure covered facility just outside the city.
Just outside Wurzburg we overnighted in probably the best camping spot we’d stayed at in Germany. A small inn offered up its flat gravel parking lot, and use of facilities for the princely sum of 5€ ( less than $6 US ). Baumhof Tenne, Marktheidenfeld.Rural camping, just outside Amsterdam, gave us the chance to clean and pack before storing the van. A delightful spot.All packed, all cleaned, the van was put into storage here just outside Amsterdam. We were very fortunate to get affordable, secure, covered parking so close to a major city ( from which we could fly home ).
We will explore Amsterdam in more detail upon our return, but for now we have an airport to run to, a flight to catch, our kids to reunite with and of course, a very special granddaughter that we have not seen for almost 4 months . If you’ve been with us for the past few months, thanks for tagging along, we enjoy sharing the experience with those who are interested in the region and those who we know are contemplating bringing a vehicle to Europe. Hopefully the information we’ve provided along the way has been of some help. If you have any specific questions in that regard, feel free to send me a note via the website, I’ll have plenty of time to answer in the months ahead.
In the meantime enjoy your summer and we will connect again in late August !
Bosnia lies just above Montenegro and while it has many more attractions our plan was just to visit historic Mostar and revisit ( even more historic ) Sarajevo. Mostar ( and Sarajevo ) were heavily damaged in the Balkans war and evidence of that conflict is still very visible on many buildings. Sadly, Mostar’s famous bridge was directly bombed in the conflict, but, while completely destroyed at the time, it was later painstakingly restored to all its former glory. The place is an absolute magnet for tourists and probably one of the busiest towns we have visited. It was literally difficult to walk down the streets…! In Mostar you just got the unmistakable vibe that Bosnia right now is an “in” destination.
Building damaged during Balkans war – many still visible.Mostar, bridge in the background.Mostar’s famous bridge.Selfie, Mostar.
Just a few very scenic hours drive north of Mostar is Sarajevo. Yes, you remember it from the beautiful winter Olympics in 1984, followed less than a decade later by a bloody civil war that led to the loss of many lives and destruction of much of the city. It was, however an event in Sarajevo in 1914, probably more than most people realize that shaped the world as we know/knew it in 20th century. It is often described as the “shot that rang out around the world” – here, in June 1914, a young Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, precipitating events that led to the First World War, and by extension, ultimately to the Second World War . One shot, by one angry guy. It was humbling to stand beside the Roman Bridge on the very spot where the assassination took place and to think about how differently the world might be today had that single event not occurred – and, of course, how many lives were ultimately lost as a result of it.
The rivers and lakes en route to Sarajevo were a most vibrant green. The water was crystal clear.Roman ( or Latin ) Bridge, Sarajevo – the very spot where the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne set the world on course for what became World War 1.Commemorative stone at the bridge.Gazi Husrev-beg mosque, Sarajevo. Built in 1532 by the Ottomans, still largest mosque in Bosnia.Stari Grad ( historic ) Sarajevo. The wooden fountain ( Sebilj) is from the 18th century.
Sarajevo offers much more than just a historic bridge though, and is often described as a meeting place between east and west (given its history). The square, its mosques, its churches, its food – the place just oozes with sights and experiences. Again, great weather helped and we enjoyed both these places in glorious sunshine ( albeit among thousands of other visitors ).
Dividing line between east and west Sarajevo. Behind me is the western ( European) side, Looking east, the Ottoman influenced area.Plenty to remind visitors about the war and it’s impact.
Leaving Sarajevo, we simply took a generally direct route out of Bosnia, briefly across eastern Croatia and on into Hungary. Perhaps appropriate that our next two stops were Budapest and Vienna ( Austria), capitals of the very same Austro-Hungarian empire that collapsed at the at the end of WW1. Princip could not have possibly realized that his single bullet might have had such impact, it ultimately brought down an empire.
Crossing into Croatia from Bosnia. Long line, long wait and more thorough checks as Croatia is a frontier country in the EU.
Despite the empire falling its two great cities very much remain – Budapest and Vienna ( each on the Danube ) have to rank among Europe’s most beautiful. One can walk for hours on end ( and we did ) just exploring historic streets, buildings and other sights, and/or savouring their culinary delights. In both places it was almost sensory overload ! Budapest, right on the Danube, was packed with several Danube cruise boats docked so had a tremendous vibe. That, along with the great sights, and the weather as well as the opportunity to reconnect with with a Hungarian couple we crossed paths with on the Pan American trip ( in Peru ) made for a very memorable stay.
Wonderful to reunite with Balint and Timi, a young Hungarian couple who we crossed paths with in South America ( and almost again in New Zealand ). They live in Budapest.One of many parks in Budapest.And another, with a fountain.Majestic House of Parliament, Budapest. Right on the Danube.Selfie, on a Danube bridge.Multiple Danube River cruise boats were docked in Budapest the day we were there so the city was full of tourists.
Only a four hour drive west of Budapest lies Vienna, steeped in history ( be it musical, artistic, political or economic ) this centre of the old Austrian-Hungarian empire and home of the Habsburg’s could occupy a visitor for weeks. We had a couple of days and checked out some old haunts as well as places we’d not seen before. We took advantage of their super Metro day pass to explore as much as we could in the two days we were there. It’s quite likely we will pass through Vienna again, and we have no problem doing so. It’s just an amazingly beautiful city.
First stop in Vienna, one of their famous downtown cafe’s. The cake was spectacular !Hofburg Palace, Vienna.Maria Theresien Platz, Vienna.Majestic ‘Rathaus’, or town hall, Vienna.An unmistakeable symbol of Vienna, St Stephen’s cathedral.Stunning inside as well.Famed Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, had his research centre in Vienna and tracked down many infamous Nazi’s. As they are all dead now it’s become a holocaust study centre. It offers a fascinating glimpse into his life and the process by which he tracked down so many of them.A fascinating place to visit. His life story is amazing.Ditto. This was actually a nice break after so many castles and church’s !
Leaving Vienna, we pulled one very long day drive to get across to the small town of Fussen, in Bavaria, Germany. Fussen is the starting point for perhaps Germany‘s most famous road, which we will explore in our last blog before flying home to Canada for a 3 month break.
It was a very pretty drive just getting to Fussen from Vienna – the best would follow though.
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
