Saved by the Rain

We took the "Romantic Road" from Rothenburg down to Augsburg, near Munich. It is exactly like its name would imply: a narrow, winding road through the German countryside sprinkled with beautiful villages.



The romance is found in the villages, when poorly marked roundabouts fool the GPS into giving false directions and you and your spouse gaze lovingly into one another's eyes and curse the confusing German roadways, the GPS, and whose idea was this damn trip anyhow. We persisted and found a campground north of Augsburg that had a lake, paddle boards, and pedal cars for the kids.


It was perfect until the rain started. The rain came with a vengeance, making up for the last week of perfect camping weather. We awoke the next morning and drove to the concentration camp at Dachau, only to find that it was closed. The kids were relieved. We walked around and read the interpretive signs in the rain and even stared through the spooky entrance gate. We discussed staying the night and returning in the morning but decided to hit the road instead. It may have been fortunate that it was closed anyhow as the previous nights discussion of the camp and the holocaust brought tears without even seeing any pictures or displays.

It seemed like a good day for driving so we headed in the downpour to Salzburg, Austria. I can't remember driving in a worse rainstorm, with cars slid off the roadway and even the fast lane drivers going slow. I think that a VW camper van is the only way to really experience a road trip in Europe. Sliding the side door open along the side of the road, reaching into the fridge for the makings of a great picnic, and eating at your little table overlooking the countryside.



You also have that specter of an impending breakdown hanging over your head like an iron safe on a frayed rope. I owned a VW van years ago and it was the worst 6 weeks of my life! The old VW ads say Farhvegnugen means "driving pleasure" but darned miserable might be a better translation. The same German engineers that brought you Porsche and BMW thought that it would be a good idea to put the shift lever all the way in the front and the transmission all the way in the back. You don't actually shift gears as much as discover them. It's like searching for a lost item under your bed in the dark, with persistence you might stumble upon what you were looking for. I'm sure that in the well-lit VW design lab a little play in the shifter was acceptable, but navigating narrow, hilly streets in a village with aggressive German drivers on your bumper and hitting fourth instead of second gear is not "driving pleasure". When I look at our map and see hills and curves I don't think scenic, I now think missed shifts and lots of grinding. Knock on wood, but the little van has been great so far and the newer diesel engine is powerful and efficient.

We found a great campsite here in Salzburg and the sun came out again. The kids and I are enjoying a "rest" day while Jolene borrowed a bike to check out the town.