Berlin to Prague, CZ -- 350km
On this day we went to a new country, Czech Republic. Crossing the border we had to stop to buy the vignette, meaning a sticker to be able to drive in the highways for one week. A better system than other countries use.
Driving in different countries allow us to see different systems, languages, signs.
Then Prague where we stayed in a central hotel not expensive but a high price for keeping the car in a closed area. Anyway better safe than sorry.
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| Red Chair Hotel |
From the hotel we could walk all the main historic area.
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| Prague |
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| Prague |
Day 7
Prague to Augsburg, DE -- 420km
As Prague is something I will go back someday for sure, the next city, Augsburg in Germany is a city with nothing to make me go back.
It was nothing special.
The place where we stayed had a colorful wall.
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| Augsburg |
Dinner was in a small restaurant nearby, the food had a strange smell but was very tasty; there I asked for a small beer and the waiter said "We don't have small beers!" Ha Germany right.
Day 8
Augsburg to Neuschwanstein to Lake Como, IT
Next visit was to a famous castle said to have inspired Disney. I don't know if that's true but the castle was impressive. Neuschwanstein is said to be the most visited monument in Germany and it was the result of a mad Bavarian King.
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| Neuschwanstein |
The scenery is beautiful
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| View from Neuschwanstein castle |
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| Neuschwanstein castle |
Photos are forbidden inside the castle, and no way of buying postcards or calendars or whatever with photos. We have to pay to visit it, that's the only way to see the interior. But it was a well spent time and money.
Then back on the road on the way to Italy crossing a little bit of Austria and Switzerland.
Then the Alps...
Coming from a country with almost no snow it's always nice to see and specially nice to drive on a road crossing snowy mountains. It feels good.
From Switzerland to Italy we went by Stelvio Pass, a winding road up the Alps with turn after turn after turn... And it was getting dark; almost no cars or houses. The going down the other side was by night so not so pleasant.
Following the satnav (GPS) we arrived at Lake Como and then... it tells us to take a boat! Time to go back to a paper map and follow the go-around route.
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| Lake Como |
It took some time and a phone call to find the hotel
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| Charming Bellagio Boutique Hotel |
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| Lake Como - Bellagio |
Lake Como to Annecy, FR -- 400km
Living Como I was thinking 'I have to come back some day but on summer time because it looks so nice.
Anyway, we were going to cross the Alps again, now from Italy to France; and what a better way than thru Mont Blanc by the famous tunnel, so hard to excavate and with an historic accident? The toll there was €43! Such a high price!
Annecy was a nice surprise
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| Annecy |
Beautifully preserved, lots of people around, kids playing the 31 October with costumes asking treat or trick, and a nice dinner in a brasserie. In France they have very good meat.
We stayed in a hotel by the castle, but we couldn't visit it because was closed when we arrived. A reason to come back.
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| Annecy |
Day 10
Annecy to Carcassonne, FR -- 550km
From Annecy the road was very good and then highway till Carcassonne, another French old town.
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| Carcassonne |
We stayed there in a hotel that was not very good and that fact didn't help to get a good feeling for the city.
We walked to the castle, but as was November 1st a holiday it was closed! Damn. Second castle we couldn't visit. Another city to come back, some day.
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| Carcassonne |
Carcassonne to Porto -- 1200km
One full day of driving. 12 hours to get home. Same well known roads. Feels good to be at home again and not carrying suitcases around. After all it was 10 nights in 10 different hotels.
My new Honda Civic Tourer was a good companion.
The final numbers.
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| Honda Civic Tourer |
320l diesel for €450 and €330 in tolls.
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