Denouement Dashboard - Euro Trip Ep. 3
Since Europe is the size of a large Australian suburb, it will be too difficult to do 'Country Summaries' every couple of days as we cross borders. Since we are doing Europe as a road trip, I'm just going to to 'week-by-week' Dashboards, that will probably encompass a couple of countries at a time. Then an overall summary at the end.
As usual, follow along at:
Anyway, let's get into it:
Ep. 3: 15-21/7/23
Where We Went:
- Germany: Gersthofen, Augsburg, Konstanz
- Switzerland: Sankt Gallen, Seealpse, Lucern, Walenstadt
- Lichtenstein: Vaduz, Mauren
- France: Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, Nitry
Tracks:
Driving distance in 'Monsieur Gustave H.', our lovely Renault Scenic:
- Week 3 mileage = 1,556.7 km
Walking:
- 48.8 km
Total = 1,605.5 km
Running Total of Eurotrip Tracks = 4,352.6 km
Expenses:
Total Expenses for the 7 Days: $2,622.98 AUD
Expense per day = $364.71 AUD/Day
Specific Transport Expenses Total: $1,164.45 AUD
Travel Bingo:
I don't think I should make multiple bingo cards per week, so the running totals in Europe:
- France: 1 'Influencer'
- Belgium: 3 'Influencers' and a wonderful 'Khaki Queen'
- Netherlands: 1 'Influencer', 2 'Americans' and 1 'They're Not Gonna Make It' in Amsterdam!
- Luxembourg: 6 'Influencers'
- Germany: 3 'Influencers', 2 'Americans'
- Switzerland: 6 'Influencers'
- Liechtenstein: 1 'American'
An explanation of Travel Bingo is here.
Culinary Corner by a Non-Foodie:
- In Augsburg, a bakery chain called 'Wolf' makes incredible pastries and serves pretty good esspressos.
- In Germany, get pretzels.
- Find yourself an Ecuadorian Galapagos naturalist guide who married a Swiss woman and loves to cook... if you can find one.
- Swiss chocolate, specifically 'Branches' are excellent.
- And the Swiss biscuits called 'Kambly', get the mixed box, are even better.
- In Switzerland, get some sausages and cook them over a fire at the shore of a glacier-fed alpine lake that you had to hike to have just had a swim in - it will be the best thing you ever eat.
Tips and Tricks:
- Switzerland requires you display a 'vignette' on your car if you want to drive on the highways. It is just a permit thing you stick to the windscreen. It costs 40 Swiss Francs ($68.40 AUD) and can be purchased from any servo. The fine is 200 Swiss Francs ($342.04 AUD) if you are caught without one... the trade off being that, unlike in France, there are effectively no toll roads in Switzerland.
- You can probably just ignore parking fines from other countries (so we are told by the sensible Swiss...) - we are testing this with an old parking ticket from Luxembourg on our French-registered car. Will report back... unless renditioned and imprisoned by the Luxembourgish authorities... in which case I probably won't be able to report back.
Recommendations:
- Go to Switzerland. Drive to somewhere with a walk. Park the car. Walk. Everything is just beautiful. I think it really gives New Zealand a run for her money as the world's most beautiful country...
- Driving the French countryside is also absolutely beautiful (but realistically no match for Switzerland). Try to schedule shorter drives between accomodations so you spontaneously can pull off the highway when you see a castle on the hill in the distance, or a cute river with a nice park.
Summary:
- Chilling with our Swiss Familia was a highlight of the trip so far.
- Switzerland is now at the top of my list for the 'buy a rural farm with a chalet at the top of a valley that is only accessible in summer and become a hermit recluse' plan.
- Good grief Switzerland is expensive - $76.93 AUD is the most I have ever spent at a Maccas...
- Running total of cyclists murdered by me and Gustave remains a sweet zero.
Thanks for reading along.
The next weekly road trip update will come... next week.
Luke.