Travel Diary
May 1997

European Adventure 1997

Departing New Orleans under clear skies was a good omen for a trip that had been nine months in the making. Although the second trip for both adventurers, this would be our first transatlantic journey without the aid of a tour group. Research tools for our trip were travel journals, guidebooks, surfing the Internet, tourism offices from each country, conversations with fellow travelers, newspapers and magazines. With our bags packed, comfortable shoes on our feet and our minds open to the adventures that would greet us, we headed to Frankfurt, Germany early Saturday morning, May 17, 1997.

Steve Achord
Adam Corvin

Don't Worry That's In Kilometers, Not Miles Per Hour

Arriving in Germany at 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning is pretty uneventful and surprisingly, fairly easy. Clear instructions displayed in several languages, including my favorite, English, direct passengers to buses, trains, rental cars and other terminals. I quickly found the Avis rental car booth and despite an error in my reservation, I was heading to the car within 10 minutes of checking in.

Walking through the parking garage under the Frankfurt airport is actually rather exciting, especially for those Tim "Tool Time" Taylor types of people. Why? Frankly, seeing hundreds of sporty European cars sitting side by side is sure to raise the heart rate of most driving enthusiasts.

So here I am, counting the parking spaces and daydreaming as I check out the cars. I'm looking for #121, okay there is #117, BMW, oh yea, that's me; #118, Audi, four-door, tinted windows, nice; #119, another BMW, candy apple red, let's check on the upgrade; #120, black convertible VW, maybe they made a mistake, quick see if the keys fit the door; here it is #121, VW Polo, that's not too bad, kind of like a VW Golf, sunroof, four on the floor, I can handle this for 10 days. Let's go.

Actually, the VW was brand new, less than 500 miles on it, and the radio and cassette had a good sound. I put on my sunglasses, opened the sunroof and tried to look cool, but after grinding the gears three times trying to leave the garage, I was back to reality. Two turns out of the airport and Adam and I were heading south on the autobahn toward the Black Forest.

As a gentle breeze slipped through the sunroof and rolling hills beckoned on the horizon, Adam and I listened to American tunes on the radio and counted the number of Porsches that zipped by us at over 100 miles per hour. I glanced down at the speedometer and realized it said 140. Man that's fast, I normally drive 55. Wait a minute, that's in kilometers, which is a lot more, I thought. However, after a few calculations, mostly with Adam's help, I realized we were cruising at around 90 miles per hour. I better slow down. Well, maybe not. After all, we are in Germany, it's legal and everyone else is doing it, yea, that's right, everyone else is doing it, so I guess it's okay.

Schwarzwald Or The Black Forest For You English Types

Driving southwest from Frankfurt we headed toward Baden-Baden through the Black Forest, a range of hills stretching 100 miles north-south along the French border from Karlsruhe to Switzerland. Quaint villages, dense forests and fresh air greeted us as we drove. The morning was cloudy and rain fell from time to time making our drive through the dark valleys and thick forests that much more intriguing, yet still very beautiful.

Our first stop, Baden-Baden, was a pleasant break from the hurried activities on the autobahn. Baden-Baden became famous as a high-class resort town for Europe's royalty nearly 150 years ago. The rich and famous trekked here to gamble in the casino and soak in the mineral waters. Today, the area encompassing the health spa, vacation and convention town of Baden-Baden extends from the Rhine Plain, which is about ten miles wide, into the Black Forest and reaches its southernmost and highest peak at the Badener Hohe (3,310 ft).

Baden-Baden's Sunday pace was slow and relaxed as we walked through the center of town and gazed into the luxurious spa. Parents and children strolled the streets gazing in window shops and eating ice cream cones. A mime dressed in Roman regalia stood silently against a backdrop of ancient architecture anticipating the jingle of change hitting the bottom of his open case on the narrow street.

Baden-Baden, with its 18,750 acres of surrounding woodland, has the largest municipal forest in Germany. Yet, despite the lush surroundings, the town blends harmoniously into this beautiful forest region. We stopped and took pictures of the ancient buildings and watched as families rushed to dip into one of the thermal pools.

After disturbing a parking attendant who did not enjoy being bothered during the televised soccer game, we continued our journey and headed toward Freiburg.

The pace in Baden-Baden was slow, but in nearby Freiburg, there was electricity in the air as the city's professional soccer team was in battle against a nearby rivalry. Our problem was the youth hostel was behind the soccer stadium and parking was a premium on our arrival. We double-parked the car and went inside to check in for the night. The enthusiasm outside carried over to the hostel as a hundred area school children were running around finishing dinner and looking for a late afternoon playground activity.

Does That Room Include Breakfast And A Shower?

Many Americans never consider the idea of spending the night in a hostel. Mention the word hostel, and images of dirty, rat-infested inner city houses come to mind for many people. This is not the case. Although hostels in the United States are not as numerous as their European counterparts, hostelling continues to grow and offer people of all ages economical and clean accommodations. Today's hostels are no longer just for youth. Only in a few places, such as Bavaria are there age restrictions (26 and under only).

Throughout Europe, prices tend to run $10-$20 per person plus $4 sheet rental if you do not have your own. Some hostels have a slightly higher rate for those of us (me) 27 or older.

In our experience, we found hostels to be clean, priced great and fun. In Freiburg there was a lot of activity and friendly people excited to give directions, tell about their own travel experiences and eager to speak English. The Freiburg Youth Hostel is on the east edge of Freiburg on the scenic road into the Black forest and for about $15, Adam and I enjoyed a comfortable bed, hot showers and a hearty breakfast. Our room was much like a college dorm room that housed three bunkbeds and a separate room with a shower, sink and toilet. None of our roommates snored so we slept well our first evening in Germany.

Our breakfast consisted of hot tea, (the best the entire trip) cereal, milk, fresh bread, cheese and salami. Over breakfast we learned more about Germany while dining with Andrea and Fabian, two German college students traveling while on break from school. Fabian is studying medicine and spoke very good English. Andrea's English was somewhat limited, but she managed to join in the conversation from time to time and laugh at some of our crazy questions.

Our stomachs were full and Switzerland was calling so we loaded up the car and continued south into the heart of the Alps. We crossed the border at Basel and decided to turn toward Luzern. We were eager to see snow-capped mountain peaks and breathe fresh mountain air, yet we wanted to see as much of the country before settling down for the evening.

Prior to our arrival into Luzern, we stopped at a roadside gas station and deli to buy sandwiches and chips before heading toward the city's medieval streets and beautiful bridges.

Our afternoon in the city was delightful. On this particular day, the city was enjoying a religious holiday so parking on the street was free and easy. We walked along the lake and then did some window shopping in the Altstadt (Old City) and wrapped up our visit with a walk across the 660-year-old Kapelbrucke, a famous wooden-roofed bridge running from the train station to the Altstadt.

Our drive across the mountains was slow, yet thrilling. I enjoyed going around dozens of "S" curves and then looking out the window to see semi-hidden lakes, ancient forests and tucked-away mountain chalets. This makes the three-hour drive pass quickly.

Interlaken was too busy so we did not stop and proceeded to Lauterbrunnen, our platform to higher elevation and a mountain-top bed and breakfast.

We opted for the gondola ride up the mountain, but found out later the train would have saved us about $10. How often do you get to ride a gondola anyway? My last gondola ride was across the Mississippi River for the 1984 World's Fair. Honestly, I felt a lot safer heading up the mountain rather than across the river.

At the gondola station we called up the mountain to see if Walter Mittler had a room at his Hotel Mittaghorn in Gimmelwald. A group from one of Rick Steves' tours had taken over the hotel, so Walter suggested we call Denise Fussell in Murren.

Denise hails from England, but calls Murren home 11 months out of the year. She runs Chalet Fontana, a simple, yet very cozy and economical bed and breakfast in the tiny village of Murren. (elev. 5381)

For $50, Adam and I shared a comfortable room complete with down comforters and thick pillows on each bed. Denise threw in a great view of the jagged peaks and a cool morning low of 50 degrees for free.

For the most part, we managed to keep our lodging costs under $25 per person. Only in Frankfurt and Munich did our costs exceed this amount. In every location, a shower and breakfast were included, although not every room had a private shower and/or toilet.

On a couple of occasions we stayed in private homes (Zimmer) and enjoyed pleasant, no frills accommodations.

The finest youth hostel was in Reutte, Austria. This modern, recently renovated hostel could have doubled as a stylish, western lodge anywhere in the U.S. We felt pampered as we enjoyed hot showers, beautiful artwork and cable television. On this particular night there were a total of five guests in the hostel, us and three other Americans from California.

Back to Murren. Gimmelwald and Murren are respective stops on the gondola ride to the top of Schilthorn. (elevation 9748 ft.) At the top of the mountain is Piz Gloria restaurant. The evil Blofeld (Telly Savalas) used this site as an allergy clinic filled with beautiful women in the 1962 James Bond 007 movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Today you can get a pretty expensive breakfast while making a 360 degree spin in the revolving restaurant.

Gimmelwald and Murren provide travelers with a simple, relaxed moment or two away from the hectic, everyday world. Both towns are completely free of automobiles so the loudest sounds heard are footsteps, rushing waterfalls or the clanging of cowbells. Murren is slightly bigger and does have a bank, a grocery store and a few restaurants. If you opt to stay at The Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald, meals are not provided, but guests have kitchen privileges so be sure to bring your own food. There are no restaurants in the village. The hostel is cozy, charming and usually full, especially in the summer. I peaked in the hostel on one of my late afternoon hikes and found lots of young people having a great time playing cards, kicking the hacky and sitting around a small fire outside. This is a great place to make friends and share travel stories.


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