Almost finished in Germany. Our last stop is Stuttgart for a one night stop. We haven't done much research on Stuttgart so we are not sure what to expect (we have read that it is well known for its Christmas markets). Our stay doesn't start well. When we got to the hotel, there was a note on the door: "Message for Julie Browning - Reception is closed, book yourselves into the hotel. Your room is number 19, key is under the doormat". Great start. No info about t...

Spent the last couple of days in Munich. We were reluctant to include Munich on our list of places to visit, but we're glad we did. It has a nice feel to it. Some good restaurants and beer halls. Plenty of sights to see. The metro is easy to use, which makes it convenient to get around the city. Weather is still holding up - still really cold, but no rain or snow. Hopefully it'll hold out a bit longer while we make our way across to Paris where we are spending Xm...

And so, on to Friedrichshafen, on the shores of Lake Constance, home to the Zeppelin. More to follow ............ Next day, and the weather has turned to ****. Gale force winds, rain, freezing cold. We were going to do a lake cruise across to Konstanz on the other side of the lake, but all ferry services have been cancelled due to the weather. So instead we opt for a visit to the Zeppelin museum. It's a fascinating display. Takes you through the historical d...

Boxing Day. Brand new day, and a brand new plan. We were intending to leave Amsterdam and head for Cologne in Germany. But we have now decided to head for Berlin instead. About a 650km trip. Why the change? Why not. Besides, its Berlin, one of the must see cities of Europe. Trip promises to be uneventful, freeway all the way. According to the GPS in the car should take about 6 hours. Still dark when we left, and drizzling rain. Hopefully weather won't turn ...

Today we say goodbye to Switzerland and say hello to Germany. We woke to an absolutely glorious day - clear skies, bright sunshine, crisp cold air. It promised to be one of our better driving days. As we climbed higher away from Lucerne towards Basel (and the border), the roads became enveloped in thick fog, and there was evidence of thick snow falls on the slopes. Soon we were nearing Basel and the border crossing. We felt for sure that the German crossing gu...