Back to Freiburg for a car swap

We packed up and said our goodbyes to the Tardent family. Then it was onward to Germany. We had a strange car swap to attend to. Because we can't rent a car for longer than two weeks (for insurance reasons) we needed to return the Opel and get a new car for the next leg of our trip. Car #4.

We got to the Avis in Freiburg (struggled to find a gas station to top off the tank) and unloaded all our gear. Got the Opel checked in with no problems (except the Avis system was down, so they couldn't make an exact conversion of the quoted amount...I just had faith that I'd eventually be charged the correct amount). Once she said "Okay, you're all set," then I got out my credit card and driver's license and said "Great! And now I have another reservation..."

The new car was a Volvo station wagon, our biggest car yet. And I was soon to discover it would become my favorite car.

Before we left Freiburg, we needed some groceries. Right across from the Avis was an Aldi. Hooray for cheap groceries! After nearly two weeks in Switzerland (land of the $40 chicken breast!) it was bliss to shop for groceries in a German Aldi. I think we spent an hour shopping and then eating our spoils in the parking lot.

We finally got on the road and experienced our next German adventure: the autobahn. The thing most Americans think of when they hear autobahn is no speed limit. That's kind of true with a few caveats. First of all, there are zones that have a speed limit. And then there are stretches that have none. But even then, you have to be mindful of the flow of traffic. (Unless you drive an Audi, which apparently means you go as fast as you want regardless of what speed everyone else is going.) 140 km/hr was a comfortable speed for me (87 mph) but of course the family wanted to break the 100 mph mark (160 km/hr). So I got up to 180 (112 mph) long enough for Cristina to take a picture. The cool thing is how well the Volvo handled higher speeds. At 180, it was quietly purring along, barely reaching 3000 rpm. And the cruise control on this car! So intelligent. The car automatically slows down when you approach another car. So much fun to drive. I want this car!

We arrived in Frankfurt, our home for the next three nights. The trusty GPS led us right to Kurt's flat. He warmly welcomed us, showed us our rooms, advised us on parking, and even helped us bring our bags upstairs (he lives on the 6th floor, but there is an elevator). He showed us where the closest grocery store is (a short walk away) and we got a few things for dinner. We cooked pasta and made a salad while Kurt helped the kids make ice cream in his ice cream maker. It was a great evening.

The view from Kurt's rooftop garden

It was quite warm as we bunked down for the night.