getting to know you

Driving through Croatia the first thing that slaps you in the face is the stunning coastline and rugged mountains towering overhead. Having come from Germany however where every rural village is pristine, we were shocked at the state of the houses running along the coast. We couldn't tell if the obvious decay was due to past unrest, negligence or purely a different perception of what is aesthetically pleasing. Most were concrete boxes, a few rendered or painted a bright colour but the majority seemed to be dull and uninspiring. Hard to imagine when the view out the window of almost all of those houses would have been second to none. We had to take off our western-tinted-glasses to appreciate anything other than natural beauty. It was spectacularly hot in Croatia, 37 degrees on one day we were there. Perfect for swimming - and we did, every day.

wolfgangsee

complete with swans!

lakeside

I don't know what is more beautiful about Germany - the mountains, the lakes, or the mountains over looking the lakes. On another break from driving we took a swim in one of the crystal clear lakes that seem to be in an abundance here. So much fun.

yodel odel ay ee ee!

In Germany, as in Austria, there are an abundance of green fields nestled into the mountians, each field with small woodsheds, just metres from each other, each stacked with hay for the winter months, and piled high with immaculate stacks of logs. Here is just one we chose to photograph.

pit stop in germany

stuttgart

We took a break from our German travels, stopping in Stuttgart where we found a park to hang out and stretch our legs. We stumbled across an incredible little community of mostly middle-aged chain smoking men, lots of them far too brown from long afternoons in the sun, playing a whole host of public games - chess, both normal sized and mammoth, bocci and cards. It was fantastic to witness. Nate particuarly loved watching the bocci games, cheering on the men as their ball reached the target.

oberwessel

don't mention the war

With the exception of a very short stint in Cape Town, Woz has always been the one to drive when we're anywhere overseas. Although I love driving, he seems to adapt so well to left/right hand driving and so it is easier to let him do it. This trip however I decided I would tackle right hand driving - my successful achievement being that I was able to drive us across the border from Belgium to Germany.

Having worked for a German company for almost 8 years I was very excited to finally be on German soil - to witness for myself the country I'd heard so much about.

Well we loved it. We spent three days in Germany, stopping in Oberwessel, just outside Frankfurt, then down through Stuttgart, stopping overnight at Nordlingen, just outside Munich, then to Bad Reichenhall for our last night in Germany.