Straße Reise

Just me and the road. The destinations were just an excuse to have some direction, but they ended up serving a much greater purpose. I journeyed through the Black Forest to the visit the Magnificent Cathedral that sits along an intravenous city river. Next to the Grossmünster, located in the land that plays all sides. Then along the massive mountains to a tucked away Austrian city. Finally to see the Great Palace that inspired one of our greatest storytellers.

Sounds like a fairy tale in itself, ja?

My recent 1000km road trip through four countries was nothing short of breathtaking. And despite having visited Strasbourg, Zürich, Innsbruck, Garmisch, and Neuschwanstein, the best part about the entire trip was the drive itself. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous. The Black Forest was just the tip of the iceberg.

THE BLACK FOREST

I planned to drive through Freudenstadt to get to Strasbourg, France in order to run straight into the famed wooded masterpiece. But from Stuttgart to Freudenstadt, it was nothing more than plain hills and some small town roads, a major disappointment. Where were these endless trees that I had heard so much about? Was it all torn down to make way for our society’s growing infestation? I was getting worried. Then, almost as if someone had flipped the Black Forest Light Switch, I became lost in the woods the minute my car left the bounds of the drive-through town. It seems that the worthwhile drive was on the back half of the first leg of my travels.

It was well worth the wait. Soon I was darting through winding roads, inches away from the edges of infinitely tall cliffs, their height marked only by the tips of the trees that butted the plane of the narrow trail.

I would be lying if I said it was not an adrenaline rush – at any moment my car could have flown past the road and lead me to my demise. Still, I tested the limits of my car’s control. With my fellow drivers stacked closely behind me, it was hard for me to feel that I was going too fast. I realized I was heading down a mountain side, with the road matching the curves of the mountain face. Part of me longed for the safety of the valley below, but most of me wished it would never end.

It finally did, and my temporary lapse into adventurous fantasy dissolved into the reality of modern society: an hour long traffic jam leading into Strasbourg. No matter, every thrilling minute of that brief ride would be worth any dull moment that would pass thereafter. But this is not something I had to worry about.

STRASBOURG, FRANCE

I drove to the city center and found parking next to a mini outdoor flea market. I took a brief look underneath the few tents erected to stave off the spotty rain that would inevitably plague my entire trip, and found nothing of interest. I looked to the sky and noticed the tip of the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg. With my north star in sight, I began the journey towards the monument.

Along the way, I stopped along Rue St Madelaine and found a Vegetarian restaurant known as Au Portiron. What luck! There, I had a Gratin and a cappuccino. I know, I should have had some French wine. Regret #1.

My stomach satisfied, I set off once again on my quest to find the sixth largest church in the world. I crossed the River Ille and within a few steps the behemoth appeared, knocking me a few steps back. What a grand cathedral it was!

I admired the exterior for a few minutes, and then headed inside. The church had something completely different to marvel at with each turn. Just when I thought I had seen it all, another annex containing new works of art was discovered. The candles, lighting, glass windows, models, statues, paintings, sculptures, penny-holes, alter, and infinitely high ceilings made for a fascinating experience.

Unfortunately, time allowed me to afford to see only the cathedral. I skipped the popular boat ride along the River Ille and made my way out of France onwards to Zürich. I was already two hours delayed, and knew that I would not get into the city in time to see much before the streetlights replaced the sunshine. My delay was exacerbated by a “routine traffic stop” by German policeman who were “aware of recent issues with Avis Mercedes Benz rental cars” and needed to make sure everything was alright. In other words, they saw my brown hairy face driving out of France and wanted to make sure that I was not carrying a nice present from our radical fundamentalist Islamic friends. But no matter, they let me go (after an unauthorized search through all my baggage).

ZÜRICH, SCHWEIZ

I made it to Zürich with about an hour before sunset. I checked into my Old Town Hotel, Hotel Villette. This was the first time that I was forced into a private room at a hotel, unable to find a shared dorm in a hostel, and the experience greeted me with the owners trying to screw me out of 15€ with fuzzy conversion-rate math. Lesson learned: don’t leave algebra to a Hotel owner.

I dropped my things off and ran the 500 meters to the Grossmünster church. I only got to circle around the outside, and started feeling a bit disappointed. The disappointment quickly faded with the sun, as I realized how beautiful Zürich becomes at night! The lighting was perfect all around the city, bringing to life the downtown buildings, including the Grossmünster.

After an hour of getting lost walking around the city, I finally found Hiltl, one of the most popular restaurants in town. This too was a vegetarian specialty place, known for its Indian and authentic Swiss foods. Inside, it was as if I had walked through a portal to the upper echelons of society, dressed in what felt like peasant rags. The leering eyes all confirmed this, but no matter – I had a reservation! Or so I thought. Apparently the restaurant conveniently had no recollection of me calling ahead, and I had to wait for a free table. I bought a drink at the bar – a 6CHF 250mL beer, my first taste of Zürich’s notoriously costly way of life. After some time admiring the chalk boarded billboard of 16CHF cocktails, the host told me my seat was ready – but that I could only stay for 45 minutes. Swiss hospitality at its finest. I sat, I ate, I drank, and finished it off satisfying my sweet tooth with the only tease of Swiss chocolate I would have during my entire stay in Europe. The food was delicious, but at a hefty price. Worth it? Maybe not the second time without special occasion.

Apparently Zürich’s Old Town was supposed to have some really good bars, so I set off to find them. I started at Café Odeon, and ended up having a drink with two Zürich natives – both just starting college. It was my first attempt to socialize with the Swiss, and it was a good first impression. Unlike the French, who all were too pretentious to even direct me to the nearest bathroom, these two girls were very friendly and gave me some good tips on where to go next. They suggested a local Americanesque bar where there was supposedly good dancing. I heeded their word, and while the bar was packed, the dance floor was bare. This never stopped me in the past, so I started dancing – with me, myself, and I. For the first time, I felt old in a bar – I was one of the few who was not a college rookie too concerned with embarrassment to actually have a good time. This predominant mentality allowed me to see why this was called an American bar – a shoddy DJ playing music that barely had anything but a semi-decent beat, a certain false sense of superiority that loomed over those that did not do or say as they should, and overpriced beer. No matter, I stayed through my half litre, and went off on my way. I found another strip, and realized I only had enough Swiss Francs for one last drink. I saw a small, dodgy, dive bar, fitting for my last quarter-litre. It was not until my last few sips that I realized I was in the middle of Zürich’s Castro District. Zürich’s Dupont Circle. The Provincetown of Zürich. Yes, I spent my last bit of change at a gay bar in Old Town, and thought it was a good sign that my night was over.

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA

I woke early in the morning, hitting the road before the sun rose. While undesirable at the time, this would turn out to work out in my favor. I ended up riding along a river just as the sun started showing its face. The river was traced on the other side by what seemed to be some of the largest mountains I had ever seen. Mother nature was opening her curtains to reveal the Swiss Alps! I could have stopped to take a picture, but I became suddenly selfish wanting to hold that memory for myself. I suggest you all make this drive from Zürich to Innsbruck to see it for yourself.

I made it to Innsbruck about an hour later than expected, and had breakfast at Kröll, a place known for its strudels and white hot chocolate. I had both, with a cappuccino, then went off to briefly soak in the much talked about beauty of Innsbruck. I walked to the river and admired the row of houses that dawned a backdrop of a large mountain range. Unfortunately I did not have much time for anything else… apparently a recurring theme throughout my trip. Regret #2.

I was on a much tighter time table this second day than on the day prior, as I had to make it to Schwangau, Deutschland by 13:50. I wanted to spend some time in Garmisch Germany in between my stay at Innsbruck and Schwangau, but only had time for a brief coffee at Mukkefuck. Not sure what the literal translation of that word is, but I let my adolescence get the best of me when deciding on where to go for my midday snack.

I made a mental note to come back and make a weekend out of Garmisch, Oberammergau, and Mittenwald, and another weekend out of Innsbruck. For all you naysayers that thought I couldn’t do everything I wanted to in one weekend, here’s your chance to say “I told you so.”

NEUSCHWANSTEIN

I did make it to Schwangau in time. You might be thinking “whatever is in this unheard of town that you keep talking about?” Simple answer: Schloss Neuschwanstein, the famous palace built for Ludwig that eventually inspired Walt Disney when he imagined the castle that would host one of his greatest fairy tales: Cinderella.

I had enough time to spare to purchase my ticket, spend a Euro on the bathroom, push through one of the densest tourist crowds I’ve experienced during my travels, and embark on an unexpectedly trying hike up a trail that would lead me to the castle. As it came into view, it was amazing how much the palace had reminded me of the castle I grew up watching. Before I had seen any castles, I expected them to all look like this. Having finally moved past the letdown after seeing many palaces that looked more like a prison than a glamorous kingdom center, this was a rebirth of the idea that life could very well be my own fairytale.

I snapped a few shots of the outside as well as the surrounding cliffs, one of them reminding me of the most recent incarnation of the late Old Man of the Mountain (Rest In Peace). I waited in line, the queue management all implemented with very modern technology, and eventually got my tour of the castle. I could not take any pictures inside (except for this one sneak shot) – it will have to be one more thing you will have to see for yourself. We saw barely 10 rooms of a place that was supposed to have hundreds. It amazed me how much time, money, resources, and effort was devoted to one project just so one King could fool himself into being happy; in one room, over two million pieces were individually carved to construct the elaborate floor.

After dodging two gift shops, I hiked towards Marienbrücke, the bridge that gave its visitors the best view of Neuschwanstein Schwangau could offer. This last part was the biggest draw of my trip – I had wanted nothing more in my two days than a beautiful picture of Neuschwanstein from Marienbrücke. When I got to the bridge, the great Mother had done me no favors, and kept her fog cover hovering over the tips of the castle. No matter, this picture would be mine and mine alone. Trophy in hand, I finally made my way back to Stuttgart.

The last leg of the trip flew by, literally. The strips of the autobahn I was travelling on were mostly unrestricted, allowing me to really put to the test the limits of my Mercedes Benz A180. The limits were pretty low, requiring everything my engine had to offer to barely touch 180 km/hr (I wonder if this is where the car gets its namesake). It was still a rush though, zooming by the tortoises, snails, and slugs crawling at a mere 120 km/hr.

All in all, a wonderful journey. One of my favorite things to do in the States is to drive on the open road with music blasting, and I am fortunate to have had that experience here overseas. The scenery was gorgeous, better than anything I had seen in the States (including the drive along Pacific Coast Highway). I got to see four countries in 48 hours, and while I wished I had more time at most of the places, I was grateful to at least have had a sampling taste.