Germany > Europe in

It is exactly seven o’clock in the morning when I close the front door behind me. Together with Nicolette, I set off on a road trip through southern and eastern Europe. The yellow Land Rover Discovery, packed and ready, is waiting outside. Over the past few weeks, the car has been checked and some parts replaced. I have confidence that the car—Brutus—will carry us safely through Europe. On the way to Nicolette in Delft, a few raindrops hit the windshield. Rain! I realize that the past few weeks in the Netherlands have been almost completely dry. It was the warmest May in a century. Surely this isn’t a bad omen for our trip? In Delft, Nicolette is already ready. After a cup of coffee, we start the car and really set off. We join the highway toward Dordrecht. Despite it being a Friday morning rush hour, the traffic isn’t too bad. After about two hours, we cross the border at Venlo and enter Germany. Via the A61, we drive south toward Koblenz. It is cloudy, but when the sun breaks through, it immediately feels oppressively warm. Now and then, brief heavy showers fall from the clouds. Traffic quickly adjusts to the weather conditions. At a service station, we take a short break for coffee. A gentleman comes over and asks if the Dutch registration document lying on the ground belongs to us. “Uh, no?” Nicolette rushes outside to see if she can return it to its owner. Fortunately, she finds him. We continue our journey. Around three o’clock, we approach Mannheim, a larger German city. Traffic congestion increases, especially at junctions, leading to several traffic jams. It takes quite some time to drive from Mannheim via Karlsruhe toward Stuttgart. By late afternoon, we are approaching Ulm.

Germany - On the terrace at the first overnight stay in Laupheim

The ANWB road map warns that a low-emission sticker is required for roads in Ulm. We don’t have one, and for the old diesel, we can’t get one. To be safe, we drive around Ulm. South of Ulm, we turn off toward Laupheim, where our accommodation for the night is located—a neat hotel in a quiet town. On the hotel terrace, we order a beer. At the same time, dark clouds gather, and in the distance, thunder rumbles. It is definitely going to rain. We move indoors and order our food. Outside, a heavy thunderstorm breaks out.