As I sit here on the tarmac I can't help but think back to years past: The extremely relaxing vacations that the trips Lin-Wei and I have taken, full of long, languid days spent on the beach, sipping drinks while we let the sun soak in to our weary bones; slow strolls along tree-lined paths, with plenty of time sitting on benches in quaint European towns; and always the long naps on a grassy hill on a scenic Alpine slope.
And as I thought of these relaxing, but slightly boring vacations, I wondered if there might be more. Maybe something that would stir the soul as well as move the feet. Was there a vacation out there filled with non-stop hiking, climbing, and touring, with nary a moment to rest while we scrambled madly to see every possible sight in the shortest amount of time? Could we spend all days hiking up and down steep mountain paths, only to get up early the next morning and tour entire cities before lunchtime? Well, lucky for me, that vacation had finally come!
This year we had decided on Germany and Prague. To see those rolling green hills upon which are perched small German villages. Drink delicious beer. See the once-undiscovered Prague before it is discovered so much that it no longer worthwhile going there. All this and more did indeed take place...at breakneck speed.
Our flight over the pond and transfer at Heathrow was the usual array of tasty delays with a side of "will we make our connecting flight this time??" Some vacations came with that side, and some without. This time we would not go hungry as we make it to the Munich airport on time.
Leon the Gray
Lin-Wei waited for the bags while I went to seek out the car rental agency, which, by my calculations, must have been somewhere in Austria, since I had to walk forever to finally get to the desk. 15min later Lin-Wei and I were on the road to Regensburg. I had made it a point to reserve a nicer car this time, in the hopes of finally achieving the rarest of European luxuries: cruise control. Our car was a mid-sized this time, and it was a gray Seat Leon. I never heard of the company Seat, but our friend Andy had. I'm sure it is pronounced Lay-ohne, be we called him Lee-on. It was a very nice car, but of course, no cruise control. I was later told by a British friend that cruise control actually is a luxury item. Oh well, but we had a new ally: Leon the Gray!
BTW, you may have noticed some icons in the info bar above. Throw your mouse over them to see what they mean. They'll come in handy as we make our way through Bavaria and the Czech Republic.
Let's get to Regensburg