The Ride Home

January 7 - 10

No dallying, no sightseeing, no country roads - that was the program for the ride home. However, the first night we did plan a stop in a historical town with a castle and old walls since it was on our route and, well, we like these places. We were in Alarcón in the late afternoon and still had daylight to go out and take some pictures. Its location on a plateau was spectacular.

Our little Skoda - we stopped to get a view of Alarcòn from the other side of the ravine.

Alarcón

On our walk in Alarcón

Basking in the last rays of the evening sun

The next morning we woke up again to blue skies - but the temperature had dropped to below zero as Alarcón is at an altitude of 980 meters. As we lost altitude it warmed up and we had one more sunny day.

Clementines and oranges from Valencia for sale at one of the parking areas along the highway

On the second day we crossed the border into France and slept in Perpignan.

A country a day - on day three we slept in Lausanne, Switzerland. No pictures at all.

We knew it had been snowing heavily in Bavaria and parts of Switzerland. Our day started out fine, dry roads, no snow, but then came snow flurries, and more snow and more snow. Salt had been strewn and snow plows were out but I wasn't enjoying the ride much any more. Around Zurich I was beginning to feel anxious. I am admittedly somewhat phobic about highway driving and speed anyway and the snow was stoking my fears. When we reached Lindau, just over the German border, I asked Janos to let me out at the train station. Although Janos is an excellent driver, I knew driving through the snow was going to be agony for me. I felt bad leaving Janos to drive the last stretch alone and I was relieved to hear afterwards that the roads had been fine. And I felt fine sitting in the train, relaxed and happy to watch the wonderful snowy landscape roll past the window.

Lovely sky when we leave Lausanne in the morning

Through an icy car window

Through a train window

Deep snow in Bavaria

And that was it. Janos and I got home almost the same time in the evening. When I got there, Janos had just dragged our luggage up the three flights of stairs. We soon fell into bed. I was happy to be home again.