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Note: The photographs in this blog are of poor quality, dated from 1982. This blog is an account of a road trip made across the UK and Western Europe (before the unification of Germany). Foreign travel was rare in those days, and driving across the continent was unthinkable! That this dream fructified, was a miracle. The blog gives a detailed account of the planning for the journey and the towns and cities we visited. Major tourist attractions in each place have been described. It provides for interesting reading, even though now a large number of Indians have visited these places and they can view better photographs of the attractions on the internet. However, the novelty of our journey will always remain.

Readers will notice that even minor expenses have been recorded during the trip. Some may seem frivolous in today’s circumstances but at that time with our salary and responsibilities, each expense was a drain on our meager resources. As such, we recorded even the smallest amount spent, and efforts to save wherever we could were conditioned in the psyche. I have let that come across as part of our experience. The summary of our expenses and the distances we covered have been given at the end of the blog.

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Introduction

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Ravi and I had gone to UK and Ireland in July 1982 to participate in the European Fireball Championships that were held at Dun Laoghaire Yacht Club, Dublin; and then in the UK Open Fireball Championships to be held at Torquay, UK. These two events took us a month to complete. This included the move between the venues by road and the practice time before each event required for familiarizing ourselves with the local sailing conditions. The Indian contingent consisted of Brig AL Suri, the Team Manager, Farokh Tarapore, and me as the two helms. Karanja and Ravi Shankar were our respective crews. 

Participation in these events was part of the training program for those selected for the forthcoming Asian Games 1982, in which the yachting event was to be held in Bombay. The Fireball class was the first boat with a trapeze introduced in India. It required a new level of agility by the crew, compared to the more staid existing classes. Ravi and I had been sailing together for a while and going for the Asian Games was the natural outcome of our partnership.

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The team planned to hire a van that would accommodate the team for the daily commuting from our lodgings to the sailing site, as well as to transport our boats from one venue to the other. This was the most cost-effective means of transportation and would also be convenient. Peter Bond had agreed to give his van on hire to us since we had chartered our boats and equipment from him for the two events. He himself was a renowned Fireball sailor and had been very helpful in our initial planning and in making the administrative arrangements for the trip. He was also participating in the UK event with his son as his crew. Ravi and I had planned to take a tour of Europe and the UK after the sailing events were over. For this purpose, we had taken a month’s leave. Ravi’s cousin’s husband, an Indian Air Force officer was in the UK as part of the Jaguar acquisition program, and Ravi’s wife, Chandrika accompanied us to the UK, and she would stay with him for the period we were sailing. Subsequently, she would join us for the trip across Europe. Ranjana was also offered to stay with Chandrika and though it was an irresistible proposal, Richa was less than 2 years old, and leaving her behind was not an option. So that part of the plan was dropped.  

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Sailing Championships at Dublin and Torbay

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Peter agreed to us using his van for exploring Europe after the sailing events. Though we offered to reimburse the rental charges, knowing our tight monetary condition, he offered it to us free of charge for whatever time we wanted. This was a windfall for us! Our personal finances were severely constrained and the van, which was a caravan, would help tremendously in cutting our costs. To add to our small personal kitty, we both decided to give up the luxury of staying in a hotel for the period of the sailing events and living out of the van with the approval of the Team Manager. This further helped us save a considerable amount. We had to just pay the camping charges for the sailing period and bear the fuel charges for commuting from the camping site to the sailing venue. 

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In Dublin, we found a cozy place to park the van on a road adjacent to the hotel where the team was staying. We would sneak in every morning to Farokh’s room to use the toilet and thus we added to our savings! In the UK we were not so lucky since the month of July was the peak tourist season. All the caravan parks were full. After scouting around, we managed to find a place to park our van at a farm on the outskirts of the town. We had to pay a nominal charge to the landowner. This rental included the use of the toilet and shower in the house and breakfast. The owners were a pleasant family and the wife, and young daughter were always accommodating to any of our requirements. However, it used to get cold at night since the van was parked in the open field and the farm was located on a small hill where it was very windy. We managed to rough it out during the chilly nights in our sleeping bags. Our strenuous sailing schedule during the day helped us fall into a dreamless slumber at night. On nights when it really became chilly, we managed by covering ourselves with whatever was available spread in layers above us, including an insulating layer of newspapers! 

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By the end of the month, we had saved what appeared to be an adequate sum to meet the expenses of our forthcoming month-long trip. This amount would otherwise have been impossible from our own resources. Farokh also had the option to join us in the van that had a provision of four bunks. But he chose a good night’s sleep in a warm, comfortable hotel bed after the tiring days spent in the cold water! He was returning to India straight after the championships and had no immediate incentive to save. 

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We traveled a considerable distance in the van during the sailing events itself, covering the whole of the South and West of the country. The van was picked up from Exeter, in central UK and thereafter we drove to Ireland with the team, towing the two Fireball boats behind on a boat trailer. The long aluminum masts were secured on the roof and with their considerable overhang in the front of the van we were always required to drive very carefully, especially on crowded roads. 

Incidentally, during the travels we undertook with the team for the sailing championships, I was the “nominated” driver of the van. That gave me more than enough practice to master the road rules in all conditions. Though during this period ‘driving on the left’ continued to be the norm and so was not a problem.  

The drive to Ireland was through the rugged Welsh countryside and very picturesque. The Cambrian Mountains provided very beautiful views. We crossed through Cardiff and went over the big Severn River Bridge. The names of towns we passed were as incomprehensible as any alien dialect! And they were always very long-winded. The final leg of the journey was by car ferry from Holyhead to Dublin across the Irish Sea.

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The subsequent return trip was again by ferry back to the UK and then to Torbay, the venue of the UK sailing event. This account of my travels commences after we had finished our sailing commitments and headed to London for the dispersal of the team members, and then our onward journey to Europe.  

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14 Aug 1982 – Torbay to Stonehenge to London

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We started at 0730 hrs. from Torbay, which is on the Southwest coast of the UK, accompanied by Farokh, Karanja, Arjun, Ravi Shankar, and Chandrika. Our first destination was Heathrow Airport to drop off the other team members. We reached there at 1230 hrs., covering about 300 km – mostly on the M4 Motorway. We stopped to visit the famous archaeological site of Stonehenge on the way. 

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We then proceeded to Oxford Street in London, via Southall, where Farokh had shopping to do. Southall was a typically Indian community, with the locals dressed in ethnic clothes. The only difference from a town in India was that the cars were big.

We also visited Hyde Park and Marble Arch, which were near Oxford Street. The Park is famous as a lecture place for speakers of all descriptions and during our visit we saw a solitary figure giving a speech to an audience consisting of a few disinterested spectators.   

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Thereafter we went to Tooting to stay with Ravi Kumar for the night. He worked in the local State Bank of India branch and was Ravi’s relative. Farokh and Karanja went to St. James Hotel for the night. Before we left India, the Taj Group had given the team complimentary passes for a stay at their property in London. We were saving our free quota for later! 

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15 Aug 1982 – London

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Today was a sightseeing day with Ravi, Kumar, and Arjun. It was Independence Day back home but there was nothing much to show for in the UK. Farokh and Karanja were to catch the morning flight back to Bombay and would have gone directly to the airport from their hotel. 

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We reached Buckingham Palace from Tooting (6 miles) just in time for the 11:30 am Changing of the Guard ceremony. There was a huge crowd by the time we reached the venue, it being a Saturday. I tried to take a few photos but was not sure what I captured on film other than a lot of heads of all shapes and sizes! 

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We then went to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral. The construction was massive from the outside and it was beautiful inside. Lord Kitchener’s statue welcomes visitors at the entrance where he is shown in a reclining position. This sculpture has been dedicated in his memory by the Royal Engineers. Statues of other famous personalities who had died or rendered outstanding service to Britain are also erected in the Cathedral viz. Nelson, Cromwell, etc. We were told that they might soon install a statue of Lord Mountbatten too. 

From there we went to see the Monument. It had been erected in the 19^th century by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate the Great Fire of London of 1666 when roughly two-thirds of London was destroyed in the fire. The fire is supposed to have started from that location. Its architecture looked like that of the Qutab Minar, having 331 steps (total height – 206 feet) and surmounted by a golden top. Entrance fee – 60 p. The view of the city from the top was excellent. The Monument is built next to the Thames River and the views were crystal clear and sharp. Sir Wren built several buildings in London to help re-construct the city after the fire. St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the renowned buildings built by him.

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From there we went for an hour’s boat ride on the Thames. Fee – £1.50. Along the waterfront, we saw the Whitehall with its signature sculpture – a golden eagle erected on the riverbank in front of the building. This is to commemorate the Royal Air Force. Beneath Whitehall (their Defense Ministry) is the UK’s first nuclear fallout shelter (which is also a running distance from the Houses of Parliament!). Saw HMS Belfast moored along the banks of the river – the largest cruiser in the world at its time and now a tourist attraction. Several old ships had been captured from Germany during World War I; some which plied on local rivers in the 19^thcentury; one was honoured by the King in World War II for helping evacuate UK troops from Dunkirk (1900 persons were evacuated on a small ship) – all are anchored along the banks and function as restaurants/pubs.  

There are several theatres along the riverbank, including one that is 300 years old. Many other tourist sights are located along the Tames, like the Tower of London – a one-time palace, castle, and gallows. There is a gate on the riverbank marking the division between the City of London and Westminster. The City of London is an autonomous region with its own Mayor, etc., and is a small area within the city of London.  

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We sailed under the Tower Bridge and several other bridges that span the river during the cruise. This included the oldest railway bridge over the Thames, which is now disused but still well preserved. The most recent bridge is the London Bridge, built to replace the one bought off by an American millionaire by mistake, thinking it was the Tower Bridge! The bridge was dismantled and taken to Arizona and re-erected there. The new replacement bridge was completed in 1972. We also saw Cleopatra’s Needle which was presented to the King in 1912.

The cruise returned to the pier near Big Ben. 

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During the night we went to Piccadilly Circus and Soho for about an hour. The place was well-lit up and had a very lively crowd. We spent some time enjoying the flavour of the place before heading back.  

We went to the St. James Hotel for the night. There I watched a movie till 0230 am – ‘Fury on Wheels’! Arjun had gone back directly to Tooting earlier. 

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16 Aug 1982 – London 

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Arjun came to the hotel at about 0900 hrs. and woke us up! It was quite late by the time we left the hotel and proceeded to the Swiss Embassy for getting our visa. Ravi forgot to carry his photo and we had to come back to the hotel. It was nearly 1200 hrs. before we could finally submit the visa applications. We were told to collect our passports by 1600 hrs. the same evening. This, however, disrupted our sightseeing program for the day. 

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We went to the Argos Department store on Edgeware Road and spent some time on our purchases, mostly to stock up on provisions for the Europe tour. From there went to the Science Museum in the afternoon. The Museum closing time was 1800 hrs. and so we could only see it partly. We saw the Space Section where the actual Apollo 10 capsule is on display, badly pitted due to the insulating material peeling off on re-entry; the Medical Section where we listened to the commentary on the EMI scanner and infra-red sensing; the Vehicle Section – trains, cycles, motorcycles, etc.; Surveying; Time Measurements had a number of exhibits from the Jaipur observatory, clocks and watches; Steam Engines from the old days; and the Space and Zodiacs. We could not visit the Aircraft Section, which we had planned earlier due to a shortage of time.  

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Then we went to the Planetarium and Madam Tussauds, but both were closed by the time we reached. We went on to Tooting to Ravi Kumar’s house to keep our surplus luggage, mainly all our bulky sailing gear, and returned to the hotel for the night. By now we had become quite familiar with the streets of London and could easily find our way around in the van, though Ravi had to be alerted to forewarn of impending turns and give directions for which we had the A-Z London Road Atlas. 

Saw the movie ‘Joe’ till 0330 hours in the morning.

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17 Aug 1982 – London to Dover

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Today was our turn to visit the Italian Embassy at Savile Row. We reached there by 0930 hrs. and got a transit visa by 1130 hrs. 

From there we again went to Argos for our VAT refund. This took us till 1330 hrs. Then I went to Greenfields to buy a sweater, as I had no woolens for the trip. The sweater I had was unusable after the rough handling during sailing. 

We finally managed to leave London for Dover at 1400 hrs. on our Europe trip! On the way, we gave a German hiker a lift to Dover. He was an ex-Air Force chap from Frankfurt and with whom we could only chat haltingly due to language problems. With Chandrika there, giving a lift to any female hiker was banned! 

We reached Dover at 1630 hrs. The first thing on our list was to get a 5-Star AA insurance policy for the van which included towing and travel facility covering the whole of Europe. We also got the yellow beam deflectors for the headlights (mandatory in Europe) and hired a red luminous triangle from AA for breakdowns. If we returned it unused, we would get a two-thirds refund. We also got an AA Road Atlas of Europe and some other travel books. Finally, we topped up our fuel tank. 

For the night we parked in the huge parking lot at the ferry site, near a toilet, and slept. It had been very windy the whole day and during the last part of the drive to Dover, the van was literally swaying with the wind, causing me to slow down on the motorway. The winds continued blowing through the night, making it very chilly.

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18 Aug 1982 – Dover to Paris

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We left our parking spot at 0300 hrs. Odometer reading – 65448.5 miles. A very breezy dawn, though it was not cold. We caught the 0400-hour ferry and reached Calais at 0516 hrs. The crossing was a bit rough at first, but near the French coast, the sea calmed down. The crossing cost us £58.00 since before 0700 hrs. there were concessional rates. This included £8.00 per person traveling in the van. It was a large ferry with a few hundred cars onboard. 

The weather was foul – heavy clouds, rain, and blowing winds on arrival in France! It appeared that the British weather was catching up with us in France too. DRIVE ON THE RIGHT! Huge billboards with this message greeted us all along the roads for the first couple of miles. It took a while to get used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. One had to concentrate and be conscious that the van had to stay in the right lane! On turns and roundabouts, the problem was more acute, and a physical effort was required to ensure the van did not stray to the wrong side. 

We drove to Boulogne. There we visited the first European tourist attraction, the 12th-century Notre Dame de Boulogne. This cathedral is built in a castle-like setting with thick boundary walls. In front was a stone commemorating the dead of World War I (1914-16). The gardens were manicured and very well-kept.

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On the way we picked up a Scot, James, hiking on his way to the South of France for picking grapes. He was a pleasant chap and we exchanged notes along the drive.

I exchanged some money on the way. The rate: $50 = Fr 343. 

The last days’ irregular timings were catching up with me. By 0930 hrs. I was feeling very drowsy. Ravi took over the wheel and drove till 1115 hrs. while I caught a nap on the bunk behind. This was the only time Ravi tried his hands on the wheel during the whole trip. Driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road has its own complications!

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We were on the Paris Ring Road by 1430 hrs. (local time, which is +1 hr. GMT). We headed straight for Champs Elysees, which we managed to reach without getting lost on the way. Thanks to the accurate navigation by Ravi. All the streets in Paris seemed cobbled and there were plenty of wayside cafes lining the streets.  

After parking the van, we walked down the Champs Elysees to the Tourist Information booth (No 127). We were fed a lot of local information there and handed an armful of tourist brochures and guides. We then walked down to the Arc de Triumph next to the Tourist booth and took a ride up. Fee – Fr 10 per head. There was a small museum and video shop located on top. The view was excellent too. By that time, it was nearly 1700 hrs. and we returned to the van. 

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From there we drove to the Eiffel Tower. We took a ride up the escalator to the 3^rd stage (the top). Fr 28 per head! The charges were expensive, but we thought it was inescapable. There was a large crowd and a long queue for the lift. The lifts had to be changed on the 2^nd stage and then again once more to reach the top. The view of the whole city from there was stunning. The top portion of the Tower is enclosed, with an open stage above.

Had our lunch-cum-dinner on our return to the van at 1900 hrs. Cooked by Chandrika. Then we drove around the city for the night sights. I also took some photos of the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower at night. For the shot of the Arc, we had to stand in the middle of the traffic with traffic whizzing past on both sides for getting a timed exposure! 

By the time we reached the Caravan Park marked on the Tourist Guide, it was full. We parked on the road outside the Park and slept by 2230 hrs., totally exhausted. It had been a very long day, which had started at 0300 hrs. and included a lot of driving, and new driving rules, all adding up to the mental and physical strain. 

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19 Aug 1982 – Paris

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Got up at 0800 hrs. Peeping through the curtains, it promised to be a sunny day. Went to the toilet at the Arc de Triomphe, but it was closed. We used one at an open drug store nearby, which charged us Fr 1 per head. 

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Refreshed, we went to visit the world-famous Louvre Museum. Parked the van at the Place de Concorde and walked down from there. There is an obelisk at the Place, akin to Cleopatra’s Needle in London. From there it was a lovely walk down the Jardin Des Tuileries (gardens), through the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel to the Palais du Louvre. This is a rectangular building complex and only the south and east portions comprise the museum that is open to the public. 

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These portions are divided into seven Sections: – 

• Greco-Roman antiquities (Venus de Milo, etc.)
• Egyptian antiquities
• Oriental antiquities (Winged bulls, etc.)
• Sculptures (Michelangelo’s Slaves, etc.)
• Art objects
• Gallery of Drawings Paintings (the biggest Section with Mona Lisa, and those by Goya, Ruben, etc.)

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The paintings were beautiful, with some being huge in size. Only the Mona Lisa was enclosed separately in a bulletproof glass case. Though cameras were allowed, no flash was permitted inside the museum. We hurried through all the Sections and were out by 1245 hrs.

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I also bought a pamphlet costing Fr 23, giving details of the Museum and its exhibits.

From there we went to Notre Dame. It is built on an island in the middle of the river Seine. There are two islands side-by-side and interlinked, as well as connected to both banks by several bridges. One of them is called the Ile St. Louis. These islands are where the first Celtic fishermen are supposed to have settled, and the city of Paris grew from that settlement.

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The Notre Dame church had lovely stained-glass windows and two towers (226 feet high) with flying buttresses. The sculptures were exquisite. A band was playing in front of the church that day. We had our lunch consisting of a sandwich, by the Seine. From there we went to the Pantheon. This is a huge building and looked massive. It is a church, and its interiors are adorned with huge paintings. Since there was an entry fee of Fr 4.50 per head, we peeped in from the door and didn’t go inside; we had already spent a considerable sum on entry fees! Famous personalities have been buried in the church since 1791, like Mirabeau, Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, and Jean Moulin, the Resistance hero.

From there we drove around the Sorbonne, the famous University. It is a huge rectangular building covering the entire block. Not much activity was visible on the campus, probably since it was closed for the summer vacations.

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From there we went to the neighbouring Jardin du Luxembourg (gardens). It is now the Senate House. It had a long garden comprising rows of trees and statues stretching from the Observatory to the gates. All the trees were trimmed in an overhanging fashion, T-shaped and we drove under their natural arch. A circular pond was there in front of the building, with plenty of places for children to play.

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Then we visited St. Chapelle. This was also on the island of Notre Dame, in the Palais de Justice complex. Only the lower portion was open (Fee – Fr 4.50). The upper portion, which houses the main stained-glass windows, was closed for repairs. The painting on the walls was in the process of being restored, having been damaged by moisture. This monument had an intricately carved steeple, similar but smaller to that of Notre Dome.

Having finished sightseeing south of the Seine, we then visited the famous Opera. This is a Second Empire building, known as Palais Garnier. It is a huge building, circular in shape with a green dome capping it. There were many gilded statues and beautiful sculptures there. 

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By the time we reached the Opera House at 1730 hrs., it had closed. We sat at a wayside café at the road junction, Café de Parix, in front of it and enjoyed the Parisian pastime of watching people walk by. Ravi had the Café’s special ice cream; I tasted a bottle of Bordeaux wine. It was the first relaxing moment we had enjoyed after many days of hectic activity.

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An old lady guided us to the city’s nightspots at Montmartre. We had dinner in the van consisting of potatoes and peas with ‘nan’ (bread) bought from the street near the Opera House. We reached Montmartre around 2100 hrs. Strolled along the streets, which were packed with wayside cafes, Brassieres, and movie halls – each having up to five screens. While driving around we took a right turn on the Rue de St. Denis and suddenly we found ourselves in the red-light district of Paris with doorways and alleys full of girls displaying their ‘wares’. Chandrika must have had a shock landing in the middle of this scene, but she hid her expressions well. This happened because the right turn sign on the road said ‘Toilet’, which we all wanted to visit! Finally, we did manage to find that toilet, and for a charge of Fr 1.00, the three of us managed to use it by turns, paying just once. The simple trick was not to let the door close! The toilet had a uniquely designed seat that revolved to clean itself each time the button outside was pushed. We wondered if that ever happened when someone was sitting on it!

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Being in Paris, we decided that something must be seen in this famous quarter of the city. Since there were no floor shows in this area, we went to see a movie for their last show at 2200 hrs. – Castilla et Messaline, a French movie about the Romans. The posters looked innocent enough. However, the movie wasn’t! Turned out to be a soft porn movie. Since we had paid for the tickets, we decided to sit through it anyway.

We had planned to sleep outside the Caravan Park again that night and see some sights by night along the way back. I had got my camera ready for a shot of the Arc de Triumph when at 0002 hrs. (midnight) the lights suddenly went off! On our way back via the Champs Elysée, we got caught in a massive traffic jam after midnight! One could never have imagined one at this time of the night. It took us half an hour to reach the Arc. We parked the van nearby on a side street and finally turned in to sleep at 0100 hrs.   

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20 Aug 1982 – Paris to Versailles to Charters to Blois

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We got up earlier today around 0730 hrs. That helped us to enter the otherwise full Caravan Park to fill the water tank in the van and wash up. I managed to take a bath too for the first time on this trip! We did notice that the sweepers cleaning the Park were two Indians.

It seems it would be a cloudy day. I checked the engine and found that the water in the radiator and the engine oil both needed topping up. The odometer reading was 65670 miles. We planned to indulge in some window shopping today instead of sightseeing for a change. 

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We reached the Rue du Rivoli by the side of the Louvre by 1030 hrs., filled up on petrol (20 liters for Fr 113), and generally walked around till 1230 hrs.

Clothes seemed more expensive here than in the UK. Bought some clothes for Ranjana and Richa from the C&A Store and bid farewell to Paris. It had been a wonderful visit to a magnificent city, full of history, culture, and art. Our next stop was the Palace of Versailles, about 15 miles away. The approach was beautiful with a wide 8-lane road lined with trees for the last few kilometres. Enroute, we passed the Place la Defense on the left, the location of the new Paris with its skyscrapers and flyovers.

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The Versailles Palace is again huge, having been built by King Louis XIV. He hated Paris after the people there detained him and his Queen for a while. For sightseeing purposes, the Palace is divided into the left and the right halves. The left has the King’s and the Queen’s apartments (entry fee of Fr 14 per head). The right half has the guest apartments, the Hall of Mirrors, etc. (entry fee Fr 11 per head). Since there was a long queue for the left half, we entered the right one first. Each room was gorgeously decorated and seemed better than the previous one. Huge paintings adorned the walls. Murals covered the entire ceiling. The original 18^th-century carpets were on display, along with chandeliers and statues. 

The first floor had a beautiful view of the gardens below. There was a big Royal Chapel extending on both floors in this part of the Palace. 

From there we headed for Charters at 1430 hrs. Odometer reading – 65685 miles. The highway passed through the Rambouillet forest, though we hardly noticed it. We got onto a paid autoroute before Charters for about 25 km – toll Fr 9. The parking and the toilets on this route were plush!   

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At Charters, there is an ancient and imposing cathedral built on a small hill. It is famous for its 12^th and 13^th-century-stained glass windows, and they were one of the best I had ever seen. The stained glass covers the whole cathedral walls as well as some of the sculptures. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, many pilgrims come to venerate its famous relic, the Sancta Camisa, said to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ’s birth. This place was the seat of religious philosophy in the old days and was frequently visited by the Kings. The two spires are 103 and 112 meters high, both of different designs. After seeing the cathedral, we had lunch at 1515 hrs. and then left for our next destination – Orleans. Odometer reading – 65740 miles.

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Orleans is famous for Joan of Arc, but except for a few statues, there was not much to be seen there. Everything had been destroyed during World War II. It was a mistake going inside the town as the traffic was heavy and it took us over half an hour to just cross the town. 

From there we headed for the chateau of Chambord, east of Blois. The chateau is in the middle of a 13,000-acre wooded preserve where once King Francois I hunted. It is also the biggest in France and gives the appearance of a typical fairy-tale castle. We reached there at 1925 hrs., and the closing time was 1900 hrs! All we could do was walk around the chateau from the outside and then proceed to Blois. 

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Blois is the center of the chateau country. It was once the capital of France and successive Kings had built their chateaux there over a period of four centuries. Joan of Arc used it in 1429 for her battles in Orleans and at other places. King Henry III and Louis XII were also associated with the town. We reached there at 2030 hrs. and went straight to a camping area, washed our clothes and ourselves, both long overdue. We cooked our dinner and went for the Son et Lumiere show at Blois commencing at 2245 hrs. The half-hour show was excellent, acquainting us with the history of the place and the surrounding areas, accompanied by phenomenal sound and light effects.

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It was back to the camp and off to sleep by 2330 hrs. For the first time since leaving Torquay, we had the opportunity to raise the extendable roof of the van and I could sleep on the collapsible bunk there, instead of crawling under the double bed every night! The law prohibited sleeping in a caravan except in a caravan park, but we had been avoiding the parks to save on the parking charges. Raising the roof was a sure giveaway that people were sleeping inside and could only be done in a park. 

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21 Aug 1982 – Blois to Ambrois to Salon

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Woke up early at 0630 hrs. The night was chilly, probably because we were out of a city and closer to the sea. We cleaned up and moved off by 0745 hrs. Odometer reading – 65823 miles. The park charges were Fr 7 for the van plus Fr 2 per head. 

We headed for Ambrois. The drive was along the river Loire and very picturesque. This was the famous chateau country along the Loire Valley. Ambrois has another famous chateau, which we only saw from a distance while driving. The chateau is on the river. We, however, visited the 15^th-century house of Clos Luce, where Leonardo da Vinci lived and died during the reign of Francois I. Models of his numerous inventions were on display. These displays are divided into Sections.

• Hydraulics and Water Pumps.
• Gear machines.
• Guns, war equipment, and materials.

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The exhibits included items such as airplanes, parachutes, tanks, bulb-shaped bows for ships, field guns fired by steam, a car, a machine converting reciprocating to rotary motion, etc. The rooms have been restored to their original character. The original sale deed of the house bought by Charles I for 3,000 gold coins was also on display.

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We then proceeded through the towns of Vierzon, Bourges, and Moulins to St. Pourcain. The drive from Ambrios continued along the Loire River and some forested areas. The Loire Valley has very scenic countryside, with the road passing through undulating surroundings. 

St. Pourcain is renowned for its wine. We visited a winery and bought a bottle for Fr 11. The cellar was not for view, so we could not see it. However, one could taste as much wine as one wanted.

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From there we drove to Lapalisse, 23 km from Vichy, where one of the biggest castles in France dating from the 12^th /13^th century is located. Seen from a distance it looked like any other chateau, except for the surrounding walls and the moat. We didn’t find it very impressive. Since the entry was Fr 11 each, we skipped going inside and saw it from outside only.

From there we headed to Roanne, and then to Etienne. The town is situated amongst the hills and every building there looked modern. Probably the town was razed to the ground during the Second World War and had been completely rebuilt. Here we reached the proverbial fork of the road, pondering on which route to take. We wanted to avoid the paid autoroute after the town which went right through, and above, the town and its alignment was an engineering feat. 

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The next town on our route was Tournon and then Valence. This portion of the drive was through beautiful hilly terrain, reminding us of the road from Chandigarh to Shimla back home. The road initially went up and then descended into the Rhöne Valley. Though the road was full of twists and turns, we managed to maintain a good speed through this stretch. Short of Valence, we stopped for some fruits at Roime and ate while driving, helping us save some time. It was dark by the time we crossed Valence. The drive from there to Livion was in the dark on an ‘N’ route. This was slowing us down considerably, so at Livion we again got on the paid autoroute at 2210 hrs. The drive thereafter was excellent, averaging 90-95 mph, as we would have done in the daytime! We halted near Montpelier at 2245 hrs. for dinner in a big parking lot-cum-restaurant. Chandrika cooked rice for dinner. The chores were the same at such meal halts – while Chandrika cooked, Ravi studied the map for the next day’s journey, and I completed my diary entries. Otherwise, with so many places/names flashing through the day, it would have been impossible to remember them later. 

We again started driving at 2345 hrs. I drove till sleep made it difficult for me to keep my eyes open. We then halted at the next parking bay which was reached by 0100 hrs. Time was at a premium and we had to weigh the toll charges against time to the next destination. And I drove till it was physically possible to cover the maximum distance possible. We paid toll charges of Fr 30 once and then again Fr 5 before Salon, which is short of Marseilles. 

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The van battery was showing not fully charged despite our long drive, and the engine would not start when turned. We hoped there was nothing serious and slept planning to check it the next morning.        

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22 Aug 1982 – Salon to Port Grimaud to Nice

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An early start was planned, and we got up at 0630 hrs. The toilet facilities of the TOTAL Gas Station were used. The engine started luckily on the first attempt, though the battery’s charge seemed weak. The radiator water also required about 2 liters to top up. The 2-liter engine oil can we bought yesterday at Amboise was also empty already! The odometer reading showed 66265.2 miles. The first thing we did was to stop at an AVIA garage about 20 km from the Gas Station. We got the alternator checked, but since it was of British make (Lucas), we were informed that only an authorized agent can carry out repairs. Since we were going to Nice, we could get it checked there. However, for seeing us through till there, he fast-charged our battery in an hour for Fr 85! The AA insurance mentioned a central contact telephone number at Boulogne, but we couldn’t get through to them despite numerous attempts, seems insurance offices everywhere are the same! We left that for the time being. 

Finally, we could get on the road by 1100 hrs. and headed for St. Tropez.  We avoided the paid autoroute and drove on the N7. The alternator stopped charging, and the red warning light came on. We had no choice but to continue driving. For the last stretch of about 30 km of road, we branched off onto a ‘D’ road and it turned out to be an Indian-type hilly road – narrow, sharp turns and with a pot-holed surface. 

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Just before St. Tropez, we took the turn for Port Grimaud, a resort for the uber-rich in St. Tropez Bay. It is a town built like an old fishing village, painted in pastel shades. It is a purely tourist town, with hardly any permanent inhabitants. There was a waterway running through the town zigzagging up and down connecting the houses. We took a ride down this waterway through the town, for a charge of Fr 14 each. The residents had motorboats for their use and after every several houses, there was a waterfront pier. No cars, except for the house owners, are allowed inside the village. By the time we reached there at 1230 hrs., a Sunday market was in the process of winding up. We visited the beach, where car parking was Fr 4 per hour. It was a long beach, extending to a considerable distance on both sides of the town and packed with sunbathers. The norm seemed to be topless – whether reading, listening to music, swimming, playing frisbee, or just soaking in the sun. The glare from the suntan oil was as blinding as the reflection of the sun off the crystal blue waters! There were a few places where one could rent a windsurfer (rates – Fr 44 per hour), a Cat, a pedal boat, or other water sports equipment. The bay was dotted with multi-coloured sails of big yachts sailing. We stayed there till about 1330 hrs. There was a tower in the Town Center that gave a view of the whole area – Fr 1 per head. One could see the whole town and the numerous motor yachts anchored in front of the houses, as well as the sailboats in the bay.                

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We continued our journey to Nice; the odometer reading was 66352 miles. This portion of the road was along the coast, via Cannes, St. Raphel, St. Laurent, and Antibes. The whole coastline was rugged, interspersed with sandy patches in short stretches in between small bays and coves. The rest of the coastline was covered with rocks extending into the sea. Any small patch of sand or even pebbles was crowded with people and even if one couldn’t see the sandy patch from the road, its existence was apparent by the cars parked above on the roadside. The highway ran along this beautiful coastline, alongside a railway line, each crisscrossing the other. There were numerous bridges spanning gaps across the small inlets and 100s feet below on the small sandy patches one could see the mass of sunbathers. This scene continued without break right up to Cannes (66396 miles) and then again from there to Nice. The drive was slow as there was heavy holiday traffic all along. 

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Cannes looked like a ‘rich’ town and is more-or-less interlinked with Antibes, St. Laurent, and Nice as the road passed through a continuous succession of beaches and buildings. At frequent intervals, there were boat marinas packed with big ocean-going yachts and cruisers, each marina having bigger boats than that seen in the previous one! Money showed, with the boats gleaming of chrome and polished teak decks. The decks of the boats were also covered with sunbathers. No space was empty.

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We reached Nice (odometer reading 66416 miles) at about 1830 hrs. The drive right from Grimaud had been along a queue of cars, tail-to-tail, with innumerable traffic lights for pedestrian crossings. 

All the garages were closed by the time we reached so we looked for a parking place on a slope where we could roll down the incline for starting the van in the morning. It took us over half an hour to drive around the town to find a suitable place. What struck us was that most streets in the town seemed one-way!

We had our dinner in the van and then we went to the beach. It was still daylight and the last of the sunbathers were still there. We spent about half an hour, thinking of sleeping early after the day’s tiring drive. The beach itself was a pebble strip, like the Marine Drive in Bombay. On the walk back to the van, we came across a pedestrian street for shopping, parallel to the seafront. Here we came across a different view of a resort town from what we had been seeing till then. Though the shops were closed, the wayside was full of cafes and entertainment in the form of cartoonists, puppeteers, soul dancing to music, etc.

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There were two cartoonists, with one using only a sketch pen, and the other crayons. I got a cartoon made of myself from the pen artist, not very costly at Fr 30. After roaming around the streets for a while longer, we headed back and were in bed, me under it, by 2230 hrs. 

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23 Aug 1982 – Nice to Monte Carlo to Grimaldi to Piacenza

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The exhaustion of the previous day kept us asleep late, and we got up only around 0800 hrs. We moved off immediately to the Shell Service Station along the beach. The mechanic there said that the alternator would have to be sent to the factory for repairs and we would know only by 1400 hrs. if it could be repaired or would have to be replaced. Fortunately, he spoke English and so we could converse easily, something very difficult in most places in France. We left the van and went to the beach to enjoy our breakfast – a long bread sandwich with Coke – and the sights there. 

Since we had the whole day to pass, we walked down the beach to the chateau nearby. It was built like a fort and to go up one had to use a lift if one wanted, at a cost of Fr 2. We naturally walked up! It gave a beautiful view of the bay right up to Antibes. One could also see the airport, right on the sea. Our exertions to the top allowed us to enjoy a juicy pear and a Coke while we admired the view around us.

There was a flower market nearby, which we then visited. Unfortunately, there were hardly any shops open as the street was being re-laid as a pedestrian street. Ravi and Chandrika went for a swim in the sea while I utilized the time to write a picture postcard back home to Shashi. 

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We headed to the Shell Station at 1400 hrs., but there was no news from the factory of the alternator yet. 

With nothing else to do, we went off walking again to a nearby supermarket and stocked up on our food stock. This was our first purchase since leaving the UK and the items were costlier. Having run out of cash, we went to a bank and exchanged $70. Tried window shopping at a few shops nearby but there was nothing much to see in them. So, we went back to the beach and tried enjoying the view. 

The alternator was repaired by 1700 hrs., as promised. The repairs were expensive at Fr 470, out of which Fr 300 was for labour charges! The rectifier inside the alternator had burnt out and had to be replaced. We also bought another 2-liter can of engine oil.

We were able to finally leave a little after 1700 hrs. for Monte Carlo via the autoroute. Odometer reading 66421. The road first climbed up and then it was downhill all the way to Monte Carlo. The view of the city from above was fantastic against the backdrop of the sparkling blue sea. 

There was a mad rush on the roads of Monte Carlo. As a result, we could move very slowly, imagining the Formula I drivers on the same roads driving at breakneck speeds! For the first time since we started our trip, we saw a policeman controlling the traffic. We went to the famous Grand Casino, the major attraction of the place. The 1863 vintage building had beautifully laid out gardens in front. We went to the American Roulette Room and saw it being played. Before that room, there was a huge hall filled with dresses and paintings. The Casino was in a huge glass-topped round hall. No cameras were allowed inside. An interesting fact is that citizens of Monaco are not allowed inside the gaming halls.

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After our casino visit, we drove off for the Italian border by 1830 hrs. Odometer reading – 66436 miles. At the border town of Grimaldi, we changed the balance of Fr 140 we had into Lira. The 5-figure amounts were confusing at first. Fr 1 = Lira 193. We got on the autostrada immediately and drove towards Piacenza via Genoa. This autostrada was a paid one and one of the best we had driven so far. Huge bridge spans and tunnels in succession spanned the hilly countryside with a gentle curving gradient. Even in the mountainous terrain, we could maintain speeds of over 60 mph (about 96 km/h) with ease. The tunnels were well-lit, and the rest of the road had small yellow reflectors, which were as effective as small lights. The small towns and villages were in the valleys and the road went clear over them through their middle. The bridges spanning the valleys were massive, with the houses and buildings far below, lights twinkling in the darkness. 

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When I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer, we stopped at a Service Station off the autostrada just short of Piacenza, around 0100 hrs., and dropped off to sleep.

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24 Aug 1982 – Piacenza to Venice

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We woke up around 0730 hrs., used the facilities at the Service Station to freshen up, and headed for Piacenza. Unfortunately, we had to pay toll charges again when we got back on it. We went into the town to change some money. The Fr 140 we had changed at the border was finished in toll charges and petrol by now! At the last pump, we paid for our petrol in a mix of Francs and Dollars. Piacenza turned out to be an old town with cobbled streets and old-fashioned houses. 

We had a long discussion amongst ourselves to finalize our next destination. We wanted to see Venice, but it was way off our route and time was at a premium. Finally, we decided that the trip would be worth it, and I was confident that I could drive longer hours at night to make up for the extra distance. So, our next destination – Venice!

We decided to take the paid autostradas despite their heavy toll charges. The Italian countryside looked quite like the Indian one, though the entire area we passed through was cultivated. The houses seemed to be in a poor state of repair from the outside. The road also seemed to need some repairs compared to the ones we had traveled on before, though it was just tolerable. 

Around 1300 hrs. we started running out of petrol and couldn’t find an outlet open – from 1300 hrs. to 1500 hrs. the whole country closed for their afternoon ‘siesta’! We drove on for another half an hour and then with the tank nearly empty, we joined in that pleasurable pastime at a closed petrol pump till it opened.

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We reached Venice at 1730 hrs. The drive on the last leg of the journey was alongside a canal. We found a Tourist Information booth and got literature and maps of the town. From there we drove across the long bridge – Porte Della Liberta – connecting the mainland to the city. Venice had been built initially on marshy land to protect it against barbarian attacks. Vehicles are not permitted within the city and there were 2-3 big parking lots to cater for visitors to the city. We parked on the curb of the bridge itself and saved the parking charges!

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From there it was a short walk into the city. We took a bus boat ride down the Grand Canal to the Marco stop near the City Center. The boat charged us Lire 1000 per head for the half-hour ride. The trip down the curving canal was lovely, with impressive buildings rising out of the water. The city itself comprises a cluster of 118 islands, joined by canals and bridges. The whole transport system in the city was by boats and we crossed numerous gondoliers on our trip. The few narrow walking streets are connected over the innumerable waterways through humped bridges, which allowed the boats to pass below. Most of the buildings seemed to be in a bad state of repair due to water seepage which was visible externally.

We got off the water bus at Piazza S Marco. Opposite us was the tower of Chiesa de S Giorgio on another island. We strolled through the narrow streets, which were full of souvenir shops. I bought a colourful ashtray made of the famous Murano handmade crystal, costing Lira 8000. 

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That was the end of our whirlwind trip, and we started walking back to the van. During the walk back through the narrow and crowded streets we got separated. I lost my way in the winding alleys and numerous bridges, which all looked similar. Ravi had the maps with him. Hardly anyone on the street spoke English. It took me nearly 2 hours to reach the van! By then Ravi and Chandrika had been waiting for quite a while since I had the keys. 

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We immediately took to the road, and I drove for a few kilometers before we parked by the roadside to sleep for the night. The thought of running out of time continued to play on our minds and we decided to continue to Milan that night itself. After a short nap, I started driving again at 2300 hrs. and continued till we were about 60 km short of Milan. My eyes refused to stay open, and I was forced to stop at a Service Station on the paid autostrada around 0130 hrs. We had covered about 125 miles from Venice. 

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25 Aug 1982 – Venice to Milan to Chamonix (France) to Geneva

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Got up at 0730 hrs. and immediately started off for Milan. We headed for the City Center and on the way came across the main tourist attraction there – a huge, covered shopping arcade next to a massive white cathedral. There was another underground shopping arcade adjacent to it. The Duomo, Milan’s main cathedral, is a massive late Gothic church (started in 1386) in white marble, with hundreds of spires and thousands of statues on its exterior façade. The Duomo Square in front of it was full of pigeons. We joined the tourist pastime of feeding them corn, which was being sold nearby. The mandatory photo session followed. I bought a few picture postcards from the shops around the square and posted two to Papa and Ranjana from there itself after penning a short note. 

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We took a short ride in one of the famous yellow trams. The drive through the mostly cobbled streets with intersecting tram lines was a new experience but enjoyable. We then left for Switzerland by 1230 hrs. via Aosta.

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We reached Aosta at 1515 hrs. As soon as we entered the town, there was a loud flapping sound heard from the front left wheel of the van! I immediately stopped and found a big bulge on the tire wall. It was changed with the spare tire, which was fortunately new. If the tire had burst on the autostrada at high speed, it could have had disastrous consequences for us. We were lucky we were driving at a slower speed on the outskirts of the town when the tire nearly burst.    

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Between Milan and Aosta, we passed a few Roman-era ruins along the road, all very well preserved. From Aosta, the road started to climb towards the Mont Blanc tunnel. It was choked with cars, an unending line on both sides. We realized then that the other end of the tunnel opened in France, and we had no French currency. From experience, we learned that dealing in local currency was always better due to arbitrary exchange rates charged by locals and no communication possible due to language problems. We were also short of Liras as the toll for the tunnel was Lire 13,000. So, we changed some Pounds at a money change shop just short of the tunnel entrance before starting through the 13-km long tunnel which passed under Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain. Since the Italian-French border was about mid-way through the tunnel, the border checkpoint is situated before the entrance. Halfway through the tunnel, the road started descending, and we had a fast drive through, averaging about 80 to 85 km/h. The tunnel was well-lit with yellow light (a novelty in those days), but after driving for a while in the constricted space, the lights flashing by regularly created an illusion of the tunnel narrowing down in front of the van. I had to concentrate hard to focus on the road as there was heavy traffic ahead.   

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The tunnel has all facilities provided inside. These included a phone, fire extinguishers, and parking slots at regular intervals. There was some seepage in the tunnel, but not too much.

To reach the entrance to the tunnel on the Italian side there was hardly any climb, but at the French end, there was a steep downward slope, with a village visible far below. This was the village of Chamonix. From there, a cableway was running to the top of the mountain. 

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We had planned to visit Switzerland and somehow missed out on the fact that the road passed through a short portion of France on the way. We ended up driving on a paid motorway with no local currency! A friendly petrol pump owner gave us Fr 10 in exchange for one Pound Sterling, mentioning that the toll was Fr 11 + 5 till Geneva. We actually paid Fr 18 till a small town 20 km short of Geneva, then got off the paid route onto a ‘D’ highway. It was a short drive through France before we crossed over into Switzerland.

While crossing from France into Switzerland, the border town appeared to extend to both sides of the border. It was one town, with the border running through it and marked by a simple barrier. There was no hindrance in the movement of people across. We, of course, had to stop to get our passports stamped. 

We stopped at a Tourist Information office near the border control office, but it was closed. However, the petrol pump next to it gave us a set of maps and tourist pamphlets. From there we went down to Lac Leman (lake) and parked on its shore to absorb the legendary Swiss surroundings – a dream destination for most Indians!

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The water jet there, at 130 meters, is the highest fountain in the world. It looked huge, spouting water to that height. The shoreline was dotted with lovely parks and blooming flowers in well-maintained flower beds – one of the things Geneva is famous for. We visited the Flower Clock and from there walked to the 12^th-century Cathedral St. Pierre on a nearby hill. The Cathedral was well illuminated, but photographing it was difficult as the surrounding area was very congested. We walked around on the pedestrian walkway alongside the cobbled streets. There were numerous illuminated fountains along the way. On the way we came across another monument, the Monument Brunswick which was also beautifully lit up in the evening light. This monument is dedicated to the Duke of Brunswick who left the city a fortune with the proviso that it erects a monument worthy of him. We had our dinner consisting of a Mexican hamburger washed down with orange juice in an open square along the pedestrian area between the cathedral and the lake, watching the colourful tourists crowding the lake shore. It was a bustling place with many wayside cafes and an entertainment group nearby playing folk songs.   

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At the base of the lake, the bridge crossed over the Le Rhöne, a stream that flowed out of the lake. An island next to the first bridge – Ile Rousseau – was again well illuminated in the dusk. 

From there we drove to a camping site on the eastern shore of the lake, but it was full. So, as was becoming routine, we parked outside the site for the night. The parking lot had toilets which suited us fine. 

Finally, after a long and eventful day in which we drove across three countries, we slept around 2345 hrs.

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26 Aug 1982 – Geneva to Berne to Stechelberg

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Up at 0745 hrs. We then headed for the Parc La Grange on the eastern side of the lake. Odometer reading – 66781 miles. There was a Roseraie nearby, a rose garden, with a fountain playing in it. As expected, everything was meticulously maintained. 

From there to the Horlogrie et Emaillerie, the famous watch museum. There were numerous displays of old watches and clocks; musical, ball type, sundials, etc. Most of them were working, though only a few showed the correct time. For a change, there was no entrance fee!

Visited the Mur des Reformatenes on the University grounds. It is the biggest monument in Geneva relating to the 150-year history of Protestantism. It consisted of a massive 5-meter by 100-meter stone panel with the statues of Calvin, the Great Reformer of the 16th century, along with those of Theodore de Bèze, John Knox, and Guillaume Farel.

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That ended our sightseeing in Geneva, and from there we headed for Berne. On the way, we would be crossing Lausanne. We caught the motorway, which is not a paid toll road in Switzerland. Enroute, we crossed Nyon, a town founded by Julius Caesar. From there we went on to Rolle. There was a lovely castle here on the lake shore, the Rolle Castle. This village is supposed to have remained unchanged for the last 400 years.  

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Rolle was the last halt before we reached Berne around 1415 hrs. As usual, we searched for the nearest Tourist Information. We were directed to a pedestrian zone near the Town Center. The Houses of Parliament and the Federal Palace of Switzerland are also located there. The place has numerous fountains with comical figures adorning them. The shops have a rail tram running across the area.

After a quick look around the Houses of Parliament and the world-renowned Zytglogge (Time Bell), an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets, we left for our next destination, Interlaken, by 1530 hrs. The town was not far, and we reached it by 1630 hrs. It excluded the look of a rich tourist town. Several horse-drawn carriages were plying on the streets, mostly driven by women coachwomen.  

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We headed for the Trummelbach Falls which are at a distance of 12 km. These consist of seven glacier waterfalls inside a mountain. They are accessible through a tunnel lift. These falls drain the mighty glacier defiles of Eiger (3970 m), the Monk (4099 m), and the Jung Frau (4158 m), carrying 20,200 tonnes of debris every year. The rate of flow of water in the falls is 20,000 liters/second. The waterfall inside the mountain is illuminated and looks ferocious. The tunnel is covered with spray, and we were completely wet. The entrance ticket was Fr 4 per head. 

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We came out into a camping site, near the town of Stechelberg. It is a premium location, though we paid only Fr 13.50 for all of us. The location of the Caravan Park had been chosen to highlight the grandeur of the Alps. It is in a huge valley, with mountains about 1000 feet rising vertically on both sides. The Jung Frau (4185 m) peak was visible right in front. In the dark, the gleaming white peaks were visible against the star-lit sky. Since we were early today, we had a sumptuous dinner after a long time and turned in early by 2200 hrs. Since we were in a camping park, the hood of the van was extended, and I could sleep comfortably for a change (or I thought I would!).  

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27 Aug 1982 – Stechelberg to Interlaken to Zurich to Baden Baden

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Getting up to a beautiful clear dawn amongst the towering peaks surrounding us was a wonderful experience. We had planned to go up the Schilthorn (2,970 m) peak early. This peak is famous for the shooting of the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.  The peak has a revolving restaurant on top which was built as a set for the film. It had rained during the night and our caravan roof had started leaking. I had woken up from my folding bunk very early in the morning, totally soaked through the sleeping bag. That delayed our plans a bit. Odometer reading – 67349 miles.

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We caught the cable car from Stechelberg to Murren (1,650 m), with a change at Gimmerlwald. The fee was Fr 51 each. The climb was about 2000 feet and had a beautiful view from the top. Unfortunately, most of the peaks were covered with clouds and the view was limited. We thought of taking a rack rail to Lauterbrunnen, a smaller peak, but that too was covered by heavy fog and so we gave up that plan. We strolled through the village where we came across a huge chess board located in a small gap in the hillside. It was so big that people were playing standing, with chess pieces as big as themselves. There were a number of good souvenir shops. The village had lovely flowers blooming in every window, giving it a picture-postcard look. I bought a wall plate souvenir (for Fr 26) with an intricate carving. With fog enveloping everything around us, we came down by the noon cable car and then drove back to Interlaken. We made a short halt in the town. The prices were astronomical, and we thought it prudent to move on!

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From there we headed for Zurich, via the town of Lucerne. Before we reached Lucerne, the motorway ended, and the drive thereafter was up a steep mountainside into the next valley. The road was like the Indian hill roads and reminded me of the road to Darjeeling. 

For most of the distance we drove along the shore of a lake and the scenery was breathtaking. However, clouds covered all the peaks depriving us of viewing the true grandeur of the countryside. It appeared that most drives in Switzerland were along lakes! The weather also got chilly during this part of our journey. 

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We reached Zurich at 1530 hrs. and managed to find parking near the railway station and Town Center – Fr 5 for 2 hours. We wanted to visit the Swiss National Museum, but it closed at 1700 hrs. just when we reached. The weather turned for the worse and started drizzling. But we were determined to walk along the famous Bahrhof Street, the pedestrian lane along which we could admire some of the best window displays that we had come across. Each seemed better than the previous one. Several famous Swiss banks are also located on this street. Two tram lines run on the street and an endless succession of trams kept plying. There were no buses in Zurich. Most of the factories, trams, and other likely polluting sources were electric-powered for a clean environment. Zurich is claimed to be one of the most modern and advanced cities in the world. 

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We also visited the huge underground shopping arcade, which was in front of the railway station. 

The roads had heavy traffic and getting out of Zurich took us nearly an hour. 

The Zurich See (lake) seemed like the lakeside in Geneva. A few Alpine peaks are visible from here on a clear day, but unfortunately, today was not one of them. We came across a shop selling drugs openly on the Limmat River leading out of the lake and many people were taking injections. We walked along the Grossmünster, a Protestant church, where there was a nice building covered with beautiful flowers.

From Zurich, we drove towards the German border. This road took us through the last big Swiss town of Basel. Short of the border we had a 5-minute halt for rest at a petrol station. Here we picked up an Austrian, Peter who wanted a lift to Baden Baden. He was a nice person and it turned out that he was a mechanical engineer for the purpose of earning a livelihood, and a painter and sculptor for passion! 

The drive from Zurich was mostly through rain and drizzle. We missed some of the beautiful views of the countryside, as a result.

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At the German border, the banks were closed, so we couldn’t exchange currency. It was late by the time we reached Baden Baden at 2230 hrs. We went to Peter’s house, where his wife lived. She was French and worked as a secretary at the local French military base. Their house was a one-room apartment, literally. We had a light dinner consisting of bread, butter, coffee, etc., and chatted till 2345 hrs. Since the apartment didn’t have any place, we slept in the van in the driveway of the garage of a neighbour’s house! 

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The autobahn (now we were in Germany) from the border to BB was an anti-climax to our expectations. It was not in a very good state of repair, contrary to the much-touted conditions we had read about. The joints in the concrete slabs were not well laid, and as a result, we had a very bumpy ride. 

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28 Aug 1982 – Baden Baden to Munich

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Got up at 0745 hrs., getting a good view of the garage in front of us! We went to Peter’s house for washing up and breakfast. It was nice and sunny after many days. Peter’s friends had come over to meet him, and we could finally leave at 1000 hrs.

We went to visit the town and exchanged some currency. At the Bank where we exchanged our Dollars, the cashier by mistake apparently entered Pounds Sterling instead of Dollars for our traveler’s cheques!  So, we got 410.270 DM for $ 100, a rate of 4.27 DM per Dollar, instead of the official 2.38 DM. We never realized this error, and as was the norm, we calculated the exchange rate against the Rupee based on the money received. We could then mentally estimate the cost of items we saw in the shops, before purchasing. 

As a result, what we saw in the shops made us think that Germany, and especially Baden Baden, was very cheap! We had heard that BB was a very expensive place, being a spa resort town. We went to a department store and got items for all the money we had exchanged, thinking that this was the place to do all our shopping! Still wanting to buy more things, we asked the salesgirl if she would accept traveler’s cheques. She quoted a rate of 2.35 DM per Dollar. Not convinced by the rate quoted, we showed her the bank receipt. The Manager came soon, probably to see the ‘new’ rate with his own eyes! Since we were very sure and not convinced by his arguments, he got a newspaper with the daily rates of exchange. We were in for a shock! Everything we had purchased was twice the cost of what we had imagined it to be. Anyway, we were $ 50 richer, thanks to the German banks. We didn’t exchange any currency and decided on no more purchases. All this took time, and when we returned to our van, we were in for another shock. We had a parking ticket – a parking violation fine of 10 DM! We put the ticket in our pocket, and drove off, not knowing what would happen to a UK-registered car with an un-paid German parking ticket. We would be in India anyway, by the time anything happened.

Baden Baden is a health resort town. It has a few spas – hot water springs. We tasted one and it was hot mineral water. Many elderly and handicapped people were visible around town, one of the reasons for the high costs. 

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We visited the old and the new castle. The old castle was on top of a nearby hill and was in ruins. Its state reminded me of ruins back in India. The view from there, however, was excellent, giving a view of the town amidst the thick black forest. This was, after all the famous Black Forest! The trees extended as far as our eyes could see in all directions, and the terrain was hilly. Towards the north, the ground leveled out slowly, till it gave way to cultivated land beyond.  

We left for our next destination, Munich, around 1530 hrs. It was a 300-km long drive. Soon after leaving BB, we stopped at a parking on the autobahn for lunch and cooked a meal of rice with potatoes and onions. After an hour-long halt, we drove off around 1645 hrs. Our petrol was getting low, and no petrol pump was in sight. Near Stuttgart, we got off the autobahn and went into a village to fill up. And lost about 30 mins of driving time in the process.

The autobahn to Stuttgart was in poor condition, the worst we had seen so far. After that, it improved, and we could see extensive repairs being undertaken. The diversions for the repairs were such that we had to get off at the exits and go around a few kilometers where we could take a U-turn back onto the autobahn.

For the first 125 miles, the countryside was undulating, and the gradients were quite steep, much worse than that on the Italian roads on the mountainous regions that we had driven on. This meant driving in 3^rd gear often. After this, the road leveled out and the condition improved – straight alignments and good riding surfaces. However, the side road reflectors were either missing or spaced further than those on the other autoroutes. 

Most of the drive to Munich was through intermittent drizzle and chilly weather. The autobahn was used so heavily that the outermost lane was rutted for most of the distance, causing our van to sway alarmingly when we changed lanes. With the wet roads, I had to slow down frequently. 

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We reached Munich around 2130 hrs. We had a road map of the city, and so we headed for the Railway Station, behind which was marked a Tourist Information office. This was open till 2300 hrs. We parked the van and walked around on the streets. All the shops except the bars and the nightspots were closed by now. These shops with the women on display were located between the other shops, unlike in the other places we had visited where they were generally separate red-light areas.

For the night, we parked near the Station on the roadside. There we bought a 24-hour combined tram/bus/metro ticket. Chandrika in the meantime made dinner consisting of soup and beans, and we slept by 2330 hrs.

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29 Aug 1982 – Munich to (near) Nohfelden

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We got up at 0730 hrs., drove up to the Railway Station, and washed up. Odometer reading – 67800 miles. The toilet charges were DM 0.3. There were also electric shavers available for use for DM 1.00. 

We left the van and caught a tram to the Deutsches Museum of Science and Technology. Entry was DM 3 and for luggage DM 0.80. It was a huge Museum covering all branches of science. There were beautiful working models in all the Sections. All the models, even the non-working ones, were accurate to the minutest detail. 

The Mining Section was unique, being situated fully underground and giving the impression that one was entering a cave. It covered a large area, with portions showing mining techniques through the ages, up to the latest technologies. There were also different areas depicting types of different seams and mines e.g., coal, potash, limestone, etc. There was an underground theatre, which showed a film on mining techniques, and we watched it partly. 

The Aircraft Section was also excellent. Many models of aircraft were on display. In the Ceramics Section, a glass blower was at work, and his works were for sale. We watched him at work creating magical colourful objects from glowing blobs of molten glass. We remained engrossed with the exhibits till we saw the time and rushed out at 1230 hrs.

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We caught another tram and went to the Bavarian National Museum. For a change the entry was free, but luggage was charged DM 0.40. Here there were mostly wooden sculptures of Christ and other Biblical personalities. Most of these dated from the 13^th and the 14^th century. The Museum is also famous for its huge tapestries dating from the same period. We rushed around the exhibits as we were running behind time, as usual! 

From there we went by streetcar to the Alte and Neue Pinapathek (meaning ‘Old’ and ‘New’). This was opened in 1980, with entry again free, but had a luggage charge of DM 0.40. These are famous art galleries housing paintings of renowned artists such as Rubens, Gaugin, Rembrandt, etc. The Alte was housed in a massive building and the Neue in a modern building, equally massive, and well laid out. 

From there we went for a ride on the tram and then on the Underground. Munich has the ‘U’ and the ‘S’ routes. The ‘S’ goes around the city, while the ‘U’ zig-zag’s in between, and are all a part of the city’s Rapid Transit System. 

We retrieved our van, and then drove to the Olympic Village, on the way back to Stuttgart. Part of the route was retraced on which we had driven yesterday. The Village was beautiful, with curved fiberglass roofs covering various stadia, swimming pool, and other facilities. The roofs were suspended by cables from tall tubular structures and gave a very aesthetic look. The tall Television Tower-cum-Restaurant in the background overlooked everything. There was a small lake in the center, around which a rock concert was in progress. The music was loud, but clear, even in the open surroundings. A big crowd was sprawled around a small mound, enjoying the show and the sun. 

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Finally, we started on the next part of our journey at around 1730 hrs. We had a long drive ahead of us to Luxembourg, which we hoped to reach that night itself. This would entail driving right across the width of Germany!

This road was good and generally sloping downward. This meant we could drive at a good speed. At several places, one side of the carriageway was being re-laid, a massive work in progress. We had seen the various stages of construction of the autobahn in the Museum that morning, and so could relate well to what was happening on the ground. The design was the same as for a runway, with these roads being able to take a load of fighter aircraft during wartime. It really felt like driving on a runway, but the road remained 2-lane, except for the uphill portions.

We drove through the towns of Stuttgart and Karlsrühe. A dinner halt was made at 2230 hrs. for half an hour at a petrol pump on the autobahn, and I caught a few winks during the break as I was feeling drowsy. The short nap didn’t help much, and so I finally called it off around 0145 hrs. after the autobahn ended and we entered a national highway. A slight fog had also started building up by then.  

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The latter part of the journey after Karlsrühe was along the Rhine Valley, and we could see the concentration of heavy industries all along this route. Before Karlsruhe, the road was full of traffic, like a Bombay road! It was one of the busiest we had driven on. We also passed many castles, all well-lit at night. This part of Germany is famous for them. The Service Station we stopped at had auto toilets and radar-operated taps, the first we had come across on the road.

For the night we parked on a ‘P’ road and went to sleep.           

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30 Aug 1982 – Nohfelden to Luxembourg to Amsterdam

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Odometer reading 68125 miles. Got up at our usual time of 0730 hrs. and immediately drove off to Luxembourg, to look for a toilet! We crossed the border around 0900 hrs., from where the town was about 22 km. 

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When we reached the town, the city had a festive look, and everyone was dressed in their holiday finery. After finding a parking place with difficulty, we came to know that all the banks were closed! The ‘I’ on the road (Tourist Information) was packed with holidaymakers, the shops were open and innumerable hawkers lined the roads selling everything from TVs, Stereos, household goods, eatables, and everything imaginable. At the ‘I’ we came to know that the only ‘Change’ open that day was at the Central Station. Since we had no local currency, we made a dash for the place, a half-hour walk away. After washing up (toilet Fr 5 and shaving Fr 10), we walked back down to the Passerelle, a huge bridge spanning a gorge inside the town. At the bottom was a stream with lovely laid-out gardens, and a view of the Pl de Metz across the bridge. The place appeared cheap, and so we stocked up on provisions, fruits, and Coke cans for the rest of our journey – the Coke being cheaper than in the UK. We browsed the shops for souvenirs, and I bought a copper wall plate. We also tasted a local dish – a baked item like a big ice tray made of wafers and filled with whipped cream. It tasted yummy. There were many shops displaying big chunks of cheese along with hamburgers and hot dogs, probably a local favourite. 

Luxembourg has a large war cemetery for American soldiers. Among those whose it is the last resting place, is General George S Patton.

After walking through the town, we left at 1500 hrs. for Amsterdam. This route would take us right across Belgium. The Belgium border was unattended, and we just drove through into the country! The motorways in Luxembourg and Belgium were lit, something we had not seen anywhere else. The ride quality was also excellent. 

Soon we crossed into the Netherlands and managed to change some currency at the Service Station on the highway. We reached Amsterdam by 2130 hrs. and headed for the Central Station where there was a Tourist Information and Change (VVV), all marked on our Atlas. We drove to see the Dam area. The Royal Palace and the new cathedral were nearby too. From there we drove to Zeedyk Street, famous for its nightspots, like those in Hamburg, with big brightly lit windows showcasing their ‘displays of human anatomy’.

We went early to the camping site located within the city, by 2345 hrs., and had a meal of soup and custard. We discussed for a while our plans, and when to leave London for home. We would have to book the tickets soon, due to the tourist season. It was decided to catch the flight on 05/06 Sep, as we were now also running short of money. Turned in to sleep around 0115 hrs. 

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31 Aug 1982 – Amsterdam to Afsluitdijk to Gouda

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Got up late – at 1000 hrs.! The long hours of driving were finally getting to us. We used the site facilities to clean up, as we were staying at a camp after many days. There even had a vending machine for bread, buns, and butter. We moved out by 1130 hrs. and headed straight for the local Air India office to book our return flight since we had an open ticket. The computer in the office was out of order, and we were told to confirm the bookings by the evening. 

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We then went to the Rjisk Museum. It is the biggest museum housing Rembrandts (his famous ‘Night Watch’), Vermeer’s, etc. It also had a vast collection of sculptures and works of oriental art. Entry was Gd 4.50. I bought a few picture cards of Rembrandt paintings as souvenirs. 

Amsterdam is a big city, and very dirty! One of the dirtiest we had seen yet. The streets were very narrow, with tram and cycle lanes running all over. The cycle lanes, which exist all over the country, were so well marked and sign-posted that on occasions I turned into them while driving! The city has a few concentric concrete canals (four, I think), with many link canals. The roads follow these canals and are linked together through numerous bridges – somewhat like Venice, but on a much bigger scale. Most of the bridges, both in the city and those in the countryside, are designed to open to let barges and other traffic pass through.

In the evening we went back to the Air India office to check our bookings, which had been confirmed. There were several souvenir shops nearby. We visited a shop selling the famous blue Delft hand-painted pottery, Dutch pewter, and tapestries – I bought some Delft pottery. 

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From there we headed north out of the city to see the famous dykes. The 80 km drive was along canals and the coast up to the northern tip of the North Hollands (Holland means ‘two provinces’). We crossed the Afsluitdijk, the Barrier Dam, which is 30 km in length. This has converted the Bay of Ijsselmeer into a freshwater lake and prevented floods in the Bay area. It has now reduced maintenance of the earlier 300 km of dykes to the present 30 km length. All along the drive, the North Sea was visibly higher than the land on the other side of the dyke, and even at the dam, there was a difference in the water levels. 

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There was a strong wind blowing during our drive, and the van kept swaying alarmingly – and we were told that it was a normal calm day! The Dam had been finished in 1932. It had a motorway running along its top, with a viewpoint in the middle of its length. By mistake, we climbed onto the motorway and were forced to drive the entire length before we could turn around. We stopped at the viewpoint and climbed to the top. From there we could see the length of the Dam, as well as get a good view of the water on both sides. Seeing the higher level of water in the North Sea was fascinating. This was the point where the Dam had been finally closed at the time of its construction. 

We returned to Amsterdam as the trip had emptied our fuel tank, and we had run out of local currency too! We headed straight for the Central Station, and on the way got lost in Amsd-Nord for nearly an hour. The Change outlet at the Central Station ‘I’ could only be reached by 2230 hrs. Luckily it was still open. We filled up on fuel and then drove off towards Gouda, the famous cheese town. On the way, we parked for the night at 0030 hrs., just short of the village. Cooked a rice meal and slept on the roadside.

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01 Sep 1982 – Gouda to Rotterdam to Antwerp to Brussels to Dunkirk to Calais

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We got up at the usual time of 0730 hrs. And to our astonishment, we found ourselves in the middle of a beautiful village! When we had parked at night, not much was visible, but now the neat houses with bright flowers and the canal flowing through the village gave the look of a model village right out of a picture book. 

We reached Gouda and used the toilet facilities at the Railway Station there. Went to the VVV office in the Town Center. Opposite the office was a toy-like Town Hall with red and white windows having open shutters. It was the oldest Gothic Town Hall in the Netherlands, having been built in 1450 CE. Behind that was a big cathedral. On inquiring, we were told that there were no cheese factories for visitors. We were, however, directed to a nearby farmhouse making farm cheese. The drive there was through the typical Dutch countryside. The road was narrow, passing between houses, with canals running along the road. These canals had branches to each house. Most of the houses had a boat tied in front. It again looked like Venice, but on a larger scale, and with more open countryside all around.

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The farmhouse was closed to visitors, but a lady who answered our knock was kind enough to show us around and explained the process of cheese making – basically by stirring milk in wooden barrels and adding yogurt. The solids then settled down and whey was left on top. This whey was used for making medicines for diabetic people. The solids were filled in a container and compressed under a press. It was then kept in a solution mixed with salt for 9 days. After that, it was cured for 3 months, before it was fit for eating. This is known as young cheese. We had a taste of some old cheese, about a year and a half old. The taste was very strong, but this was the locally preferred variety. The farm cheese is stamped with a hexagon, and the factory cheese with a round mark, to differentiate between them.

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From there we drove to Rotterdam, another big city. We drove straight to the Euromast, near the docks. The tower has stages at 100 meters and 300 meters in height. There were different fees for going to different levels, Gd 9.50 and 15.00 respectively. We had money only for going to the first level. It gave an excellent view of the docks, reputed to be the biggest in Europe. The whole city is built anew as nothing had survived the bombings of the Second World War. 

After a quick round of the city, we drove off for Belgium, on our way back to the UK. We headed for Antwerp first. The city boasted the biggest harbour and the biggest Cathedral in Europe. The Church was massive, with a few stained-glass windows. There were also several original Rubens hung on its walls. There was a Fr 10 admission to see the church.

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From Antwerp, we went to Brussels. To us, it seemed one of the biggest cities we had come across so far. We saw the Grand Place, reputed to be the most beautiful square in Europe. All the buildings were either banks or hotels with a solitary church. It did look beautiful. Nearby was the Boy of Brussels in his famous pose, peeing into the pond. He is recognized as the oldest citizen of Brussels. The city itself had a typically old look about it. Narrow cobbled streets with tram lines and old imposing buildings along the streets. We looked around for some souvenirs but couldn’t find any suitable ones. They were either expensive cut glass, or not worth the price. 

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While driving around the city, the engine of the van suddenly started making loud noises. On checking, we found that there was no water in the engine and it was overheating! We topped up the radiator again and let the engine cool for a while before driving off again. 

By 1830 hrs. we drove off to Calais to catch the ferry back to the UK. We stopped at Dunkirk to visit the French National Cemetery on the way. It had the graves of those who lost their lives in the famous battles fought there during the Second World War. The cemetery was well laid out and maintained. 

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The motorways in Belgium were lit at night, something that made driving very comfortable and without strain. The distance on the map from Dunkirk to Calais is not much. But on the ground, it turned out to be deceptive, as there were numerous bypasses and other detours, as this section was only an ‘N’ highway.

The frontier check post at the French border was the best we had crossed yet. The sentry on duty just waved us through from his window, without even coming out of his booth! The French were amongst those who had been the strictest in our experience previously, but here probably since it was drizzling a bit he avoided coming out of his post. The drizzle accompanied us all the way from Belgium to Calais. 

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We reached Calais Car Ferry Park around 2230 hrs. and parked there for the night. The morning ferry was very early, and this was the best option. After a long time, we had a double helping of the rice dish and slept by 0030 hrs.

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02 Sep 1982 – Calais to Dover to Greenwich to London to Exeter

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We got up early at 0630 hrs. and joined the queue for the ferry at 0730 hrs. The crossing took about 75 mins, and we washed up on the ferry. 

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From Dover, we drove to London, visiting Greenwich on the way. We saw the brass plate engraved with the Primary Meridian (0° Longitude) and other exhibits in the Museum there. 

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Then it was back to London, and we stayed with Ravi’s relatives for the time left. By this time, we were exhausted from our travels. The Europe trip had been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the long hours of driving, hectic schedules, ad-hoc meals, and missed sleep – all had finally caught up with us. We had planned to visit the northern part of the UK and go to the resort town of Blackpool, where Ravi’s Uncle was, but we gave up on that plan. The three of us now just wanted to pack our bags and head for home!

We drove to Exeter to return the van to Peter. The van had given admirable service, and on the very last day, while we were driving the last lap to Exeter, the turning indicator lights packed up! Since we were nearly there, we handed over the car, in nearly as good a shape as we had got it. The horn also stopped working up when we entered Exeter, just before we reached Peter’s house! It was really a coincidence, both happening on the very last day. Except for the dynamo problem, the van never gave any problem during the long and arduous trip – a tribute to the Ford Company.

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Conclusion

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That was the end of our adventure. From Exeter, we came to London and caught our flight home. By this time the three of us were looking forward to being back home, though not really homesick! Combined with a month of strenuous sailing in the Championships in the UK and Ireland before the drive through Europe, it was quite a handful even for me. But the experience was thoroughly enjoyable and memorable for all of us. And the number of places we had visited was unimaginable! The cost of the whole journey was unbelievable, mainly due to the caravan because of which we saved huge lodging expenses since we had stayed in some of the most expensive cities in the world.  

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Aftermath

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On our return to London, we did not have much time to wind up before catching the flight back to India. The thought of filing an insurance claim for the alternator repairs did crop up in our minds but kept getting pushed aside in the face of more important tasks. It was only when we reached Heathrow Airport finally did we breathe a sigh of relief after our hectic schedule of the past 6 weeks. And we had the time to write the insurance claim. It was posted at the British Post outlet at the airport. It was a long shot, knowing that we were leaving the country. I gave my house address at the College of Military Engineering, Pune on the claim form. Once we reached India, normal life caught up with us, and the claim was forgotten. Till one day a letter arrived from the UK with a cheque for the claim amount! The cheque was in Pounds Sterling – the labour charges had been deducted, and the cost of parts was reimbursed. A testimony to the efficiency of the system. After conversion, it was a reasonable sum and a small celebration followed, finally bringing down the curtains on the European sojourn.

I did get the opportunity to visit London on a number of occasions thereafter, as the Manager-cum-Coach of the Indian Optimist contingent to participate in many sailing championships in Ireland and the UK. Having driven around London, finding my way in the city was relatively easy. I hope to write on some of the trips at a later date. My travels through the northern parts of Europe – Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Poland have, however, been covered in a series of seven (7) blog posts. The first blog on Norway is at the link below – it gives the links to the other blogs at the end.

My Trip to Norway

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Summary of Expenses

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Country	Food/ Lodging  (in £)	Petrol Costs (in £)	Misc* (in £)	Total (in £)	Remarks
U.K. (Includes initial stocking)	30.00	10.00	@183.00	223.00	Including ferry charges, insurance, etc.
France	13.00	83.00	94.00	190.00
Italy	0.50	71.00	19.50	90.00
Switzerland	22.00	40.00	38.00	100.00
Germany	1.00	40.00	8.00	49.00
Luxemburg	5.00	9.50	16.50	31.00
Holland	4.50	34.00	8.50	47.00
Belgium	0.00	17.00	0.00	17.00
TOTAL	76.00	303.50	367.50	747.00

* Misc expenses include all expenses other than fuel & food/lodging e.g., souvenirs, movies, entry fees, etc.

Food/ head/ day = 76 ÷ (16 × 3) = £ 1.60 ≈ Rs 27.00

Total Expenses/head for the whole trip = £ 249

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Distances Covered

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Ser.No.	Country	Distance covered (Miles)	Fuel consumption (Litres)	Cost of fuel (£)
1.	France	932	186	83.00
2.	Italy	726	131	71.00
3.	Switzerland	388	103	40.00
4.	Germany	578	100	40.00
4.	Luxemburg	102	33	9.50
5.	Holland	435	86	34.00
6.	Belgium	213	46	16.00
7.	U.K.	*80	26	10.00
	TOTAL	3442	711	303.50

*Up to Leeds

Total Distance covered = 3442 miles = 5460 km

Distance covered/day ≈ 355 km.

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NOTES: –

(1)        Fuel consumed is not proportional to the distance covered, as fuel filled in one country continued to be used in the next one. 

(2)        Some figures have been interpolated. The mileage covered is exact.  

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