Here We Go

 (To quote Trump in what I believe is a more appropriate use of the phrase he used to respond to Russia sending drones over Poland ☹️)

To recap yesterday.

As I mentioned, we set out for Lichtenstein. The roads in Germany are toll-free. But if you’re gonna drive into Austria, you have to stop at a gas station and buy a vignette toll sticker to drive on Austrian roads. We were prepared for that, and stopped at the last gas station to buy that sticker. We never saw a sign that indicated that we were entering Austria. But halfway through the next long tunnel, we did receive text notification from T-Mobile on our cell phone, alerting us to the fact that we were now in Austria. The navigation system took us over some little back roads and across the bridge where we came face-to-face with immigration officials and a Swiss flag. I tried to adequately convey my concern and pointed to my Austrian sticker on my windshield, The officer pointed down the road to a gas station - I assumed indicating that I could now get a Swiss sticker at that station. That accomplished, we proceeded to Lichtenstein. 

Not much to write home about there. But here is a picture of Schloss Lichtenstein and of my t-mobile texts proving we traveled from Germany through three other countries and back.

It was about 1:30p so we elected to grab some snacks and head on to our final destination back in Germany.  ETA 4:04p.  The route took through 35 or 36 tunnels (one 15.5km long!) and then up and over Fernpass. About 35 minutes from the hotel heading down the other side, we came to a standstill. The red on the route on the map did not indicate slow traffic from a switchback. It was completely stopped. We heard sirens. Waited. Nothing.  An hour passed. Nothing. Another hour passed. And sirens came from behind us leading what was clearly not your average tow truck for removing a compact SUV. This was an industrial strength tow truck that must have had to come from some distance to get here for what must be at least one very large rig.  Not good news. Not good at all. 

A gentleman parked somewhere behind us had been speaking to the truck driver some cars in front. As he walked back past us, I asked if he knew anything. The trucker told him that the police advised (1) that it would still be another two hours before the road was opened and (2) that people should wait rather than turning around. After a call to the hotel to find that the front desk was only manned until 10p. Then a brief moment of panic and tears. We checked the map for what turning back and routing around the mountain would entail. No areas of red. A new projected eta of 8p. Weighed that against the possibility of the road opening at 8p and the possibility of sleeping in the car. And I turned around. 

The mere fact that we were moving was exhilarating. And the scenery was stunning and idyllic and peaceful. And there was no traffic and no more delays. And we arrived at 8p. 

I checked the map again later. 

Note the “road closed until September 11”!

Very glad we defied authority and turned around especially since defying authority is not normal for me.

And we had some lovely drives.

And from where we were stopped forEVER, we were lucky that this was our view of that side of the Zugspitze.

And this morning this is what it looks like from our room on the other side.

So all’s well thst ends well!

PS. I couldn’t find info about the crash, but the desk clerk this morning checked and it was a fuel tanker that wrecked. No one was killed. And the road was closed for over nine hours! Given that we were probably stopped not five or ten minutes from the crash, no matter what, always better to be behind the crash than in the crash.  Word to literally live by.