I wish there was a DS 21 waiting for us at the Sixt car rental in Munich, although I could do without the custom touches the Grislwold’s Citroen had. But even if it’s just a Golf (as requested), we’re off to the homeland (Innsbruck) as well as Italy, on August 7th. Which means CC will be in the hands of the next generation for pretty much the whole month. In fact, it’s started already; I’ve got a lot to do to get ready.
So while I’m trying to navigate the traffic, or more likely hiking in the Alps with my brother and other relatives, Brendan Saur and William Stopford will be Acting Co-Executive Editors, assisted by Gerardo Solis. They’ve been working like maniacs, and already have the CC Calendar looking good. You’ll probably see the average age of the CCs go down, and there’ll be a temporary paucity of day-glow Eugene-mobiles, but I’m leaving the ship in very good hands. And the rest of the CC Contributors will of course also be accounted for. Thank you all for allowing me to get truly away; I will not likely be posting at all, except when an irresistible find can’t wait.
We’re going to be mainly around the Innsbruck area, as well as a six-day drive to stay with Stephanie’s sister and her family, whose FIL owns an old farmhouse in the country in the hills not far from Turin. An Alpine pass or two is in the works, and I’d like to check out some vintage trains.
Mostly we’ll be hiking, including near the Dolomites, in the background here. And of course keeping an eye out for CCs. The site is in great hands, and I’m really gratified by all the youthful (and not) energy that’s keeping things rolling here. Thank you all for keeping this the best and friendliest car site on the web. Auf wiedersehen!
Wishing you a safe and rewarding trip, Paul. I’m certain we all agree that CC will be in very good hands during your absence.
+1 have a great time
+2 Sounds like a great trip.
Safe travels, Paul! Enjoy your trip, don’t break anything, and looking forward to hearing about any chance car sightings!
Paul, I can assure you that you’ve entrusted CC in a dedicated team. Enjoy your much-deserved vacation – just make sure not to stay at the wrong family’s house 🙂
Your thoughtful commentary is always appreciated. Thank you for your co-stewardship during Paul’s vacation.
Bon voyage, safe travels and have fun, Paul. You deserve it.
Have a great time, Paul und Familie.
I can’t wait to see what the master’s apprentices get up to…..
Today’s a good example, except for my Fiat post. Not quite so many broughams, I’m afraid. 🙂
Bon voyage! And keep an eye out for Haflingers and Pinzgauers.
Funny how the Country Squire, DS, Taurus and now Previa have been made over but the Maxi didn’t need any Griswoldification whatsoever.
Enjoy your vacation Paul!
considering I’m half German, and mostly remaining equal parts Slovak and Polish, hopefully I’ll get to go there sometime. My company has operations there and there’s a slim chance they might send me to the region…
May your trip be pleasant and bountiful with ’72 Fords! 😉
I would love to drive that car on this trip; well, except for the Alpine passes. Or my old truck; now that would get some looks!
I wish I could +1 this comment.
They are out there but you need to be lucky to see one or go to old (US) car meetings…
Have a great trip Paul. Looking forward to your CC captures as well as the trains. You have left things in most capable hands.
We want trains!!!
Some good continuity errors in that clip…….
and the Chrysler 2 Litre turns into a Morris Marina as it scrapes past them.
Oh Phil, how ironic that you point out a fault in others only to be wrong yourself…that most assuredly is no Morris Marina…look again.
Oops, Morris Ital.
Paul, The Grislwolds set the bar high but you might raise it!
Happy trails.
Happy trails, Paul! I just came back from my European vacation myself and caught a few good ones. Here is a teaser:
By the way I reserved a “Golf Class” vehicle and was handed the key to a SEAT LEON with 1.4L Turbo and 6 speed manual. Yes, I had some fun!
See, there you go. “Golf class / segment” is a widespread synonym for a C-segment hatchback. You might as well end up with a Mercedes A-Class….
You did drive the Spanish VW Golf though !
I can’t keep current with the European market. I thought of it more as a Passat derivative. In any case it was a fantastic machine. It had several modes: Economy, Normal and Sport. but i didn’t have enough time to experience them. I mean: not enough time without my wife or mom as passenger. But two times it was me and my 20 year old son. Let’s say I was able to put a grin on his face.
In eco and normal mode I was constantly prompted to shift into higher gear, literally lugging the engine. In sport mode I have no idea because I had no chance to look at the instruments.
At constant cruising speeds it turned off 2 cylinders and it had the stop-start feature that turns the engine off when idling.
The 1.4 TSI is the most common gasoline engine in the VAG Group’s C-segment cars. In the Seat Leon good for 150 hp. Diesels either 1.6 or 2.0 TDI.
Yeah, it can be a bit confusing. The Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Audi A3 are all essentially reskinned Golfs, each with their own (admittedly well executed) theme. The Octavia, however, is a “saloon” – a hatchback that looks like one, and easily enters the higher D-segment in size. Besides, since MQB the Passat essentially IS a bigger Golf anyway.
Viel Spaß I’d say, Paul!
In the spirit of the Vacation movies, I’m inspired to sing a German version of “Holiday Road”:
♫ Ferienstraße, oooooh, ohhhhh, ooohhhh, ohhhhh, ♫
♫ Ferienstraße, oooooh, ohhhhh, ooohhhh, ohhhhh… ♫
Sincere good wishes to you, Paul–I look forward to tales you’ll tell upon your return.
Forgive me, but “Brendan Saur and William Stopford will be Acting Co-Executive Editors, assisted by Gerardo Solis” immediately brought to mind the Wizard of Oz announcing his three deputies:
Ha!
But I don’t want to go back to Kansas!
Bon voyage! Stock up on Continental CCs before flying back.
Safe travels to you and hope you have a lot of fun. I look forward to photos of beaters especially American beaters since pop culture would have you think most European Cars are painted grey scale only and hardly have any patina or dents unless you are in Paris.
Have a great trip Paul and bring back good memories.
Need any help getting to the airport? I’m available……..
And I can maybe find a few Eugenemobiles to post……
Enjoy the trip – if you decide to make a detour to the big smoke (well, Vienna) feel free to give me a shout.
This may be useful, it’s not as carefree as it used to be (although I don’t know how hard they can follow any tickets to the US (inside the EU, there’s no escape anymore)):
http://www.radarfalle.de/radarfallen/index_at.php
Autobahn police (and mobile traps) is another matter, they will fine you on the spot… Fines vary according to speed and area.
Gute Reise und viel Glück !
You might bump into some original and matching-(ear tag) numbers Pinzgauer when hiking in the Alps. With leather upholstery.
Are there Free Range livestock in Europe, such that drivers are liable if they hit them? We have some of that in the US; I knew a fellow who hit a cow with his MN12 T-bird, & he had to pay up.
Barbed wire, before it reached WW1 battlefields, instigated “range wars” between ranchers & farmers in parts of the US; it was once (still is?) a crime to carry wire cutters in Texas.
Not here, I don’t know about other Euro-countries. Cattle is either grazing in the pasture, behind barbed wire and a fence, or in the stable. A herd of cows can cross the street though. From stable to pasture or the other way around. Of course you’re supposed to pull over and wait gently in that case.
Under normal circumstances you will never come across a cow (as in professionally kept cattle by a farmer) on a public road here, paved or not. And if you do something went wrong, somewhere. If you hit one, the farmer is liable.
These days it’s common practice to keep the cows in the stable all year round. A lot of dairy farms have two or more of these, a milking robot. Which means the farmer doesn’t have to milk the cows anymore. Farming has become extremely high-tech and super-efficient.
Cow walking into robot.
Wow, that is high tech!
I wonder if these capital-intensive devices were adopted due to labor shortages or costs. I imagine not many farm kids want to stick around & do smelly, menial stuff like this when they can do more exciting things in the Big City; it’s a common pattern.
Mainly costs.
Farms are run by the whole family, most Dutch dairy farms are not big enough (yet…) to have an employee. Or more than one. The point of the milking robot is to save time (some farmers milk their cows 3 times a day) so that you can do other things, or at least concentrate on other things. One robot can typically handle around 60 milking cows.
When expanding, strongly, you don’t hire an employee. Too expensive, too risky. You buy an extra robot. A farmer nearby has 4 of them.
And there’s the health advantage. A lot of dairy farmers get shoulder problems, once they hit 50 to 55 year. Not so with a robot.
One more thing: food is way, WAY, too cheap in our western world. The percentage of the income spent on food has only fallen in the past decades, constantly and rather drastically.
I hope I _NEVER_AGAIN_ have to pull tits nor shovel shits .
Bon Voyage Paulie ! .
-Nate
You’ll find cattle wandering free in Austria for sure, with at least ine formn each herd with a big bell around the neck.
In the UK, its more likely to be sheep
Have a nice trip Paul.
I will be in Austria as well over the coming weekend.
Not in Innsbruck, but in Ulrichsberg, a village in Oberösterreich, about 60 km away from Linz.
We are going to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the partnership between my home city of Baiersdorf, Germany, and Ulrichsberg there.
Have a great trip!! Getting a little jealous here!!
Innsbruck is a lovely city enjoy. Funny story, in 1984 I was working in Boeblingen, Germany and was off for a vacation in a friends 1982 Porsche 911SC targa. Traveling with a friend we stopped in Innsbruck for lunch. Back before the euro I went into a bank to exchange some Deutsche Marks for Schillings. After the transaction with a very nice, well dressed young man, probably an assistant manager, I asked when we could have lunch for less than the amount I had changed. He looked a bit confused but suggested several nice cafes that were nearby. When we had lunch for about 1/5 the money I had converted, I then realized that he probably went home for lunch and told his wife about the crazy American, driving a German registered 911 who wanted to spend $100 on lunch.
That was the same trip where we had misplaced the registration and could not find it at the border crossing at the mid-point of the tunnel du St Bernard. Fortunately after stern words and some crying we were allowed to continue into Switzerland.
All in all, a great trip.
Dave
These kinda memories are giving the essence of once made trips / voyages… 🙂 Nowdays you could have delicious lunch for quite less amount (counted in € of course) at some restaurants and tankstelle’s throughout the autobahns…
Safe travels and enjoy your time over there. I would so much like to go back there. It’s already been over five years since my last European vacation. Without my wife tagging along I got to enjoy the Innsbruck area, a big chunk of Germany and more.
I’m going to say the highlight was touring the Porsche plant in Stuttgart.
Paul, enjoy your version of European Vacation with Stephanie and family. Be safe.
I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable trip, Paul.
Paul, I hope you and Stephanie have a wonderful trip! Tschüss!
Say, that DS Custom in the first picture reminds me of the off-road DS that was built by an independent PSA specialist nearby. Not only Show, also Go, as it was built on a Land Cruiser chassis.
Bon chance, Paul! Viel Spass!
Have a great time on your vacation, Paul. Germany is on my bucket list. Maybe you’ll even get a real Golf rental. Hopefully you’ll get a fast one so you can keep up with Christie Brinkley’s Mercedes. Whatever you end up with I’m sure when you get back you will give us your driving impressions. Have fun!
About the DS-21… Not so long time ago I saw a prefabricated one with French reg. plates. A metallic dark blue and white two toned latest DS-21 model had TAILFINS attached / borrowed from a 1955 T-Bird. Unfortunatelly I didn’t made to take a photoshot about it… Anyway tailfins were implemented quite well…