so today we explored a lot of Rome, but there is so much to see here we should stay a week Mom says. She's kidding, of course, we're leaving tomorrow enough big cities it's too noisy and hot ..........remember?

I have to tell you about the drive across Italy to get here. Once again we were driving over mountains and Alice flipped out, any which way we turned she said drive 200 meters and make a U-turn. 

Sure I heard "all roads lead to Rome" but this is ridiculous.

We drove through many small quaint cities but nowhere to stop and park, so Mom tried to take pictures as we were driving...............very safe.............right ??

Roads are narrow and once Mom clipped the right rear view mirror on a house that came too close...............no harm other than a big bang. Just fold the mirror out again. It wasn't this house, but some of them are just too close to the road

In one village a marching band was playing to a statue they had tied to a truck ? Again we couldn't stop but it was funny how people looked at us as Mom stops in the middle of the road to take a picture

IN another village we ended up in the middle of a funeral procession first car was decorated with flowers. We did get some looks and I told Mom we should have waited and let all those cars go by...............she said "the dead guy doesn't mind"

we saw entire towns in ruins, only stones left. Mom thinks it's from the devastating 6.6 earthquakes that happened last year.

Finally when we came closer to Rome Alice got her bearings and told us how to get to the campsite. She seems to be a city girl who can't handle the mountains very well.

We parked and relaxed, Mom trying to figure out how to explore the city tomorrow. It's still hot as hell so I got the fan to cool me.

In the morning Mom decided we'll take a taxi to the Spanish steps and see how we work it out from there.

SPANISH STEPS In the 17th century the French had initially proposed a plan to build the Spanish Steps and top it off with a statue of King Louis XIV. However there was opposition from the pope and the plan was only carried out in 1723-1726, but without the addition of the statue. The designer Francisco de Sanctis was chosen for the job and the 137 step flight of stairs was built drawing on the technique of terraced garden stairs. The stairs signified the peace between the Spanish (below) and the French in the square above. The steps are the widest staircase in Europe, and attract a lot of attention from tourists. In May the steps are decorated with azaleas and once a year there is a fashion show here when the steps become the catwalk.

 On top of the stairs is Monti Church. Originally a small chapel stood here but following a commission by Louis XII a new, bigger and better church was completed in 1585. There are two bell towers each with a clock, one shows French time (international time) and the other once showed Italian time but now has a sundial.

The 1953 film RomanHoliday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, made the Spanish Steps famous to an American audience.

This city is amazing, we sat on the steps for awhile and just watch the crowds. I noticed some meatball factories in the middle of town, and I really wanted to go and say hi. Mom feels sorry for them having to pull people around town and are againstpromoting it, but it beats walking, so we did it.

     

Unbelievable narrow streets and little tiny cars buzzing around, but it's still amazingly quiet, no blowing horns like in NY.

It's kind of neat listening to the clippety-clop of Phil's hoofs on the cobblestone streets.

At every monument was guards standing with machine guns, sad but necessary.

Our first stop was at The Pantheon which is one of the great spiritual buildings of the world. It was built as a Roman temple and later consecrated as a Catholic Church. Its monumental porch originally faced a rectangular colonnaded temple courtyard and now fronts the smaller Piazza Della Rotonda. Through great bronze doors, one enters one great circular room. The interior volume is a cylinder above which rises the hemispherical dome. Opposite the door is a recessed semicircular apse, and on each side are three additional recesses, alternately rectangular and semicircular, separated from the space under the dome by paired monolithic columns. The only natural light enters through an unglazed oculus at the center of the dome and through the bronze doors to the portico. As the sun moves, striking patterns of light illuminate the walls and floors of porphyry, granite, and yellow marbles

 Outside the Vatican, there was a line around the block and a minimum of 2 hours wait in the hot sun, so we skipped visiting him, but I thought I saw him hanging out here.........Mom said it wasn't.

Everywhere you turn and look there's some magnificient buildings and even though Phils driver kept telling Mom the names of the places, she couldn't remember them all. He didn't speak English either so that made it difficult.

Here we are at Piazza Navona it is built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium.The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones ("games"), and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis" ("competition arena"). 

These fountains are amazing, so many statues and things happening, and now we're heading to the most famous of them all.

The Trevi Fountain designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci Standingmetersmetres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide. It is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. The fountain has appeared in several notable films, including Fellini's La Dolce Vita and the eponymous Three coins in the fountain

Coins are purportedly meant to be thrown using the right hand over the left shoulder.

An estimated 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day, Moms bounced of a tourist and went somewhere.... In 2016, an estimated US $1.5 million was thrown into the fountain. The money has been used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy, however, there are regular attempts to steal coins from the fountain although it is illegal to do so.

Here's an interesting article written in NY Times recently about this place............

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/world/europe/no-swimming-rome-braces-for-summer-of-tourists-at-its-fountains.html

Mom filmed a little to show this crowd.

Saying goodbye to Phil we were walking around and look.......There he is!!!!!! The guy with the accordion, quickly I found a date and let's go ............This guy just grinned at me, didn't say a word, and the date I picked up ended up to be another boy who was only interested in my butt.............no luck this time either, may We're still in the wrong town.........Mom said that what I'm referring to was a cartoon....not real......make belief......Disney stuff.....I think her timing on telling me the truth was very cruel.
   

Time for lunch so Mom decided to make up for her cruelness and find me a nice cool marble floor...........where she ordered a great sandwich. I got several tastes so that proves she was sorry....right?

Italians are really good about letting us into their places, and after a long lunch, we walked around for a while again.

Taking pictures of things Mom can't remember what it was, still gorgeous though.

I think this was the parliament and that obelisk had so many intricate carvings it must have taken years to finish. I'm also sure it is a big story pictured. Italians are good at that.

All of a sudden we hear a woman screaming and we hurried there to see if we could help? She didn't look like she was in any pain, and Mom gave here money, I'm sure it was meant to make her stop, she didn't so we continued on.

Now Mom said we HAD to see the Coliseum before we leave, but looking at the map that would be a hike so she talked to a taxi driver who had a great command of English and he'll take us there and then back to Lucy.............he drove a tiny little Ford with sliding doors I never seen before, and he didn't want me on the seat, but who cares, he had the AC on

Construction of the Colosseum began under Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus.

TheColosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, having an average audience of some 65,000 it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although partially ruined because of damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is still an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and also has links to the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" that starts in the area around the Colosseum

The Arch of Constantine is the biggest honorary arch in our times. It is placed between the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus on Via Romana that goes through the triumphal procession covered for the triumphal march and that goes towards the Temple of Giove Capitolino

We were so lucky that this taxi driver was a native of Rome and knew everything and was willing to show us some more beautiful sights. He told us Rome is built on seven hills and he took us up to show an amazing view.

From here you can see so many church domes and incredible large monuments. Of course, there was a fountain here too, and here's a link to the shooting of a James Bond movie where there's a car chase in Rome and around this place

.https://www.topgear.com/car-news/behind-scenes/bond-special-behind-scenes-spectres-big-rome-car-chase#1

high on the Aventine another Piazza. Bordered by a high wall, decorated with neoclassical obelisks and military trophies, it leads to a famous and fascinating broad wooden door. 

Known affectionately by Romans as the "Hole of the Rome" its abiding attraction draws queues of visitors to this "out of the way" spot. No key is required: it is sufficient to put an open eye to the keyhole, and focus.

With kaleidoscope charm, a vision of St Peters dome perfectly in perspective, framed by the tops of trees in the foreground, opens up. Often wrapped in a thin mysterious mist, seems to stand at the end of the garden path, just beyond the door..............nope, we didn't get on line

This monument is Giuseppe Garibaldi  4 July 1807 in Nice – 2 June 1882 was an Italian general, politician, and nationalist who played a large role in the history of Italy. He is considered as one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland".

Garibaldi personally commanded and fought in many military campaigns that led eventually to the Italian unification.

He has been called the "Hero of Two Worlds" because of his military enterprises in Brazil, Uruguay, and Europe. These earned him a considerable reputation in Italy and abroad, aided by exceptional international media coverage at the time.  The United Kingdom and the United States helped him a great deal, offering him financial and military support in difficult circumstances.

In the popular telling of his story, he is associated with the red shirts worn by his volunteers in lieu of a uniform.

Finally, this fantastic Taxi driver took us back to Lucy and even though there's so much more to see of Rome I'm glad we got to see as much as we did. Tomorrow we'll be heading North towards the Amalfi coast. 

all is well.

Yesterday was not a fun day, it was hotter than hell, and Mom kept on driving south because she wanted to get closer to Rome, which we are going to today. If this campsite was nicer we would have stayed another night, but the toilets !!!!!!! No paper either??? Knowing how fussy Mom is about these things it's a good thing Lucy is providing with a toilet.

it feels like we are in a refugee camp with all the tarps and clotheslines everywhere. It's understanding to shield from the scorching sun though 

our space was nice, but very noisy, barking dogs and crying kids late into the night. There was also some kind of entertainment nearby. During the day they had "quiet time" so you couldn't drive in until after 4 pm.......

There was a special place for dogs at the beach, which was very nice, BUT not allowed to get into the water? so what is the point of a dog beach then? We broke the rules so I could wet my feet in the Adriatic Sea. 

Mom only went as far as her bum, too cold she said..............but she picked a lot of rocks

Adjacent to the camp was a dog park with a small dirty pool. Mom put me in it but I hated it so she gave me a cold shower instead. It is nice to have a park of your own, but this one was covered with sticky burrs that attached to my hair. Mom ended up carrying me to Lucy after my shower where I finally felt comfortable to take a nice nap after cooling off.  

Mom went back to the beach with a bag to pick more rocks, so now you all know what souvenir you'll get from Italy ...........a rock

There was also a lot of driftwood, so Mom built an alligator  to represent Florida

In Sweden, it is now midsummer celebration and that's when you're supposed to eat herring and drink snaps. Mom didn't bring any but found some little fish at the convenience shop nearby, and a Heineken replaced the snaps which Mom hates anyway. The fish was good, but the potato salad ended up in the garbage. None of that looked appetizing to me so I didn't bother begging. Cantaloupe was the best

Driving here we saw fields and fields of sunflowers, these looked very thirsty 

at the gas station was a lot of police activity and a big biker gang. MOM, for crying out loud, DON"T let them see you taking pictures.............ok ok

it's now 9 am and we're ready to continue on to Rome, hoping it will be a little less hot.

all is well, Buttons

Today has been a rough day for both of us, I didn't sleep well again because the Thunder returned and they way it feels right now it may return again tonight. 

It's 90 degrees and no breeze so Mom had the brilliant idea to take the bus in early and get a boat ride to cool off. 

I couldn't bring my stroller nor could we bike in. 

Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, named after Pennys Dad.......right ?

.    

It has no roads, just canals – thus, no stroller.The canals are lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces but looks like it lost some of the splendor of the past. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs, and NO we didn't bother climbing that tower.

The Doges palace, which you can see a replica of at Epcot Center in Orlando, and the tower to

As we're walking along the canal I was looking for that guy that serves spaghetti and meatballs to dogs. He plays the accordion too, I've seen the movie................but he only does that to romantic couples, says Mom. Easy, I say I can pick up a girl from the street. For a meatball, I wouldn't be too picky.

Mom looked at other food

oh please please pick me up and lay me down up there........Sure but you might get cooked and served on someone's plate then.............No way Mom, this is Italy not #%$^@ you know what I'm saying ;-)

To take a break rest and drink some water, Mom ordered this for lunch ?? Nothing there for me? According to her, it was a huge disappointment..............can you spell karma?  but the plate was pretty

I think Venice may be sinking because everywhere we looked it seemed like the first floor wasn't used by anyone.

And many houses looked like they are in need of repair.

When in Venice you HAVE to ride in a gondola says, Mom, some claims it'sonly for romantic couples but for what I saw that didn't seem to be the truth............In any event, I have a crush on Mom..................so off we went

It was ridiculously expensive, and No need to do it again, done is done. Our gondola guy didn't sing, as a matter of fact, he didn't say much of anything.

Some canals were so busy with traffic and it seemed like everybody knew each other. Lots of Chiaos and hollering.

half hour and we came back where we started

First Rialto bridge was built of timber and was partly burnt in a revolt in 1310. In 1444, it collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade and it collapsed again in 1524.

The idea of rebuilding the bridge in stone was first proposed in 1503. Several projects were considered over the following decades. In 1551, the authorities requested proposals for the renewal of the Rialto Bridge, among other things. Plans were offered by famous architects, and all involved a Classical approach with several arches, which was judged inappropriate to the situation. Michelangelo also was considered as a designer of the bridge.

The present stone bridge, is a single span designed by Antonio Da Ponte, was finally completed in 1591. It is similar to the wooden bridge it succeeded. Two inclined ramps lead up to a central portico. On either side of the portico, the covered ramps carry rows of shops but if they still are none was open now. The engineering of the bridge was considered so audacious that another architect predicted future ruin. The bridge has defied its critics to become one of the architectural icons of Venice.

In 2017 police arrested three men, and an unnamed minor, all from Kosovo, on charges of planning to attack the Bridge on behalf of ISIS

I like to rapport that this is an international phenomenon.............

Even the police, looks like she got good news though

 Hello there, do you know a guy who serves spaghetti and meatballs to dogs and plays the accordion? He said "

Ottieni qui la borsa delle pulci, o ti cuoio per cenas..............I'm pretty sure that meant 2 blocks to the left
 

We sat for a long time at Piazza San Marco people watching, one of Moms favorite past times. And that ok as long as it's in the shade and cool stone to lay on.

Great sign for? selling umbrellas maybe ?

this is scary art to me................interesting and fun says, Mom

There were some very talented street performers here and well worth listening to for a while.One guy tuning his "organ" with water, It sounded great 

 Hello there, do you know a guy who serves spaghetti and meatballs to dogs and plays the accordion? He said "

Ottieni qui la borsa delle pulci, o ti cuoio per cenas..................and he felt my body?.............wonder what that really means ?

It was really too hot and too crowded with people to enjoy this city. Mom was nice enough to carry me so I should not be trampled on, and I appreciate that since she too was very hot, She ended up buying an old lady hat from a street vendor hahaha. I found another friend in the shade, but he was busy playing a game so I didn't ask him for my guy, Maybe I'm in the wrong city?

In the early afternoon, we both had enough and found our way back to Lucy via boat and then bus...............

Mom was extremely proud of how well I put up with all this and never did I complain as usual.

I know she felt really guilty for taking me through this so she let me cool off in her bucket she does dishes in, and to top it off I got my favorite treat that Dr. Grigsby told Mom I shouldn't have, (dried chicken wrapped around rawhide)

I know it's not good for me but it still my favorite treat..............mom likes chocolates, and that's not good for her.....

see you soon, all is well

Last night we didn't find a campsite so we pulled over and slept at a parking space by a ski chalet. So did several others, so we felt safe. The view all around us was magnificent.

I had a visitor who came to see me, her name was Lilly (made me think of my cat, hope she's ok without me) and she walked right in and ate my food and drank my water. I thought that was pretty forward of her, but I didn't care as long as she didn't go into the closet where my treats were. 

When we crossed the border into Italy Mom finally got around to buy that reflecting safety vest which is the law here just as a triangle is, which we have. Not a bad idea

In the evening dark clouds came rolling in fast, and it turned into a horrible thunder shower according to me. Mom loved it, as long as it's only at night she's fine with it. Needless to say, I was terrified so I kept mom awake by pacing all over her. Finally, I was put down on the floor where I felt safer under the table, but I made sure she knew when the thunder stopped so she wakes up and lift me up in bed again. I have not learned to climb the ladder and nor do I want to, it's easier to demand Mom to pick me up.

Our plans about heading to Venice first thing in the morning changed when Lilly's dad told Mom about a route not to miss while there..........it's only a 60-mile loop.......she fell for it and off we went.

We passed several very fancy ski lodges, but I can't even imagine driving on these roads in the winter.

We stopped at a gorgeous village and went for a walk, still very early. Cortina if I remember correctly

Here you can rent electric bikes, which Mom thought of as a great idea since she wouldn't dream about biking anywhere on these mountains. 

Lucy is doing an excellent job, working hard without demanding a drop of extra oil, but Alice, that's a different story.

The only reason she's still with us is that Mom had to keep both hands steering on this terrifying road she brought us on.

I tried to defend her because of another tunnel but she's supposed to come right back when we get out. This time she made herself dizzy trying to speak Italian road names without knowing the language. No matter which way we turned she told Mom to make a U-turn, and I can't repeat the words from Moms' mouth, it wasn't pretty, but neither is U-turns on these roads says, Mom.

Mom thought once again, turn her off and go with her built in radar she always brags about, and boy was she about to regret that.

We ended up onThe San Pellegrino pass which is a mountain pass in the Dolomites, a place at 1,918 m 6 292 ft.

There was a lot of totally crazy (according to Mom)cyclists training here on these steep hills. I wonder how they do it down hill ?

We stopped several times to give Lucy a rest. Despite driving in a low gear her brakes started to give off a peculiar scent.

Of course, there's no-one around to ask either, and even if it were Mom's does not speak Italian, and English is not very common here............so we just kept on ............. Mom driving and since I couldn't do much to help,I napped.

Another village, and we stopped by a church to once again give Lucy a rest. Mom said if she was into that church stuff she would have gone in to pray...........................do it I said, can't hurt.......

Instead she grabbed the map and managed to locate our exact position, and she told Alice to take us to one village at the time. It worked, guess she couldn't handle too much information by giving her a final destination.

we are supposed to be down there................you see the road?

we got there and finally we got a sign.........................Hallelujaaaa

Then I heard Mom say something I never ever thought she'll say.......................a tunnel !!!!   Yaaay............she always hated them, but I suppose it's less scary than the alternative of driving over the mountain

Alice redeemed herself by safely taking us to the campsite in Venice, which Mom thought was overly expensive, but the old saying "you get what you pay for" is true. This place is great.

As soon as we got everything in order Mom popped a German beer. She looked in the shop but couldn't see anything but wine, and figured it'll be an insult to ask for a beer in Italy.......................................... what I was wondering about is since when does she care about who she'll insult ..................oops ..........maybe I'll be sleeping under the table again?

Tomorrow we'll be going into town, we can't bike or drive there, so we'll be taking a bus, hope we get the correct timetable this time.

good night all

After lots of disappointments due to wrong information about buses at the Garmisch RVsite, we got up real early and drove to Partenkirchen, and parked at a bakery where Mom bought the most delicious bread ever. Germans may not know how to prepare a hamburger, but they sure do know how to bake.

we made a quick walk through the town and if we are to come here again Mom says we will be staying here instead of Garmisch. This was so much more interesting, beautiful buildings and lots of restaurants. There were no chain stores here, mostly Mom and Pop type places and that's what we like.

we drove out of town smelling the fresh warm bread so Mom had to pull over and taste it. I'm not crazy about bread but I do like cheese.

After this stop, we were heading for the Austrian border and the Brenner pass. Mom had figured out to take the old road that snakes around in many sharp curves. Unfortunately, as we were getting into Innsbruck the road was an 18% downhill for several miles, scared the living doodas of Mom. I could hear her heart beat.............She stopped at a station and bought the sticker needed to go on the autobahn.And she sure regretted that so after an hour of driving on a 3lane road at full speed she decided to get off an exit.  

Lots of this kind of jumping.

Anyway, we went passed Austria in a hurry and after Mom took of an exit she tried to reprogram Alice to get us to a camp site. But Alice messed up although it wasn't her fault since she couldn't get any satellite connection in tunnels.
She was so confused so Mom turned her off and drove on a feeling.........

And what a feeling it was, We ended up on a very exciting road up and down (mostly up)and turns so sharp you can almost see Lucy's rear end........

We are in the Dolomite mountains.

The Dolomites are renowned for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, hiking, cycling, and base jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring early autumn................needless to say we're doing none of that.

The site of the Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 9850 feet and covers over 141,903 ha. It features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys. A serial property of nine areas that present a diversity of spectacular landscapes of international significance for geomorphology marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, the site also contains glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches. The property also features one of the best examples of the preservation of Mesozoic carbonate platform systems, with fossil records

A bunch of mountain bikers was filming using a flying saucer?  Mom got to see the result and was very impressed, I didn't't like it hovering over my head.

It's a hot day almost 90F so this tunnel was a nice cooling off place.

Mom thought the lake looked so inviting, but couldn't find a good place to get down to it.

we only have about 100 miles left to Venice, so that's were we'll be tomorrow. FOr now we found a great parkingplace with great views.

see you in the morning................lalala

The night before could have been better, but since Mom wanted to get a few miles behind us, we stayed on the highway until Mom was ready to fall asleep.She pulled into one of those Auto Hof which really is ok, but this particular one was located too close to the AutoBahn and there was a casino close by. Needless to say, it was rather noisy all night.

We continued on real early and finally made it passed Munich. I guess it was morning rush hour because it was a lot of traffic everywhere, but luckily Alice stayed alerted and guided us through it all.

So far we have traveled about 1085 miles, but that’s the straight route. We have done a lot of turns off the path when Mom thought of someplace worth visiting.

Yesterday we arrived at Garmisch-Partenkirchen which is a ski resort in Bavaria, formed when 2 towns united in 1935. It's a prominent destination for skiing and ice skating as well as hiking. The town was the site of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games

The town lies near the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, with a 2,962m summit accessed by cogwheel train and cable car………….I know Mom is thinking about it despite her fear of heights because I heard her asking if I would be allowed to come along, and yes I was.  Looking up Mom discovered someone jumping and flying down. We're definitely not doing that

We made a quick stroll through Garmisch before continuing on to a campsite nearby. Because of the beauty and Mom’s need to do some laundry, we decided to stay 2 nights.That also gives me a chance to catch up on my napping………...What napping Mom says, she claims I nap all the time while she’s driving.

It’s Sunday so all the stores are closed except some souvenir places selling cuckoo clocks. They are very interesting to look at, and some have many moving parts when it coos. The biggest one has dancing people a turning water wheel and a lumberjack chopping wood.When Mom looked interested the lady wanted to sell it to her. Mom tried the excuse it’s too difficult to pack in the luggage, the lady offered to mail it for free to US………...haha. It was 998 Euros and doesn’t really go with the décor in Florida

I was window shopping and found this interesting puppy, but couldn’t get to it because the stupid metal grate and Mom had no understanding for my trouble.

Garmisch is considered the more fashionable section, while Partenkirchen's cobblestone streets retain a traditional Bavarian feel. we may take the free bus there if the washing machine will finish.

Seems to me that all the greatest composers were inspired from this area.

Garmisch and Partenkirchen remained separate until their respective mayors were forced by Hitler to combine the two market towns in 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympics Today, the united town is casually (but incorrectly) referred to as Garmisch, much to the dismay of Partenkirchen's residents. Most visitors will notice the slightly more modern feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen offer a glimpse into times past. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows. Too bad we didn’t get to see any of that.

The discovery of America at the turn of the 16th century led to a boom in shipping and a sharp decline in overland trade, which plunged the region into a centuries-long economic depression.The valley floor was swampy and difficult to farm. Bears, wolves, and lynxes were a constant threat to livestock. The population suffered from periodic epidemics, including several serious outbreaks of bubonic plague Adverse fortunes from disease and crop failure occasionally led to a witch hunt. Most notable of these were the trials and executions of 1589–1596, in which 63 people more than 10 percent of the population at the time were burned at the stake or garroted..................much prettier graffiti in this town 

During WWII this was a major hospital center for the German military. After the war, it was used by the U.S military as a recreation center for the military men stationed in Europe and their families

 this is not a bad view to wake up to 

As of lately, we have been very fortunate with the beautiful weather, cool at night and warm and sunny during the day. Hope it stays that way.

Napping time is over, time to go out and explore..................

Tomorrow we will continue over these mountains and enter yet another country until we finally reach Italy which is the goal. So far Mom hasn't waivered too much from initial plan.

Right now we're somewhere North of Munich.

We visited another castle 

Here, where stallions once breathed hitched to Grand coaches, horse-powered engines now roar. Augustusburg Castle houses the biggest motorcycle museum of Europe and, thus, is one of the most popular destinations for motorcycle fans.

Already visible from afar, the old hunting lodge rises high above the Zschopau River Valley. Completed in 1572, the castle is still called the »Crown of the Ore Mountains« today. The Castle does not only impress with its historic atmosphere. There is hardly another castle in Germany offering such a variety of cultural events and educational opportunities. Beside the Motorcycle Museum, the visitor will find exhibitions of game and birds, of coaches as well as the history of hunting and the castle itself.

It is located516 m above sea level and the drive getting there was gorgeous. Almost to the top, there was a parking space and you could take a cable car going up. Mom stopped there asking if they let dogs on and that was no problem like in most of the German places.

The wait was too long so Mom decided to take Lucy all the way up. It was a narrow winding road and beautiful.

This time I hiked along with the promise I get to stop whenever I wanted to. Well, that was a promise she didn’t keep because I didn’t get to sniff ALL interesting spots on the way…………...Mom said we still be on that mountain side then. 

We made a quick walk through the MC museum, and that’s because I didn’t like it. It would have been fine if it wasn’t because of all the motorcycle noises. The guys loved to push all the buttons to listen to the engines. I think Mom liked it too but it scared me so we went around it quickly.

We continued south and are now somewhere north of Munich which we are only passing by. No more big cities was another promise, we’ll see how long that lasts.

Anyway, it’s very tiring to drive on the big Autobahn it’s so hypnotizing so Mom is ready to fall asleep, so that’s the reason we’re now staying at an Auto Hof.

The small roads are much more exciting but we aren't getting much ahead then.

we are definitely the smallest vehicle here........................but that doesn't intimidate Lucy one bit

all is well, talk to you tomorrow.

Buttons

Neither one of us slept well and for me, it was because the heavy rain and thunder, why Mom couldn’t sleep I have no clue. This is what we woke up (sunny again)to and we hit the road early.

we didn’t drive very far this time either. We ended up on a very steep and narrow road, a sign said 18% and of course we met a truck in one of the narrow curves. I did hear a bad word out of Moms' mouth as she shifted to second and then first!! she did just fine and I say it’s good training………..

We drove to Dresden which is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Chez Republic and there are only 92 miles to Prague!!! Oh, now I’m putting my paws down, stick to the plan or else…..

Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendor. The city was known as the Jewel Box, because of its baroque and rococo city center. The controversial American and British bombing towards the end of the war killed approximately 25,000, many of whom were civilians, and destroyed the entire city center. After the war restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of the historic inner city, including the Zwinger and the famous Semper.

Since the German reunification in 1990 Dresden is again a cultural, educational and political center of Germany and Europe. The Dresden University of Technology is one of the 10 largest universities in Germany. The economy of Dresden and its agglomeration is one of the most dynamic in Germany and ranks first in Saxony.It is dominated by high-tech branches, often called as “Silicon Saxony”. The city is also one of the most visited in Germany with 4,3 million overnight stays per year.The royal buildings are among the most impressive buildings in Europe. 

this looks like a guy I used to know..................

  Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed during World War II. The remaining ruins were left for 50 years as a war memorial as a reminder of the destruction from World War 2 The newly built Frauenkirche has charred stones from the destroyed church adapted with new stones.The church was rebuilt from 1994 to 2005.

Dresden has so many museums and exhibits it was just too much to take it all in, so we sat down for lunch and Mom order an Australian burger. It looked very nice but it was a really strange crumbled up meat. As a matter of fact, it tasted more like beans so Mom asked if it was a vegetarian burger, but it wasn’t. The fries was very good though.

We biked next to the river Elbe for 10miles, and it was windy as &%&#………Mom had to work hard as I was sitting comfortably in the basket cheering her on,   

It'll be interesting to see how far we get tomorrow since Mom is changing her mind every second................she says it's because there's so much interesting stuff to see on the way.