One of the most satisfying aspects of our life in Europe has been the travel. Sometimes we try to make a list of countries we haven't visited. The first Christmas in 1968 we packed up the light blue Volkswagen station wagon and drove to Spain. That summer, we made the first of the many car trips through Europe to Agia Trias, our favorite village in Greece. The road went on highways in Germany until the first overnight stop in Austria. Then, the real adventure would start as we drove over the Loibel Pass (14% grade!) into Yugoslavia. The drive was lovely and the mountains were spectacular. At the top of the pass, the border guards changed from well dressed and efficient Austrians into unshaven, sloppily dressed Yugoslavians. They were surly and not very friendly. In the early days, they would take our passports and write all the details by hand in a huge book. Then we would drive down the mountain for the 2,536 kilometer "highway" to the Greek border. We tried to do it in one go, but usually ended up stopping for the night in Llubliana, Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, Beograd, Nis, and finally, the armpit of the country: Titov Veles. Years later, we were able to make the trip in one day and a half. Our longest trip was from The Hague all the way to Shiraz in Iran. On that trip, our VW threw a piston in Slavonski Brod and we took the train home. The car was delivered to our front door by the Dutch Automobile Association, and it only cost us Dfl. 25, the parking costs in Yugoslavia. We used to drive to Warsaw through East Germany and once tried to make it as far north as we could to see the longest day in Sweden. But, the mosquitos were so huge that we turned around in Gavle and headed for home. We have never been in Portugal or Finland, and will have to wait until we get very old to see them. This photo is of Judy and our friends in Bulgaria in a mountain restaurant outside of Sofia. So, tick off that country.
