Day Eleven: 8th

Countries: Breakfast in Italy, lunch in Austria, dinner in Liechtenstein (Lake Garda to Vaduz)

We were all packed up and ready to go by 0900. Nathan had been a little concerned about getting our van out of its site nestled as it was under and olive and with the exit path up a little slope (which other cars has spun their wheels traversing). Luck, I mean skill, was with us and we were back on the road in no time. We confused poor ‘Susie’ by completing ignoring her chosen route instead opting for one that would take us just west of Verona then north following the Adige River through the most beautiful valley with terraced vineyards and quaint looking Italian villages.

The roads were very busy with loads of trucks and then came the rain. Not to be deterred I continued to hang out the window taking photos and marveling at the scenery. As we travelled further north the houses took on a decidedly Austrian feel and the mountains just kept getting bigger. With rain still the order of the day when we crossed the border (sorry, no border sign as I blinked at the wrong time!), we decided to stop at the services and make lunch in the campervan. Luckily there was also a small supermarket attached so we were able to stock up on supplies before hitting the road again this time heading west toward our final destination, Liechtenstein.

Our travel spirits were not at all daunted by a little bit of rain (maybe living in England has given us thicker skin!)

We continued on through the rain and some very long tunnels. The longest today, the Arlberg tunnel was around 15 km (13972m for the tunnel proper with a total length [parts had windows] of 15516m.) The scenery just kept getting better and we crossed the border into Liechtenstein around 3pm.

Now that’s more like it!

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a tiny, double landlocked country (one of only two in the world) tucked away between Switzerland and Austria and with mountain slopes rising above the Rhine valley. The Liechtenstein family, of Austrian origin, acquired the fiefs of Vaduz and Schellenberg in 1699 and 1713 respectively, and gained the status of an independent principality of the Holy Roman Empire in 1719 under the name Liechtenstein. The French, under Napoleon, occupied the country for a few years. Napoleon was the founder of the Rhine Confederation in 1806 and accepted Liechtenstein as a member. Liechtenstein considers itself therefore to be a sovereign state since 1806. In 1815 within the new German Confederation, Liechtenstein could prove its independence once more. In 1868, after the German Confederation dissolved, Liechtenstein disbanded its army of 80 men and declared its permanent neutrality, which was declared during both world wars.

 After World War II, Liechtenstein became increasingly important as a financial center (read tax haven!), resulting in more prosperity. In 1989, Prince Hans Adam II succeeded his father to the throne.

We drove through the capital Vaduz (didn’t take long) and attempted to locate a camping site close by. With a little help from Susie with came upon Camping Mittags Spitze nestled into the side of a mountain. At this stage we were still unsure of the local currency but decided to choose one of the terraced sites and hope that when the Reception desk reopened for the afternoon we would actually be able to pay.

Yes, think we can make so with this site!

Once again we found ourselves surrounded by the Dutch. When a small camping van pulled in close to us they were not only Dutch but also heading to Lake Garda. Begs the question, is Holland empty?

We were set up in no time and Abbey was already off making friends at the small playground near by. Turns out the local currency is the Swiss Frank but we were able to also pay in Euros so no need to get to a bank just yet. It did not take long for the kids to discover a swimming pool and, despite the earlier rain and threatening skies, the sun was beating down with a lot of heat so a swim was not out of the question. The sun may have been warm but the pool was not but both kids braved the waters whilst we simply took in the views.

How’s that for a pool with a view!

After a dinner of Gnocchi eaten outside before the rains returned we made use of the great facilities with the best shower pressure Zac has seen since Eurodisney. By 2100 we were all tucked up in bed.