Colmar to Freiburg to Boblingen

We packed up and drove to the nearby town of Colmar, and walked around the touristy (but charming) cobblestoned village center for an hour or so. We saw some picturesque canals, and 12th-century cathedral, and lots of classic German Alps-style architecture. Seb got a cool hoodie.

And then we returned our rental car and got a taxi to drive us an hour to Freiburg, in Germany. Our original plan had been two trains -- south to Basel, and then from there north to Freiburg -- but with Steve on crutches we needed to simplify. (We couldn't keep the same rental car from Strasbourg, because it was very expensive to rent a car in France and then return it later in Munich.)

The ride was easy -- we cheered as we crossed the Rhine -- and we liked Freiberg a lot. Unlike Colmar, it was a bustling, young, university town, with a lot of young people and an international flavor to the place. Alsace was sleepy and touristy, very focused on wine culture and pretty scenery -- which was also great! But it was fun to see something so different within an hour.  Our first meal in Germany was tacos. We were delighted to be able to read the menu, because it was in Spanish. :)  But then we followed it up with black forest cake, chocolate cherry cake, and apple cake, because the Germans are all about afternoon cake.

And then we headed north, in the direction of Stuttgart. Because it was forecasted to rain and thunderstorm all day, Steve found us an indoor waterpark about an hour into the drive, so we went there and played on the water slides and in the wave pool for a few hours. It was really fun -- Liesl and I liked getting a double tube and riding down together, screaming happily as we slid around corners. There was also an adult section with mineral baths, salt baths, and a calcium-lithium bath, and Steve and I went and soaked in there together. The salt bath was so salty that you could just float on top. We had to leave phones in the locker room, so no photos of the fun --

By then it was late and we had to hustle. Driving on German highways in our rented Audi was a little harrowing -- some people just fly by! But the road was in great condition and the scenery -- the hills and trees and farmland of the Black Forest -- was gorgeous. It was about 90 minutes to our hotel in Boblingen, on the outskirts of Stuttgart. We arrived at 8:40 and then went to a brewpub for a late German dinner of schnitzel, roast beef, goulash, and spaetzle.

We stayed at V8 Motorworld, a car-themed hotel. Check out our rooms! We are here for our resident car buff, Sebastian, who loves expensive, fast cars of all kinds. The Porsche and Mercedes car museums are in Stuttgart, but this place on the outskirts draws true car fanatics. The parking lot of the hotel was unbelievable.  More car updates tomorrow --