Toronto to Frankfurt to Passau

The clock in the town hall just chimed 6pm. Three couples are here, the other two are arriving momentarily (in fact, they just "BBM'd" to say they are minutes away...technology...amazing stuff!) So, I thought I'd rip of a quick update on our journey to this point.

We flew out Air Transat around 11pm on Thursday night. First time on AT. Inexpensive but great service. We  had upgraded from Economy to something they call "Options Plus". Definitely worth the bucks: it privided priority checkin (5 minute line vs. 2 hour line!), upgraded meal and bevvies, and a comfort kit (headphones, blanket, eyeshade, ear plugs - all the stuff one used to get included on trans atlantic flights years ago).

We arrived into Frankfurt shortly after 1pm local time (6 hours ahead of Toronto). After a long wait to go through customs (a frequent traveler's lament), we finally connected with our friends, the Blacks. We loaded happily into our Mercedes E220 CDI from SIXT car rentals. (For you motor-heads out there, it's sporting 2.1L Centre-Rail, Direct Injection, Turbo diesel. It turns out 168hp but a whopping 300 lb/ft torque with claimed fuel economy of 5.9L/100 kms. All that translates into really a really quick, fuel sipping, luxury ride.)
Onto the fabled Autobahn and looking for an asphalt burning pace set to have us arrive in Passau in under four hours. Not so! Just like home, trucks, traffic, construction...oh yes, and a few terrible drivers...conspired to make our journey "challenging". We finally arrived a weary 7 hours later. Having said that, we saw some beautiful country and did get up to 180 Kph on a few stretches. At one point when, I was lolly-gagging along at a mere 160, I got passed by a Ferrari like I was standing still! Ok. There you have it: the fabled Autobahn.

Gotta go. The other couples are here and I'm being beckoned for bevvies. Pictures and more stories on the next installment. Later!