The picturesque roadside as we transition from Holland to Germany. Notice how narrow the road is. Also, notice the lack of road shoulder. Although this is a secondary road, it is a two-way highway. It may be narrow, but look at the excellent shape it is in. Driving the RV on this road is fine until you meet an oncoming truck. It requires a careful slow dance to pass by each other.

This was our last day in Holland. One final word on Holland. As nice as Germany and Austria were (and they were), Holland has a polish and sheen that may be unmatched anywhere. The infrastructure (roads, bridges, canals, streets, sidewalks, bike paths, buildings, and, yes, public toilets) are all meticulously maintained. And the whole country seems on board as every yard, farm, and house is also meticulously maintained and in perfect repair. It is uncanny how pristine the whole country is.

Next came Germany. The landscape and architecture changes with more rolling hills and a more medieval feel. Many towns and cities still have their gates and walls (or at least remnants of them). The churches are cavernous and up to 1200 years old. The Oak frame and stucco buildings took me by surprise. I thought that was mainly a Bavarian-style but apparently not. It is a style seen throughout Germany. The big Oak trees have been depleted long ago so they don't build like that anymore. The buildings with that architectural style are at least 300 plus years old. Buildings from the 1500s and 1600s are the rule, not the exception.

French fries in Holland, technically Holland fries, are the best in the world - no kidding. They are cooked twice in some kind of secret sequence that just works. Served with a tartar sauce and/or ketchup, it is a delight. Notice the dark rich red color of the ketchup. European ketchup is also the best - no vinegary corn syrup sweet flavor. Just genuine tomato flavor. 

The fish part of fish'n'chips in Holland. Don't let the styrofoam packaging fool you. These are delicious.

Every town in Holland has brick streets meticulously laid down by hand. It was interesting watching these guys pave this street. It is more art than construction.

Trikke electric scooters for rent. We didn't see them in action, but I have seen photos of people riding them. The three wheels look more stable than the two-wheel variety. However, I require a seat.

We stopped for a quick walk in the town of Beerze, Holland, one of our last stops before entering Germany.

Holland's gorgeous countryside.

This is the Landgoed Vilsteren Estate which includes a large area of land. It is a private estate that is dedicated to land preservation.

Another preserved windmill. This one is near Vilsteren, Holland, near the German border. It is open to the public.

Examples of home architecture in Holland. I love the style, especially the thatched roofs.

More beautiful countryside road scenes.

The first sign that we crossed into Germany is this German train zipping by us at a RR crossing.

Approach the wonderful city of Rinteln, Germany, on the Weser River. Notice the change of construction style in the white building on the right. 

Downtown Rinteln. The difference in building style between Holland and Germany is amazing. It is what makes Europe so fascinating. This is a prime example of a "half-timber stucco" design. The wood beams are oak. I don't think there are many big oaks left in Germany to replicate this. The beams are all centuries old.

Many buildings and houses in Germany have two dates on them. One date denotes the original construction year. The other represents the year of the latest renovation.

Year of construction: 1530. 

Rinteln must be having some kind of antique Citroën event. Citroën is a French car maker founded in 1919. These look like the 2CV model built between 1948 and 1990.

Another day, another toast. Today Diane made tacos for supper. She does feed us well.

VINTAGE VENTURES: The reason I write my travel journals is to be able to look back and remember our ventures. A secondary reason was to allow me to organize all my trip photos. I have thousands of photos. Organizing them into a travelogue made sense. The trick was to figure out how to organize all these photos and journals into a cohesive story. My early attempts failed miserably because I couldn't figure out how to meld photos and text into a structure that worked. It was when Wanda came across the Constant Contact format that allowed me to, not only develop a coherent story of our trips, but to be able to send them to friends, family, and anybody else that is interested.

It is my plan to take each of these early trips, which I call, Vintage Ventures, and collate them into Constant Contact. I hope you find some value in them, even though they are, well, vintage.

Dave and Wanda

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