From Villány in Hungary, we went back full circle to where we started our vacation 22 days prior.

If we were to drive straight home, it would probably take us at least 16.5 hours to cross the border into the Netherlands. But we weren’t that crazy and we were in no hurry to get home.

With the remaining driving hours to be covered, Silver Bullet planned for the last leg of the road trip to be broken up into 2 parts . That gained us two more nights en route back to the Netherlands with a stop-over in Austria and then Germany:

 

The drive from Villany to Austria took us close to 6.5 hours. Silver Bullet wanted to take the scenic route towards Slovania but Google Maps had re-directed his intention back to Budapest with a suggested shorter route through the highway.

It was too late to turn back for the scenery sake by the time he realised the unscenic and boring route he had followed. And so we drove on with barely any scenery to feed on until we crossed over into Austria. 

Then, the landscape got better.

The further we went into Austria, the higher the elevation became and the more beautiful it got. The road to the hotel where we were booked for the night located at the top of the mountain in the ski resort of Annaberg was steep,  bendy and winding.

In no time at all, both kids got rather car sick and went green in the face. Plastic bags became their best friends and they started purging soon after. The drive up the mountain was something. It was a combination of awe (for its beauty) and scary (for its sheer drop-off height!)

But! What a view that was!

We arrived at the hotel atop of the mountain at about 7 p.m – just in time for dinner and to get enough rest for the night to start driving again the next day.

The way down the mountain was just as bad the next day.

The kids turned green again and did not get back to their normal colour until we arrived in Germany. That drive took us another 6.5 hours where we spent the night…just one more night…at a cosy little bed and breakfast in Hafenlohr.

The area was quiet and the view, just as stunning!

Despite the scenic and beautiful view, I got grumpy. By that evening, the dreadful realisation that we were headed home sunk it.

It wasn’t so much because of the fact that vacation was over (I could live with that), but it was more because I could not stand the thought of us having to go home and then I’d have to once again go plonk my ass at the office. The thought alone not only make my stomach churn, it also depressed me.

I wasn’t ready to go.

I did NOT want to go.

But it’s not as if we had a choice. Money was running out and we had to leave. Plus, the kids seemed to have enough of the drive; they couldn’t wait to get home. They missed the cats, they say and they were longing to sleep in their own bed.

They had a point about the bed. Talking about beds…I reckon I woke up at the wrong side of the bed the next day.My mood was just bleeeaah. I wish we didn’t have to go home.

But go home we must! Especially since Spud was showing signs in the past few days that she too may have caught a bladder infection during the trip. Her doctor’s appointment (on emergency) was swiftly made for the same evening.

We HAD to go home. Super bleeahhhh. Suddenly I became the whiner and the kids adulted. 

We left Hafenlohr, Germany a little after breakfast. It was another 6 hours drive back to the Netherlands.

Before we knew it, our 3 weeks vacation was over. The summer holidays officially ended and the kids would be starting their new school term. For us, it was back to work soon after. 

And as I am writing this now, I can’t believe that we did the road-trip more than 2 months back. Or should I say only (!) 2 months ago! Man! Didn’t August felt like a long, long while back? It took me long enough to start writing about this and then while writing, I started to wonder when would I be finished! 

(I hope I haven’t bore the crap out of you yet. Thank you for still being here.)

Looking back, it had been a blast. Not only for us, but for the kids as well-  they still talk about it.  It may have been a crazy thought at first to go on a road trip such as this, but I’m glad we braved it out. We drove a crazy distance of 3,500+ kilometers across 6 countries with 2 kids in tow. It almost sounded insane.

For us too, this was the first time we went on a vacation without having to visit families like we always do on an annual visit home to either Singapore or the Netherlands. This time, we were, but well and truly on our own. No temporary baby-sitting available and no safety nets.

Would we be this crazy and do this again?

I’d say, hell yeah! Absofreakin’lutely YES with no doubt in mind. Because, why not! Europe is huge and the world is our oyster.  That in itself is enough a reason.

The only question I have is: Where next?! It’s time to contemplate!