The Autobahn

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Today we left on the official start of our Treffen. Outside the hotel all 12 Porsches were neatly lined up. After a few photos, we headed out to Salzburg. We are driving in two 6 car convoys. I suspect we make quite a scene passing through some of the small towns. Certainly, every boy under 20 turns to watch us pass.



Out on the autobahn, we pushed the cars. We were regularly driving at 200-230 km/h. On one stretch, Josh and I hit 290 km/h (about 180 mph). At those speeds, you lose peripheral vision. It was exhilarating and alarming all at once. The car performed flawlessly.



This tour is very much about the driving, rather than site seeing. We did stop outside the Neuschwanstein Castle (the icon German castle that inspired Walt Disney), but did not have the time to visit. Nevertheless, the views all around are amazing. At one point we crested a hill where the whole of the Alps opened up in front of us.



Josh has been doing a fine job. He is our resident camera operator. Taking photos, when we are going slow enough and operating the video camera mounted in the front window. He is also handling the radio duties. This afternoon he pumped the gas for all the cars. It costs about 1000 euros to fill the gas tanks in our group. Everyone here is very kind to Josh. And at the same time, Josh has been a real trooper (particularly at dinners which stretch over several hours and are filled with “adult” talk).



We ended the day in Salzburg. We are staying at a spectacular hotel which backs onto a public park which is just in the midst of a spring bloom. The weather has been wonderful. We are sleeping here with the windows wide open.



We had dinner at St. Peter’s Keller in the heart of the old town. We are told the restaurant is the oldest in Europe, founded in 803. We started with champagne in the courtyard which was followed by a sort of Mozart Dinner Theatre. Each course in the meal was followed by excerpts from Mozart’s most famous operas (Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro) and performed by opera singers in period costume with a string quintet. The excellent, local Austrian red wine flowed easily.

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Photos

The Alps
The majestic alps.

911 (991s) Parked at a Rest Stop
Half of the 12 brand new porsches on our trip are parked for effect.

Castle Neuschwanstein
One of the european castles which inspired Walt Disney. This iconic castle is undergoing repair.

Pumping the Gas
Joshua is first out at the gas stops and pumps the petrol for our group.