The drive from Zurich to Liechtenstein was quite beautiful, stopped in a little restaurant for some gelato and espresso. But the real fun drive was about to begin.
Driving through the Alps is an experience unlike any I have had before, and I have driven up and down several mountains. I have driven up the Mount Washington auto road in New Hampshire and driven from Phoenix to Jerome and while both were narrow winding roads without guard rails for the most part they did not include driving with aggressive European drivers who think nothing of creating a third passing lane on a curve- in the rain. This would take place on stretches of road where the drops are measured in thousands of feet. The drive down the Alps in Italy is a 8.5% downward grade, multiple 90 degree turns, tunnels that range in length from a 100 meters to over 5 kilometers long. Did I mention it started to rain just after we started our descent? The combination though of the Audi's Quattro all wheel drive and the six speed stick made the drive - crazy European drivers notwithstanding- a truly enjoyable ride. Don't get me wrong though, there was a bit of stress at certain moments- like going over a bridge that is literally a mile up in the rain. While the drive through Germany let the high speed attributes of the Audi shine, the mountains let the handling be the star.
Driving through the Alps you are are driving on roads that are incredibly high- when we thought to look at the car's altimeter it was showing elevations over 5000 meters. Driving along you realize just how small you are, the valleys are far below and yet you realize that you are only half way up the mountains, breathtaking.
We spotted well over a dozen different waterfalls that were thousands of feet high, snow was quite visible on all of the higher elevations. I know pictures do not always do justice to vista's but I hope they at least give a little bit of the incredible views that we experienced.
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