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| Right about the same time I took this photo, it felt like two tires took flight. The V60 could use some ground effects to keep the car planted. |
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| This parking garage in Salzburg, Austria was carved into a mountain. |
Driving into the Czech Republic is a little like entering 1980's Communist era U.S.S.R. There are reminders of the Red Curtain from the imposing border checkpoint (now sitting empty except for a few overgrown weeds) to the utterly eerie isolation. The GPS is what actually announces that I've just crossed a border. As part of the Schengen Agreement, once you've entered one European country, you're free to roam 25 others. Unfortunately, if you have your heart set on a Czech Republic stamp in your passport, you're out of luck unless you go in or out via the airport.
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| Czech road rules- slam on the brakes exactly at the entering village sign… | Then mash the gas as soon as the village is behind. |
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| I know what you're thinking and yes, 8 Euro is a good deal for a Thai massage… Happy Endings extra! |
The rundown convenience store on the Czech side of the border sells vignettes, the toll that is basically required at each new European country you drive through. They aren't required to enter but I wasn't willing to be caught without one. The storekeepers on the Czech side speak no English but at least they take Euros. The Czech Republic was supposed to adopt the Euro as their currency a few years ago but like everything in the Eastern bloc, time moves a little slower and the kroner is still the official currency.
I notice a young woman waiting by the side of the road about a mile from the border. There's another woman a half mile down the road, and yet another a few more blocks. Their clothes become shorter, tighter, and more fluorescent by the kilometer. And whoopsie, there are no bus stops. Folks, prostitution is alive and well within 10 miles of the border; it seems this is the biggest export in these parts.
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| Nothing says you've made it like a little square of fake grass to park your car on. |
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| Speed cameras are popular but I only saw one snap a picture, just outside of Prague- luckily not in my direction. |
