Munich, 27 - 29 April 2018

Day 1

Finally, the first big trip with the van!

While Moni and Jill are in London, Lisa and I want to find out if the van lives up to its promises.

Over the past few weeks, we have been dealing with the smell of gasoline and the sudden shutdown. The former has been resolved since the last repair two weeks ago, but we still don't know about the latter. Will we make it?

After breakfast, we stock up the fridge and start our journey. We take the highway because today our destination is Munich, not the journey itself.

The engine started stalling again as soon as we approached a intersection in Bregenz. Unfortunately, the VW garage didn't have time for us, so we continued driving.

A short while later, we made a stop at a rest area. After a little snack, I took a closer look at the engine. Of course, the new manual was in the workshop and not in the car. So I decided to open the throttle further, hoping not to break anything. Lisa was allowed to start the engine and I adjusted it until it ran fairly smoothly at idle.

Then we continued on our way and when we reached the major traffic jam in Munich, it was much better. Before we headed back, I made another adjustment that definitely helped.

The campsite was almost empty and we were able to choose a good spot. It is located directly on the Isar river and with the metro, we quickly reached the city center.

But first, we had to settle in, connect the electricity, change the fridge to 220V, set up the awning, and make the beds.

We took the metro directly to Marienplatz. We looked around a bit and admired the Glockenspiel at the town hall.

Then we got hungry and found a nice spot at the Viktualienmarkt. It was crowded with this wonderful weather. Tired, we returned to the campsite and soon fell asleep, wrapped in our warm sleeping bags.

Day 2

We had surprisingly good sleep. I was downstairs in the car, Lisa was upstairs in the tent, where it was a bit cooler.

The sun was already shining, so we prepared our breakfast outside. We had fresh bread rolls and scrambled eggs. Tea and coffee were also available, but Lisa didn't like coffee.

Today we had planned to visit the zoo. It is just around the corner and easy to reach on foot. There was a lot to see and we really enjoyed it, especially because many areas are shaded by large trees.

After the zoo, we returned to the campsite to charge the phone again. (Lisa took too many photos).

Then we took the metro again and went to the English Garden, where we sat in the beer garden at the Chinese Tower. There was music playing and I enjoyed a nice beer with a pretzel that we shared.

Then we walked through the park, passing countless people who were partying and enjoying the warmth (about 25°C).

Of course, we also had to watch the surfers for a while. Then we felt our tired legs and started heading back. On the way, we bought something to eat at EDEKA.

Day 3

In the morning, it was slightly cooler than yesterday. But we wanted to leave early to avoid the traffic.

The journey back home went smoothly and after 4 hours, we were happy but tired to be back home.

Munich is definitely worth a visit. It has a manageable size and there is still a lot to see. Maybe we will repeat this trip someday.

Conclusion

• The car is great for a short weekend.

• Optimal speed on the highway is about 100 km/h, with a consumption of around 9 L.

• We need a different grill.

• Reading lamps for the beds.

• Engine needs to be checked next time, including the emission control.

• Curtains cannot be properly closed.

• Mosquito nets.

Berni