Up at 5:30 this morning to be on the road by 6:00 and beat the Easter Holiday traffic to the mountains. We live near Stuttgart and it is about a two hour drive to our destination, Pfronten, a small village at the foot of the Alps on the Austrian border. We had to set off early because some German states start their Easter holidays today and judging by the licence plates, Belgium and Luxemburg are also on holiday. The traffic can get pretty bad on such days and there is nothing worse than being stuck in a traffic jam on a sunny day in sight of the mountains.

Two hours later we were stuck in a traffic jam on a sunny day in sight of the mountains. We should have got off the autobahn an exit earlier. After a frustrating half hour we did make it onto the slip road and then to the small ski area. Even though it was a beautiful day and the snow on the mountain was excellent, the car park was only half-full and we didn’t have to queue. These small German resorts are very pretty but relatively low and the snow isn’t as reliable as it was 40 years ago.

We had a great day, skiing in the morning and flying in the afternoon. Then a couple of beers in the sun, followed by a shower and sauna in the hotel made us very tired. We then had a large, heavy dinner at the Gasthof Adler (every Bavarian village has a Gasthof Adler* – it’s the German equivalent of a classic pub name like the Black Bull, or Kings Arms).

The combination of fresh air, sunshine, beer and a heavy dinner are not conducive to writing an exciting blog. Apologies – I will write more tomorrow and make up for it. Promise….zzzzzz.

Bis morgen.

*Adler means eagle.