More changes

I now can say I have most of our first week planned out. We will leave GR on Thursday, May 12 - and arrive in Frankfurt the next afternoon. Saturday we'll be with Scott in Spangdahlem, picking up the car and seeing the base. AS IT IS NOW PLANNED....

Leaving Sunday to the upper Black Forest. Still haven't heard back from the Gastehof in Bad Peterstal so will have to make some other inquiries. Baden-Baden and a visit to the baths there is still on the agenda. Monday will explore the Black Forest and stop for the night at Titisee at a farmhouse there.

Tuesday we will venture into Switzerland, stop at Teufenthal for a few hours (if that - don't anticipate a lot there to see) then head down to Martigny and a bit beyond - have found reservations at a "chalet" near the Great St. Bernard Pass.

Wednesday we will continue south into the Valle d'Aosta, Italy, go over toward Monte Cervino (Matterhorn) then back toward Aosta and over to Mont Blanc and Chamonix, then back toward Martigny. Leaving the accommodations open at this point because we may not get all the way around in a day.

Thursday we will head to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and spend two nights there. The place that wasn't available in our first plans opens back up on May 19 (they will return from their vacation...) and we now have reservations there, in Stechelberg. We will spend the remainder of the day we arrive checking out the waterfalls and such in the valley, then take the trip up to the Schilthorn the next day, checking out the Alpine villages on the way back to Stechelberg.

We'll leave Stechelberg on Saturday morning - and there's where the definite planning ends for the moment. Had in mind that we would then head back to Spangdahlem, pick up Scott and travel to Munich/Salzburg and the romantic road for the rest of the week. Now Scott may be in a training class during that time, which means that he'll be in Spangdahlem but not able to leave the base during the week. So leaning toward heading north/east through Liechtenstein to Fussen so we can see Neuschwanstein, then head back to Spangdahlem via the romantic road and get back mid-week. Then spend the rest of the week on day trips in Scott's area so we can visit with him at night and go with him somewhere close over the weekend. That would leave out Munich and Salzburg but there's always another trip. Visiting two cities didn't quite fit in, in some ways, with our other plans anyway.

Giving this last bit some thought and will wait a week or two before making any further reservations. It's soooo much fun working around the Air Force! Of course, without the Air Force sending Scott to Germany in the first place, this trip might not have even happened. Steve's always wanted to see the Alps, but knowing 2011 would be our last chance to visit Scott while he's in Germany kind of forced the issue.