Deutschland

Mom and I got up this morning and finished cleaning and packing (mostly). We walked to Albert Heijn to get money from the ATM and recycle recyclables. Then we took a cab to the rental car place. We got started a little later than we wanted to, but it wasn't bad. Unfortunately, after we had been driving for a bit, we realized the AC was shot. The only thing Mom had specifically requested was a working air conditioner, and they told us we'd have one. We called the Amsterdam office, but they didn't have any other cars with working AC. We had all sorts of phone shenanigans calling various numbers and pulling off the road and what-not. It was not looking good. The only Dutch Avis office on our way to Berlin was closed on Saturdays, and we were told that we can't switch cars outside of the Netherlands.

Finally, we got the address of an Opel dealer in Apeldoorn that might be able to fix our car. We were not very hopeful. We assumed it would likely be closed, or if it was open, the mechanic wouldn't be there. But it was open! And then the mechanic was even there! But then they told us that the machine to charge the air conditioning had broken... this morning.

Well Mom wasn't going to give up that easily. She asked if the mechanic could take a look anyhow, just to make sure it wasn't some other problem (like our being too dumb to properly turn on the AC). Turns out it was the cooling fluid. There wasn't any of it. So an hour or two later we were back on the road with a properly air-conditioned vehicle. And they even charged the repair directly to Avis! (Mom would like to mention that this was all in 96-degree, humid weather... making the AC a high priority.)

We made a pit stop in Germany to caffeinate and watch a bit of the Germany-Argentina game. Apparently we're good luck charms, cuz Germany won too! I can't believe Brazil and Argentina are both out already!

This is our hotel room. I love it!:


After checking into the hotel, we had yummy dinner while watching Spain vs. Paraguay. We wanted Paraguay to win just because their goalkeeper was so badass, but Spain managed to get one by him. Oh well.

Tomorrow, we will do a bike tour of the whole city of Berlin. Then we will drive to Prague. Yaay!