Belgium/Germany December 2017 – The Panzer Tour

Highlights From This Trip

• 5 Days
• 14 Locations Explored
• 150 photographs
• Visited some classic locations
• Finally got into Alla Italia!

During the final days of December we battled snowstorms and icy roads to see out 2017 in the only logical way, with a last-minute road trip! I flew to Bonn airport on Boxing Day, an ambitious route map ahead of us considering the short daylight hours.

The main attraction this time was Alla Italia, a location that had eluded me twice previously. I was so thrilled once I was finally inside. I had temporarily lost my companion, who had to delay his entry due to street workers removing ice from some nearby stairs. I wondered the corridors and found my way to the main entrance alone, knowing that once he got inside he would eventually join me there.

This beautiful spa has a grand entrance hall with marble columns, busts and carvings. The beauty of the painted ceilings were slowly revealed as the sun crept in as dawn arrived. These silent moments made the flight and early start instantly worth it.

Another highlight of the trip was some Lost Tanks (Tank Graveyard) in the woods in Germany. A fantastic birthday treat, along with a Quick Burger for dinner. These are surely finest fast food burgers in Belgium/France!

The rest of the trip featured the usual abundance of abandoned houses, including a beautiful foresters house in the German mountains. Hunters Powerplant threw some decaying industrial grime into the mix. There were cars aplenty, including a garage filled with old Volvo and Citroen. A blue BMW in a barn, a Lost Lancia, two Citroen DS, trucks at Biofuel Farm and a pair of VW Beetles.

We were treated to a spectacular sunrise on the final morning, as we drove deep into the German mountains towards the final location. A great final day, and fond farewell to an unforgettable year of exploring.