We spent 3.5 weeks on a road trip in Europe. Driving around in a rented car was immensely practical because we were not bound by any train or flight schedules and could set our own pace. Particularly so, because we realised that when traveling with a baby it is near impossible to check out on time - if the time was set for 10 AM, by the time we had breakfast, fed and bathed our baby, sterilized her bottles for the rest of the day, prepared her diaper bag, got ready ourselves, packed everything and loaded the car, we would not be out before noon. We were lucky that wherever we stayed, no one was particularly finicky about us checking out.
At the end of the trip, I realised that people who have babies are most likely to have empathy towards other parents. Just the simple offer to hold our baby for 20 minutes in the morning while we packed was of immense assistance. Or not harassing us about putting on our baby's harness when the flight was taking off (this was not our experience on the next flight where the flight attandant was particularly stern about putting on the safety belt even when she could see that we were trying to get our baby to calm down a little before slipping it on). Or holding her while I rapidly put on my shoes and packed up, after our luggage was screened at security check at the airport. It is the little things that count.
People were extremely friendly wherever we went. Strangers walked up to us to talk, find out where we came from, where we were going and almost everyone had a personal story about India. The main attraction was of course our daughter who at her fifth month emerged to be a rather smiley baby - chuckling at anyone who met her eye or spoke to her. There was one time where a stern German lady was explaining the ticketing system of the ski lifts to a group of tourists in Sass Fee, trying hard (unsuccessfully) to keep a straight face as our daughter looked her in the eye through the presentation and chuckled and cooed, mirthful laughter bubbling over her little face!
Other than Munich, Vienna and Milan, we did not stay in any city (our journey took us through Grunau, Saargaans, Sass Fee, Nice, Marseilles, Annecy, Gutach and finally Freising). Once you take away the urgency of city life, people can be much more forthcoming. It was rather touching to see an old man rush out from behind the counter of his shop as we were walking back one night in Marseilles. He spoke to our baby at great length in charming French and kissed her hands and bid us adieu. Another lady in Vienna stopped us on the road and cooed to our baby in German and wished Mammy and Pappy and little baby a very good night. It was all rather delightful.
And one time it was also a tad scary - I was walking on a very desolate country road with a forest on one side in Grunau when a motorist stopped his car and came out to talk to me; I indicated that I did not understand German but he continued to smile and talk and even stroked my arms a couple of times while I grinned helplessly; after a few minutes he waved and drove off. Later in the evening I found him in the bar of the hostel we were staying in - his friend then translated for me - all he had been trying to communicate was what a cute baby I had and he wanted to know where I had come from and what was I doing in this remote part of Austria and that too, on that lonely stretch!
Quiet road in Grunau
When we reached Milan, it was raining heavily and we realised that our hostel had no parking. We had to quickly unload our luggage at the front door and my husband then rushed back to the car and drove off to find a garage. I straggled, balancing baby and diaper bag and my handbag, and was immediately surrounded by people. Young and old, staff and guests alike, wanted to hold my baby. Someone led us to a chair, a new t-shirt for our baby with the hostel logo was procured, a cup of coffee for me materialized, which I enjoyed, while a bunch of girls held the baby and clicked photos with her.
Our paediatrician had warned us to not make the trip too hectic. As a result we avoided many touristy things - operas and museums in Vienna, tram rides in Milan, hikes in Marseilles, English Garden in Munich will just have to wait for another trip. Instead, we took it easy each day, waking up to a slow breakfast, spending quality family time as we devoured gelato in Milan, had rather expensive coffee and cake at a cafe in Vienna where apparently Mozart would perform, crawled on the grass in Maienfield and Grunau with our baby and walked around the lake and canals in Annecy.
Gelato in Milan
By taking the pressure of sight seeing out of travel, we made this into a rather memorable family trip. The laid back nature of our travels ensured that we focused more on the beautiful sights of Europe.
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