In 1990 we did do a trip around the world. We started in Sydney, had a stop over in Singapore. From there we went on to Paris where we bought a 2CV. We loved this car and travelled with it to Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Bavaria, back to Austria and then to Berlin where we stayed for a few weeks. At the arranged time we drove the 2CV from Berlin back to Paris. The arrangement was, that we could take the car back to where we had purchased it. What we had paid for it in the end was only as much as a hire fee. 

From Paris our flight went to Los Angeles via Newark. A bus took us from LA to Anaheim where we stayed in a hotel for three nights.  We actually did go for three days in a row  for a visit to Disneyland. We found the visits very interesting and enoyable, especially since we had our eleven year old daughter Caroline with us who did get a lot out of it. Our flight home to Sydney was via Hawaii.

Recently I reminisced about our visit to the French Cafe GARAGE DU PONT near the Glienicker Brücke in Berlin. This brought back memories about our stay in France in 1990 and that cute little French car. We often talk about this car. It has really become special to us in our memory. Every time we happen to  see a car like it around somewhere,  we start talking  about “our” wonderful, light blue 2CV. There aren’t that many around any more. But  occasionally we still see one. We then cannot help us, we have to compare it to “our” 2CV.

We liked it that we could push out a bit of the bottom of the car’s windscreen for “air-conditioning”. There were also tiny side windows inserted in the big side window. These tiny windows could be pushed out while driving. We felt then like our car had become wings and was driving faster. Sometimes, when Peter increased the speed a bit on the free-way, these little windows would open on its own. We laughed and laughed, when the car started flying like this. However, our car could not go as fast as all the other cars on the road and everyone overtook us. But we did not mind this, not at all. We had such fun!

From France to Italy we went through the Mt Blanc Tunnel. I think this is about the oldest tunnel through the Alps. It was a horror drive for us. As I remember it, there were only two lanes, one in each direction. There were heaps of trucks going through the tunnel. This drive through the tunnel made Caroline quite sick. There just was not enough clean air. Once in Italy we looked immediately for a hotel in the next village. Caroline and I went straight to bed feeling nauseated. We went to sleep and slept right through to the following morning. In the morning we felt all right and we all went out for a lovely breakfast.

The last pictures in this post were taken when we were already out of Italy. It was close to Easter, however we experienced still quite a bit of snow.

The following I copied from a Google page.

Tin snail, or timely saviour? The Citroen 2CV was mocked by many in its 40-year lifespan, but in the impact it had on cheap personal transportation it ranks alongside other greats like the Mini, Beetle and Land Rover.
The last ‘official’ 2CVs were built by Citroen in 1990, but now, against a background of rigorously policed speeds and closely scrutinised running costs, restored versions of the four-seat convertible are once again being built – in Wiltshire. And they’re finding a ready market among drivers looking for character, fun and an escape from depreciation.