The most adventurous part of our little road trip through Poland & Germany was our car problems! Soon after leaving Poland, our transmission light started flashing, but everything seemed okay (and really, what choice did we have?) so we kept going. Just outside of Berlin (approximately 200 km after the light started blinking) the car started having problems shifting gears. And as soon as we entered the stop-and-go traffic of downtown Berlin at rush hour (no less!) the transmission couldn't take it & the car died. After letting it cool off for a few minutes (we needed a potty break anyway), Andrew managed to get it going again -- for a couple more minutes. It took us well over an hour to get 3 km to our apartment. But we made it!
So much time in the car!! (the kids were great road-trippers!)
Our knight in yellow armor got us to the ferry, just in time!
With a huge sigh of relief, we collapsed into our tiny room & praised God that we made it! The next 18 hours on the ferry were uneventful & we enjoyed experiencing a new form of travel that didn't depend on us or a faulty car. Upon our arrival to Klaipeda, the car started & drove out of the cargo area, all the way to the gate that separates the ferry port from the city. And there, yet again, it died. It was Sunday morning around 10 -- every friend we could think of with a car would be at church -- but we started calling anyway. And finally Raimis came to our rescue & rope-towed us home (don't worry -- me & the kids were in his car). We were so glad to be home! 
So much time in the car!! (the kids were great road-trippers!)Andrew & Sabine took the car to 2 different mechanics - one who didn't work on automatics & the other said it was a computer problem that would take days to figure out...and we had to drive another 350 km up to Sassnitz the next day. He said if we had to drive, we probably could, as long as we went slowly. 
Isak & Ieva on the ferry
Isak & Ieva on the ferrySo on Saturday, we had to be in Sassnitz to check onto our ferry by 3:00, for a 4:00 departure. We gave ourselves twice the time we assumed it would take & headed out -- averaging about 55 km/hr (35 mph) on the autobahn while cars whizzed past us at speeds of around 200 km/hr (125 mph). We limped along, slowly but surely...until...the poor car didn't want to go anymore. 45 km short of the ferry terminal in Sassnitz we were stuck. But amazingly, the place the car stopped at was an outdoor farmer's market with a play area for kids & a tourist information booth. We could have been anywhere -- on the side of the highway miles away from anything -- but God allowed us to make it there. It was phenomenal. The guy at the information booth spoke decent English & called a tow truck for us, as well as the ferry to tell them we'd be coming (via tow) late. Ieva got to stretch her legs at the play area while we waited for the tow truck. At 3:30 we were towed right up to the cargo hold of the ferry. Thankfully, the car started & rolled itself into the cargo hold (amongst train cars & semis; without knowing if we'd be able to get it off, we didn't get to be with the rest of the passenger cars)!
Our knight in yellow armor got us to the ferry, just in time!
Silhouettes in the cargo hold
With a huge sigh of relief, we collapsed into our tiny room & praised God that we made it! The next 18 hours on the ferry were uneventful & we enjoyed experiencing a new form of travel that didn't depend on us or a faulty car. Upon our arrival to Klaipeda, the car started & drove out of the cargo area, all the way to the gate that separates the ferry port from the city. And there, yet again, it died. It was Sunday morning around 10 -- every friend we could think of with a car would be at church -- but we started calling anyway. And finally Raimis came to our rescue & rope-towed us home (don't worry -- me & the kids were in his car). We were so glad to be home! A great adventure and great memories!
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