It was a great show! So many options, so many trucks, and more Defenders in one place than I have ever seen. Hell, the autobahn and parking lots alone were worth the drive.
So true! It's funny: last year I was in the south of France just prior to the Abenteuer & Allrad (which, for those who have never been is held in the middle of Germany). As we were driving back north, we were starting to see the occasional overland vehicle around Lyon, France (roughly 7-8 hrs drive from where the show is held). As we approached the Alsace/German border, there was a very noticeable contingent of off-road/overland vehicles. In Germany, the drive on the morning of the first day of the show was really incredible, as you say. It really is a very big show. And this despite the fact that there were 2 more small events for overlanders held parallel to the Abenteuer & Allrad this year.
And traffic did suck. On Saturday I figured out that my truck is limited tom150kph (it was a downhill, clear of traffic spot). On Sunday my wife accompanied me, and we took backroads from Bad K to past Würzberg, smooth sailing on that one, slower but more scenic.
The scenic route was def the better option. Unfortunately not for me due to my daughter's trip. I ended up heading north towards Fulda for 35km's before heading back towards Frankfurt and then down south again. And I was watching the nav show my arrival home becoming later by the second...
The speed is one reason I prefer traveling in a RR vs. a Def (despite the coolness factor of the Def), though on the way home I was only going about as fast as your Defender with my popped intercooler hose (I will post more on that a little later). The nice thing was, if someone did not get out of my way in the left lane so I could pass, when I did get by I got in front of them and booted the throttle a little. The RR would produce really thick, sooty, black clouds
)
If we do next year hopefully we can either get a group together, or meet up as an Expedition Portal/Overland Journal (now in German language too) group.
That would be terrific!
Did you happen to see Michael Brailey (Head of European Operations for OJ)? He was set up in one of the Land Rover Experience tents.
We are considering a stand of our own for next year, and an event highlighting the possibilities / advantages / disadvantages of overlanding in a modern, electronic Land Rover. With this, we are definitely working to arrange some sort of cooperation with Overland International.