Today we drive from Malbork to Kaliningrad. A very short leg of 137 km. We belive we cab drive both in and out of Kaliningrad without charging the battery.
UP to the border the trip went well on beautiful roads. Less and less traffic the closer the border we came.
The border crossing took a couple of hours. We were there in the morning and came straight in. Here is a lot that has always been. Paper should be filled out. Some in two copies (copy machine?). Narcotic dogs and mirrors to light under the car. The lady behind one of the counters need the help of a colleague to understand that it is allowed to put zero (0) in the box for engine volume. She checked the car documents (car card?) as well.
Well through, we got wide roads all by ourselves. Behind us we had the border crossing and it took just about half an hour between each car they let through.
We were surprised that the Tesla route instructions did not work on the Russian side of the border. The screen showed a map with poor resolution. The car is shown on the map, but no route instructions. We connected iPhone to the Tesla and got driving instructions from there.
A group of cheerful youths showed us willingly the way to the hotel after we had walked up and down the streets to find it.
The hotel was okay and the room was large.
The area surprised us. It was fantastic. A lake with park around. Great tiled bike paths and walkways. Restaurants – we got the best meal of the trip this evening. Lots of people of all ages.
Children playing everywhere, but mostly at the big playgrounds. There are youths on skateboards and roller blades. No loud voice, just talk and laugh. On the lake there are electric boats and bicycle boats. There is a large and modern amusement park here. No garbage. It is simply idyllic.
Within walking distance of the hotel there are several restaurants. This is the trip’s positive surprise and will probably be the highlight of the holiday. A contrast to what we have read online. We were recommended to drive by.
Having said all this, we must remember that it is not the case throughout Russia. The country has major challenges in terms of democracy and human rights.
Video for day 12: Day12
Tesla holiday in a challenging area 