Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

Alexandra was the first to notice the hot smell. "What are you doing?" she shouted from
the back seat. "Are you driving on your brakes? For God’s sake, you will lose your brakes and
land us in the ditch. "
Friedrich admitted embarrassed that he was already losing his brakes. What was he
supposed to do? Wait until they cooled off?
"Rule number two: When going down a steep hill put the car into second gear, take the
foot of the gas, and let the engine do the braking. This will save the brakes and your life!"
Friedrich jerked the car into second. The car jolted dangerously, but they rolled safely down the
hill. Friedrich risked a look at Alexandra in the back, laughing, "Alexandra, thanks to the Auto
Club you have saved us twice today. What else do you know that I was never taught?"
"We will discuss that when we get to the next crisis. Do you know how to change a tire?
I do, but I will stand aside when that happens and let you men do the work under my
supervision! It was clearly a good idea to learn how to drive!"
They left Munich at six in the morning. Katharina, to everybody’s relief had decided to go
by train. She would meet them in Innsbruck at the hotel at night.
Claudia had begged Alexandra to let her have Otto while they were away. Alexandra
was delighted by that suggestion and gave Elisabeth a much deserved vacation.
On this brilliant spring day, they were dressed as if they were going to drive to Timbuktu:
white racing caps, aviator’s goggles, and beige leather jackets.
"Watch out Italy, here come the people from Mars!" shouted Friedrich.
Friedrich drove, he had chosen the fastest route to Mittenwald. The Automobile Club
had furnished Alexandra with route maps, suggestions of where to find petrol and mechanical
help, advice as to road conditions, and a special trip-tique that would assure them the free help
of the Royal Touring Club of Italy in an emergency.
Their first crisis came as they reached the precipitous descent into the Inn Valley behind
Ehrwald. Below them lay the city of Innsbruck, the Brenner rose across the green valley. The
view was magnificent, but the road dived vertiginously for several kilometers straight down.
They were glad that Katharina was not with them, she would have been frightened out of her
mind. Alexandra and Friedrich finally decided to put the car into first gear. The engine whined
but they ground down the hill safely.
The three reached Innsbruck at noon, and found Katharina asleep in her room. They
washed up, had a rest, and spent the afternoon walking through town: the Golden Dachl, the
grave of Emperor Maximilian I surrounded by thirty-six life-sized bronze statues of his mythical
ancestors. Katharina knew a story for each of them. In the afternoon they dawdled eating
Linzer Torte in an outdoor café.
Friedrich estimated that it would take three or four hours to cross the Brenner Pass and
reach Bolzano. They left at daybreak. Katharina would follow an hour later, and they would pick
her up at the station in Bolzano.
They slowly wound their way up the mountain through villages and cows grazing on lush
green meadows. The silvery band of the Inn and the toy-like houses of Innsbruck lay below
them. The ascent to the pass was less steep than they had feared, and the road was good.
The engine boiled over only once. They tried a new method; whenever the thermometer began
to climb Konrad would get a pail of cold water from a brook and throw it at the radiator. This
preventative method and taking it easy made it unnecessary to open the dangerous radiator
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