I hit the autobahn for Frankfurt with visions of doing 200 kph immune from prosecution -- and promptly found myself in a traffic jam.

Yes, I fear it's true. Germany's 11,000 km of Autobahnen, a motorway network second in length only to that of the United States, may commonly be perceived as a Mad Max wannabee's dream, unsullied by ticket-writing cops and speed cameras. In reality, roughly three-quarters of those 11,000 km are this summer in the grip of roadworks, noise-abatement zones and congestion.

I left at the first possible exit, thwarted and disillusioned. And there I was, by chance in the small medieval city of Ulm.