In one astonishing day, we ‘invaded’ three countries. France, Belgium and the Netherlands fell before our comfortable tourist bus, and by night we had reached Frankfurt in Germany.

No tanks. No soldiers. No diplomatic crisis. Just a chartered bus, a packed itinerary and a group of curious Indian seniors armed with cameras, snacks and Google Maps. At this speed, even our Prime Minister may find it difficult to match our international ambitions.

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The biggest advantage of travelling through Europe by road is that you don't see only the postcard version of a country. You see Europe rolling past your window in real time.

Fields stretch endlessly into the distance. Villages appear like carefully arranged paintings. Wind turbines turn lazily in the breeze. Then, suddenly, an industrial zone appears beside the green countryside.

Warehouses, railway lines, farms and factories tell their own story. Europe is not just about castles and cathedrals. It is also about how people live, work and move.

One moment you are looking at a factory chimney. The next, someone shouts, “Look, look!” Everybody reaches for the mobile phone. Nobody wants to miss the photograph that will later prove: Yes, I was really there!

The rivers have given us an even better view of Europe. On the Thames, the Seine and the Amstel, we watched history float past us. Grand buildings, bridges, churches and modern architecture lined the banks like actors waiting for their turn on stage.

From the road, you see a city. From the river, you see its face. And sometimes, you see its vanity too. The river cruises showed us how European cities have built their identities around water. The Thames carries the weight of London's history. The Seine gives Paris its romance. The Amstel adds a relaxed Dutch charm, with bicycles, narrow houses and boats apparently competing for every available inch.

After crossing three countries without a single border drama, our bus had achieved what European diplomats might take several meetings, conferences and handshakes to accomplish.

Our only serious negotiation was with Lady Martha, our cheerful tour manager. “Five more minutes for photographs, please!” Her answer was invariably the same, “Chalo, chalo!”

Before people could relax and take a nap, Martha cleverly sprang a surprise. Come on, everybody, one by one, please come on the hot seat, take the mic and tell us everything about yourselves. Introduction, in the middle of the trip! Amazing. All these days we were strangers. Diplomacy had its limits.

What happens when a tourist leaves Amsterdam's bicycles and canals behind and enters Germany? First, the skyline changes. Then the language becomes harder.

Our journey from Amsterdam to Frankfurt brought us into a very different Europe. Amsterdam charms you. Frankfurt impresses you. And Heidelberg, we were told, was waiting to seduce us.

Germany, it seems, has many personalities. Frankfurt does not waste much time introducing itself. Frankfurt is Germany's financial centre and an important European banking hub. Money clearly feels at home in Frankfurt.

Then there is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's great literary figure, whose birthplace is in Frankfurt. So, the city has money on one side and literature on the other

Frankfurt is also remarkably multicultural. People from many countries live and work here, giving the city a distinctly cosmopolitan character.

For an Indian visitor, this diversity has one very practical advantage. Food. After a long day on the road, Rangoli, the Indian restaurant, came to our rescue with sumptuous vegetarian fare. The meal ended with a generous bowl of custard and fruit.

After crossing three countries and spending hours on a bus, what more could a vegetarian traveller ask for? Perhaps another bowl of custard.

Meanwhile, talking of warm weather, remember climate change doesn't care about your bank balance. Heat is becoming an increasingly important urban issue across Europe.

Cities are having to think harder about trees, green spaces, shade, public squares, building design and ways of protecting people during hotter periods. That may be one of the simplest lessons of climate change.

You can build the tallest tower in the city. You can run the biggest bank. You can control billions of euros. But you still cannot send the temperature a legal notice.

From Frankfurt, we move towards Heidelberg, and suddenly the mood changes. Frankfurt is about money. Heidelberg is about knowledge.