Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Home, earlier than planned!
I arrived to Logan late last night after 24 hours of non-stop travel. Thanks to my sister Patty, there will be no complaining about the flight as she was able to seat me in the first class cabin! I admit, I succumbed to the cold and because of it, cabin fever. The town of Rothenburg ODT was very beautiful however, not too much was open because of the weather. Apparently Europe is experiencing an extreme, record setting cold and many places have either shut down or limited their hours. It became a challenge to think of things to do that weren't outdoors. So, I'm back to the grind. Happy Valentine's Day All
Friday, February 10, 2012
Plum Cake, Dungeons and Gallows
I'm walking about 3 miles a day at a fast pace to stay warm outside but more so because I've a new addiction: German baked goods. Specifically, plum creme cake. The food here is so much better than I though it would be. I can't even begin to describe the bread. Think: cold winter day, home made bread baking inside your house.. .you come in from building a snowman, it takes forever for you to get out of your snowclothes, your socks are wet, the wonder bread bags that lined your boots only hold up for so long..... and you have a piece of hot buttered bread and hot chocolate waiting at the table...... now multiply that deliciousness by 10!! (There is no weighing yourself here, I haven't seen a scale).
Steve is off tomorrow! Plans for tonight are authentic wiener schnitzel and gluwhein for me, pilsner and more pilsner for Steve. Hopefully, I will get a chance to catch up with Moose too. I haven't really seen him since June.
Tomorrow I'm taking Steve sightseeing and on a visit to the Mid-Evil Crime Museum where the torture chambers and dungeons are sure to impress. Tomorrow evening we will try to do the Night Watchmen Tour. It entails a walk along the tower ledge and the entire inner wall of this 13th century walled city led by a midevil tower guard, the tour starts at the Gallows Gate. Yes, gallows, as in hanging. BTW the Gallows Gate is right outside of my hotel. The local elementary school is within view. In fact, the kids walkway to school takes them directly along the path of the Gallows. I would think that the children here are better behaved and less mouthy than elsewhere.
Steve is off tomorrow! Plans for tonight are authentic wiener schnitzel and gluwhein for me, pilsner and more pilsner for Steve. Hopefully, I will get a chance to catch up with Moose too. I haven't really seen him since June.
Tomorrow I'm taking Steve sightseeing and on a visit to the Mid-Evil Crime Museum where the torture chambers and dungeons are sure to impress. Tomorrow evening we will try to do the Night Watchmen Tour. It entails a walk along the tower ledge and the entire inner wall of this 13th century walled city led by a midevil tower guard, the tour starts at the Gallows Gate. Yes, gallows, as in hanging. BTW the Gallows Gate is right outside of my hotel. The local elementary school is within view. In fact, the kids walkway to school takes them directly along the path of the Gallows. I would think that the children here are better behaved and less mouthy than elsewhere.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Random Observations
Top Ten
1) there are few if any handicapped accomodations
2) it seems that many people smoke
3) Germans drive like Matt Damon in the Bourne Identity
4) the local bakeries make "the Cake Boss" look like an amateur
5) the streets and side walks are pristine
6) people here are not wasteful of money or resources
7) beer with lunch is common
8) I don't like beer (german or american)
9) manners and being polite are the norm not the exception
10) people ride bikes on errands in sub zero weather rather than stay home and do without fresh bread (hearty souls)
1) there are few if any handicapped accomodations
2) it seems that many people smoke
3) Germans drive like Matt Damon in the Bourne Identity
4) the local bakeries make "the Cake Boss" look like an amateur
5) the streets and side walks are pristine
6) people here are not wasteful of money or resources
7) beer with lunch is common
8) I don't like beer (german or american)
9) manners and being polite are the norm not the exception
10) people ride bikes on errands in sub zero weather rather than stay home and do without fresh bread (hearty souls)
It is "siberia" cold here.
I have quickly become a creature of habit. I shop, eat and drink (hot tea). It is so very cold here, that bundling up in all my NH winter gear still does not keep me warm enough to spend much time outdoors. I walk for about 20 minutes then duck into a shop to warm up. Then out again. The daily temps have been consistently in the teens Farenhiet. The streets are cobble stoned, the buildings are almost a thousand years old, the people here are quiet and direct. Americans are not their favorite tourists. In general the locals are not rude, just quiet, non emotional people, you cannot tell from their face or body language what they think. They must be good at keeping secrets.
Steve is working long hours so am left to entertain myself. I went to the Christmas Marketplace shop, it was beautiful. I've seen some of the most intracately Bavarian Cuckoo clocks. I could just stand there and watch the cuckooing, some are like villages at a stand still, then the clock strikes the hour and the entire village moves, each person and animal doing their thing! Most people here speak English and in fact, I feel awkward that I only speak one language. If a person picks up that I don't speak German, they might re-start the conversation in French or Italian. I have found that the younger the person, the more freely and clearly they speak English.
I met a woman named Baerbel, Barbarba is the American version of her name. We had coffee at a bakery near the hotel. She overheard me ordering and spoke right up and said, "do you mind if I join you here, I like to practice my English?" Barbara is very interesting, lives here in Rothenburg and works in a shop. She seemed to know everyone who came and went in the bakery, people stopped by our table and spoke to her and she introduced me to them. Tonight I am having dinner at "the English social club". She belongs to a club that meets for dinner and drinks so that the members can practice conversational English. On Friday she is off from work and taking me out sight seeing by car. We are going to a type of spa that is popular here, but, I think not in the traditional sense of an American day spa. I get the feeling that it is less pampering and more of a common thing to do on one's day of and it translates into roughly $12. She has children the same age as mine & she likes to gab.... so, there you have it, instant friendship
Steve is working long hours so am left to entertain myself. I went to the Christmas Marketplace shop, it was beautiful. I've seen some of the most intracately Bavarian Cuckoo clocks. I could just stand there and watch the cuckooing, some are like villages at a stand still, then the clock strikes the hour and the entire village moves, each person and animal doing their thing! Most people here speak English and in fact, I feel awkward that I only speak one language. If a person picks up that I don't speak German, they might re-start the conversation in French or Italian. I have found that the younger the person, the more freely and clearly they speak English.
I met a woman named Baerbel, Barbarba is the American version of her name. We had coffee at a bakery near the hotel. She overheard me ordering and spoke right up and said, "do you mind if I join you here, I like to practice my English?" Barbara is very interesting, lives here in Rothenburg and works in a shop. She seemed to know everyone who came and went in the bakery, people stopped by our table and spoke to her and she introduced me to them. Tonight I am having dinner at "the English social club". She belongs to a club that meets for dinner and drinks so that the members can practice conversational English. On Friday she is off from work and taking me out sight seeing by car. We are going to a type of spa that is popular here, but, I think not in the traditional sense of an American day spa. I get the feeling that it is less pampering and more of a common thing to do on one's day of and it translates into roughly $12. She has children the same age as mine & she likes to gab.... so, there you have it, instant friendship
Monday, February 6, 2012
I arrived to Stuttgarton Sunday, Feb 4 at 9am and made my way to the flugenhafen which is the airport train station. It would be 33e or approx $40 for a 3 hour train ride to Rothenburg which would include train change at Ansbach and Steinach. Steve was unable to pick me up as he was working. I had 3 large bags and a purse. Not good. Imagine Park Street station at rush hour. One wrong move and my bags (all just under the 50 lb limit) were going to drag me down the flight of stairs. I imagined multiple broken bones, a german ED and I had only just arrived. I had only 4 minutes between connections in Steinach which entailed leaving the rail I arrived on, going underground, over and up to another rail section. The door closed to my train as I was emerging from underground. It would be an hours wait on an open platform before another train for me. I packed it in and called a cab.Let me rephrase that. There was a young man, probably Kevin or Pat's age who watched me struggle and offered to help me with my bags. He had been sitting and texting for a bit. I asked if he would call me a cab (I don't have the foggiest idea how to do this nor do I speak German). Luckily the young man spoke English and I had a cab ready in 10 minutes. I reassured myself that it was worth it, I had been traveling since I pulled out of my driveway at 9:30 am the day before, it was now noon. Enough was enough.
Day !
I left out of Boston in the morning after a 12 hour night shift in the ER. The ER wasn't too crazy and my co-worker Lisa knew I was on edge about my trip, she picked up my slack and helped me relax the best she could until we left at 7am. Thank you Lisa!
I pulled out of my driveway at 9:30 am for my flight out of Logan. Easy breezy through security. Logan employees are rude, just saying, don't bother to ask a question, you'll get the "what is wrong with you dumbass" look. My sister Patty had hopes that I would get to fly first class all the way to Stuttgart....hahah, she is just like me, a dreamer. Let me describe BOS-ATL, I was seated in the last row, next to the toilet. My carry on bag which had my books, magazine, computer etc was taken from my possession and "stowed in the front of the plane where there was adequate overhead space". Where, which row number? It didn't matter, I wasn't going to get it until we landed. I would have to meditate for the next 3 hours because of what was about to happen next. There were only 4 seats left on the plane, it was cramped, smelly and hot. We were all preparing to take off according to flight attendants (don't ever call them stewardess) instructions when the attendant closest to me said, ut o, I see trouble brewing. Down the aisle, yelling in spanglish was a very young woman with 3 children ranging from 2-7, the only girl was the oldest. Mom sits in front of me with the yougest and the 2 others were in another row. There is no peace or quiet. Yelling ensues, sippee cups and little debbie snack cakes get tossed between rows, crying starts next followed by a cough (Mom) that turns to a deep, hacking cough up a lung tuberculosis style. Wow, she sounded sick. Then she popped her pills and I thought better of it. At least with antibiotics, she would not be contagious. Silly me, those were her tranquilizers. Easy to tell as she kept missing her mouth with her little debbie snack cake, her eye half closed, every action in slow motion, finally it fell onto the floor where she dug her foot into it then kicked it back under my feet. nice. In the mean time, her kids were all pimped out, daugher with life size butterfly earrings on, high heeled silver strappy sandals and the brother looked like baby punks. Is there such a thing as a baby punk? The only words the little one's said was mama, mamacita, mama, mamacita over and over while mama's drug induced coma took effect. The flight attendants became nanny's to a very demanding group who were clearly used to not having a mother figure in charge of them. The daughter took the brothers to the bathroom and snuggled them when they held their ears while popping and during a few moments of extreme turbulence. I wonder how she knew to do that since there wasn't a sober role model for her? I being in the last row, was last off the plane. Mamacita slept on soundly as her daughter packed up the sibling and marched them off the plane. Mamacita would have stayed put but the daughter ran back saying that the plane to peurto rico was waiting, Mama, wake up, mama we will miss our plane. Poor kids. At least the gang wasn't traveling on to Stuttgart.
I pulled out of my driveway at 9:30 am for my flight out of Logan. Easy breezy through security. Logan employees are rude, just saying, don't bother to ask a question, you'll get the "what is wrong with you dumbass" look. My sister Patty had hopes that I would get to fly first class all the way to Stuttgart....hahah, she is just like me, a dreamer. Let me describe BOS-ATL, I was seated in the last row, next to the toilet. My carry on bag which had my books, magazine, computer etc was taken from my possession and "stowed in the front of the plane where there was adequate overhead space". Where, which row number? It didn't matter, I wasn't going to get it until we landed. I would have to meditate for the next 3 hours because of what was about to happen next. There were only 4 seats left on the plane, it was cramped, smelly and hot. We were all preparing to take off according to flight attendants (don't ever call them stewardess) instructions when the attendant closest to me said, ut o, I see trouble brewing. Down the aisle, yelling in spanglish was a very young woman with 3 children ranging from 2-7, the only girl was the oldest. Mom sits in front of me with the yougest and the 2 others were in another row. There is no peace or quiet. Yelling ensues, sippee cups and little debbie snack cakes get tossed between rows, crying starts next followed by a cough (Mom) that turns to a deep, hacking cough up a lung tuberculosis style. Wow, she sounded sick. Then she popped her pills and I thought better of it. At least with antibiotics, she would not be contagious. Silly me, those were her tranquilizers. Easy to tell as she kept missing her mouth with her little debbie snack cake, her eye half closed, every action in slow motion, finally it fell onto the floor where she dug her foot into it then kicked it back under my feet. nice. In the mean time, her kids were all pimped out, daugher with life size butterfly earrings on, high heeled silver strappy sandals and the brother looked like baby punks. Is there such a thing as a baby punk? The only words the little one's said was mama, mamacita, mama, mamacita over and over while mama's drug induced coma took effect. The flight attendants became nanny's to a very demanding group who were clearly used to not having a mother figure in charge of them. The daughter took the brothers to the bathroom and snuggled them when they held their ears while popping and during a few moments of extreme turbulence. I wonder how she knew to do that since there wasn't a sober role model for her? I being in the last row, was last off the plane. Mamacita slept on soundly as her daughter packed up the sibling and marched them off the plane. Mamacita would have stayed put but the daughter ran back saying that the plane to peurto rico was waiting, Mama, wake up, mama we will miss our plane. Poor kids. At least the gang wasn't traveling on to Stuttgart.
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