I haven’t really eaten a bad meal since arriving in Lüssow. Almost nothing is canned. Nothing is nuked. Much of what is served is organic and everything is fresh. You will never find fake American cheese or margarine at this table.
Dinner is not the main meal but is always wonderful. The board is set with fine and assorted cheeses. While they might be expensive in North America, here they are common and reasonably priced. The meat is usually cold cuts. But a name so drab does not describe the great flavors of Hungarian Salami, German Wurst, SCHINKEN, and sometimes smoked salmon. Fresh whole wheat bread is the canvas for each landscape of meat and cheese or portrait of butter and marmalade. Tomatoes from Spain, gherkins from Saxony add color and variety.
The afternoon often brings tea and cakes (herbal for me) or at least a fun new pastry.
As the main meal, lunch is always different. Whether chicken, pork, beef, served with vegetables and potatoes, it is hot and filling.
Breakfast can include creamy yoghurt that tastes like it should be an indulgence, or a frothy cream cheese and honey over a lightly toasted roll.
Meals are an event savored with few words save a hearty “Guten Appetit!”
They sale packaged eels at the supermarket... Eels!
...EELS!!?
...EEEEELS!!!?
Cheese is really big here:
Friday, February 22, 2008
FROM PRUSSIA WITH LOVE
Sybille has kept me very busy this week. And now I finally can get around to the blog.
Staying with Sybille and Wolfgang has been very pleasant and helpful German-wise.
Here are a few tidbits:
-Lunch is usually the main meal. Breakfast and dinner are usually bread, cold-cuts, and cheese.
-S&W, and the Germans in general, are very environmentally conscious and conservative. Whenever S&W are not using a room, the light is turned off. Everything is recycled. Organic and fresh foods are very popular. There are wind generators all over the country generating clean energy and killing birds.
-In some places on the Autobahn there IS a speed limit.
-Wolfgang’s record on the Autobahn with a motorbike is 280 kph (180 mph).
-Some things are important; some things are not: S&W drive a Mercedes and a BMW, but they don’t have a clothes dryer or a microwave. They love to travel: Iceland, Sicily, Scotland, California, but they are always on the look out for the cheapest gas (and at nearly $7 a gallon, you can’t blame them.)
-S&W eat their meals with a lit candle and the radio on. (With the regular light on as well, of course.)
-They have a nice HD TV and stereo system, but the radio in the kitchen is no newer than 1989. (If it aint broke…)
They are very generous, have a great sense of humor, and are very family oriented. There is much to admire here.
On Monday Sybille and I drove to Rostock, the nearest big town, located on the Baltic Sea. I tagged along as Sybille visited some of her clients and we saw a few sites. Each evening after dinner is TV time. Wolfgang flips between news and sports channels and sometimes we watch a home movie from one of their motorbike trips.
Every morning since Tuesday I walk to the local elementary school where there is an upright piano. I can play from 9:30AM to 11:30AM while the room is vacant. The first day I did this the teachers brought all the kids in for a short recital. I was a bit rusty, not having played too much in the last couple of weeks, but it was fun.
One of my “duties,” while staying here, is whenever Sybille and I go somewhere I am the chauffer. On Wednesday we drove to the town of Putlitz, about an hour and half south of here. Putlitz is where my Great-Great Grandmother was born [UPDATE: no she wasn't. She was born in Berlin, but her father was born in Putlitz], and is in the area where many generation of my ancestors lived. Sybille is from Putlitz, and one of her brothers still lives here and works with textiles and upholstery.
I visited Putlitz in 2000 with my brother, mother, and grandmother, but it was still great to go back. It is a very small town but its signature landmark is a high tower that once was a part of the medieval wall surrounding the old town. This tower still stands next to the lazy-flowing river and is surrounded by ruins of the old wall and a nice grassy green.
Downtown Putlitz:
The Tower: L-R: Sigrid, Arnulf, Sybille, Nate Dawg
On Thursday Sybille had planned for me to go with her son Gunnar and his family to the town of Wismar for some swimming. I didn’t expect I would be swimming here and so my swimsuit is packed in my other suitcase in Munich. Sybille said it would be no problem, I could wear one of Wolfgang’s suits. I had four to choose from. Three were speedos that were all too big for me (one with roses!) and the other was an old-fashioned, one-piece bathing suit that Wolfgang got in Iceland. It fit, but I wasn’t about to wear that thing in public. I tried to get a picture with me in the suit, but no matter what it looked fruity. So here is the suit….
So I packed the best-fitting speedo and the jumpsuit and away we went to Wismar. Gunnar and his wife live in a nearby town with their two-year old son Elias. Elias and I are technically of the same generation of Schumachers. We are sixth-cousins! [UPDATE: we are fifth-cousins! We have the same Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents]
Wismar is about an hour drive to the north and west. The pool place was huge. There were several pools, a big kiddie area, a hot tub, and several decent waterslides. Luckily, when we arrived they sold swimsuits. So I bought a swimsuit more like I was used to at home. (The last thing I would have wanted was to go down a waterslide with a loose speedo.)
We swam and played for a few hours. Here is a video clip with some more information about the city of Wismar. If the audio is hard to hear, use your imagination…
After we went schwimmen, we went to the main part of the city. The buildings were mostly quite old with the signature Hanseatic architecture found in many of the coastal cities of this region.
It was great to walk around and get some good pictures.
On the way home, Elias was supposed to nap but he kept wanting to play “Boo!” where I would hide behind the carseat and then pop out and say “boo.” This went on throughout the drive home. When I would stop he would make a sad face and say, “boo, bitte… boo, bitte”
I had a nice dinner with Gunnar’s family and they were eager to help me with many of my German questions as I went through one of Elias’s books on choo-choo trains.
Today I went with Sybille again to Rostock to run some errands. While there, we found the LDS Church. The plan is for me to take the train to Rostock on Sunday so that I can attend.
This week I spoke with another English school in Munich. The phone-interview went well and she seemed optimistic to take me on once I can interview in person. The good news is that they offer a free-lance contract at this school. Inlingua, the other school I interviewed with, also offers a free-lance contract. If I can get a free-lance work visa then I will actually be required to have a contract from two different schools, so it would work out schwimmingly if I could work for both schools. They are both not taking on new teachers for a couple more weeks still, so I will hole up here for a little bit longer.
S&W have a daughter I didn’t know about! (Because I never met her the first time I was here.) She lives with her husband and daughter in a town near Cologne on the Rhine River in the western part of Germany. I spoke with her on the phone (she speaks great English) and she invited me to stay with them for a few days as well. I have three more trips on my Deutschebahn Rail Pass, so hopefully I can go there before heading back to Munich.
As soon as I get somewhere with a good WLAN connection I will upload more pictures from Putlitz and Wismar and wherever else, to Picasa.
That’s the long and the short of it. Don’t be afraid to leave a “chip in” or two in the comments section. It’s fun that way.
-Nate
ps. Here is the "Danke Schön" video I made for Arnulf and his family for taking me to Wismar:
Sunday, February 17, 2008
26 Over Par in Teletubby Land
On Saturday morning at 11, I checked out of my hotel and met up with my distant relatives, Sybille & Wolfgang Edelberg. If I understand the genealogy correctly, Sybille is my 4th cousin twice-removed... or maybe thrice-removed. Anyway, it's distant.
In the 1970's my mom was doing genealogy work and got in touch with Rudolph Schumacher, her great-grandmother's second cousin. (Correct me, Mom or Mike, if I get this wrong). We were able to come to Germany in 2000 and meet "Onkel Rudi" and his niece is Sybille. She was our guide during that first trip to Germany, and our families have been friends ever since.
Sybille & Wolfgang have two children, both grown and living nearby [UPDATE: they have another girI didn't know about who lives near Cologne], and they have many hobbies including motorbiking and golf. In Hamburgon Saturday was a large Golf Convention. So that's where we went. I didn't realize it was such a big sport here, but there are golf courses all over Germany. At one point during the convention, we all gathered in a huge auditorium. There were strips of astroturf in long stretches with 6-Irons and wiffle-golf balls spaced evenly apart. We all went to one of the "stations" and from a large podium in the center, some guy gave a basic golf lesson to everyone, with hundreds of clubs swinging on the count of "drei." The folks from Guiness were there (the record book, not the ale) and we broke the world record for "Most Participants in a Golf Lesson." That's right... I was there! We even got to keep our 6-irons which say on the handle "World Record for Most Participants in a Golf Lesson."
After the convention we were headed out to the country-side. We made a stop on the way to Lüssow at an enormous edifice in the middle of nowhere. Inside this building was a huge indoor ski slope complete with ski lift and a half-pipe for snowboarders. We had some cake and refreshment while watching the skiers and then continued on to Lüssow.
Lüssow is a very small town with only a few hundred residents. Wolfgang & Sybille's home is right across from the old church, and there is a nice guest room in the basement which is where I am staying.
S&W have a great sense of humor and are fairly easy-going. Sybille speaks some English and Wolfgang speaks less, but they have been good to speak to me in German, and patiently help me learn and speak myself.
Today they wanted to take me golfing. So we went to their golf club in a nearby town and played 9 Holes on the course. I haven't played nought but putt-putt golf in nigh on 14 years. So I might as well have never held a club in my life. We did some driving and then went on to the course. I had a few decent swings but overall I played a pretty pitiful game. It was fun though, and I learned some more German words like "Golfball" = "golf ball," "Putter" = "putter," "Divot" = "divot," "Bogey" = "bogey" and so on.
This part of Germany is quite beautiful, even in winter. It is somewhat rural with rolling green hills and large patches of forests. Driving past all of these smooth curving hills covered, even in winter, with green grass, made me feel like I was in Teletubby land... except without the baby in the sun.
I have internet access at S&W's house but it is a little bit slow and I cannot connect to my laptop. Thus blog updates, particularly with pictures might be less frequent in the coming days. Never fear, I am still here and making headway on my German.
I still don't know exactly when I will return to Munich. I have a telephone interview with another school on Tuesday, so I could leave as early as next week or, at the very latest, the middle of March.
Here is a map of Germany with Lüssow added in special by me.
Friday, February 15, 2008
BUSY Day in the BIG City
How does it feel to sleep deeply, waking up to the sunlight creeping past the curtains, and then not remembering where you are? I know you've had the feeling. That's how I awoke this morning. Then slowly it dawned on me where I am and that I have the entire day to explore the city.
I had a pleasant breakfast buffet here at the Bee Fang Hotel (it's Chinese, but I keep picturing a saber-toothed hornet), then I headed out into the town.
The weather was cold but sunny and clear......
I first headed towards the Elbe Riverfront hoping to get a few good pictures. Hamburg was bombed quite severely in 1943, but some structures survived, others were re-built as they looked before, and most were demolished so there are now a great many modern buildings in the city.
One of the most interesting places is the Elbe Island where there are canals cutting narrow paths through the towering warehouses on either side.
One fun thing to do is to go church hunting. I see an old spire poking above the skyline and I head towards it, catching interesting sites along the way.
One of the first churches I visited was St. Michaelis Church. I ponied up a couple of euros and climbed to the top of the spire for a look. On my way up, the Noon bells began to peal. I was able to catch a glimpse of the din-making. I even got some footage....
From atop the tower, I had a great view of the city....
I was quite tired after all my walking and the long ascent so I took a pew in the church and rested a spell. There was a young school class taking a field trip through the church. I was sitting towards the back as they were led by one of the church people to the front and around the altar. Someone played a short piece on the organ. That was nice. Then the church man led the kids in singing a song as he played the guitar. OK, this is the 21st century, guitars are common in churches these days. He talks to them for a while, telling them a story or something. I'm not paying attention. Next thing I know I look over to see the church guy giving horsey-rides to some of the kids! He's galloping around with a kid on his back! I wondered if this was part of the combo ticket: pay a little bit more and you can climb the spire, visit the crypt, and get a horsey-ride around the altar.
The next church to visit you can see in the photo above as the big dark one in the center: St. Nikolai. This church was bombed to ruin in WWII, but the spire remained. Instead of rebuilding the rest of the church, a memorial was installed within the crumbled walls. An elevator takes visitors to the top.
Here's the spire....
And here's my enthusiastic elevator ride to the top (I've gotta get my two euros worth)...
I was tired so I went to a mall and ate a late lunch then headed back to the hotel. I rested for a bit and then went out again to the waterfront to get some sunset pictures of the city...
I like Hamburg well enough, but I've decided that I want to stay in Munich if I can. It's funny how every city seems to have a "vibe" or a "feeling." I guess ABBA knew what they were talking about.
Tomorrow I will meet Sybille & Wolfgang in front of my hotel. Then I head off to the town of Lüssow, 100 miles east of here.
When I went to check out of my hotel this morning, Caroline, the owner invited me in for a free breakfast (usually €8). I never ate there while I was staying there because I could always eat much cheaper on the street. She even gave me some plastic wrap to take some of the food with me on the train. It was very nice of her.
With my two backpacks I walked the two blocks to the train station and boarded my train. It was a nice 5-hour ride from Munich to Hamburg. The day was foggy and there was a frost on all the trees. It made for a beautiful winter ride up the spine of Germany.
I was able to read, listen to music, play sudoku, study German, and think. I arrived in Hamburg and walked the block and a half to my hotel. I dropped off my stuff in my room and headed out into the town as it was getting dark.
I wanted to explore a little bit near my hotel just to get a feel for the city.
Hamburg is Germany's second largest city, its wealthiest, and its largest port, being situated on the wide Elbe River. It is not much of a tourist draw for Americans but there are many attractions here including many Broadway and Broadway-like shows. I've seen posters for The Lion King and some German musicals as well.
I walked to one of the main plazas near the riverfront where the City Hall is located. I took several night pictures and explored a little bit more. It was cold and I was getting hungry, however, so I was soon heading back towards my hotel.
Being in Hamburg, I had to laugh when I saw this site:
I knew it wouldn't be hard to find a Hamburger here. The funny thing is, if you read about the history of the Hamburger, you'll find that it has almost nothing to do with this city. It was most likely invented in the 1880's in New York City.
NEW! YORK! CITY!!!!!????
This lack or relation notwithstanding, when I found a decent restaurant tonight I couldn't resist ordering the hamburger.
... OK actually it was a Cheeseburger, but seeing as I have no plans to visit Cheeseburg, I thought it would be close enough. It was a little different from what we're used to in the States. But, boys and girls, let me tell you something. That sammich was GOOD! The best beef pattie I'd ever eaten.
So that's the story so far. Tomorrow I have the day to really get out and explore. Then on Saturday my relatives will be in town to attend a golf fair. I will ride back with them to Lüssow and stay for a little bit.
In other news... I received an email from another English school I had applied at. They wanted to know if I could come in for an interview tomorrow. Doh! Just a little bit too late... but not completely. I emailed back explaining how I would be back in Munich within a month or so and I am still interested in the job.
Sometimes you can stew about a decision only to find out that your path can really only go one way.
I emailed the school in Nuremberg and received no response. I even tried telephoning them and it seems they don't have any full-time positions at the moment. That's not what they're website said, but whatever.
So I made a new decision. I'm leaving tomorrow to travel the length of Germany to the city of Hamburg in the north. I will stay there for a few days and get a feel for the city. Then, I hope to travel 100 miles east to the small town of my distance relatives Sybille & Wolfgang and spend some time with them. They have been friends of our family for many years and are wondeful people.
If really feel good about Hamburg then I can see what opportunities are available there. It will be a tough sell after Munich. I've come to really like this city in the week I've been here. I have gotten especially excited about the possibility of taking day-trips to the Alps, Salzburg, and some of the medieval towns in the area.
I went to the train station today and purchased a rail pass that allows me to travel anywhere in Germany for four individual days over one month. I also transfered a bunch of my stuff that I don't need right away into my suitcase and wheeled it over to the LDS meetinghouse. Elder & Sister Williams had told me they would watch after it until I returned. So with my rail pass I have the flexibility to be gone from Munich until March 13. If I decide to return to work in Munich, it will work out nicely to use the days after the 13th to look for a place to live and hopefully start work within a week or two. If I decide to stay in Hamburg I will still have enough travel days on my pass to go to Munich and retrieve my bag.
*phew*
The Munich Opera House
Musical Munich
Munich has a rich history of music. Mozart performed here often in his earlier days at the court of the Elector of Bavaria. Richard Wagner was good buddies with Ludwig II of Bavaria (the same who built Neuschwanstein Castle). He premiered several of his operas including Tristan und Isolde and Die Meistersinger at the Munich Opera House. Richard Strauss, another great composer, was born here and had a long history with the Munich Opera House. He was devasted when it was destroyed after World War II. The great symphonist Gustav Mahler gained much of his initial notoriety with the Munich performance of his Second Symphony. It was here that Mahler conducted the premiere of his Eighth Symphony, nicknamed "The Symphony of a Thousand" because of its daring use of an extended orchestra, two choirs, and several soloists. The performance was an enormous success marking one of the great triumphs of his career. Carl Orff the renowned music educator and composer of the secular cantata "Carmina Burana" was also born in Munich. "Carmina Burana" actually means, "Songs of Bavaria" and is actually a collection of medieval songs and poems from this region.
This musical tradition continues today as the opera house has been rebuilt from the ruins of war and there are posters advertising concerts and recitals with everything from the pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, to Neil Diamond and Smashing Pumpkins. (That's four different acts by the way, though I'd like to see Neil Diamond team up with the S.P.)
Today I decided to go to one of the major bookstores to see if they had an English Lonely Planet book on Hamburg. Sure enough, they did and I spent some time getting some info and perusing the other travel books. While I was looking through these books I all of a sudden heard a smattering of applause. I looked behind me and saw a small crowd of people gathered around a makeshift podium at the center of the store. There were three people standing on it. One was talking on a microphone and it was obvious she was introducing someone. Then I caught the name, "Anne Sophie Mütter." I realized I had seen a poster on the entrance of the store with her name and picture as she has just written a book of her memoirs of Herbert von Karajan. Who are these people, you ask? Anne Sophie Mütter is one of the great German violinists of our time. She is renowned throughout the classical world. Herbert von Karajan is one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century who died in 1989. So I stood and listened for a bit as she talked about her book and I didn't understand a word of it. So I took a picture and left feeling quite lucky for my serendipity.
This is why Europe is so cool.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Decisions.... Decisions....
Good news and bad news:
Good: I had a great interview today with the Inlingua language institute. The staff director said he would be very interested in hiring me. The pay is good, the hours surprisingly flexible...
Bad: They're not taking any new teachers until the end of March. And Munich has the highest rent in Germany. For a single room with shared bathroom and kitchen: €400-900/month ($600-1350).
So I have a big decision to make. Here are my options:
1. I could wait and take the job here in Munich in March. I could travel a bit in the meantime. However: $$$$... or rather... €€€€ Plus, I'd still have to deal with the high rent.
2. I could go to Hamburg in the North. It is the second largest city in Germany. There are a lot of cultural offerings, even musical offerings. But it is a big city with big city issues. While it's not as expensive as Munich, it is still an expensive city. I don't know what the job opportunities are like.
3. I could go two hours north to the town of Nuremburg. It is a smaller city (about 500,000 people), it has a fascinating history, and is near to Munich, Prague, and the Bavarian countryside. There is a job opening immediately with Inlingua there, and the cost of living would be less.
4. I could go to Afghanistan as a Bounty Hunter and take care of Osama once and for all!
This is the decision I face. I will decide within the next few hours... tomorrow is my last night in this hotel!
In other news: this evening I went to the church to practice the piano for a bit. Then at seven the missionary couple held Family Home Evening. It was the two of them, one single adult, and me. Sister Williams made chocolate chip cookies and there were plenty to go around. It was nice.
Wish me luck....
Sunday, February 10, 2008
...It's Official!
(LDS meetinghouse, Rückertstraße, Munich)
Wait... So Why Is Nate In Germany Again??
Well...
I just graduated from college. I thought it would be fun and a good idea to come to Europe, find a nice city to settle into, make my way by teaching English, and learning a new language.
Germany is a country rich in history, culture, and ancestral ties. It is in the center of Europe, surrounded by a whopping nine other countries with many others a short train ride away. After some research, I've found that it is the most open and accessible in Western Europe for getting a work visa.
I arrived with no guarantees of job or housing, but if you never try.... you never know. So I've spent the last few days applying to different English schools, getting a feel for the city, and getting a beginner's grip on the language.
Picture that scene in The Sound of Music where Fräulein Maria is running around Salzburg singing "I Have Confidence"... Now picture me in the same situation but 100 miles west and without the hat.
I have an interview with a language school on Monday. If it does not work out, I will move northward to a different city.
I came to Munich for its great location and its many cultural offerings, however because of its popularity, English schools can afford to be a bit pickier with who they hire, and the cost of living (for Expats and Germans alike) is a bit higher than the rest of Germany (even Berlin!). It is, however, one of the safer cities in Germany with a very low crime rate.
No worries... I remain flexible and optimistic and we will simply have to wait and see what happens.
I've been able to get a smaller but cheaper room at the hotel where I've been staying (the free wireless internet is a nice bonus!) With the many bakeries and ethnic eateries nearby, I've found that I can eat for much less than I anticipated (I've had Afghan, Vietnamese, Turkish, and a lot of really good pretzels.) I've walked everywhere I've needed to go, so I have saved plenty of money on having no transportation costs.
This past week in the main city center there have been an enormous amount of Polizei (police) everywhere. I couldn't figure out why until I saw on CNN that the U.S. Secretary of Defense is in town and spoke today about the war in Afghanistan.
Today was Sunday and that meant Church. I found the local LDS building a few days ago. It's less than 10 minutes walk from my hotel. On Thursday I went there and met some missionaries including a nice missionary couple (From West Virginia, Isaac! They said Clarksburg was in their Stake). There is a living room-like set up in the basement where the youth and young adults have seminary/institute and where there are activities throughout the week. I returned the next evening to play the piano for a bit, and that was very nice.
For church on Sunday I had my choice of going to one of the German wards in the nearby buildling, or to take a subway and a bus to the English ward. I decided to go to the German ward.
The meeting was at 10 and I understood very very little. I puppy-dogged the missionaries to tell me where to go and to help with any translation needs. I prefer not to have everything in the meetings translated because I actually enjoy trying to figure out what people are talking about. In Sunday School and Priesthood meetings I was able to follow the most basic gist of what was being said.
There is a member here from Hungary, and, surprisingly, a small group of people from South America. There was even a sign on the bulletin board for "Noche de Hogar" (Family Night) in Español.
I met several nice members who spoke English quite well. One of them was a small family for whom it was the first day in the ward as well. They were about my age and just moved from France. The father is Canadian/French and the mother is American and they had a small toddler. They all spoke French, English, and German perfectly except for the daughter who just spoke in baby gibberish with a few words of French and English thrown in. They were nice to invite me over for lunch and gave me a few tips and helps on looking for a place to live.
So that's the scoop. I'm trying to post some more pictures on Picasa but the upload is going slow. What you see is what you get.
What will this day be like? I wonder.... What will the future be? I wonder....
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Welcome Back! (updated!)
A year ago today I was enjoying the Andean sunshine in Quito, Ecuador with a few more days of South American exploring to go. I returned home to enjoy a spring, summer, fall, and winter and finished my bachelors degree. Now I am enjoying a blue Bavarian sky in Munich, Germany.
How did I get here? What am I doing? -The answers will come as you attend this blog.
Now, where to begin???
TUESDAY (Feb. 6th): I woke up early to finish some last-minute boxing at Mom & Dad's house. I took apart my Roland Keyboard for easy shipping at a later time, and then I was off...
I had packed a large suitcase, a big backpack, and a small backpack for carry-on. I was afraid my two big bags would be over weight because the only way I could measure their weight at home was to stand on an old scale and figure the difference from my own weight. The limit for United is 50 lbs. and I've heard many stories of people getting nailed for being even a pound over. When we arrived at the airport, I said goodbye to Mom as she attended the car and Dad came with me into the airport in case I had to ditch an item or two. We weighed the bags on the scales at the curbside check-in and one was 50 lbs. exactly while the other was about 52 lbs. We went in anyway and after waiting in a short line we got to the ticket counter. I started going through the check-in procedures when the United lady asked us if we were the "Winder Dairy" Winders. Sure enough, we were. Her uncle worked at the Dairy some years back, or something. While talking to us, she didn't even bother to weigh my bags and sent me on my way. So far so good.
Security was a breeze and before long I was on a smaller jet headed for Denver. The flight was uneventful and an hour later I was in Denver waiting for my flight to Munich.
An hour's wait later I was on the airplane sitting on the aisle next to a nice guy, about my age, from Poland who had been visiting relatives in Colorado.
Flying Lufthansa made me think of Pres. Uchtdorf. Any airline that periodically offers hot towletts is a class act in my book. The flight was nine hours with two meals (dinner and breakfast). After dinner I tried sleeping through "Michael Clayton" but was only able to sleep for about an hour. I watched the next movie, "December Boys" starring Harry Potter, and tried to sleep after that without much success. Not long after breakfast the sun started to come up and before long the wheels were on the ground and I was back in Europe after six years of being away.
Things couldn't have gone smoother at the Munich airport. No lines, my bags were the first off the belt, no customs hassles, and the worst I got was a grumpy passport guard who I guess didn't eat his Gutentags this morning.
I was out of the airport in a breeze and boarded the S-Bahn train to the city center. I found my stop and with one backpack in back another in front, and a suitcase in tow, I walked the three blocks to my hotel.
I'm booked at the Hotel Monaco. The staff is nice and the rooms are clean.
So that's it for now. I am jet-lagged as all-get-out (it's 11AM here but 3AM to my body), but I'm excited to be here. The order for the day today is to go exploring and just stay awake. Stay tuned for more updates soon!
UPDATE!!
I've been having some problems with the pictures. Click here for my photo album at Picasa, to see the latest photos!
It's now nearly 9pm now and I've had a very full day. After getting settled in my hotel room, I went out into the city to just explore. I took a lot of pictures and got to know the city a little bit better.
For lunch, I decided I'd better make my first meal in Germany a good one, so I found a typical German restaurant and ordered the roast pork with a potato-noodle ball. It was excellent!
After lunch it started to rain so I went back to the hotel to check my email and upload my new pictures to my computer. Soon, the sun was shining again so I went back out into town.
Now some might ask, "but isn't it lonely and a little bit scary being by yourself in a big city?" To which I reply: "there is a feeling of liberation and peace that comes when you realize that nobody in this city knows your name." I can't explain it, except that every once in a while, like right now, it does a body good to just be on your own. The anonymity is even more complete here in Europe, because I can blend in. When I was in South America, I was a foreigner whenever I went out onto the street, and everybody knew it. Not here (at least until I open my mouth to speak.)
I explored some more, took more pictures, got plenty of exercise, and got back to my hotel as it was getting dark.
I'm really tired now....
First impressions: Other than the casinos, the strip joints, the smoking, and all the beer, Munich seems like a very wholesome place. I like it.
...EEEEELS!!!?
