Daytrippin' - Medieval Quedlinburg

Over the weekend we had a lovely day trip out of Berlin, because as wonderful as Berlin is, escaping the city occasionally just needs to be done. 

Two hours (+/-) south west of the Hauptstadt we found ourselves in Quedlinburg. This charming medieval town lies just north of the Harz mountains, boasting UNESCO protection, for among other things, over 1,300 half-timbered houses. Escaping the worst of the last century's war damage has meant that it is one of the best preserved medieval and renaissance towns to be found in Europe.

We took a tour with "Bruder Michael" who we found quite by chance as we walked past the tourist info point. 1.75 hours and 7 EUR p.p. later we had walked the cobblestone streets of the Altstadt and had learned much more about the city.

Unlike so many other cute German towns, this Altstadt has not been overrun by souvenir shops and chain stores. Whereas Heidelberg's pedestrian area feels like a mall with a DM followed by a H&M, then a souvenir shop, Vodafone, pharmacy, followed by WMF, cute little "gotta have it shop", restaurant, then a Christ, Sparkasse, souvenir shop, DM, pharmacy... repeat. Quedlinburg is less commercial, less touristy, and just less. It is quiet, and serene, and a person can indeed feel the history in the surroundings since it is not so obstructed by commerce.

One of the things I found most intriguing was the fact that women had ruled the town for 800 years. King Heinrich I's widow founded a convent for aristocratic women in 936, and in 966 their granddaughter became the Abbess which effectively gave her control of the city. Each successive Abbess was the center of the town government.

Another interesting factoid, the first German woman who fought for and eventually won the right to attend a university was born in Quedlinburg. In 1754 she received the academic title of Medical Doctor from the University of Halle.

What should you see? The elongated Markt area and Breite Strasse. Like every other small German town, the center of existence is the town square. This one is surrounded by incredible examples of medieval and Renaissance buildings, and buzzes with the residual energy of over 9 centuries of townsfolk. Breite Strasse is half-timber house heaven... for those who are into such things.

Sorry, I can't tell you much about the Romanesque castle and the cathedral except that they are quite beautiful from the outside. It seems that an American soldier absconded with the town's treasure in the confusion after WWII. He took it back home and only brought it out occasionally to show friends. After his death the whole mess came to light, with an eventual return of the goods to their rightful owners against the family's wishes. Bad SoldierBoy, and just a bit stupid as well.

We had coffee/breakfast at a chain bakery on the Marktplatz. It was pretty much like every other store of that company although it seemed that having some sort of metal attached to the face was a pre-requisite for employment, as all employees had piercings in various facial tissue. 

Lunch was enjoyed at the Hotel and Brauhaus Lüdde which had plenty of comfy seating inside amongst the brewing equipment, but also a lovely tucked-away Hof offering their special brews under the trees. I had a baked Käse Spätzle (pretty much cheesy noodles) which were prepared nicely with the only downside being that it didn't have enough onion for my taste. The Schwarzbier however, was EXCELLENT and hit the 4.8 spot. My head was swimming before the noodles hit the table. 

Before leaving for the day we had a desire for more coffee (the juice that lubricates my brain) and perhaps a nice ice cream desert. We ended up at a cute little out of the way place with a name that currently escapes me. Its outdoor seating had finches in a cage nestled amongst the dining tables. (this finch fascination has something to do with Heinrich the Duke of Saxony being at Quedlinburg castle capturing finches when the Royal Delegation arrived to inform him that he had been elected King of Germany... in 916 AD).

It is a town that was saved in the nick of time thanks to the Wall coming down. The communist government had for the most part ignored it, which was a blessing considering how many historical buildings throughout Germany were summarily torn down because there was no money to restore them. UNESCO involvement in 1994 offering funding and protection has helped to control the refurbishment effort and will keep it looking much the same for decades to come. Now let's hope that this charming little piece of time warp manages to escape the grasp of wanton commercialism the same way it did Communism.

All in all a great day trip from Berlin, although I can certainly see the benefit of an overnight stay as well. 

I suggest that all three of this blog's readers make their way to this uncommonly cute town as soon as possible to enjoy its treasures... and I don't say that kind of thing lightly, trust me. Well, except for Greding... and I can't forget Schwerin. But don't spread the word around too much.

Random Tuesday - No name version

Whoo hooo... It's been a LOOONNNNNGGG time since I've been on the Random Tuesday Bandwagon. I've missed the ladies, and thought I would take a circle with them today and catch up on what kind of craziness Keely is up to... so, let's go!

No and I bought a new blender/mixer thing after the Tchibo POS finally gave out. It has this weird glowy/blue/hologram thingy that kinda freaks me out when I walk into the kitchen. Nothing says "I'm home" like a making frozen margaritas (come on, you didn't think we were going to make healthy smoothies or something) in a machine which looks as though it came directly off the set of Star Trek.

Last Friday the image you see to the left opened in a little Berlin gallery named Cozmic Photos.

It's not my best work, but since it was an assignment (Reflections) and I HATE assignments, I don't think it's too bad. Click through to get more of the story.

Summer has made it to Berlin. The last few days were crazy hot. All of this in a place with very few air-conditioned buildings. Unfortunately this has brought back sooo many of my gripes with some of the Germans (thankfully a minority) and how they handle heat.

First off... um, there is this thing called soap... when used with water over your body it can help get rid of the severe STANK the rest of us around are getting from SOME Berliners. I've been taking upwards of three showers a day, I would hope that the dude I ran into last night on the underground was on his way home to one... WHEW!

My Dear Krauts. Air will not hurt you. I don't mean super-chilled, flying out of the air conditioner air... I'm talking about opening a freaking window and allowing the BREEZE into the room/car/train/whatever. If it is hot enough to cause perspiration while simply sitting, hey... it is hot enough to OPEN a window. No, it doesn't hurt your kidneys (where did that come from?) No, your back will not seize up. No, the dry mouth and sore throat you have didn't come from the FAN, it came from mild dehydration because you're sitting in a room that is 35 DEGREES!! (Celsius - 95F)

Football Fever has the Jerrys at a fevered pitch. The German National Team have been solidly beating all comers (except for Serbia - funny, that) the whole way through the World Cup. Next up is Spain on Wednesday which I'm sure will be a real knuckle-biter. We hope to watch it from the Berliner FanMeile with 350,000 of our good friends. (well, at least we'll be in the area... we'll get into the VIP area to enjoy the game a bit more safely.)

Bad news. My beloved Beelitz-Heilstätten is being closed by its owner. It is my favorite place in the world to take pictures. Some of you clicked through to those links and wonder why a place that looks like it is already falling down - is closing down. Well, the owner says that he will no longer abide the trespassers (like me) who love the place soooo very much. It seems that not all of us come with the idea of "Take only pictures, leave only footprints, kill only time". The vandalism is getting out of hand, and I don't blame the guy for trying to secure his property. But dammit, I want to be able to go play.

Speaking of playing. This time next week No and I will be playing in Paris, helping the French celebrate La Fête Nationale. Yes, I expect to see plenty of French flags and fireworks, eat lots of food smothered in butter, and finally taste a REAL French Baguette. Oh, and take THOUSANDS of pictures. OOOHHH! Check out this little gizmo showing Paris!!! One of my Frenchie buddies gave me the link while giving me clues of where we simply MUST GO while in La Ville-Lumière.

Thanks for playing Random Tuesday Thoughts, head on over to Keely at the UnMom for more randomness.

Now for a cool video.
World-renowned animated graffiti artist BLU returns following a ten-month hiatus with a stunning new production called “BIG BANG BIG BOOM: an unscientific point of view on the beginning and evolution of life … and how it could probably end.”


BIG BAG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Dear Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Dear Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,

My recent overnight stay in your older but generally uninteresting Terminal 2 due to a canceled red eye flight was not really the highlight of my trip, but it did certainly put an unusual cap on what had turned out to be a rather unpredictable excursion overseas.

Being part of a group of people who have just had their lives changed by those silly words, "Flight Canceled" is not always a nice experience, but at Sky Harbor, at least it wasn't sooo horrific. It must be said that at least the place is kept clean. Since I was not allowed to stay in the gate area, I was witness to the cleaning crews as they waged war on dust particles all along the "lobby". As I loitered in what must be the world's most uncomfortable seats I was treated to one woman "training" two others how to clean. Not really a lot of fun, but was very entertaining since none of the three had a common language.

I've been using Sky Harbor Airport since the mid 80's when jetways were a luxury and disembarking customers were shuttled down steps onto the slightly mushy tarmac which had been subjected to the heat of both jet engines as well as the wilting temps of the Phoenix desert weather.

Perhaps I should let it be known that I think the name Sky Harbor is fantastic. It is a harbor for things which fly through the sky. How simple, how eloquent, how lovely.

Also, the airport's fantastic location in relation to where my Mother lives has made visiting her oh so very simple. My Mother and brother live 10 and 15 minutes away respectively, how great is that? I can pretty much call my brother right after touch down and know that he will be waiting for me outside after I pick up my luggage.

IF they didn't live so close, there are great options such as the "Cell Phone Waiting Lot" system which is pure genius! How smart is that? Call your source of transportation as you see your bag pop out of the baggage claim, and BOOM, they drive directly out of the special lot to your pick up point!

May I just discuss another point of genius? Free Wi-Fi everywhere in the airport! How freaking fantastic is this? Flight canceled? Crank up that computer and see what else is available. Bored while waiting for your flight? Play some online video games, catch up on a little work, or simply research your next vacation.

Need to get a message to a passenger coming into Sky Harbor? You can either do this through the Internet, onsite at a special terminal, or by phone. At the baggage claim and at other areas throughout the terminal there are huge signs with PAL (Paging Assistance Location) displaying personal messages such as; "Bill and Judy, we'll be on the north side exit waiting for you at door number 5". Wow!

Years ago I had a proposal of marriage in one of PHX's terminals but perhaps the PAL system would have been better for this. The girl I was dating had been thinking for some time about popping the question to me. We were going to be in the same terminal of PHX within about 12 hours of each other. She called me and told me to visit the ladies restroom closest to blah blah (I say blah blah because I have long since forgotten the details) gate. Then I was to go into a particular stall and get my message. As I had suspected she was asking me again in a new and different way if I would marry her. No, I didn't take her up on it and later when we met again in Wichita I turned her down again. Moral of the story, never accept a proposal of marriage made in a toilet or from someone who would think that location was cool/romantic.

Then there was the Box Knife Incident. It was fall of 2002 and I was to catch a flight in Terminal 4. I went through security to my gate only to find it was still deserted because I was there so very early. Already seated there and looking bored was a woman who checked me out surreptitiously when I came to sit down. As I neared my chosen area I saw a box knife simply lying discarded on one of the seats. This was much like the weapons supposedly used by the terrorists on 9/11.

I approached it while visions danced through my head of the security detail I had just gone through to get to this supposedly "secure" area of the airport. Once again I met the eyes of the only other passenger in the waiting area. As I looked from her back to the box cutter I got the idea that she had already noticed what I had found and was also unwilling to touch it.

Eventually we talked about it and I told her that I would like to take the potential weapon of mass destruction to the check in desk, but that I would like her to confirm to anyone with further questions that it was sitting there before I had even made it to the area. She concurred and we talked for a minute or two about how that thing could have gotten past security and why on earth someone had abandoned it there. Soon I got up and carried it very cautiously (you know, by the edges to keep from smudging any possible fingerprints - have I watched too many cop shows or what?) over to the desk with three airline employees.

The airline representative took one look at what for me was a dangerous object and simply grabbed it out of my hand (not caring about any fingerprints, let me tell you) and threw it in the trash can at her feet. I nervously told her that it was not mine, that I had found it on a seat in the waiting area opposite, and that I was worried about it. She dismissively told me that I had done the right thing and that now it was safe. WTF? It was safe? In her trash can? To this day I often wonder if that was some kind of test.

Through the years I've been in and out of this airport MANY times. So many times that I know which side of the plane to sit on to get the best view of "A Mountain", and what time of day is best to see shadows on the ridges of the local physical geography. Want any of that goofy information? Simply ask.

OK, enough of airports... let's get a look at a frustrated kitty.
Oh, you have to watch through to the end. ;)

Ahh... we meet again

I am in the last few hours of a visit to the U.S. (Phoenix specifically). In the last week I've run into so many little things which are sorely missed as I live out my daily life in Berlin. Being a fat kid... yup, it's just the way it is... a good percentage of those things which are sorely missed just happen to be food.

Yes, that is Taco Bell. If you were able to actually read the "hot sauce" package you would see, "Ahh, we meet again". How true is that? Love it!
After I make a "Run for the Border" and come back to the States, it isn't long before I'm downing a Burrito Supreme. Add to that crab legs and tonight's prime rib... and a person could get the idea that I just come back to the States for the food.

Oh well, soon I'll be back in my beloved Berlin meeting up with my good friend, Fresh-Baked Pumpkinseed Roll!

So what is it? What would you have trouble living without if you left your home?

Random Tuesday - No Swine Flu here

Hooya! I'm back... for reals (isn't that obnoxious? Some days I surprise myself.) and I've decided that I can't get away with not posting any longer. We've been back over a week. Things have finally settled down and we've actually managed to get our house straightened out just a bit. Moving two weeks before a three week vacation isn't really perfect, you know? We came back and had to remember where we had stuffed everything in our rush.

Tahiti and New Zealand were fantastic! Need I say more? Yes, I think I do... but maybe this isn't the time. Let's just have a nice RTT and see if I can slip back into this blogging thing, OK?

Snooker and No managed to travel to the other side of the planet (23 hours in planes, 37 hours of travel time each way) , encounter hundreds maybe thousands of strangers, and not get Swine Flu... can you believe it? Maybe the media hype makes it out to be a bit worse than it really is. But I must admit that we were quite fastidious about our hand washing and general hygiene... and let's just say it... No is Monk's little sister.

We got back and discovered that our home Internet service which was somewhat spotty before we left had degraded to the point that if you are online, you had better not pick up the phone or both will go to H E double Hockey Sticks. WTF? I reallllly hate Deutche Telekom.

November in Berlin is usually wet, gray, windy and cold. Surprisingly we came back and found that the first three were in abundance, but without so much of the cold. It has been getting up to the 50's during the day, and last Saturday No and I actually managed to get out in the morning for a nice walk with the sun on our shoulders! YEA!

I'm riding the subway again. May I just say ... ICK! Yesterday a co-worker & I hopped onto the train and as the doors slammed shut we both noticed it... the worst FART smell I've ever been enveloped by. Seriously, I'm surprised there wasn't green goo dripping down the walls or something... it was horrible! Our eyes widened and we both agreed not to talk until the next stop when we could JUMP out of that car and run to the next car sucking in "fresh" air all the way.

The new Nikon D90 camera was soooo cool on the trip. We loved it and took over 1,500 photos. Before we even came home they were narrowed down into 475 which make a great slide show.

The D40X was with us as well, but I hardly ever pulled it out. The only time it got a workout was when we took simultaneous pictures, such as these.

Oh hey! New Zealand and Tahiti both had Coke Zero in most of the restaurants! YEA!!! Ahem, Germany... let's get on the ball!

No is completely disgusted at the manufacturers of playing cards. It seems that she holds the cards in her right hand and fans them out in such a way that there is no number/letter in the visible top corner. Hmm... how to explain. Her card fan is the exact opposite of the way the cards are designed, so she doesn't see the numbers/letters which are printed on the top left because she is looking at the top right.
Now you would think that she would just learn to fan them the other way, or hold them in her left hand. No, that is not her way. Now we need to find cards with numbers/letters on all four corners. Anyone have any ideas?

Don't tell customs, but I bought black pearls in Tahiti... lots of them. Tee hee hee. They aren't in settings yet because I was told to just buy the pearls and bring them back to Germany for the cheaper metals and settings fees. So while I am asking for advice... anyone know a good jeweler in Berlin?

The company I work for has rented another floor in our building for some expansion. May I just say that the ensuing "who goes where" discussion has been painful to watch with seemingly everyone vying for the prime spots and trying not to be seated with anyone they don't like. Argh. NEVER move anyone's cheese if you don't absolutely have to! In case you are wondering, I am attached to the boss... I won't move because she won't move. So this has all been going on around me while my cheese is not being moved.

I think that I just want to go back to the islands... Life was soooo much more simple there. "Should I wear my blue bathing suit to scare the fish or will the purple one be better?" "Do I want to try the mango straight off the tree or should I go cut another pineapple out of the bush?"

Thanks for playing Random Tuesday Thoughts, head on over to Keely at the UnMom for more randomness and to find out what she's doing with THE NOG.

Photo Friday - Dawn

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the world
- Morning has Broken sung by Bob Dylan
(edit: sung by Cat Stevens) ;)

This week's Photo Friday theme is "Dawn".
In my collection I actually have many images of sunrises, warm "golden hour" light, and even some pretty pinkish bubbly clouds. But when I think of sunrise images, I don't usually like to see the sun itself, the shadows it throws are more interesting to me.

That is why I picked this shot for the "dawn" theme.
Well, that and because I doubt you want to see a picture of an ex of mine who just happened to be named Dawn... OMG! Out of curiosity I just Googled her! She's actually online (Facebook of course) and she looks like she put on some weight (haven't we all?), and moved to St. Louis. All I can say is that every lesbian in STL should steer clear!

OKOK, back to the photo!
I caught this image during the Whiney Expat Bloggers Meetup in 2008 in Bremen, Germany. Unfortunately I don't have a great post about the event, but I do have some pictures. J put out the original call to come.

On this particular Sunday morning I had rolled out of bed early and headed off to get some early-morning pics of what really is an endearing city. I was almost alone on the quiet streets, soaking in the cool, sweet fall air with a hint of fresh-baked bread. It was pretty much me and the bakery people. (Germans must have their bread, Sunday or not)

Meandering along though the "Altstadt" (old town) area I came across J of Germany Doesn't Suck who was also there for the Expat Meetup. We joined up and walked through the park, enjoying each others company and the lovely dawning of the day as the sleepy city woke up around us.

After some time we began looking for the restaurant Alex which would be the site of more Expat Whineyness. Without knowing it we walked right past the thing, into a lovely courtyard area flanked by fantastic buildings which most certainly age back two hundred years before my ancestors ever dreamed of emigrating to America.

Ahead there was a break in the eastern wall of buildings allowing a through way into the Domshof courtyard. Down the cobblestones of the street was flowing the most lovely river of fresh, morning sunlight. When we walked out of the cool shadow of the courtyard into the sun rays I immediately felt the warmth on my skin overcoming the crisp fall air. Wunderbar!

I looked down at that very moment and saw the view which you see above. Perhaps J thought I was crazy as I crouched down to get the shot. But he stood respectfully nearby and quietly allowed me to figure out the right angle and lighting to make the metal cover glow so gloriously. Thanks for that, J.

Visit Flickr to see the image in its original size.
Or see more of the Bremen shots.

See more entries or participate yourself by visiting Photo Friday.

Photo Friday - Plants

Well, another Friday has rolled around. What a lovely day, eh? The weekend is coming and like every other week I get an e-mail inviting me to participate in Photo Friday.

The theme this week is "Plants". Hmm... I started to go through my Flickr account and found some quite reasonable possibilities, Bleeding Hearts, and even a quite seasonable Sunflower.

Why did I end up with this not so enchanting choice? Hmm. Possibly more because of the memory behind it.

July 2008 Snooker and Sweet No took off in the car for a driving vacation. First stop was Amsterdam and a k.d. Lang concert, then to the Alsace region of France for a visit to Strasbourg. After drinking in the wine groves we were to make our way to points unknown, perhaps in the Black Forest back in Germany or thereabouts.

But it was the short visit to Amsterdam which charmed my heart so. We did the normal touristy things of course, the cafes with their "special" brownies, the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House.

What had me completely beguiled was the feeling of the city itself. There might not be a way to describe it, other than to say it was .... unconstrained.

Crazy bicyclists are everywhere with what seems like no rules whatsoever. Alongside the bikes are scooters which are a free-for-all going wherever they please. And what few cars are allowed in the old town area have obviously made a deal with the devil to get a parking spot.

In the old town, the buildings are all situated close and tight, each one standing tall like a soldier protecting the canals. When I say tall, I am not thinking in mere height. The architecture doesn't really strike me as taller than Berlin buildings, they are simply much more tall than they are wide. Simply put, they are impossibly narrow. Each one of them are only about three small rooms wide maybe four flights high, with crazy-narrow staircases taking you always up, up, up. They all just look super cozy all huddled up together.

As I was having my fill of "space muffins", I could easily construct the illusion of the buildings standing alongside those canals with windows like eyes... watching, observing what was happening under them as the boats would drift peacefully by. No matter how my imagination would carry me, I never considered the buildings menacing as they loomed overhead. My thoughts assumed they would be looking down on the humans with loving, caring eyes which had seen much, but had never become indifferent or callous.

Amsterdam is a place I could live, and I don't say that about a lot of cities.

This picture was taken as we strolled along yet another bridge covering one of the canals. We noticed the flowers and stopped for a moment to enjoy the view. While holding hands we casually moved in closer together, supporting each other yet each standing on our own. After a few moments we wordlessly moved apart and continued on our way. Out came my always close at hand camera. Snap... and there you have it.

For most it is a OK picture of a canal, some trees, boats and of course the flowers. For me, it is a warm memory of a wonderful place shared with a very special person.

More pics of Amsterdam.

See more entries or participate yourself by visiting Photo Friday.

Photo Friday - Seaside

When I opened the email for today's Photo Friday theme I was clueless what image I could use. Most of my life I've lived a landlocked existence, far away from any sea. Let's face it Wichita, Kansas is a LONG way from the seashore, and Berlin, Germany isn't much better.

But Snooker, you do lots of diving.
Don't you have some nice shots of the paradise locations you've been to?

Well, actually I guess I do. Some that could be a postcard, or others which need some explaining (sunset observed while floating after a lovely late-afternoon dive). But most of our "seaside" pictures are actually from underwater. There are pictures of me diving, pics of manta rays, turtles, EVEN Nemo's Indian cousin. We have pictures of scary creatures, and even MORE scary creatures. There are even some of me walking like an Egyptian in the Indian Ocean.

The one I settled on is a favorite of mine.

There are times when I see it and I just want to sit down and stare at it for a while. Other times my thoughts go back to Jonathan Livingston Seagull and his quest for flying perfection as though this little guy is Jonathan after he came back to teach the others how to love flying. Sometimes as I see this image, inside my head rings a constant "Mine, Mine, Mine" which rang so true of the seagulls in "Finding Nemo" (haven't seen the movie? go rent it... better yet, buy it and watch it often!)

I caught my little friend in the act on a recent trip to Warnemünde, a lovely little harbor town on the Baltic Sea.

Click here for more of our underwater photos.

See more entries or participate yourself by visiting Photo Friday.

FRIDAY BABY!

So let's start with a little Foto Madness!
This shot was taken outside of a cute little store in Heidelberg. My GOSH they had some adorable, highly colored trinkets and playthings. But standing guard at the (closed, yes it was Sunday in Germany) door were these two delightful guys.

Normally I would call this a Funny Foto Freitag, something I got from 50% of My DNA, but my friendly neighborhood science teacher is MIA. She's disappeared folks! I'm sure she's off having a great time (read, A LIFE) and will return soon. So I'll play her little game without her for a while.

Sweet No and I spent last weekend in Heidelberg checking out the sights, marveling at the 800 year old castle, enjoying the charming old part of the city, and among others, met up with the sweet, charming Heidelbergerin and her tall (remember, I'm horribly short... lots of people are TALL) and funny Heidelberger-man.

When No and I were talking about a visit to Heidelberg she started joking and saying that now I would be a true American in Germany, because it seems that ALL Americans want to visit Heidelberg. She couldn't explain the phenomena, just said that it is the common stereotype. Often when Germans are traveling they will run across an American who upon learning they are speaking with a German will be ask if the German is from Heidelberg or has been to the city. No matter the answer, the American usually goes off into a "my father was there in the Cold War, my brother visited in the 60's, my Grandfather said it was the most beautiful city in Europe" kind of thing.

Why is this? I'm not really sure. Perhaps the relation is from the Cold War. My father WAS stationed NEAR Heidelberg (along with a good percentage of the U.S. Army in that time period - even Elvis was here) and brought back reels and reels of slides from the area. Every time we had visitors, my Dad would bring out the slides for a show. He had many pictures of Heidelberg and the surrounding area, but he had taken the opportunity to get around, so there were pictures from Belgium, France, many locations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and I believe at least a few from Italy.

But does this off-hand correlation with Heidelberg really justify that well over 50% of the tourists I saw (and heard) were American? I have no idea how this could work out. Maybe it is because Heidelberg is one of the few German cities which were spared the highly destructive carpet bombings meant to bring Germany to its knees and end WWII. Maybe it is the 800 year old ruin castle? Perhaps they come in droves to see Germany's longest pedestrian shopping area? YES, a HUGE outdoor mall, complete with Starbucks and other strange choices to be seen in such an old environment. Now THAT sounds like something which would interest my countrymen!

I kid you not, every few steps while walking along the main thoroughfare I was assaulted by English. I say assaulted because after being surrounded by German (and at work French, Spanish and Italian) my ears act like a strange English antennae and almost jump up when my native tongue is within earshot. At the office I know that people are speaking to me when they begin speaking English thus when I hear English, I assume that the person is wanting to speak with me. I've talked about this weird phenomenon before in a long ago blog entry titled Sensory Overload which is exactly what it feels like to me.

How could I not listen to the couple sitting behind us at the restaurant as they discuss what they will do/see next? Is it really possible to blank out the noise of a passing pedestrian as he asks the woman beside him if she "would you qualify that as a manufacturing problem or a design problem"? In one word... No. It is impossible for me to tune them out. It is the same thing I deal with every time I visit America or any English-speaking country. It is HARD, so HARD to deal with the language all around me.

While walking among the white sport shoed folks (stereotypical American footwear makes them stand out every time) I took the time to eat some local fare. In this case it was Saumagen or "stomach of the female pig". It turned out to be alright, tasting like most any of the sliced deli meats widely available in the US, just sliced more thickly and pan-fried. I tasted potatoes and celery in this interesting reminder that the Germans use EVERY part of the pig in cuisine. The Saumagen came with Sauerkraut and Kartoffelpüree (mashed potatoes) of course, both were also quite nice and rounded out the meal very nicely.

At the suggestion of the before-mentioned Heidelbergerin, we avoided Vetter's restaurant food and went straight to the beer. It seemed like every third person was walking around with the easily-spotted brown bottle and enjoying it highly, so we decided it was the thing to do when in Heidelberg... OH MY... we were right! We walked in and asked for a dark beer and came out with a FANTASTIC dark, sweet, thick malt beer which went down smoothly as we sat on the riverbank opposite the old town and watched the sunset/moonrise.

A friend of mine told me that Heidelberg is very romantic, and now I believe him. It seemed that the best times we had were on the "other" side of the river, taking in the quiet beauty of the incredibly picturesque villiage of the old town. There were so many opportunities for simply enjoying each other's company which in our hustle and bustle world just get left behind. We really enjoyed our time by the Neckar river, on both sides.

Been reading:

• Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince - Now the dirty stuff is going to come out about Blackwater (now renamed Xe). I wonder why you would change the name of a successful company? Is it because the other one was kicked OUT of Iraq BY the Iraqis?
• Churning Ocean Waters, One Jellyfish at a Time - This is a really wild theory, but I can see where it originates from and it makes sense in a way. The first thing I thought while reading this is that this is just another species that once extinct or severely reduced in number due to environmental stupidity on the part of humans that will have a HUGE and unforeseen impact on the Earth.
• Russian Subs Seen Off U.S. East Coast - Looks like Mother Russia is getting more serious about throwing around some military might.
• Don't trust Obama on gay marriage - I believe the author has hit the issue on the head. Obama will sell out the gays and lesbians in a heartbeat if it is politically advantageous for him to do it. Clinton did it first of course, but he did it best... DOMA and Don't Ask, Don't Tell hurt gays and lesbian rights in ways that we are just now fully realizing. Let's hope that Obama doesn't make another such "compromise" which undercuts the small gains the gay community has made.

I will leave you with a cute video which has become pretty viral.
THIS is the way to come down the aisle!

Random Tuesday - Whoa, really random!

Round and round she goes... where she stops, nooooooobooodddy knows!

First off... Billy Joel and Elton John are touring together again. SO far there are no tour dates listed in Europe although Elton will be in Dusseldorf alone on the day before we are taking off on holiday. Sorry, I don't see it happening.

I've never seen Billy Joel although I have every one of his albums, many in 2nd or 3rd generation (you know, started with 8-Track, then to LP, cassette, CD ... dammit no more medium switching, it is expensive!). I've even worn an LP (that's one of those round shiny black things for you kiddies out there) completely out. A friend of mine joked that he could see through it. Ha Ha, funny. NOT.

Elton is another story. When he was behind on some bills and needed the money he actually started hitting the smaller cities and Wichita, KS was one of them. The show was thoroughly enjoyable and simply whetted my appetite to see both on the stage at the same time.

Last night I finally had a chance to visit the new Hooters in my world. Those of you who know me know that I would happily live on the delectable wing treats for the rest of my life.

Thankfully it wasn't disappointing. The wings are a bit smaller than I remember them to be in the States, but still satisfying. Unexpectedly it didn't seem that the "spice" had been tamed down for the more sensitive German palate... good for them. The beer on offer (Berliner Pilsner) was a lot weaker than I normally like my beers to be, (I'm a dark girl in more ways than one) and they didn't have Coke Zero for No, which was a downside on her part.

We went with a lesbian couple who had also endured the sneering of their coworkers about how we were going to Hooters "for the wings" (wink, wink). Oh well, it was fun and really the vibe of the place is nice. It struck me how many families were there, but it makes sense. The waitress said that there have been MANY tourists come to check the place out. (wouldn't have anything to do with the incredible amount of money spent on outdoor billboard advertising, would it? ... nah)

Afterward we took a walk through the nearby park and had a lovely time. May I just say that the relaxed Marijuana laws in Germany have made sitting by the banks of the river on a quiet evening a different experience? As we walked along there must have been 5 or 6 groups quietly smoking the pungent herb. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Give me a stoner any day over a drunk. Very rarely are they belligerent or nasty, they are less likely to do the truely gross things a drunk will do such as puking or pissing in public and the nature of the drug makes the user more calm and relaxed. "Hey dude, let's go toss that homeless guy... Nah, I just wanna lie here and stare at the sky for a few more hours."

My Sweet No let it slip that last weekend was the start of the German-American Folksfest here in Berlin. Last year I took the opportunity to go with that Queer Expatriate, Adam, who seemed to enjoy himself. This year I may have to go alone if I can't find any takers. My darling wife just isn't much for this whole goofy carnival thing.

The planning for the London Olympics in 2012 is coming along fine. I would REALLY like to go. Do I stand a chance? Is it simply going to be too expensive? Will Michael Phelps be there?

Do you remember the opening sequence of the Jodie Foster movie "Contact"? It started by showing the Earth from above with a soundtrack of a jumbled mixture of current (as of the making of the movie of course) songs and news texts, then proceeded to back away from the Earth as the sound bites become older and older, eventually fading away into complete silence as we pass through the Asteroid Belt out the Milky Way Galaxy and into open space and past what looks like thousands of other galaxies. All of this to give you the idea/impression/realization that our broadcasts were all going into space, and any interstellar traveler or resident alien could find himself snuggling up to a "rerun but first-run" of Gilligan's Island.

Now thanks to the Heidelbergerin who used a blog post to throw up a bunch of links, my browser got pointed in the direction of a map showing where our favorite shows will be by now when allowing for the speed of sound... well, and a healthy bit of suspension of reality. But kinda fun to think about, eh?

Speaking of Heidelberg, No and I will be visiting there over the weekend and into Monday. Anybody in the area up for some English conversation and possible sight-seeing? IS there sight-seeing in Heidelberg? Is there something we shouldn't miss?

No always says that it is a big German joke that ALL Americans are familiar with Heidelberg. OK, so I have to admit that my father was stationed in the area during the Cold War. Yes, I've sat through my share of slide shows of his travels in mystical Europe.

I don't think we will have a car, or I would insist on driving over to Idar-Oberstein to take a promised photo. When I moved to Germany I promised my Dad that I would get another shot of the Felsenkirche for him - one of his favorite pictures was ruined by a friend who tried to copy it.

Been reading:

• Call her the diva of diving - Evelyn Dudas, a "living legend" of the deep.
  
• The 411 on the German health care system by Jentry - (OMG SOCIALIZED MEDICINE... RUN TO THE HILLS!!) and how it is working quite well, thank you.
  
• ClickClackGorilla - a lovely blogger who left the craziness of commercialization behind and lives on the refuse of others.
  
• Concert Summer - This year I'm going to go to some of these performances, come hell or high water!
  
• Biggest-Ever Bauhaus Exhibition in Berlin - I never really got the spirit of the Bauhaus movement. I think I'll work on getting to this exhibition and seeing if I can understand the big deal.
  
• 12 IAAF World Championships in Athletics - There hasn't been much advertisement (or even talk) about this excellent event. Too bad. Because it is going to be cool.
  

OK, so there ya have it. Head on over to the UnMom for her take on the Random Tuesday Madness and see how it is REALLY done.

Just because I want to, I leave you with this giggle brought to me courtesy of Goofball who just celebrated her 1000th post.

Photo Friday - Shadow

The good folks over at Photo Friday have given me another chance to pull out an old favorite. The theme is "Shadow" and the shadows you see in the picture above are of the warm, silky kind I like so much. It might be best viewed as large or even black.

This was taken on a winter visit to my Mother who lives in Tempe, Arizona. Tempe is one of the suburbs which make up Phoenix in the Valley of the Sun. Ahhh the SUN! For me this is the world of the glowing gold orb, the unrelenting, cruel, tenacious sun that rules over this valley so fiercely.

As is often the case with something that rules your life so completely, when the sun starts to go away, the tone of the day begins to change. This picture was taken in the last few moments of sunlight in the valley. I was walking along the downtown area specifically for the purpose of loading up a memory card as the day was waning. People coming out into the streets, lights over outdoor cafes being swtiched on, the noises of the day had started to become more prounced in the gathering gloom of darkness.

But here and there the sun was still peeking through the taller buildings to land on sweet spots such as this little bridge leading to the rather strange upside-down pyramid which is the Tempe City Building. Strolling across the bridge, the sparkle of the sidewalk hit my eye. The camera seemed to pull me down into a crouch to get into a good position for the image. Once I was almost on my knees I felt the need to tilt a bit to get as much of that fantastic shadow as possible. Then comes the decision on where to focus. Do you focus on the bridge and the show of light? Perhaps taking a clear image of the sidewalk and allowing the bridge to bokeh out is best. After taking 3 varieties of image, this is the one I decided for in the end. Sometimes it is hardest to know on the spot when you've got the image just right. It is even harder when faced with the raw photo in post-production.

In the end I got what I wanted, something that showed off that glorious golden light!

As I write this entry, the valley is experiencing temperatures climbing into the 110 range (43c). Ladies and gentlemen, this is too hot for me, I don't know about you. But the winters are fantastic! This kid has really enjoyed having the chance to watch New Years Eve fireworks in shorts and a tee shirt. I could get used to it. Too bad the place is such a hellhole each summer.

See more of my Tempe pics.

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Photo Friday - My Favorite Spot

Another of the Photo Friday entries. This one wants to know more about "My Favorite Spot" and the thought process took about .5 seconds. The Maldives! (wiki / my blog post) Of course! Now don't get me wrong, I love where I live, I love how I live, but when I want to envision peace, tranquility and pure enjoyment I think about our visit to Embudu Village in the southern atoll of the Maldives, nestled in the fantastic Indian Ocean.

The picture was taken on our first day in paradise. After settling into the bungalow which would be home for the next two weeks, we took our first steps in fluffy white sand, felt the cool breeze off the sea and enjoyed the warmth of the water. This picture was taken in those first precious moments as we walked a few steps away from the bungalow through the shade-giving coconut trees and directly onto the beach. As we dipped our toes in the bath water temperature sea I looked to my left and snapped this keepsake of our magical time in paradise. What a wonderful place, absolute relaxation was ours within hours.

With fast currents, a beautiful house reef and azure water with visibility at 100 meters, the diving was of course perfect, but the time I enjoyed most was the early morning. No and I started our days at the sun rise. She would jog around the island (around and around and around - it was about a half kilometer in circumference) and I would head out for the beach on my way to snorkeling on the house reef.

Imagine complete serenity, floating in the water face down, the night fish heading off to their hideyholes, the day fish waking up and catching the first food of the day. The parrotfish munching on the coral fills the ears with constant cracking and popping which becomes the background noise of the sea. Occasionally a small sting reminds you that the ocean is filled with little creatures with defenses against you and your kind, but they aren't too serious, and by the time the sun has come up the whole way, those little guys will be gone.

I saw huge eels which were twice as long as me coming back to the shallows from their nightly hunting grounds in the deep. There were huge Napolean fish slowly lumbering through the coral garden, dwarfing all the other skittering fish. My heart would pitter patter as I caught a glimpse of a Blackfooted Clownfish family, also known as Maldives Clownfish. He is the cousin of Nemo except his lower fins are black (insert black sheep of the family joke here) and his type is only found in the Maldives.



For more action I could come closer to the beach to watch the Black-tipped Reef Sharks in their early morning bid for small fry fish found in schools by the thousands in the shallows.



While diving we saw many beautiful things and encountered LOTS of fish, too many to mention here. Swimming is simply more fun when done with the Lionfish, Manta Rays, and Tangs, oh my!

Things which I had only seen in aquariums and books were swimming all around me filling my mask's narrowed field of vision. Ah yes, the Maldives were paradise above and BELOW water.


No surfacing after a low-key afternoon dive finding the sun is setting.

See more pictures of our Maldivian paradise.

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Photo Friday - Big and Small

An entry for Photo Friday with the theme "Big and Small"
It isn't necessarily very artistic. It isn't really very good.
But for me it was a moment in time.

I was on a whirlwind trip of London. Really I would be there for only a few hours, and I'd decided to spend them seeing as much of the city as I could. The weather was absolutely fabulous for an April day in a city known for rainy/crappy/cool weather. The tour bus I was on took me through the major touristy points of the city and allowed me to get off and on as I wished. This is the aspect I love the most. When the bus stops I get off and walk a two square block area, just taking it all in. By the time I get back to the bus stop, the next bus is ready to whisk me off to more discoveries.

This particular shot was taken from the bus itself (thank goodness for the open top double-decker). To tell you the absolute truth I cannot even pinpoint exactly where this is. (Perhaps a more frequent visitor could help with that?)

As we tooled around a corner these two HUGE lion sculptures took over the landscape with a couple hundred itty bitty people milling around. When we drew closer my eyes focused on this young man and girl sitting at the foot of one of them.

In my imagination (I freely admit that it is WAY overactive), they are brother and sister. His mom made him put her up there and then he popped up there himself for a quick photo by his frantic parents. In an exaggerated attempt to look cool, the young man draws a sip from his Coke can. Thinking that she should also try to fit in with this coolness, his little sister begins to tap her thighs to an imaginary beat.

For me "big and small" is not only the lion juxtaposed against the humans... but also the two kids with about ten years in between, on a trip with mom and dad, posed at the foot of a huge statue, trying their best to act nonchalant and give their parents guilt because they are so obviously not having any fun.

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See more of the London photos.