Kelheim & Weltenburg

A couple weeks ago, we were in the Bischofshof brewery, drinking Bischofshof beer of course, and we noticed the bartender routinely serving a different beer that was not Bischofshof. We asked him about it, and he told us it came from Kloster Weltenburg, and he gave us a rather large free sample. It was a dark beer so I was hesitant, usually they are too bitter for me, but this beer was amazing. It had complex flavor and a hint of something sweet, possibly honey. We learned that the Kloster was about 20 minutes away, just outside Kelheim, so we decided to visit.

One of the main attractions in Kelheim is the Hall of Liberation, Befreiungshalle in German. The building was commissioned by Ludwig I (grandfather of the Ludwig II who built Neuschwanstein) to celebrate the victories over Napoleon in the Wars of Liberation. Like many monuments in the area, the outside is free to explore, but if you want to go inside, you need to buy a ticket. We decided to walk to the monument and decide if we needed a ticket before actually buying one. At Valhalla, we could see the inside (peeking through the door) and felt since we did not know any of the people honored there, we would not gain anything by going inside. The door of the Hall of Liberation was closed, so no peeking, but there was a sign that promised dozens of giant angels inside. That sounded sufficiently interesting, so we went back to purchase a ticket and we met with all kinds of awesome crazy inside.

The building was huge and empty. Like a ballroom with no furniture. The walls rose up past my head, but then leveled out, shelf-like. On these levels, there stood giant angels holding hands with each other over shields. These angels were probably twice the height of a normal person, and they were all identical. Behind each set of two angels and a shield (on the higher level) were tiny rooms, which were also empty. Then if you were interested, you could climb up very tight spiral stairs to a 3^rd empty level, and gaze out over all the angels. It seemed like a cool place to hold a prom or a wedding reception, but without any people or furniture inside, it was quite strange.

From Kelheim we drove across the Danube, Donau in German, to find Kloster Weltenburg. Kloster Weltenburg is a Benedictine abbey founded in 620, the oldest in Germany. The beer they make is slightly younger: it has only been brewed since 1050. To reach the abbey, we parked the car and walked a kilometer down a paved path along the river. Right around a bend the buildings of the abbey appeared. We planned to have some beers inside the brewery, but we quickly found that Kloster Weltenburg was having a Weihnachtsmarkt, another word for Christmas market, and we would not be drinking our beer inside.

Almost immediately, we followed our noses to the fried dough stand and got a rose shaped pile of deliciousness. I say almost immediately, because the first thing I did was get some Gluhwein to warm up and celebrate Christmas. We next went to the beer stall so we could try the famous beer. We found many varieties from which to choose. Joe opted for the Winter-Traum, the seasonal beer. I decided on another seasonal beverage, the Gluhbier, which was hot and awesome. As with the gluhwein stalls, we could keep our cups or return them for a refund, but since our plan was to buy some anyway, we kept them. Many of the stalls in the market were run by the monks, in their robes no less, and I felt we should buy something to support the abbey. We found a very cool nativity scene carved out of a log, and it now lives with us.

Christkindlmarkt

Black Friday was much nicer here than it is in the States. Instead of people trampling others to death to get a 50% off Barbie or Game Boy, the Christmas markets open. Christkindlmarkts crop up in squares around (most) towns and sell all sorts of interesting items. I cannot go into too much detail here, lest I give away presents, but I can mention that there are many handicrafts and delicious foods. The gem of every Christkindlmarkt is the Gluhwein. Each stall serving this mulled wine has a different, no doubt jealously guarded, recipe, so each has a different taste. It is served piping hot and helps cut through the cold, warming with every sip. The Gluhwein is served in a collectible cup that is unique to the stall and changes every year. You can keep the cup, or return it to the stand and get a refund. So far, we have kept all the cups, though I suppose that if we start getting doubles, we will return the cups.

And Circle Gets the Square

My Achilles heel has always been geography. I am not certain, if handed a blank map of the US, that I could correctly label all the states. However, I've always been able to find my way around without getting too lost, eventually making my way toward my end destination. This is not the case here.

I don't go out too much by myself, because I'm not sure where everything is, but last week I decided to go for it, and walked into downtown by myself. Regensburg is shaped like a triangle, with the longest, flat side near the river in the north. We live on the northwestern side, and usually walk into the center of town from that western side. On this particular day, I opted to head toward the southern point of the triangle before making my way back to our apartment the usual way.

I walked to my destination easily enough, it was actually a lot closer when not walking through town, and only skirting the edges. I found the yarn store (my actual destination) and browsed around before trying to make my way home. I set out looking for the landmarks I had come to recognize on my journeys with Joe. I felt I was heading in the right direction, until I walked by the yarn store again.

Frustrated and determined, I walked defiantly past the store, and walked different paths than I had the first time I left the yarn store. I knew I walking further than in my first foray, and I felt like I was making progress and would see my street again soon. Then I walked by the yarn store again.

Now I was feeling hopeless. It was cold and misty out, and my legs felt like popsicles. I was also getting hungry, and as I was literally no closer to getting home, I started feeling like a small child who loses her mom in the department store. I headed toward a backerei I had also walked by 3 times, and on this occasion, I stopped to refuel.

After a nice spinach pastry, I ventured out again, only this time, I decided to just go back the way I had come. I was never able to reconcile the part of town where I walked in circles with the part of town Joe and I usually frequent. In my head they are still two sovereign places, with no discernible connection.

Last night, Joe and I were walking around town, and he was trying to help me figure out where we were, but to no avail. I would say, "Oh I know where we are, this store is over there", and then he would say, "No. That's somewhere else". I may never know where everything is in the town.

Frauenkirche

Frauenkirche is a cathedral in Munich. It's full name translates into Cathedral of Our Dear Lady, and it's a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Mary.
It's iconic onion domed towers cut the skyline and are distinct among Munich's other buildings. While we were visiting, one of the towers was being restored, so it was covered in tarps and scaffolding, but the other was still visible.The inside is just as gorgeous as the outside. The church follows the typical gothic architectural style with ribbed vaults and pointed archways. At the center of the arches, where the ribs meet, are different shields and symbols. I can only assume that these shields were placed there to represent patrons of the church. The church has enough seating to seat 20,000 parishioners.

On the side aisles are various areas to light prayer candles or to have stations of the cross. The high columns and arches result in an interior that is light and airy. The walls are graced with HUGE panels of illustrated stained glass. However, at the Western entrance, the windows are not immediately visible upon entering. The walls simply look at though they are emitting light.

In this area, sunk into the marble floor, is a black footprint, complete with a spur near the heel.
According to legend, before the cathedral was consecrated, the devil visited, angry with the large building dedicated to worship. The devil was pleasantly surprised when he entered and could not see any windows, thinking a building with no windows is not very useful. He stamped the floor with glee, thinking of the builder's ignorance, and left the black footprint. He was soon disappointed when he took another step and saw the windows on every wall. Out of anger, he changed himself into a fierce wind, and has since been trying to blow the windows out. He failed in blowing out the windows, and since that time, a wind is always felt blowing around the towers.

 In addition to the beautiful glass scenery, the interior also features intricate wood carvings around the altar and a monumental tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Ludwig (Louis) IV. According to the encyclopedia Britannica:

"Louis possessed courage and tenacity without being rigid. He won men over by a jovial and chivalrous demeanour, and his suppleness, coupled with diplomatic skill, charmed them even as a certain mercurial quality made him appear unfathomable. He was a political man, whose guiding principle remained the honor imperii. Even in his darkest hours he brooked no interference with the imperial rights. It would be unfair to judge him solely by the yardstick of success. It was Louis’ fate to repeatedly come up with inadequate resources against adversaries who were talented and powerful."

Austrian "Day" Trip

Glockenspiel
Munich, Germany

On 11 November, Joe came home and said that we were going to go with his coworkers, Jonny and Jay, on a day trip the following day, 12 November. The plan was to leave Regensburg by train early, 8:44am, arrive in Munich approximately 2 hours later, eat lunch and walk around, board a new train, and head to Salzburg, Austria, where we would spend the remainder of the day and return to Regensburg around midnight.

Glockenspiel
Munich, Germany

 In Munich we had perfect weather. The sky was a gorgeous blue with white puffy clouds. It was much better than the fog we had been dealing with, and served as a wonderful background for the pictures we were taking. We walked from the train station to Marienplatz. Here we listened to the band (complete with grand piano, outside) play some music while we waited for the clock tower to strike the hour. At this time, a jousting scene was enacted on the Glockenspiel. Luckily we were there for 12pm because apparently it only goes at 11, 12, and 5. It was cute, but as Joe put it, the music didn't really go with the actions, and he wondered what all the fuss was about.
We ate our lunch at Hofbrauhaus, another tourist attraction. This beer house is HUGE and very popular, the regulars can actually keep their personal steins on the premises under lock and key. The rest of us mere mortals had to hail down a haggard looking waiter to even hope to get beer. Even then it was a stretch, as these folks were clearly stressed by the huge number of clientele at lunchtime.

Hofbrauhaus
Munich, Germany

Hofbrauhaus knows it's a tourist attraction, and knows that because of it's name it can get away with a lot of things, such as crappy service, mediocre food and beer, and jacked up prices. I say it's worth it to go once, just to say you have been, but only order 1 beer and an appetizer to keep the cost down. We stopped in their gift shop, considering buying a stein, and their prices were outrageous. I just checked their website, and the prices don't match, probably because they know internet shoppers will not pay that price. A mug that says 6.50 on the internet was, I swear on my life, 35.00 in the gift shop. Outrageous. We did not make any purchases there, though now that I've checked their website, I may buy something . . . .

Salzburg, Austria

After lunch we returned to the train station for another 2 hour train ride into Austria. We didn't have much of a plan for our arrival, and ended up buying a guide book so we would know where to go. We wandered through the Mirabell gardens outisde the Mirabell palace. We went into a guitar shop where Joe tested out a 12 string guitar, but opted not to purchase it, as it was 500 euro. We had dinner at a small brauerei. Joe and his coworker Jonny split a meal, horse meat with polenta. I ordered pork loin, and Joe's other coworker Jay ordered seafood ravioli. The horse meat was actually tasty, it was chewier than beef, but tasted a lot like a roast. My pork loin was actually cold bacon. I tried to eat it, but I loathe bacon, and ended up just having bread, with the promise of something more substantial later.
Salzburg is more Alpine than Regensburg, though it's not quite in the Alps yet. This resulted in towering cliff faces surrounding the town, looming up behind buildings. Very imposing, but also beautiful. After that fail of a dinner, we found a bar attached to a modern art museum. This building was literally carved into the cliff behind it. Inside, the walls were stone, and we rode an elevator to the top of place, which was also on top of the cliff. We could see all of Salzburg at night, and the nearly full moon rising over another nearby "foothill". As the evening came to a close, we found ourselves at the train station munching on Mozart chocolate, delicious truffles named for Salzburg's most famous son, and waiting in the freezing cold for our train. As the minutes ticked closer to the time of departure, a voice overhead announced the train would be 5 minutes late. We continued to wait. 4 minutes later the voice announced the train would be 10 minutes late. This continued in 5 minute increments for some time. Around 25 minutes in, we gave up and we to sit in what I later called the hot box. This box was a room made of glass on the train platform, much like a bus stop, but all the sides and the roof were enclosed. There were some seats, and it was slightly warmer than outside but not because it was heated, because it wasn't. In here we met a German girl Jonny called Cameron Diaz. She did have similar hair. She was very nice, spoke English, and also waiting for our late train. We asked her if the German announcements gave any more information than the English announcements-they did not. At this point we knew the train was late due to a "disturbance in operations". Let's break this statement down, shall we? Disturbance: stop, interruption, departure from normal. Operations: functioning, working, activity. So the overhead voice tells us the train will be late because it has stopped running. Not much information to work with. Why did the train stop? Will it be starting again soon? She didn't see fit to inform us. I was having flashbacks to our late plane, delayed because of a battery exploding in a suitcase. Around 45 minutes into the delay, 6 women entered the hotbox with us, speaking rapidly in Spanish Spanish. This means they use the vosotros form and say words with esses using a slight lisp. It's easy to distinguish, but not as easy to master for someone who learned Latin American Spanish, though not impossible. We started conversing with them, and pretty quickly it became obvious I spoke Spanish. We chatted a little, and I told them all we knew about the late train, ie; nothing, and I told them about our theories why the train was late: it hit a cow. They looked confused, and asked if I were serious. I then had to explain about the cattle guards on the front of trains in the US. Apparently livestock on the tracks is not a common problem here. Shortly after reaching 95 minutes, a man came in and told us that a train was coming on another platform. I passed this information on the Spanish women, and all 11 of us trooped to platform 34. Here we were informed that hopping on this train to Friessling would help us get to Munich, as we could change trains at the next station. Everyone boarded the train. In Friessling, it became evident that there was no other train headed to Munich from that station. All the lights were off, and the only other train there was heading back to Salzburg. Cameron Diaz talked with the conductor who told her that there were no trains for Munich from Friessling that night, and furthermore, there were no train for Munich from Salzburg either. If we wanted to reach Munich we would need to get back on the train, change trains twice, take a taxi, and then change trains again. Even then, there would be no guarantee of making our connection to Regensburg. We wished the Spanish women good luck, after I told them what was up, and said we were returning to Salzburg where we would spend the night and try again in the morning. Jay and Jonny wanted to sleep on the cheap, and opted for 2 twin beds at the holiday inn. Joe and I just wanted immediate comfort, and settled for the 4 star best western we could see. This proved a much better choice. We had a lovely king sized (European style) bed, soundproofed windows, English television, and a heated towel rack. In the morning we were even able to obtain toothpaste and toothbrushes before headed down to our complimentary breakfast in the hotel restaurant/brewery. The only downside was the shower's water pressure. It was too much. When you turned it on, the shower head would dance around like a fire hose in cartoons. I was splashed in the face more than once, and Joe managed to get the ceiling when it was his turn. Jay and Jonny had a much less comfortable evening, well Jonnie did anyway. Apparently Jay snores very loudly. So loudly in fact, that Jonnie felt the need to grab all his bedclothes and sleep in the tub. Not a pleasant evening for him. We were able to catch a train into Munich without any issue, and we all slept the first hour. After arriving in Munich we decided lunch was in order, so we went to a brewery very close to the train station. The beer, service, and food were all great, and we even bought steins: for a whopping 6.50 each. Finally, we were able to board the train back home to Regensburg where we could change into some fresh clothes.

Ein Bier Bitte

I had my first German bier on Wednesday night! The more time we spend here, the more we are figuring out what words mean. So on Tuesday, after walking by a building probably 5 times, it dawned on me that brauerei meant brewery, and we made plans to check it out.

Kneitinger Brauerei is located in one of the squares in Regensberg and has been there since 1861. They clearly have expanded since that time. We think they bought the building next door and covered the alley in between the two. We sat in the alley. This brewery was well-lit and had a great atmosphere. We sat at a long table and had fun trying to figure out what we were ordering. (We have since gotten a dictionary, finally!) Of course we sampled the brews available, and I enjoyed mine very much. So much in fact, that I proposed we not end the evening, and order another round. Joe's coworker, Jonny, said we could have another round, but should get it somewhere else.

We wandered around town with no real destination in mind. Jonny found 5 euro on the street and we used it to buy some very tasty gelato, which has never managed to disappoint. Later we found ourselves uptown near another brewery, the Furstliches Brauhaus near the Thurn and Taxis palace. Inside we could see the giant vats for brewing. We each ordered a different bier and drank it whilst we munched on some brezen (pretzels). A perfect evening.

International Fast Food

In Mexico, I noticed that fast food restaurants were much classier than they are in the States. In Costa Rica, this notion was reaffirmed. Now, for the 3rd time I find myself noticing that fast food places in other countries are cleaner and nicer than they are in the country where they originated.

Our 1st night in Germany we were too exhausted to bother with a sit down meal before crashing so we drove to a McDonald's that Joe has frequented during his previous visit. Currently in the US, McDonald's is trying to compete with the gourmet coffee chains, and has launched a marketing campaign called McCafe. This means that all their coffees now say McCafe on the side, and their smoothies and milkshakes come in clear plastic cups, similarly branded. In Germany, if a McDonald's says McCafe on the sign, that means inside there is an actual Cafe, selling coffees, teas, buns, etc. This cafe is even separate from the regular counter. I wonder why they didn't try this in the states? It probably would have brought more people in to the store.

On Sunday, after Walhalla, Joe really wanted KFC. I acquiesced, and we stopped there on our way back from Walhalla. This KFC was something else. It was spotless and had nice tables and chairs. It even had a second floor. If you wanted dessert with your chicken, you could go over to the cool and grab a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. If you opted to dine in, you ate your food on actual ceramic plates and drank your beverages out of real glasses. You could even order beer if you felt that it would complete the meal.

Why is this quality of service and food reserved for locales outside the US only?

Get Thee to Valhalla!

Joe has a video game with a bunch of super heroes in it, and Thor's action phrase was, "Get thee to Valhalla!" For hours on end I used to hear that phrase, and finally we took Thor's advice, and went to Walhalla, which is German is pronounced Valhalla.

A lot of things in Germany are closed on Sunday, and they recently passed a law calling for more things to be closed on Sunday. We also did not want to travel any great distance, as we had just done so the day before. We opted to use our Sunday afternoon to visit Walhalla.

Walhalla is a short drive out of town (Regensburg), and like almost all the places we seem to visit, on top of a giant hill/mountain.

Walhalla's hill would probably be called a mountain in VA, but here it is only a foothill of the Alps.

This building was commissioned by Ludwig I, the grandfather of Ludwig II who built the castle in the previous post. He named the building using a term from Norse mythology, but designed it as a Parthenon.

Inside the building are various busts, plaques, and portraits of famous Germans, but we opted not to pay the 6 euro each to look at busts of people we didn't know in a dark, cold building. Instead we contented ourselves with the marvelous views of the Danube and it's river valley below.

I Wish I Were a Disney Princess

Alpine Cow

Saturday November 5^th, 2011

The day started with a 200+km drive South through Bavaria and into the Alps.

About halfway through the trip our GPS routed Joe and I off the highway and we drove through some very small towns and through farmland complete with nonchalant cows.

We also drove over a very large extension bridge, under which, an expansive, teal blue, placid lake. Luckily, the Germans seem to know they have gorgeous scenery along their roadways, and have built numerous little stop offs for those who want to photograph their surroundings.We parked the car and walked out across the bridge to take pictures of the mountain lake. After taking our fill of pictures, we continued our drive.

BOOM! Around a corner, rising out of the crags is the joy of (possibly) Mad King Ludwig II, Schloss Neuchwanstein. This castle served as Walt Disney’s inspiration for Cinderella’s castle in Disneyworld, and it is easy to see the resemblance. 

Neuschwanstein Castle

During his reign, Ludwig was declared mentally ill and removed from the throne and from Neuchwanstein. Shortly thereafter, one day, he mysteriously died in the lake of Castle Berg where he was held under house arrest. No one knows if he was murdered or committed suicide, or died as a result as an accident. He was 41 years old.

Neuschwanstein Castle

A mere 6 short weeks after his death, Neuchwanstein castle opened as a museum for tourists.

You can hike up the mountainside for 40 minutes, or you can take a bus (paying of course) to near the top, and then hike only 15 minutes. There was no escaping a hike. We opted for the bus ride, and I'm mostly glad we did. I say mostly glad because the driver, who makes this drive probably 20+ times daily, took the turns very quickly, and the road edged up to some perilous drops, which were visible from the bus windows. It was quite nerve-wracking.

The castle is literally situated above the town, and then rises up even further.

Neuschwanstein Castle

It is wonderfully imposing as you approach. Then you walk through the gate house, and it rises even further above you. It was at this point, I knew I wanted one for my very own. Not necessarily this one, any castle of similar size and awesomeness will suit me fine.

We bought tickets to tour the inside, and I think it was well worth it, even though we were not able to take pictures inside. Despite the exterior grandeur, the inside is unfinished in areas, and much less romantic in the furnished chambers.

We toured the throne room, which was designed to look like a Byzantine church, and the throne was to be on the altar, but it was never built. The guide book even speculates that Ludwig never intended to use it as a seat of power, but that it fueled his imagination of what a leader should be. The book also says that he struggle between his duty and his desire. It is assumed that Ludwig was homosexual, and suffered as he tried to reconcile the views of Christian duty at the time with his desires for romance and love.

He covered the walls of his castle with paintings, reminding him that true happiness will be achieved by the pious in Heaven, the guides assume this was to remind him that his pain would be eternally rewarded.

These murals were very interesting to look at, though they are not considered technically proficient. They depict scenes from Wagner's operas, including Tristan and Isolde and Lohengrin, the story of the Swan-Knight. Ludwig particularly identified with the Swan-Knight, and incorporated the Swan into much of the decor, one room has 350 images of swans carved into the woodwork, on tapestries, in the paintings, and as part of the decor.

We toured Ludwig's bedroom, and when I saw the views from his windows, and his reading nook, I was ready to move in here-immediately. Now this was a European King bed. It is a custom made bed of dark, intricately carved wood, and much is larger than normal due to Ludwig's height. He has a washstand next to the bed, the faucet in the shape of a swan, and water comes out the bird's beak. http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/palace/schlaf.htm

Neuschwanstein Castle

After we finished the tour, we hiked out to an expansion bridge to take some distance photos before we headed down the mountain. We rode the bus again, even more perilous going downhill because the driver seemed reluctant to hit the brakes. Next was a quick bite to eat at a local hotel restaurant, our fist German food!, and then the drive home.

Dinner

So far, we have been having dinner out. I have noticed that Joe prefers food that is not German, such as Thai, Mexican, Spanish, etc. AS of yet, we have not been to a German place. I think this is because on these other international menus, he can identify food words he knows, and can have a rough idea of what he is ordering. I think that tonight we will have to find a place that serves German food. I want some schnitzel and some pretzels and some potatoes.

Friday night we went to a Tapas place. Not ideal when you want a meal and are presented with snacks, but the menu was in Spanish and then the descriptions were in German. It was actually really nice. I could read and understand what we were ordering.

And the translation to German from the Spanish entertained me. They also brought out silverware out in a little packet with a napkin, the 2^nd place we have been to that has done so. It’s very handy and convenient.

German Cars

In the US if you drive a BMW, people automatically make certain assumptions about your income and personality (rich prick). However, in Germany, BMWs, Mercedes, and Volkswagens are EVERYWHERE. The semi-trucks are made by Mercedes. There are BMW station wagons and minivans for the soccer moms, sorry football moms. Furthermore, these vehicles like to go fast. They were designed to be driven on the autobahn, which in some areas literally has no speed limit. Lest they disappoint the cars, the owners drive them fast. Joe has been enjoying the luxury of driving as fast as he wants, but no matter how fast we drive, there is still someone driving faster than he does. So far, this trip he topped out at 218kmh, which is 135mph. The funny thing is, the car does not object to this handling. It does not whine, the road noise is bearable, the ride felt smooth. Almost makes me want a BMW to cruise around in back home. We will see.

A Leisurely Drive

Regensburg IKEA
Regensburg, Germany

On Friday, Joe came home from work early, maybe 1:30 local time. As we needed some new pillows, we went to the local (local!) IKEA. Man I love this store, in all languages. It is so awesome. We wandered around and found some furniture from our old apartment, priced out some futons for when guests come to visit, and got a few things we felt we needed. Joe picked up a bigger cereal bowl, I got a bigger teacup, and we got a bigger casserole dish. I cannot make Thanksgiving dinner in a dish that will not hold even a leg of turkey. We also grabbed some hangars and some actual useful pillows.

Kurnberg, Germany

After we left IKEA, we drove around the outskirts of Regensburg. We learned that 5 houses can comprise a village. In Kurnberg, one of the locals waved at me as we passed. We were in lots of farmland and forests. The leaves here are changing and it is quite beautiful.

We later ended up in Burglengenfeld. We were taking some pictures of the town, when an old man approached, and started telling us about the history of the town. He was very well spoken and very knowledgeable of the area. He told us that the castle on the hill was made of fire-stone which is not mined in the area, but there is a quarry in Tel-Aviv. He thinks the Romans had Jewish slaves cart the stones here to Burglengenfeld. I did enjoy listening to him tell us stories, and considering I thought he was going to ask for money, I was pleasantly surprised when he just wanted to chat, and mad at myself for making assumptions about him. 

Burglengenfeld, Germany

These Boots Were Made for Walking

A portion of the Roman Fort
Regensburg, Germany

And that’s just what they’ll do. I am so glad that before we left, I bought some shoes that were designed to be walked around in Fitflops. I bought the blogs version and the boots version. Like the fitflops flip flops they help to align your spine and give you a workout while you walk, etc. Whether that is true or not, I have not yet determined. I can tell you that they are very comfortable to walk around in and do not make your feet hurt. This is great when you are walking into town daily.

The cities are really designed for walking, not for cars. My dad says it is because people were walking long before driving, and then asked how old my town was, we both got a little chuckle when I told him it was in the year 90 that the Romans built a fort here. The town is seriously old, even ancient. Definitely caters to pedestrians.

On Thursday night after dinner, we walked around old town Regensburg. We saw architecture from 179, 1236, and the 1800s. It is amazing to see so much history from literally centuries ago. It is hard to believe that we, as a race, created something that has lasted for so long.

Regensburg Cathedral
Regensburg, Germany

Weird

I am trying very hard not to call anything I encounter weird or unusual. I realize that if the German people were to come to my country they would find many things different from their homeland, but that does not make either of us weird. As such, I am just saying different, because it is different from in the United States.

There are quite a few differences. For instance, on the roads, there are not yellow dividing lines between oncoming traffic. This can make it a little confusing when lanes are disappearing. It makes me wonder how they know which side is which. I think it must be intuition.

I do not know if our shower is the standard for all of Germany, but I can tell you the specific shower in our apartment is different. It has a glass door that opens out and wedges onto the tub, but it does not go all the way across; it only covers about 2/3 of the shower. So the floor can get wet with splashing, and you get cold while you shower. I do not quite understand the advantages of this arrangement, but at least it is clean so I cannot complain.

One major difference is the water, or wasser. By default, it comes with gas (carbonation). This I truly do not understand, it must be a taste thing. Water is supposed to hydrate you. Carbon dioxide will dehydrate you. Combined together, and you have made a completely pointless beverage. We were able to buy bottled water on the base that does not have gas so at least we are hydrated, and it does not come out of the tap that way, so we can drink it at home. In restaurants, we have been ordering non-water things. Joe prefers bier or Coca-light. I favor apfelsaft, which is apple juice and quite tasty.

Jet Lag?

Since we travelled for approximately 24 hours and did not sleep during them, my concept of days and time has been skewed. It also does not help that I thought Tuesday was the 2^nd, not the 1^st. Also, I thought Wednesday was the 3^rd, and on Thursday when told it was the 3^rd, I thought the day had gone on FOREVER! I have also been unsure as to the day of the week, further adding to my problems.

I also got the bright idea to quit drinking pop during this trip. I am extending this to all carbonated beverages, so I have not ordered any wasser mit gas yet, or any bier. I may have to lift the ban if we got to an awesome bier place, but at the moment, no bubbles! This has contributed greatly to my feeling jet lagged. My head has been throbbing most obnoxiously and I have felt very tired, both symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. Between my desire to sleep odd hours and the time change, my poor brain is all kinds of confused.

Our European King bed

We have a very nice furnished apartment. It is just outside old town Regensburg, and once a week a maid comes by to clean and change the linens. A sweet deal if you ask me. I love the views from our balcony and our kitchen.

It's actually quite spacious inside. We have a large dining area connected to the living area. The cabinet in the dining room are just fabulous, drawers and shelves under partially glass doors. I also love all the windows in the kitchen, and watching the street as I'm in there. The fridge is small, and there is no microwave to be found, but it's a lot better than some places in the US.

The most interesting part of our apartment is our European king bed. I do not know if this is true of all king beds in Europe, but ours is two twins pushed together in a king frame. There is no connection between the two mattresses, and the beds are made with twin sheets, not king sheets. The icing on this cake is the accompanying blankets: two twin size comforters and no top sheet. It is all about connected disconnect.

Planes, Planes, and Automobiles

Well after a lengthy delay, we finally boarded the BIG plane, which was our 2nd plane of the day. We were in Economy Plus, which according to the ad, gave us up to 5in extra legroom. One I shoved my giant backpack under the seat in front of me though, I didn't really notice a difference . . .

I sat in the middle seat. We each had our own TV screen to watch the show of our pleasure

And now it's 10am. Landed in Frankfurt. Just enough time to go through German security before hopping on our 3rd plane. The Germans also did not like the transformatator (or something like that). It was swabbed for explosive residue for the 2nd time and then I was given the all clear.. I was finally able to watch Bad Teacher and The Help. The Help was awesome, and had me crying in a few spots. Not uncommon, it's an emotional movie, but then I COULD NOT STOP. The last week seemed to have gotten to me. It was something like 3am and I had been up since 8am the day before and I lost all control. I think I cried for like an hour. It was my quarterly cry. Very cathartic later in the day, but at the time, it gave me a headache.

Boarded the plane. It was only a half hour flight, and we both passed out. That actually

helped a lot. 1pm now. Time to get the luggage. Joe realized we needed a luggage cart. He went to get one, and while he was gone, some guy comes up with his arms out, like "what's going on with this luggage situation?!" He then said some stuff in a language I didn't know while I looked bewildered. The luggage showed up and I pointed it out to him. He seemed gratified, and put out his hand, as if to shake. I took his hand, then he kissed mine twice and walked off. Joe, who had been walking back and saw everything, asks "What did you do?"

I have no idea. I can only imagine how my face looked during that exchange.

We yanked ALL our luggage off the conveyor belt and loaded it up onto two carts. It was a miracle it all arrived, first even, on the belt.

Next we had to get a rental car. This involved walking

out of the airport and then back in?

Munchen seems to have an open air square in the midst of the airport.

Rental car? Check. Time to make the trek to Regensburg also

known as Ratisbonne from

Munchen. It's about an hour drive. But on the autobahn in the beamer,

Joe makes short work of it. Finally reaching the apartment, we checked in, and went to find dinner, settling on McDs cause it was cheap and easy. We then passed out at 530pm local time, and we out til 10am the next day.

Stress Pinnacle

The other night my brain broke. I was exhausted and stressed out from trying to make everything I wanted to bring with us fit into 4 suitcases under 50lbs. each. While I was falling asleep I told Joe how I tend to wear red derivative colors on my fingernails, such as pink, orange, red, purple, and brown. This prompted an (unwarranted) explanation of the many ways to make brown, and a (one-sided) discussion of the color wheel, and a serious case of the giggles.

This morning, flight day, I found myself reviewing the contents of our bags. I had spent hours packing, unpacking, and repacking our bags, but somehow I neglected to put ANY underwear in either of my carry-on bags. What an oversight! Now I needed to locate some underwear without completely dismantling the intricate puzzle that was the contents of our bags. I recovered 3 pairs: a nice comfortable cotton pair, a pair designed to show no lines, and a leopard lacy pair. God forbid we have to spend the night in an airport and I have to wear one of those last 2 pairs. Not exactly what I want to be wearing during an all day sit-athon across the ocean.

UGH! Check-in. The culmination of days of planning the location and distribution of our possessions will now be given the ultimate test: the TSA airport scale. I am strangely calm considering how many fresh grays peaked through my dye job during the previous days-the real indicator of my stress levels. The suitcases hit the scales. 56 (BAH!), 47.5 (oh thank God!), 46 (WOO!!), and 43 (YES YES YES!). After a quick redistribution of weight we were on our way! Biggest problem of my week (month?) solved and forgotten.

[Sidebar] We expect our luggage to get lost. It is almost certain it will not arrive in Munich when we do. We are taking a tiny plane from Norfolk to Dulles and have 4 large checked bags. Furthermore, everyone who has a larger carry-on bag will have to check it at the gate. There just can't be room for all this luggage in the plane.

At the gate we settle in for a multiple hour wait time. I get a drink and meet a man in the Hudson news. He says to me, "spechen zie deutch?" (I realize this is probably not spelled right). Thinking that somehow he knows I don't speak German and am moving the country I say, "Oh, I wish" (in a serious wish voice, not in a sarcastic tone at all). I wonder if these words mean something in German, because he immediately starts speaking to me in German. I am unable to understand him, which I think he realized, but we did manage to communicate. My understanding of our conversation is this: he wanted some carbonated water (with gas). But none of the water had gas, so I pointed out the (soda) pop for him, indicated that at least it had gas. I sincerely hope that this was what he wanted and that I managed to help him. So far I'm doing alright with this language barrier.

Later, I've pulled out my knitting, and the woman sitting next to me can't resist the urge to ask my about the loom knitting, no one can. It's very interesting to watch, and most people have never seen anything like it before. I explained what I was doing, and our chat segued into other topics like travel, weather, and European infrastructure vs. American. She was very lovely to sit next to, until her flight got delayed and she had to reschedule her connection.

Then it was our turn. For some reason, our plane was delayed. Causing us to miss our connection. Fun fact time: there are not frequent flights across the Atlantic. It's not like missing a connection to Chicago, and there will be another one an hour later. I figure we're not going to Germany today, but Joe called United and got us re-booked on a flight to Frankfurt with a connection to Munich. We later find out that the flight to Dulles was delayed because our plane was coming from Chicago, where a bag had exploded earlier.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/explosion-chicagos-ohare-airport/story?id=14859229

We finally get on the plane, close the doors, fasten seatbelts, listen to our awesome flight attendant (I'll get to that), and sit there. I read the magazine in the seat-back pocket. I was looking for the movies to expect on my next flight, and was willing to flip through the entirety of the magazine to get to them. I finish the magazine and we are still at the gate. Almost immediately after, the captain comes on to tell us that apparently some Belgian dignitary wanted his bag OFF the fight, so bags were unloaded to locate his luggage, and then reloaded before we could leave. I mentioned before we expected our luggage to be lost, now I think it is important to note that if it arrives at all in the next week it may be a Vatican certifiable miracle. Too many hiccups to expect the end result to still go smoothly.

Final thoughts about our flight attendant, whose name I regrettably have forgotten. Shortly after our arrival he tells us that everything MUST be under the seat or in the overhead bin. It cannot be under our feet, behind our legs, or in our laps. He understands that some passengers will experience luggage separation anxiety if their bags are stored overhead, but he assures us there are trained counselors on board to help us all get through it. He later asks the audience how many exit doors are on the plane, and gave the first guy to answer a United reward certificate. This guy was awesome to be around, and made the annoying part of the flight fun. Kudos to you sir.

The Final Hour

Most cases, when you move into an apartment, you fill out a form regarding the state of the apartment on move-in-day. On move-out-day you are presented with the (exact) same form to indicate how much damage you may have caused. The apartment complex will use this information to keep your security deposit if they determine you've damaged their space. They may also have some clause in the lease entitling them to a clean apartment, requiring you to scour it before vacating.

On Friday we started the cleansing process. Nothing too exciting. Literally just scrubbing every surface inside and out. Fast forward 2 days: it's Sunday afternoon. I told my reluctant helpers (my husband and my sister) that we could search for Halloween costumes when the cleaning was done. I made a list, and we started knocking items off of it.

Finally, I made it into the master bathroom to clean the shower and toilet. Gasp! The most daunting task that everyone else was avoiding. After I scrubbed the shower, I stood up, and my leg bumped the pipe that connects the toilet to the wall.

[Sidebar] I've examined this fixture on other toilets in my life, and this pipe is ALWAYS metal. (In the diagram it's called the shutoff). Unfortunately, the apartment is (presumably) not up to code, and the pipe on the toilet in our master bathroom was made of PVC piping. The picture was found on http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/plumbing/how-to-repair-a-toilet6.htm November 1, 2011

So, when my leg bumped the pipe, it snapped, perhaps from the pressure of doing a job for which it wasn't qualified. In that split second my life changed. Mostly from dry to wet.

Water started GUSHING out of the wall. This was not a trickle or a flow controlled by something so demanding as gravity. It shot out straight of the wall for several inches before bowing to the demands of that fickle mistress. I found myself doing to only thing I could think of; screaming and trying to catch the water with my hands. Epic fail #1. Next, I tried to put the pipe back in the wall. Epic fail #2. The water wouldn't even let me get close to the hole with that pipe.

In almost no time at all, I found myself standing in a substantial puddle. My husband tell me to turn the shut off knob. I can turn it, but it won't do any good, as it is no longer attached to anything.

Joe brings in a trashcan (sans trash) to catch the water, but it won't fit in the space. My sister tells me to get a bucket. We don't have any buckets. Next she suggests a bowl. We don't have any bowls. Important to note, WE HAVE MOVED OUT, and the only thing left in this apartment are cleaning agents, paper towels, and a vacuum.

She and I strike upon an idea simultaneously; dump the Clorox wipes out of the tube, and use the empty container to catch the steady stream. By now, the water has spread into the master bedroom, but at least we're controlling it. She is sitting on the tub catching the water in her Clorox tube and I'm bailing out the bathroom like it's a sinking ship using the only thing I could find, an empty Chinese food container.

Meanwhile, Joe is trying to turn off the water. When cleaning out the cabinets several days earlier, he noticed the emergency water shut-off. He turned it, but the water didn't stop. Now we're more than mildly concerned.

I've called the emergency maintenance line, and left a message "Hi . . . A pipe broke in our apartment, water is gushing out of the wall, and we can't get it to stop, please help!" No response. Epic fail #3.

Joe goes back to the switch to try turning it again. Since the switch is BEHIND the cabinets in the other bathroom, he finds it difficult to access the switch. His solution is to tear off the back panel of the cabinet. Without this opposition, he was able to turn off the switch completely.

The water flow finally stops, leaving my sister and I to bail, and then wipe up the puddle. But the puddle is a never-ending puddle, because the water is continuing to seep steadily out of the wall. We put some towels by the baseboard and left it for people who care more.

Our New Place

It's official! We got the keys to our new place! We spent all last weekend moving our stuff in and it looks great! Best of all it comes with a monitored security system. Also, it's a storage unit. All of our things have found a new place to live while we take an extended European lifecation (that's life + vacation).

I am beginning to think this is the best option for anyone contemplating an overseas move. We do not have to worry about the headache of getting out stuff shipped safely across the Atlantic. Furthermore, I don't have to worry about making our decor work in a place I haven't even seen yet. Of course there is also the bonus of coming home (eventually) and having boxes of "new" stuff again. It will be like Christmas. "Oh! I remember this toaster! It's toasting time!"

Important things to note:

• If you are moving very far away and leaving your things behind in a storage unit, have someone stateside who can check on your stuff in the event of an emergency.
• Pick a company that has incorporated online payments. Sending a monthly trans-Atlantic check is just asking for trouble.
• Make sure your renter's insurance covers everything in the unit