24-27 December 2011 - Christmas in the Canaries

("Canary" by Liz Phair or, if you prefer, "Canary in a Coal Mine" by the Police, or perhaps the Christmas song, "Christmas Island" by one of the many artists singing it)

I decided to stay in Europe this year for the holidays. This was driven by two factors. First, it was my last opportunity to spend the holidays here while living here (yes, cry me a river, but the blog - at least with this type of semi-focused content - will be ending). Second, unlike the US where when holidays fall on a weekend you usually get a day off on the Friday before or the Monday after, in Germany there are no make-ups (though admittedly the firm - after I had already made my decision to stay - granted us an additional day between Christmas and New Year's). So there wasn't much actual time off. So I decided to stay here. Somewhere.

My original idea was that I would spend some time taking the train from one great Christmas market to another. Good in theory, but those markets actually close a couple days before Christmas itself when I would still be working, so not really workable other than on weekend trips (one of which I would spend in Orlando as noted in the previous posting). Hmmm....

So I did what any frequent traveler would do - I consulted my favorite hotel and airline (you should know by now that would be Starwood properties and Lufthansa). On the SPG site, they have a feature where you select a region or country of interest and then the types of activities in which you are interested and it comes up with some recommendations. So I selected Europe as the destination and beach, golf and spa as the activities. One of the suggestions it returned was the Fuerteventura Beach, Golf and Spa Resort and I had to wonder if it was renamed just based on my query result! Fuertaventura is one of the Spanish islands, so I figured that would be a reasonable vacation distance for a few days and Lufthansa flew there direct from Frankfurt. Perfect!

Of course it wasn't quite so easy. (And if it were, this blog would not have been necessary!) As a typical geography-challenged American, when I saw that the island was one of the Canary Islands of Spain, I assumed it was just off the coast of Spain, not off the coast of AFRICA!! Hmmm.... That explained the long flight length. Which flight was not on Lufthansa, but a partnership with Condor, which is the flight arm of Thomas Cook vacations (don't worry - Miles & Mores miles were still available!)

I flew out on Christmas Eve Day. The flight was generally uneventful, though I was somewhat surprised to see a rather scrawny-looking Santa Claus wandering around the check-in area at Condor. The seat selection process, if you want to call it that, is a bit interesting. Despite it being a Lufthansa codeshare, I had looked at Condor's website in advance to determine whether I would be charged extra for my golf clubs. The good news was that due to my Lufthansa/Miles & More status, there would be no additional charge. BUT, I had to register my bag 48 hours in advance, so it was a good thing I had checked.

I noted at the time that online check-in was also available, which I thought might be helpful in assuring I didn't get stuck in a middle seat as, since it was a codeshare, Lufthansa.com hadn't been able to allow me to select a seat. The reason became apparent when, 24 hours before the flight, I used said online check-in. When you check in, you are asked whether you'd like to select your own seat (for which privilege you pay EUR 10) or pay nothing and select the Seat Joker (not kidding - that was the name) option. I read this as, "If you don't want to be in a middle seat for 3.5 hours, you'll need to pay EUR 10." Of course, I wondered what would happen if you paid the EUR 10 for a seat, only to discover that only middle seats were available. That would really stink.

It was more or less all economy class with two rows in the front that were some kind of premium only in that the middle seat was left empty (kind of like Lufthansa's new continental Europe cabins) but without that pleated separation curtain between those rows and the rest of us commoners. There was a hot meal for all of us (no selection - you will just enjoy what is given to you or not eat) and several beverage services, which is much more than you would get on any US carrier that I know of on a 3.5 hour flight in economy.

The arrival was nothing terribly exciting, other than the distraction of the beautiful sea outside the huge plate glass window walls. I don't think I have ever had such a nice view from baggage claim. There were a few more scrawny Santas (maybe just because there aren't as many portly European men than there may be in the US?) in the airport including some passengers, but otherwise just a bunch of other people trying to get out of the airport and enjoy the sea that we'd been seeing through the windows.

When my taxi pulled up to my hotel I had to do a double-take. In addition to the flags of Spain and the European Union and a new one that I later learned was the flag of the Canary Islands, also flying high was a certain black, red and yellow flag. And I don't mean Belgium. Ummm.....

Now, I had heard a joke that Mallorca was the 13th Bundesland/state of Germany, but I hadn't thought the joke extended to all islands of Spain. But perhaps it does or should, because I was quite astonished to learn that staff at the front desk not only spoke very good English, but most also spoke some German and a few were much more fluent than me (which admittedly isn't saying a lot, but still....). I thought flying the flag was a bit much, though apparently they must fly them based on the mix of people staying there because I noticed when I left a few days later that they were also flying the Union Jack and there were indeed quite a few Brits around. But with a welcome glass of champagne for guests like me, they can fly whatever flags they want....

I had arrived around noon and the weather was even then not hot. It was probably in the high 70s with a really nice breeze and, from my balcony that was in the shade, actually a bit chilly. The weather remained like this most of the stay - warm enough for the sun worshippers and just perfect for the golfers!

There were two particularly interesting features of the hotel that caught my attention. First, when I was roaming around the property, towards one of the back corners behind the tennis and basketball courts was a walkway besides which was a kind of tent/shelter roughly the shape of an aircraft hangar, but open at the ends. It was covered by a tarp that indicated it was a feeding station for cats and to please leave food for them. Ummm.... Odd, as usually most places would say to not feed the strays. It remains unclear to me whether there is a large rodent problem or something that cats help control or something else. But I found it interesting.

The second interesting feature was the 18 hole miniature golf course that was visible from my balcony. While I think the idea was that children would partake in this activity and pay for the use of a putter and a ball in the children's area, you can imagine how my mind started to work when I saw that there were light poles around the area. There were no barriers to entering the course, so I thought it could be quite relaxing in the evening to take my real putter and some balls down there in the evening and practice my skills. Alas, they didn't actually turn the lights on in the evening. Drat! Soooo disappointed.

My time there basically consisted of enjoying the great breakfast buffet (complete with champagne and some really interesting creations that look like black sausages but that had a mixture of rice, beans and meat in them - I pretended there was no meat because I was so fascinated - so kind of like a burrito in a sausage casing), hopping on the free bus around the area, playing a round of golf, and then reading and relaxing in the late afternoon/evening. Unfortunately, while the hotel has a very nice spa, it wasn't open until 10 AM, which is frustrating if you want to get a workout in before your early morning tee time.

Golf (and events surrounding it) was clearly the highlight of my vacation and one of my reasons for choosing the area, as previously mentioned. I had emailed ahead to get tee times, which was an interesting experience and should have been a heads up on the multilingual capabilities on the island. I emailed the hotel (in English but from my German account) asking whether the concierge could arrange tee times. They responded in German with the email address to which I should address tee time requests. So I emailed that address (also in English), requesting tee times for Sunday and Monday. They responded in German, but with what appeared to be a cut-and-paste from their reservation system, which was in Spanish. Made me smile.

So I showed up for my 8:50 tee time on Christmas morning. At the hotel, I had run into a Brit who said his tee time was at 8:54 and saw him again when I arrived at the course. However, there was no starter in sight. There were two women (also from the UK) near the tee and I started talking with them. They were scheduled to tee off at 8:58. Still no sign of a starter and the group in front of me had cleared the hole, so I just started playing. A few minutes later, a guy on a golf cart caught up with me with a (very faint) hint of authority and asked if I was assigned to play with anyone. I said that the pro shop hadn't mentioned anything to that effect when I had checked in. He then asked if I would consider golfing with the group in front of me. I said that since I had gotten to know the players at 8:54 and 8:58 I would prefer to golf with them. He drove away to go check with them. As I was finishing the hole (a very poor start to the day, I might add), he came by again and said that the two ladies would be joining me and I should just wait for them at the second tee. Fun!

And what a truly fun time it was. The ladies (to protect the names of the innocent, I will call them Lovely and Delightful, though the names would apply equally to either of them) had recently turned their attention to learning golf and our skills were all about on the same level, so it was perfect. The ladies had the good fortune to be spending an entire week there, not only focusing on their golf skills but also to celebrate Lovely's birthday. We had such a fun time, though, laughing at each other, our golf skills (or, rather, lack thereof at times), the various ducks and birds on the path, other players. Just a lot of fun. We decided to grab a beverage (or two) and some lunch at the clubhouse and the laughter continued, including a guy asking where we were from as we were obviously old friends. Well, I guess slogging through 18 holes does make one feel older. Had such a great time we coordinated our tee times for the next day as well. More fun and laughter and we continue to keep in touch. By far the highlight of my trip.

I should also note that during the meals and beverages, there was a little black cat wandering around our feet. He was quite friendly, but not begging for food and appeared to be well fed. I had to wonder whether his state of health was influenced by the little cat feeding shelter like the one at the Sheraton. All in all, though, the perfect host for a perfect couple of days.

17 December 2011 - Not so magical Orlando airport

A few weeks ago this time, I was on a tin can en route from Frankfurt to Orlando. On Lufthansa, of course, which flies direct. But it was long flight - 10 hours and 20 minutes. Or longer depending on the Orlando operations, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I was headed to Orlando for a big Americas partners meeting we generally have every three years, but had skipped the last one due to the economic crisis so this

was my first of these events. I was excited to see a lot of partners I hadn't seen for quite some time, but the fact that we would be in Orlando was largely lost on us as we would be in windowless ballrooms the entire day - it was just convenient because it has large hotel/event centers.

So back to the flight. In the boarding area, there were a bunch of people and children clearly excited about heading to the Magic Kingdom and others apparently headed there for golf and sun vacations (too bad for most of these as it was rainy and overcast most of t

he time I was there). I got more and more grumpy as I saw all the happiness. (Insert some music from "The Grinch" here.) Fortunately, I was in business class which should reduce the chances of cabin-wide happy people.

There are several cabins for business class on a Lufthansa 747-400. I was in the second cabin in the back row of the three-seat section on the aisle. The middle seat was empty, so I was relatively content. When I saw the red felt Christmas stocking that the amenity kit came in, I became totally content. And then there was a gentle tap on my shoulder and a flight attendant

suggested (in German) that I follow her. So I followed her further back in the plane to the third business class cabin which has only two rows. She offered me the two seats on the window side, suggesting that I might be more comfortable there because there was more light, it was a more quiet cabin and it was a bit more private. She was right and I moved immediately. At this point I was downright happy. Had a nice flight during I learned that this flight attendant lives only a few blocks from me in Frankfurt. Small, small world.

A strange thing (or several) happened when we landed, though. We had pulled up to the gate, the fasten seatbelt light went out with a ding and everyone got up and started heading toward the door. Normal so far, right. And we waited. And waited. And someone finally announced that it would be about 20 minutes until US Customs (or whatever we call this agency now) could clear our plane. The plane?? Maybe it's some kind of clearance rather than inspection, but I still found it odd. But by this time, we were already packed in the aisles and far away from our seats, so most of just remained standing for at least until five minutes until the pilot announced that we were going to be refueling so everyone would need to take their seats. Initially, I thought the refueling reference was somehow ominous, as in we might be shipped off somewhere else to wait, but then assumed that since we were already running a big behind, Lufthansa was trying to decrease the delay on the outgoing flight by refueling while we waited. Still not sure what refueling has to do with being in our seats as we weren't required to fasten our seatbelts but I guess it doesn't matter.

Anyway, we nevertheless had been ordered back to our seats and, again, no one is near their seats except perhaps those in the very back. There is a lot of baggage that has been hauled out of the overhead compartments. But the line did start finally moving backwards. And it was a bit awkward, particularly for those of us in business class who were looking at people who had already made themselves comfortable in the larger seats. Awkward.

We finally were let off the plane and hurried to immigration where the true nightmare was waiting and is I suspect the reason for the clearance of our plane by US Customs. When you arrive at the immigration area, about 80% of the immigration desks are designated for visitors and the remainder for US citizens and permanent residents, special needs and flight crews. It makes sense as I imagine there are a whole bunch more people flocking to Orlando for vacation and Disney than there are Orlando residents flying abroad for vacation. Just a guess... And the visitors lines were backed up like crazy, with the entire queue full - and that was before our plane was emptied.

While I had done my best to pass as German on the flight, at this point in time I was more than happy to display the blue passport and head to the short line. I was about fifth in line, so I figured it would be a short wait. I was wrong. I had temporarily forgotten that we were no longer in Germany and all precision and efficiency was left behind on the 747-400 that was probably still refueling outside. While there were four desks for citizens and permanent residents et cetera, only two were in use. And all the special needs people were queued in a separate line and the attendant always seemed to put them in front of the rest of us. We were not amused. It looked for a short while like a third desk would open up as someone entered the cubicle area, but was then joined by another colleague looking at something on the screen that was apparently fascinating. Approximately 45 minutes later, I finally cleared immigration (the actual process of which took about 2 minutes). Did I mention I was fifth in line?!

I headed toward the baggage claim area, assuming that my bags would be there and perhaps even already off-loaded. Um, no. Remember how the queue for the visitors was full when I arrived? Well, those passengers were from Virgin Atlantic and Air France flights. Each had two of the four baggage carousels (they put first and business class on a special carousel). Because they were still waiting to get through immigration, the majority of these individuals had not yet picked up their bags, regardless of class. So there was no free carousel for Lufthansa luggage. Grrr.... But I was wrong - German efficiency wasn't left at the 747-400. The local employees started pulling bags off one of the other carousels so that it could be used for Lufthansa luggage. Love it! So about 75 minutes after landing, I finally had my bags and headed out. Only to discover that the signage in that airport was the worst I had ever (and I do mean ever, which says a lot) encountered when all I wanted was a sign to the taxi line. Grrr....

I finally found the taxi line and headed to my hotel, where I was treated just like another American, rather than one of the poor, unwashed foreigners who had suffered through a long flight and immigration hassles. No sympathy. I realize in retrospect that when he asked for identification, I should have given him my German driver's license and spoken with an accent, if for no other reason than to confuse the poor guy and see whether he started speaking to me in a loud voice as if I were a foreigner (as Avis often does when I present the German driver's license). Nevertheless, the guy gave me a room with what was supposed to offer a view of the fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom, but which required staying up even longer. I made it. Barely. And fueled by chicken quesadillas. Oh, how I miss America's version of Mexican food....

And all that aside, the Marriott World Center has a special on FourSquare whereby you get 250 bonus Marriott Rewards points. I'm just sayin'....

8 December 2011 - Raclette

(Roxette's "Run to You" - because Roxette sounds like raclette and I would run to it if I knew it were around)

I made a passing reference

to raclette in the Zürich weekend entry a month or so ago, noting I could write an entire entry about it. So, after having experienced the joy again yesterday, I decided it was time.

Raclette is a meal that has its roots in Swiss (and perhaps also French, as the Savoy region of France also lays claim to the meal) cow herders (I don't think it would be right to call them cowboys in europe) who would pack the semi-firm raclette cheese and some bread when they went out to the fields. They would build a fire at night (no - there is no Pace salsa ad coming up here), heat up the cheese and melt it onto their bread. Perhaps like an early form of a grilled cheese sandwich?

The modern version is slightly different. The cheese is still the same, but you buy different forms of it in packages in an entire refrigerated section in the Swiss grocery stores. The cheese (which normally comes in large wheels) is pre-cut into square slices that are about 2-3 times the slice of a normal slice of cheese you might buy to put on a sandwich.

Instead of grilling over an open fire, there is now a special tabletop grilling oven/machine. The machines come with little fireproof trays that are in the same sized square as the cheese, along with a small spatula of the same non-flammable material. You pop the cheese into the tray (you might also add seasonings) and slide the tray underneath the heating element of the grilling machine. When the cheese begins to bubble, it is pretty much done.

Meanwhile, you assemble the other ingredients used in the raclette dining experience, including vegetables like tiny boiled potatoes, baby gherkins and pickled onions, as well as some slices of meat such as a wonderful laser-thin sliced and air-dried beef.

Once the cheese is done, it more or less slides out of the tray onto your plate over the other ingredients and you can scrape out the rest with the little spatula. I'm sure there are specific ways this should be done, but in any case, it is a delightful way to clog your arteries. I'm told it is particularly great after a day of skiing, so perhaps that combats the artery situation. In any case, it is wonderful and I highly recommend enjoying some of this delightful food when you are in Switzerland during the winter.

6 December 2011 - St. Nikolaus Day

("Jolly Old Saint Nicholas," of course)

The 6th of December is a special day for children in Germany and likely many other countries. But while I am, of course, accustomed to references to St. Nicholas and St. Nick, I had always that was just another name for Father Christmas and Santa Claus. Apparently not.....

On the 6th in Germany, is a gift-giving day. When evening comes, St. Nikolaus (Nicholas) knocks on the door of homes and asks about the behavior of the children inside (think "naughty or nice," for which he had a book), including more or less quizzing the kids themselves, who in turn are supposed to recite or sing something or otherwise demonstrate their unique skills. Upon successful performing, the child then receives a gift. It strikes me as a bizarre form of "Trick or Treat" but with only the treat/performance element.

So where did this tradition come from? Based on my not-so-extensive internet search, this tradition came from the legend of St. Nikolaus, who died on 6 December in AD 343. What's interesting to note, though, is that St. Nikolaus had a sidekick called Knecht Ruprecht. Ruprecht was initially along for the ride to punish the bad children. In addition to putting them in the sack he carried, he was also known to distribute lumps of coal or stones to bad children children or whips with which the children would be beaten, as opposed to the sweets and good things given by St. Nicholas. However, one online source noted that over the years, Ruprecht became known as one serving baby Jesus and eventually became known as the patron saint of Christmas - Father Christmas or Santa Claus. I find this somewhat unlikely, but again, I don't really understand the tradition.

What also remains unclear to me is the relation, if any, between Knecht Ruprecht and Belsnickel (Belschnickel if you are a Preuscher). The latter was also said to have given lumps of coals and whips in the stockings of children on Christmas, though he seems to be considered a bit on the scary and evil side - at least moreso than Ruprecht. At the same time, Belsnickel is said to deliver socks or shoes of sweets on 6 December. But if you're a Preuscher, Belsnickel visits on New Year's Eve to, allegedly, deliver the things that Santa forgot when he visited on Christmas Eve (read: "after-Christmas sale").

In any event, the St. Nikolaus holiday is celebrated widely in Germany and, as I learned this week, in its friendly Lufthansa skies. On my flight last night, instead of the regular half-sandwich wrapped in cellophane, I received a small drawstring white cotton bag with Santa Claus embroidered on the front. It contained the half-sandwich, a clementine orange, some Lebkuchen, a piece of chocolate and little piece of paper that contained both a scratch 'n' sniff sticker of holiday scents as well as the following explanation:

"Every year on the 6th of December, it's an old German custom to celebrate St. Nicholas Day. On that morning St. Nicholas makes the eyes of all good children sparkle with joy. Because on the night before, he came with his big bag of treats and filled their boots with nuts, sweets or little surprises.

"We too would like to surprise you on St. Nicholas Day - with this little sachet full of goodies in the spirit of the season. After savoring the treats inside, you're welcome to take it home as a little memento of the Lufthansa St. Nicholas. Enjoy!"

Sweet, huh? I'm still wondering about the coal guys, but pleased that at least Lufthansa, if not Knecht, are looking out for my interests.

4 December 2011 - O Tannenbaum

(Obviously, "O Tannenbaum," aka "Oh Christmas Tree")

As noted in my previous post, I am for whatever reason in the Christmas mood this year and started decorating. I even went so far as to consider a tree for the house. In prior years, I have just used the one Christmas decoration I brought over from the US - a metal structure from Crate & Barrel that consists of two triangular outlines that, when liked together, form something like a squarish Christmas tree which holds 10 taper candles. It works for me (I mean really - who doesn't like a good fire hazard?), though you can't really decorate it given the obvious flammability considerations.

So last Saturday, I headed out to Hornbach, my favorite hardware store that is conveniently located next to IKEA where I picked up a few more Christmas tchotchkes. Hornbach also is where I stock up on the gel fuel for my fake fireplace (as I type this and hearken back to one of the very early blogs regarding the "search for incendiary devices," I am beginning to wonder for the first time if I have some issues with fire).

Anyway, I found the trees in the garden area and was wandering around when one of the clerks came up and asked me if I needed some assistance. I told him that I was looking for a rather small tree since I do, after all, have cats that would love to climb (and topple) something taller and there's the small matter of transporting a larger tree. So he took me over to a different section where they had all of these little trees that were nearly so round as to be qualified as Christmas bushes. I found one that I thought would be fine, though, and that's when I realized that it wasn't just a tree ending in a stump, but a tree that was actually potted in one of those black plastic containers that you would buy a tree in if you were going to plant it at home. Uhhh....

Well, I was told (but not able to independently confirm this) that there is some EU regulation that, in order to further "green" goals, a certain portion of the Christmas trees sold are to be sold in pots with the idea that they would then be planted outside in the spring. Fascinating idea, no?

In any event, I liked the idea of something with a heavy base like this as it would decrease the odds (especially with the tree's (a picea pungens glauca, for those interested - I have nicknamed him "Picky") lower center of gravity due to its bush-like figure and relatively short height) that the Lads could successfully engage in tree-tipping. Not to mention that a tree that is alive should be less likely to lose needles in massive quantities.

So pictured here is, following repotting into an empty container from the balcony, the Christmas bush. Decorating is still ongoing, not only to find a proper top and a longer string of lights but also to try and find the right placement of ornaments to escape notice of the dangly ones by the cats. So far, only two have been batted down and, with location of unbreakable ornaments at the very bottom, no casualties.

The experience also reminded me of when I was in El Salvador as the Christmas season approached. It's obviously quite hot there and not exactly Picky's native habitat, so the trees would quickly dry out and lose their needles. If I recall correctly, Willy had said that the trees would be sent down in air conditioned train cars or trucks and they were in very short supply. Fascinating. But of course there were tons of poinsettias, which we got from Antigua, Guatemala, which is another story entirely. But I can't recall when I have ever seen something so beautiful as the acres and acres of poinsettias in the greenhouse. I will try to add a picture later if I can find one. But in the meantime.... "O Tannenbaum...."

27 November 2010 - Beginning of Advent

("A Few of My Favorite Things" - I prefer the version by Yo-Yo Ma and friends on his "Songs of Joy and Peace" album)

I had thought that at some point in time I had posted a bit about some of the Christmas traditions in Germany. But there are very few postings in December on the blog and none scream out at me about Christmas, so at the risk of being redundant, here goes....

There are a few things about a German Christmas (Weihnacht) that differ from the traditions in the US, so let me explain them briefly.

Greetings

There is no option for being politically correct. It is the Christmas and New Year's season, not "the holidays." More specifically, there isn't a generic "Happy Holidays" greeting. It's basically only "Merry Christmas." I learned this the first year I was looking at the cards from the firm. The options were "Merry Christmas" cards or the same in German ("Frohe Weihnachten"). When I asked if there was a neutral version as I was sending some cards to client who I either knew were Jewish or I wasn't certain or their religion so I wanted to be safe, I was met with a "deer in the headlights" kind of look. Okay, guess not.... So I ended up sending out the German version and plead ignorance, hoping that the American on the receiving end either wasn't Jewish and/or didn't understand German. If you're looking for a Kwanza card, forget about it.

On a related note, while companies send out "Christmas" cards, there doesn't seem to be the same industry around people sending cards to their families and friends, at least not to the same extent as in the US. In the US, of course, you buy cards by the box and only someone very, very special would get a special Christmas card you hand-picked for him or her. Here, it's mostly just one-off cards and inexpensive they are not!

One other note on greetings, generally. While in the U.S. we would usually say simply, "Happy New Year" or something like that, there is a different/additional phrase in German, "einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr" or, roughly, a good slide into the new year.

Adventskranz

Before some of you start wondering, this has nothing to do with being an Adventist. On the contrary, this delightful tradition is more closely with the Catholic faith or the Lutherans. It is generally a wreath that has four candles. The first candle is lit on the first Sunday of Advent and then you light the first and the second for the second week and so on. In some cases, there is a fifth "Christ" candle that is lit on Christmas. There are also variations on what the color of the candles are. There is more information (Wikipedia is ever helpful), but I had just never seen these before, but here you see them not only in churches but also homes and businesses. So this year I bought my own wreath, pimped it out with some evergreen pieces, stuck in some candle bases and now have a "sustainable" Adventskranz that I can take to the US with me and continue the tradition. (That's what you see in the photo....)

Weihnachtsmarkt

By far, my favorite thing in Germany during the holidays (sorry - old, politically correct habits die hard) is the Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt). Most sizable cities (and even many small towns) have them, running from roughly around the first weekend of Advent until a day or two until Christmas itself. One of the best known such markets is in Nürnberg, but there are many other great ones (not surprisingly, I am partial to Frankfurt's market) and I am hoping to do a tour of them this year if my schedule works out. So what's the big deal? Everything. First, they are just crowded with people of good cheer. Second, it's usually cold outside, so you warm up with a mug of Glühwein (mulled wine, though there is a non-alcoholic version available also), served in real ceramic mugs with a low deposit that makes snatching those with the name/year of the market very tempting. There are also plenty of other great things to eat, like Flammkuchen (kind of like thin crust pizza, but with a cream sauce instead of tomato), roasted nuts and Lebkuchen (soft gingerbread with a light chocolate coating) and many other goodies.

There is nothing like a Weihnachtsmarkt. Nothing! But if you want to get a taste of it and have the good fortune of living in Chicago, visit the Christkindlmarkt, which is based on the concept of a Weihnachtsmarkt, features some German vendors, is sponsored by Lufthansa (natürlich!) serves currywurst (!!!!) and also has significant input/participation from Nürnberg itself. Highly, highly recommend it. It's located at the Daley Center and the website is even bilingual. Love it!

A weekend in Zurich - November 2011

I headed to Zürich this past weekend as part of a friend's destination birthday celebration. She had lived there for more than a decade and visits frequently, so itwas like being shown around the town by a local. At least I am quite sure that as a non-local I would have missed
two of the primary events we caught.

The first event is the Neue Räume event, which is a sort of an interior design and furniture show. I say "sort of" as all the information (see www.neueraeume.ch) is in German and I am so clueless on these types of things I wouldn't know the proper terminology if it hit me in the face. It's just not something I spend much time thinking about, which is apparently painfully evident to those who have visited my various homes over the years. (But for one brief week or two before I had to pack up for my move to Germany, my place in Chicago was pretty amazing - after I finally enlisted the assistance of a professional. See the pictures here of the transformation pics for a den, loft and great room and you'll see why I needed help!

http://www.creativehavenbymichele.com/gallery_new.html ).

Anyway, the Neue Räume event was in a former ABB factory building near the Oerlikon train and tram station. The stark concrete and metal and high ceilings provided a nice contrast against the items that were on display. There was an interesting combination of furniture, lighting, floor coverings, kitchen and baths. None of the exhibits were particularly large and they didn't really seem to flow together, but perhaps that is some of the charm. And because most had quite modern tables and things, it was hard to determine whether the furniture was the point or if they were the platform for something else entirely.

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that there weren't more "green" offerings. Perhaps if you can afford this stuff you would have no desire to save the earth and use recycled materials and the like. For example, one of the vendors was focused on admittedly interesting wooden tables and chairs fashioned out of whole pieces of wood that could only come from a really big (read: "old") tree. Another was all about leather flooring. Really?

The second interesting event was Expovina (see http

://www.expovina.ch/neu/index.php?page=Willkommen-Expovina). Or if you ask the locals about the "wine boats" that may be even more readily recognized. Essentially, about a dozen boats that offer cruises on Lake Zurich during the summer months are pressed into service at the pier for about 10 days in autumn.

A CHF 20 tickets gains you admittance to all of the ships as well as a well-organized catalog of the over 120 wine vendors on site. The vendors were primarily importer and distributors, but there were also apparently a

limited number of producers. Each of the identically sized booths in turn offers numerous wines, all free for the tasting. (There were also some food vendors, including fondue and raclette, but the food there was an additional charge. If you are not familiar with raclette, let me know and I might devote a posting about that - it's THAT GOOD!)

So how do you approach this? An American colleague of mine who is based in Switzerland recommended choosing one weapon and sticking with it (e.g. Spanish reds, German whites, champagne, ice wine). Seemed like a sensible strategy and significantly helped focus the plan of attack. What I also learned from the birthday friend who is quite the wine connoisseur was that most of the vendors had more wine than what they put in the

catalog. So if you showed some knowledge of wine, they would pull out some other things they were holding back (primarily because some people would just show up and demand to taste the most expensive wine on the list). So these under-the-counter wines were often on a second list. But in some cases, such as what we encountered with a CHF 98 bottle of Canadian red (who knew?! - Le Veiux Pin 2007 Merlot Reserve from British Columbia for those wondering), the truly special bottles aren't even on the second list, but are things they "write in" on your order form. Fascinating. Overall, a really interesting experience, though I might recommend going with someone who really knows wine so that you can enjoy the under-the-counter wines! But all that said, sometimes the judging-the-book-by-the-cover or wine-by-the-label method also works as El Tractor with its picture of a tractor was easily my favorite.

On a related note, if you do enjoy wine and good food, I would highly recommend a visit to Caduff's Wine Loft (www.wineloft.ch). In addition to tasty staples throughout the year (their vegetarian ravioli are lovely) they have seaso

nal specials, such as the venison four or five course menus during this trip. But the best part is that after you order, you get to go down into their wine cellar to choose your wine. When you enter, you are nearly transported to somewhere else entirely as it is primarily lit by candles adding a romantic atmosphere to the experience. You can also organize wine tastings down there, which I think would be quite fun.

The third noteworthy event (that I think I might have happened upon, even as a non-local) was the Miro, Monet and Matisse exhibit in the Nahmad Collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. Apparently the Nahmad family had their own collection in addition to being art dealers, but it really is quite amazing. While the M, M & M exhibit was interesting, I was amazed at the number of Picasso's (easily more than 15 on display and many more in the collection based on the catalog) works there. Highly recommend a visit to all who are in the area. You can buy a pass just to the Nahmad Collection and the audio guide is included.

29 October 2011 - Autoworld Brussels

I had a meeting in Brussels this past Friday so when I learned one of my peeps working in London and a colleague were planning on spending a weekend in Brussels, it wasn't a difficult decision to decided to stay a bit longer (on my own dime, of course). They didn't arrive until around noon on Saturday, so I wandered about a bit on Saturday morning, including one of my favorite places from previous visits - Cinquantenaire Park. The last time I was in the park, I had kind of stumbled across it, I believe. Didn't know much about it and most assuredly did not have an "app" for the city. So as I was wandering about, I decided to see if there was anything about the park that I should know.

Well, there was a very significant change from the last time I had visited - Autoworld. Oh, now just stop!! And stop indeed I did, particularly since I was quite certain that my chick friends would not be interested in automobile goodness.

The museum itself is in a building that looks a bit like a rounded hangar but with a glass and iron structure overhead, giving it the feel of a greenhouse. There is amusing signage out front (though I suppose it is not meant to be amusing) indicating parking for "Oldtimers" (I can only assume that they mean the cars, not their drivers.) Inside, there was a ticket counter, albeit not with great controls to prevent people from entering or for validating their tickets and/or counting the number of visitors. There were no audio guides.

Inside, there were two levels. The first was relatively well marked, both in terms of flow and of the models of the vehicles. This level generally contained cars up until around the time of World War II. There was also a small separate section with carriages and other horse-drawn means of transport. I would say that the general focus was on European-produced vehicles and I learned quite a bit about brands that have faded or disappeared through the years. I also learned a few new tidbits that perhaps if I were a better automotive enthusiast I would have known, including:

• Vespa produced not only scooters but also a vehicle targeted toward women that included Brigitte Bardot in the marketing of the vehicles.
• Rolls Royce vehicles were initially produced just as an engine and chassis and then individuals would hire coachmakers to "pimp them out" (pretty sure they didn't use that term back then) with the driver/passenger cabin.
• The museum included an old 1920s Ford that was, in the manner described above, pimped out as a camper by a Belgian coachmaker. I guess this was the beginning of the european mobile home camping phenomena?
• Ferdinand Porsche (yes, THAT Porsche) designed the Volkswagen Beetle.
• The British monarchy relied on Daimler, not Rolls Royce, for its vehicles until the early 50s.
• Apparently the Swiss were involved in cars, given the 1935 Hispano-Suiza on display. Who knew?

The second floor was just a bit odd and erased some of the positive thoughts I had had of the first floor - essentially either a new or underfunded museum but moving in the right direction. Because this was a giant open space with two levels, one could see signs indicating the decades from 1960-2000. The other side was a bit of a mystery. When I got up to the second floor, it took on the character of a large garage where car afficionados liked to keep cars or where a bunch of guys (sorry ladies) who love cars decided they should open a museum. Many more private collection cars, fewer signs regarding progeny or significance of the vehicles.

Live plants significantly in need of watering. Empty spaces. And a sort of cafe in the making. Generally disappointing, other than the surprise appearance among high-end or sporty vehicles of the lowly AMC Pacer. My grandfather had one of these "fishbowls-on-wheels" and, of course, it was immortalized in the movie, "Wayne's World."

Overall, for €6, I would go again. And then demand more Audi vehicles. ;-)

22 October 2011 - Ringeltaube

In my question to find the perfect cabriolet, a colleague of mine volunteered to let me driver her Boxster S. We met at my apartment, which of course is in the middle of the city, and we were trying to figure out where to drive so that I could let the car stretch its legs, so to speak. She suggested we go to the airport. Well, you know how I love going to airports (especially a major Lufthansa hub), but I have never thought of doing so when I am not flying somewhere. But she said something about access to some store that was nearby, so off we went.

(Yes, the Boxster S was lovely. It's a very nice size, not as many blind spots as an Audi TT roadster with the roof up, more than spunky enough (think just the plain Boxster would be fine), more cargo space than the 911 and it really is cute. Good chick sportscar.)

We arrived at the store that is not at all well-marked. You'd have to know it was there to end up there. In fact, I'm not quite sure I could find it again if I tried. A smallish white wooden building with no apparent windows and only very small signs. But oh, the treasure trove that waited inside.

Apparently, the store is a sort of "company store" for Lufthansa. Be still my heart. There were a few pilots inside and, well, what chick doesn't like a handsome man in a uniform, especially a Lufthansa uniform! The store seemed to be something like a cross between what I think one of the US military PX stores must be like (never been....) and a duty free catalog brought to life. There were things for children, luggage, airplane models (including one of Air Force One!), a Lufthansa flight attendant action figure (yes, I was so tempted to buy her for travels with Sarah Palin), kitchen goods, fragrance and cosmetics, some clothing (mostly for men) and a really large display of high-quality wine, other alcohol and chocolates that were ridiculously low-priced.

Fascinating place. Don't think I'll ever get to go again since I don't have the employee card to get in, but worst case, I could try to find it and scope out good looking pilots. ;-)

Oh, Lufthansa....

16 October 2011 - Buchmesse

The Frankfurt Book Fair (Buchmesse) is one of the large events here each year and is a big deal (both locally and internationally) in much the same way as the International Auto Show. I remember when I was apartment hunting here and the relocation consultant and I were driving by the Messe (the convention center) she mentioned both of these events and I was wondering what in the world a book fair was. Though its importance was reinforced later when I read John Irving's book, "A Widow for One Year" (which I highly recommend).

As history, you might find it interesting to know that it dates back to the 15th century. Why the 15th century and why Frankfurt? Well, apparently Gutenberg's movable type was invented not far from here. It grew, though political and other reasons, Leipzig was the center in the 18th century. Nevertheless, after World War II, the book far resumed in Frankfurt and has been here ever since.

So I headed there today, the last of the two days that it is open to the general public, to check it out. I looked at their website in advance (wwww.buchmesse.de) and was a bit mystified by the whole thing. I downloaded the free app, hoping that might provide some insight, but it was also not so helpful. I guess if you have to ask what the book fair is all about, it might not be designed for you. But nevertheless, I went. And noted on the website that the ticket included free public transportation, which from my location is a €4,80 value and convenient as I can pick up the right Straßenbahn (street car/tram) on my own block and it takes me right there.

The book fair was only slightly smaller in scale (in terms of number of buildings) than the International Auto Show, and the individual exhibits were certainly much smaller. Essentially, each publisher had an exhibit and there are an awful lot more publishers than there are automobile manufacturers, as you can imagine. Many of them looked like small bookstores - a wall with some shelves and books on them. In most of them (but I don't think all), you can purchase the books that are on display. Apparently this was frustrating in previous years as you could see an interesting book, but would then have to write down the title and try to figure out how/where to buy it later. However, for those of us prone to read our books as eBooks, this remains a bit of a challenge.

The very noticeable thing about this fair versus the auto show, however, was that nearly every booth also had comfortable chairs or chairs and tables where readers could just sit down and read books. It was also relatively quiet. Like a combination between the Library of Congress and a gigantic bookstore with cafe. The majority of the exhibits were related to German language books, so I whizzed through them. I did, however, take a bit of time in the Tourism section to see the largest selection of Marco Polo travel guides (my favorite!) I have ever seen (and confirmed that there is not a travel guide to Bergen, Norway, which would have made that trip even better). There were also areas where they had presentations and interviews and an area (in the Audi building built specifically for the 2011 International Auto Show, I must note) where they discussed new media.

There were three buildings specifically for international publishers. One of the three was for countries where English is the native tongue - and Israel. This was also the only building that I visited where there was security and bag searches at the entrance. Terrorism at a book fair? Really? But I guess you can never be too safe. After, knowledge IS a dangerous thing. I have to say, though, that I was really disappointed in many of the American publishers, though. It was just before 14:30 when I arrived, and they were already in tear-down mode. Penguin and Simon & Schuster had already stopped selling books though you could still browse, but Random House had literally closed its gate. If I were an author who were being promoted there, I would be a little peeved that they were closed/closing a full 3 hours before the end of the event.

Overall, a very interesting experience. But I still have no idea why there were so many young people dressed in costume and roaming about outside. At first, I thought maybe it was like a Harry Potter thing where people dress up in costumes to meet their favorite SciFi authors or something, but they were quite wide-ranging. Odd.... As far as I know there isn't an early Halloween here that might explain this, either.

15 October 2011 - Another (not quite) typical Saturday in Frankfurt

("We're not gonna take it" by Twisted Sister)

Today started like any other day - an anim

al nosing me awake followed by a quick look at email, Words with Friends and the Financial Times on my iPhone. In addition to a fascinating piece in the FT of a lunch interview with Mitsuko Uchida (who knew German was her second language?) which I highly recommend reading, there was mention that the Occupy Wall Street movement / protest / demonstration or whatever it is called was spreading beyond the United States and there were planned "occupy" events in financial centers around the world today. Including one certain city that happens to be home to both Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and a certain European Central Bank. That's right - potential unrest was coming to Frankfurt! Soooo exciting!!

Of course the article didn't give specifics on where the action was going to be in each of the cities and it wasn't as if it was announced in the papers either and I'm not all that plugged into that type of social media (which likely would have required a greater command of the German language than I have), but Frankfurt's not that big of a town, so I just started walking towards the city center.

Along the way, I happened across two interesting things. The first is the flea market along the Main River that happens monthly, I believe. I have never seen anything there that I want to buy (usually a lot of old junk and strange clothes), but I enjoy wandering through it and doing some people-watching of vendors and shoppers. And I am quite enamored with the little booth that sells fresh waffles with powdered sugar. So tasty on a sunny, crisp autumn today as today was. (Would have been perfect football weather, but if I start thinking about that I am going to get distracted by thoughts of my Badgers - which would then distract me thinking about the honey badger video on YouTube.)

The other interesting

thing was on the other side of the Main - demolition of a building or series of buildings. I haven't seen an active building rip-down in Germany, so it was fascinating to watch. I was particularly surprised that A) they were working on a Saturday and B) they had not taken the doors out of the elevators before they began demolition. Seemed odd. Anyway, I was not the only one fascinated by this scene of destruction

(though most of the others ogling this were little boys tagging along with their dads).

Given recent coverage of and conflict over the Eurozone, I thought that the European Central Bank would be a good place to start looking for the demonstration. There were a few police officers around, but otherwise quite typical of a Saturday morning (other than the odd guy walking his ferret). Hmmm.... I was thinking of heading to the Deutsche Börse building when I heard drums in the distance and noticed the drummers and people wielding banners approaching. So I followed them and found a large group forming near the Zeil area. I wandered around taking some pictures of some of the signs I saw and just trying to take in the mood.

I admit that I wasn't quite sure what I expected to find, so what I saw didn't overly excite or disappoint. Generally, everyone seemed to be in good spirits, rather than full of anger. There were homemade signs (both of the on-a-stick and sandwich varieties) in both English and in German as well as more professional-looking printed banners from organizations. While most focused on the financial crisis (both in terms of bankers as well as the Eurozone), there were also people there protesting Stuttgart 21 (the new train station) as well

as nuclear energy, for example. I wandered around for about 10 minutes and then noticed that the crowd was starting to move. So I followed along, on what became a rambling walk (calling it a "march" would lend more of a sense of a unity and common purpose than may have been the case) to the European Central Bank. You can see a bit of difference between the first and second pictures, even though not even an hour separated the two.

I have never been involved in a protest of any kind, and would only say that I observed this one. But I would have expected it to be louder. While there were some drummers, as noted earlier, for the most part the only noise were some peoples with whistles, a few with noisemakers and the regular hum of people talking. I expected more chanting or something. Then wondered if it was difficult to get people to chant along in unison in German because the words are so long? The only chant I really heard was near the end where the chant was in English, which I captured a bit of in this very homemade iPhone video (and in which you can see a fascinating U.S. flag where the states have been replaced with corporate logos, which I think is actually interesting commentary sheerly from the perspectives of the Citizens United decision that allows corporations essentially unlimited campaign donations).

Once everyone was gathered around the ECB, some speeches began. It was a very homegrown type of event. There was a little station wagon that was serving as the "headquarters" of sorts, with two large speakers mounted on top and a small stage behind it with a microphone. There seemed to be a youngish guy organizing things and there were a few people with prepared speeches, none of which I recognized but, again, I'm not a member of this dissident community, so....

While of course my understanding of the speeches was limited both by the poor audio quality, loud audience and my limited German, it seemed like they were discussing topics much more broad than those that seem to be the focus of the U.S. Occupy Wall Street efforts. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of discussion about the Eurozone and questions over why Germany was essentially underwriting weaker countries rather than paying attention to domestic issues. But there were also mentions of the US and I don't think they were entirely positive - more that the US bankers and housing crisis had forced this on the rest of us around the world. There were also mentions of the Arab Spring, which I'm pretty sure was not a focus in the U.S. All in all, though fascinating to watch and to see the reactions of the crowd to the message. I should note that it was an interesting cross-section of the population - certainly a lot of young people, but also more people in their 50s and beyond than I might have expected and hardly any children.

Once they turned over the microphone to anyone who wanted to speak, I lost interest and wandered back home. Fortunately or unfortunately, nothing interesting happened on the way home. But I am glad I made the trip to find some well-controlled and respectful unrest in Frankfurt.

BMW Welt - München, Deutschland

Those of you who have been following this blog from the early days know that I, well, had a brief fling with Bonnie shortly after I moved to Germany. We had some communication issues (who doesn't?) but we came to a certain understanding and she was instrumental in helping me get settled. She had a pleasant personality, a nice body, kept me safe and warm, was loyal to a fault and I will always have a special place in my heart for her. But like far too many good things, it came to an end. And one day she just left and went back to BMW Leasing without so much as an electronic security system chirp or headlight wink.

I relived some of our time together this past weekend when I went to BMW Welt (BMW World) in Munich. It is, if I haven't already mentioned it, one of my goals to visit the museums of the major German auto manufacturers before I am sent back to the US. So far, I have been to Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. So all that remains after the BMW visit is Porsche. Since I consider Opel to kind of be like GM in drag, I haven't searched to see whether they have a museum.

BMW Welt is a huge complex, including the BMW Tower (think of four cylinders joined kind of like a four-leaf clover of an office building), the BMW Welt visitor center (in which the current models are on display), BMW Museum (self-explanatory) and a production plant. I believe that, like Audi and probably the others, you can also pick up your vehicle somewhere here and there will be special VIP treatment when you meet your Bonnie (you should BE so lucky! she's mine!! do you hear me?! MINE!!) for the first time.

The BMW Welt visitor center is, architecturally, a very interesting building. Its rather swoopy design reminds me a bit of the Audi building that was specially constructed this year for the International Auto Show in Frankfurt, but augmented by an additional double/inverted cone thing that I didn't quite understand from a structural or design perspective. There are two levels of underground parking, which was convenient, but not free (it's free at Audi, in case you're wondering....). It really is an impressive structure, though, and the first floor is like a very high-end showroom for the cars with a restaurant, a lounge area and, of course, a shop. What I found most interesting in the shop, though, is what is pictured here - in addition to the BMW merchandise, there was a Mini store on the second floor - and an Apple shop. Hmmm.... Maybe this checked off the "something for everyone" qualities they were looking for in their

merchandise?

The visitor center is connected via (uncovered) bridge to the BMW Museum, which isn't much to look at from the outside. Inside, though, it is more interesting. Throughout most of the museum are opaque white/glass walls that somehow remind me of an Apple store (not to be confused with the second story of the visitor center gift shop)

and periodically images (some moving, some still) are projected on them, often with accompanying sound effects.

The flow of the museum seemed a bit awkward to me. There were often rooms where you walked in, looked about, but then had to retrace your steps to get back out, rather than another open walkway to the next item. And in some of these rooms, there was only material on one wall, so it's not as if you could see something different on the way out. The various exhibits also didn't seem to fit together - for example, they weren't in chronological or other apparent order and the motorcycle coverage was mixed in among the cars. It was more like a collection of disparate rooms - here are some motorcycles, here are some M-series vehicles, here are some of our old ads, here are some concept cars, have you seen our motorcycles with sidecars for racing? Overall, particularly as compared to the Mercedes-Benz (my favorite) and Audi museums (the Volkswagen museum was pitiful), I was very disappointed. And I didn't come out of it feeling like I was an idiot for not having a BMW (or maybe that's because my separation from Bonnie is still so raw?).

That said, here are my favorite features:

• View from the rear. A kind of artwork made out of the model numbers as you would see them from the back of a badged vehicle.
• An exhibit of enginesthroughout the years. Headphones were hanging from the ceiling and you could pull them down and hear the engine sounds from the respective engines revving and going through your head in stereo.
• 
  
• The infamous bubble car. I had not seen one in person before, but I particularly enjoyed their display of pictures of people taken with their bubble cars on vacation, in snowstorms, etc. Seems kind of like a pre-curser to the Mini.

All in all, not a bad experience for €6 plus parking fees if you love cars or BMWs and are in Munich.

And Hudson - I never said I loved Bonnie. You are my one and only. Until you leave me for Audi Leasing....

Visiting the Doctor - Part 4

With each visit to the doctor, I continue to be intrigued. This last visit (or, as is usually the case, series of visits) was no exception.

I am an office worker. I have pale white skin. This is something I have gotten used to. In fact, I think I have been pale all my life, with the exception of the year that I was 13 and worked on the Grounds crew and developed a most amazing farmer's tan. But being pale doesn't bother me, particularly as I have no desire to either just hang out in the sun for the purpose of being fried or the skin cancer that likely comes with such fried skin.

Since I am pale, I know that I will quickly fry, so I am of the habit of using the strongest sun protection available, usually SPF 50. So while in Spain on vacation, I slathered this stuff on. I even re-applied. And did a post-sun treatment with some aloe vera stuff afterwards to take the heat out, cool, etc. And while I may have forgotten the tops of my ears the first day of golf, everything else was fine.

Until Friday night. Suddenly, the skin on my arms and legs that had been exposed to the skin (and thank goodness not my face) started, well, going rogue. I won't describe this in detail for the faint of heart, but think bad, itchy eczema that was hot to the touch with swelling that had my knuckles looking like little dimples. Hmmm.... It got worse and worse with my skin just pulling tight and the heat radiating through me. So, nutshell, not such good times. So I knew that on Monday morning I had to go to the doctor's office.

There are, as I may have mentioned before, kind of open office hours each day so you can just show up without an appointment and they slot you in when they can. I was there bright and early at 8:00 AM. Turns out the open season doesn't start until 8:30. Fine. I had some books on my iPhone to read. Around 8:40, I was up. I went into the doctor's office and presented an arm.

Doctor: What's that?

SIP (to herself): Isn't that what you're supposed to tell me?

SIP (out loud): My skin is apparently have a negative reaction to something. This is the case only in areas touched by the sun, but note that the none of the affected skin is actually burned. And this is despite the application of SPF50 sun cream.

He was clearly confused on what to do. So he called in another doctor who also said, "What's that?" Hmmm. Two for two.... Not so good.

There was some fast and furious German back and forth between them during which they apparently agreed that they should give me a combination of some drugs, some cream (and at the highest level, which appeared to freak them out, but which I was thinking was probably something you could buy over-the-counter in the US) and an injection to immediately halt the inflammation. Fine. So the doctor wrote a prescription for all of this -- and some vitamins. He keeps trying to prescribe vitamins for me and I keep throwing out those prescriptions as I have my own US multivitamin stash (you can't buy a multivitamin over the counter here, which I think is nuts). I have to wonder if he's getting a kickback of some kind for this, but I digress.

So I went back out into the waiting area to wait for my name to be called again for my injection. About 40 minutes later I heard it, but it wasn't for the injection. Nope. It was for a THIRD doctor to look at my arms. I now officially felt like a circus freak. Which is saying a lot, because as Preuscher, one grows up feeling "special and unique" (aka strange). And then I was sent back to the waiting area for more good times waiting for my name to be called.

It wasn't until nearly 12:00 that my name was called. I was getting a bit peeved, because during all this time I could've gone to the Apotheke that was around the corner (or every corner, if you're in Frankfurt) and already had some drugs streaming through my blood. Anyway, it was my time. And I should've anticipated this by now, but I am a creature of habit - they first took blood and then gave me not an injection but an intravenous drip. Grrrr.....! Of course their plans only become clear after I have already been separated from both my BlackBerry and my iPhone, so I was alone with my thoughts, the IV and concerns that there was going to be an air bubbled in the IV when it was done and I was going to die. But, clearly, I survived.

I didn't see any different on Tuesday in any way. I was not pleased.

I saw a difference on Wednesday morning, though. I had, overnight, swollen to the point that my face was nearing Campbell Soup kid roundness and I nearly had cankles. I was not pleased. So I went back to the doctor's office. More waiting. When the doctor saw me, he asked what had happened. Um, again, I'm thinking this should be his call.... I indicated I suspected it might be because of whatever combination of drugs and "injections" he had given me. Hmmm.... "I didn't anticipate this. Okay, we'll give you another injection....."

Geez. But these were actual injections. Plural. Two of 'em. And I was told to just sit still and not move. Okay..... And then I was released. By which time, either through having been moving or whatever was injected, I looked a bit more presentable, but now felt like a truck had run over me. Nice....

Things were actually a bit better on Thursday. The swelling was going down and my hands now looked like they were a nicely cured leather rather than something from a horror movie. And then, of course, I was supposed to go in for a check-up on Friday where he pronounced me on the mend. I said that was all well and good, but what in the world had happened on Wednesday and how was I supposed to prevent this from happening again? Uhhh.... Wednesday wasn't anticipated and, um, going forward, you should stay out of the sun and not use the same sun cream. Would that be the same sun cream that was fine for 5 days and protected me from being burned? Grrrr..... So it remains a mystery. But this was the least satisfying of my visits to the doctor here so far. I miss my Chicago doc terribly. Though there's something to be said about the drama of temporarily being a circus attraction!

Bergen, Norway

[Anything by Edvard Grieg, who was born in Bergen]

This past weekend was a three-day weekend due to the German Reunification Day, so I decided to head out exploring. Over the past

few months, I have read a few books by Jo Nesbo, a Norwegian author. While they are set in Oslo, there is mention of and some scenes in Bergen. So when Lufthansa announced another one of its one million seats for EUR 99 in Europe and included among the options was a direct flight from Frankfurt to Bergen (BGO for those who like to know airport codes), it seemed like fate! Well, except for the fact that the sale only applied to travel in November or something. They wanted quite a bit more for the long weekend that was quickly approaching, so I decided to think about it a bit more.

In the meantime, plans at work changed and I needed to be in Dusseldorf immediately before the planned trip including a dinner late the night before the trip, so I wasn't sure how much time that would allow for getting back to Frankfurt, re-packing, catching the flight to Bergen and then wandering around. Out of curiosity, I checked to see if Lufthansa might also fly directly from Dusseldorf (yes, your guess of DUS as the airport code is correct). No. BUT, if you fly from DUS to BGO via FRA (taking the exact same flights I had priced out earlier), it would be EUR 300 less expensive. Bizarre, no? So I booked the flight.

This did, however, require some careful planning as it related to packing. As you are no doubt aware, when you check a bag, they check the bag through to your final destination (unless you're flying to the US, where you have to do that ridiculous bag reclaim and re-check process). I, of course, had no intention of returning to Dusseldorf, but was planning on blowing off the last leg of the flight and just going home when I was in Frankfurt. Which, of course, would also not please the airline, but you can't really tell them that in advance. For example, an open jaw ticket of, essentially, DUS-BGO-FRA would have cost an arm and a leg as they would generally be priced as separate one-way tickets. So it was imperative that I be able to pack both my work attire and everything I would need for the vacation in a rollaboard to avoid having to check my bag.

As a brief aside, I am generally opposed to checking bags as I don't like having to wait at the baggage carousel, especially if a flight is already delayed, for example, or if I have meetings I need to get to relatively quickly. I have softened on this slightly, though, will living here in Germany and being treated to the pleasant experience of Lufthansa's efficient baggage operations. As the comedienne Pam Ann (HIGHLY recommend checking her out on YouTube) noted (albeit likely with a bit of profanity), "I LOVE Lufthansa. They're so efficient that the bags are on the carousel before the flight has even landed! It's almost true. And, especially when there are connections involved, as on the DUS-FRA-BGO trip and there is a possibility of an apron position and having to schlep your bag on and off a bus and up the stairs to the aircraft, checking bags strikes me as a good thing. (I should also note, the entire time I have been over here, Lufthansa has not failed to have my bags arrive on the same flight as me. As detailed in the Spain blog, though, I cannot say the same of Iberia....)

So I made it without incident to Bergen, where even at the airport freedom was waiting for me (there was a 7-Eleven - you do remember their jingle right?). I decided even before we landed and I was looking out the windows, that I would love Bergen. It was just so beautiful and the fjords so majestic. And I'm pleased to say that my first impression did not change over the course of the trip. I arrived at my hotel, dropped my bags (too early for

rooms to be available) and headed to the Tourist Information center to buy the Bergen

Card that would provide discounted or free admission to many of the museums and other attractions as well as public transportation. I love those cards. The weather forecast had called for rain most of the weekend except for Friday and Saturday morning, so I decided to wander around the city on Friday and then do more of the indoor things on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. I saw the famous fish market,

some parks, some churches, the lake and fountain by the art museum and some random other things before heading back to the hotel to check in.

There was, alas, no Starwood property in the city or even a Hilton or Intercontinental. There were some Radissons, some hotels from the Thon chain (which I'd never heard of) by based on my non-scientific study of the US and German firm's hotel web sites and their descriptions of the hotels, cross-checked with the VisitBergen website, I had chosen the First Hotel Marin (part of the First hotel chain, which I had also not heard of). It was not the most expensive nor certainly the least, offered free WiFi, had a fitness center and was located on the harbor by the fish market.

The location was indeed convenient but the hotel itself left a bit to be desired. Very basic room that, despite the cool weather outside, was wretchedly hot and cooled only by opening the windows which let in a lot of street noise of revelers at night during the weekend. I had paid extra for a harbor view, but that consisted not of a real full-on view, but a glimpse if you craned your neck out the window which otherwise looked directly across the street at another building where I saw on Monday morning a dentist's office with various victims. The floorplan was also very bizarre with few signs directing you to how to get to your particular room number. You might think, for example, if you are on the third floor, you would take the elevator to the third floor and find your room there. Not so much. You have to find the "right" elevator to go to your version of the third floor. Odd. Once in the room, there was a really old and small TV, which was fine as I didn't intend to watch that anyway. No surprise, then, that there was not a dock for an iPod. But the documentation that is usually available to tell you all about the hotel was significantly lacking. For example, where's the alphabetical list of all the features of the hotel, indicating the number to call for room service (which was very limited) or, more importantly, where the fitness center was located. Never found it. And while there was free WiFi, each code lasted only 24 hours, so you had to go get a little sticker each day from the front desk. Overall, it was basic but okay, albeit overpriced.

Saturday morning dawned bright and not quite rainy, so I hustled to the tourist office to buy a ticket for the four-hour boat tour of the fjords, which I had been told by others was not to be missed. "The boat service ends at the end of September." The day before. Doh! On the plus side, though, starting on 1 October, with the Bergen Card tickets were free (versus discounted as during the high tourist season) to the funicular - a kind of train/tram that climbs up the side of the mountain at an angle. So I headed up. Really beautiful views from the top and still a nice, bright day. I ended up sitting on a picnic table in the sun writing in my journal for well over an hour and just watching people go by and enjoying the fantastic view. There were also some trails at the top, so I wandered around on them for a while, including a brief walk around a small lake. It was really quite pretty and some families had packed picnic

lunches and were grilling at the BBQ pits (somehow I'm guessing the Norwegians have a better term for this) while the little kids were wading into the shallow lake and others threw in sticks that dogs raced into the lake to fetch and return. All this with a backdrop of trees turning to brilliant colors. I finally got back on the trail and headed back to the funicular. On the path, I started to hear some yelling or chanting. Confusing. Then saw a bunch of guys in white headed my way. Martial arts practice in the forest? Nope. They were all dark-skinned and seemed to be in something of a happy mood. An older guy at the back told me (in English, thankfully) that they were celebrating thanksgiving. Not sure if it was a cultural or religious tradition but nevertheless an interesting surprise in the middle of the woods.

There is a university in Bergen, which perhaps explains all the young people in the city. On Saturday near the university, there was some sort of outdoor concert series. I'm not sure what it was all about, but I listened to a few songs by a band of three women playing electric guitar and signing and a drummer (also female). The lyrics were in English but they spoke quite animatedly between songs in Norwegian. They weren't always in tune, but I liked the music and if they had been selling CDs, I would have bought one. No information on the bands, so I couldn't even try to see if they had a website. After their set was done, though, there was some kind of headbanger band, so I continued on my way. Sometimes I feel really old....

One of my highlights of the trip was the Bergen Kunstmuseum, an art museum spread across several buildings. I learned a lot about Norwegian artists that I had heard of before but didn't really know their background. I also hadn't been in tune with the different approaches of the Dusseldorf and Dresden approaches (nor had I considered Germany a hotbed of artistic teaching before - I associate it more with the sciences and engineering). For example, JC (Johan Christian) Dahl was from Bergen but ended up spending much of his adult life in Dresden where he taught and was part of the Dresden approach, I suppose. But I was surprised to see a Norwegian artist famous for his renderings of Norwegian landscapes painting scenes of places I had seen in Dresden. The collection also housed a lot of works by Munch and other Norwegians.

My favorite, though, was the special exhibit they had for Nikolai Astrup. I was not familiar with him before this exhibit, but really liked his work, not just the paintings, but also some of the woodblocks he did. A nice feature of the exhibit was that they had a special app for the exhibit that you could download for free. But unfortunately I do not have roaming features for my iPhone, so I thought I was out of luck. No, they had apparently thought of that, too. Free WiFi at the exhibit! The app had a built in code reader that when you scanned in the codes next to the descriptions of the work it would automatically pull up a small picture of the work and provide more information about the work. You could also select the work as a favorite. Only one teeny, tiny problem - the app's descriptions were only in Norwegian, so I wasn't able to get the full benefit of the additional information. But for a good time and to see some nice photos of his work, check out the free app!

Before I went to Bergen, I had downloaded a different app for my iPhone that was written by journalists working for the local newspaper. It didn't have the basic tourist information (e.g. taxis, tipping, banking, hotels), just information on the places that they recommended, which I found very useful. So, for example, the food critic wrote about restaurants, the style editor wrote on shopping, culture editor on museums and concerts, etc. They also had a section on "local legends," "wild walks," "rainy days" and "romance." Really nicely done. So I visited a few places they had recommended. Here are a few of those highlights that I saw:

• Nama Sushi & Noodles - This happened to be directly across from my hotel (you know, next to the dentist's office....) While, like most things in Norway, it was rather expensive, I had the best tuna sashimi that I have ever had (yes, even better than Japan) - fresh Norwegian fish perhaps even from the fish market out front. Yum!


• Nordnes Sjobad - At the side of the sea is a nice pool area. But the cool part is that there is a ladder next to it that leads down into the sea itself and one can swim in a cordoned off area of the sea and even sit/lounge/sunbathe on a little floating deck out there. The app indicates that some locals swim here every day, rain or shine. That's gotta be cold....


• Bryggen - This is a series of old buildings that were directly around my hotel. Very cute and apparently icons of Bergen, as they are even featured on the manhole (personhole?) covers throughout the city.


• Lepramuseet - The leprosy museum. It was strangely fascinating. I had no idea Bergen had served as an international leper capital in the mid-late 1800s. Every time I think of leprosy, I think about the story of Naaman in the Bible (you know, the guy Elisha told to go wash seven times in the dirty River Jordan?) and tend to think of it as something from the distant past, but not so. I did find it odd, though, that this was one of the items listed in the "Romance" section of the app.


• Dromedar Kaffebar - Their chili coffee was recommended and it was delightful. Basically a shot of espresso mixed with steamed milk that was at a frothiness and quantity somewhere between a cappuccino and cafe au lait. I'm not sure how they infuse it with chili, but perhaps it was mixed into the ground espresso beans? Tasty. What was also interesting is that this cafe is located on a pedestrian-only shopping area and hanging on wires strung above the street were hundreds of pink bras. It took me a while to realize there hadn't been a giant party here, but it was related to the Susan Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer.


• Hjertholm - A traditional Norwegian retailer that sells Scandinavian arts and crafts. Now, that may not sound like something I would be interested in ("crafty" has not generally been associated with me other than in terms of being sneaky like a crafty fox, perhaps), but they had some really interesting glass and ceramic work. And if I didn't have the limitation of my carry-on luggage, I would have bought one of the incredibly thick, soft woolen blankets they had.


• Bybanen - This is the new light rail that Bergen has. The app recommended taking it out to the end of the line to Nesttun where there was a nice shopping street. They neglected to note that the shopping street closed at apparently 16:00 or so, about a half hour before I arrived. Doh!


• One thing that wasn't noted in the app was the number of Mexican restaurants. I spotted at least three and tried one of them. But who knew?!

I decided to take the Flybussen to the airport. It was only NOK 95, whereas I had paid 315 for a taxi to my hotel, and it was only supposed to take about 10 minutes longer than the taxi. AND there was free WiFi! They also had an interesting feature in that certain seats had baby seats built into the back. So you would flip a seat forward, flip down the seat, and then the baby would be facing the mother sitting in the row behind. Pretty cool. So what's not to like about the Flybussen? Well, I only had one other issue - another passenger who apparently had no situational awareness. There is a small luggage rack above the seats (suitcases in the hold in the bottom portion of the bus) where this guy had put a ballistic nylon briefcase of sorts. When we arrived, he yanked this bag out, not realizing I was directly behind him. The bag hit me squarely in the forehead and kept going, creating a sort of rug-burn on my forehead directly between my eyes. He was somewhat apologetic, but after I saw I was bleeding, I thought a bit more concern would have been in order. So for the last week I have had this nice red streak which can't easily be covered by makeup and which people keep staring at. Nice. So that is a little memory of Bergen that has allowed me to keep reliving the weekend.