A New Year and New Cities

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.  ~Susan Heller


That is an appropriate quote whenever the travel is aboard RyanAir or Easy Jet.  The "one" carry-on might not apply to everyone- but it sure applied to us....more on that later.

 Sara and I  began the trip staying at a motel right outside the Frankfurt Hahn. terminal.  The trip from Schweinfurt takes about three hours, so since we had an early flight- we decided to stay at the motel.  The rooms were nice and definitely convenient.  The best part was the vending machine.... it had beer and wine.  How fun is that!  Within minutes we were relaxing and having a cocktail in our room.

Early the next morning we were off to Edinburgh, Scotland.  It was an easy flight.  On the trip we met two Army nurses from  Landstuhl, who joined us on our adventure.  Travel was easy- we hopped on the bus that takes you from the airport to the town center and found our hotel (Jury's Inn) quite easily.  Using  the Rick Steve's guide book- we went to lunch at the World's End Pub.  We spent all of our time in the Old section- inside the walled area exploring this part of Edinburgh.  After lunch we headed for Edinburgh Castle........ http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/

The history of the country is fascinating- from the Bruce family to Mary Queen of Scots to her son James until today.  We were fortunate to meet a curator who explained the family history quite succinctly.  

Another great find was the Scottish National Museum, where we saw an exhibit by J.M.W. Turner  http://www.ellensplace.net/turner2.html   There are small museums every where- the city is teaming with history.  We enjoyed the pubs and the shopping and the food- even dining at a Mexican restaurant!  One highlight was the Mary Close House- an underground area left intact when the city built above an original street.  the closeness of the living conditions and the lack of sanitation- no wonder illnesses like the black plaque killed so many.

Saturday, so us off to London to meet Naz and Christine.  We flew into Stansted and again found easy transport into the city center.  We proceeded to get day passes for the Underground.  I found though, that the ticket vending machines don't like Scottish pounds... only British pounds- with the queen's face!  We found our hotel- near to Hyde Park and then went off to the National Museum.  (Traffic in London is crazy!)  There was a Van Gogh exhibit (love him).  We walked around town and found the ticket office for the theater shows.  We got tickets for "Wicked" for that evening.  After a time- we met up with Chris and Naz- went to the hotel and then back out.  After the show- we searched for a certain Indian restaurant- not finding it- we still decided on Indian cuisine.  London is very diverse- on a single street there are traditional Pubs, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian and more types of eateries.  

Sunday took us sight seeing.  Lunch was Fish and Chips at a local pub.  We did some shopping and then Sara and I were lucky to attend an organ concert in Westminster Abbey.  The majesty of the church and the solemness of the music were awe inspiring.  This area is also home to Big Ben and the London Eye.  Dinner that evening was Thai- luckily we all love the different cuisines

So....its time to leave on Monday- we pack up- I had bought a small weekend bag for my carry-on.  Sara  has the same suitcase.  We proceed to the gate...we are stopped and the luggage is weighed... Yikes we are over weight and have to check a bag!!!!!  Now waiting to get on the flight (that is delayed) there are loads of people with big carry-on bags and definitely more than one bag!  Live and learn.  Road travel is much easier- and more room to bring home treasures.....

Tschuss.

Germany and Beyond

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home. ~James Michener

   The last few months have found me a bit under the weather- most likely due to the damp weather in Germany.  I have been out and about mainly in the Bavarian Region.  In October, I attended a dental conference sponsored by the Army in Garmisch, Germany.  The Edelweiss Hotel played host to the conference.  It is nestled in the German Alps http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/destination_germany/master_tlstadt-id1085.htm
I had five days of interesting CE (continuing education) and commraderie with both Militray dentists from throughout the US and NATO and fellow civilan contractors.
   I also visited Rothenburg, Germany.  This is a walled city about an hours drive from Schweinfurt.  It dates from approximately 900 AD.  It was lucky to have avoided heavy bomb damage during WWII.http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber.html  The clinic Christmas party will be held here, so I'll be able to purchase a few more gifts for the family.  Of note, is the shop Anneliese Friese, which has a huge selection of cukoo clocks- just what we need for the beach house in Panama!!!

   Of note lately, is the number of birthdays and celebrations at the dental clinic.  We have been going to various restaurants in the Schweinfurt area.  The mix has been quite eclectic from traditional German fare to Vietnamese, Italian, and Indian.  I have ventured from my gastronomical comfort zone and am trying new and quite delicious dishes.  May the celebrations continue.

A Taste of Tuscany

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~ St. Augustine

Over the Labor Day weeked, my trip to Tuscany began Friday night in Stuttgart Germany.  We boarded bus which was travelling over night, with a few stops, until we reached Pisa. The main “tourist” area is the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles)- where the Leaning Tower is located. Most large churches had a separate bell tower and this is the Bell Tower of the Cathedral. Also of interest is the Baptistry. All of these sites can be visited at: http://www.italyguides.it/us/pisa/pisa_italy.htm

We had time to explore the Campo and also to wander through the town before boarding the bus for our hotel in Florence. We stopped at the hotel to unload and get freshened up. We arrived at Florence late in the afternoon, not having time to investigate anything too thoroughly. This was probably the only disappointment of the tour- not enough time in Florence. I did see the famous Florence “Duoma”, Santa Maria del Fiore (Mary of the Flowers)- the fourth largest church in the world. Also, while I didn't see the original David, there was a replica in one of the town squares.  Here is virtual Florence or Firenze as the Italians call the city: http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/florence_italy.htm

Luckily, my travel buddy Pam had a good tour book which recommended a great place for dinner: Golden View Restaurant, located across the bridge on the Arno River. We had a window table and so a view of boaters as they cruised the river. The food and wine were great. I just love Italy!

The next morning, we headed out to two other Tuscan cities- each having a distinctive feel. On the drive, we saw a remaining aqueduct from Roman times. It didn’t look like it was thousands of years old. Our first stop of the day was Siena: http://www.italyguides.it/us/siena_italy/siena_italy.htm Interestingly, in its Campo, twice a year is a horse race involving 17 clubs or neighborhoods who compete to have the bragging rights as the best in the city. Also beautiful was the Duomo and museum of the Duomo which had beautiful art work.

After Siena, we drove to San Gimignano, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gimignano which is known for its remaining 14 towers. The vista from this walled town was beautiful. Again, using the tour book, we found St. Augustine’s Church. The altar has 17 frescos that depict the life of St. Augustine. It was a little difficult to find the church, but again worth the trouble.

One of the highlights of the day was a visit at a vineyard, Fattoria La Tancia for wine tasting. Better than the wine was the olive oil that was made on the premises. I have been serving the olive oil with most of my dinners since arriving home. Of course, all it needs is good bread, tomatoes and garlic.

So, Tuscany is named after the Etruscan people who lived here centuries before this region was conquered by ancient Rome. Tuscany is a prosperous economic region with farming (olive oil, vineyards, produce) and tourism being at the top of the list. The region is mostly hilly and mountainous with picturesque farms dotted all over the landscape.

The original name of Tuscany was derived from the Latin word Tuscia. Tuscia was used from the 3rd century BC to describe the area known as Etruria, a region between the Tiber and Arno rivers, occupied formerly by the Etruscans. The word Tuscany first became used in the 10th century. http://www.choose-tuscany.com/tuscany_people.html

We left Monday morning for the trip home. One last stop was in Luzerne, Switzerland. Again, a great city to visit. When I get the chance, I enjoy visiting grocery stores in the various cities. They are usually reflective of the area and the people. I went into Coop. Good bread, coffee and cheese. My idea of fun!

The trip was tiring. Luckily everyone was respectful. No one was a straggler making the rest of us wait. The trip did give what it promised…a “Taste” of Tuscany- so now I want the rest of the meal!!

Berlin's Empty Library

"Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen."
“Where books are burnt, people will eventually be burnt too."
These words were written by the German Heinrich Heine (1797- 1856) in 1821, referring to the buring of the Qur'an during the Spanish Inquisition, but they were quite foretelling. In the Bebelplatz, on May 10, 1933 Nazi students burned 25,000 books by Jewish and politically undesirable writers- the elite of contemporary German literature, such as Thomas Mann, Heinrich Mann, Erich Kastner (who watched in disgust). It is impossible to be in Berlin and not remember and give homage to the past. While WWII ended more than fifty years ago, it has only been twenty years since the Berlin Wall came down. To be at Checkpoint Charlie and enter the museum that showed the lengths that East German Government went to keep their people out of the West and the engenuity of the West to help people escape was amazing. As my friends (Sara and Christine) and I toured the city, it wasn't far from my mind what price the world paid for Hitler and his war.
It took awhile for me to get to enjoy the city. It is very large, but easily accessible with public transit. We stayed a hotel in the Charlottenburg area. Once the car was parked, our travel was on the buses and subways. Saturday was spent seeing the interesting sites. These included the Brandenburg Arch, the Neue Wache- the bronze of a mother and her dead son (which commemerates the Victims af War and Tyrrany), the Televsion Tower, KaDeWa Department Store. Most of these were on the Bus 100 line- recommended by the Berlin City Tourism Board.
While Schweinfurt has its pigs, there were many bears in Berlin. The above bear signifies the city center "mitte".
On Sunday, much to my delight we found a flea market, reommended by the hotel staff. It is in Maur Platz (Wall Park). It was great- from the very old junk to new fashion. My way to spend the day.
Berlin is about a 4 hour drive from Schweinfurt, so I do plan to visit again.

" We wander for distraction,
but we travel for fullfillment."
~Hilaire Belloc

Last weekend was spent in Amsterdam. I drove (about 5 1/2 hours) with Sara who visits often because her Irish boyfriend Mike is studying in Amsterdam. What a beautiful city. She dropped me off at the Hotel de Filosoof, http://www.hoteldefilosoof.nl/ located in the Vondel Park area of this great city. It is the "Philosopher" Hotel, with quotes in the rooms and on the outside of the building. I thought the juxtaposition of the quote and grafiti says alot about society (I hate graffiti). I enjoyed staying here and will choose it again for my next trip here. It is a really cool hotel and I recommend it to anyone. I plan to visit whever Sara wants company driving. This spot is close to the downtown areas and to the museum section of the city. It is a very walkable city. I spent Saturday morning in the Van Gogh museum. http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp (in English). It was really crowded, but definitely worth the lines. He is one of my favorite artists.

I walked around the hight fashion area- stores by Louis Vuitton, Diesel and many, many designers- too rich for my wallet, but a nice stroll. I met up with Sara and Mike at Dam Plaza, the site of the first dam on the Amstel River- thus the name, Amsterdam. There were these cool automatic fast food restaurants called FEBO, http://www.febodelekkerste.nl/ that remind me of the old automatics that are making a comeback in the US. The Dutch also like to order french fries in a cone served with mayonnaise- saw lots of people eating these. Later in the evening we met with some other co-workers. We walked around the famous Red Light District, but Amsterdam is more than that. It is a beautiful city with cool architecture and canals that add to the ambience of the city. All in all a nice trip.

Settling in....

"I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself." ~James Baldwin

Well, my apartment is furnished. Thank goodness for AFZ. The German's aren't such bargain hunters as we Yankees, but somehow the merchandise flies out of this store- if you see something at least put a hold on the piece or it will be gone tomorrow. The profits benefit special needs individuals, so it feels good to shop here.

I went on a long day trip into Poland. The bus from the post left at 4am and we returned at 10pm the same day. About 10 hours was driving- I slept about 7 of those- and the other 8 was spent looking and buying beautiful Polish pottery from the town of Boleslawiec. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boleslawiec_Pottery
Those of your from Philadelphia might remeber the French store Carrefour. It was located by Oxford Valley (???). There was one here and I bought my lunch there.
I plan to take advantage of these excursions when possible.

Work at the dental clinic has its ups and downs as I adjust. The last few days have been better as I get the routine down. There is definitely a need for dentists in these military clinics. There are two Army specialists- Pedo and Endo, two Army general dentists and five contractor general dentists (like me). It is a much larger operation than I expected. The one good thing is that teeth are teeth- thank goodness. No one should be surprised that I have found aspects of the clinic to complain about !!! I can't change too much.

Still no computer in my apartment. The one I had ordered mysteriously disappeared after the supposed shipment. That is my excuse for not posting to the blog. Can't add pictures on the Army computers, but I can add links to show anything interesting.

Bye for now....June

I've got wheels and am hitting the road....

"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey." -- Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D.

Its been an enjoyable week. I rented the apartment in Dittelbrunn. Its in a residential section of a small village north of Schweinfurt. Its a great apartment, but completely unfurnished. Today, I found a used furniture store- AZF-Arbeitsförderungszentrum ev located at Heckenweg 36, 97422 Schweinfurt, Germany‎ - 09721. They are holding a dining room table and four chairs for me. The owner told me that they get really good stuff in daily. I'll check back in two days and buy my table. Hopefully there is a bed frame and a few other pieces of furnture that I can use.
While Joe was still here we went car shopping. We found a 1995 Fiat Cinquecento. It reminds me of a mini cooper. So far so good. It passed inspection here on base. That is one of the requirements to get a license plate and be able to drive on base. Insurance was very reasonable- so I am cruising around town. So far no potholes, but lots of road construction in front of the base. Today, traffic backed up a bit, but most of it was going opposite to me.
My computer screen is black!!!! The back light broke. I have to decide what to do. Luckily, I had backed it up onto my maxtor drive. I'll be shopping for a new computer soon. Right now I'll use the ones on post.
Take care and send me comments.
Auf Wiedersehen