What the hell! My last day in Frankfurt and I finally get the nav to speak and read english.
I got to the airport ok and on the plane...
14 March 2006
13 March 2006
Koblenz from the fortress
this is the view of the city of Koblenz from the fortress outside the city.
The river is the Rhine.
The river is the Rhine.
Koln Cathedral
This is an ÚNESCO world heritage site. This catheral was one of the only things
standing after WWII. The bombers used it as a landmark for most of their
missions.
standing after WWII. The bombers used it as a landmark for most of their
missions.
Frankfurt
I have several thoughts I wanted to put down. None particularly spectacular.
The word for exit is ausfarht, the word for entrance is einfarht. Both words have farht in them and I still laugh evertime I see them.
Last post I mentioned that the Big Macs (thus far in my travels) taste the same everywhere. Well this morning, in Koln, I started out with breakfast of a bag of little corn funyuns covered with paprika and a coke. By the way, last night I had Pringles with Paprika, which I thought was odd until this morning when I put it together. What we in the US think of as BBQ chips are actually Paprika chips, or close to it.
Ok, back to my story. I opened the rings popped in a couple and washed it down with a swig of Coke, and I noticed immediately this tasted different. Good, damn good. Much better that the stuff at home, well every where Ive had a coke. It was lighter with a menthol type flavor that gets to your nose, especially with the carbonation.
Well I thought maybe it was a fluke. Bad batch. So later on I got hungry and had a bratwurst and a coke, in Koblenz. Same new taste. This was strange. Until just now when I had a schnitzel with a coke and it was normal. Whatever they did in Koln and Koblenz, they should expand the market.
I had a great ride back to Frankfurt. I spent some time and worked out some german and got the nav system for the car working. Kept it under 200 kph. Still.
If anyone is coming to Frankfurt I recommend my hotel. The Hotel Excelsior. Its old. My room in small but comfortable. And the hotel offers free internet, free calls anywhere inside germany, free ironing (not an iron) and free breakfast and snacks in the bar all day. And the mini bar is free (its small and just has a few things but its a nice touch)
The wind in gusting and the temperature is down in the 20s. The gloves my sister got me a while back are saving my ass once again. Thanks sis.
The german keyboard switchs the y and the z. I dont know why, and I cant find the apostrophe so all my contractions are a bit light.
Ive taken a bunch of pictures but these places are stingyier than I though with there USB ports.
I try and post when I can.
Later....
The word for exit is ausfarht, the word for entrance is einfarht. Both words have farht in them and I still laugh evertime I see them.
Last post I mentioned that the Big Macs (thus far in my travels) taste the same everywhere. Well this morning, in Koln, I started out with breakfast of a bag of little corn funyuns covered with paprika and a coke. By the way, last night I had Pringles with Paprika, which I thought was odd until this morning when I put it together. What we in the US think of as BBQ chips are actually Paprika chips, or close to it.
Ok, back to my story. I opened the rings popped in a couple and washed it down with a swig of Coke, and I noticed immediately this tasted different. Good, damn good. Much better that the stuff at home, well every where Ive had a coke. It was lighter with a menthol type flavor that gets to your nose, especially with the carbonation.
Well I thought maybe it was a fluke. Bad batch. So later on I got hungry and had a bratwurst and a coke, in Koblenz. Same new taste. This was strange. Until just now when I had a schnitzel with a coke and it was normal. Whatever they did in Koln and Koblenz, they should expand the market.
I had a great ride back to Frankfurt. I spent some time and worked out some german and got the nav system for the car working. Kept it under 200 kph. Still.
If anyone is coming to Frankfurt I recommend my hotel. The Hotel Excelsior. Its old. My room in small but comfortable. And the hotel offers free internet, free calls anywhere inside germany, free ironing (not an iron) and free breakfast and snacks in the bar all day. And the mini bar is free (its small and just has a few things but its a nice touch)
The wind in gusting and the temperature is down in the 20s. The gloves my sister got me a while back are saving my ass once again. Thanks sis.
The german keyboard switchs the y and the z. I dont know why, and I cant find the apostrophe so all my contractions are a bit light.
Ive taken a bunch of pictures but these places are stingyier than I though with there USB ports.
I try and post when I can.
Later....
12 March 2006
Koln, Germany
Damn. Sometimes this happens. I wear myself out then everything starts to piss me off.
After two hours of trying to find my hotel I went sight seeing. Got lost for another hour. Got really hungry and settle for McDonalds.
By the way, someone told me once that the Big Macs in every country taste different. I told them I didnt think it was right. It didnt make sense.
Well for the record, Ive had Big Macs in six countries and they all taste the same.
Back to the story, I landed this morning at 940am, in Frankfurt. I rented a car to do one of the things on my list Ive always wanted to do. Drive the autobahn. Not just drive but go fast.
I once got my GTI up to 100mph but that poor bastard rattled and shook like a WWII battleship taking fire.
Once on the way back from San Francisco I got my friends Mustang GT to 115 MPH. There was traffic so I had to back off.
But here, Germany....I had to see.
I rented an Audi and got a pretty good deal. Its comfortable but not plush.
Anyway, I had intended to go to Stuttgart to see the Porsche factory said the last two days had snowed and I didnt want to risk long drives in the snow in a foreign country. So I cut Stuttgart and headed right for Koln.
I asked the girl at the rental counter the best way to get to Koln, and she told me no problem the car has a NAV system.
A nav system, SWEET, I thought.
I got in the car started it up and fired up the nav...you guessed it...its in german! No english, just german. Im fairly smart and all but Im not learning german in a parking garage so I can find my way to my hotel.
I punched in KOLN on the Nav and the voice got me out of the airport and on the autobahn.
I was nervous. I started to pick up speed just to keep up with traffic and people were going about a hundred.
Then I got comfortable. Well as comfortable as you could with a german chick telling you were every turn and exit is and when its coming up.
Traffic thinned out and I punched it.
Punching it is an overstatement. The car is actually a turbo diesel and when you put the pedal to the floor, the speed ramps up, the way I ramp up when the alarm goes off in the morning.
Long story, short....I hit 198kph about 120 mph.
I have a personal speed record. No one was hurt and now I have to get some sleep.
I have yet to find my hotel and I smell.
More later
After two hours of trying to find my hotel I went sight seeing. Got lost for another hour. Got really hungry and settle for McDonalds.
By the way, someone told me once that the Big Macs in every country taste different. I told them I didnt think it was right. It didnt make sense.
Well for the record, Ive had Big Macs in six countries and they all taste the same.
Back to the story, I landed this morning at 940am, in Frankfurt. I rented a car to do one of the things on my list Ive always wanted to do. Drive the autobahn. Not just drive but go fast.
I once got my GTI up to 100mph but that poor bastard rattled and shook like a WWII battleship taking fire.
Once on the way back from San Francisco I got my friends Mustang GT to 115 MPH. There was traffic so I had to back off.
But here, Germany....I had to see.
I rented an Audi and got a pretty good deal. Its comfortable but not plush.
Anyway, I had intended to go to Stuttgart to see the Porsche factory said the last two days had snowed and I didnt want to risk long drives in the snow in a foreign country. So I cut Stuttgart and headed right for Koln.
I asked the girl at the rental counter the best way to get to Koln, and she told me no problem the car has a NAV system.
A nav system, SWEET, I thought.
I got in the car started it up and fired up the nav...you guessed it...its in german! No english, just german. Im fairly smart and all but Im not learning german in a parking garage so I can find my way to my hotel.
I punched in KOLN on the Nav and the voice got me out of the airport and on the autobahn.
I was nervous. I started to pick up speed just to keep up with traffic and people were going about a hundred.
Then I got comfortable. Well as comfortable as you could with a german chick telling you were every turn and exit is and when its coming up.
Traffic thinned out and I punched it.
Punching it is an overstatement. The car is actually a turbo diesel and when you put the pedal to the floor, the speed ramps up, the way I ramp up when the alarm goes off in the morning.
Long story, short....I hit 198kph about 120 mph.
I have a personal speed record. No one was hurt and now I have to get some sleep.
I have yet to find my hotel and I smell.
More later
11 March 2006
LAX
I've been sick. Last three days I've been coughing, spitting, sneezing, wheezing, and hacking. Miserable. But yesterday, at 5PM, an hour before I finished work...my head started to clear.
All my reports were finished. My paperwork was turned in and all phone calls and emails were answered. At six I turned off my laptop and I was done.
My girlfriend dropped me off at the airport an hour ago. Ticketing was great. I used the Ticket ATM. No people. Damn I love that. If I can limit my contact with counter monkeys in an situation I'll do it.
Security was uneventful. I did pass a girl on her cellphone bitching because she had to take off her scarf and put it thought the x-ray. The instinct was to punch to the head but well, I'm on vacation. Live and let live.
I have two hours to go before boarding.
Hey, I just heard barking. Yapping really.
A lady has a little dog in her bag. Glad she's on the next flight and not mine. Little dawg.
Four hours to chicago....
More later.
All my reports were finished. My paperwork was turned in and all phone calls and emails were answered. At six I turned off my laptop and I was done.
My girlfriend dropped me off at the airport an hour ago. Ticketing was great. I used the Ticket ATM. No people. Damn I love that. If I can limit my contact with counter monkeys in an situation I'll do it.
Security was uneventful. I did pass a girl on her cellphone bitching because she had to take off her scarf and put it thought the x-ray. The instinct was to punch to the head but well, I'm on vacation. Live and let live.
I have two hours to go before boarding.
Hey, I just heard barking. Yapping really.
A lady has a little dog in her bag. Glad she's on the next flight and not mine. Little dawg.
Four hours to chicago....
More later.
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