Christine in Prague

The city you imagine when you think of Europe is actually Prague, Czech Republic.  It really is that beautiful.

View of Prague 

There are many facinating attractions in Prague.  Food is not one of them.  Don't visit Prague to eat.  Their national food is Goulash, which I tried (I'll save you from the picture) and make (thanks for the recipe Mom).  And mine is better.  It is not my national food.  In fact, you may want to visit Prague to help you lose weight between the lousy food and all the walking, I'm sure someone could easily.  The Gelato is good.  And was my one saving grace.

I believe that Prague has examples of just about every architectural type in history.  The building have amazing details that you just don't have in the United States.

My first stop was "Old Town Square."  This location host the Astronomical Tower, Tyn Church and St. Nicholas Church.  My favorite was actually the Astronomical Tower.  Probably surprising since I love looking at the architecture of churches.  The tower caught fire during WWII, but the villagers saved it.

Astrological clock (top clock) and tower

The 12 apostles appear every hour (think coo coo clock-like but with the 12 apostles).  People gather around and watch them appear.  Don't blink cause there is a good chance you will miss your opportunity.  After the doors close again, a person plays a tune on the trumpet and waves to the crowd, who cheer excitedly.  The best part of this show is not the apostles appearing, it is watching the people take out their cameras and take pictures of the apostles.   The clock was first built in the mid 16th century.  I believe it's the only working astronomical clock in the world (strangely, the Strasbourg church I visited earlier also has an astronomical clock).

Love the Tourist (yes, I'm making fun of myself as well)

You can ascend 69 meters (or 226 feet) to the top of the Tower.  I did so for my fans, er follower.  Here is a picture, since I couldn't manage at the Ulm Church (which was 143 meters or 469 feet).

Me being very brave.

A view from the top:

Tyn Church

The clock is not the only sit I visited (which seems surprising giving all the pictures I've posted).  See more of my adventure after the jump.

Christine in Ulm, Germany

Visiting new cities is exciting for me.  Utilizing the Germany guide book my mother sent for my birthday (great present by the way--cough--may want to buy me one for say France--cough), I decided to drive to Ulm, Germany on Saturday, May 21, 2011 (just want to note that the world did not end at 1800 on this day).  Ulm is about an hour south of Stuttgart (taking the Autobahn (A8) towards München).

Ulm has a beautiful church with the tallest steeple in the world.  The church took centuries to build.  You can even walk up 500 plus steps of the steeple.  If you know me (at all really) then you now I am afraid of heights.  Yes, I'll claim it.  I don't like being high up in the open.  This walk qualifies as both.  There are windows along all the spiral steps.  They are covered by mesh (probably so the pigeons can't eat you) but still very open.  Maybe one day I'll go back (with support) and walk up.  But if you're a betting man, I wouldn't make that bet.

I made it this far up (see the tiny windows and the balcony):

That is really high for me.  This is the view from there (closing down the farmer's market):

Here is the stairwells (barely fit one person--I couldn't bare to take a picture with a window-don't like them):

We bombed the city in WWII, but not the church.  The city is currently renovating/cleaning the church (another cool view):

Christine

Technical Difficulties

I don't want you to think I have stopped doing cool stuff in Germany.  I haven't.  But evil T-Mobile is not cooperating and I have no internet at my house.  And I don't know when I'll get it back.

In the New

So, HuffingtonPost mentions one of my work reports in a story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

(See the For example paragraph)  Yeah, this has nothing to do with me in Germany.  I worked on this report in Washington DC.  But I'm excited.

Christine

Happy Mother's Day

That's all.  Love you mom!

Free Stuff

People love free stuff.  This is true in America and in Germany.  I am the proud owner of a Porsche flag and red bucket.  Neither of which I actually have any use for.  (It's not like I'll get on my hands and knees and scrub any floor any time soon.)  See, even I take free stuff.

Free Porsche flag in front of Porsches

This weekend Stuttgart celebrated 125 Years of Cars.  What an amazing assortment of cars.  In truth (which you can't tell from this blog), I don't know much about cars.  But I went and took some cool pictures.

Maserati Birdcage 2005

I think this looks kinda like Batman's car.  But what do I know.  The design won lots of awards (says the card in front).  More cars (probably not as expensive as the birdcage):

My Porsche from behind

More fun cars to follow...

Car Capital of the World

Stuttgart is the auto (car in Deutsch) capital of the world-home to both Porsche and Mercedes Benz.  Side note:  BMW is located in München (which we refer to as Munich), roughly 2 hours away, southeast, down the A8 Autobahn.  When I left the United States, I left behind my mustang.  Well, it was 11 years old.  So one of the first items on my to do list was acquire another car.  My car:

No, wait, that would be my dream car (also known as the next I'm going to buy).

Carrera GT (or an 4S I'm not picky)

Many people on base sell cars, because they are moving back to the States.  Or they buy a BMW.  Or Audi, Or Mercedes, or Porsche.   I was lucky enough to acquire a 2002 Mini Cooper, German specs, with automatic drive.  My actual car:

It is very important to have a small car in Europe.  All of the parking spaces are small.  My car barely fits some times.  And some of the streets seem smaller.  That is probably because the cities were laid out before the 1400's and here we are in 2011.

Also, gas is extremely expensive.  On Monday, a gallon of gas in Springfield, VA was $4.09.  On Monday, on base, which is priced at the average cost in the United States (and is changed weekly), a gallon cost $4.10.  On the economy, gas is 1.56 Euro a liter (for the cheapest gas).  There are 3.78 liters in a gallon.  So, one gallon of gas is  5.90 Euro.  (I think I did that correctly.)  Well, on Monday one Euro cost $1.48.  So the cost of a gallon of gas in Germany is $8.74.  And you think that Americans pay a lot.  Not even close.

We can also get the American price at Esso stations on the economy.

I'm not really sure why all those really nice BMWs sped past me as I drove to Zurich.  If I were them, I would go 100 kilometers/hour (which is 60 mph).  Easy way to turn km to miles-multiply the km by 6 then drop the last zero.

My Mustang (cause I loved it):

Christine

Christine in Zurich, Switzerland

Visiting new cities is an amazing experience.  Yes, I do not speak any language particularly well.  Ok, maybe English.  But I try hard to get around with my little German.  And I am going to sign up for a German class, but that will not start until July.  This does not stop me from visiting new places.  I am trying to go to locations I have not seen yet.  That is why you have not read about Paris, as I have been there once before.  But Switzerland is a new country for me.  

I drove to Zurich, Switzerland.  It's about 2 or so hours southwest of Stuttgart, Germany.  First, I thought that there would be toll roads, as I noticed on google maps that it said toll in some places.  Tolls are actually boarder crossings.  I had no issues crossing.  

Zurich is beautiful.  It looks just like an old city should, or that you would think it looked like.  Large, old churches dot the landscape.  The buildings have beautiful architectural details that you just do not have in the States.  I just like looking at them.  I park and then wonder around looking.  So far, there have been no plans to see anything specific.  I found a restaurant that served food from a window.  Since a fair amount of people stood in line, I joined.  I took my sandwich and ate by the Limmat river.  Luckily, they accepted Euros, but gave change in Swiss Francs.  As most European cities, Zurich has a large park, and this one ran along the Limmat.  I enjoy walking so I viewed quite a bit of the river walk.

Zurich Landscape

Lunch

Frühlingsfest (Spring Fest) in Stuttgart!

The Germans know how to drink bier (beer) and party.  It's as simple as that.  I think I am officially one of them now that I have experienced my first fest.  It is a non-stop great time.  We took the U-Bahn (train like the metro or T) to the Frühlingsfest.

It is really a spring carnival--but with beer tents.  The carnival has various rides (pirate ship, swings, roller coaster-well I heard that, I didn't actually see it) and eateries (from candy apples to cotton candy).

I would estimate that 40 to 50 percent of the attendees had on traditional German clothes-dirndles and lederhosen (which is what guys wear).

The waitresses at Frühlingsfest rock.  Sometimes I needed both hands to hold up my beer.  But they could carry 8 or 10 drinks and made it look easy.  They also served you a half chicken and roll (Huhn und Brötchen).  I highly recommend the chicken after you finish one of your 3 liters of beer.  And the beer glasses don't break when they are dropped.  I watched many drunks (most looked about 16 or so) drop their glasses on the ground.  


A band played all evening.  Everyone stands up on the benches and sings and dances and drinks.  Pretty much all night long.  We arrived around 1530 and left at 2230.  The party was still going.  

Sightseeing

One of my first experiences in Deutschland was to visit a .... you guessed it... castle.  Germany has  16 castles (or so I read).  I visited one (outside of Stuttgart, not sure which though) on January 27, 2011.  This was one of the few times there was snow on the ground.  So not a great picture.  But you can't win them all.  On a side note-I was told in the winter of 2010 there were like 3 days without snow on the ground.  I move to Germany and there are like 3 days with snow on the ground-Winter 2011.  I don't get it either.

In addition to skiing the first couple of months, I also visited some towns I had not seen before.  On February 19, 2011, I drove to München (which Americans refer to as Munich).  I managed to locate Olympia Park.  I walked all around and saw the various venues.  Today the Germans allow anyone to swim and dive or play Fußball (which Americans refer to as soccer).  Notice there is no snow on the ground.  


I tried to find the city center.  Alas, it was not meant to be.  This is when I should have bought a GPS.  But there were many more times I got lost before I finally caved and purchased one in the middle of April.  I am sure I will find the city center for Oktoberfest.  But I think I will take the train.  


On March 27, 2011, I had lunch in Stausburg, France.  It's a lot of fun to lunch in France.  I mean, why not, it's roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hours away.  I had mussels.  Europeans also seem to love french fries.  No, I did not eat the entire plate.  Germans especially love potatoes.  Every menu will have about 5 different ways you can have potatoes.  


 Strausburg has a beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral, located in it's city center.  This city center I managed to find.  Really, you should not visit new cities on Sundays as most stores in Europe are closed.  But they will let you in the church to look around.    








Christine 

Dirndl

If you have read the Harry Potter series, then you know that the wand picks the wizard.  Well, the same theory applies to Dirndls.  Dirndls are the traditional German dresses worn for Fests.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirndl)  Since I am attending the Fruhlingsfest on Saturday, I went to buy one.  The store had racks of various styles of dirndls.   The first one I tried on was about 5 inches short of my knees.  Then I started trying on some dress that went just past my knees.  You try on many to figure out which looks best.  Then the lovely sales lady points out why of the last two dirndls you are deciding on, one does not actually fit you--too large at the chest.  So you end up with the one perfect dress.  Still not a fan of shopping.  But I acquired my first German garb.  Mine is more like this:  http://www.krueger-dirndl.de/en/collection/madl/.  I will post picture after the event on Saturday--stay tuned.

Christine
ps.  I know, I still owe an update on what else I have been up too.

Moving to Germany!

So in January 2011 I moved to Germany.  There was an opening at my work for our field office in Stuttgart, Germany.  I thought, I should move to Germany.  So I applied and here I am.  Living in Europe is amazing.  Just like you thought it would be.  Great food, friendly people, unique sites.  I still have to learn German.  But I am picking up some words.  And I think I have a lead on a class.  I am hopeful.

To bring you up to speed, I have had a couple adventures since moving:

On January 22, 2011, I skied at Lech, Austria.  

On February 26, 2011, I skied at Kitzbuhel, Austria (well not the part without snow).

For the weekend of March 5, 2011, I skied at Dashstein West, Austria.  This is near where the family from the Sound of Music is from (or where the movie was filmed-well, something about them).  I fell pretty hard here and hit my head.  I needed a new helmet after that wipeout.  At least the old helmet did its job.  

On March 13, 2011, I skied at Feldberg, Germany.   There was the coolest igloo I have ever been in.  To be fair, I have only been in one igloo.  Still.

On March 20, 2011, I skied in the Black Forest, at Nebelhorn.  

Yes, the Alps/mountains in Europe really are this beautiful.  At least every time I have skied.  I will write about non-skiing activities catch-up next time.  

Christine