Chiemsee Trip, south of Munich, biggest lake in Bavaria

How are you doing? I’m doing fine. I can’t believe I have been here for 2 weeks now and it seems like all I’ve done, besides work from 8-5, is shop and eat. It is still white asparagus season here and many of the restaurants offer various asparagus dishes, so I made it my mission to try as many as possible. Fresh asparagus with butter, boiled potatoes, and pork roast, asparagus lasagna with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and light sauce, sweet asparagus soufflé, and so on.

This weekend we took a little day trip to the Chiemsee, just south of Munich (München) near the German Alps. The drive was beautiful and took about 2 ½ hours. We stopped several times on the way and finally arrived by 12 (original take-off time was 7 am). Once we found parking, we followed the crowd to the boat dock, purchased ride tickets, and got in line for the first part of the trip. The Chiemsee is the biggest lake in Bavaria and is known for its 2 major islands (Herreninsel and Fraueninsel) where King Ludwick the II built one of his many palaces. The one we saw was on the Herreninsel (gentleman’s island). It was very lavish and I took some (unauthorized) pictures of the interior. (Turning off the flash drastically reduced the sharpness of the picture, but you get the idea.)

King Ludwick II Palace on Herreninsel at Chiemsee

Foyer to King Ludwick II Palace at Chiemsee

After the giant palace we got back on the boat and stayed there until the end of the ride (anchoring at Fraueninsel and the tiny city of Gstad). The weather was gorgeous and the wind felt great. The lake was beautiful and in the distance we were able to see some snow topped mountains.

Before leaving we stopped to eat (again) and I had a wonderful pork roast with potato dumpling and cabbage salad. For dessert, a piece of cheese cake with pears. J The drive home was a piece of cake. Most of the trucks had disappeared and traffic was really light. I got to drive an average of 130 km/per hour, which is right around 80 mph. We got home by 9 pm and I happily went to sleep (thinking of all my family and friends in the United States). J

King Ludwick II - private bed chamber - Herreninsel Palace

Today I think I will take it easy and enjoy Mothers’ Day in a quiet setting by myself. I am saddened that I am unable to celebrate this day with my mom, and I have decided to visit Ljubljana, Slovenia (former Yugoslavia) on Memorial Day Weekend, if possible. This will give me the opportunity to visit my mother’s birth place and go back to the country my mother thought she was unable to reenter, once she was displaced during World War II (she feared that she wouldn’t be able to leave)

Short trip to Regensburg and Parsberg, Bavaria, Germany

Today I spent some time visiting Regensburg, one of the most ancient cities in Germany. Way back in AD 179 the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius established a stronghold at the northernmost point of the Danube and called it “Castra Regina.” This was the real founding of the town, although the Celts had a settlement known as “Radasbona” on the site as early as 500 BC. (2002, Earl Steinbicker, Daytrips Germany)

St. Peters Dom (cathedral) in Regensburg, Germany

This city received very minimal bomb damage during World War II and has many of it’s Roman architecture intact. The city was beautiful. We visited the “Dom” (cathedral), the famous and historical “Wurstküche” (sausage kitchen) where we ate to skinny little bratwursts on a “Kupferl” (crispy roll) with sweetened (maybe they used something like apple cider) sauerkraut. It was delicious. We also had famous Italian ice cream across from the Dom and went to a shopping mall right across the “Donau” (Danube) river. It was great. Had a little rain on and off, but otherwise no problem. J

Parsberg

In the evening I went back to the “Hotel zum Hirschen” and had some more “Spargelkremsuppe” (asparagus cream soup) and a lasagna with asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, and cheese. It was the best ever. I may have to go back once again. After an unhurried dinner I walked up to the old castle and church (which was closed but will reopen Sunday afternoon). It was a nice climb and very impressive. I can’t wait to see the inside with its museum which has about eight different themes of the past.

I didn’t have much of a chance to take pictures (since I was driving) and imagine I will return to remedy that. I’m not sure where my next trip will take me. I will google the local map and see what comes up within a 1 hour radius.

Rental Car Return Drama in Nuremberg - wo ist der Bahnhof?

During my passed assignments, part of the German lesson used to be the question (they always taught questions) "Wo ist der Bahnhof?" Well, I found the Bahnhof (train station), but I couldn't find parking, or better yet the rental car agency where I was suppose to return my 5 day rental. :)

I had quite a nerve wracking experience taking my car back. I got to the bahnhof okay, but couldn't find the parking lot where I was suppose to turn in the car. I panicked when I couldn't find a number for the company, it wasn't pretty. So I found a place to stop and gathered my wits. I drove back to the bahnhof (train station) and found the rental car parking garage (underground, just past the bikes and taxis)...with moments to spare, taking a cab, I made it to the Hertz on Beuthener Str. 20 minutes before they closed. It started raining the moment I left their parking lot. They gave me a manual black "Zafira"..I don't remember hearing that name before. It is a nice roomy vehicle that likes to drink "super" Benzin (gasoline).

Tomorrow I will go back to Nuernberg, to pick up my co-worker. Maybe I'll see more of the town this time, and maybe all the road constructions and detours will go away over night. Wouldn't that be great. So, I still haven't taken any pictures since I've gotten off the plane. Soon I hope. I've been busy, busy, busy. :)

Arrived in Germany, now catching up with sleep

The last few days have been pretty hectic. I arrived in Frankfurt on Friday morning and visited an old family friend in Wiesbaden-Delkenheim. I had Broetchen for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and Bratwurst for dinner.

I stayed up all day, yet still was unable to sleep more than 4 hours during the night. I had an orientation from 8 am to 1 pm and had to leave immediately for Parsberg. Upon arrival I met one of my colleagues and she told me everything she could remember about the assignment and all the meetings I needed to attend. Next we went on a tour of the Post and after that I headed back to my Hotel zum Hirschen. (So far a 12 hour day)

I had a fantastic dinner at my hotel (roast beef with vegetables in broth, fried potatoes, "Virsing", horse raddish, and berries), tried to get some sleep, but woke up after 2 hours. I finally gave up trying to sleep and decided to start reading my transition report, making a schedule of my daily/weekly activities, and set up a daily routine.

The breakfast buffet was heavenly. Tons of bread, cheese, cold cuts, cereals, homemade jams, yoghurt, eggs, and a little chocolate Easter bunny. (Took a 2-hour nap around noon...jet lag is affecting more than I thought it would)

I feel a bit out of place here. Even though I speak pretty good German, they know I'm American, and it is hard to understand much of the Bavarian dialect. I will get it. I keep getting turned around and driving on the narrow roads in the village is a challenge for me. New signs, new speed limits, and a different right away ruling. Driving on the Autobahn was fun...I didn't go more than 90 mph...not more than maybe once or twice.

Well it is time to eat again. It is white asparagus season and I will take advantage of one or two of the 10 or more asparagus dishes. I can't wait.

Tomorrow is my first day at work, plus I will move into the Sunny Lodge on the Post (base). So, it will be a fun packed day. See you soon. :) Sonja

PS. My computer suddenly switched to German and running the spell checker, I have nothing but yellow hi lites. Please, excuse any mistakes.

Tomorrow is the day - hardly any time left

Well, I've had my packing dilemma today. I thought I had everything figured out...1 suitcase, 1 carry on, simple...right? RIGHT. I decided to weigh my 1 suitcase and found that it was 53 lbs...you wonder how did I weigh it? Well, first I got on the scale and looked at my weight, then I picked up the suitcase and looked at the difference. 3 lbs is too close for comfort. I had already eliminated all the unnecessary things, I could not get rid of more.

So, plan B. I replaced my carry-on with a heavy duty backpack (with wheels) and got a second suitcase a bit bigger than the carry-on and much smaller than suitcase number 1. After repacking, I will have to pay the extra charge for a 2nd suitcase (which my company has authorized and will pay for). My load during the layover will be a bit more manageable, and I can even bring my warm winter coat for the mountains and the night cold.

It may be a couple of days until you hear from me again. I will keep good notes and then share the great adventures. See you in 10 weeks. Take care. :) Sonja

Tuesday - 2 days until take-off

Finally, my bags are packed and I only took 1/3rd of what I set out to chose from. I was able to stuff plenty of clothes into the big suit case and hope that the handle holds and the seams are tight. It is a new case (with cat eyes for easy identification) and should make it easily around the world...well half-way around the world. People suggested to put the name on the outside and the inside, so I tossed in a bunch of business cards. That should do the trick. I just hope that I don't have to unpack when I go through customs...you'd think with today's technology that wouldn't be necessary. We'll see.

The major dilemma that I have is deciding on whether to take my heavy winter coat. We plan on going to the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in the German Alps, and I know it will be cold there. I've been tracking night time temperatures near freezing, even though it looks like it will be up in the 40's. I'd have to carry the coat separately...but it could double as a blanket or a pillow on the flight. What do you think? Take it, or leave it?

Monday night - 3 days to takeoff

Today I've decided to do what we do in the military...I got a Power of Attorney and a Medical Power of Attorney, just in case. That way Doug will be able to take care of whatever financial issues that may come up during my absence.

It is amazing how much it takes to get everything lined up for an extended absence. Tomorrow I will change my email messages, voice messages, and even my website messages, to let people know that I will be unavailable for the next 10 weeks.

I'm not sure at this point on how much access I will have to the Internet, or how simple it will be to get WI-FI connections (I have learned that most places will charge you), so, I'd rather not spend my time reviewing lengthy emails and FW: correspondence. I also imagine my responses will be brief and to the point. My apologies in advance. :)

Besides that, I set up an 8 gig zip drive to hold my pictures, give me a place to track expenses, and to house the various presentations that I may be asked to give during my work in Germany. Sometimes I forget, that I'm going to Germany to work...so it won't be all fun and play. Except, that I really enjoy my work, so it will be very satisfying or gratifying...

Saturday - checking the list - 5 days to go

I have several lists going and I keep adding to them and deleting as things get done. Some items are redundant, like checking on Doug's pass port, because they are most important.

So I have a list for things to pack (clothes, electronics, chargers, camera, MagicJack, stamps), things to take care of before I leave and upon arrival (pay bills, 80 days worth of pet food, rechargeable phone for Europe), and things I want to buy in Germany (suveniers, shoes, ornaments, car sticker)...you get the idea.

I also confirmed our reservations, printed out colorful itiniraries, and put our travel documents in into folders.

So, today I will finish up my work, get some additional packing done, and brush up some more on my German. I've been listening to German radio stations (thanks to an app on "radio Germany"), both news and music. I understand very well, and need to get more comfortable speaking. Funny, when I first came to the United States, I was translating everything from German to English and dreaming in German, now it is the other way around. I really have to think about the words. (funny when I was studyingRussian, I used to dream in Russian, then realize, when I woke up, I didn't understand a single word.)

Only 7 more days

One week from today I will getting on the plane at the San Antonio Airport. I spent some time today getting our "travel folders" together. These contain our itinerary, maps, travel documents, various reservations, currency, proof of insurance forms, etc.

Yesterday I packed my overnight bag...the bag that will provide me with 2 days worth of clothing in case my bag gets delayed or mis-routed. I will also keep my electronics and any valuable in there, to be sure that I have them by my side.

I made my final trip to the grocery store, for a few travel snacks and food for Doug, who won't be following me until later on during the trip. We have 3 months worth of dog food, fish food, and bird food. Sodas that could last until the end of the summer, but probably won't.

I contacted the credit card companies to have them put the card in travel status and found out that Discover might be accepted at places that accept the Diner card (very good news). Now all I can do is hope that the ATM recognize me and provide me with timely cash. I know there is quite a service charge, but it's better than carrying a wallet full of bills.

I still need to pack my primary bag and decide what not to take. I need to dress professionally for the job, I saw that the low in Hohenfels today was 32 and around 3:30 it was about 48 or 50. So I'm still dressing for a "San Antonio winter" even though it is considered spring. By the time we leave, it will be summer...things to consider.

That's all for today. I can't wait to post some "live" pictures, taken by my own camera. :)

Tuesday morning - 9 days to go

Germany's electricity runs at 220 volts rather than 110 as here in the United States. Some of the facilities on US military installations may have 110 outlets, but most places won't. This takes some extra precautions...like don't plug in your hair dryer...even (or especially) if you picked up a conversion plug...be careful with any other electronic equipment. You will need to acquire a step-down transformer (they usually run on 50 Hz and make your clocks run fast).

I bought a car charger for my iPad and it has an additional usb plug. This way I can safely charge some of my equipment.

I plan on going to the base Thrift Shop for a small transformer (works for low voltage appliances that don't produce a lot of heat)

And, I'm getting a perm today, so I don't have to worry about grooming...wash and go.

Communication:
Finally, consider that your phone might not work (check with your provider) and be prepared to buy a disposable/rechargeable phone when you get to Germany (I plan on changing my greeting on my regular phone before I leave the country).

Itinirary - the first 6 days

4/21/2011 (Holy Thursday) San Antonio, Washington,
4/22/2011 (Good Friday) Frankfurt am Main, Germany
4/22/2011 From Frankfurt a quick trip to Wiesbaden and Delkenheim
4/23/2011 (Saturday) From Frankfurt to Parsberg, Baveria, Germany
4/24/2011 (Easter Sunday) another night in Parsberg
4/25/2011 (Easter Monday) first day of work at/in Hohenfels, Baveria, Germany
4/26/2011 Nuremberg (Nuernberg) Germany

Getting ready for the trip to Germany

I am 10 days away from starting my trip to Germany. My assignment is in Hohenfels, Bavaria, Germany.

Picture from Hohenfels.de website

I've picked up my Euros (from IBC bank in San Antonio) and am in the process of packing. I started last week, by slowly putting all the things that I'm considering on an empty bed and in a rarely used closet. I keep adding things, being sure not to forget anything, and realizing that it is way too much. I will sort it out as the week goes.

In the past few months I updated my pass port, got an International Driver's License (from AAA for about $15), and made travel arrangements (mostly done through my company's travel department).