Some of my favorite shops

Had a beautiful day on Saturday. It seemed like the entire population of Wiesbaden was outside. So we joined them. I visited some of my favorite shops in town and Pete took pictures. Surprise, surprise, my favorite places are mostly flower shops.
But this first shop has an incredible layout of the freshest vegetables and fruits from all over Europe. We found small tomatoes grown in France that were the sweetest I had ever tasted.


And here are the many flower shops I love to visit. This one is my favorite. A girl named Ellie works here and speaks perfect English so I visit with her often. Spring and the Easter season are big celebrations here. Flowers and early forced bedding plants are abundant and surprisingly sold this early. I too have already planted 3 pots on our patio... imagine that! And Pete halls them in every night... some things never change!


Here's a clever idea using a large grapevine wreath and fabricated Easter eggs.

This place has the most beautiful orchids. And Pete was interrogated (in German of course) apparently by the owner who wasn't too fond of us taking pictures. Must be afraid of the competition getting ideas.


I'm just starting to grow my own orchids and love everything about them especially the low maintenance.



Pete thought this would be a good store for him.



On the way home, the fountains were in full motion. Our American friends here say that the locals start Spring on March 1st. Judging from all the people out and about, they mean it.


Even the the pond in the park had it's water spout going strong only a few feet away from the slowly melting ice.

Hopefully Spring is here to stay. Tschus!

Dubai or not to Buy

Dubai has been in the news in the last few years because of the massive building construction going on there. Some say they have 60% of the world's supply of high-rise cranes - I think the percentage is higher. About a year ago, the construction came to a halt. Apparently all the juice for the building was funded by banks, not by princes of the United Arab Emirates. Oops...banking error #307. The banks got burned and no longer wanted to loan money. So, Sheikh Khalifa, president of UAE, bailed out Dubai with some $100M and got naming rights on the Burj Tower. This is the world's tallest building...and it just opened. Well sorta. They had a big fireworks show a month ago, but, like Vegas, not sure if there's anything inside.



There is a constant haze of dust in the air from the endless desert around Dubai. This time of year is really nice - 70s - compared to summer in the 110+ level. And, because it's next to the Persian Gulf, the humidity kills the "dry heat" excuse. You can tell by the pictures that it's like a Vegas without lights. There are malls with ski slopes, skating rinks, curling, and every western capitalist retailer imaginable. This is the western version of the Arab world. You see very few head scarves here much less burqa's. (I just asked Mary if I have too much information in the blog, she said, "...no, it sounds like you.")



There are still very few places serving liquor. The only bars are found in hotel lobbies. You need to have a liquor license to purchase in stores. The kicker is... your employer needs to sign off on your request.

This hotel may look familar from the Today Show. It's the Burj Al Arab. Matt Lauer was standing on the heliport pad at the top. What's really cool is the what it looks like from the Gulf - the architect had some fun with the official religion. Apparently, if you view it from the Gulf, there is a large cross at the top.


This is one of those places in the world where you can see a Rolls Royce pass you on the highway. And not just one. I leave you with a scene from my hotel room.

Ma'a as-salaama! (goodbye)

Under the Spell of La Tour Eiffel

Having seen the Eiffel Tower before, it's still always thrilling to see it in front of you. I've heard people say it looks shorter in person, but compared to what? It really is impressive, no matter where in the city you see it from. From underneath, it's so symmetrical, and Pete loves to watch the ancient pulleys as they lift the elevators. Souvenir hawkers are everywhere but hey, we're tourists....


Pete had meetings in Paris so I tagged along. On Friday, I buried my anxiety and took the train from the Northwest suburbs of Paris into the city's busiest underground train terminal - Chatelet Les Halles. I somehow found my way out (Sortie) into a beautiful park and didn't know where I was. Even though I had been to Paris before, I was sooooo lost... I went into the closest hotel and laid out my map to the receptionist. I realized I was only blocks from Notre Dame Cathedral.

When I went inside the Cathedral, I just sat down and stared at the stained glass windows. Just then, a choir came out in front of the altar and started singing Gregorian Chants. Just for me? Someone upstairs knew how to sooth my anxieties.




I had always wanted to spend some time at Musee d'Orsay where many of the impressionist paintings are on display. It was a real treat to spend 2 1/2 hours all by myself, wandering around this great museum.





On Saturday, Pete joined me for another visit into the city. We enjoyed some of the same sites, saw some unique things in the Latin Quarter like this artistic hanging-copper-pot-sculpture that I thought I should have.




And some old guys were showing us how to play real Bocce Ball (called "Boule Lyonnaise" in France).



This is so typical of the French architecture on the Left Bank.


...so much to see and so little time.... We are looking forward to coming back in a few weeks to Paris when our girls visit in March.

Au Revoir!

Fasching in Mainz.... Helau!!

In our neighboring city of Mainz, they are known for having one of the best Fasching (Mardi Gras) celebrations in all of Germany. Trying to describe it is difficult...but imagine a 3-hr Hobo Day parade in Key West/New Orleans where everyone in the crowd and IN the parade are drinking, throwing candy and tissues (!), dressed up in no-discernible-theme costumes, and yelling HELAU! (the only translation we got was "how we say Hello during Fasching.")

The pictures should tell the story.....

Family friendly...




And, not so much

...Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga were there...

The band especially like them...


Ghostbusters found a maiden to save...


I gotta feeling, tonite's gonna be a good nite....mazel tov!!

The guys on the 2nd floor blared the Black-Eyed-Peas and euro beats to the crowd. Check out their slogan.

Just not sure about these guys...


Or this guy.


Black-eyed-Peas got the crowd into a frenzy including a normally subdued American.


Hmmm, naughty nurses I think. Looks like Katie's friends.





Another example of german engineering - a traveling Keg and dispenser. Oh, yeah, Mary gotta free beer.





And, this guy is not wearing a costume. German efficiency doesn't rest when it's time to clean up. The buzzkill boys showed up and Mary thanked them for their endeavors.

Helau! HELLLLAAUUUOOOOO!!

24 Hours in Istanbul with Pete

I had the opportunity to visit the city where east meets west, the former city of Constantinople. Remember 8th grade geography? The Mediterranean meets the Black Sea through the Bosphorus canal. This is one hugely populated city - about 13 million - it's the fifth largest city in the world.

I was only there a short time but from my experience, the traffic is always like this. Traffic jams are constant and it's not the place for a newcomer to drive. Checkout the center lane that buses use. They run opposite to traffic because the bus doors open on the right and the stations are in the center...oops. And, the first buses bought by the government were underpowered so when the bus went uphill, the passengers needed to all get out and help push! 2x oops.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me the night we walked into the main market shopping area. A colleague and me were escorted by our partners in Turkey. Throngs of people moved down the pedestrian-only street - even worse than Times Square. There was a loud demonstration. Our host said it was the result of a government-backed company who privatized and many lost jobs.

There are mosques everywhere here where Islam is the main religion. We ate at a restaurant founded in 1888 that serves traditional Ottoman-era dishes. We picked out our food almost like in a delicatessen and got an assortment of foods on one plate. There was a fabulous minced meat tucked inside an eggplant (Karniyarik). They also served fresh pomegranate juice - described to me as the fountain of youth. (my host told me my wife wouldn't recognize me when I returned home - hmmm).


The city has steep hills like San Francisco and like many East European cities, the architecture is a mix of ancient and modern - often right next to each other. With only a short visit, I barely had time to take in the sights so I hope my next trip will be longer. Not sure how to say goodbye in Turkish.... so, bye for now.

Just another walk in the park...

OK, so I found a new daily walk that's pure nature. Instead of heading into town as I approach the park, I decided to see how far Kurpark goes in the other direction. And what a beautiful path I found. It was finally somewhat sunny and bright outside...though I'm not complaining...I've been following the weather back home. I went all the way to the end and then started taking pics on my way back. There is a mini-grove of what I call the "Wiesbaden Redwoods." These trees are so tall and stately.


There's a nice babbling brook along the way. The trail follows this all through the park which is more like a ravine.



And even some garden plots with potting sheds - right there in the park. These plots look like community gardens provided by the city.


I'm not sure how old some of these homes are, but some clearly made it through 2 world wars. They are really well-maintained and most are likely broken into apartments. There is an interesting mix of modern and old even in the old sections of town.


This is a little garten cafe that you can stop at for Kaffee or wine! What a choice...let's see, it's about 11am, better go with the Kaffee.


Each home is really unique (you historic-home-lovers in Brookings would love these).


These trees are so interesting. They are also on the "Michigan Ave. of Wiesbaden" - Wilhelm Strasse. By the size of the trunks, they must be really old.


There's an aerated pond that stays open in the winter and some wildlife there that remind us of home. Are these different than SD Mallards? Mark, George, Tom, anyone?

The walk is really great...a little over an hour and away from the well-dressed, fur-coated women in town! Can't wait for the magnolia's to bloom! Hurry Spring.

Tschuss!