After a beautiful day in Ray.gensburg, the forecast for today is less than promising.  Looks like rain tops, Teflon waterproofed blue jeans and shoes will be the order of the day. 

Fall travel brings some cool rainy days and smaller crowds. That makes the score two pluses to one minus, and we try to prepare for the minus. 

Don’t know much about Passau so we decided to pass up Salzburg (I know what you’re thinking, but we spent some time in Salzburg a couple of years ago) and explore new territory. I’ll report this afternoon on the wisdom of our decision. 

Just back from our Passau walk about.  The morning rain was more of an inconvenience than a misery and we enjoyed our time in Passau.  Interesting that Passau was not founded by the Romans, but the Celts.  I looked up Celts and, after scrolling through all the Boston Celtic postings, I learned that the Celts of the first century, 780 AD when Passau was founded, were a collection of tribes from Central Europe and Asia but mostly located in the Hallstatt area of Austria.  We visited Hallstatt just before the “lock down”.  Passau is also known as the city of three rivers, I lived in the city of three rivers on a different continent a few years ago.   Passau lies at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube rivers but has no stadium.  

The rivers provided the means for Passau to become an influential city, and its strategic location at the beginning point of the German-Austria border, brought two powerful nations together with Passau as a bonding point.  Passau, while being bombed three times in the last months of WWII, was not significantly damaged and the city center was left unscathed.  St. Stephen’s Cathedral was untouched and provides a strong example of baroque style of the late seventeenth century.

We have several choices for afternoon activities and the most attractive is to position in a soft spot in the lounge and listen to a pretty good piano guy, experience the sights, and the beauty of the Danube. Jim

Regensburg Final

 I was chastised a bit by a snooty guide this morning for applying the incorrect inflection in my pronunciation of Regensburg. It is, by his correct inflection, RAY-gensburg  And, it is by anyones inflection a great city to explore. Founded by the Romans, along with

most everything over here, in the first century AD, (I listened well) and survived multiple attacks from land thirsty conquerors, Regensburg has become not only an important German city but also a significant European city and educational center.

It likewise survived WWII, with less than seven percent of the city destroyed by bombing. A Messerschmitt (thanks Spel check) factory was located a few Kilometers outside the city and I have chosen to believe my father’s next to last mission was to bomb the factory. He was shot down the next day, February 23, 1945, bombing ball bearing factories in Steyr, Austria. 

Walking through old town Regensburg, and realizing that most of the historic buildings are native structures erected as much as a couple of thousands of years ago makes one realize that history can really

happen.  While the original construction is mostly renovated and rebuilt, the bones are classic medieval.  I will say Reginsbutg ranks high on our list of must visit European cities. 

My body is telling me that the day was a long haul but, now that I’m in bed and well fed, I couldn’t be more pleased with the tour choices I made.   A fifteenth century Benedictine Abby on the Danube Narrows (with one of the biggest beer gardens in Germany to fund its maintenance) was a significant lifetime event and to  learn more about the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jews, while sobering, was also a needed learning opportunity. 

To close, the university of Regensburg is a major educational center in Germany, with enrollment approaching forty thousand students (as stated by our guide) provides not only opportunity for German students to grow educationally but also provides a healthy source of income for the city.  Now, what other city comes to mind that benefits from its student residents? We also had our abandon ship exercise this evening. 

 Jim

Sunday Morning Update

Germany is a great place to visit but I rather be in Italy at mealtime. However, if it’s a breakfast pastry your heart desires, you can’t beat Bavaria. The bread here absolutely melts in you mouth,  

We had a great first day in Regensburg on Saturday, and a big day today. We are booked on a small-er boat to tour a place called the Danube Narrows and visit, you guessed it, a cathedral. 15 century. 

Later in the afternoon we will be walking through Regensburg touring historic Jewish sites of the Second World War. One of Schindler’s homes is here. 

We sail, I guess motor, tonight. Maybe I’ll have more interesting news this evening.  Just saw the Dogs got whipped. You just wait’till next year and “catch us if you can”. Jim

Mississippi to Munich

Mississippi to Munich

I think Alice (Wonderland not Brady Bunch) told Toto that they weren’t in Kansas anymore. Other than her having a conversation with a dog, I believe she knew what she was talking about. Pam, we’re not in The Magnolia State anymore. 

Our flight was the same as last time, really not bad, but it is a haul and tiring.  Now, we have to wait an hour on a train to take us to Regensburg, our destination for the day. 

We bought tickets from a machine that absolutely refused to respond to our best efforts but, as has been the case, a kind soul bailed us out. 

 The country between Munich and Regensburg could easily be an agricultural area at home but fields are small and I have no idea what crops might be growing. The train stops in immaculate little towns with white stucco sided houses and brown slate roofs straight out of gingerbread history.  Most everything is smaller, older and, well, European.

We made it to Regensburg about lunch, found our hotel, Munchner Hof, in the old town on a quiet street off of the St. Peter’s Cathedral square.  The cathedral is under repair and reminds us of the cathedral in Cologne, by a name I don’t remember.  

We also found the Danube, still looking for the blue.

One other thing, I saw a caboose.  A big red caboose with the lookout house on top. I’ve always liked trains and especially cabooses. Trains aren’t really trains without cabooses. Jim

PS:

Supposedly the oldest sausage house in Germany.  Can’t verify the age but we enjoyed the brats, sauerkraut, a special sweet and spicy mustard made on-site and the local recommended ale.

TSA Pyro-Swabbed My M&Ms

 In an earlier post I suggested packing any mysterious items, those with wires, plugs and such, in a backpack so TSA wouldn’t rifle through your underwear and what all trying to determine if that curly recharger wire was hooked to WMD.. 

 I also warned to be prepared; yo’ M&Ms gonna get checked!  

They always do, and if they have been relocated to a suspicious looking, zip top, plastic bag, you could get strip searched. 

On this day at Medgar Wiley Evers International, I experienced TSA in rare form… the nice and quite efficiently professional lady was able find my M&M hiding place, pull out my relocated M&Ms (rubber gloves that I’m sure were operating room sanitary) and proceed to fondle, shake and otherwise observe my midnight snack. 

I’m thinking surely this deal is over, but to my surprise, she then took my, well molested chocolate treats, over to the cabinet that holds the Pyro-Swabs and, you guessed it, wiped the bag. She then nodded approvingly and stuffed bag, M&Ms and various microorganisms back into my backpack. If she had only asked that I eat one, the backup of impatiently waiting passengers could have been avoided and my M&Ms spared. 

Joys of traveling the friendly skies Jim

PS: We actually had a great TSA experience at JAN. 

The Buffett Underwear Debate

 Extended traveling brings questions to mind and several tend to be critical. One of those questions, like, how many pair of underwear does one pack for a four and a half week trip?  

Jimmy Buffett would say very few  Another Buffett, however, who’s given name is Warren might also have a comment. I understand that Charlie Munger, Warren’s long time investment partner, had for years said, “Warren, we need to get into women’s underwear!”  So, Warren goes out and buys Haynes Corporation. Similar to most of his investments, underwear covered well and profits were made. 

Going Commando, so to speak, may be healthy or not (Google it) but it would have impact on the original question about packing.  If so, the answer to that question would be closely associated with the Buffett to whom you most closely relate. Much later, Jim

Planning and Packing Travel Electronics

In the “good ol days”, getting your battery charged probably meant taking the car to a “real” service station and having a guy, who actually knew what he was doing, charge your battery.  Now, we’ve all become battery charging guys who…mostly know what we’re doing.  

Traveling anywhere, anytime involves charging batteries, multiple batteries.  Shavers and toothbrushes barely begin the list of re-chargeables we depend upon for a normal day, and traveling abroad further complicates keeping them running.  I know you have your own way of dealing with the charging issue; here’s how Pam and I plan the electronics to pack, pack, and take care of charging.

We’ve used several different foreign country voltage adapters and converters to allow charging of US electronics and we’re trying out a couple more on our upcoming trip.  Our standby adapter/converter is a Bestek unit that meets most of our needs.  It has multiple plug types for virtually all continents you may visit and it further converts foreign voltages to a US standard. The Bestek accepts three US three prong plugs and two USB-A plugs.  It’s size is about 7”x3”x1” and weighs about a half pound.  It has a cooling fan that may bother your sleep but hasn’t ours. Don’t expect it to power your hair dryer or other high wattage items but otherwise it should meet all your travel electrical power needs.  The downside is the weight and size.  It is a good choice and we recommend them.  I’ll report on the adapters we will be trying this trip when we get home.

USB connectors in all their many configurations and abilities can be confusing and I’m not the person to clearly explain their idiosyncrasies, but I can tell you they can ruin your day when they won’t fit.  Here’s is a foolproof way to avoid USB connector pain… plug everything in before you travel and deal with your pain at home and in friendlier territory. TIP 1: We pack a USB “multiplier” to increase the number of USB plugs available and leave the little boxy white Apple chargers at home.

Don’t forget to include all wires and plugs (that you have successfully attached at home).

Hers’s a list of items you may need to charge including a couple we find useful (*)

Toothbrush

Shaver

*AirFly; Bluetooth transmitter/receiver for airplane and guide listening.  Supports two sets of ear buds/ear phones, and “no wires” tour guide transmissions 

*TOZO NC2 Bluetooth noise canceling earbuds

Auxiliary battery chargers

 iPhones

iPad

I-watch

Lap top computer 

With our world becoming more “electrified” daily, this list will only grow.  Plan rechargeable travel equipment included to the smallest list possible, and do not pack in carry on baggage (wires and strange looking boxes are TSA targets for “closer inspection”).  You don’t want some strange, non-English speaking person unpacking your carefully rolled, arranged and compressed personal items and clothing.  Pack all electronic and other questionable items in your backpack, much easier to get through an “unzip” inspection.  Tip 2: Pack M&Ms in easily accessible spots, they always get checked.  Jim

PS: I’m not getting any $ from the products mentioned… yet.