Ich Bin Ein Berliner

On Sunday morning's flight to Berlin, I was a bit melancholy at the thought of leaving behind friends and the magical city of Munich. I was cheered considerably by the thoughtfulness of Peter, who called and left a Welcome to Berlin message at my hotel. Paul and I walked from east to west on Unter Den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate, all signs of The Wall gone. So different from thirty years ago, although the Russian Embassy still holds a pretty impressive piece of real estate in the former east.

The view from west to east, this time without barbed wire and tanks, was a wonderful sight. Just a few blocks from the Brandenburg Gate is the new Holocaust Memorial: The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

The 4.7 acre site is covered with concrete slabs that vary in height from 8 inches to about 16 feet.

Although there is some controversy as to the meaning of the sculpture, the interpretation that most resonates with me is that it represents the ordered system that lost touch with human emotion and reason. Walking between the columns is unsettling.

A few blocks in the opposite direction is The Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament.

The glass dome was designed to symbolize transparency in the German government.

After meeting with the program directors at the Freie Universität (FU) on Monday, Paul and I agreed (I somewhat reluctantly) that it was time to return home. Loaded with Lebküchen, chocolate, and gifts from the Weihnachtsmarkt, we flew from Berlin to Frankfurt to Denver to Portland, finally arriving home at 10:30 PST on Tuesday evening. And we were back to work on Wednesday. I was dizzy for several days, and woke every morning at 4 am for the next week. The suitcase is unpacked, the presents distributed, the chocolate eaten ... and the last remaining evidence of my trip is the alarm clock on my nightstand, which still reflects German time. For some reason, I just can't bring myself to change it back to PST.

Deutschland Reise: München

Thirty years ago, I left a piece of my heart in Munich. Participating in Lewis and Clark College's Year in Munich Program, I studied at the Universität München during the 1978-79 academic year. For reasons that now seem fairly trivial (work, money, children), I never returned. Until now. Paul and I arrived in Munich around three in the afternoon on Thursday and took the U-bahn to Münchner Freiheit, a very familiar stop in Schwabing. From there, it was about a 10 minute walk to our hotel on the edge of the Englischer Garten.



After participating in the requisite meetings on Thursday and Friday, I had Friday evening and Saturday to catch up with old friends, wander through the Weinachtsmarkt, watch the Glockenspiel play, climb the steps of Alter Peter in search of photo opportunities, drink a few beers, and reminisce on some very happy times.





My dreams were answered when I awoke Saturday to find that it had snowed! The view from my hotel window was Christmas card perfect.

The time in Munich was fabulous, but too short. And an even bigger piece of my heart stayed behind this time.

Deutschland Reise: Tübingen

Our hotel in Tübingen was situated right around the corner from city hall. After a restful night in my very sweet room, I awoke to blue skies and sunshine. Paul and I walked to the Universität Tübingen and participated in the Study Abroad Fair that was held in the Mensa, then had a few hours to explore the city.

As is true in most German cities, the local castle proved to be a good starting place. Schloss Hohentübingen offers a wonderful view of the city.


And once again, I was struck by the similarities between the city of Tübingen and Cornelia Funke's Inkworld. In my imagination, Hohentübingen is the Castle of Ombra.


At the farewell dinner, we said goodbye to the Family Meeting participants and our gracious Universität Tübingen hosts, and the next morning Paul and I walked to the train station for the journey to our next destination: Munich. The rain was back, but the city still magically beautiful.

Mein Zimmer Ist Suss

I am staying at the Hotel Hospiz in Tübingen and my room is very sweet. The room is on the fifth floor, which is the top floor and more or less the attic. The view out the window is of the tiled rooftops of the Altstadt (old town).

The window opens and the Federdecke is warm ... what could be better?

The bathroom is very modern

with the sweetest tile.


How perfect can this trip be?

Deutschland Reise: Esslingen Weihnachtsmarkt

The conference sessions ended today at three and we left Blaubeuren, heading for Tübingen. On the way, we stopped at the Esslingen Weihnachtsmarkt, or Christmas market.

So many wonderful things to see


and buy


and eat!


Ben would have loved the cinnamon buns


and Peter's favorite would have been the bread on a stick.

My favorite part was the medieval section, complete with strolling players and artisans demonstrating their crafts. I felt as if I were in Ombra with Fenoglio and Meggie.

Deutschland Reise: Blaubeuren

The Germany trip is well underway. Paul and I flew to San Francisco on Saturday morning, then from San Francisco to Frankfurt, where we breakfasted in the Lufthansa First Class Lounge. It's good to fly with people who travel frequently. After a restful breakfast, we flew to Stuttgart, where we were picked up and driven by bus to the Heinrich Fabri Institute in Blaubeuren, site of the family meeting for study abroad advisors. Having not really slept on the plane, I was exhausted. Paul was committed to keeping me awake, however, gently but insistently tugging on my arm whenever my eyes closed, asking me if I was still awake. Paul's theory is that as soon as you step into a different time zone, you immediately embrace that time zone and never look back. We arrived in Germany around 9:30 am (12:30 am PST), therefore, Paul insisted that we stay up until the normal German bedtime. We arrived in Blaubeuren around 4 pm, checked into our rooms, then walked into the city. The streets, of course, are decorated with twinkling white lights for Christmas and it is all lovely. Around five, just as the church bells were chiming, we followed a group into the church, where an Advent concert was just beginning. We listened a bit to the harp and violin music but grew drowsy as we warmed up, so walked back to the Institute for a wonderful dinner of Rinderroulade mit Apfelrotkraut and Kartoffelspalten.

So far, Paul's theory seems to be working and, after going to bed around 9 pm, I woke up this morning feeling fairly refreshed. I stayed awake for the morning sessions, then everyone walked to the Blautopf, a cold water spring on the edge of the Kloster Blaubeuren.

The Kloster Blaubeuren is about 900 years old, built around 1085.

We spent a fair amount of time in the Kloster Blaubeuren, knowing that the meetings didn't start again until 4:15 pm.

On the way back to the Institute, we stopped and I bought a hair dryer to replace the one I toasted this morning in a 220 volt experiment that went terribly wrong. I fought off waves of drowsiness from 4:15 to 6:30 pm, when the meetings finally ended and we consumed yet more meat and potatoes.

Tomorrow afternoon we travel to Tübingen, with a short detour to the Esslingen WeihnachtsMarkt.

One Too Many Mistakes

I started this Tulips and Rosebuds Baby Blanket for Ryan's newest family member. Though a bit complicated, the pattern is a fairly straightforward combination of yarn overs, increases and decreases. No big deal. And I've used Fiber Trends patterns before. This particular pattern, however, highlights one of my weaknesses: when the stitch count changes, I depend on the pattern to tell me how many stitches I should have at the end of each row. Granted, this pattern did warn that the stitch count would change, but that was the end of the helpful advice. When I finished with the tulip border and started on the first row of rosebuds (after a number of rows), I discovered the stitch count was off and actually even discovered the missing yarn overs. I frogged back to the last row of the tulip border, added the missing yarn overs, and patiently proceeded.

When I started the third set of rosebuds, I discovered my stitch count was off again, this time due to a missing yarn over in the last row of the second set of rosebuds. Quite a ways back. And something had gone terribly wrong in the side tulip border. About this time my patience failed and on a whim I frogged the whole thing. The boys just stared in disbelief. At this point I should probably add that I work full time, have two teenagers and take care of my elderly mother ... so don't have a lot of time to knit without distraction. This pattern, I decided, requires more attention than I can give at this particular time in my life.

I have to admit, I've been spoiled by Deb and Lynda of Cabin Fever. Cabin Fever patterns have a feature that I love, the Reality Check notes. After a change in the stitch count, the notes on the pattern recommend a reality check, telling you exactly how many stitches you should have before proceeding. The reality check feature has saved me much time and frustration.

I've also done quite a bit of reading on the use of lifelines. This technique would have certainly come in handy on this pattern and might be something to consider if I ever decide to try something this complicated again.

Fall Weekend in Wyoming

Or should I say Montana weekend? Craig's business trip to Montana required that he spend the weekend somewhere between Libby and Billings, providing the perfect opportunity for a mini-vacation. I flew to Missoula on Saturday morning, Craig picked me up at the airport and we drove to Yellowstone Park. Arriving at the North Entrance, we discovered that a bridge was out between Norris and Madison, and a fire intermittently closed the road between Bridge Bay and West Thumb. We decided to take our chances with the fire and luckily made it through Yellowstone to the South Entrance and on to Jackson, Wyoming, where we stayed at the Snow King Resort.

The plan for Sunday included the Grand Tetons and a trip back through Yellowstone, this time exiting at the Northeast Entrance with the final destination of Billings. Having heard about Jenny Lake from, well, Jenny--daughter of a Wyoming rancher who thought Jenny Lake was about the prettiest place he'd ever seen--we decided to check it out. Yep, it's worth the trip.


After driving through Grand Teton National Park, we entered Yellowstone at the South Entrance and very soon discovered that the forest fire had jumped the road at Bridge Bay, leaving only the West Entrance as an option for north-bound travelers.

Billings, in eastern Montana, was looking to be a bit farther than originally anticipated. As Craig explored our options using the GPS and chatting with Mr. Park Ranger, I took the new Nikon for a spin and walked through West Thumb, which provided a great view of the forest fire and Yellowstone Lake. Note to self: Take cell phone when walking toward a forest fire, in case spouse does not see where you are going and sends the park rangers out to look for you.

Old Faithful is located between the South and West Entrance and made the required detour an attractive option.

After setting up the camera and enlisting an elderly couple to keep an eye on it, Craig talked me into walking around Old Faithful to see the other hot springs. Just as we got to about the furthest point from Old Faithful, the geyser erupted, four minutes early according to Craig. Hence, no action shots of Old Faithful. Payback for allegedly disappearing into a forest fire? Nah, probably not.

As we approached the West Entrance, dozens of cars lined the road and we joined them, having learned that cars on the side of the road signaled wildlife and, therefore, photo opportunities. I tried out the telephoto lens and was pleased with the results.

We arrived in Billings after dark, slept a few hours, and were at the Billings airport at 5:00 am for my 6:00 am flight to Portland on Monday. Although I had marked myself out at work for the day, my original plan was to stop by the office on the way home from the airport and put in a few hours of work. Instead, I rolled for home and napped until the boys got home from school at 4 pm.