Back in Germany

After 14 months back in Seattle, it was time for me to move on again -- back to Germany.  As I have written in past posts, the strong desire to feed my wanderlust and my preferred nomadic way of life made the decision easy.  Two circumstances within the last year also aided in confirming this decision:  The passing of my father, and the improved conditions and continuing recovery from back problems and the associated anxiety attacks.  It may seem contradictory that I return to Germany, which was where my anxiety issues started.  The amount of work and the high level stress that accompany it during my initial stint in Germany, I believe, were the main sources of the attacks.  But I bring back with me a host of lessons learned.  It was also in Germany where I spent a lot time traveling, on my free time.  It has become more and more evident that traveling is my passion.  It is truly what I enjoy doing.

I moved back to Germany in early May.  As soon as I arrived in Wiesbaden, after a long flight from Seattle, I walked around town center not feeling any tiredness or jet lag.  I did not feel like a stranger from a foreign land.  It felt like a second home.  My first weekend I took a day trip, via train, visiting Cochem and Koblenz.  I have visited Berlin and Brussels on extended weekend visits.  I have done quick visits to Frankfurt, Cologne, and Heidelberg during weekends.

I also accepted the move back to Germany with the understanding that the group that I will work for gets notoriously busy leading to fiscal year end, 30 September.  It was no different this year.  I have put in additional hours at work, both on weekdays and weekends.  I have not really taken any vacation time yet, except for a few extended weekends.  That is soon to change.  With the passing of fiscal year end, I will have more opportunity to travel.  I will be visiting London and Lisbon shortly.  I plan to take full advantage of weekends to explore Germany and beyond.

Keep posted.  I will revive this blog and share again my experiences here in Germany, my travels around here and beyond, and musings from past and present.  I will also start posting more of my photos in flickr.  I also use instagram regulary to share bits and pieces of my daily life, and follow my instagram friends and family to see what they are up to. 

Happy Birthday, Inna.

Today, 16 February 2012, my mother would have turned 90 years in age.  Happy Birthday, Inna.

Amma -- May You Always Rest In Peace

Halloween Party & Oktobeerfest

On the Saturday before Halloween, I hosted a party for kids, adults, and everyone in between.  I asked the parents to dress their kids with their Halloween costume -- sort of a Halloween costume preview.  To entice them to wear their Halloween "get-up", I promised lots of treats to those wearing the best trick-or-treating attire.  For the adults, I had promised the use of my entire beer mug collection for a beer party -- some sort of mini Oktobeerfest.  My collection of beer glasses were collecting dust in my library; it was time to put them to good use.

Halloween costume preview pictures:

Party pictures:

Oktobeerfest pictures:

Boarding a Ferry Boat from Germany to Denmark with an ICE Train

One of the surprises of my recent two-week trip to Germany (Munich and Frankfurt), Denmark (Copenhagen), and Sweden (Gothenburg and Stockholm) was my train ride originating in Hamburg and headed to Copenhagen.  Denmark is connected by land to Germany at the very northern part of Germany.  I expected the train would go through the land route, and I assumed that this was the only option.  This was not the case.  There is a special ferry boat departing from Puttgarden, Germany to Rodbyhavn, Denmark that a train (two wagons in length) may board.  The ferry boat is equipped with built in rails that the train slips into.

It was a nice surprise since I did not expect to board a boat, and travel thru the Baltic Sea on this trip.  The trip takes about 45 minutes.  You can leave the train compartment and go to the upper deck levels of the boat, including the outside viewing areas.  The boat has a full service restaurant, coffee/snack shop, a currency exchange center and duty-free shopping area.

Our train about to enter the ferry boat in Puttgarden, Germany.

The boat leaving Puttgarden.

The train inside the ferry boat.

At the viewing deck of the ferry boat.

Inside the boat.

Approach to Rodbyhavn, Denmark.