The winter garden at the KaDeWe

It's been challenging finding free wireless connections, but on our excursion today we found the KaDeWe has it available (made schlepping my netbook worthwhile). However, my traveling companions are chomping at the bit to continue our adventures so this is a short report. I'm already planning a return trip to Berlin, maybe when my daughter decides to move here because this is her kind of city.

Berlin by bike

Had some trouble gtting into blogspot the last couple days, but will provide some more updates and pictures soon. We met up with Mary Jo last night, and today went on a bike tour of Berlin that was an absolute blast. More to come!

Diesel fumes or NOT

(this from Bob)
When I was Last in Germany as a child, Diesel fumes filled the air.  The telltale rattle of Low compression engines could be heard far in the distance.  Today, the sound of Diesel is still present though at a much more tolerable decibel.  Fumes?  Unless you are breathing directly out of the exhaust pipe are non existent.  Even the big trucks that crowd the streets are quiet and Clean.  The United States had better wake up to this technology soon.  When a Diesel Mini Van can burn rubber from a stop, what more can you ask for?
We rented a VW Polo instead of taking the train.  At first I admit a bit of disappointment in not being able to take a ride on the ICE train, However, learning how to drive on the AutoBahn in and under powered car does bring excitement in it's own right!  More on this later.
The Porsche Museum was Beautiful.  Today, off to BMW.

A night at Versailles

Lots to report but not much time this morning -- we need to get going so we can give the Beemer museum its due justice.

We ended up renting a car because yours truly forgot the Bahn pass, and since we had a car (a not so quick VW Polo but what can I say, the price was right), we decided to take a detour and visit Onkel Ernst, Bob's great-uncle, who lives with his daughter Gerlinda in Friedrischalfen by Lake Constance.

Arrived!

One of the fun things about traveling is the little glitches thrown in the path, like a malfunctioning overhead reading light on the plane over that refused to turn off, flight cancelations forcing us to spend six hours at the Copenhagen airport/shopping mall, overweight luggage, a forgotten Bahn pass, etc. But it all works out. We arrived last night and are staying at the home of Bob's mom's cousin and his wife, Herman and Lise, tucked on a hillside in Waldenbuch overlooking their lovely garden and a beautiful landscape of red roofed houses, woods, and fields. We're off to the Porsche museum later today, after Lise's granddaughter Stephanie comes by. Stephanie spent last year in Texas as an exchange student;w e'll find out if she speaks English with a Texas twang.

One week before lift off!

On Thursday we start following the Argonne National Laboratory anti-jet lag diet. Real, legitimate scientific studies have proven that it helps to eliminate or reduce jet lag, and I know from experience it works. Alternating "feasting" and "fasting" days and limiting caffeine intake to certain hours helps to reset the internal clock.

Earlier this evening I looked into renting a car at the 'ring (sent an inquiry about renting a VW GTI), and was bummed to see that the Touristenfahrten on the day we'll be there is no longer a half day. It's now just the evening (2-1/2 hours). The schedule changes for a number of reasons, and one is that manufacturers use it to test cars. So maybe we'll see some interesting cars there.

Focusing

Planning this trip has made us realize that there's no way we can see or do everything we would like in just two weeks, so this journey will need to be the first of several. Refocusing on the purpose of the trip, which is to visit the car museums and drive the Nordschleife, has helped to shape the itinerary. We don't want to get too rigid with our plans, but two things, meeting Mary Jo in Berlin and the trip to the 'ring, are set. After some serious contemplation, I decided against trying to meet up with some distant relatives who live near Hanover, and the trip to Dresden was sidelined.