Familiar Germany

My first night in Germany and it snowed through the night to blanket the land in soft white snow. Real snow not this pathetic sleety crap in London (in hindsight). Like a child i run down and tell dad that it snowed, “there is snow outside, thick snow everywhere, isn’t it wonderful?” My exclamation is returned with sardonic looks all round - the look of someone who has just had to shovel the driveway free of snow and put salt down and will have to trudge around the cold and the snow that will make the car and everything dirty by the end of the day. Ok, so maybe 3 months of snow would put a dampener on your enthusiasm... but look SNOW! (view from my window)

I have my little rent-a-car, the Audi A1. This sounds like a Formula 1 car (or at least like a formula with a one in it) and while it has no trouble with 100 in third gear, when sitting next to dad’s bmw it still seems underpowered and under tech equipped. Though the electric seat warmers a nice touch - i have never before had the need, want or desire to set my bottom on fire, but now I feel better knowing there is a button for that sort of thing.

Stuttgart and the universitytown of Tübingen are places of learning and culture. The long night of the Museums in Stuttgart was great fun. Some 60 museums open their doors till 2am with shows, demonstrations, music and drinks. If you feel like listening to a saw being played like a violin then here this is the place for you. The amateur observatory/planetarium with Bard performances was also a hoot.

I always enjoy hanging out with Family, and again it was fun in 2013... Till next time.

London in the snow

People say it always rains in London. This is not true it also snows. The snow drifts lazily suspended in the air before settling on the jackets and melting on the warm streets. My first impressions of London is of people huddling from the cold in a crowded square, crowds spill form the underground and  desperately shuffle for the safety and warmth of a Costa’s coffee.

Once again attractions include British museum, Piccadilly circus, a pie and a pint of their best, the natural history museum and, apparently, shoe shopping. The natural history museum is a fantastic building full of intricate detail and grand rooms. Unfortunately the content is a little low on the learning factor and plays too heavily for ‘wow factor’ spoiling the overall effect. Better content is found in the science museum down the road including “listening post for the sound of the internet” and a Turing (Allen Turing) exhibit.

I leave you with this picture of a typically frosty London girl at Trafalgar square.

The Plan 2013

OK the 2013 plan is set Singapore airways leaving on the 10^th and coming back on the 3^rd of April. London for a few days then it’s Germany for two weeks then a few days R&R in Singapore.

Where in Germany you ask, well now, here is the map of the plan so far... subject variations or wholesale change... what with the snow and the rain and the unforeseen events.