Two Beers and a Pretzel

After work on Friday we got in Ingrid’s car and drove 6 hours to Hanau, Germany - the fabled home of the Brother’s Grimm.

With a few traffic delays, we arrived at Erinn & Chris’s house just after 11 PM, caught up with Erinn, got to see baby Annika, and went to bed.  On Saturday morning Ingrid and I went for a walk around town before getting back for lunch.  Later in the day we dragged Erinn out to the Christmas Market.

That night Erinn & Chris were exhausted from baby duty, so Ingrid and I hit the town without them, had some interresting conversation, then got back at 2 AM and found both of them awake, so we all stayed up until 4 AM talking.

The next day we hung out until after lunch.  Then Ingrid was anxious to get back home to rest up for her motorcycle riding exam on Monday.  I’m kinda bummed that we missed visiting my friend Kirsten in Cologne, Germany, but Ingrid made up for it by proving that she can cook a pretty tasty curry rice with chicken – so I suppose I’ll have to whip up some Thai food in the near future.

I think I’ll head into Amsterdam tomorrow since all the museums everywhere else in Europe are closed on Mondays…  Then Tuesday it’s off to Belgium for 2 days to hang out with one of my surfing buddies, Arnaud.

I made it from CVG (Cincinnati) to CDG (Paris) a half hour early on Delta/KLM/Air France – so I was sure my luggage would actually make the transfer with me this time (unlike 3 years ago).  The only bummer was that I had gotten used to the awsome entertainment system on international flights with airlines like Emirates, Air New Zealand, and others.  This plane had a few yellowing LCD panels around the cabin, and everyone had to watch the same movies.

After a nearly 3 hour layover, It was a quick 45 minute shot to Amsterdam.

A few of the more surprising things I found in Amsterdam were:

1) The plethora of Argentine Steak Houses where a Bife De Chorizo costs about three times more than it costs in Buenos Aires.

2) It’s not exceptionally easy to find a SIM card that works with the phone I got in India.

3) It’s very easy to take the wrong train, but also easy to figure it out and take the correct one.

Beyond that, the expected was also fascinating:

1) You can get a 2nd hand buzz just walking down the street.

2) Bicycles are more plentiful and more dangerous than cars for pedestrians.

3) It’s very picturesque

I caught the train to Dordrecht to find Ingrid.  Once there, I still couldn’t use my new SIM card, so I broke down and called her on my $1.40/minute US cell phone.

Just outside the train station in Dordrecht.

After meeting up and dropping off my bags, we headed out to a nearby Spanish bar for a few beers, finger food, and some pretty good Caparinia’s (made with real Cachaca).

Sorry for the blurry pic, but after 28 hours with no sleep and a few drinks, nothing was in focus for me anyway…

Today we’re leaving to visit Erinn and her family in Frankfurt after Ingrid gets off work – exactly 1 year to the day that we all met in Costa Rica.

So, why the heck do I want to go to Europe when the weather is slightly better at home?

Note: NOT my picture

.

Well, why not?   Ever since I met Ingrid in Costa Rica, she’s been telling me to visit her in Holland.  So I’m doing that… 20 days over there and flying home just before Christmas…  On the 2nd I fly overnight to Amsterdam, then catch a train to Dordrecht get to Ingrid’s place.  Then we’re going to visit her partner in crime, Erinn – who has since gotten married, had a beautiful baby girl, and moved with her hubby to Frankfurt.

Oddly, we’ll be at Erinn’s place on the 5th – which is exactly 1 year after we all met on the bus to the volcano. Although this time we won’t get to dip in a river that is naturally heated to 102 fahrenheight.  However, we will get to go to real German Christmas Markets in the correct season!!!

Ingrid has to work during the week (something I’ve avoided for a solid 13 months now), so I’ll be day tripping on the trains out of her place, and we’ll probably have some weekend fun in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.  I’m also planning to visit a buddy from Australia’s Mojo Surf Camp in Belgium, and a 3 or 4 day shot to Berlin (both mid week).