City of Lights

Got up uber early, 3am, to get to Girona on time for our flight…surprisingly enough we had no problem making our way through Barcelona but that was probably because Tom was charging all night long. When we arrived at the airport and got checked in, we headed to our gate where we waited in line to board the plane. To get to the gate, they check your ticket and allow you into a holding area…we got through this just fine and again, stood in line. However, after 

standing in line for a bit listening to the annoucements we realized that the line we were in was for a flight headed to London and had we not realized that, we probably could have jumped on and gone there instead of Paris. We did make it on the correct flight and both Jody and I slept the 2 hours until the landing gear struck the runway with a rather rough jolt waking us up. Took a bus into the city, about a 2 hour ride, where I met three people who hail from White Bear Lake, MN and were studying in Spain for 3 months. We talked about their time in Spain, a few place they’ve been in Italy and a few things we must try while there. Finally made it into downtown Paris, got off the bus and once again, the lucky travel troll visited as our hotel is a mere 500m away from the bus stop, which is perfect since we have to make it back there in a few days for our flight out to Rome. Did I mention yet that it is clear skies and about 60*? No?Well I should. 

It’s freakin’ gorgeous outside! So after checking into our hotel, we immediately set out into downtown to see what we could see…first thing we did see was the Arc De Triomphe, built for Nepolean, which is an amazing structure. At it’s base, traffic uses it

 as a rotary and from where we were, we could see people both walking around the base of it as well as on top of it (a good 10 stories)! Not seeing any other way across, we witnessed another couple sprint across the road, dodging traffic as they did. I looked at Jody with a knowing glance and said, “One. Two. Three!” and we started to run across the road at what appeared to be a clearing of traffic…it was…kind of. Just as we got close to the other side a wall of cars beared down on us but we made it across safely. After snapping a few pictures, we decided to pay the fee to climb the stairway inside one of the legs to the top…it was then that we discovered why there had been no deaths that day crossing traffic…because we didn’t have to, there was an

 underground passageway to go to and from the monument. Oops. Oh well what can you do right? So there we were, climbing up what seemed like a never ending stair case in the middle of a hugh stone structure when we made it to the top. The sight was incredible! We could make out all of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, La Defense and so much more!
Once we made it back to street level, we started on our way towards the Eiffel Tower. Let me tell you something, when you’re high up like we were when we spoted the Eiffel Tower, things seem to be closer than they really are, and after a good 30 min of weaving through streets, we finally made it to the Tower…and the longest line I have ever seen to get to the top! We decided to hold off on heading up there until tomorrow night and instead, we walked a few minutes to a floating resturant on the Siene River and had a little lunch…I say a little only because 15 feet away from the resturant was a crepe shop and both Jody and I were dying to have one…so after a quick meal on the boat, we walked over to the crepe shop and Jody got a strawberry crepe while I got a Nutella filled crepe…WOW I think we might be living off crepes for the next 3 days because they were phenominal! So there we were, sitting down near the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France enjoying two very delicious crepes in the warm sun. Nothing better! On our LONG walk back to the hotel, we came across street preformers who were doing freestyle break dancing. Jody offered her dancing expertise in the matter and named a few of the ‘moves’ they did, flares, poping-and-locking, and stalls.

Tonight we went on a Siene River Cruise that took us around to see the Louve, Notre Dame, and other places lit up under the night sky. We got a small show while on the boat…it seems that it is a popular thing to drop pants and that is exactly what we got to see. Jody and I have decided that the stereotypical “the Frence are rude” has yet to be present, instead, a small group of Spanish girls took the lead on this. Sitting behind us on the boat, not only could they not keep their voices at a low level, I’m pretty sure that every four seconds a knee was in our backs….aside from all that, the trip was spectacular…probably the best part was when we went under “Paris’ most romantic bridge”…and as it is customary, a kiss under it brings good luck...

The Great Flood

The day started off slow…had to pick up some coffee for Jody to wake her up…brought it out to the balcony where it was a little cold. We walked around town some more but decided to primarily just relax today, get some ideas for Paris together as far as what we want to do.

Tonight we, and by we I mean I since I’m the one who’s always hungry, thought it would be cool to have some Chinese food for dinner. The resturant was just across the street about 75 feet into the alley. Nothing too difficult about that right? Wrong. It had been steadily raining for the last few hours causing a small flash flood and apparently the narrow street between our hotel and satisfying our hunger was the causeway where all the water in town was being funneled into. This raging river now turned what seemed like a simple and close dinner to an epic adventure those who tried to climb up Mount Everest wouldn’t dare embark on. We paced up and down the street like two bears watching for spawning salmon to find a decent place to cross…as luck would have it, there was none. It was at this point that we decided to find the ‘least fierce’ part of the torrential river and leap across. Having longer strides than Jody I was able to negotiate it in one bound leading to only one soaked shoe, Jody was not as fortunate. As graceful as she may be on the dance floor, this was no simple task and in the end, she racked up 2 drenched shoes that squeeked the remaining 30 feet to the resturant…AND THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE THERE!! Did I say it was a buffett? How do you explain to Chinese people who are making a living in Spain and speak only those two languages that she was not toting around a leaky waterbed in both her shoes?!?! I’m not sure if there is a saying for all that we went through and maybe it was the near death, horrific journey to get to the resturant but we both believe it was possibly the best Chinese food we have ever had in our lives!

Smells Like Blue Cheese

What better way to start the day than to head a block away from where we were staying and grab freshly baked pastries for breakfast? I submit there is no better way to start a morning! Jody in her infinite wisdom got a fruit cup/parfait while I got a crumbly apple crisp type thing....and even though we sat in the car to eat, i still managed to make a complete mess of myself....there was powered sugar all over my lap and im pretty sure the car rental agency is going to charge my credit card for all the vacuuming the car now requires. Honestly, a small family of rodents could probably live heartily for a solid year off the food between my seat and the center console!

First things first today, La Ramble...it's a long street that spans from the bay up about 8 blocks and consists of small shops selling flowers, jewelry, characture drawings, animals (birds, lizards, turtles etc), nicknacks and more...but the best part of the entire strip were

the performers who posed for extraordinary amounts of time. One such (pictured) was a gunslinging cowboy and at first I didn't even notice him had Jody not said anything. But after watching him, I noticed his eyes moved and that was it. While we st

ood there watching him, a little boy and his mother were taking pictures next to him...the boy touched

his shoes, poked his pants, and then tugged on his guns....his mother immediately stopped her son. After a few minutes of standing there and admiring the cowboy, the mother gave her son a few coins to place in the man's tin barrel... suddenly the statute sprung to life at the sound of the clanking coin striking the inside of the barrel...his quickly drew his pistols and shot off a few rounds (they were cap guns so there were a few popping noises) while at the same time shifti

ng poses...i have never EVER seen someone, man, woman nor child jump and scamper away as fast as that little boy did out of sheer terror!

We made our way through the crowds, past other performers (a caveman, Laurel and Hardy, a man and skeleton on a bicycle, an ape in a crib, and a knight) and into the narrows of the city. We walked down cobble stone streets weaving this way and that, came to intersections with

other narrow streets and each time, the other would choose which way to turn...the maze never seemed to end, around every corner just when we think we made it out, there would be a new alley to make our way through. But getting out wasn't the point as there was so much to see

while 'trapped'. Shops selling their goods, small restaurants, and even musical performers. After spending the day walking around we got in the car, turned on TOM and made our way to Sitges, a small costal town.

What Happens When Your GPS Dies

Got up early today to head into Barcelona (our hotel for the first two nights is in Sabadella, about 30 min away). When I opened up the shades, it was cloudy…im pretty sure when we flew into Barcelona it was warm and sunny, you saw the photos from my last post…what the deuce happened? It was than that Jody let me in on a secret, she’s good luck when it comes to doing things (things just end up working out) but bad luck when it comes to weather…oh well right? So we arrived in downtown and picked up our walkabout info from the tourist information center in the heart of the city…only once we got out, it was raining…and Jody had decided back at the hotel that she wanted to wear her sandals instead of shoes…soooooo the day starts off on the right foot (haha no pun intended). Since it was raining and Jody’s sandals kept slipping off her feet, it was decided that we’d find a pair of shoes for her. Sadly, just yesterday she had told me a story about the last time she took a guy to go shopping with her…it took so long he ended up celebrating 3 birthdays before they found him deep in a department store sitting on a couch in front of a woman's changing room.

We found a department store but it didn’t open for another 15 min…so we joined the ever increasing crowd pressed up against the glass like it was the day after Thanksgiving waiting to score sweet sales. When 10am arrived, the doors were unlocked and people started pouring inside but a lone security guard told them to stop and head back outside and wait a little longer…surprisingly enough, everyone listened! Had we been back in the States, everyone would have completely ignored him and gone about their business. So, we waited a little longer and when they finally let us in. Getting through the doors was something like what you would experience if you were participating in the “Running with the Bulls”…the flow of the crowd moved us through the entrance and up a flight of stairs as quickly as salmon fight their way up a riverbed to spawn. Let me tell you something, this was probably the biggest department store I have ever been in, nor ever want to be in again. It was called El Corte Ingles and from the outside it appeared to be about 10-12 stories high and a solid 2 blocks long and wide…did I say huge? I meant GIANORMOUS! We finally found a sales rep and asked where we might find zapatos (shoes) and were told “Plata tres” (3rd floor). We weren’t fooled this time, we promptly went up 4 sets of escalators to find ourselves in a room the size of a football field exculsively for woman’s clothes and accessories…a female’s paradise (and a man’s hell). Thankfully Jody promised to be fast and within 30 min she found a pair of socks…fast eh? Ahaha no she got herself a pair of shoes too and just to be safe, we picked up an umbrella. Walked back to the car so she could put her new sneakers on and drop her sandals off...

We made our way out of the store and went underground to take the Metro to see some sights. One of the more famous of them is La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church that has been under construction since 1882, 127 years and still is to this day (set to open for Mass in Sept '10 but not officially finished until 2026)! The original architect, Antoni Gaudí, was very particular in his work, so much that he insisted on selecting each stone that would be laid and precisely where it would be set. So, in attempts of keeping authenticity, it is still being constructed in great care.
Along the way from place to place we saw rather random things…for example, did you know there is a giant blind AOL guy roaming the rooftops of Barcelona? Its true. Would you believe me if I told you that Paul Bunyon’s wife lost her purse here and as strong as Jody is, she just couldn’t lift it? At one point we were walking across a bridge and head quite a ruckous and thought (because we had been warned earlier) that we were nearing a protest…nope, it was a soccer match. 

A little later, we heard the whinning of a motor…and much to our surprise two little go-cars 

(similar to go-karts) zipped down the road, almost thought the carnival was in town 

somewhere. Remember that owl from the "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a lollipop?" Well, he's finished with commercials and retired to Barcelona now.

We made our way to the site of the 1992 Olympics, climbed a ton of stairs to the top of the hill side where most of the events happened and had a spectacular view of Barcelona. 

And then we found it, the stadium where it all happened. For me, I always get a historical feeling whenever I find myself in a place I knew something big happened, and here was no different. The biggest thing I remembered about these games when they happened (and yes, I do remember these games) was when the torch was lit by a flaming arrow. On our way down, we walked through a jardin (garden) with a maze of pathes, archways, and a fountain that made its way down the side of the hill 3 stories down.

After walking and taking the Metro all day, we took the car back to the hotel and took a quick siesta with the idea that we’d head back into Barcelona around 730pm to catch the “Magic Fountain” show…it’s a rather large fountain right at the base of the Olympic hill that during certain hours on certain days, lights up and with the accompaniment of music, it dances. We left around 715 as planned and got into the city by 745 but for the life of us, could not find a parking space…and Barcelona isn’t a very structured city like Minneapolis is, you know…perfect 90 degree intersections...nope, it has roads coming onto the main drags from all sorts of angles, and on top of that, stop lights are EVERYWHERE. You can’t drive 30 feet without having another stop light. The roads can be so narrow that only one car can fit or so wide that there are 4 separate sections of traffic…the middle two sections each have 3 lanes going in opposite directions and the outer 2 sections are one lane each flowing in either direction…and every so often, these roads interchange so the stop lights are CRAZY to understand during daylight hours but now its dark, rainy and slightly confusing! To top all that off, there are what the Europeans call ‘rotaries’ every other block…its a round-about…where you have an island of land and everyone has to spin in a circle until you see the road you want to turn off on and make a bee-line for hoping you don’t get hit. Its night time. Its confusing. So at one point I somehow got stuck on the inner most part of a rotary and it probably took a good 5 min and 3-4 laps to finally make our way down the road we wanted…this is where our dilemea began…the Magic Fountain only ‘preforms’ until 9pm and by this time we had been searching for a place to park for nearly an hour with no luck. Wait, I take that back…there were 2 separate occassions where there were spaces BUT no luck. The first was in a narrow alley and when I pulled to a stop and put my flashers on and got ready to back in, (as seems to be quite common here), I was immediately and aggressively honked at. Stupid American. Hahah. After attempting unsuccessfully for 10 min to get back to that road through the maze of streets that makes up Barcelona, we saw another spot on one of the outer sections. Two cars were pulling out so as fast as I could I made my way to the next stop light and whipped a U-turn…but by the time we got back, they were already taken…seriously!

Now this is where things started to get a little dicey. Tom, our GPS, was losing battery power…neither of us really know how to even find a highway that might take us towards Sabadell and even if we were able to get on a highway they are confusing as highways signs don’t depict North or South, East or West. Instead, they give the highway number, such as A-2 or C-23 and the name of a major city it is heading towards. So, Tom is dying and we’re stuck somewhere in downtown Barcelona with no clear way of even finding a highway of any kind. At this time, we know the fountain is out of the question and now the focus is on getting back to the hotel. We made a pit stop at a gas station and inside attempted to break the language barrier with some Spanglish. The two woman working there were very helpful in helping us try and get directions but when they pulled out a map of Spain and were looking for Sabadell well into the countryside, I was pretty sure they weren’t sure where it was. After pointing it out on the map for them, it was still unclear how to get there unless we were on a highway since the map didn’t offer much detail for the inner city. However, a man came in and when we was told of our dilemma, quickly explained in Spanish with some English how to get back on track. We thanked them and started out. Things were looking good and we made it on a highway…but then thanks to the strange way the highway system is set up, got confused again and missed the turn onto the next highway we wanted. To make it worse, we ended up going on the right highway but in the complete opposite direction! Now, in the states a mistake like this can be quickly corrected by getting off on the next exit where there is a bridge and on-ramp heading the other way right? In Spain, no such luck..and we found that out the hard way….by taking the next exit which took us to another highway heading in a completely different direction. So, instead of going North like we origianally wanted to, we took the first wrong highway that sent us South…and in trying to correct that mistake, we ended up on a new highway going East…TOTALLY LOST at this point. It was at this point that we saw light at the end of the tunnel (or so we thought) as the Golden Arches of a McDonalds shone brightly in the darkness. Getting there, was a problem. Took the next exit, hoping it would lead us easily to Ronald…no such luck. After driving for another 10min through rotary after rotary in an industrial district that seemed to be leading us away from civilization, we finally came across another gas station. This time, along with getting directions, I had to pick up some food. Lesson point for all you reading this, when I don’t eat for a very long time, I tend to get a little edgey and I could feel it coming on so even though Jody had been a real trooper up to this point with it raining all day on us and now being completely lost with no real way of figuring things out, witnessing Tom pass away as she held him in her lap, and now me, possibly hypoglycemic, getting cranky…I figured I should get some sugar in me. Bought a 9-pack of Little Debbie type dounuts, some ritz crackers and water, sin gas (without gas…carbonation which is popular here and very easy to purchase accidentally if not paying attention). Again, I asked anyone in the store if they knew how to get to Sabadell and one motorist came to my rescue…I thought. The language barrier was difficult when he started rattling off Spanish very quickly. He drew a “map” of his directions which consisted of a road that lead to a rotary, followed by which road to take once at the rotart and something that looked like a bridge leading to another road that he named “Ave de Diagonal” which I knew was in the heart of Barcelona…so at least I had an idea of where he was trying to take me…however, he insisted that Ave de Diagonal (surprisingly enough this road actually does run as you might think, diagnoally through the city) would take us all the way to Sabadell…although I knew it didn’t, I thanked him profusely and walked back to the car with my bag of goodies…at which point I immediately ate 5 of the donuts and downed some water before leaving the station. We successfully followed the first portion of his directions but again, somewhere, at some point, the goblin of Barcelona pulled us into some sketchy area and we were, for the 3rd time, completely lost. It was at this time that Jody, knowing CPR, revived Tom and we were able to memorize a few of his directions before having to turn him off to conserve his energy. Slowly but surely, some of the highways began to look familiar and finally saw a sign with Sabadell…we made it back…it was 10pm. It took a solid 2 hours to make our way back to the hotel…much sooner than I anticipated I might add. Getting lost in a foreign country, something I wish every person in America would have to go through as it has given me an appreciation for many things. First, for being able to speak the same language, it makes it so much easier to get around when lost if you understand what the other person is saying (granted i do know enough spanish to get by but was challenged on a few occasions to understand). Second, being a lost foriegner gives you an opportunity to engage in conversation and break that confort zone. We were vulnerable. We had no clue where we were and coming to a point of ‘hey, we’re lost and we need help’ is not just humbling but a way of discovering that people are so willing to help as best they can. Just hearing me speak what little Spanish i could caused each person’s eyes to light up when I tried to get directions from them. Thirdly, an appreciation for Jody. To be able to get back into the car after the third stop, look at Jody and find that she was laughing at the situation was a breath of fresh air and a relief. Not once during this whole ordeal had she complained which is nice since some people I have traveled with would have bitten my head off at that point. Thanks Jody!

We made it back, ordered some pizza (I know! I know! We just needed some comfort food at that point) and called it a night. What’s next? Bring it on because we’re ready for anything! But before heading to bed, I made sure Tom was set in his charging crib so we could make it to the coastal town of Sigtes tomorrow.

Got Gas?

Up early after a very good nights rest, we headed across the street to the train station to grab a bit of breakfast. Apparently Jody and I both seem to like people watching since we sat on a bench for about an hour eating yogurt, an italian chicken wrap….jody had the fortunate forsight of getting what looked like a normal smoothie….i on the other hand decided to try and decipher bottles of what appeared to be water…it was, but in europe sparkeling water is more popular than normal distilled so I ended up with a bottle of plain sparkling water. Not a fan. We made our way to the bus to get shuttled to the Hahn Airport which was about an 1 ½ hours away allowing us to see part of the countryside. At the airport, I made sure I got a bottle of water but at the counter I tried to explain that I didn’t want carbination without using such a long word…so I chose to say fizz…Jody thinks this is a ridiculous word to use but the lady understood and proceeded to give me a bottle of water without, I kid you not, gas…it makes sense when you think about it, I just didn’t think about calling it that.

Throughout this trip, we are flying on an airline called Ryan Air…it is extremely cheap (about $40 one way to just about anywhere in Europe) but with one catch…it’s a cattle call when they open the door to head out to the tarmac. Once you’re on the tarmac, its up to you to get on the plane and find a seat. Since the line was shorter at the rear ramp, we chose to go to that one and sat in the very last row (we knew that the seats wouldn’t lean back but didn’t want to fight our way any further, we’re typical lazy americans…ahha yea right). So there we were, on a plane heading to Barcelona hearing the various languages being spoken, watching the mountains pass by underneath us through the clouds…and then it happened. Remember that bottle of water I spent so long trying to get? Well…being in the back row there really isnt anywhere to put things so I put it on the arm rest (I sat in the window seat) using the wall to hold it there…well my elbows cant bend in more than one place so they inadvertently struck my delicious bottle of refreshing water behind my seat and now since my bulky and extremely buff arms cant fit very far behind me, it lays there laughing at me, tempting me as the light reflects off its shiny contents. Stupid aqua. On landing, Miss Heitman reached down to get it for me in exchange for getting her luggage from the overhead bin.

We arrived in Girona, a small city about an hour north east of Barcelona, safe and made our way to the car rental. The woman helping us got everything ready and told us that our car is located on the 1st floor in stall #7. Simple enough. Well, we head to the parking ramp and walk 

around looking at the different signs saying “Hertz #2” or “Alamo #8” but nothing for our car rental agency…so after walking around what we thought was the 1st level (street level), we decided to take it one floor up…and what do you know, there was our rental agency’s name and stall #7…a brand new, out of the box azul Fiat Panda! Sweet! As much crap as people in the States give for small cars, they are awesome! Our hotel was about an hour away from the airport and again, we resorted to Tom-Tom to get us there…but for some reason, it wasn’t finding a satellite so we just drove in the direction we thought was right…eventually Tom came online, I think he was a little confused at being in Germany this morning and suddenly in Spain. I know it would screw with me if I woke up in a new country. In plugging in our destination, I pushed “Yes” to the question “Do you want to aviod tolls?”…bad idea at first as it took us through small roads and rotaries (round-a-bouts) but in the end, it was really nice to see part of Spain that most people fly by on the highway. I wont lie, at times I was nervous that I didn’t 

put the address in Tom correct but we got to Hotel Arrahona in one piece!

We checked into our hotel and took a walk around the small town about an hour north of Barcelona, Sabadell we were staying in. We asked the receptionist where a good place to eat would be and she recommended a Tapa bar just down the street. We found it and after having a seat, checked out the menu…my spanish was a little rusty so I wasn’t much help. We chose two things we thought seemed to be good choices and our server confirmed that. She asked us if we wanted anything else and when I asked in Spanish if they had any wine her eyes lite up with excitement that I spoke Spanish. She rattled off choices and variations of what they had to me grasping only bits and pieces of what she was saying…it took a little but eventually Jody and I settled on a nice white wine. Our first dish was lightly battered shrimp while our second was much more diverse consisting of clams, full shrimp, a wide assortment of mussels, bread with tomato sauce and crawfish. But that wasn’t enough so we ordered some calamari and mushrooms. Phenomenal! We, well actually I, ended up finishing the bottle of wine (im not an alcoholic but it was really good…and I probably had 2/3 of the bottle) and eating a decent size tab. Such good food. Jody and I both agreed that we would both move to Germany or Spain for their food alone!

German Keyboards WTF!?!?!

After the 5 hour flight, finally got into Frankfurt...but given that there was only 10 min between my and Jody's flight and since i had promised that i would meet her at hergate, I opted to not get my luggage and try and find her...ummm so i did find out what gate she had landed at...in a completely different terminal and the fastest way was through a labrynth of passageways and narrow corridors only to find out that the gate I was directed to by an airline official DID NOT EXIST!! Supposedly she was at gate C11...but when I finally got to terminal C, I came to a sign where the terminal split with an arrow pointing to C4-9 and C13-16....WHAT!??!?! Apparently I didnt land in the Frankfurt Airport but the twilight zone!! Just as i contacted information on the phone, there she was, walking down the corridor...completely oblivious to me...i hung up the phone, walked towards her...until she finally noticed me..so there were were, going through customs when i realized that each terminal had separate baggage claim areas...crap! Soooo, after we got her bag we spent the next 45 min trying to get back into the airport and get my bag...guess next time i know to go get that before my travel partner eh? hahah!

This is where we ran into a slight dilemma, its 6am, is there even anything open at this time? Decided to head to the hotel and see if we could check in early...no luck but the gentleman at the desk allowed us to drop our bags and use the internet. After taking 30 min to write a 'quick 

email', we left to walk around Frankfurt. I say quick loosely since the German keyboard is set up quite differently and it took a good 10 min to figure out how to do an "@" symbol to even log into an email account. After sending the emails, we walked along the Rhine River, into the industrial area, around downtown and into what appeared to be a more traditional architectural buildings, past a few museums of technology, art (including works from Picasso and the like) but were 

unable to get in since it was TOO EARLY! We did ind a small hole in the wall shop run by ma and pop selling all sorts of meats..we stopped in and got the most amazing bratwurst in the world! Soooo good!!

After spending a few hours walking around, we headed back to the hotel, checked in a

nd since neither of us got much sleep the last day and a half, we decided to take a nap....that lasted 6 hours. Oops. Headed back downstairs to the bar where we tried our first German b

eer, a complimentary Krobenstein. While we were sitting there, a little boy climbed up on the stool next to us and quickly noticed the slated peanuts on the counter and asked if he could have them. Now, it was a small bowl of shelled peanuts with a baby spoon in it. Proper etiquette says to use the spoon to scoop up the peanuts into your hand and eat it out of your hand...I explained this to the young boy (who's brother and sister were standing behind him) and slid the bowl to him. At first he was fascinated with dumping peanuts into his hand but quickly got tired of that and much to the bar tenders dismay, simply fed himself using the spoon. Exit stage right.

Last week I ran into an Irish guy who recommended a few restaurants here in Frankfurt to check out and he even did a favor by giving the owner of a pub a heads up that I would be there. So, we headed out...not really knowing where we were heading (even with the GPS I have). Zig-zaging through downtown we made it back to a backalley where we found Zuden Apostein (12 Apostles) Resturant.

 It was amazing food! Walked in, very small shop, dimly lit and German tongu

e filled the air. Not being accustomed to how things work here, we stopped just inside the door looking for a sign saying something like "Please seat yourself" but no suck luck. Jody took the reigns on this one (we had been swapping all day on the 'ask someone' job) and we were seated and quickly asked if we wanted the house beer. To try both sides, we got one light and one dark beer...both were AMAZINGLY good! They don't have a name for it so i cant get more somewhere else but i think we might be heading back there for dinner again when we're back in Frankfurt. I got the Apostle platter and Jody a chicken salad...got my plate and wasn't exactly sure what it was i was eating at first but figured out that part o

f it was liver..probably the best part of my meal was the bacon. I dont think you all realize how lucky you all are to be able to eat bacon. In Kuwait, bacon is not allowed...instead, they slice up ham and call it bacon...so for the last 8 months i have not had bacon and have missed its deliciousness! It was a very thick slice on my plate and i savored every second of it. After dinner we walked the mile across the Rhine to an Irish pub called Anglo Irish where we met the bartender who knew the Irish guy I met on Arifjan, he poured us a Guinness and his best beer or tap...both were awesome! The bar was tiny, the type where no tourist really go, its more for the local irish and had it been a busy night, Im sure there might have been a fight. Headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for Barcelona! Head out at 10am, cant wait to drive in Spain!!

Word Of The Day: Wait

Got up at 0400 to finish getting ready to head to Ali Al Salem. Got on the bus out of Arifjan at 0600...got to Ali at 0830, out-brief at 0900-1030...next hard time was 1600 to get my ticket out of the desert...after spending 5 hours playing video games at the MWR (I know i know there ought to be a better way to spend my time but in actuality i'll let you in on a secret...theremuch to do in the desert). Finally got to the International Airport in Kuwait City and wa isnt  s actually very interested in how they operated things there. TSA in the States is extremely strict when it comes to screening people going through the gates...not in Kuwait. I went through the 1st metal detector and as always, i made the thing beep...the guy on the other end gave me a rather intimate pat-down and let me go on my way. And if that wasnt enough, at the 3r metal detector at the entrance to the gate, i pretty much had to strip down for the guy after i kept making it go beep 3 times...but what really got me at the 'security' point was when i noticed when i was putting my shoes back on at the end of the x-ray machine...in the cubby within an arms reach of me, i kid you not, was a 3-inch handmade scalpel  amongst other scissors and other stabbing devices...i very easily could have reached in there with no one noticing and take one...yea, felt safe. I spent most of the few hours at the airport people watching. I admit, it was a little strange sitting there seeing the locals engage in what is their everyday life...its hard to get out of the 'im at war' mindset and realize that people here travel just like people in the States do. I saw families going to the gate, businessmen, students possibly going on their spring break, Americans, Europeans, Kuwaitis, and many others. Anyways, after waiting all day to get on a flight in Kuwait City, my flight finally left at 0115 and was set for arrival at 0525. Coincidently enough, Jody's flight was landing at 0530...how perfect is that? Can't wait to get there!

Europe Here I Come!!

The last few weeks have really flown by and now, this time tomorrow I'll be chilling in Ali Al Salem waiting for my flight out to Europe! I won't be on a flight until late tomorrow night but just the same, my count down to see Jody and see Europe has come to an end!!! So far our plans include the typical tourist scenery in Paris (Eiffel Tower, Grand Arch de la Defense, Tomb of the Unknown, Nortre Dame, American Cemetery), Rome (Spanish Steps, Colosium, St Peter's Basilica, and of course the Vatican) and roam the beaches of Barcelona's Sigtes, Los Rambles, La Sagrada Familia and Tapa tours)...but all of these are just the major things that will be surrounded by way more excitement!

I ran into a guy from Ireland yesterday and he recommended quite a few places to get off the beaten path and get an authentic view of each country. Even did me a favor by getting a hold of his friends who own various resturants and bars to let them know im coming....he knows a lot about all the places i want to go...so i'll definitly be visiting some sites he recommended....as for the bars and being that he's irish i may end up paying a tab or two! ahha

i can not wait to get on that plane! So much to do, so much to see.....i'm going to europe!!! Wheels up in 36 hours!!!

Irony

Does anyone know the definition of "Irony"?

Per the online Wiktionary, it's; "coincidental in a humorous or poignant and extremely improbably way"

Case in point: AFN (American Forces Network) has chosen to show the 1962 classic today; "Lawrence of Arabia". Oddly enough, it's about a young british officer in the Arbian desert. conducting harassing raids, train wrecks, and (of all things) camel attacks in the controversial battle between the Arabs and the Turks.

Just found that a little interesting.....

Let it be known that I have better control of my motorcycle than he did at the movies opening scene!!

En Fuego

Last week I went out on the roads of Iraq and found myself up shits creek without a paddle. Heading down Dirty Tampa, as it is so affectionately called, my HETS (Heavy Equipment Transport System) blew a tire. Quickly we radioed back (I was in the 3rd vehicle of a 35 vehicle convoy) to the convoy commander to let him know we had a flat and were pulling over. Just as we slowed to a halt 1/4 mile down the road, the already worn hub seal rubbed leading to a fire. Myself, driver and another passenger egressed, taking all of our sensitive items with us and found ourselves alone with no more than 2 M16s and my M9 with the nearest Gun Truck support vehicle 1/2 mile back. With no comms with any military vehicle and after ensuring the other two Soldiers were safely out of the truck, I turned to look back only to see absolutely no movement of any kind. Pulled out my green laser but couldn't get the gun truck crews attention so it was time for a leisurely jog down the most dangerous road in the world to get help.....sweet. Once I got to the nearest military vehicle, a M1151 (hummer for all the civilians reading this), I hoped to quickly informed the driver of the situation....but after I said "My truck is on fire" they sped off to pull security on it.... leaving me to yet again fend for myself on the 1/2 stroll back to the truck now engulfed in flames.....

Finally got back to the truck and after battling the fire for 10 minutes with 2 fire extinguishers, the Wrecker's TriMex30 (a self contained system fire fighting system), all of which were completely used up, we resorted to throwing sand from the median onto the fire (turns out this works better than government issued fire extinguishers)....finally we got it under control and put out. The truck was non-mission capable and we went into recovery mode....peel off the melted tire, cage the brakes, remove the drive shaft and hook it up to the wrecker....nothing like learning how to do this under pressure (change a tire in iraq...its quite possibly the worse neighborhood for such a task). And there I was, laying on my back, underneath a 86k pound truck, covered in soot and liquid chemicals, prying off bolts from the drive shaft with my maintenance tech and I realized I was exactly where I wanted to be. I've never backed down from getting down and dirty with my troops but strangely enough it was at that moment that I realized how much I have missed it and look forward to doing it again. Laying on my back. In Iraq. Under a truck. Looking like a chimmney sweep. After everything was said and done, myself and my crew were on the ground for over 2 hours. With just 2 M16s and my M9. Not exactly ideal.

Medic came over to treat us for smoke inhalation and made sure we promised to go to the hospital if symtoms got worse. Checked out my arm after I got a stinger from when it was banged around with the rest of my body....asked me to keep him posted.....My fingers were crossed.

Final damage done.

Under the HET tearing off the drive shaft with my maintenance tech....where the epiphany happened.

Slightly dirty....and lovin' it!

March Madness

started this email back at the end of January but never was able to finish it, partially because I was swapped with work but also because I hit a brick wall (not literally mind you). The brick wall is what is commonly referred to as the 6-month blues. I was in a funk, everything seemed mundane, boring, same old same old and when I looked back I couldn’t believe I had been here for ½ a year and missed out on so many things going on back home, but at the same time when I looked forward, and just the same I couldn’t believe I still had 6 months to go and realized all the things i am going to miss (mainly Bridget's wedding). It was a mental roadblock and very difficult to get around. So, as I do so often, I internalized it, continued mission and dealt with it on my own by reducing if not nullifying any communication with anyone back home. For anyone deployed, this is pretty normal, to get to a point, any point and realizing that you’re still here (even though its not THAT bad) and everyone back home is going about doing their own thing like nothing has changed. I’ll be honest with you all, I have been seriously considering extending (staying here longer with a different unit while my unit goes home) as it has quite a few benefits, one being an extra $1,000 per month for staying past what was required of me. Just something I have been kicking around recently. So long sob story short, I apologize for the time between emails but for a while there I needed to just be. So here is the update a few of you have been asking for and has been in the making for over a month now:

I know some of you might not think this is any big deal but it got REALLY cold here!! At the end of January and most of February it dipped to a balmy 35 degrees.....not too cold for some of you.....but thats over a 100 degree drop in temp....oh and do you all remember those Hot Boxes I talked about when I first got here?? Well, during winter months they should be called Ice Boxes....picture this; thick steam/fog pouring out of the urinal....ITS COLD!!!!

One of the big things that has happened since I last emailed was our movement to a new TOC (Tactical Operations Center). I used to operate out of a small tent, plywood walls, desks built of 2x4s…basically very ‘ghetto’ if you will. Anyway, we finally moved into our new tent and it is HUGE….no longer can I hit my head on the hanging lights of the old TOC…..my rolling chair can actually roll….basically it is a big improvement. However, my replacement also arrived a few weeks ago and I have been training him to take over….that always seems to happen, get something new/nice just as you leave a job!! So where does that place me? I STILL HAVE NO IDEA!!!! Currently I have been tasked out to coordinate and execute a week long plan for VIPs who are visiting our Battalion to recon how we operate as they will be replacing us in 3-4 months. It’s a Battalion Commander and 3 of his staff who arrived here on Monday, March 4th, and left on the 6th. I was asked to bring them around the camp, show them things, plan for where we would be going (we went to the naval base to see 2 of our 4 army vessels which was really nice to get off base and have a decent meal prepared by their cook), basically I am a glorified tour guide for them….in the end the purpose of their visit is to better understand what to expect when they get here in July so they can prepare their Soldiers and hit the ground running. I guess in the end, however this week goes is going to set the pace for not only how the transfer between their unit and our unit goes but also their entire deployment’s battle rhythm…..kind of a daunting task to think about!! But so far (this being the 3rd day) things have been going well and they have been very appreciative of everything I’ve been able to show/explain to them. As far as where I will end up going now that my counterpart has officially taken over, it has been a little frustrating. I have transitioned over to day time hours which has been a little weird since I haven’t seen the sun for this long in over 7 months but have thoroughly enjoyed it (I even got to see the beaches/water of the gulf 2 days ago, definitely a morale booster). Anyway, so now im on a 6am-6pm shift and just biding my time until it is decided where I'm heading.....between now and then, I am counting down the days until I head out to europe (at the end of the month) to hang out with Jody! We've got all of our flights booked between Spain, Germany, Italy and France as well as places to stay in each....all we got to do is show up! I'm pretty excited.....i think she might be too?