Oops - here is the pic from the monestary

Clowning at a Monestary

This is my last post today before we lunch and then leave for the Black Forest. I posted a lot today so be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click on older posts so you can see my hosts here in Tübingen. Yesterday we visited this ancient monestary here in Tübingen. The place was built around 1200. I decided to bless myself with the water from this fountain. Bless you all.

Bye for now. You may next hear from me in Berlin or Warsaw.

The Lap of Luxury

Excuse this pic but I have to say thanks to Petey again for helping me get into the Hilton Munich Park. I unpacked and regrouped while living in luxery for a couple of days. Hostels are great but Hilton reigns.

Living Like a Tortois - My Home on My Back

I only passed through Zurich, SW on my way to Munich but wanted everyone to see how I travel. I have now sent two shipments of excess clothing home to lighten my load. The pack is now much more manageable. The pic is in the Zurich train station.

Dinner at Saint Exupery Hostel - Nice, FR

I met a couple of Aussie's on the shuttle to my home for two days in Nice. Nick, Stefan and me went to Cannes and Monaco together and cooked a pasta meal at the hostel. Oh, and we drank numerous beers and wine since they were cheap at the hostel. This was the best hostel I have been in.

Monaco Grand Prix Time Trials

I was lucky enough to see a bit of the Monaco Grand Prix - just hearing the cars was fantastic. This is an event I would like to retun for (in style). This is a heck of a party.

Party at River Rohn in Lyon, FR

This was the beginning of the scene of the crime from my loooooong night of wandering. My good friend Magnus is on the left in the striped shirt (with the drunk look on his face). I am the normal looking one!

Guten Morgen from Tübingen

Hey all - sorry for the lack of updates lately but I will post several pics now. I am in Tübingen visiting and staying with friends Till and Julia. Today we are leaving for Frieburg to stay with Till's parents and to visit the Black Forest - a must see in southern Germany. I promise not to come home with a kuckuck clock. In a couple of days I will leave for Berlin enroute to Warsaw then Prague before going back to Berlin for the home stretch. I am coordinating a visit to Auschwitz in southern Poland on my way to Prague. I hope this will work but have been warned the experience is very emotional and quite draining. It was suggested that I will likely not feel much like a party after this visit. Nonetheless it is something I think I must do.

I met up with several friends from Tübingen that I met last year in Dubrovnik and drank beers together last night until late. At least there were no falls. I am still looking for a watch repair to convert my new "pocket watch" back into a wrist watch. The full story will have to wait.

This place has been VERY peaceful and relaxing compared to the large cities I have been visiting. A nice change of pace. Till and Julia have been very accomodating and welcoming. They have prepared wonderful German meals for me. Two days ago we had Maultaschen which is a pasta filled with meat and herbs and yesterday I savored every bite of pork wiener schnitzel with white asparagus and potatos plus white wine (Mmmmm). Okay, this is already long so I will attach a pic of my hosts followed by several quick posts with pics only.

Tschüss, bis bald,

Timaaay

(From Titanic) I'm King of the World

. . . Or at least this is the way I feel since arriving at the Munich Hilton (thanks again Petey). I can officially endorse this hotel property as being WAY acceptable for the Team Turns 50 event. I am staying on the Executive level and just enjoyed a fantastic (and free) breakfast in the Hilton Honors Lounge. When I am able I will post a pic of me luxuriating at this hotel. It is sooooooooo nice to be staying here after many arduous days living like a tortois with my home on my back. I went to the Hoffbrau House last night and shall return for a few more litres tonight. It is rainy here but the cooler temps are nice since leaving the Cote de Azur (French Riviera).

I am off to Stuttgart and Tuebingen tomorrow for a few days to visit friends. I noticed that some "hack" left a comment but had to use a made up name. Oh well, all comments are appreciated :) I have to go now and get out to exploy Munich.

Guten Morgen

Timaaay

No Pics But LOVE From Nice, FR

Hey All,

Thanks to anyone following my blog but please do leave comments - they are fun to see. I am at the Hostel in Nice tonight and just enjoyed a homemade meal of pasta, tomato, basil, etc. prepared by my Aussie friends Nick and Stefan. I tagged with them yesterday to Cannes and hit the beach but saw no celebs although we thought we saw Selma Heyek. The entire cast of Oceans 13 was on the red carpet the day before. Today we went to Monaco to see the time trials for the Monaco Grand Prix - very cool. We hiked up to Prince Raineir,s castle. We hit a beach in Nice this afternoon then returned to the Hostel to cook a great meal. This is the best - great hostel almost like a nightclub. German beers for 1 Euro and a bottle of French wine for 4 Euro. I am up early in the moring for a flight to Basel Switzerland just to catch the train to Munich. I will be in the Hoffbrau Huas tomorrow at this time drinking litres of beer for 6 Euro each. Thanks to Petey I am in a good bed at the Hilton for my two days in Munich. I REALLY do like this global travel - meeting great people and experiencing new cultures. I can,t upload pics from here but hope to do so from Munich. Now how hard is it to leave a comment so I know that somebody cares. I am off to have a beer and probably to bed soon after. Bye from France.

Timaaay

Tain l´Hermitage - near Lyon (FRANCE)

Waiting for the train back to Lyon.

Bye for now,

Au revoir

Louvre Pyramid

Trafalgar Square - London

Shisha Pic

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy

Well, the last days have been interesting here in Lyon, FR. Magnus met me at the rail station and the first night was mellow as he had an exam the next day. But then, we went out and met his friends at the river bank to drink beer (and). After 4 gigantic German beers we went to bars until 5:30 AM. The pic with this post shows the bandage on my hand from my tangle with the asphalt on my way to my Hostel. Then I got TERRIBLY lost and never found my Hostel until 10:00 the next morning (whew). The pic with this post is part of my recover as we visited a bar and smoked shisha from a pipe (it was quite nice and very medicinal). I leave for Nice tomorrow morning at 6:25 AM for about 5 hours on a train but through stunning scenery. Today we took a short train (1 hr) to wine country and lunched on wine, cheese, french bread, salami, tomato, and avacado next to a river bank - very nice thing to do while in France.

I am going to add a couple of more quick posts with little more than pics since I can only add one per post. Bye for now.

Timaaay

Whoa, from Paris

Sorry it has been so long since last update. I continue to find it difficult to find a friendly computer. At least this 1 is in English. Okay, I am in Paris for 1 more night. Just climbed the 422 steps to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral tower. Yesterday it was 234 steps to top of Arc De Triomph. I have been lost more than ever in this city. I wander around hoping to see a familiar street or structure. NOBODY speaks English (next to nobody). I have REALY stuggled here with the language and confusing layout. Besides that it is beautiful (Paris in the springtime). Tonight yet I want to visit the Eiffel Tower when it is lit for the evening and tomorrow before catching my train to Lyon I will go to the Louve. I am mailing a package to my office of excess weight in my pack (clothes and whatever else I can live without).

I am looking forward to meeting up with Magnus in Lyon since he will be my guide and keep me from getting more lost. Once in Lyon the trip should get easier as I will be with people I know in many of the locations from here on. Also much looking forward to my bed in the Hilton, Munich. I ache everywhere from being a pack mule and walking, walking, walking.

Here's a funny story for you. When I arrived by train (from London) into Paris I was lost from the get go. Two English speaking people determined that I desperately needed help and offered direction. The, as I was passing through a automatic turnstile type gate to get to the train platform I got stuck with my backpack. The gate closed with me on one side and my backpack (attached to me) on the other. I was freaked because there is no attendant. I begged people to help me and finally a girl came behind and used her pass to open the gate then pushed me through it. That sucked for a quick moment. Okay, I still can't upload pics and I have some good ones. Hopefully along the way this will be possible.

If anyone is reading this - please leave me a comment - it's easy. Just click where it says "comments" and type away.

Bonjour,

Timaaay

Oops the key did stick

Correction so you don't think of me as a wimp. The pack is 49 pounds!

London Calling.........

Okay, this is first chance I get and I don't have too much time. Oviously, I made it here safe and sound (so far). Was having my first Carling Extra Golden and 15 minutes to noon yesterday. London's GREAT. The hostel idea will take some getting used to. I'm sharing my room with a family from Berlin. Dad speaks broken English, Mom speaks German, and teen son just doesn't speak. Actually, they're cool but I go to bed much after them so I don't know how they like that. Today I walked my ass off. I hit Buckingham Palace just in time for the changing of the guard which was cool to see. Then I hit Parlement, No. 10 Downing Street (Tony Blair's residence), Trafalgar Square, and Westmister Cathedral (did the solo tour for an hour or so). Saw the buriel tombs of Mary Queen of Scott, and every King Henry there ever was. I also think I walked across the tomb of Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kippling. Sorry I cannot upload any pics from this internet spot. Will try to do so from Paris. I am on the train (Chunnel) at 9:09 AM Saturday and in Paris by noon. My pack is tooooooooo heavy ( the key did not stick - it is toooooooo heavy at 29 pounds). I am going to try to lighten my load and may have to toss a few things. Okay, gotta go - next stop (and update will come from Paris). Bon Juor (??) Timaaay

From the "rock beach" - Dubrovnik, 2006

This is 'me' hanging out at the rock beach at Dubrovnik in May, 2006. My first world adventure and just a warm up for Europe, 2007.