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BACKGROUND
Thankfully, I'm a smart feller and made a template that can be used places outside of Japan.
So here's a completely different continent to prove my abilities.
This time, Europe, many countries. And as my first ever international business trip, I had some jitters being sent off on my own, to a country I'd never been to, but got over them quickly. Especially because those three semesters of German language training I had in university came in handy.
My itinerary:
- Graz, Austria - Alone
- Salzburg, Austria
- Toulouse, France - met Persons SCMJ here
- Barcelona, Spain (via Andorra going, Carcassonne returning) - Alone again
- Heidelberg, Germany - remet Persons SCMJ here
- Frankfurt-am-Mainz, Germany
- Strasbourg, France
So, let's see what the pictures will provide by the following categories.
(Direct access via the menu on the left):
- Cars & other Vehicles
- Animals
- Churches
- Castles
- Gardens, Plants, & Scenery
- Food & Drink
- Hotel Rooms
- Weird (to me) Things
- Personal Photos (sorry everyone, these are just for me & people I know for reals)
Cars & other Vehicles
I was absolutely blown away by the size of this barge. And they were everywhere. Very different from home for a naive 20-something.
Not just any car. This is the same car my mother had when I was a kid. I used to stand on the running boards and pretend I could fly.
Our rental cars
And now for the real show, the European supercars!
I saw this bad boy while I stopped for lunch between Graz & Salzburg. Some reason, my camera was already pointed that direction. 😆
Better view of the car. It sounded wonderful.
Pretty much the same car, just jammed into a parking spot at a tourist attraction. Must be nice to daily drive a convertible banana.
An Austin driving around Heidelburg. Very cool to see the old cars still doing their jobs.
A Citroen parked in St. Odile, France. I wonder if JF still has his.
I have high lust for this car, even after my car days have waned. The BMW 850i was so pretty and so fast. I hope one day I may own one.
I owned a BMW in the US at this time. It wasn't the 850Ci above, but it was that car's predecessor, the 635CSi. It had headlights similar to these. But for some reason, the European cars with "ellipsoid headlights" like these, have that little black coupon below the central lens. I'm guessing this was a band-aid to pass some European law about how bright headlights can be. US market cars did not have that coupon.
The seemingly obligatory Maserati from all my trips. This one outside the casino in Wiesbaden, Germany.
A brand new Mercedes-Benz SLK on the Autobahn outside Frankfurt, Germany.
Drives:
Just random pictures out the windows while driving.
This was in June, so seeing snow was unusual for me at this time of year.
Entering Figueres, Catalunya
This BMW blew past me at nearly double the speed I was going.
So of course I had to keep up with them, and document the experience. This was somewhere in Europe. 😉
Come to find out, we caught up to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabrio.
This part of southern France was so nice. Just cruising along (at the speed limit now) watching everything go by.
And on the side of the road, there's just a random castle.
And another random castle. This part of the world is so amazing to drive around in. Or at least used to be in the early 2000's.
This looked so bad and comes into my mind everytime someone is following close behind me, 20 years on. From the Autobahn between Mainz, Germany and Strasbourg, France.
I felt so futuristic having a computer in the car, guiding me to where I wanted to go. This was back in 2004, when cell phones had single-color displays. I had a GPS antenna for my car racing I was doing, and was able to use that for guidance.
Cool Toys:
Remember the stories above about me owning a BMW 635CSi, which evolved into the 850i. Well here is what the 850i evolved into. I'd keep my 635CSi over this any day.
Three really cool toys in a gift store window. I didn't buy any because I was not making the big bucks, and these were stupidly expensive.
Animals
Just a random French bird, or oiseau, sitting on a rock.
Lizards doing lizardy things.
A French tadpole, all by its lonesome.
Swans in the river outside my hotel in Strasbourg, France.
Churches & Museums (a.k.a. Shrines & Temples from other blogs)
Unknown church in Graz, Austria. I liked the green-blue checkerboard paint scheme.
Strasbourg:
Mainz
Monserrat
Wiesbaden
Dali Musee, Figureres, Catalunya
Castles
Carcassone:
Schloß Heidelburg
Schloß Salzburg
This is how elevators were built, seven centuries ago.
Some people would see this and say "Holy shit, two ghosts!" 👻👻
Reality is, the lens of my camera was dirty.
Gardens, Plants, & Scenery
Graz:
Salzburg:
Toulouse:
Neanderthal Art Park:
Andorra:
Catalunya:
Heidelburg:
Wiesbaden & Mainz:
Cuckoo shop in Wiesbaden
This building reminded me of the scene where James Bond tries to snipe someone sneaking out of the side of a building, in the movie "From Russia, With Love".
Toulouse:
Persons CSJM and I went to dinner in Strasbourg one night. Had a lovely meal at a bistro type restaurant, sitting outside, enjoying the lovely weather. On the walk back to the hotel, Person C requested that I take a picture of the hydrangea that were in massive bloom at this time. I wholeheartedly agreed and promised to give them the photo as soon as possible. It took 20 years, but here are the pics, C. 👍
Strasbourg:
Food & Drink
I'm going to need an entire blog about this experience. Short answer, two of these monster steins of beer made for a good night.
The braurei as I was leaving in a cab.
Artsy-fartsy picture from my dinner table in Toulouse, France.
The highest tiramisu I've ever eaten. This was on top of Montserrat.
I don't remember flying business class once inside Europe. But I must have if they were serving Warsteiner.
Thankfully we didn't eat here. But this is the fanciest Mickey D's I've ever seen.
Maybe we ate here? Maybe I was just reminded of a movie?
Another long story about this winery in Rosheim, France. But that will be in the private link for my face-to-face friends.
You may be thinking "Why is there a statue in the Foods & Drinks section?" Well, this is exactly that, the City of Rosheim, France has a well for getting water. I doubt it is used any longer, but they were very proud of it.
Corncobs being dried to process later.
Hotel Rooms
Graz, Austria
Sorry to Jack & Ben. This used to be a nice hotel.
Barcelona, Spain
I could have stayed here the whole trip. Best business-paid hotel room I've ever been in.
Mainz, Germany
Tube TVs were all that there was in 2004. But I did get to watch MTV Europe and learn about the band called Die Toten Hosen. So that was cool.
Strasbourg, France
For all of the cat lovers 🐱❤️, this hotel is for you. Check out the bean-prints on the carpet leading to the rooms.
I don't think we stayed at this hotel in Ottrott, France. Maybe Persons CSJM can answer that. Good chance it was just a random hotel we walked by, that reminded me of a scene from a movie.
Weird (to me) Things
I know, we have a 600 year old building, so lets put super modern facilities in it.
Why did the architects even bother putting a window here?
Mediocre attempt at making it look like a stone arch.
That most European of things, complaining on cardboard.
Probably complaining because you aren't allowed to hold hands.
This was really bizarre to me. An elevator to see a statue. Couldn't understand why they didn't just lower the statue and call it good.
I want to be this guy when I get older. Shopping for pink blazers now.
I wonder if they live in this house in Rosheim, France? And they sing "Little Pink Houses" to each other every night after a fine Alsatian wine & cheese plate?
CONCLUSION
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