Last Day in Fellbach

The car is now in my hands, and runs well. For 15 years old, it seems in outstanding shape. Paperwork is complete. I leave tomorrow morning for Vienna.

Ferdi and I went to the Mercedes-Benz Museum (http://www.museum-mercedes-benz.com/) this afternoon, and I again wore out my hip walking. It was worth it. Patterned after Frank Lloyd Wright's design for the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, a fact which is acknowledged with a picture of "The Gugg" at the appropriate point in their time line, one rides up an elevator and walks down a huge spiralling gallery, with specimens and pictures and voiced narratives that trace a 122-year history both of the world and of the Daimler and Benz companies. The designers at Benz must never have had a year of boredom. The number of different classes of motorized vehicles, airplanes, boats, etc., on display is impressive, as is the corporate history, punctuated by recounts of the many world-changing events and trends that have affected DB's strategy, and as are the many generations of world-beating race cars on display. For €8 it was a steal. And, Ferdi Schmid (11) is a great companion and guide.

Tonight I will be taking the Schmids out to dinner, then getting a good night's sleep before hitting the trail eastward. [11:48 PM addendum: As I feared, Dietmar (Gig) has insisted on buying dinner. "It's my town," Gig insisted. "In New Hampshire or Cluj, I'll let you pay." Ok, Gig, but I'll hold you to that. Come soon.]

Friends like the Schmids are hard to come by. I thank you Gig, and Sabine, and Max, and Ferdi, for all you have done to get me launched toward Romania, and for making me feel so at home.

Gig drives in a race this coming weekend in Saxony. Go, Gig!

Auto Frustration, FSG Seniors, Bavarian White Sausage and Pumpkin Soup

Gig and I went to Fellbach's town hall (Rathaus) to register me as a Fellbach resident so that I might get European plates on my car. Gig had been assured that this was legal, and the easiest way for me to get the car onto the road. Of course, we were soon in a snafu. For three months, this would work, but for nine months it wouldn't, unless I could show that I had employment in the area. So, no car in my hands, yet. Tomorrow, we shall solve the problem. Where there's a will, there's a Weg.

Dietmar then took me to the local electronics shop to price GPS systems. Three hundred Euros seemed a bit too high to me, so I resolved to find a book of maps before heading off to the East.

Then, I did my gig at Max's senior English class at Friedrich-Schiller-Gymnasium. The class was quite polite, asked many good questions covering myriad topics, from the election to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, and didn't show boredom with my digressions. Frau Gabrielle Schaefer, the teacher, seemed to be satisfied, telling me after class that she felt fortunate, as guest speakers could be a risk, but that our hour was well spent. Thankfully, Max concurred. We then went to lunch with Gig and Frank Sauter, a nico sales manager who once did a six-month internship at Rochester Shoe Tree Company! Gig then returned to the office, and Max to classes, so I stayed at the house for a nap.

After my siesta, Ferdi and I took a mile walk downhill to town to find a bookstore. They had a 2008-2009 book of European road maps. They aren't as detailed as those in the Michelin guide, but appear more than adequate to get me from the Stuttgart area to Cluj-Napoca, and they were a whole lot less costly than a GPS.

Dinner was at the Schmid house with Sabine, Max and Ferdi. Sabine served us her mother's pumpkin soup and Bavaria's white wurst (sausage). Both were rich and delicious. The soup was so good, and so new to me, that I have asked Sabine to send me the recipe. Such a soup makes the use of pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns seem a sin.

15 Sept: Day One In Fellbach (near Stuttgart), Germany

My two flights went smoothly, though I was right about packing "too heavy." The third bag cost $150 to bring along, and I arrived bathed in sweat from all the schlepping of the two large carry-ons, my leather jacket, plus the duty-free scotch and candy I bought for the Schmids. Dietmar (aka Gig, pronounced "Geek") and Sabine are in excellent shape, and have been the greatest friends I could ask for. Gig sends warm "Hellos" to all, but especially to Jamie.

Ferdi and Max are handsome lads of 11 and 15, growing up fast. Ferdi is a race fan, and helps Gig work on his brakes, too. He can change pads by humself, and does a perfect job, according to Gig.

I chose to stay up as long as I could this afternoon, so Gig took Max and me to see his racing shop friend Paddy O'Grady, where we met his other buddy Klaus, who owns a leathers shop for bikers. I'd met them both back in 2001, and we all remembered that. We had a raucous 45 minutes, after which Gig took Max and me to the BMW dealer, where we were to see the car they had found for me. I now own a dark red 1993 BMW 520I (see pic) four-door with a stick shift, no air, roll-up windows, but only 130,000 Km (80,000 miles) on it, I only paid Euro 2.250! I am having new brake pads, oil, etc. done tomorrow, while we are registering and insuring it. (My German home address is Kelter Weg 24, Fellbach, Germany.) I pick up my Beamer late tomorrow. If I can learn how on a German-language keyboard, I will post this message to my blog.

Tomorrow, I will be a guest speaker at Max's English class.

Please hug Preston. I am going back to bed! Love to all.