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Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US, but for me here in Germany I do not really think
about it... it's just another day. But a good day, as are most all of them... they are really all thanksgiving
day. It is also my son Matt's 21st birthday, which I do think about, as that is very significant to me as you might
expect.
Tomorrow is, of course, the 24th, which happens to be an anniversary for me as well. It was one year ago today
that I sat in a chair in my home in Phoenix, Arizona and decided to reclaim my life. I decided to create for myself
a life worth living, rather than continue to experience one barely worth enduring. A drastic step? No doubt! But
as my daughter Nicole said the next day when I told her and Matt my plans, "Drastic circumstances call for
drastic action!"
So with the overwhelming support of friends and family, over the next few weeks I sold or gave away virtually everything
I owned, and left last January to "suck the marrow out of life", to quote one of my favorite writers,
Henry David Thoreau. It has been a grand adventure... not one without challenges, but one that has enriched my
life beyond description. And I still feel like I am just getting started! I have gained many experiences and friendships.
I have learned a lot about patience and trusting my instincts. And, like Mitch in the movie City Slickers, I've
rediscovered my smile. :-)
As you know, I am currently in Stuttgart teaching business English, while taking some time to experience living
in a "foreign" country. There are many reasons why I chose this city, which I shared in an earlier writing.
And as I pointed out then, there are certainly more spectacular and exotic places I could have selected to work
and live, Prague and St. Petersburg among them. (Though as the weather turns colder here, I literally shudder at
the thought of going through a winter in St. Pete! How did you do it Stuart?) But Stuttgart has its advantages
and its hidden jewels.
I like the idea of living someplace that's not a tourist town, as visitors to southern Germany flock to Heidelberg
and Munich, and spare us the horrors of endless tour buses lined up outside our palaces, and teeshirt shops filling
up the square. In Krakow, Stockholm and London it was a bit like living in Disneyland.
Located in the midst of rolling hills, Stuttgart is a metropolis of about one-half million, big enough to offer
me all that I need, but not overwhelming. It is actually a very green city, with a massive green-belt (Schlossgarten
= palace garden) running through the heart of it for nearly five miles, and on weekends and holidays it is filled
with bicyclists, roller bladers, walkers and children playing. Scattered here and there are boci courts and huge
chess boards with almost life-size pieces, and I enjoy pausing on my walks to watch the participant's animated
games. There are fountains and ponds with their waterfowl, and small restaurants and trees... thousands of beautiful
trees that were quite stunning as the leaves recently changed their colors.
Adjacent to Schlossgarten are several beautiful buildings that somehow escaped the devestating allied bombing from
the war. Surrounding Neues Schloss itself, a massive horseshoe shaped palace, are numerous theatres, academies,
monuments, churches and other palaces. Nearby is Staatsgalerie containing works by Picasso, Kadinsky, Beckman,
Gaugin, Dali, Klee and others. The whole area is very nice to hang out in!
And in this verdant setting is also an enormous pedestrian thoroughfare, encompassing virtually the entire downtown
area. Besides almost every kind of shop and restaurant you could ask for, you'll find the everpresent street performers,
and of course, the occasional panhandler. Sometimes they set up bandstands; now you can find a skating rink surrounded
by vendors. Even on Sundays and holidays, when virtually everything is closed here in Germany, there is a constant
flow of people, as Europeans like to spend their free time doing things, rather than sitting on their asses watching
tv.
Outside of the downtown area, you can find some areas of Stuttgart that could easily be described as just plain
ugly. Blow to bits in WW2, this is a city that had to rebuild almost completely, and in my opinion they got a little
carried away with the glass and metal, modern look... in some cases the architecture is hideous. But they did not
have the luxury of taking their time to create masterpieces, as the German economy depended heavily on the automobile
industry that has thrived here since before the turn of the century... that would be the 20th century! :-)
Stuttgart is located in a region which has its own distinct culture, dialect and cuisine called Swabian. It's much
more Catholic than other regions of Germany, and definitely more conversative politically. And southern Germany
is beautiful! In addition to the Black Forest that I've described in a past writing, there is the Schwarzwald,
a forest many Germans feel is even more scenic. And castles and walled cities abound in the area.
Two weeks ago a fellow teacher and I took advantage of the inexpensive "weekend pass" available on the
Deutschbahn to venture south to Lindau, which borders Lake Constance. Situated on an island, and connected to the
mainland by a narrow causeway, this medieval city looks out across the third largest lake in Europe upon the snowcapped
Alps of either Austria or Switzerland, depending on which way you turn your head! Occasionally I have an experience
where I sit and view nature in such glory that I am left searching for words, unable to find them, and knowing
that to savor the moment is to know God, in all his/her/its essence. As I sat on that bench, all that I was aware
of about life and the universe was beauty and gratitude!
The town of Lindau is a joy. Winding cobbelstone streets (of course!) with wonderful shops and restaurants... and
cows! Over 100 cows! No, not real ones, but cows that were more fun than I ever thought cows could be. It seems
that the local artists decided to create these bovine art forms and place them all over the city in as many imaginative
ways and places as they could think of. A cow festival! So you find them stuck to the side of buildings, vertically...or
inside in the lobby of a hotel...or on a roof... everywhere imaginable. And each cow has its own look or theme
i.e., psychedelic cow, astronaut cow, punk-rock cow (yellow hair), farmer cow (with a wheelbarrow), traveler cow
(with a sticker-laden suitcase), etc. Every turn of the street corner brought another surprise, and another exclamation
of "I love the cows!" In May, they will raffle off the cows.
I will be traveling a lot around southern Germany throughout the coming year, and also around Europe and the Mediteranean.
I am keeping my lifestyle simple and inexpensive so that I can sample as much as possible while living here. Here
is a list of where I hope to visit, so if you have a contact there or some advise on what I must see or do there,
please let me know: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Prague, Munich, Zurich, Bern, Vienna, Salzburg, Venice, Rome,
Florence, Tunisia, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Bratislava and Malta. And maybe others too? Tomorrow I am taking the overnight
train (sleeper car) to Budapest and coming back the same way Sunday night, so I will have two full days to explore
"the Paris of Central Europe". In the month of April, Matt and I will spend time in southern Spain and
Morocco.
Got these next two items from an ex-pat website...fyi:
*** THE HEALTHIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
Where in the world would you enjoy the longest, healthiest life?
Here's the TOP TEN LIST:
Monaco, Macau, Japan, France,
Isle of Man, Slovakia, Luxembourg,
Israel, French Guiana, and Austria.
Which countries are most corrupt?
Indonesia, China, Pakistan,
Venezuela, Brazil, The Philippines,
India, Thailand, Italy, and Mexico.
** A CHEAP WAY TO FLY EUROPE
-- Irv Rubin, St. Thomas
Here's a cheap way to fly Europe. The Europe Flight Pass is sold in legs costing only $99 each. Like the Eurail
Pass, it must be purchased before leaving the U.S.
I flew to London, used the pass to visit Rome, Copenhagen, and Athens and then to fly back to London. The total
for four legs was $396. Thetickets are valid for 120 days and are "open" with no black-out dates, fare
zones, or penalties for changes. Europe Flight Pass covers 130 cities in 27 countries and can be used on 22 European
airlines. For more information, call 888-387-2479.
Until our next visit.
 Love and peace... and cows
(the right kind of "mad" ones!)!
-------------Fast Eddie
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