EUROPE 2006
WORLD CUP FEVER IN STUTTGART GERMANY
We’ve been sitting on a ton of Delta Frequent Flier miles for sometime now, and given the current state of Delta Airlines…we said “let’s go to Europe for my Birthday” before the airline and all our miles evaporate. So with a 100,000 mile donation to Delta, we were off to Germany & France to celebrate in style! Fortunately, all Delta flights were full for the dates we wanted to fly to Europe, so they handed us over to their partner Air France. This my friends was a good thing, as Air France is flying in the lap of luxury. Even though seat real estate is about the same, the level of service was amazing. Champagne, Bordeaux, two hot meals, with fresh baguette’s, & pastries served by lovely French flight attendants. Man I wasn’t even in Europe yet--- but I could feel it!
We landed in Paris, then grabbed another plane to Stuttgart, in the Southern end of Germany. Finally, after many hours and planes---we were in Europe! We have always wanted to go to Germany, as we have great respect for their quality of life, and steadfast work ethic. Needless to say…some of the finest cars on the planet are produced here (Porsche, Audi, BMW, Mercedes…). The Germans are perfectionists, and almost everything they manufacture is as good as it gets.
THE STREETS OF BADEN-BADEN GERMANY
Our plan was to be in Germany for 2/3 of the trip and Paris for the remainder. One of my “must do’s” in life, was to visit the Porsche Factory in Stuttgart. This is where our 911 Carrera was manufactured, with German precision and almost entirely by hand I should add. Friends from White Lightning Racing & Porsche Motorsports were able to get us into the factory to see the assembly process first hand. We documented the visit (at length), and the build process of the new 911 (997 model). For all you fellow Porsche dorks out there---this Porsche Factory Tour is for you!
I vacillated bringing a computer or not on this trip. Our Apple 12” PowerBook is relatively small, but since everything was “Carry On” this trip, we were traveling super light…unusual for our family. Even though I make my living working on computers, it is nice to take a break from them now and then, and give my eyes a rest. So, sans laptop, I filled my backpack with the usual Tech goodies, Digital Camera, DV Camera, i-Pod Nano, and my Moto Cell Phone, with Quad Band for Europe. I also brought along a small cigarette lighter Inverter to charge all the electronics, as we rolled down the road.
THE AWESOME SPA AT STEIGENBERGER EUROPALSCHER-BADEN
At the Airport in Stuttgart we picked up our sweet little Audi A3. Anya’s daily driver is an Audi A6, so it was nice and familiar for her to drive. Our A3 was stick, as most cars in Europe, and the Diesel version. With the high cost of fuel (Approx 5 Euros a gallon), a diesel car proved to be a good solution. One problem we did have with the car, was the cigarette lighter did not have power, which was a major hurdle in getting our inverter to charge all the aforementioned electronics we brought along. I whipped out the A3 Owner’s Manual (of course all in German), and found the Fuse block schematic. I was able to isolate the fuse for the cigarette lighter. There were no spares, so I randomly pulled the same Amp fuse from another slot and hoped for the best. The inverter fired up, and the “Charging” lights came on for all the electronics. We checked all the lights and blinkers on the car, and all was good. Still not sure what function of the A3 we were able to pilferage from…I kind of felt like the German version of McGyver.
After a night in Stuttgart, we headed our little Audi A3 onto the Autobahn (A8 & A5), to the beautiful little town of Baden-Baden. As Bill Clinton said “the town is so lovely they named it twice”. Baden-Baden is where the German’s go to stay for Holiday. It is a very affluent area, at the base of the famous Black Forest. We stayed at a nice hotel in town Steigenberger Europäischer Hof close to all the shops and restaurants, but tucked far away enough to be quiet. Baden is a Spa town, with great baths, high end hotels, and lots of white terrycloth robes. Our hotel had a killer spa, on the lower level which was much appreciated after the long flights. Multiple pools, saunas, steam rooms; it was like a labyrinth of options in good health and comfort.
OUR MIGHTY AUDI A3 TURBO DIESEL
Actually Baden-Baden reminds me much of Sun Valley Idaho. Lots of “Old Money”, in a high end mountain setting (without a ski resort). After lounging around the Spa, drinking good German wine and beer, we decided to put on our walking shoes and see what this town had to offer. Mind you, we had been forewarned in the States, from multiple friends that German food was less than enjoyable. I’m proud to say, we found an amazing restaurant, specializing in local southern German Cuisine. It was incredible, I enjoyed Fillet Stroganoff and Anya had some of the local bratwurst. We capped of the dinner with cappuccino, and what else…but a wicked slice of Black Forest cake. It wasn’t even on the menu, but I had to ask since we were actually sitting in the Black Forest. I normally don’t eat this kind of rich food, but I have to admit is was a sinful delight.
Baden-Baden has a network of cobblestone streets, with traditional European architecture, & many homes with the custumary red roofs. We took a drive above town, up into the hills and there were some beautiful houses with incredible patios with views of the town below. It reminded me of the houses in our town of West Linn & Lake Oswego. There are many shops in town, catering to the German tourists. I think Baden is the ice cream capital of Germany. It seems every family we passed in the streets was munching on a cup of the frozen stuff. One of the cool aspects of Baden I enjoyed was the lack of other English speaking tourists. I think the whole time we were in Baden we didn’t hear or see another American, this is the German’s sweet spot, and it was nice to slip into their vacation domain.
GOT ELECTRONICS??? OUR TECH GOODIES BEING CHARGED OFF THE INVERTER
One observation I had of Baden, and the Autobahn as well, was that there are no visible “Beater” cars, there appears to be only middle & upper class rides. The cars of choice, appear to be Mercedes, BMW, and Audi sedans, with a few Porsche’s every now and then, and very few Japanese cars. One part which was kind of refreshing was the absence of large American SUV’s. There were no big Surburban’s with Chrome wheels. If I see one more of these at home, with a distracted mom chatting on her cell phone, I think I’m going to lose my lunch ;-) Because of the lack of SUV’s, we would see 4 door sedans pulling big trailers. Kind of an odd spectacle, you would think the cars wouldn’t be powerful enough to tow the load, or the shocks stiff enough to prevent from bottoming out.
We had a really nice and relaxing time in Baden-Baden. The people were kind and warm, and we really enjoyed our stay with the incredible German cuisine. As I mentioned earlier, this trip was to also celebrate my birthday, which was a big one (but I won’t share the number---smile). For one night we decided to take this trip to a whole new level. We read about a hotel on the edge of town in Baden, that was a castle before and now a 5 star spa and resort named Buhlerhohe SchlossHotel. We simply refered to it as “The Castle”! We hopped into our little A3, and drove some fun-tight-twisty mountain roads, and pulled up to the front of the hotel.
NEW PORSCHE 911-GT3 (997 MODEL)
The “Castle” is on a ridge, high up in the Black Forest. The reason this area is called the “Black Forest” is that the growth is so dense, you literally can’t see through it because of the lack of light. The hotel sits on a huge piece of property, so it’s really in it’s own little world. We checked in, and were given a beautiful room. On the coffee table was an ice bucket with a bottle of very good French Champagne, and a little note from our good friend’s Bill & Karen at home, wishing me a “Happy Birthday”. They had called the hotel from the States, and arranged to have it waiting for us. It was a very sweet gift…even though I was on the other side of the planet, I definitely felt the love!
Anya & I opened our champagne, slipped into our bathing suits, and grabbed the white robes off our bed…and headed down the hall to the spa. Again, we were the only Americans at the place, and heard no English being spoken amongst other guests. This place has an amazing array of pools, hot tubs, steam rooms, and comfy power loungers. The view from the all glass building was amazing. You could see all the way down into the valley where the Rhine river winds through, up the other side to the mountains in France. With a cold glass of French Champagne in my hand, my lovely wife by my side, sitting in a hot tub, and staring at the beautiful country side---this was shaping up to be an absolutely incredible birthday.
BEAUTIFUL NIGHT IN BADEN-BADEN
The front desk manager of the hotel “Marcus”, was a pleasure to work with. He was, as almost all the German’s we met---soft spoken, laid back, and funny. Marcus had arranged a very nice table for Anya & I at the hotel restaurant to celebrate my birthday. After the spa, I opened up cards and gifts from home, and received calls from loved ones on my cell phone. Anya also brought along my all time favorite Napa wine “Far Niente”to enjoy with dinner. She also told me she had one more gift for me, that she wanted me to open at dinner.
Our table at the restaurant was awesome! Marcus and Andreas (restaurant manager) hooked us up with a serious table right against the window, with the same incredible view that we enjoyed at the spa earlier in the day. The food was delicious, and the service attentive. The staff was sweet, they actually baked me my own Birthday cake, and what else would it be in our current locale??? But of course--- another decadent Black Forest cake with cherries, chocolate and lots of whip cream. Man…I’m definitely going to have to get on the treadmill and my bike when I get home!
BUHLERHOHE SCHLOSSHOTEL...THE "CASTLE" HOTEL
But wait...what was in that that last gift bag that Anya wanted me to open at dinner? The day had been amazing what could possibly make it better? I closed my eyes, reached my hand into the gift bag, and a big smile raced across my face. Anya had given me a new shifter for the Porsche, that I told her I wanted someday (aluminum with leather, like the Turbo). The current one is kind of funky. Keep in mind, that all our bags for this long trip were “carry on”, so we were traveling ultra light. She had somehow been able to hide the shifter in her clothes. She is so good to me. I was so stoked---this without a doubt, had been the best Birthday of my life!
The next day we awoke a little groggy and hung, from the bottle of Champagne that Karen & Bill gave me, and the bottle of Far Niente Anya brought along. Normally we drink very little, maybe sharing a bottle of wine every now and then. But then again it was my Birthday so we partied hard, and it was all about me after all (smile). We had a good breakfast, typical good euro coffee, much like our java in the NorthWest, and killer pastries. We then headed back down to the spa, to soak and detox in the steam room.
THE KILLER SPA AT BUHLERHOHE
We had such an incredible time at Buhlerhohe SchlossHotel. They took such good care of us, and our stay will always be etched in my memory. The level of service and attention to detail is what validates this hotel’s 5 Star rating. We loaded up the Audi A3, thanked the staff, and headed out of the Black Forest, back to Stuttgart. We had such a great time in Baden, we will definitely come back. Now it was all about Porsche and our Factory Tour the next day.
Our hotel in Stuttgart was next to Mercedes, one of the many campuses in Stuttgart. The hotel styled us, and gave a room on the 17th floor (top floor), which offered great views of Stuttgart. Unfortunately we came to the realization that the Porsche Factory was on the other end of town, so it would require an early start in the morning to get there in time. Germany is nice, clean, orderly, and the streets are well marked which makes traveling by car much more enjoyable.
A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE FOR MY BIRTHDAY...THANKS KAREN & BILL!
Our Porsche Tour was a magical journey through one of the finest (if not THE finest) car manufacturer factories in the world. We were granted an exclusive inside look of the Stuttgart plant, which makes Porsche’s Crown Jewell, the 911 Carrera. Anya & I were so close to the assembly line we were able to touch the new cars as they floated over us on the hoist. The new Carrera (997) was released last year and demand is huge, so the factory is working night and day to fill demand. The last 911 (996 model) was received softly from Porsche’s fans, and their resale value indicate that all too well. However, the new 997 Carrera appears to be a huge success for Porsche. Here is a link to view pics and our story, of our Tour inside the Porsche Factory & Museum.
Our initial plan for the next day in Stuttgart, was to hop on the Autobahn and head to Munich and see the BMW factory, and the Olympic venue of the 1970’s. This plan was stymied due to the fact we chose to sleep in, and it was raining---lots! That’s one aspect of southern Germany, that made us feel right at home…it rains all the time and is green just like Oregon. Plan B, was to head down the road in Stuttgart, and go to the Mercedes Museum, and see if they had the famed “Gullwing”in their collection.
FINE FOOD & WINE...AND A NEW PORSCHE SHIFTER!
We finally found the Merceded Museum, which is adjacent to the big Stadium. We had a hard time finding parking as this complex was majorly blown out. Then the dots connected---we saw many people with big credential badges around their necks (much like the Olympics), all this buzz was for the World Cup Soccer event next week. Stuttgart has many of the games, including the big 3rd place match. You could feel the energy in the air, the world was coming to Germany for a serious soccer showdown. I wish we could still be in Germany for it, to see it first hand. Yet, I’m well aware that the slow and leisurely pace we have enjoyed in Germany, would drastically change when the World Cup crowds arrive.
The Mercedes Museum was an architectural masterpiece. They have been working on it for 3 years, and it’s 8 stories of glass and concrete are a beautiful display of art and technology. We found out when we were there, the museum had only been open for one week, and still smelled of fresh paint. We felt privileged to see all the great displays of Mercedes' dominance in auto making. Did you know Mercedes invented the Airbag (taken from it’s airplane designs), and they also invented Anti-Locking Brakes? These two inventions alone, have saved so many lives! Again, all the big auto break-throughs, have been usually from the hands of the German's. Then taken by the Japanese and Americans manufacturers a few years later. Wait---isn’t that the same as Apple coming up with all the great computer technology, then it ending up on the PC a few years later (Wi-Fi, FireWire, DVD Burners, On-Line Music Stores…)???
THE HOTEL BAKED THIS BEAUTIFUL CAKE FOR ME...SOMEWHERE IN GERMAN IT SAYS "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"
A major highlight of our journey to the Mercedes Museum was being able to see and touch the 300 SL “Gullwing”. Understand this car has a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of my family. My father had a Gullwing, and I still remember riding in it as a kid, always a challenge to straddle the high door sills, to get into the passenger seat. At the time of the Gullwing’s release it was the world’s fastest production car, with a space frame that weighed only 125 pounds, thus necessitating the now famous flip up doors. There were only a handful of these cars manufactured, and only a precious few remain, with the few of them fetching $300-500K a piece, if you are lucky to even find one on the auction block.
As many of you know, my Dad was killed in a tragic car accident in Mexico last year. As I wandered through the Mercedes Museum I thought about my dear Father. Especially, when I stood next to the Gullwing. It made me proud that our family actually owned this automotive masterpiece. I thought about it as I was surrounded by many other admirers, coveting the Mercedes Gullwing. I had been fortunate to ride in this car, I still remember the rumble of it’s big motor. I felt my dad with me as I was in the Mercedes Museum, it was he that passed on the love of cars to me. One of the last times I was with him, was in my Porsche going very fast on a country road. It was also a dream of his to own a 911, it was my pleasure to share that with him. I miss him dearly, yet there are times I still feel him close---just as I did standing next to the Gullwing.
STUTTGART-VIEW FROM THE 17TH FLOOR
Germany was such an incredible experience. The people were warm, kind, and we shared lots of laughs. A big “Danke” and a smile can go a long way in Germany. We proved two German myths to be false. 1) The food sucks---this couldn’t be further from the truth. Maybe it was our proximity to the border of France, but the meals we enjoyed in Germany, were some of the best gastronomical experiences I have ever enjoyed in my life. 2) German’s aren’t funny---not true, we had so many funny conversations in Germany. They love to laugh just like the rest of us. Our good friend Jay is from Hamburg, he is always making me laugh with some kind of story. The moral of the story…don’t underestimate Germany, they truly have much to offer. We will surely be back!!!
As Anya knows, I was all blissed out in Germany, and ready to fly back home to the States, with the afterglow of a great trip. However, there was still Paris in the equation. So we returned our Audi A3 at the Airport, and jumped back on Air France to take us to Paris. It’s a relatively short flight between Stuttgart Germany and Paris, kind of like Portland to So Cal. The drive from the Airport to central Paris is far from scenic. Kilometer after Kilometer of traffic and graffiti. Once you are into the center of town it is really nice, with big city hustle, lots of people and cars, and crazy Parisian on tricked out scooters, that sound more like race bikes.
PORSCHE FACTORY---STUTTGART
One of my first impressions of the city, was that the majority of people are darker in color and mostly brunette. It had almost a Latin feel to it, so I felt right at home (smile). I do have to agree that the French women are lovely, and do live up to all the hype. See, I was able to observe this from being towed around the city by my wife, through various Chanel boutiques. French women are also more forward than the German’s, who although pretty in a natural way, are eclipsed by the Parisian women. As my wife says, the girls from Paris are tall, skinny, and brunette---and I will add, had accents that any American guy would die for. (Guys…that paragraph was for you).
Anya and I checked into our hotel, which was across the street from the famous Louvre museum in the center of town. Our room was up high, and had an awesome view of the Eiffel Tower, and the big central park. What’s the first thing you do in France? Crack open a bottle of French Bordeaux. We enjoyed the view and our bottle of wine, and decided to check out the Louvre before it closed. Keep in mind we were at the museum the week the Da Vinci Code movie opened around the world. The Mona Lisa is always hard to see, with long lines, and major crowds to deal with. Now add Da Vinci Code to the equation, and this famous Paris museum goes absolutely psycho. We got the tip to go on Wednesday nights, when the museum stays open later than usual, to have a better chance of actually seeing some of the art up close.
INSIDE THE PORSCHE FACTORY, ANYA, ME, AND MONIKA---OUR CUTE PORSCHE TOUR GUIDE
They were right! We had a little line to get inside, to get through Security, then to pay for our tickets. Once we were in, there were very few people, and we were able to walk right up to the famous Mona Lisa painting. It is smaller in real life, and is placed behind bullet proof glass. One thing I noticed about the actual painting, compared to all the fakes we have seen through the years, is that she looks tired and has bloodshot eyes…kind of like me trying to adjust to the 9 hour time difference from home. The Louvre also had a very impressive collection of Italian and Spanish art, depicting the birth of Christ. Very beautiful paintings and the colors are still so vivid, even after 500 years.
Anya’s dad travels to Paris often, and recommended La Coupole restaurant to us. I have to say it was incredible! It’s a huge place, with many tables, and has a cool 40’s vibe. Picasso and Hemmingway loved this restaurant, and I can see why. We had a great waiter “Didier” he was a lot of fun, and kept the excellent Bordeaux flowing (from other bottles than our own) which was a good deal. Anya had Sea Scallops, that were incredibly tender. I had Fillet Mignon with Béarnaise (made from scratch of course). The food was out of this world, we backed it up with Crème Brule, and a couple espresso. It was such a fun night. We came back to our hotel, opened up the big French Doors, and were treated to a view of the Eiffel Tower all lit up, with the lights bubbling up like a bottle of Champagne.
NEW MERCEDES MUSEUM---JUST OPENED!
In addition to checking out art at the Louvre, we also spent a lot of time at the Orsay museum. This is a beautiful museum, with lots of windows, that focuses more on modern art. They had a beautiful collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s work, as well as French artist Matisse. I love Van Gogh’s artwork, his choice of colors and images are perfection on canvas. To sit inches away from his actual masterpieces, see the depth of the paint he used to create the texture, was quite surreal. I love modern art, and the Orsay museum had a whole room of original Van Gogh paintings. Our house is a collection of contemporary art and furniture, so Anya and I felt right at home.
A funny thing we both noticed in France and Germany is how much the Euros love to Pose and People Watch. I remember in Baden how chairs were setup on both sides of the street (all facing the street, and not towards others sitting by you). You literally had over a 100 people drinking coffee or eating food, checking you out. I kind of felt like a cattle at auction. Paris was the same way, only on a bigger scale. It is definitely a “see & be seen” circus. The scene in Europe makes Starbucks on a weekend, seem like child’s play!
MERCEDES 300 SL "GULLWING"...MY DAD'S CAR (REALLY)
It was interesting to check out computer technology on our trip. We would see lots of Apple laptops in cafés, airports, and hotel lobbies. I will always remember the dichotomy of seeing an aluminum G4 Apple PowerBook in the parlor of a hotel in Paris, where the building was close to 500 years old. France loves Apple, and in return Apple hosts the Paris Mac World computer show every September. There were also many Japanese tourists in Paris, with cool little personal cameras, and digital video. Japan is still the epicenter for cool, little ergo electronics.
We read that Seattle native Chris Cornell opened up a restaurant “Black Calvados” in Paris with his wife who is French. Chris is the lead singer of AudioSlave, and formerly the front man of Sound Garden. AudioSlave is one of our fave bands,we went to see them last Fall when they came to Portland---it was an incredible concert. Chris’ vocal range and power is stellar! Black Cavlados was on the other end of Paris, so we hopped in a cab and made the journey North. The restaurant is little with black walls, and a young staff with a median age probably close to 21. We booked our reservation about a month before going to France, as this is the “It” restaurant right now in Paris, and can be very hard to get into.
EIFFEL TOWER AT NIGHT---AN AMAZING VIEW FROM OUR HOTEL IN PARIS
The service was excellent, I think we literally had 6 different people doting over us throughout the evening. The place seemed a little disorganized, but had good intentions. The chef sent us many little appetizers between courses, that were much appreciated. Anya had a steak dish that was good, with a great sauce, but not nearly as good as the Fillet I had the night before at La Coupole. I had Quail that was epic, that was so much better than the Quail I have enjoyed in Sun Valley. As the night progressed the restaurant filled to capacity with all the local Parisian hipsters, an ocean of sound and cigarette smoke.
I had to ask both our server and hostess---Where was Chris Cornell tonight? We were told he was in L.A. (his 2nd home, he no longer resides in Seattle) , and getting ready for the release of AudioSlave’s new album this month. We were hoping to chat with him, far away from our home in the Northwest. As the beautiful girl at the front door said to me on the way out of the restaurant “Chris Cornell doesn’t even know me---I’ve only seen him once for the opening party earlier in the month”. It appears that Chris has funded the restaurant but doesn’t hang out here much.
MY LOVELY WIFE IN FRONT OF LA COUPOLE---PARIS
On our last day, we once again hopped in a cab to check out the Picasso museum on the Eastern side of town. At the gate we were told, that admission had been reduced to only 2 Euros due to the fact, over 100 pieces of art were shipped to Spain (Picasso’s native country) for a Summer exhibit. Even with the missing pieces, there was still an impressive collection of art. Cool Summer colors, usually with one common theme---the female body. It cracks me up, how many pieces of art have been painted by Picasso and Matisse (who were friends by the way), that have a naked woman in it’s foreground. I guess they both had tremendous respect and admiration for the better sex (smile).
Before embarking on our trip, Anya and I both had heard stories of how American travelers were taking a lot of flack overseas for our poor foreign policy (specifically Iraq). We were a little concerned that some of our travels, might be somewhat challenging. Let’s face it, the U.S. is not too popular these days. I’m pleased to say, that we met so many warm, kind, and funny people in both Germany and France…it was such a pleasure to vacation there. There were a couple of times, where we were asked point blank “what country are you from”? After the usual response of “Mexico” (just kidding), actually “America” everyone was cordial and just kept talking.
VAN GOGH'S "SIESTA"...THE REAL DEAL AT THE ORSAY MUSEUM
One thing I will always treasure is the time Anya and I were able to spend together…almost 3 weeks uninterrupted. It can be hard for couples these days, with work load, family obligations, financial concerns…to keep the flame burning. Ultimately a good friendship is what keeps a marriage happy and strong, and other things I can’t elaborate on here (smile). It seems like life can be at Redline sometimes, so it’s so important to duck out of the craziness every now and then and focus on what really matters in life. Many people back home helped facilitate the option of traveling to Europe for my Birthday. We will always be grateful to all those that helped out, so we could experience this wonderful trip. I couldn’t have asked for a more magical Birthday.
So much of our time previously has been focused on traveling in Mexico. It was refreshing to spend time and money in other countries. Anya and I loved Germany and France. If I had to choose, I probably would pick Germany for my favorite country. They are polite, orderly, soft spoken, well educated---and their cooking is SO good. Paris was cool, a little too busy for me, and it seemed like on every side of me there was someone smoking (I obviously don’t smoke)…so different from the States. I really enjoyed the art, good food, and the people. We can’t wait to come back in a couple of years with Sierra. Hope you enjoyed our take on Europe (and for those of you that actually read it, and didn’t just scroll through the pictures…thanks). It's good to be home, although we've been having a little trouble with Jet Lag. Now it's time for Anya & I, to catch up with our backlog of work. Have a great Summer!!!! Chris
THE LOUVRE MUSEUM---PARIS
BLACK CALVADOS ---AUDIOSLAVE SINGER CHRIS CORNELL'S NEW RESTAURANT IN PARIS
KICKIN' IT IN THE PARK---PARIS