Wired…

The cable car ride was short and sweet. For 4€, it’s hard to go wrong. Made me think of my brood. What can I say? I miss the little ankle-biters.As the cars enter the station, they are manually moved around the bend and then sent on their way.You get a really nice view of the river. In Cologne, this is the only way to fly…

Walk in the park…

After the boat tour, I figured I head toward the Rheinpark on foot so I could experience the Kölner Seilbahn, a cable car that runs from the park to the other side of the river.

On the way, I shot a mega panorama looking back toward the west side of the river.I also took one of the park, which is expansive and carpeted with acres of perfectly manicured grass.The place is littered with playgrounds, fountains and other eye-catching features. A whole group of tourists went by on Segways and I didn’t clothesline a single one of them. Chalk it up to the summer cheer.The water lilies were especially beautiful. I had intended to lay down in the shade and listen to some music, but got distracted once I got close to the cable cars.

Ride’n the Rhein…

If you find yourself in Cologne, I would highly recommend taking a boat tour. The one I took lasted an hour, the perfect duration for this type of excursion in my opinion. For a paltry 7.40€, I got to see some nice scenery including cool buildings.While kicking back, I even tried the famous local beer, Kölsch. I liked it, but my passion for Hefeweizen shows no signs of abating.After chugging upstream lazily for about half an hour, we stopped near the Cologne Yacht Club, at which point most of the folks de-boated.There was a charming restaurant that sits on the river, but I don’t think that was where they were headed.Anyway, against my better judgment I decided to stay onboard. My faith was rewarded with a safe and sound return to our original point of departure (just downstream from the Hohenzollern bridge on the west side of the river).

I love the Dutch…

except when they drive in the fast lane on the Autobahn (which to them is the medium speed lane). Why is it so confusing? When you get in that lane, you accelerate until your car starts making sounds you’ve never heard before. That’s when you start compulsively looking in your rear view for people whose cars only make noises at higher speeds than yours (so you can get out of their way).

The Netherlands isn’t all that big. I wonder if I could get everyone there to read this post…

Greetings from Cologne…

B and the kids are having the time of their lives in Brazil so before I head their way next week I decided to come to Cologne, solo. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Walldorf. My hotel, Hotel Santo,  is about a 10 minute walk from the famous cathedral. I’ve been here about 5 hours and have managed to walk around the cathedral, take a boat ride and ride the suspended cable cars.The weather is incredible, sunny and in the mid 20’s, although it’s supposed to rain tonight then clear up again tomorrow morning.

Parental advice…

is something I’ve always been loath to give, save to expectant parents whom I advise to sleep while they can. I now add to my short list of parental guidance an admonition to teach your children to swim! Early (before age 5). This story saddens and maddens me along multiple dimensions. I don’t know all the details, but the word tragedy is truly lacking in this case.

Thinking of happier times…

How many people would have even attempted a goal in Maicon’s place, much less actually scored one? I guess that’s the question that clouded the North Korean goalie’s mind long enough for him to miss the block. Even if you don’t like soccer, you should watch this unbelievable video of Brazil’s first goal in the World Cup.

Orange Crush…

After the Brazil/Côte d'Ivoire game I mentioned on Facebook that it was quite a spectacle for those of us who like soccer and mixed martial arts. I never in a million years thought I’d witness the following (scumbag) move by any World Cup player. Overall, I think the Dutch played with virtually no honor throughout the tournament (including their mass fainting spell against Brazil). However, I still love Amsterdam (and the Netherlands and the Dutch)!

The prairie wheat can sure smell sweet…

It’s wheat harvest time in Walldorf, which does an Oklahoma boy’s heart good. As my traditional path to work is obstructed by construction, I’ve been hoofing it through the “Western Passage” of late (the westernmost pedestrian bridge over B39).One (pleasantly) shudders to think of the quantity of Hefeweizen that could be brewed from this field alone. The area around Walldorf is still quite rural, and I hope it stays that way. The construction I referred to will see a housing development  replace sprawling corn fields – kind of a pity. SAP is the fourth largest software company in the world but has wheat, asparagus, rapeseed and corn growing within a hundred meters or so of its headquarters.The fields directly around the campus are overrun with wild flowers, which made for a pleasant commute before they were summarily chopped and bailed last week. Guess we’re moving into the final stages of summer. Where has this one gone? In a few weeks, we’ll head to Brazil, where the final stages of Winter are sure to fly by as well…

Their castles have burned…

Reminiscing on some great Kinks lyrics, we were part of a “thin line” of folks in the Altstadt in Heidelberg yesterday to see Germany play for 3rd place in the World Cup and then be awed by the annual Schlossbeleuchtung, or “castle lighting”, a fireworks display commemorating the three times this castle caught fire (twice at the hands of the French, once at the hand of the Almighty, who saw fit to smite it with a bolt of lightning). Unanswered questions about how a stone castles burn aside, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.We headed into the Altstadt from Walldorf at around 20:00 with Chris, Heather and their kids. After a lazy dinner on an unexpectedly pleasant (breezy) evening, it’s been extremely hot by German standards this week, we walked to the Neckar and waited for the show to start. Germany had just secured 3rd place in the World Cup against Uruguay (3-2) so spirits were high (and many bottles of spirits low). The fireworks started at about 22:45 or so with the lighting of the castle, including a few fireworks from the castle itself.The main attraction as far as I’m concerned is the fireworks display from Heidelberg’s old bridge. It went on for 15 minutes or so and I’m told by some veterans that it was one of the best displays in recent memory. As hard as it might be to believe, I took some pictures. To ensure a good spot to capture the fireworks, I forwent pictures of the castle itself. Maybe next year.  

Brasil!!!!!!

After much fisticuffs and at least one questionable goal, Brazil won 3-1 over Côte d'Ivoire. It wasn’t pretty (a lot of fouls and fighting), but it’s still one in the “W” column.One more step toward #6…

A shocking display of sexuality in Walldorf…

Walldorf has a reputation for being rather sedate, one of the characteristics that brought us to this quaint village a couple of years ago. Imagine my shock when an innocent trip to Walldorf’s Tierpark (it’s not quite big enough to be a zoo) subjected my kids and me to a brazen display of sexuality in the middle of the day! Have these birds no decency?!

About 54 seconds in you can see the primal shaking of a short fan of tail feathers. One of the kids was crying, which drowned out this lurid sound, designed to send the lady folk into salacious hysteria.

Sadly, much like my brief dalliance with cabbage patching in the late 80’s, this peacock’s moves proved unconvincing to the ladies. I was too distraught to continue filming, but would swear the peahen was chuckling in the pictures below. Man, that takes me back…  

World Cup Madness…

A quick note to Americans reading this blog: The biggest sporting event on the planet, the World Cup, has begun. If folks in other countries aren’t sending e-mail or answering their phones, they’re probably watching the games.We are unabashed fans of Brazil at the Prickril Compound. This year’s official libation (as sanctioned by the Mrs.) is the Rasberry Vuvuzela, so named  for it’s nonstop assault on female fans’ senses during the game. Here’s to Brazil’s sixth World Cup title (in the making)!

Rasberry Vuvuzela recipe:

In a Martini glass add:

• A lot of Bacardi Razz
• A splash of Sprite or a similar softdrink
• Frozen raspberries

In the interest of full disclosure, I would recommend cancelling most of your morning appointments for the next day.

What a difference 10 days make…

It’s been a couple of weeks since we returned from vacation in Greece. The 10 days we were there seem to have been kind to the plants in our yard. The tree outside our front door bloomed for the first time, partially blocking the entrance. B’s grass, which she has doted over since she planted a couple of months ago, is thriving (in case anyone is worried). She is  (finally) a bit less obsessed with it. Who knew she was a closet farmer?

You're the one that I want...

Robert has taken a shine to the movie Greace of late. Well, now he seems to like Greece even better. A few pics can be found here.