Dusseldorf

At some point in my life, someone told me that the odd feeling you get when you arrive somewhere is that your soul has caught up to your body.  With traveling across time zones, I think it has more to do with getting on the plane in the middle of the day and getting off the plane in the early morning and spending the interim in a pressurized tube.  Transaltantic air travel still amazes me (which may explain why I feel better suited for the 1920s than the 2010s), but this was a really, really easy trip.  Airport van in Athens to Atlanta, ticketing in Atlanta, baggage drop off, the flight (though the audio for the headphones was awful and my reading light didn't work), and the bus ride to the hotel.  It really feel strange that it was all so easy.

Haven't seen anything of Dusseldorf yet, but it is so interesting to see the differences in infrastruture, construction:  They have such substantial roofing, for instance.  These crenellated tiles make the asphalt shingles we use in the states look so cheap.  Public transportation is incredible: hybrid bus led to town where there are streettrains everywhere. 

The Hotel Famosa is a typical small European hotel from my experience:  small, family run,  substantial in some inexplicable way but still so simple.  The narrow staircase leads to a second-story lift that is the size of a coat closet.  The room feels like a dorm room with a very compact bathroom.  It's all very charming. 

God, I love travel!  I'm going downstairs to have my 5 Euro breakfast and then plan on wandering the very deserted Sunday-morning street to explore the Altstadt and hit a few museums on my way to the Rhine.

Heading to Germany

One of the elemental things that I love to do is travel: anywhere new really.  I'm fortunate to have a job that allows for some occasional travel, and I'm getting ready for a trip to Germany for a conference and then for some siteseeing. My wife and boy are joining me in Koln after the conference and we will get to ride bikes and check out the vineyards along the Rhine and Mosel rivers.  I hope to do a good deal of running as well. Blogging? Perhaps, but I'm still trying to get my head around the difference between using a blog, posting to Facebook, and having a private (hand-written) journal.  All three?