O solo mio

This is my first day flying solo.

Glen and Betina left at the crack of dawn this morning and, for the next couple of weeks, Charlotte and I are pretty much on own.

This is me, sitting in the park, studying my German phrasebook. I'm trying to learn how to say, Can I have half a loaf of your best bread, sliced, please? I must be doing okay. I went into a bakery where they don't speak much English and got exactly what I wanted. True, there was some pointing and using phrases like "Dieses da" (Basically, "That thing there") and I did have her count out her own money from my pocketful of Euros. But overall not bad for my first time out.

Charlotte and I are getting along just great! She ran and greeted me when I first got out of bed. And, when I sat down at Glen's computer, she curled up on the pad on the floor next to me and napped.

This morning she is out with the dog trainer, Christin -- who also speaks little English. (Again, I'm proud to say that we were able to communicate.)

Christin already has two big, crazy dogs of her own, so I'm not sure how she was able to keep the three of them in order. But she's got Charlotte for a couple of hours this morning. That gave me time enough to wander the pedestrian zone/piazza and do a little basic food shopping.

Here is a picture of the pedestrian zone -- although, as you can see, early in the morning it's full of delivery trucks. But mostly it's, as you'd expect from the name, a pedestrian only area that is a couple of blocks wide and stretches all the way from here to downtown, about 2 or 3 miles.

And, yes, they've got a Subway and a McDonald's, neither of which I'll be eating at.

Today I'm going to play it pretty conservatively. Charlotte and I will stay in the neighborhood and hit the usual spots. But maybe in the next few days we'll take a walk and see what we can find.

The biggest challenge is the heat and sun -- and the asphalt streets and sidewalks that radiate it. Charlotte spends a lot of time running from shady spot to shady spot, and I don't blame her. So it's a lot easier to walk her early in the morning and later in the afternoon.

Meantime, she's great for meeting lots of friendly people. They all just love her and want to pet her.

Me? I just nod and say "Ja ja" and "Sie ist eine baby."