Summer evenings in the park

Charlotte and I continue to explore the city.

And the nicest thing about exploring with a dog as cute as Charlotte is that we're welcomed everywhere.

Last night, wandering around Warmer Damm park, I spotted some men in one corner, smoking and laughing and playing chess.

The park actually has a designated chess area. (There's even a large checkerboard carved into the concrete.) The city provides the playing pieces and the tables, and every night men a dozen or so men of varying nationalities gather to battle it out.

One guy was from Pittsburgh -- although he said he'd come here with the army 30 years ago and just decided to stay. He claimed he'd nearly forgotten how to speak English.

I couldn't even tell if they were all speaking the same language -- but I like to imagine it didn't matter. That with a few grunts, whistles and gestures, they were all able to communicate as much as was necessary.

But they sure seemed to be having fun.

(I also remember them all having beards -- so it's strange to see that, in the photos, only two do! I guess sometimes we like to remember things as they ought to be rather than as they actually were.)

And Charlotte liked sitting in the cool, thick grass in the setting summer sun.

Rollmops

These are rollmops -- brined and pickled herring fillets, wrapped around a sweet pickle.

Henry introduced me to them when he was here. Says they're big in Hamburg. (The Wikipedia says they originated in Poland).

The first bite is a bit intimidating, but once you've had one, they are quickly addictive. They have a wonderful chew with a sweet and sour pickled flavor to them -- sort of a cross between sushi and sauerbraten.

Anybody know where I can pick them up in Milwaukee?

Hoggy

One of the more touching aspects of my growing relationship with Charlotte is how much it reminds me of my relationship with Patch, the wonderful dog we lost last January after nearly 15 years of friendship.

When Patch died, Jeanne kept a couple of his toys as beloved keepsakes.

Patch's favorite toy was Hoggy a bright green alligator chew toy with a squeaker inside. Although Hoggy was supposed dog-proof, Patch had eaten a couple of them and, each time, we'd replaced him with fresh one.

When Jeanne heard I was going to Wiesbaden, she took Patch's last generation Hoggy (which was in nearly new condition), cleaned it up and send it, along with a few other dog toys, with me for Charlotte.

It immediately became Charlotte's favorite toy.

Sometimes, when I watch her playing with it, I tear up a bit, remembering how much Patch meant to our family -- and knowing Charlotte will grow to mean as much to Glen and Betina.

Wheels und shprockets

It was inevitable that at some point I'd end up exploring Wiesbaden by bike.

In no visit to any place feels complete for me if I don't get in at least one good bike ride and cook one good meal. (Now I've done one of each!)

With Charlotte adequately worn out from her morning run with Christin, I decided that I needed to see the Rhine River. Otherwise, what's the point of being in the Rhine Valley, right?

Armed with a a printed out not-very-detailed map, I headed south.

On the plus side, Germany is extremely bicycle friendly. There are designated bike lanes on most major streets, and sometimes even sections of the sidewalk set aside for bike traffic.

On the minus side, the directions I'd printed out include close to 20 turns, and pretty soon every street name starts looking the same.

Somehow, though, following the terrain (I figured as long as I was headed downhill, I was headed down into the river valley) I found Am Schlosspark in Biebrich and just followed it south to the river.

I could have spent hours cruising along the river, but I figured getting lost coming home was pretty likely -- and I didn't disappoint myself. Somehow, following signs, I ended up in the city dump, dodging really big, ugly, smelly trucks. So I returned to Briebich and retraced my steps back to the Wiesbaden.

I got home just as a light rain started falling. Just enough to cool me off and not enough to be a nuisance.

Charlotte was waiting at the door for me when I got home. We split a little salami and some fresh bread and then went out for a cool afternoon walk in the drizzle.

Upward bound

Although I still carry Charlotte down the stairs from this steep 3rd floor walk-up, she's really become the master of climbing up.

In fact, she is so fast now at climbing up the stairs that I literally had to run to get far enough ahead of her to shoot this photo! And, even then, I had to shoot quick. She's that fast now!

And, as you can see, this is quite a staircase. Even I dread having to climb them!

In fact, I haven't quite figured if I'm going to come home a few pounds heavier, from stuffing myself with sausages, bread and pasta, or if I'm going to come home a few pounds lighter from all of this walking and climbing. I'm definitely coming home with legs of steel!

Meantime, it sure was nice to have nephew Henry here for a few days. He's really a terrific guy, and it was fun to have someone to walk around with, talk to and cook for.

I don't think we've ever really had so much time to get to know each other. And I sure did appreciate the opportunity here.

Today is, by the way, the halfway point in my adventure! I don't know how the second half can possibly top the first!

Exploring

Lest you get the idea that European cities are all concrete and brick with asphalt sidewalks and trees only in the parks, this morning Charlotte and I explored the hilly neighborhood to the north of Glen and Betina's place. (By the way, if you want to see a bigger version of any of photo, just click on it.)

With thick green trees, plush grassy lawns and big, luxurious apartment buildings set back from the street, some of these streets remind me of neighborhoods in Southern California.

Charlotte enjoys all the exciting new smells  -- and I appreciated the shade and cooler air.

It's also much hillier, so every street is a major climb.
But it's worth it to enjoy the fresh air and less crowded streets.

Henry ist hier!

It's a cool 68 degrees this moring, overcast and cloudy -- and boy does it feel refreshing!

Charlotte is bounding with energy and playfulness. Fortunately, she's also eager to please me, so when I give her a couple of dog tricks or play a couple of rounds of fetch, it calms her down.

My nephew Henry is here!

Henry's father is Jeanne's brother and his mother is German. His folks live in Hamburg now but have lived, throughout his life, in England and Chicago as well as Germany. He's now attending George Washington University in Washington, DC, where's he's studying international affairs and is in his third year of studying Italian. Next semester he'll be in Rome.

To say this guys is an international traveler and young man of the world is an understatement!

It's been great having someone to talk to. You've no idea how much I've missed simple conversation. He took me out for pizza last night and without his help I don't think we'd have gotten napkins. (What kind of pizza shop owner doesn't understand the Italian word for napkin?)

He'll be until tomorrow morning (though he's a college kid, so I don't expect him to get up before 11 today). I'm going to do some shopping and then later we'll maybe make up some spaghetti sauce with meatballs or something.

We've finally got decent weather for it!