The 'Rents Are in Town
It's time for a little catch up. Erin and I have been so busy closing up shop in Berlin that we are a little behind in some important posts. As such this post will the be the first of a couple to bring us back up to date.
At the beginning of June my parents flew out to see us, marking their first trip to the Vaterland.
No one to fall asleep at the wheel, Dad managed to jump right into culture by visiting the dentist withing 2 hours of setting foot in Berlin. Mind you, this is a cultural experience that Erin and I have gone to great lengths to avoid...but Dad just jumped right in. As it turns out, he had busted a crown on the flight over and needed to get it glued back into his mouth so as to not be confused for one of the many other toothless Penner that lurk around Kreuzberg. Everything was going fine (including the German medical paperwork) until Dad sat in the chair...
Unlike the common practice in the states where the dentist tells you what they are going to do (and you get the chance to flip out or argue against it), Dad got to experience German directness. The doc walked in, shook our hands (I was there as an unnecessary translator), looked at Dad's tooth, opened his mouth and then stuffed back into his mouth. With a wave of his hand he signed to the assistant that she should set the glue (a 30 second thing). Then he shook our hands again and said "Please" (Germans say this when they mean "you're welcome").
So there was Dad, no longer toothless but a little snaggled since the doc glued in his tooth crooked!!!
Anyway, with the tooth back in place we were free to take on the eating adventure that is German food. The best meal was the one we shared at the Reichstag, where everyone got into the Spargel (asparagus) mood.
After adventuring around Berlin—which Mom found a little depressing with all the memories of war and the holocaust—we took a spin in a BMW523 down the A9 and A93 to Regensburg. I drove us just past Leipzig where we took in a quick bite to eat and give Mom a chance to breathe again (she doesn't like the speedometer reading 230km/h ≈ 143 mph). From that point on Dad became one with the road and car. About 100 km into his drive, Dad started to get more daring with the speed and I think I even remember hearing a "This Beemer is nice!"
Regensburg was as welcoming as ever...huge hugs for everyone in the royal greeting from Stefan and Angela, good food, and amazing beer. Requisite pit stops to Kneitinger and the Alte Linde were (of course) made.
Finding the city more to their liking than Berlin, Mom & Dad even got into an English tour of the city by a pretty amusing guide (he was more than willing to poke good jokes intermittently into the tour and did it all speaking English in a deep Bavarian accent). The tour even included seeing the cities 5 float Christopher Street Day parade.
On the last day Erin and I drove them to the München airport, bags full of more stuff to take home. On our way back to Berlin we stopped for a couple of hours in Bamberg to take in views of well preserved city from 900 AD that has been on the UNESCO list since 1993.
It was great to have the time with Mom and Dad and to show them the places that have so allured me over the last 10 years.
It's time for a little catch up. Erin and I have been so busy closing up shop in Berlin that we are a little behind in some important posts. As such this post will the be the first of a couple to bring us back up to date.
At the beginning of June my parents flew out to see us, marking their first trip to the Vaterland.
No one to fall asleep at the wheel, Dad managed to jump right into culture by visiting the dentist withing 2 hours of setting foot in Berlin. Mind you, this is a cultural experience that Erin and I have gone to great lengths to avoid...but Dad just jumped right in. As it turns out, he had busted a crown on the flight over and needed to get it glued back into his mouth so as to not be confused for one of the many other toothless Penner that lurk around Kreuzberg. Everything was going fine (including the German medical paperwork) until Dad sat in the chair...
Unlike the common practice in the states where the dentist tells you what they are going to do (and you get the chance to flip out or argue against it), Dad got to experience German directness. The doc walked in, shook our hands (I was there as an unnecessary translator), looked at Dad's tooth, opened his mouth and then stuffed back into his mouth. With a wave of his hand he signed to the assistant that she should set the glue (a 30 second thing). Then he shook our hands again and said "Please" (Germans say this when they mean "you're welcome").
So there was Dad, no longer toothless but a little snaggled since the doc glued in his tooth crooked!!!
Anyway, with the tooth back in place we were free to take on the eating adventure that is German food. The best meal was the one we shared at the Reichstag, where everyone got into the Spargel (asparagus) mood.
After adventuring around Berlin—which Mom found a little depressing with all the memories of war and the holocaust—we took a spin in a BMW523 down the A9 and A93 to Regensburg. I drove us just past Leipzig where we took in a quick bite to eat and give Mom a chance to breathe again (she doesn't like the speedometer reading 230km/h ≈ 143 mph). From that point on Dad became one with the road and car. About 100 km into his drive, Dad started to get more daring with the speed and I think I even remember hearing a "This Beemer is nice!"
Regensburg was as welcoming as ever...huge hugs for everyone in the royal greeting from Stefan and Angela, good food, and amazing beer. Requisite pit stops to Kneitinger and the Alte Linde were (of course) made.
Finding the city more to their liking than Berlin, Mom & Dad even got into an English tour of the city by a pretty amusing guide (he was more than willing to poke good jokes intermittently into the tour and did it all speaking English in a deep Bavarian accent). The tour even included seeing the cities 5 float Christopher Street Day parade.
On the last day Erin and I drove them to the München airport, bags full of more stuff to take home. On our way back to Berlin we stopped for a couple of hours in Bamberg to take in views of well preserved city from 900 AD that has been on the UNESCO list since 1993.
It was great to have the time with Mom and Dad and to show them the places that have so allured me over the last 10 years.
posted by Dave Suss at 2:20 PM
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