Some of the best and maybe worst...

So, today will probably be my last post prior to arriving home on Sunday afternoon. I thought I would brainstorm some of the best things about my Europe experience before I head to Epsom. Of course you can ask me about anything but here some I thought about this morning....

Transportation/Lodging

Metro System - Vienna
Airport - Dublin
Taxi - Antwerp
Hotel - Cocoon (Munich)
Airline - Lufthansa (On time, free beer and wine, decent food)

Food

Food - Lyon
Restaurant - Hackerhaus (Munich)
Meal - Bangers and Mash at the Lotts in Dublin
Beer - Leffe Blonde (and its not close)
Dessert - Dame Blanche (Het Pomphuis)
Lunch - Het Pomphuis (Belgium)
Breakfast - Garfunkels (London)
Irish Pub - Charlie P's (Vienna)
Wine - Châteaux Talbot (France)
Cocktail - Cocktail Roland Garros at the French Open
Chocolate - Vienna

Cities/Sights/Culture

Dressed - Paris
American Friendly - Munich (without speaking English)
Shopping - London
Weather - Majorca
Bar - Harleys (Prague)
Song - Barbara Streisand
Most Expensive - London
Most Dangerous - Paris (the young thieves there are so annoying)
Park - Prater (Vienna)
Church - Melk, Austria
Historical Sight - Westminster Abbey

Odd Specifics

$34 for a Burrito and Beer in Paris
$27 for 100ml of sunscreen in Paris
$2 for great red wine in several places

Luggage

Too Little: Socks, Cell Phone Data Plan
Too Much: American Money, Golf Shirts, Sweaters, Adapters
Life Savers: Back Pack, Travel Wallet, iPhone, Suit Compartment

Be Thankful

Be thankful for your health and well being. After using public transportation exclusively on this trip, its amazing to me the courage and determination of some of those less fortunate. Through disabilities and blindness, people persevere everyday to navigate and get to where they need to be. Sometimes I complain about lugging 70 pounds of luggage through the metros. Then i need to look no further than the young girl struggling with every step at snails pace. The public transport system can be hard for anyone, I cant imagine doing it disabled. Its very humbling how many people in the world struggle with the very simplest things we take for granted. I hope cities abroad continue to renovate all their public facilities to become more accessible.

Almost to the finish...

Hello All,

Sorry I have not been posting as much in the past few days. I have been on the move quite a bit. In Majorca there was no internet, now in London, there is internet at gold prices. So today I anted up and got the internet in my room. I need to check train schedules, places to go, racing forms, all kinds of things. But, hopefully to your likes, the first thing I am doing is blogging.

The big two nine in Majorca.

Majorca was awesome, but wow, was I not totally out of gas when I left there. Fifteen hour days in the sun with pints of San Miguel can take it out of you. Plus water had to be purchased, making dehydration more of an issue. Also, have you ever noticed the weird lower leg muscles that absolutely kill you after walking several hours on the beach? I didnt even know some of those muscle groups existed. Oh well, I am uncertain if doing a tropical vacation by yourself is worth it, my feeling now is that it would be much better shared with someone else. More so than any of my destinations thus far.

Bangers and Mash with Guinness, Meal of  the Trip??

So I left the island on Tuesday only to fly to another island, Ireland. I only had an afternoon there in between flights but found it pretty cool. It was a typical cloudy and cool day. My mission was to have a Guinness and local food. I did just that in The Lotts Pub. The "Bangers and Mash" I had there was one of the best meals I have had thus far on my trip. Warning, its not for everyone. Also very neat in Dublin is the level of interest in horses, horse racing is everywhere. Even the cab driver spoke of Tabor and Magnier, Sadlers Wells, etc. Very nice and welcoming after having zero in common with most in Majorca.

Big Ben from my subway exit at Westminster.

Now I am in London. Great city. I really like it. It reminds me of American big cities in way. But not really. The architecture is totally different, but I guess because it has a river (Thames) running through the city and that there are some rather large financial building that look very American. The history here is flat out incredible! I spend hours yesterday inside Westminster Abbey, that is a must for anyone at all interested in history. Buckingham Palace was simply a landmark in my mind. Things are a tad bit expensive as now 1 pound is $1.63. A rate like that can put a hit on you if you dont watch it, that steal on lunch for 5.95 just cost you about 10 american dollars. Thats scary going straight into the two largest days of English racing at Epsom, but glass half full, the winnings will be compounded by the rates.

 Well, I am going to go. Ironically, I didnt pay the high hotel room cost and internet costs to use them all day. I must get out and see more.

Three amigos...

Good Morning!

Sorry if this entry is brief, there is not much wifi on the island and I am going through my cell phone. Things are wonderful in Majorca. It's an unbeleivable paradise.

As I have sat here today, I have thought a lot about what got me here. There are several things, but for this simple moment I am going to give credit to a few male influences that I know gave me the luck I find today as I look over the Mediterranean.

I cannot describe how proud I am of my father, he put up with all my nonsense for so many years. I cannot think of a better person, so nice and friendly. He gave me the opportunity to be who I wanted to be, never once do I recall him doing anything other than encourage me. As I sit here I am thankful for both the kindness of my father and the feistiness of my mother that I am blessed with. If I could only be half the person my dad is, I wouldnt have a worry in the world, he is my hero...

The sun shining through the clouds in Majorca.

There are several things that run through your mind while sitting on the beach alone. I couldn't help but think about Papaw Rollie. The guy that cared so much to throw me batting practice when he was in his seventies after that 0 for 4 day with three K's. But he got me through it.

Finally, Big John, how I wish we could share this moment together. I would give my bottom dollar only to speak to you for a few minutes. You would love this place. I know you are somewhere looking down on it all, but know you are the "man" as far as I am concerned.

So as I finish this post from paradise. Remember there are none more important than the ones closest to you . Adios!

Freedom...

Good Morning,

Today I write you from a hotel lobby in Paris. Let me tell you, I am ready to hit the road for several reasons. First, work is complete. Like I have continually said on this blog, its not that the work itself is extremely difficult, but the entire process is quite taxing when you consider the logistical and language barriers you must fight to make it all happen. Let me tell you, it all hasnt been smooth. At least now, as I move forward on my journey, I am the one calling the shots, therefore I have the ability to play Europe my way. Its rather relieving and tonight I will be on an island in the Mediterranean...this trip is good, and its getting better!!! 

The French really made a great effort the past 48 hours to downgrade my high thoughts of the country over the weekend. While work and the people were very nice, their culture has no respect for anything outside of their own life. To be honest, I have never been in a place so self absorbed and at times unaccommodating. I am not being critical, I am simply pointing out facts.

First, I change my entire post work itinerary because the french cannot adapt their plans for mine. That should have been a clue when the locals cannot make an adjustment for someone thats coming from 4000 miles away. I couldnt depart on Wednesday night because one person couldnt meet until Thursday. After kindly expressing multiple times that it will be a hassle to change my plans but as a guest I could politely do whats necessary to respect their regular schedule and change mine, I finally changed my agenda to accommodate the proposal. Who cares? Only two flights and one hotel room night I lose out of my personal funds because no refunds are possible. Well, I care, I care a lot, but I quietly and politely change my schedule.

To make a long story short, nothing on the original proposal went as planned. We bounced around the agenda as if it didnt exist, nights in Rotterdam were supposed to be reserved, they werent. We were supposed to be in Rotterdam two nights, we changed at the last minute, only one...putting me on the back burner for a last minute over priced room in Paris. And finally...Thursday meeting cancelled because I saw the guy on Tuesday. Its hilarious, but hard for a Midwestern American to handle.

As far as the hotel, well the room is very nice, everything else is French. It took me 30 minutes to check in while the desk attendants shared duties and allowed people to cut in line. Then the room key machine started failing, lets not mention they double charged my credit card. Yeah, I paid for it on the internet, only to be told last night that I didnt and had to pay to check in, only this morning to be told I cannot be printed a receipt because i paid for it on the internet. We will see what hits the card and what doesnt, but whats the worth in arguing with these bozos. To put a special touch on the french experience, despite waiting for too long to check in, despite the hassles, despite the French never showing up on time, not a single one has been on time since I arrived, the hotel called my room today 45 minutes before checkout time to remind me I must leave by noon. Seriously???

So there you have it. That brings me to this moment right now, I am in the lobby of the hotel, waiting for a file to upload to my work server at home because connection in the room was to slow to finish BEFORE noon. Before I move to the airport, I must take care of a camera battery issue, as easy as that sounds, it wont go as planned. Its really hilarious, but hey, I am the guest and I understand that cultures are different. However, you would think the arrogance would have stopped when german didnt become the official language in the mid twentieth century, but then again you really cant expect this society to respect our inconvenience in those times either....

Roland Garros

Good Evening Everyone...today was another full one for me as I ended my Paris tour in fine fashion. As most of you are aware, the French Open began yesterday and I couldnt pass up the opportunity to check it out. Yes, for those wondering, three days in Paris and I use two of them to attend sporting events. Just because I am in Paris doesnt mean I become a new person.

Me at Court #2

Roland Garros was pretty neat, there is a lot of history there. Of course, I dont have much to compare it with. I have only been to the RCA's up in Indianapolis at home, but now the US Open is firmly on my "to do" list. I loved the atmosphere. The grounds were very small, there were probably 20 courts, three of which are stadiums, the others have small grandstands. One could easily walk from one end of the complex to the other in about five minutes without the crowds. The lay out is very unique though, there are not "blocks" of courts, there are just a few here and there, separated by trees or buildings covered by ivy. It was really neat, also this is the first time I have watched tennis on clay in person, the hacks at the Racquet Club in Evansville dont count.

I didnt acquire a seat for any of the stadiums. I had my opportunities, but I had to purchase tickets in pairs. It wasnt worth it to me to buy a seat for my backpack at $100 per. Also, there is absolutely no scalping of the tickets. You have to buy your tickets through Roland Garros, register them under your name, print off an e-ticket, scan it at the gate, then you present your ID card, then you are given a ticket with your name printed on it. Really, if you took a family of four to Roland Garros, you would have to enter all the names electronically at least 24 hours in advance to be able to use the tickets. So when I didnt buy stadium seats on Saturday evening, I was pretty much done. In hindsight, I could have easily bought a pair, then listed my single on the Roland Garros exchange, and it would have sold quickly after the draw for Monday was announced. Sorry for the long story, I had been wondering for over a month how this would play out, and actually, it played out perfect the way it happened. Center Court featured Federer, Djokovic, and other top seeds pummeling opponents while the other two featured French players in the draw. The best action was on the "outside courts".

The view from my seats at Mardy Fish's (far court) match.

My ticket for the grounds allowed me to go anywhere but the main three stadiums. I scouted out my first two matches on Sunday night. Considering that it was the first round, it was hard to predict which matches, if any were going to be most competitive. Matches started at 11, I arrived at 1015 to make sure I got to Court #2 in time to get a good seat for Daniela Hantuchova's match. After that I headed to Court #7 to watch the primary match on my agenda, American and tenth seeded Mardy Fish. Before Fish came on, i caught Nadia Petrova get upset in the third set. Fish's match was good, four setter, in which he won. He gave me reason to cheer and get a little loud, also there were some Americans in there with me. It was nice, Mike Lynch saw me on TV several times in NYC as I sat two rows up behind Fish. He was quite excited about it. I concluded my day on Courts #2 (Baghdatis) and #3 (Maria Kirilenko). Miss Kirilenko was definitely as advertised and defeated American Coco Vandeweghe. After NINE hours of tennis watching I was ready to call it quits.

I walked home nearly in tears as my allergies were really bothering my eyes. My claritin just couldnt keep up all day long. I finished up with a beer and some attempt at Tex-Mex at a place named El Rancho on my walk back to the hotel. My three days in Paris were awesome, it really couldnt have gone any better without the presence of others.

Tomorrow Rotterdam. Good night.

Kirilenko serves up the picture of the day.

Hippodrome de Longchamp

Back to back blogs tonight before I chill and watch a movie to recharge. Today I went to the track, a place that forces you to take the good with the bad. There was a lot more good than bad, but still the bad has me a little bothered. So lets begin.

At the Paddock

Hippodrome de Longchamp is a world renowned racecourse here in Paris. Their premiere even is run in October, its fittingly named Prix de Arc de Triomphe. That race is probably the most prestigious open grass race in the world. The Epsom Derby (which I will attend in two weeks) is the most prestigious for 3YO on turf, the Kentucky Derby for 3YO on dirt, and Breeders Cup Classic for open dirt. Now that you are an expert on international horse racing, I explain my day.

I take a cab to the course and examine my French racing form on the way. Only a mysterious black brief case handcuffed to my hand would have made the cab driver think I was more serious. I was studying, hard. Numbers are numbers, but working through the French required focus. On todays card was two Group One races and one Group Two race. There were also five other races on the card. Eight total. Considering that it was a nice day and there were two Group Ones, I was expecting a large crowd, considering further that Goldikova was running, I thought it could be packed. I show up one hour before post, this place was like Arlington Park on a Wednesday. Not many could be found early. The place was plenty nice, and reminded me a lot of Arlington. There just wasnt many people there and I wasnt certain how to navigate the grounds.

You find a total of eight seats in a day of French horse racing and you only find them a few minutes before post. There are no assignments and everyone does something else other than sit in the grandstand prior to post time. Therefore, there was no putting the form and beer down at the seats in order to walk around and make a wager. Everything went with you. The crowd ended up coming. Very strange crowd, mostly young families. Very few old timers smoking cigars talking about Alydar, or I guess in these parts, Alleged. Also, the crowd was certainly not a party crowd, there was only one concession stand in the public area, and anytime I needed a refill, I didnt even wait in line. Far from Saratoga or Keeneland. But unique none the less, I enjoyed the atmosphere and trying to wager in french.

The racing was world class, Goldikova won her 2011 debut. Click here if you would like to read about it. Andre Fabre's, Wavering, won the other Group One today. Also, an American bred Team Valor horse won the Group Two. So how could this day have had any bad? Well, I didnt capitalize on a single one of these easy selections. Didnt cash ticket one. I knew Goldikova was going to win, but whats the fun in that? I threw money away by trying to beat her. I got nosed out in two other races, one of which the photo was reversed, totally unheard of!! All in all frustrating from a turf point of view today. This isnt my first rodeo and there will other days, however...there was no Mercedes taxi (or any for that matter) waiting on me at the exit, so deservedly, I walked my ass two miles home losing papers in hand.

Finish line at Longchamp

Impressive champion mare Goldikova

One trip to the infield, best picture of the day.

A tourist in Paris...

And the legs make their first appearance of 2011!!!

Sorry for running a day or two behind my blog. Things have been quite quick for me the past 48-hours. Things are good as I wind down in my 75 sq foot hotel room. Seriously, this place is a mess, you have no room to put anything. The desk I am sitting at has everything from chargers, bottled water, metro tickets, laundry, racing forms, and bags on it. Yes, there is enough room for the computer. It really doesnt matter, lack of organization does bother me, but I havent been here that much.

To begin, yesterday I got up in enough time to get to Arc de Triomphe before lunch. It was easily done, the subway stop on the 9 for me was Franklin D Roosevelt. Hard to forget that one. So I begin my journey at the Arc. It is pretty incredible, much larger than I expected. Actually the entire Champs Elysees area was bigger than life. Every retail store with a global pulse was present as I walked from the Arc towards The Louvre. The weather was sunny and mid-70's. Perfect day for walking around.

Looking west up Champs Elysees towards the Arc.

I walked in a few stores on my two mile journey down Champs Elysees, things were priced as you would expect them to be. I dont do much shopping, but the prices in the Lacoste and Nike store were pretty much on par with what we pay at home. Maybe a little more expensive, but not outrageous. Of course, I didnt venture into Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, or Louis Vuitton, I am sure their prices matched their impressive store fronts. It would be a shoppers dream. Guys, bring the pocket book if you are going to bring the lady to Paris, you will need more than the money you have reserved for the plane ticket and overpriced food and hotel. So I keep walking...

About an hour or two later, I make it to The Louvre. Honestly, I wasnt going in, I can look at artwork on the internet. While I appreciate it, I am not going to stay inside on a great day to look at a painting that wont change unless I know Thomas Crown is going to strike while I am there. So I took a few pictures of the glass pyramid, sat on the lawn and smiled at the idea of where I was and what I was doing.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Lunch was finally in order after the Louvre, it was already three, and I hadnt eaten. I wanted something decently healthy, so I go for roasted chicken at a Cafe on the Seine. It was roasted chicken, leg and thigh with fries. That combo with a glass of wine was interesting but it did the trick and gave me power to continue further across the river to Notre Dame Cathedral. Notre Dame was really cool, a bit on the dark side, but very impressive. It also gave me a chance to get out of the sun for a little which was important because I was getting a little sunburn.

So one thing left at 5:00, walk four or five miles back over to the area the Eiffel Tower stands, then my whirlwind tour would be complete. It was a nice walk, I found some sunscreen for fifteen Euro and took in some interesting sights. One of which was Pont de l'Alma tunnel, the sight of Princess Diana's fatal car crash. There is a nice tribute to her there. I remember where I was when I learned of her death, still to this day I think its tragic. I also saw a building that had plants growing all over it, intentionally, it was set up with irrigation and all. So finally I arrived at the Eiffel Tower. While there I had to stop and smell the roses for awhile, very rarely do I stop to reflect, I am always about whats next. However, being here, its hard not to just have seat and enjoy the moment. Paris sightseeing accomplished.

Living the dream...

Paris and Preakness

My hotel window view.

Today I awake in Paris. Awesome day outside. It will be interesting to see if I will be able to last well into the evening. I am beginning to wear down a little. The next few days are rather large as well. First, I am going to walk to Roland Garros and see if I can grab some tickets. Then off to the city center. Temporarily frustrated at the moment, my space bar is a little sluggish causing me to type slow. Oh well...

So in the States we have the Preakness and River Industry Crawfish Boil in Paducah. Cant help but say the Crawfish Boil has declined some even in the short time I have been in Paducah. There isnt much shade, the beer runs out early and the line for beer is long because people are ignorant to how to poor a draught beer, plus its $40 per person. Child, please...thats too much considering the crowd. Although I wish I were with friends, I cant help but say I dont regret missing it...but I did miss golf yesterday.

So the Crawfish weekend always coincides with the Preakness. I have always liked the Preakness. At least more than the Belmont. The Belmont has lost its importance if there is no Triple Crown threat. The Preakness is still a legitimate race for three-year-olds. The kids in the infield having fun, the Black Eyed Susans, and of course the Derby winner always makes it special. Animal Kingdom will be tough to beat today. However, I am going to pass and try to win a little cash with some longer plays. Exacta Box: #1 Astrology, #7 Midnight Interlude, #10 Dialed In, Win Bet: #9 Mucho Macho Man (for the recently passed Macho Man), Keep an Eye On: #8 Dance City....so with those picks lets hope Midnight Interlude doesn't lug out at the start. The horse that I like most on today's card is in the Dixie (11th Race), #6 Slews Answer. Expect a large performance and Paddy O'Prado may need one before he dominates the class later this summer.

Have a great day and enjoy the races. Good Luck.

Berlin to the weekend....

Brandenburg Gate last night.

Well, this has been a very busy week for me. Non-stop work related action from early morning until about eleven in the evening. Why individuals that plan these international functions think that everyone wants to spend 15 hours a day in a conference center or hotel while abroad is beyond me. Of course, you need to conduct work, but please put in a little time to grab dinner on your own one night, or perhaps have an extended lunch break. So there you have it, I sit here in Berlin on a Friday morning and have yet to really explore on my own. We did have a river boat dinner one night where I snapped some pictures, and also the Brandenburg Gate is two blocks from hotel, so I have went there to view that as well. All in all its been a good experience, but there is plenty that I wont be able to see.

Looking at Grosser Stern from Brandenburg Gate

Oberbaum Bridge from our boat on Tuesday.

This morning I got up early to run a little. It was a nice morning so I ran from Brandenburg Gate to Grosser Stern and back. It was about probably a hair shy of 5K. But it was enough to make me regret the mid afternoon desserts, lunch wine, and evening beers. There is a large park between the two sights and a road that directly connects them. If you were running from the Gate, you would be running through the former US controlled side just beyond the gate from where I am staying. Its where JFK and Reagan gave very famous speeches. I think slick William gave a speech there too, no disrespect to President Clinton, but I think three was one too many. Lets be original. So, now I am all showered up, I have yet to eat, and I have a few hours to explore before my flight to Paris this evening. I believe I am going to walk around the local area to find some WWII sights and also see Checkpoint Charlie. There is a museum near Checkpoint Charlie that is about the Berlin Wall etc. I think that will fill the most of my time, if I have some time leftover I would like to view the Holocaust museum as well.

I mentioned Paris in my last paragraph! I am pretty excited about going to Paris. Not for the artwork or people you can rest assured, although I will take in some artistic sights I am sure. I am really excited because first, no work there until Tuesday. Second, I have an agenda that I can control and involves sport. To give a brief snapshot of how it will turn out hopefully. Starting early Saturday, probably before some of the party people that follow this blog even go to sleep in the States, I am going to explore all the regular Paris things. Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre, and many other things that I struggle to pronounce. Sunday things get a little more fun for me, and while I have had fun on my journey, I havent been able to feel like myself all that much. That changes Sunday I believe.

Hippodrome de Longchamp

On Sunday, Longchamp Racecourse in west Paris is having a very nice card. Multiple graded stakes races with some of the worlds best horses. Longchamp is a very famous track that hosts the largest race in the world for 12f on the turf in October. Sunday, a horse all North American enthusiasts are aware of, Goldikova will be making her debut in 2012 after winning the Breeders Cup Mile in Louisville last November. She is probably the most accomplished runner in the world at this time.

Then Monday, things only get better. The French Open at Roland Garros begins on Sunday. Monday is a continuation of the first round. I have found that I can get a seat at one of the stadium courts and grounds pass for a reasonable rate. I cant resist one of the four major's within walking distance of my hotel. I am there! Hopefully some Americans will give me reason to cheer despite our country's very poor clay form here of late. It should be really exciting.

Hopefully I will have a strong enough connection to blog and post pictures the next couple of days. All of you back home, make sure you have a very nice weekend.

A few pics...

Good Morning America,

I have noticed that the highest traffic on my blog is Monday afternoon, so I dont want to disappoint. I feel that my blog has been somewhat boring of late. Sorry, but I really havent had the time to explore and find really funny things. Before I depart to Berlin, I thought I would post a few interesting pictures that haven't made it on here yet. Have a great day!

Prague - How much Hot Damn would Harley One do here?

Brussels - What would I ever do with this picture?

Mike is obviously super happy about the USA in Bratislava.

For all captains unhappy with Ingram equipment...

Linz - There are Southern barbers in Europe, this poor kid has no chance!

Munich - My homemade postcard from the Hofbrauhaus.

Auf Wiedersehen Wien

The metro station I use everyday.

Tomorrow the journey continues, but it will be tough to watch Vienna go for several reasons. First, Vienna is a great city. Its so easy to get around, the public transportation system is the most efficient one I have ever used. Trains every five minutes, on time. Clean as a whistle stations, and there is obviously more reasons to like a city than its transportation system.

The people at via donau have been very nice as well. Despite being out of town the past two weeks, they have remained close and supportive of what I have been trying to accomplish. Tomorrow morning will be the last time I probably see many of them.

Belvederegarten yesterday, pretty nice yard. 

However, there is no time to get sad about things, I must move forward. Several of my clothes and documents are being mailed back to the States tomorrow. Without a home base, I cant justify the baggage overages I would incur taking everything with me. Hopefully what I do take with me is light enough, 20kg is the limit. I plan to wear my most heavy things on my person. However, outside of the luggage itself, I am not taking much and would be surprised if its close to the limit.

This week its Berlin for a work related conference. I have also adjusted my shortened personal agenda for weeks to come. Unfortunately due to an appointment, my original plans have fallen through. Everything happens for a reason they say, and perhaps my new destinations will offer more than my original plans would have offered. Gotta run, time to skype with Mom.

Have a good week!

More Munich...a day late.

This post is a day late due to Google's ridiculous downtime for Blogger. You arent so grand after all Google, but at least you arent paying PR firms to smear your competition like Facebook. Anyways, the trade show finished for me in Munich today. As opposed to take the airport shuttle from the show this afternoon, I decided to take a little free time to actually see what Munich had to offer. How can I go to all of these places in Europe only to visit with folks in offices, see river terminals, or be in a convention center all day? I had to take a few hours to visit a few sights, take a few pictures, and take the time to reflect upon the impact the events that transpired in Munich has on the world landscape.

Olympic Tower through the trees.

As many of you know, I am quite interested in history. Especially the type that is relevant to our society today. Not that cavemen and dinosaurs aren't cool, but like post 16th century history. Very American, I know! Today, I had little time, meaning only a few hours to hit a few sights. That left me no time to research and investigate the deep history of the area. Therefore I visited a few places related to topics of which I already had a basic understanding: Munich 1972 and World War II.

Of course, like most history, these events have their darkness. But I find them to be very relevant to western culture. The reason I went to the Olympic Park was to see the site of a games that was designed to promote an open atmosphere yet had so many still to this day unexplained controversies. I mean the Russian's beat the US in basketball in 1972 after adding an extra play in regulation. Dooley, its been going on for years my man, dont feel too bad for yourself. But actually the biggest interest that brought me to the sight was the events that transpired with the Israeli Olympians.

31 Connollystraße - Nearest unit in building. Very eerie.

I wont go into the history of the story. Most of you are aware that during the Munich 1972 Games a large contingent of the Israeli Olympic team was taken hostage by Middle Eastern terrorists known as Black September. An extremely sad and unnecessary course of events. It led to the deaths of 11 athletes, 5 terrorists, and a policeman. While in the park, I wanted to find the exact location where the event happened in the early morning hours. At 430AM, terrorist broke into Israel's housing area in Olympic Village. How does that happen? Regardless, I didnt know if the building still stood, or if it was torn down, etc. To be honest, if it were up to me, I would have torn the thing down days after the games. So, anyway, I was intrigued. The entire village had a very very strange feeling to it. I am sure it was ultra modern in the 1972, now it just looks like development gone bad. Its still a very populated area. When I found the location where a few innocent lost their lives (most of the murders took place however at the airport), it was very strange. It was one of the most eerie moments of my life, here I stand by myself, looking at a building that was horrifically placed in the center of the world nearly 40 years ago. I cant explain the way it makes you feel, its just a small place, yet its story was so large. I have attached pics. The rest of the park however, was pretty neat and relaxing. Some of it is run down, but the stadiums are in good shape and the city still gets a lot of use out of it.

One of the handful of Konigsplatz structures still standing.

The other place I thought I would visit was Konigsplatz. It's a square in Munich made infamous by the Third Reich's rise to power in the region. The roots of the movement and party was at Konigsplatz. Many of the buildings were torn down by Americans and Germans after the war to in a way erase the physical history of the era. However, some buildings that were used for speeches and rallies were built prior to the 20th century and still remain today. If you look closely at some of the pictures, you will notice they are in several modern documentaries of WWII. 

There you have it, the darkest day in the history of tourism. Actually, despite its darkness, it is simply unpleasant reality. Unfortunately history can expose the very worst that humans can do. Fortunately, most times the good guys prevail. I constantly think how, when, where, about all kinds of things. But to be standing in the places where world events unfolded and asking yourself to put it into perspective what it meant is a very hard task.

Marienplatz - Town Hall

Munich today is an awesome place! They have proven that there is more to a city than some unfortunate history. The people were very nice and kind, plus there was a large international crowd.  I really enjoyed my time there. There are several great things in Munich. The city center is pretty neat, imagine a big outdoor shopping mall that goes on for miles with beer halls and churches in between. Its pretty fun, several others agreed who were also out despite it being a semi-overcast day. 

Lyon and Munich

I woke up this morning pleased to see the Reds are getting on a roll before heading back home for an important series with the Cardinals this weekend. Watch out Cardinal fans, Cueto is back from the disabled list and will be throwing more than punches this series.

Today I am in Munich, Germany. The reason of the location is the Transport Logistic International Exhibition. Its a very large event, nearly 2000 exhibitors in attendance. It will be a nice time here in Munich, largely because I can make my own schedule. Thats an ability I vastly under appreciated before I left the office in Paducah in April. Freedom, like in society, is very important to a productive work place as well.

On Monday and Tuesday I was in Lyon, France. There was an INE meeting there. The meeting was fine, very unlike what we do in the United States, this one would have been more conference call material at home. However, its nice to meet face to face and our counterparts in this part of the world seem to travel often to be able to meet together. In the US, when you meet face to face, you leave the room with decisions made and know which direction your next step should be, when I left the meeting yesterday I felt that the discussion was in the same place it began on Monday. Interesting from an American prospective, but I am sure necessary from a European prospective.

Dessert at Domo. Chocolate with gelato. 

Lyon is quite the culinary center in France. It prides itself in French food. On Monday night I enjoyed a meal at Domo with the work group. The restaurant was not in city center, but rather in a new development where our meetings were being held. It had a very trendy style, similar to Cabana in Nashville, but a lot more formal. (Pause: Blink 182 just came on the lobby radio here in Munich, caused me to stop for a few minutes to relive the 90's in the US, "surprises let me know she cares...").  Anyway, the food at Domo was good. A multiple course French meal. In English terms, it started with a sip of cold tomato soup, was followed with a rather large filet of salmon seared rare with tomato, onion, spice covering, main course was lamb, followed by dessert. All in all it was good and I enjoyed it very much. However, considering I am not on a mission to capture romantic dining experiences, I think I was happier last night in Munich with a wurst and liter of bier.

The Hofbrauhaus and the other places I checked out last night were very welcoming and more southern Indiana style. Of course, in Indiana we dont really compare, but the concept is the same. Long tables, lots of meat and potatoes, and plenty of beer to go around. It was far from sipping champagne while warming up your palate for the next course. It was here it is, get after it. I did feel guilty as I found 50 euro beneath my table. I would have given it back had someone come to claim it, but with cash, how could you hand it to the waiter to put in the "lost and found". Its karma, as in Prague I was extremely pissed that I was taken by conversion shop. At least I am all square now, but I am sorry for the fellow that let the wadded up fifty fall to the ground. Perhaps he was over served.

Well, I am off to the fair now. Its a very nice day in Munich. I hope to see some of the history in the city later this evening or afternoon. One cannot expect to find much history here, understandably the locals are not proud of the regions role in WWII. But its interesting from my perspective to see where the history was made. History is history, good or bad, I'm inclined to explore.  My feeling is that one cannot hold the individuals that live here now accountable for things that transpired seventy years ago. Their generation had nothing to do with it. For some reason I dont think its always seen that way over here...and thats unfortunate, most here are very nice.

Have a great day friends!

Mothers Day

Alright, I have to wait another 364 days until the next Kentucky Derby. But the good thing is that today is Mother's Day. Unfortunately I am unable to spend the day with my Mom. She is in Birmingham with Andy and his entire host of creatures, some yet to crawl and some that prance on four legs. Time to give credit where credit is due! Mothers are the reason we all have entered this world, they have given us comfort during tough times, and sometimes even gave us tough times when all we wanted was comfort. But, cheers to my Mom, she's the best and I love her very much. Happy Mothers Day!

Derby Day

Derby Day, without question my favorite day and month of the year if its okay to have such things. Fourth of July is pretty high on my list, but Derby Day is unique so I side with the underdog and am proud of the first Saturday in May.

Typical Brussels Street

I finally am back in Vienna after a whirlwind of an agenda in Germany and Belgium. It was a good trip. I was rough on Brussels earlier in the week, maybe I was wrong. Its not like Vienna or Prague at all, but it had its unique flare and was enjoyable. I am glad to be back in Vienna though. My work assignments are not necessarily difficult, but its the schedule and maintenance it requires. Every morning up early, new subway systems, food guessing, random train stations, and ever changing airports and languages,  it wears on you. It would be one thing if I were going to be home on the weekends where I could get in the car, take care of the things I ignored all week, but I dont have that luxury. I have found out its a little difficult taking care of the simple things when on the road for this long of time. In order for me to enjoy the Derby later tonight, I had to go on a full attack this morning. Meaning, up early, go to the office to get the rest of my life (main piece of luggage), wash clothes from Prague and this past week, wait, dry, wash, dry, fold, then to the store for basics, allergies necessitated a pharmacy visit, haircut anyone?, back to the office with computer to complete reports and start on next weeks agenda. All of this by noon, without a car, and nothing more than a google map. The haircut turned out good, but I got the American special of $32 euro, this will be without doubt the most expensive trim I will ever endure. Thats close to $46.

Enough complaining, I am done with my work related reports for the day its time to enjoy. I am still bunkered up in the office. Its the best place i can find for a solid enough internet connection to stream the feed from Churchill, play music, and also surf the web. Also, beer is common place here, so I dont think they will mind if I have one or two in a quiet office on a perfectly sunny 72 degree saturday in Vienna. The office is mine today, and I am fine with it.


So the races have begun, I am 2 for 5 in the exacta's for today. Pretty good percentage, but its been pretty chalky. One of my favorite Hoosiers just hit the last for a nice price though. As the day (or night) grows longer, the races become more spaced out and the stakes become higher. I wish I were in Evansville at the Seib house like I have been for the past few years. Those parties are always instant classics. So as far as the race, my heart cheers for ArchArchArch and Jon Court. However, you dont bet with your heart, you bet with your mind and money, therefore I still am uncertain about my Derby wager, but if i had to go to the window right now, here is what my ticket would look like: $5 Exacta on Midnight Interlude, Soldat, Dialed In with $10 WPS on Master of Hounds. All subject to change of course. Good Luck!

This photo makes me laugh. A picture of me and derby party host,
Curt, going strong at the the Arlington Million a few years ago.

Eureka!!

I blog from my iPhone at Fat Boys Bar and Grill in Brussels. This establishment it right across the street from the European Parliament in Luxembourg Square. It's full of our equivalent of capitol hill staffers. The reason this is important is because this is the first American bar that made a serious attempt at being American. The menu is strictly burgers, wings, and Tex Mex. And they have the real ESPN2 as broadcasted in the states. Right now I am watching sportscenter, wonderful. Should I kindly ask for a Busch Light?
Man U plays their last game of the Champions League semi tonight, this place will fill for that and ESPN will be gone. I'll stick around and see what happens, but getting live updates in the present of the Reds Stros game is a very welcoming sight. If ESPN still held the rights to the Derby, I could watch the Derby draw. Good thing they don't, because that coincidence would not have helped my appointments tomorrow. Take care.

Countdown to the Derby

Hello from Brussels tonight and for the rest of the week. Not much fun in Brussels, I mean I am sure there is fun to be had, but my work schedule has me somewhat busy so I cant wait until the local hooligans come out to play around midnight. Dinner at a nearly empty restaurant, right next to several other "parties of one" has become the norm on this trip. You can tell the foreigners, 7PM, steak, vegetable, glass of wine or beer, dead give away. So anyway, Brussels seems a little undeserving of being the seat of the EU, there are so many beautiful stately places in Europe, its interesting this is her flagship. Perhaps I am quick to judge, but it just hasnt impressed me like the other places have. I did do three countries today, Germany, The Netherlands, and Belgium. Thanks to my new friends at the BDB who were kind enough to let me ride a long. They really made the last two days very nice, for that I am most grateful.

So Derby week, time to get serious. Most of you following this blog know I am a pretty avid thoroughbred enthusiast. We'll you can throw it all out the window come Derby time, what skill may gain, luck exceeds ten fold. So I encourage you to pick by number, color, name, form, or whatever suits your fancy, it all can work Derby Day! Not since 2002-2003 have I had legitimate back to back Derby winners with War Emblem and Funny Cide respectively. When I say legitimate, that means I didnt have wagers covering half the entries where I could say "Yeah, I had it" while i threw 15 losing tickets on the ground. In the derby dont hedge a large amount of bets, just put a few dollars on the nose of your choice and a couple more on the odd ball, its cheaper, just as fun, and has the same or better opportunity of cashing. Its the hardest race in the world to handicap. You dont need the thrill of betting a couple hundred in the Derby, if hearing My Old Kentucky Home and seeing 20 horses break from the gate isnt thrilling enough, I am sure there is ice skating or Emeril on another channel.

So Ill preface with I wont have my selections until the morning of the Derby. But lets try to learn from my successes, even though its hard to calculate my rationale considering I picked War Emblem and Funny Cide in the heart of my college romp. But then again, at that time i had the time and creative thought to come up with the little less logical contender. Two dollar win bets on each combined for over $70 and it certainly gave me the extra funds necessary for my post finals celebrations. So lets put some things together, I am sure we could all use a little extra gas money. 

The least meaningful photo
of Bob Baffert's career.

Midnight Interlude - Some colts that can get on the lead sometimes stay there. Thats what I thought about War Emblem. Not always the best play, but it worked 2002, and you just never know. Being in front at least makes the other horses come after you. One has to like how Interlude won the SA Derby on the dirt, and he can go straight forward or can come from just off the pace. Not to mention the combo of Bob Baffert and Victor Espinosa, who you may or may not know was the same tandem that got War Emblem to the winners circle. When its all said and done, I say this contender will be over bet considering Baffert and he's exiting a career best in a Grade I prep, but I couldnt blame the logic of a live Bob Baffert front runner. Also worth mentioning that Soldat has major ability to pull off a War Emblem win and is actually faster than Midnight Interlude.

#3 is not what we are going for...

Shackleford - Sometimes its not fun to bet the favorite. So I had to pass on Empire Maker in 2003 despite loving everything about the colt. Still, Empire Maker is one of my favorite colts of all time. Juddmonte, Frankel, Jerry D Bailey, Unbridled, what a dream!! Well thats what everyone else thought too, I cant bet a 3 year old horse at 5/2 in a field of 20 unless I own it. So you must look elsewhere, but where? Look no further than than the second best horse in the favorites last prep race. Thats the mindset I had that year. In 2003 Funny Cide ran a very game second to Empire Maker in the Wood Memorial. Well unless you skipped to this line of the blog, you know who showed up on the first Saturday on May. Any gambler will tell you only one horse wins a race, but no seasoned gambler will tell you the best bet is always on the best horse. So despite no Empire Maker presence this year, Dialed In will be a soft favorite and should be. Zito and Julien, not too shabby. However, he just barely nipped Shackleford in the Florida Derby. If you can ignore Uncle Mo and think Dialed In is dominate, which the writer strongly advises against, then I say Shackleford fits the Funny Cide billing. At the very least, this is a colt that will give you a big price with a potential Kentucky Derby winning punch.

Well, this was pretty random. But hey, it was a good conversation to have the past 10 minutes with myself. It may be gibberish to most of you, but hey if you can translate any of it, you may impress the casual pony fan at a Derby party. Regardless, good luck with your selections, everyone needs it...

Duisburg

Little tribute in Duisburg.

Greetings from Duisburg!! This will be a rather quick post today, all I did was river things. It was actually very interesting. Duisburg is the hub of Europe's inland systems. Sorry Mayor Paxton, you are going to need a new punch line if you go abroad, Paducah doesnt compare to Duisburg. Duisburg serves Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. Its a blue collar type town, think of Huntington, WV without the hills. River town with a few industries that have struggled recently.

The German's really appreciate innovation and education. Of course, I am not on the forefront of marine engineering and physics in the States, but the ideas they showed me today were pretty intriguing. Also, they have a great FREE educational program specifically for professional inland mariners. Very different than home, but with all the different things we have put together in Paducah, we can somewhat compete.

So, I guess now you know why I dont post about work days. No one would come back for seconds. Tonight I wasnt planning on doing anything other than preparing for my trip to Brussels tomorrow and getting serious about narrowing down my Derby contenders. Those are still the plans with only one addition. I heard from the homeland that the beer maybe extra cold and tasty tonight, so you can bet your bottom dollar I am going to have one. U-S-A!

Prague

Hi! Hope everyone is having a good Sunday morning back it home. Its around supper time here in Vienna and I fly this evening to Duisburg. I believe all my travel information is updated on my accommodations map on the right if you are interested.

Prague in my common dress this trip.

This weekend was a very nice one. Mike and Lacey Lynch visited from New York, they were on vacation in Paris and came over to see me. We went to Prague on Friday afternoon via car. We actually covered both Slovakia and Czech Republic on our car ride. Prague was so neat, as I was walking around I was looking for things from the Mission Impossible series. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia was cool, but it was a pretty rough place. Communist didnt make cleanliness or environment high priorities, it was very obvious. Good enough for lunch and a check off the world capitals bucket list. Prague was very clean and safe.

All day on Saturday, Mike, Lacey, and I walked around Prague taking photos and enjoying the scenery. We also ate dinner at an awesome place too. Five stars! Words really can describe Prague, I have some photos posted on here, but will show any interested all of the photos when I return. It was an excellent weekend that I wish we all could have shared together.

I thought this was pretty neat as well.

Sorry I am in a rush writing this I am walking out the door and didnt even proofread this. I really dont know what I am going to encounter tonight while traveling. I have an address and plane ticket. I will have to negotiate a train ticket somewhere in there. If it all goes to plan, i should be at my hotel before midnight. If it doesnt go as planned, well, I will learn for the next time. Hope all is well, take care.

Rain

Rainy view from my office.

It was bound to happen, a little rain falls in Vienna this evening. The first legitimate daytime rain since I arrived 12 days ago. Not too bad...also, I am really concerned about my friends, family, and co-workers in both Evansville and Paducah. What's happening is not good, and honestly I wish I could be there to lend a helping hand. I wish the boat crews a safe couple of weeks. The guys on the water that provide much of the raw material that keeps your lights on are standing very stressful watches to deliver what they can to keep things running.

This morning, hold on Paducah...

Tomorrow comes a nice visit by Mike and Lacey Lynch. I last saw them in January in New York City. It will be nice to show off Vienna a little bit. They will be flying in from Paris in the morning, so Vienna definitely has a tough act to follow, but I think she is up for it.

Today has been especially long for me. There are a ton of things going on. I will be traveling for the next couple of weeks on work assignments. I look forward to seeing new things, but travel stresses me, especially when I dont know languages and size 14 dress shoes take up a lot of space in the suitcase. I'll manage.

Take care friends.

Melk

Hello! Fairly relaxed day with a little worked mixed in on this holiday Monday. Reinhard and I headed out to the village of Melk which is about 100km west of Vienna. It's at the base of the Alps, the hills are significant, and this is the heart of Austrian wine country. Did you even know there was such a thing? I didnt.

The reason for going to Melk was to view Stift Melk. Which actually means Monastery. There are a lot of awesome Monasteries around this area. Its very obvious to recognize the influence the Roman Catholic Church has had on this region for centuries. The Monasteries are still active and owned by the church, however, they are such incredible places that the church would be foolish not to turn them into attractions. I could get into the history of the Stift Melk, but that would take too long, to make a long story short, there is a lot of gold and there has been some bloodshed over the years to maintain its status. I'll let the pictures tell most of the story despite being a poor photographer.

Reinhard took country roads near the Danube on the return to Vienna. There were several villages up and down the river. Each village was surrounded by vineyards and small places to eat and buy wine. We didn't stop. I found it to be very unique and geographically speaking the river valley on the upper end of the Tennessee River is the only thing remotely comparable. Thats all for now, have a great day all.

The village of Melk from the Abbey

Outside the Abbey Church

Inside the Abbey Church

The Library, but not the one in Tempe.

Not everyday do you get to see a mummified Saint. 

Check out those Pipes!!

Courtyard at Stift Melk

A scenic but half way familiar sight on the way back.