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!