String Girl sees the World

St. Moritz: StringGirl in Switzerland

2012-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

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In the rain in Zurich: geocaching Opfikon

2012-01-21T04:26:00.001-08:00

Opfikon near the Swiss Television studios

With poor weather in Switzerland, Amber and StringGirl head about the Opfikon area to see what other finds they can log. Seeing as we had no ladder and it was the middle of the afternoon we had to walk further from the flat than the first cache listed.

Blumento Pferde GC175R7
Der Cache ist im neuen Leutschenpark versteckt. Um den Cache zu Heben muss eine höhere Hürde überwunden werden (dies ist durchaus buchstäblich zu verstehen). Dazu könnte eine Leiter von Nutzen sein!

Blumento HorsesThe cache is in the new Leutschenpark hidden. To overcome the cache must raise a higher hurdle (this should be understood quite literally). This could be a ladder of benefits!

Instead we approached the SF (swiss fernsteher) swiss television cache but could not dash to grab the "dose" whilst muggles waited for trams nearby. But there are still others in the area.

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A short stroll from the tramway there was one hidden near the small long shallow viaduct.

Wohoo! got the cache, now who brought the pen?

Another awaited on the other side of the park hidden near the fire fighting training site and the "HotPot" which I will have to look up to know its meaning.

Another micro cache, still no pen? What good are you?

Fire training buildings, not Detroit neighborhood

Ly's Asia: Dining in Zurich west

2012-01-19T07:19:00.001-08:00

StringGirl and Amber took time out to enjoy a dinner in Zurich recently in the shadow of the Swiss Prime Tower. The restaurant Ly's Asia, is a cafeteria style Asian restaurant--they also have "Prime dining" and "Resaurant" which apparently are full service operations on-site as well.

The Kreis 4 area near the Prime Tower is undergoing a bit of a renaissance with the addition of all the new real estate in the area, and the shifting of the tram stations near the Technopark. The new restaurants in the Prime Tower campus are all new additions that required some "Beta Testing".

Arriving for dinner near 8:00 PM the place was pretty empty, only one group of diners sat at one of the long high top tables that furnish the Asian Diner. The menu is pretty straight forward; offering Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, and Japanese options. Approaching the cafeteria bar you see the fast order list of Sushi, Rice plates, noodle dishes, and soup offerings.

We opted for the Malaysian Curry Noodle Soup (there are 3 types of soups to order in this manner and your choice of 2 noodles, with protein from Tofu to chicken, pork and beef or Seafood). We added to the order a Spring Roll and a Feldschlossen bier. This adds upto 32 Francs, which in Zuri for dinner is about expected. Nearby Nooch will run you 25CHF for a soup + more for the bier and starter.

The bowl of soup was formidable. Heaping with noodles submerged in a yellow Malaysian curry. The chicken was lightly cooked and topped with fried onions in the broth. The Malay curry was not very hot (maybe not meant to be) so I added much chili with garlic paste from the spices placed at the table. The spring roll was piping hot (cauterizing to the roof of the mouth hot).

Ly's is a winner. Priced right and located super close to the office, I think we may end up there again.

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Sun, sand, surf: Cabo

2012-01-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

Read on >>

2012-01-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

Just short of Lands End near Cabo San Lucas we went for a walk on the beach and planned to hike up the "mountain" that caps the southern end of Baja California. One of the security guards of the nearby Playa Grande resorts came riding up on his four runner and motioned for us to come over. And showed us a baby see turtle.

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He reached into his breast pocket and retrieved this Sea Turtle that he had been warming in preparation for it's first swim in the Ocean--near as we could figure he said it would not swim with the rest of its brood mates.

StringGirl and Amber pose with the baby sea turtle

It was a unique opportunity to be so close to this next generation of Sea Turtles at the beginning of its potentially decades long journey back to this very beach.

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Gordo Leles- Cabo san Lucas

2011-12-30T09:59:00.001-08:00

A short walk off the main drag in Cabo San Lucas you can find some of the best tacos and best value that StringGirl and Amber have had. On the advice of Nancy we made sure to stop once before we left.
Javier "Gordo" serves as the Chef, server, and singer. At the request of the diners he will break into song singining selections by the Beatles filling the small space with his powerful voice, wearing such props as a shag wig, miniature guitars, and toy pianos and keyboards.

We ordered the Fish tacos, asada tacos, chicken tacos and chorizo tacos. They were all great but at our table the chorizo tacos were declared the winners. We also had two quesadillas and two beers and colas.
After enjoying our after dinner show we fessed up for a grand total of 155 pesos for the dinner by far the cheapest meal of the whole trip and one of the best. Thanks Javier.

Cabo San Lucas

2011-12-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

StringGirl and Amber arrived in Los Cabos two days before Christmas. The weather was beautiful and clear for their arrival. From the nearly private beachhead at Terra Sol a view of the Pacific fills the the horizon as the waves break upon the shore.

Christmas Eve a few horses came to offer "free"-ish rides to the kids on the beach.

The sunsets are spectacular with the completely unobstructed view of the western Pacific.

Today, sea turtle nest hatched and the baby sea turtles made their way into the violent surf. This little guy lagged behind and was scooped up by a ranger then shared with the Grrls.

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No longer traveling solo: StringGirl has a pal

2011-12-23T05:08:00.001-08:00

StringGirl makes her way for her last trip for the year. Making her way to Cabo. She will be kept company by Amber the newest addition to the family. That's Amber with the dark hair posing with StringGirl in the window of this Delta Boeing 757. Today's flight takes the String Kids to Salt Lake on the way to Cabo and the Baja Penninsula.

Sheri, Issa, and DreyKa accompany the StringKids as they venture south of the border for the first time.

Cache :log rieterberg

2011-12-17T05:31:00.001-08:00

No luck on this one. As i try to find the small cache in this urban park. Try to make sense of the clue did not offer any help. And dodge the muggles. At one point some fellow cachers lurked at ground zero and appeared to fall short as well.

Caching in Zurich

2011-12-17T04:23:00.001-08:00

A cold morning after a windy and snowy night. So walking without the heavy snowflakes and was welcome. Caching in town as the skiing nearby has not fully started.

Fountain at the entraince

JACKPOT. Got the Cache

A view from the cache

Big Head at the entry way to the cache

A cold morning after a windy and snowy night. So walking without the heavy snowflakes and was welcome. Caching in town as the skiing nearby has not fully started.

RECIPE: Bubur Ayam (chicken-porridge)

2011-12-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Not the usual post for StringGirl this post is about home instead of the road. The tie-in is that when homesick in the winter time this is one of those home comforts that I find myself thinking of.

Ingredients:

2 TBSP oil
3 cloves garlic
1 cup long grain rice
2 TBSP light soy
6-8 cups asian chicken stock (notes to follow)
1/2 pound chicken fine cubed
Sriracha (Hot Sauce)
Chakway (Savory Chinese crullers)
pork rinds (my folks like it on the porridge not me)

Saute the uncooked rice in Hot oil with Garlic until fragrant. Deglaze with Lite soy

Add chicken stock to rice (start with 6 cups reserve 2 cups to adjust consistency) and simmer stirring to prevent burning and sticking to bottom

When rice is "fully cooked" there should still be 1-2 inches above the rice level

When rice is fully broken down porridge will have creamy texture, add chicken and poach in the soup

Ladle it up and serve with Hot Sauce and choice of toppings

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Chinese Chicken Stock:

10-12 cups water
Salt
Chicken bits on bone (legs, wings, back)
Ginger (2-4 quarter sized disks)
Garlic (4-6 cloves)
Black pepper corns whole

Break the bones of the chicken with cleaver or boning shears, add all ingredients to water.
Bring to boil and simmer for a REAL LONG TIME.

Tibetasia: review Tibeten and thai cuisine in Zurich

2011-11-29T11:07:00.001-08:00

Located on the Josefstrasse halfway between Viadukt and Langstrasse this little restaurant has been nagging at me for 4 years as a potential evening dining experience. As thai food is common enough the menu had never pulled me in, however today as the chilly air set it I thought to try the fare here.

Determined to pull from only the Tibetische section of the menu I opted for the "Yak Momo" and a bier. Exactly what is Yak Momo, my scant suisse-deutsch vocabulary could not quite extract. It is house made to order and was warned that it takes about 20 minutes to prepare (slow food appealing further). Had i not selected the Momo-there is a veggie or beef option-the server recommended the buffet.

As a starter I added the "shabale" a pastry made in house filled with a spiced meat mixture and a salad and a sweet-sour chili sauce. Looked nice in preparation and a nice starter.

Momo it turns out are dumplings, artfully folded and steamed. It turns out that I ate nearly half the plate before it was suggested that they are best eaten by hand and slurped clear of their juices prior to adding a bit more tomato chutney or braised cabbage. Similar to dim sum they are also well augmented with a liberal dose of chili in soy. Very tasty.

Those now cleared I now find myself trying to linger a bit longer to see what the Tibeten noodle soup looks like (the table next to me ordered some, leaving me to stalk them a little).
Maybe I will have to stop by again to sample more of their offerings, the Chili Chicken has some reviews that it is very hot (very appealing to StringGirl and me).

Guest post: Princess Jasmine and the Kams at Americas Thanksgiving Day Parade

2011-11-28T05:57:00.001-08:00

Jasmine poses with the large Clown balloon in the background

This Thanksgiving we braved the chilly air to participate in the annual festivities of Thanksgiving in the D. The Thanksgiving Day parade lauded as "Americas Thanksgiving Day Parade". While not as large or widely viewed as the Macy's Parade, the Detroit event is one of the longest running parades celebrating Turkey Day (the second oldest; an honor it shares with the Parade in NYC as both started in 1924).

Kermit Braves the cold wearing only a festive hat

The Clydesdales and Jasmine

A large Dragon bobs down Woodward

My Girls

Santa Rides in with his Team

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Layover relief in AMS: Yotel hotel

2011-11-23T05:59:00.001-08:00

The sleeping berths of Yotel

When traveling Trans-Atlantic or intra continental eventually you will be stranded in an airport for an interminable length of time. For folks traveling to US-Europe or US-India I have seen plenty of 6-10 hour layovers. Sure many non-travelers have mooned over the chance to slip out the city from the airport; however leaving the secure area to chance a train or taxi is to the jaded business traveler a risk not always worth the trouble. Often all i want is to rest without the restless concern over bags security, lack of privacy, and maybe even sleep soundly in relatively sanitary environs.

StringGirl in the Yotel standard room

FTW (for the win) is Yotel in the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Nestled in the secure area of lounge 2 above terminal D is the dutch interpretation of the "pod" hotels common in the far east. Much larger than a Japanese pod the Yotel rooms provide perhaps the most comfortable 7 square meters you are likely to find.

The Standard room of the Yotel Source: Yotel.com

The room (no view): Source Yotel.com

No too different from having a sleeping cabin on board a European or Asian train, the rooms are highly efficient. All I needed was a clean place to sleep, a bathroom with shower, and a place to open close computer or suitcase. All available in the Yotel.

Effective use of space insures you a private Toilet

A shower as well in the Yotel

Minor down sides:

The toilet/shower floor is the same; so using the toilet after your shower will result in a dinsconerting feeling of wet feet/socks
Getting the lower berth of the twin bunk system is noisy
Location in Lounge 2 means that if you did want to venture out to the city after checking in will result in extra stamps in your passport

Munich (MUC) Franz Josef Strauss Airport- AF lounge Sky Team Partner

2011-11-05T11:14:00.001-07:00

After a long day of traveling, to sit in a comfy spot to relax before running to the next flight has become one of the few respites during this last few years of travel. However, on occasion the lounges are lacking.

The visit to the lounge of MUC (Munich) airport is perhaps one of those let downs. Only Marseilles-Provence Airport is worse from my limited experience (the have no Air France lounge at all, go figure). Upstairs over looking Terminal 1, the lounge is small and to put it mildly a bit tatty. The microfiber chairs were thread bare and a bit run down. In my college days at the Fraternity they would have been deemed second floor chairs; first floor chairs having been made pretty after retrieval from the neighboring Sorority houses curb or dumpster.

The air in the lounge was stifled and stale, maybe to get us ready for the canned air of the plane; an unfortunate situation as the highly audible AC was apparently not doing anything. Lighting in the lounge was low to the point of annoying, but that could have been an effort to keep us from notcing the condition of the chairs and ruling them 3rd floor material (the last stop for former Sorority/Fraternity house furniture before a fiery plummet from the 3rd floor window-much fun).

However, we were able to find the Bier and Sprite to fashion a Radler (or a Panache or Pils-Limon depending on who you ask). The cool beverage doing wonders for our outlook as we tap out this review. That task completed using the Blogger Android app as there is no wireless here. Did I forget to mention that? See, Bier can repair many things, it even nearly allowed me to write off one of the lounges many disappointments.

Visit Munich and the surrounding area, hike the Alps, and drop by the lovely Biergartens and have some Leberkase. Relax as much as you can. Keep your expectations of any pampering in the lounge low, that way you can't be disappointed. Low expectations and Bier mend much.

Tschuss! Schon Flug.

Geocaching in the Tegernsee, Bavaria

2011-11-05T05:14:00.001-07:00

Stringgirl, kam-muter, and PeterPan went caching in the high hills of
Bavaria near Tegernsee. A long walk along the "stations of the cross" find you at a high placed chapel.

Caching in Pfaffenhofen (Bavaria)

2011-11-03T10:29:00.001-07:00

In Pfaffenhofen after a short visit to Zurich. Working again with my Bayerische team.

The cache "pfaffenhofen bunker" (paraphrased) was farther from the city center than we thought. Starting in the light, but arriving in the dark (though the stop for beer may have influenced that as well.

The cache was located easily once my team mate proved that his phone is superior (or at least better Calibrated).

Off to Europe with friendly faces and great service

2011-10-31T13:39:00.001-07:00

A pleasant surprise as we (StringGirl and Eric) board another flight to Europe today. The red jacket (delta customer service rep) who took care of me last flight-a scant two weeks hence-was working my gate again. It gave me a chance to pass on the "me delta awards" points voucher I wanted to share with him last time (he found me a upgrade into the big seats in that last overbooked flight).

This time Abdul (pictured on the far right) gave the points to Derek the gate agent today, who also scrounged up an upgrade today. Derek (second from right) and Steve (left) took a moment to pose for a shot with the StringGirl.

Regretfully, Delta only gives us a few of these Delta Awards to give each year and I have only a few more to give. Once again, the personal touch means a lot and the fact that an employee who sees thousands of faces a day, can see me once a month and recall my name, destination, and how long it has been since I have seen him. It shows a level of customer service that harkens to the days of the corner store in this age of multinationals and makes it hard to believe he is an employee of the largest airline.

Bridges of the StringGirl: answer to Strux Travels photo essay on bridges

2011-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

http://struxtravel.com/ posted a photo essay of Bridges that inspired by to look in the photo archives and see what others I might have:

Big Mac (the Mackinac Bridge, MI from Lower Peninsula to Upper Peninsula)

St Charles (i think) Bridge Prague

Some Bridge in Frankfurt Germany

Pont duGard (Souther France near Nimes)

Arasmusbrug Rotterdam

Erasmusbrug (in the daylight)

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The best Frequent flyer perk... being on a first name basis

2011-10-24T15:11:00.001-07:00

As a frequent business travelers with "elite" status on a major carrier, we are wooed with ever more alluring bids for our business. For the longest time I had looked at such "perks" as empty and shallow ploys at getting my loyalty (read dollar) into the coffers of this airline or that.

Customer service superstars from Delta

However, recently I have seen the light.

Elite status is nice; access to lounges, upgrades to business (on domestic flights mostly but that's a different topic), free bags, etc. The perk that has meant the most is getting to know some of the professionals that keep the airline running. Most recently this was reinforced for me when i recieved a call from my friendly neighborhood "Red Coat" (disclosure: I fly Delta) on a Sunday afternoon as I raced through Costco.

He wanted to see if I could drop by the airport a speak to the other Delta service reps at DTW about my experiences as a Diamond Medallion member. Give my feedback directly to the team and share my experiences, expectations, and otherwise be a guset speaker at one of their team meetings.

What's so extraordinary about that? He called me from his own cell; not the Delta customer service call center, not from a list of other Delta Medallion member numbers. Somebody asked him and the other red coats to see if they could ask a medallion member to stop by and speak at their meeting and he pulled a name and contact from his mind and called me. I am not even that frequent a traveler, once or twice a month for a hop across the pond. But when he had to think of a person he knew he could call me, directly.

I am embarrassed to say that I let him down (I am only in town a few weeks a month and couldn't swing the date), but he showed me just what great customer service can and should be. PERSONAL. Delta, I appreciate the lounge, the upgrades, the awards, the miles and everything just fine; but what really makes the loyalty engine go for me is that my friends work for you, and that keeps me in you planes.

Flying out of Dusseldorf... rest easy at the Maritim (review)

2011-10-14T06:34:00.001-07:00

Flying out of the airport on the early flight is never easy; checking out early, getting the shuttle to the airport, checking in, and then flying out. Rarely have i managed to feel rested after such a night.

That is all different now when StringGirl flew out of Dusseldorf Flughafen (Airport). First of all, the Maritim is smack dab in the middle of the Dusseldorf Airport campus (not airside but just outside the concourses). So if you want you can sleep until the last minute and just take a short walk to the airport.

The hotel is one of the nicest i have stayed in on a airports premises. It has a large sweeping lobby nicely appointed and modern. Directly you see that their are multiple restaurants inside the atrium-like lobby, with seating in the atrium or their dining rooms.

StringGirl opted for the Sushi place for a bowl of Udon with tempura and a few spicy tuna rolls. One might not expect to find reliable sushi in Germany but the Dusseldorf Sushiso restaurant did not disappoint. A little pricey but it is a premium hotel at the aiport, so roll with it.

The rooms are American hotel scale big, with generous size beds, bathrooms that don't require contortionist skills to navigate and a functional desk.

For being at the airport, the rooms are amazingly quiet. I did not hear a single plane all night, nor a peep from the hallway or neighbors. Large flat screen TV is there for all the CNN, BBC, and MSNBC news i could handle. Unfortunately, there were no other english language stations that were not 24/7 news (i don't count MTV which usually runs in English, with only moderate overdubbing. But there is nothing more sad than the flavor of reality TV that they run.)

Graz Austria and a geocache atop dolomite

2011-09-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

StringGirl makes her way out to Stryia (Austria) for a technical conference. The conference was held atop Schlossberg, a site where once sat a cloister of some sort. Now it houses a few touristic museums, restaurants, and bars.

To visit the site you can either take the funicular (train that uses remotely powered cable system to travel up seriously steep slopes), an elevator from the parking structure, or stairs. The site is @300 meters above the level of the city.

Some well preserved relics from older structures litter the site, with a still standing theatre that now uses a retractable roof system. And some old cellars and the odd tower here and there. Nestled among some of those older remains we found the cache.

A nice sized cache in a semi urban setting.

Delta Skylounge review: busy, busy, busy

2011-09-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Comfy seating in a "living room" atmosphere

Recently many Delta lounges have undergone significant investment DTW is not one of them; but that is not to say that it is not a decent lounge.

Located in the center of the Macnamara terminal of Detroit the Delta Sky Club lounge sits atop a bustling hub of international travel. After clearing the porno-scanners you proceed down the escalators to the "A" terminal past the mall style food court, the Fox Skybox, Duty free, and a Detroit souvenir shop you find on the left the sliding glass entry to the Delta Sky Club which serves as the Skyteam Alliance partner lounge for thos international visitors who make the cut. (Gold medallion flying international or first class or Sky team elite plus visitors).

Enter the lounge after getting past the "velvet rope"

You get the expected "members only" inquisition as you enter, then proceed up the escaltors to the lounge. Today was more crowded than I ever remember it. Empty seats in short supply. But eventually a comfy seat is found and a drink is filled. The bar at Detroit is self service with an acceptable assortment.

The lounge sits above the main level of the terminal with a good view from the large glass walls that peer over the othe travelers (from one side, the other looks down on the service parking of the Westin next door). On most days finding a seat looking down on the passers-by but today no luck.

Blurry images compliments of the OPEN self-serve bar

Coffee, Espresso, Tea

As with any FF lounge worth a hoot there is coffee, snacks and free WiFi. To sign on you need merely endure a sign on page from T-Mobile and check the <guests> button (membership has not additional priveledges, just more typing prior to login).

Outlets that work is a little bit of a game here. At many seags there is a little round end table with outlets, but whether or not those outlets actually have any juice is a bit of a crapshoot. Some of the tables are plugged into the floor getting power some are not. Wall outlets are few and far between. Floorlets are sprinkled here and ther but often used by the lamps in the area.

Workspace Area

I have not seen any showers here, if there are some i haven't found them. And there are some conference rooms as well for use, check with the desk wardens to wee if you can book one. There is a business area with some desks and individual seating and power. But they were in short supply this trip.

The most interesting thing I had seen i one of these lounges. They kicked a bunch of people out of their seats to make room for a "private party". Those of us near this area took bets as to the nature of the "special guests", I picked sports stars but the folks near me opted for C-list movie or A list TV. Too bad they never sat down during the time i remained in the lounge (2 hours) so i never found out.

On the Way to Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria, Germany

2011-09-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

We are going to have to see if we can get the StringGirl fitted for a Dirndl in time to arrive in Munich for the Volksfest (Oktoberfest) next week.

Getting packed for a two week jaunt in the Germanic Speaking areas of Europe. Will be hitting all the big ones on this trip.

Austria (Vienna then Graz: for a technical conference on sheet metal forming)
Switzerland (Zurich for work, by night train from Graz)
Bavaria (to couch-surf with colleagues and the celebrate Oktoberfest)
Germany *(to work at the German offices of AutoForm)

*distinguishing the visit to die Freistaat Bayern from Deutschland, perhaps a bit old fashioned

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Hopefully the trip is that correct magical blend of effective work (for the work that I have to do) and enjoyable down time and visiting with friends and making new ones. Hopefully some good post material for later.

Tschüß!

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Skyteam Lounge Milan Malpensa (MXP) review

2011-08-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

If you like labyrinthine airports with long walks from hub to hub then Malpensa is for you. Milan Malpensa has two terminal buildings: terminal 1 handling much of the intercontinental traffic and terminal 2 with regional and smaller carriers. In terminal 1 StringGirl prepares to embark on her trip home from Varese.

Without prior knowlwedge of the exact location of the lounge(s) we checked the SkyTeam site and found that there were several options available, specifically 2 listed should work. The Sky Team partner lounge for Air France is listed as being in Terminal 1 just after security and the duty free shops. This AM we arrive at the airport just after 5:00. The loung opens at 5:15.

A long walk tells us that we have gone too far. However, signage did not. Until we risked a walk toward gates A24-39 did we find our first sign post for Air France.

Inside the lounge a consistent appearance of the AirFrance lounge greets us. Semi-comfy pleatherette chairs with lit side tables, several LCD TVs, and some tables with chairs are arranged well throughout. Espresso and snacks abound and some reading material in various languages (most italian, some french, and a couple english).

This morning being very early the limited selection of libations was not a hinderance. Absolute, Johnny Walker, Pernod, Campari, and Remy offer a little "hair of the dog" which was not required this morning. Cold Coke, bitter lemon, still and sparkling water also were available.

True to form the WiFi in AirFrance lounge did not work. Most AF lounges don't offer free wifi any way. But before I started up the XCom MiFi i tried a few of the other connections available and found that the Luftansa lounge next door connected fine (in fact as it was a tmobile network similar to Delta lounges the connection was automatic and persistent, which could explain why the AF never connected).

One big perk for this particular AF lounge compared to DUS or ZRH my most recent AF lounge visits.... bathrooms in the lounge area. The others invariably force one to exit the lounge to use the Loo, not right.

Next stop; AMS

StringGirl in the Green Heart of Northern Italy

2011-08-31T00:47:00.001-07:00

Travel into the North of Italy from arriving over the Alps. StringGirl made the connection from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. In the background are the freshly snowed Alps and any number of mountain lakes.

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In the town center of Varese, the AutoForm sales team gathers for a photo at the monument of Guiseppe Girabaldi, a national here in the Region of Varese.

For the AutoForm Sales Meeting recently held in Varese Italy, StringGirl went along to visit this area which she had not yet explored. Varese is just a few km north of Milan and not too far from the border of Canton Ticino in Switzerland.

Business as usual??

2011-08-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

Too often as we go about our lives we forget about the lives of those around us. Our cares are not their cares, our lives not their concern nor their ours. Too easily we slip past others, too often do we concern ourselves with just our lives and our own little problems.

I wanted a beverage on the plane, I reminded a flight attendant where to find that beverage. I may have pushed too far on a person who needed some comfort instead of yet another request. It seemed a decent request, but I don't now what is happening i her life do I?

Patty bailed out her colleague, she got me my beverage, and no she may not have lost here Mother just last week. But Patty, gave the right reaction, Patty was kind to me and her colleague. She gave her fellow Delta attendant an out and saved the day.

Patty gets the "mydeltarewards" voucher, for her job well done. Sorry if could not help her colleague smile. Thank you Patty for you kindness to me and you coworker.

Great service

2011-08-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

not my gate but still watching out for the customer, Alessandro and Abdul give stringgirl a pic.

Skyteam Partner Lounge review: AMS KLM Crown Lounge (terminal EF)

2011-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Fly into Europe enough and chances are you will have a connection through AMS (Amsterdam Schiphol Airport). Set foot into the airport and prepare to be inundated with pleas to "SeeBuyFly", sign-up for Travel Credit Cards, a Casino, and even a visit to the Museum. For a breather you might consider the KLM Crown Lounge.

To enter the lounge you should be a SkyTeam Elite Plus member (that translates to Delta Gold Medallion or higher), if not you might still wander up the escalator/stairs between Terminal E and F as some of the better resting spots are up here on the second level (just outside the KLM lounge is a collection of Chaise Longue set before a couple of Projection Screens that show peaceful images all day long and a non-denominational meditation room.

Inside the lounge (no problem as StringGirl has amassed 100,000 miles already this year) you get to see one the the largest Airline lounges ever. No Stats for you, but it stretches over the entire corner of this part of the airport probably about 100m + of airport frontage.

Skyteam lounge review: Air France in Dusseldorf terminal B

2011-08-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

Departing Germany via Dusseldorf brings StringGirl to the Air France lounge in DUS (Dusseldorf Flughafen). The first step is finding the lounge. That requires some faith in the signage as you navigate a veritable warren of hall ways corridors, stairways (elevators), and doors.

Straight, turn, what?

straight out to the non-secure side

Sure, the signs hang prominently from the ceiling as soon as you pass security for terminal B, but following the signs you will weave through several corridors passed doors you are clearly not to use, and others that seem innocent enough.

Avoiding accidental exit from the secure zone you find a junction that point in two directions for the lounge (one for the lift the other for the stairs), taking a leap of faith you follow the directions to the elevator then are deposited one level up and weave your way passed the WC then another turn then the lounge. (If you are departing from B1-B20 i have no idea how you get here, but maybe you don't need to).

Once in the lounge, you find 1 TV, 2 espresso/capuccino machines, 4 stocked fridges, and no free wifi. There are a couple walk up terminals with internet access but little chance to use them (in 3 years of coming to this lounge i have never managed to use for more than 2 minutes between crashes).

Vodafone will sell you a wifi pass for 30 minutes at 6€, 2 hours for 13€, or a full day for 30€. So usually I will tether to the phone wifi for relatively decent 3G support (we have posted about that before).

Bier, Cola, tomato, bitter lemon and tonic

The fridge is stocked with beer, soda, water, juice, and bitter lemon. A minor selection of liquor is underwhelming for those of us who have visited Delta and KLM partner lounges but hey, this is Air France so we should no be surprised. Bitte ein Bit (Bitburger the home town bier) is a welcome Pils, and the Diebels is an Altbier (old style amber) that is decent as well. Especially since i have never like the Heineken from the KLM lounges or the Lite from Delta.

not a great bar selection

Compared to the public areas of the air-side of the Dusseldorf Airport the lounge is a quiet respite for the weary traveler on their way to their next destination (home or the lonely road). This lounge has never been crowded in all our visits and has proven a welcome benefit of our Skymiles Elite Plus status. That means unless you and Delta medallion Gold or above you can't get it. Sorry.

Next stop AMS, but with only a 1 hour layover we may not get to that next lounge.

U-View Dortmund

2011-08-19T02:33:00.001-07:00

Housed atop the former Dortmunder Union Brewery, U-view is presented as the destination dining spot in the post industrial coal town of Dortmund. Launched last year in conjunction with the RUHR2010 Industrial Culure fair. The U-Tum (tower) is a new venue for Dortmund to showcase their blossoming arts and cultural scene.

The view from the U-view prior to sunset was a pleasant city scape rendering the gritty city in the dusky hues of red and orange light. Shortly after the sun is lost to the horizon, the view from the windows transforms into an abstract light show. The windows of the U-View sit behind a large array of diode tubes that give the street level observers a massive video show, to the diners within the U a pleasant abstract illumination.

Gastronomically, the menu at the U seemed simple, with some direct and unaffected offerings. The selections were not overtly numerous nor too diverse (as so many restaurants try to seem worldly and diverse) though they did reach so far as to provide three vegetarian offerings and several thai curry dishes.

For my picks: a a starter of paprika basilika suppe and an entree of Surf'n'turf of Lamb Chops with Pulpo (octopus). The soup was very fine nicely presented with some home baked croutons, a sprig of basil, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Nicely done and tasty surpassing my expectations.

The entree i found pleasing. Five bones lamb chops flame broiled and presented on top of an octopus salad. The lamb was perfect seared rare and the pulpo was fantastic with not a hint of the overtly fishy and rubbery taste that abuses many a cephalapod preparation.

Where the meal falls down is the service. The surf and turf was oredered by 3 of our party. When the food arrived only two orders of the lamb arrived at the table. The server informed that the third would be out shortly. However, the delay was quite long. Out of courtesy the third of us bid us eat, only to find that we would all nearly finish before his arrived. I myself had only one bone left when his plate arrived.

Truth told, I thought his plate did look better prepared (doubtless the kitchen made effort to improve our disposition), but i fear that his palate may have soured over the delay. When the chef (i assume from the coat) came to our table to explain, that the order did not arrive in the kitchen as the printer had run out of paper; that did nothing to improve the impression at our table. Too many failures and too little explanation too late. The server did not follow up to ensure that all orders were under way, the kitchen surely had repaced the paper shortly after our order was lost, as the restaurant was busy enough. The server had not given an honest impression of the delay length (as if she might be back in a second and not waiting for the entire meal to be cooked).

U-view almost perfect but not quite. 3 stars

Greenspace in the city centre: Zurich

2011-08-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Up the stairs from the Zurich Hauptbahnhof you arrive at the park in the junction of the rivers Sihl and Limmat in the shadow of the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum). On any given sunny day the lawns here are sprinkled with picnickers and sun worshippers: StringGirl is no different.

Well tended gardens and manicured lawns provide a peaceful respite to the bustle of the city. Sculpture and the old style architecture of the allow the mind and spirit to wander only a few steps removed from the main station and it's efficiency of timetables.

StringGirl still must decide where to eat-the DimSum takeaway at the entrance of the park, doner kebab, or bratwurst from any of the many imbiss (snack) stands that sprinkle the area near the main station.

Turkish Sojok sausage, sushi, spanish tapas, chinese, thai, or vietnamese. Zurich is surely a most global of cities where once you look further than fondue and raclette offers a rich variety of cuisine for the picking. But for now, a bier and some quiet time in the park nurishes the spirit if not the stomach.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp: Twin Lakes MI

2011-08-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Located in the Western lower peninsula of Michigan is a treasure for the the Arts. For the past 46 years Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp has welcomed gifted students to participate in their summer camp program specifically for the Arts. Since the first session in 1966 more than 300,000 gifted musicians, singers, actors and dancers have braved the summers woods in the Manistee National Forrest for two weeks at a time, to meet other students--ranging from elementary to high school, performing both for themselves and the public, and otherwise being kids in camp.

StringGirl and the ladies at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp-Cabin Graham

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Ruhrgebiet by Drain Pipe?

2011-08-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

As a frequent visitor to the Ruhrgebeit area in North-western Germany, I am always hoping for a little bit different of an experience than the lowly hotels in the Dortmund area. I have had the luck (good and bad) to be able to sample many. But this latest finding is even further from the norm than I would have expected to find.

source: Daspark hotel flickr

Dasparkhotel is a concept where you the guest can stay overnight in a hotel in the Essen area (Bottrop-Ebel) in converted storm drain pipes that have been equipped with beds , electricity, locking doors, and skylight. Looking at the pictures the room is not too much smaller than many euro hotels I have booked before, and if only there was a toilet it might be considered 3 star.

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Fire Breathing Dragons at the faire

2011-07-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights for everybody was the ENORMOUS fire breathing dragon. The Dragon is a made object from recovered and re-purposed pieces that was driven in for today's show. With a mobile DJ station at the top, and seating for a couple dozen people, it was quiet an affair as the activity of the dragon went from innocent tail wagging and fire breathing, to fully rolling around the site (once there was more room).

Gon Kirin is a project of Ryan Doyle and Teddy Lo. https://www.facebook.com/gonkirin Measuring some 64 feet in length. As we were viewing it during daylight hours we missed the some of the power of the pirotechnics and lights that have made this kinetic sculpture a regular fixture in other peoples photo collections.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/extramatic/4973913621/

http://www.traxon-usa.com/usa/en/showcase-detail.php?id=13984

http://daily.makerfaire.com/gon-kirin-the-dragon-rides-to-maker-faire-det

Fire breathing Ponies, Kinetic sculpture seats, and soldering

2011-07-31T09:44:00.001-07:00

The fire breating pony is just one of the hacked projects that you find at the Maker Faire

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Hackpittsburgh makerspace

2011-07-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Making pins with the HackPittsbrugh crew

Coming all the way from Pittsburgh, PA to attend the Maker Faire Detoir, was this group of Make afficiandos who called themselves Hackpittsburgh. Normally housed in a garage in PA they came to the Faire to promote themselves (and for what else is hard to say, as it did not seem they were selling anything) and their collective.

From their website they have this to say about themselves:

HackPittsburgh is a non-profit, community-based workshop that allows members to come together and share skills & tools to pursue creative projects. Our membership is open to everyone but typically comprises inventors, engineers, scientists, programmers, hobbyists, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, and arts and crafts enthusiasts. Our focus is on collaboration, education, and community outreach. We’re a benevolent group and do not promote or condone illegal activities. The term “hacking” is used in a benign sense, in the context of deconstructing and understanding objects and systems and re-purposing existing materials for new and innovative uses.

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Makers Faire Detroit

2011-07-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

StringGirl and the kiddos made their way to the Henry Ford to visit the Makers Faire Detroit. Held each year the Maker Faire is the worlds largest DIY family fair. It may be the only, so there is little to dispute there. We rolled in with the kids--two 13 year old and two 11 year old-- for our first ever visit. It was a beautiful day (as for appearances) to spend out and about an outdoor fair.

Held on the grounds of The Henry Ford the fair is a bit of geek heaven. With displays set up by a mix of artisans, hackers, makers, and commercial interests the gist of the fair is to appeal to the type of person who can't but help to dismantle their old computers not only to see what it is like, but perhaps because they might have a use for some of its guts. Try to imagine the renaissance festival for the techno geeks instead of anachronistic dungeons and dragons players.

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Dapur Indonesia: good eats in Zurich

2011-07-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

StringGirl in the stylish and cozy Dapur Indonesia Dining room

Another trip to Zurich yields a dinner at best new restaurant in Zurich. Dapur Indonesia brings to StringGirl and colleagues the delights of Indonesian cooking.

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How to better manage the photoblog

2011-07-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

I gotta get one of these!

While the photo quality on the Android Droid2 Global" is pretty good, the lack of optical zoom and other perks makes the camera relatively imperfect. However, with this little gozmo I can have the best of both worlds. With the Droid Tethering a wifi connection I should be able to easily take the pictures and upload them immediately via Photo sharing sites like Picasa for eventual inclusion in the BLOG.

Now it's just a matter of buying one.

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Back in the air again

2011-07-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Delta Business Elite. Thanks to the staff at Delta Flight 249 for recognizing a highly valued customer. With nearly 85,000 miles this year (343,000 lifetime miles) StringGirl is certainly worthy of an upgrade once in a while.

FishFlies: Grosse Pointe's Inter-elementary running club

2011-06-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Grosse Pointe Fishflies had there inaugural meet last week at the Grosse Pointe Woods Lakefront Park. The meet was attended by over 50 Elementary aged runners from throughout the Pointes.

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The Lakefront Park is one of the high points of a visit to Grosse Pointe Woods. Like all the other "Pointes" they have a community park for residents located on the shore of Lake St. Clair. The park has 50+ acres of green space reserved for the use of residents and their guests. This policy has drawn the ire of many neighbors, but is what just about anybody would do if they could.

With several large pools (actually ONE really big U-shaped), Diving well, and kiddie pools; the park is a refuge for many residents all summer long. Don't forget a 3 story tall water slide and rock climbing wall for the more adventurous. Also, a boat launch, tennis courts, Beach Volleyball, Basketball (indoor and outdoor) and an activities building with exercise equipment and game room. They have something for everyone.

StringGirl was in the Tabulation tent for most of the meet

For the even each school organized teams that competed over all and by grade. in various events and relays. While the main goal is to ensure that kids run and learn healthy exercise habits, they also did compete for 1st, 2nd, 3rd in their individual events and a team victory.

On the long Run (1+mile)

In the Mile run, StringGirl's occaisional travel buddy "Issa" ran for a third place among 5th graders and a 17th Overall. That's right, which means that the 4th graders and younger kids put up some pretty good times as well. Of the 5th graders the top 3 were 2/3rds grrls. Way to go ladies!

The Jansen kid shows his spirit

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Vegetarian epicurean offerings

2011-06-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

StringGirl opts to sample a Zurich classic Hiltl. This restaurant a long time Zurich institution offers a wide selection if vegetarian food. Diners can select to order either a'la carte or from the buffet.

The buffet is paid for by weight so piling the plate up american buffet style can get expensive, but they do offer an discretion concept where you can continue to top up for 60CHF (roughly $72 lately) as it was two trips to the buffet weighed up to a 50CHF food bill.

The dishes on the buffet were pretty extensive; indian food is well represented, though chinese noodles, italian pasta, quiche, frittes and othe offerings we abundant as well. The spread cover two large chaffing tables, a chilled salad bar and three smaller heat tables arranged at the windows. Spicy abergines, okra and paneer sit comfortably next to tortellini, quiche lourraine, and fettuccini. Spring rolls and fried rice and noodles, try to draw you from the salad bar.

StringGirls friends Roald and Eva were happy to join us for such fine food. Eva ordered from the menu. The "hiltl" tartare looked good, perhaps a little bit like an artists rendering of what tartare should look like is a hyper realistic 3D movie. Perhaps a little too bright red. But it's taste and texture was very pleasing, and the overall effect would certainly had vegetarians who did not suspect the dishes origins run to fetch the buckets of red paint to cast upon the barbarians who would dare eat raw meat mixed with raw egg and spices.

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Just what is that person doing to the fountain

2011-06-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

A fellow cacher arrives only a few minutes after we replaced the cache

Another cache nearly gets it. I wonder if he would appreciate help?

After observing a few minutes; the cacher definitely was struggling with figuring out the location of the cache. So I thought I would give him a word of encouragement and see if he needed (or better still wanted) any assistance.

When approached he admitted that he was stumped. I told him that he was exceptionally close, I bet him he may have even already touched it (as evidenced by the picture above). Another few reaching motions into the fountain and he admitted that he was stumped. After giving as many detailed hints as I could, we handed it to him as his eyes bugged out in disbelief over the size; or lack thereof.

Pointed him to the next few caches, and said "Auf Wiedersehen".

Caches in Zurich, what i would have suggested to do on fathers day anyway.

2011-06-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

with the cache at Paradaplatz

At the Zurisee with another cache, bigger but still small

Micro cache certainly (nano even)

Taking a new hitchhiker around town before the little guy has to say goodbye to Switzerland a while. So far this afternoon we found these three.

One down by the Hauptbahnhof, another overlooking the Zurisee, and this latest at Paradaplatz. The pictures above are in reverse order. Check the logs at geocaching.com

Some blueskies in Zurich

2011-06-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

StringGirl heads into Zurich after a dreary morning of rainy and cool temperatures.

The main gallery of the train station is decked out for a party. With white tablecloths and chandeliers. Cultural events in the Main Station are relatively common, and make the already bustling train hub festive and even more crowded.

Felix's girlfriend Barbara plays Cello with the String Orchestra Weidikon, who held a concert in the Buhlkirche in Weidikon this evening. A relatively smallish church by Zurich standards, it still is impressive with fantastic wooden detail throughout.

The vaulted ceiling in the soars above the congregation, in style that is somehow modest yet grand.

StringGirl and Eric in front of the Rose-window that adorns the rear Apse balcony of the church.

Auf Wiedersehen Roald

2011-06-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

Roald prepares to leave Zurich in favor of Hamburg. After 3 years with AutoForm, he eschews writing code for CAE tools to instead run the code for an engineering concern. To say goodbye, we have a Barbecue on the banks of the Limmat, as dark clouds threaten in the distance.

Nearly 20 colleagues from the office come down, despite the threatening clouds to have simple grilled sausages and beer, wine, and proseco.

A kind farewell lead by development team leader Lothar.

Retelling Roald stories under the cover of the Community Center as rain comes in and the beer flows freely. Goodbye Roald and we hope that you find Hamburg welcoming. Hope that you find a new band soon, and make some good friends there as well.

We'll miss you, but keep the guest room ready for StringGirl to visit.

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Walking in the foothills

2011-06-12T05:33:00.002-07:00

On the walk from Schweikhof to Albishorn are many nice walks along the ridge. To the north we see the Zurichsee and south is the Zugersee. Near the city of Zurich it is terrifically simple to travel only a short distance to be able to enjoy great nature walks. Today i take the walk with some friends from work who invited StringGirl out for a walk on Pfingstmontag (Pentacost) which is a national holiday.

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This walk took us along the ridge that separates Zurich from Zug. A little further north is the walk along Uetliburg which is a very common tourist walk.

the cache at Schweikhof

StringGirl could not resist looking for a few Geocaches. Found the first cache near the beginning of the trail. There was a small restaurant cafe located here where we got a coffee and had a chance to visit a little. Prior to heading deeper into the woods.

The hikers pause for a pic, StringGirl snaps the shot (low point of view)

We stopped for a cafe at the Albishorn and found a small cache in the hillside. If you are willing to be a little billygoat you can find the cache.

Albishorn cache, only a little off the path

Thanks to our friends in Zurich for making this walk possible.

Hartsfeld-Jackson airport

2011-06-08T11:59:00.001-07:00

The first stop at ATL is the Delta Sky Club. After only a short flight from DTW is the REAL flight from ATL to Zurich (almost 10 hours). While ATL is not one of my favorite hubs to have layovers in, they do have pretty nice lounges (membership has it's privileges).

One feature of the ATL Sky Club in terminal E is a full service bar, still complimentary. Food in the Sky Clubs in Atlanta have gone down a notch over the years. In the past soup and sandwiches were among the offerings, but lately only some nuts, crackers, and carrots/celery and hummus.

Down escalator to the Underground trams

The airport in Atlanta is purportedly on of the busiest in the world (either number of connections or people?). They have a daily flight to Zurich, which stringgirl has beeb slow to use as she dislikes making excahnges in the US.

My general impression of the airport is of general dislike. The layout of the airport is superiorly frustrating. It is best described as a stick bug with legs labeled T, A-E. It has a long spine in the lower level that has a train for "speeding" from terminal to terminal. Each leg is a separate terminal wing. The terminals A-D handle doemstic traffic with E handling the international flights.

Airport map courtesy of Delta

Invariably, when I have flown from ATL for domestic travel, I could count on at least one gate/terminal change to the point where I have decided that knowing your assigned gate is actually a bit of a red herring; lately I stay put in the sky lounge until nearly the last minute to avoid having to jog the length of the long terminal legs back to the spine.

Back in an airplane again

2011-06-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

Styling it up in the First Class Cabin (of an MD88)

StringGirl settles into the bountiful roominess of a Delta MD88. Of the few perks she gets from acquiring 343,000 qualifying miles over the past three years is guaranteed first class upgrades on domestic flights, but we rarely if ever fly domestic.

It's another trip to Europe for a week or two. Just as the school year wraps up, we head out of town for a while. The pursuit of the paycheck again makes us miss those little moments (like 5th grade promotion), lansing field trips, and the such.

On the good side we'll be back in time for the Fishflies meet. So coming next Zurich in the summertime......

Ferry Fishflies morning milers

2011-06-03T05:06:00.001-07:00

StringGirl wakes up early to join the Ferry Fishflies as they have a morning run. The goal today is a mile (two laps around the school). Everybody is excited to be up early and have a chance to exercise this morning. Field day will be later today as well, so we won't have any excuse not to get a bit of a work out today.

The fishflies are a K-5 running club for elementary age boys and girls in the Grosse Pointes. They meet before and after school.

The fishflies rely on the kindness of a few Moms and Dads to make sure that the kids have supervision and motivation on their run.

They look forward to their first "friendly" this June, when all the local chapters of the fishflies gather.

Rotterdam

2011-06-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Iconic Erasmusbrug (Bridge) marks the skyline of Rotterdam on a recent visit. StringGirl visits this city in the Netherlands perhaps once a year while tagging along for work. This latest stream of pictures taken while traipsing about the city in search of Geocaches.

The sculpture along one of the city's many wharfs was one of the sites that the geocaching excursion brought us to. The sculpture marks the location of the Dutch Resistance Museum. It represents a Heinkel H111, German fighter plane.

In the dark we had to feel around for quite some time before happening upon the hiding spot.

The Cache once found was ingeniously hidden (I would have labeled this a "nano" cache personally). You can see in the above photo that StringGirl dwarfs the log roll which requires tweezers or some other cache extractor to manage.

Another nano cache was located nearer the Erasmusbrug. This tiny magnetic cache was adhered to the bottom of a common tourist spot. Again, I now wonder for how many years I have probably been within inches of other caches when I was in the Muggle world.

A larger, but still micro scale cache was located further along the walk. At least this log was readable without a jewelers loop.

an Urban "Forest"?

Another Iconic building in Rotterdam are the "Kubus" houses. Architect Piet Bloom envisioned these houses as a kind of Urban Forest. Built in the late 1970's these serve as dwellings, offices, retail, and even a museum. The interior of the houses offer uniquely styled living spaces.

nom nom nom

Finally, it was time for dinner in one of the Netherlands ubiquitous Sate' bars. The best Indonesian food can be found in the Netherlands (often the only source of Indonesian food, outside of Indonesia). Here StringGirl satisfied her cravings with Soto Ayam, Sate Babi Kecang, and Daging Rendang.

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Summer comes to Michigan

2011-05-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

The unofficial start of the summer season in the US is the marking of Memorial Day. So StringGirl had to get out and break in summer.

StringGirl is over dressed for the pool, unfortunately others are not

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The pools at this park are a fantastic perk for all residents of Grosse Pointe Woods. As a resident gain access to the full olympic plus pool, waterslides, diving wells, and 50+ acres of park.

StringGirl flies a kite

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Geocache GC2NCDR - Mustang down 48,31N 11,30E

2011-05-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

http://coord.info/GC2NCDR

Pfaffenhofen a.d. Ilm is a little hamlet in the hollertau hops region near Munich. Coming here as a software engineer for a leading Automotive FEA solution provider is a little unusual. But all the little german cities here are that mix of industrial and rural setting that the Rustbelt of the US had never managed to get right.

After getting a bier and a Halbes Schweinhax in Munich it was a nice surprise to spot a cache so near the Bahnhof (train station). A short walk along the road upto but not onto the neighboring farms, brings you to this nice little hide. Thanks C:geo for another nice walk and time to smell the roses.

Bavarian reunion

2011-05-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Alex Paya with StringGirl at Marienplatz

Keeping with the trend of meeting relatives from far off. StringGirl met up with her cousin Alex while visiting Munchen. Only a short train trip from Pfaffenhofen we met up for a nice stroll through Munich. First stop was the VERY touristic Marienplatz. Where the Rathouse is adorned with a large mechanized clockworks that puts on a show for the masses of tourists who stare upward at as the clock tolls the hour.

Alex with Jens Buchert (not the pop star) and StringGirl

Jens (a colleague from Tebicon) met us and brought us to a Biergarden, where we sampled the local fare. Then gave a short tour of this area of Munich. The river, Mozartplatz, Gothestrasse, and then onto the site of the World Famous Oktoberfest.

The Site of Oktoberfest Thereisenplatz

The site where the famous Oktoberfest occurs each year, is a huge open area in the midst of the town. Easily large enough to hold several large professional sports stadiums, more than 100,000 people with come here each day in late September to enjoy; and overindulge in local brewed bier.

Thanks Jens and Alex for the great afternoon in Bayern.

Holland at the North Sea

2011-05-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Scheveningen beach restaurant

Just outside Den Haag is seaside area. Major tourist trap but with nice western view of the nordsee and fairly decent sunset. Beachside restaurants spread out along the entire beach area-reminiscent of the mediteranean shores of Southern France.

The Beach and Pier at Scheveningen

A board walk stretches out into the water over nearly an 1/8th mile ending with a pier and bungy jumping tower. Did i mention tourist trap?

Adding to the Atlantic City feel are Casinos and other trumped up dining establishments. There are plenty of foreigners in general as the Haag is home to Europol, embassies, and international businesses. During peak season this place has got to be packed.

Den Haag on the way to Scheveningen beach district

Well here's to waking up tomorrow without Judgement Day, rapture, or whatever is supposed to happen Saturday. (Zombie apocolypse is not PC, @zombierights prefer global reanimation block party). Meeting Tante Rosie in Amsterdam tomorrow and Alejandro Paiia sunday in Munchen.

Muggled cache in Dortmund

2011-05-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

After a fruitless search in the immediate area only managed to find a plastic screw top for a possible test tube style cache container, and some clear plastic remains of the tube. If this was what was hidden in spot then severe muggle tampering is a possibility. Too bad, cool spot. After all exactly why the benches and bike racks at the end of dead end street is a mystery.

Geocaching surprises

2011-05-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Reaching for a cache should not result in find something moving..... should it. Adding to the camoflauge of the last find was a toad. (Sorry for the upside down picture).

But none the less was able to make the grab. Smallish small cache, so the hitchhikers stay with me. Again a small walk from the hotel so not too big an adventure to find (other than the toad).

On the tarmac at Schipol airport

2011-05-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

After taking off from AMS on way to DUS we made it to cruising altitude, were in German airspace, and then we turned back due to some issues with the Airplane. In a safety first attitude glad we did the safe thing, but why not continue to DUS. Do they not make airplane repairs there too?

You'll never guess who's at the airport....

2011-05-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

After a 4 week flying hiatus, string girl heads out to germany and the netherlands. It has been an eventful 4 weeks for her.

While on vacation in the UP she broke her leg (a dog was attacking her), and now has lost an arm. It may be time to investigate surgical methods to repair that kind of injury.

Getting ready for the spring choir concert

2011-05-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

StringGirl and her sister get ready for the spring choir concert. Spring has finally arrived with two days with temperatures soaring into the 70's.

In the US three weeks and running

2011-05-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

In a rare and welcome change from the usual, stringgirl has been in the US for three weeks running.

Last in the EU and Suisse regions back in April 13 have been enjoying one of the longest streaks of home stays for a long time. This has been a drag on the geocaching stats, but has allowed me many more days with the family.

Fortunately my cache in Zurich seems to be alive and well and not needing maintanence. But alas all things must come to an end....have to start planning the next trip.

recent Cache Finds

2011-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Caching around Northern Michigan made a few finds while traveling up north with the family for "Spring"break. The air quotes are for the fact that our spring got off to a snowy start.

Snow on the 18th of April

For spring break one might try to go someplace warm and sunny. Our family decided to go to the northerm part of Michigan where the snow and cold is even more likely. Next time we should Search for Travel Deals and find someplace warmer to go.

Caching some of the Rest Areas in the Northern Lower Peninsula

Traveling with two young'uns and a puppy, made it so that we pretty much had to stop at EVERY rest area that comes along Northbound I-75. It did not take long before the kids would ask at every stop. "Any caches nearby?"

Near the Bridge

Fortunately, there are many caches located at the rest areas. So we were able to pull some up on the phone using c:geo and my Android phone.

Earthcache at Laughing Whitefishfalls state park

We even learned a little (accidentally) while seeking earthcaches. Some geological history of the UP and the lakes and rivers that we visited.

Laughing Whitefish Falls Cache

It turns out that my kids were better at spotting the caches on the ground and under rocks and logs than me. Happy to be roaming around with the family for a change instead of packed up in a suitcase as usual.
Outside Magazine Gear of the Year Summer 2010: eBags Mother Lode TLS Junior

I have been traveling.... but in my home state

2011-04-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

This past week I went on a short vacation with my family and my new friend FlatSally. Flat Sally is a first grader at Richard Elementary in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI. She was easy to travel with since like me she is very flat and quite small.

Alger Falls, Just outside Munising

Laughing Whitefish Falls, Lake Superior National Lakeshore

Lake Michigan and "Big Mack", just off US2

Mackinaw Bridge from Michilimakinac Park

Lower Falls at Taquamenon

View Flat Sally adventures MI UP 2011 in a larger map

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Miners river and beach

2011-04-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

StringGirl stops by to greet the US Fish and Wildlife conservation officer as he sets traps to stem the spawning run of the sea lamprey from the Gitch. The USFW officers set the traps hoping to reduce the population of the invasive species.

With the Miners Castle in the Background, StringGirl poses with her sis. This April day the temperature hovered only just above freezing.

The Bridalveil Falls in the distance as the sun comes out.

Close-up shows the falls cascading down from a corona of ice still shrouding the falls apex.

A crawfish washed up on the shore just in time for a "lobster" dinner for the little girl with String clothes.

The two rock hounds search the shores of the Gitch for Agates and other mineralogical finds.

Stringgirl at pictured rocks national seashore

2011-04-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Pictured Rocks National seashore features some of the most beautiful scenery in Michigan (imho). So it was a great pleasure to spend "so-called Spring" Break up in da Yoopee. While the weather was not ideal for time spent on the Gitch (Gitchigumee is the Native name for the largest of the Great Lakes).

Looking toward the Bridal Veil falls

From the beach looking toward Castle Rock

Castle Rock seen from the observation deck

Flat Sally, a first grader at Ricard Elementary in Grosse Pointe Farms

StringGirl on the Gitchi Gumee

2011-04-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

Lake superior in the springtime looks no warmer than a winter frost. However stringgirl braves the cold for the beautiful beaches and scenic views

The beach at WhitefishPoint was a veritable treasure trove of rocks.

Ice formations still cling to the pier on this Late April afternoon.

The light at Whitefish point keeps a vigil over the dangerous waters of the Gitch lest another ship meet the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Some start to spring break

2011-04-19T08:43:00.002-07:00

StringGirl and her new pal Flat sally out in the snow this fine "spring" morning

Felix in indian clothes

2011-04-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Felix decides to don his indian clothes as he recollects his recent trip to India. StringGirl poses with him on the porch of his flat that he shares with Barbara.

Hints for the Geocache Hidden in Zurich

2011-04-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

GeoCaching is a global game for users of GPS devices. A global treasure hunt with millions of hidden locations, and a multinational following. www.geocaching.com is where you can go to play as well. I have placed my first in Zurich. It is a mystery cache, so the players will have to locate clues along the way to solve a puzzle for the location.

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Puls ?

How many films play here?
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Did you take a tram to EscherWyss? Which one?

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How many containers tall is the Freitag tower?

this is just one of their locations, AKT

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What does the cache look like?

Maybe one more hint. an obscure view standing near the cache.

Beer o'clock in Zurich

2011-04-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

A fine weekend start in Zurich. Friday afternoon and sunny and warm.

Les Halles is a "gastropub" in Zurich Kreis 5 set in a former bike repair shop near technopark. Good beer to drink in house and many take away as well. The shop has a small "boutique collection" of pantry items for consumption at home as well.

A patio on each side of the building ensures sunny seats for post work apero. So, cheers to all. Hope you had a good day a work, but if not at leadt start the weekend well.

Geocache

2011-04-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

Stringgirl visits cache in zurich

The personal touch wins again

2011-04-04T18:16:00.001-07:00

The extra two seconds it takes to smile and offer kindness to your customers often goes unnoticed. But failure to do so always gets our goat.

Today let's decide to reward those positive interactions with customer service. Fuad and Cane provided another great example of positive and genuinely welcoming service, that I could have easily let transparently float past me. Delta as a company does something that I haven't seen enough. They encouraged me to look for and reward exemplary customer service.

Each year I get 5 "mydeltarewards" vouchers that give me a chance to note and reward great customer service. My question to Delta is: why are medallion members the only ones who you encourage to look for this?

Delta flight 248 gate service with a smile

2011-04-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

StringGirl gets set to rack up another few thousand miles and gets a smile and great service from Delta red jacket Cane and gate agent Fuad. They helps us lock up the entire row on the long flight from DTW to AMS.

Thanks for the great service fellas and I hope those" mydeltarewards" help out. The smiles made our evening.

GoGirl at Wayne State University

2011-04-02T11:36:00.001-07:00

Wayne State University is located in the heart of Detroit. And has been a major university/college since its founding in 1868 as a medical college.

Spending Saturday at Wayne State U. With 7th grade girls learning about the opportunities. That open up in the world of STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) to young women as they enter adolescence.

The GO-GIRL (Gaining Options- Girls Investigate Real Life) program was something we tried this year. It has spread over several months worth of Saturdays from 9-2:30 allowing our eldest daughter to explore a bit more about STEM and college as well. So far she and her classmates have designed, created and published an internet survey, toured the school of Pharmacology, explored campus, and been able to meet kids from other Socio-Economic backgrounds (actually as far as diversity goes my daughter and maybe only 3-6 others are the non-African-Americans. Otherwise the group is VERY HOMOGENEOUS).

The program is free and open to a limited number of girls each year. This year there were several hundred applications. So it is still special to get in, though what the criteria are is still unknown. To apply and learn more click.

Puppysitting outside school

2011-04-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

StringGirl takes the hyperpuppy out to school. Trying not to get eaten....

Human Charger

2011-03-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

marked on tree "HUMAN CHARGER"

Zurich Carnival

2011-03-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Not satisfied to let Carnival end with Ash Wednesday, the swiss still carry on with Carnival activity well into Lent. So you can still get your Berliner (pazcki), fatty foods, chocolate, candy, and beer well into LENT.

one of the bands (they are zooming about with Segway under their robes)

Read on >>

Dusseldorf Flughafen: Gateway to (from) the Ruhrgebeit

2011-03-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

Dusseldorf airport is a fairly well organized and reasonably appointed airport. Two hotels on campus-The Maritim and Sheraton. The long terminal building offers many restaurants and shops in the public area outside security. Where you may want to eat before you go in.

Once in you will find fewer dining choices and generally poor options and the typical blackmail prices of those who know there are no other choices.

Once inside the secure area you will be assaulted by the usual Duty Free offerings and highly priced shops and discomforted travellers. As a Delta Medallion Elite member one can retire up to the Air France Lounge up a level from the B terminal departures level.

The most disappointing thing once you are in the lounge is the discovery that the lounge does not offer free WiFi. Get used to it it is common in Europe to have only Pay-as-you-go WiFi offerings. The shortcut around this is to have a phone that lets you tether to your global Data connection.

Motorola DROID 2 Global Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
When Rooted and supplied with the global roaming data plan keep you from ever being without connection. I think I will supply a post about the data plan and phone with rooting in the consulting blog.

Dapur indonesia - delish

2011-03-14T13:16:00.001-07:00

Went for the Soto Betawi. A very nice meal in a bowl. Really tasty and nicely presented. The photo above does not do it justice (the lighting with the phone is always tricky).

The Soto Betawi is a curried coconut milk soup with fried potatoes, vegetables, tomato, and lime. I ordered it with a side of rice (since at home Mom always served EVERYTHING with rice). I lamented the fact that in order to keep in line with Swiss tastes beef had to substitute for the a more robust goat meat (a sentiment shared by the chef).

But the lack of goat did not take away from the richness or nor home-care level cooking that clearly went into the soup. Dayan hand grinds the chilis for her sauces and takes care to see if people would like it mild (like her european clientele) or hot (like the natives). Unfortunately, I did not ask her to "kick it up" to my mom's levels; Next time I surely will.

Größere Kartenansicht

Definitely due another visit. Terima kasih makan

Indonesian restaurant in Zurich

2011-03-14T12:49:00.001-07:00

Out to try something new. One of my swiss colleagues recommended a new restaurant.

The new restaurant dapur-indonesia.ch opened recently and I just could not resist. Only a few weeks after having indonesian in the Nederlands i thoought to splurge a bit and try this place out.

Located in Oerlikon near the Bahnhoff it is very conveniently located only a short train ride from work, or a longer tram ride. Just a few steps off the platform and you find yourself there. A few familiar decorations like at home (leather and wooden shadow puppets) and some handcarved figures in the window.

The restaurant is smallish and cozy. There will be garden seating in the spring once the weather makes it nicer to sit outside. Looking forward to Indonesian food!

Ordered the Soto. Let's see.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Earthcache in Zurich

2011-03-12T08:55:00.001-08:00

Big boulders resting in downtown Zurich near the kinderspielplatz that we visited this summer with the Kam family. First earthcache (not hidden boxes or such. Merely point of geologic or historical interest).

Goto geocaching.com and learn more.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Unbelievable as it seems.... Zurich, again

2011-03-12T08:25:00.000-08:00

Once again in zurich where the apparently Mardi Gras (Karnival) can stretch into Lent. Matbe it's the exchange rate which makes 40 American days only by a few less.

The streets still have revellers and musical Kreuwe roaming about. The group above who all seem to have Segways under their elaborate costumes.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

midnight in the garden of good and evil.... not quite

2011-03-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Geocaching takes you to some unexpected places. Just next to the Bahn tracks in this post industrial city is a cemetary that time forgot the lillies of the valley have bloomed. Some of the markers are recently visited others are covered with the debris of many seasons of neglect.

Kids clamour down the embankment to play on the tracks and families picnic among the re-forested cemetary. Another unexpected and pleasant walk facilitated by geocaching.com

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Another cache found in the Rurhgebeit.

2011-03-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Laswt time i could not spot the secret and hints were not helping. No grman skills. But this time went during day light.

Geocaching.com for more fun with you gps or smartphone

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Geocaching from german office

2011-03-10T13:36:00.001-08:00

StringGirl and the Self-proclaimed-die-expert finally left work at 10:00 pm local time (only 4 at home) to finally find and log a cache we scouted out earlier this week.

Apparently this should have been an easier find but "Ich spreche nicht zehr gut Deutsch" so i had trouble even knowing seeing how the name of the cache was a hint for locatong it.

With some groping about in the dark the "spanner" (bolt or screw) in the cache name "drei spanner" makes itself clear.

Visit geocaching.com to learn more.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location (actually not. The cache coordinates make that known)

Paczki (berliner) with the hotel

2011-03-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

it must be Karnival season. Drunk germans dressed as pirates, hobos, cats, clowns, and everything else were on the train drinking this morning. Then i find a paczki (ein berliner- the pastry not a person from Berlin Mr President).

Lent is almost here; most notable for Karnival, mardi gras, and fish and chips on special.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Amsterdam Schiphol

2011-03-07T00:11:00.000-08:00

Another visit to Schipol on the way to Germany. Funny thing about this connection is that by adding the Dusseldorf flight leg it reduced the cost of the ticket some $200 from just flying into Amsterdam.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Geocaching in Germany

2011-03-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

StrinGirl and my latest obsessiin is geocaching. In case you don't not what that is it is a global high tech scavenger hunt where using your gps you track down "caches" hidden by other participants in the game.

To date i have logged finds on 3 continents. Nearly every city you may visit will have some caches to find. In the picture above StrinGirl found this one just outside the Rurhgebeit in germany.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

What a View. 3000 meters in the Swiss Alps

2011-03-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot from Engelberg-Titlis high above Switzerland.
Very amateurish stitching job, but put it together fast just to make sure I had some new content up here.

FW: Kalbi in Seoul

2011-02-16T22:52:00.001-08:00

While in Seoul one must find and enjoy Korean barbecue. Cooked at you table and served with rice and an assortment of kimchi nothing is better for enjoying the cuisine of South Korea.

Kalbi is tender well fatted beef short rib meat which is cooked on small gas barbecue built into the table. Diners are then free to pull the meat off as eat morsel is cooked to their tastes. Wrapped in lettuce leaves along with pickled cabbage, seasoned bean sprouts, and spicy sauces.

Dee-lish. Colleagues from AutoForm and Melchers joined treated StringGirl and The Self Proclaimed Die-Expert to this fine meal in one of the bustling entertainment districts of Seoul's satellite cities. Pictured above Matthias and Jan from Melchers.

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Over Lake Michigan

2011-02-13T08:54:00.001-08:00

Taking the morning flight over the big Lake on the way to Korea. There's a moderate layover in Chi-town before the marathon flight to Seoul.

Got this stellar view of the ice on the big lake. Not sure which beach is below

Go there without Going there: Googleartproject

2011-02-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

StringGirl recently made the trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Here's your chance to visit some of the most well known art Museums in the world without having to log nearly as many Miles as StringGirl.

http://www.googleartproject.com/

Take a stroll through the great museums from the comfort (and relative boredom) of your PC. No this does not make the actual trip to the museum any less transcendent but it does enrich the experience you can have when you visit one for real. More context!

Engelberg-Titilis: StringGirl returns to Switzerland

2011-01-23T03:45:00.000-08:00

Engelberg-Titlis area is about a 2 hour train ride for Zurich. One train as far a Luzern and the next to Engelberg.

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The area is absolutely breathtaking and the views never failed to amaze. The fact that we got to ski today was absolutely just icing on the cake. I did not manage to capture nearly half the amazing views, since pulling out the camera everytime we saw something grand would have gotten old, not to mention that we might not drink in the sights as well with the camera glued to ones face.

Here's the video that the tourist bureau offers on their webiste. Sorry for the seriously cheesy music. I can't do anything about it other than to remind you of your mute function.

At the Peak there is a viewing station that is served by the worlds first ROTATING gondola. VERY VERY Cheesy and unfortunately does not really give a great chance for 360 degree panorama for all since the thing was packed to the gills with skiers and snowboarders. Also the fact that the floor rotates independent of the structure also means that the walls of the Gondola keep rotating in and out or your own view. For me it kept hitting me in the elbow from behind.

From 3000 meters we were looking down on the bank of snow and clouds that was showering Engelberg and all the surrounding area below 2000 meters with several inches of snow. While we were on mountain we had constant sunshine well above the clouds. The clouds gave the impression that we were on islands awash in a turbulent sea as the cloud banks flowed around ours and the surrounding peaks.

Royal Oak farmers market

2011-01-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

A visit to the farmers market on a chilly winter day. Stopped to polish some Petoskey stones and pick up some fresh produce. StringGirl loves to visit the market. The Royal Oak Farmers Market sits at the corner of 11 Mile and Troy Street. Open year round on Saturdays, and during Growing season Fridays and Saturdays. The market limits vendors to only sell what THEY grow. Not the largest market, but certainly home spun and great care and quality.

We made a short stop off at the booth of "A couple of Stoners" (no lie that is their businesses name) to make some of our own Petoskey stone jewelry pieces. For the Girls this was certainly one of the highlights of the entire trip. The "sotners" are a great couple from Petoskey Charlevoix area on Michigans northern lower Pennisula. They offered free lessons in polishing and making the necklaces. With pre drilled cut stones and allowed folks to walk up and polish.

StringGirl found this whale form very interesting.

Also among the other vendors are various chotcha and "flea market" vendors. StringGirl made friends with some sock monkeys. Here she even go to sit on ones lap.

skiing in Switzerland: Flumserberg

2011-01-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

Windy day up top of Maschgenkamm elev. 2020 m

After a relatively short train ride from Zurich HB to Unterterzen you take one gondola to the base of the Flumserberg ski area, and another to Maschgenkamm. From there you can get these terrific vistas. In the background is Wallensee which we visited in the warmer days of this past summer.

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Dr. Kerausch getting ready to ride

Drs. Hambrecht and Kerausch high atop one of the most disappointing first runs ever

In the end it was a good ski day, but it did get off to a very inauspicious start when we headed off Maschgenkamm to one of the flattest runs on the entire hill (we got passed by snow-shoers while skating and walking "down" this run). So for future reference, head right off the Maschengkamm lift station. Because to the left-straight is a short and step drop into the back side of the mountain, from which you have a long boring ride back to the main hill.

StringGirl in GR: 49501

2011-01-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

Gerald Ford Museum seen from A-nab-awan park

Devos Center and the Grand River

Sabine just after "decorating" the park

StringGirl and the spacesuit outside the Ford museum

My Girls "chillin" literally outside the Ford Museum

Holiday Dinners and events around the world

2011-01-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Eva (the future MRS Lingbeck) has StringGirl over for dinner DEE-LISH

StringGirls friends were kind enough to invite us to dinner while we were in Zurich last year. We had dinner with Roald and his Fiancee Eva at their flat in Wiedikon (near the Stadium). They really pulled out the stops with a fantastic dinner of Venison and Potatoes. Really very nice and far exceeding any expectations (they could just invite us over for Doner).

Dinner was served with a very pleasant Vino Tinto that I would have to find out where I can pick up another bottle. I brought a Barolo that I will have to see if they have tried yet to see if it was any good too.

Roald (the current Mr. Lingbeck)

Roger Kung Developer extraordinaire prepares to dine with StingGirl

Josef at the corner of Josefstrasse and Gasometerstrasse- Funky decor great food

Another dinner with the AutoForm Product management team in Zurich. This time we ended up at Josef. The food there was pretty decent. Sure some foodies might not find it all that great, but the small plates presentation was very good. You either pick a few dishes a'la carte or you can order by the pick 3,4,or 5 method menu or Josef's special menu. We enjoyed it very much.

The interior of the restaurant was just the right amount of kitchy counter-culture for me (as demonstrated by the disembodied Travis Bickle at our table side.

Eva and Michael at Josef in Zuri for a team dinner, StringGirl washed out with the flash (sorry)

Stokes and StringGirl at Sy Thai in St. Clair Shores

For the holidays in the US we went to a favorite haunt the Sy Thai Shores. Accompanied by the Brown-Bakers we had a nice family dinner there. We almost always end up ordering the Musaman and Prik King. And as usual they did not disappoint.

Dawn and Sheri and StringGirl at Sy Thai

Schiphol north KLM crown lounge

2010-12-12T04:28:00.000-08:00

Back is the saddle again StringGirl hits the road (air) on her way to Switzerland. A frequent haunt for our intrepid traveler is the klm lounges around the world. Schiphols are quite decent as far as airport lounges go.

Just a hint for any fellow road warriors. Even if you can't get in you might be able to hop on their wireless connection. Just know the code: klmDDMMYYYY (for example todays code is klm12122010)

Safe travels all!

Broadcasting from an undisclosed location

Lunch with Frau Urban: StringGirl in Bayern

2010-12-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

StringGirl and Herr Doktor Kerausch on their way to Frau Urban

A trip to Pfaffenhoffen am der Ilm just would not be the same without a visit for lunch with the esteemed Frau Urban, of the Urbanus Brewing Family. Frau Urban runs a very small and intimate lunch spot in the city center of Pfaffenhoffen right on the market square. As we arrived this autumn "mittag" they were only just setting up the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) in the city square.

The entry way to Frau Urbans place is rather stealthy and easy to miss. There is no signage that I can point out to you, but it is in the south east corner of the square just off of Hauptplatz

View AutoForm travel guide in a larger map

Frau Urbans place is simple and relatively cozy, but what makes the place is Frau Urban herself. She is the only person running the entire restaurant. She greets patrons at the door; a hearty "Grüß Gott" as we enter. She greets "Herr Docktor" personally and "seinen amerikanischer Freund". She catches up on what is happening in our lives and tells us what is new with her.

Most often we are the only patrons until 12:30 or so, when maybe one or two tables will be seated, at which time Frau Urban has been known to close and lock the door; lest any new comers interupt her time with us already seated.

After taking our orders, Frau Urban heads into the kitchen to prepare our meals herself, then bring them to the table. The cooking is Bavarian, Schwebian, Frankish --all very international ;-).

Highly recommended for those who find themselves in Bavaria (and in Pfaffenhofen) but I don't know what else would bring people here.