Last Day of March, 2014

Today marks seven (7!!) months since our arrival in Munich. However, even though it's been seven months, we only had our first "real" bike ride this past weekend. It was worth the wait though because we actually saw some mountains! Unfortunately, we (A) didn't make it to the mountains because we can't go that far yet for various reasons; and (B) didn't bring a camera so you can't actually see those mountains that we saw; you'll just have to take my word for it. To show that it's biking weather here though, here is a picture from the bike / walking path along the canal near my work (notice the leaves):

In addition to a bike ride that took us south towards the Alps this past weekend, we also attended the world famous Starkbierfest (Strong Beer Festival) that takes place at the Paulaner brewery right next to our apartment. The Starkbierfest happens during Lent because monks (or at least some monks) fast during the day at Lent. However, some clever monks decided that since they don't count drinks as eating during the fast, that they would just make some extra-dense beer to make it through the day. That beer also ends up being quite strong in the alcohol sense and so the Starkbierfest turns into quite the party. It's basically like Head of the Trent but with picnic tables and stronger beer. In Head of the Trent tradition, we arrived as early as possible, but by lunch time all the tables were full..

Notice Sandi above sporting real traditional Bavarian wear (and notice the guys above her left shoulder dressed as WWF wrestlers).

See you next time!

Impossible Conversation

The French version of the magazine Vanity Fair has a feature each month called "Conversation Impossible" which consists of a short story that imagines an impossible conversation that -- obviously, since it's Vanity Fair -- has connections to pop culture and current events. For example, a discussion between Steve Jobs and the French author of La Théorie de l'Information Aurélien Bellanger where Jobs isn't really dead he's actually working for Samsung to try to give them a chance, or a meeting up of the ethnopsychiatrist Tobie Nathan (who claims to have explained the secret of love) with the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. The editor of Vanity Fair Michel Denisot is apparently a big fan of the GrenobleWMD and asked me to do one of these stories. The only thing is that he wouldn't pay me and it wouldn't show up in the magazine. Also, I wasn't allowed to pick the topic. It seemed like a fair deal to me...

The topic? At first they thought it would be a riot to have Tammy Wynette involved as the impossible party as a joke. When they found out that she actually really was dead, however, the joke no longer made sense and there wasn't much that they thought I could do with her. The next plan was a random encounter on a commercial flight between Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Charles Lindbergh. Something like they were both brought back to life somehow and got to experience how flying had become so normal and could discuss their roles in its humble beginnings. Two problems: (1) putting them through modern airport security would probably make them too depressed and they would in turn think that flying had actually become worse since their time; and (2) part of the schtick of the whole impossible conversation thing is that it should be two people that would never meet. However, the two had actually met and -- according to Wikipedia -- "researchers have implied that during his stay in the United States, Saint-Exupéry became intimate with Anne Morrow Lindbergh", Charles Lindbergh's wife. I probably could have actually done something interesting with that, but Lindbergh's a pretty dry and uninspiring subject, and Bill Bryson recently wrote pretty much all you'd ever care to read about him in his most recent book.

So, finally, the agreed-upon topic was (shamefully) decided to be Neo from The Matrix meets Jesus of Nazareth at a Miami Beach resort. The premise is that Neo is widely seen as the Christ-figure in the Matrix world and so they'd have some things to discuss related to how they were both born to save their respective worlds, they were both betrayed by someone from their inner circle, both were killed and then came back from the dead, etc. The meeting in Miami Beach part is because French people really like Miami for some reason.

I told Michel that I could make it happen. Just give me a little time to research who this Nazareth character is...

Amsterdam

Just before having to become incapacitated, we went for a long weekend (of our own creation) to Amsterdam to celebrate our birthdays (even though it was only mine while we were there). The weather has been amazing in Europe this "winter" and Amsterdam didn't disappoint. We were able to sit in the parks, visit the flower markets which were in full force, and of course go on a canal boat cruise. Here are some pictures...

Every Amsterdam journey has to begin at the Amsterdam Centraal...

But ours started a little earlier at the München Flughafen (Munich Airport) where Sandi was brave enough to stand beside a crazed maniac driving his Audi up a pillar...

Obligatory Amsterdam Harbour selfie:

The harbour:

First step in Amsterdam (after arriving via Amsterdam Centraal) is to sample the local brew:

Enjoying the sun:

And another selfie:

Beautiful Amsterdam canals and old buildings...

Sunlight disappearing and the sunglasses come off...

Obligatory Camparis for apéritif time:

Amsterdam at dusk:

The next morning in the Dam Square on our way to the Van Gogh museum:

In the park outside the museum:

More scenery because it's so nice:

Ice cream in the park:

My "pensive" model shot and then some boats:

Watching the boats in the harbour:

And a bird making his nest (with his companion's helper who is off searching materials) in a peculiar location:

It may not seem so warm because Sandi loves wearing a jacket, but notice in the background it's all short-sleeves :-)

Can't get enough of those canals!

Amsterdam: bike city...

The other local brew: Amstel...

Amsterdam flowers:

House "boats": great view!

Relaxing on the canal cruise:

And some shots from said cruise:

A couple more bikes:

And at the airport Heineken bar getting one last taste of the city...

Until next time!!!