1st Week in Deutschland

Well thank you Delta Airlines for a typical American service experience.  Lugging around three really heavy bags checking in at Jacksonville, NC.  Of course I couldn't check them all the way through to Germany, nooooo, so in Atlanta I had to get all two bags, then the third at the other end of the terminal, then go over to check in all over again.
"No Sir, you can't check in at this terminal you have to use the kiosk."
    "OK, I'll leave these bags here while I use the kiosk" (only 15 feet away)
"No Sir, you can't leave your bags here you have to take them with you."
     drag, drag, drag......kiosk won't let me check in
     "OK, the kiosk says I have to see an agent, so I'm back with you."
"No Sir, I'm not an agent, you have to go all the way over there.  And take your bags with you."

Then there's the micro-legroom on the 8 hour flight.  The tiny meal served on the tiny seatback tray.
The lousy A/V system where movies skip & jump.   Oh yeah, what's not to love about flying on a US airline.    Someone remind me around election day to thank Congress for passing the Fly America Act that dictates all official US gov't travel must be on US owned carriers.  Right, because capitalism and free markets are too good for US businesses.

But I've been here in Stuttgart since Monday and man it's cold.  Tuesday it snowed with fat, heavy snowflakes.  And, the Marine Corps shifts uniforms with the time change so we've switched from sleeves down to sleeves rolled up.  Fantastic!

At least my hotel is nice...kind of.  They didn't have a regular room available for me so they put me in their apartment right across the street.  Typical quirky European apartment, tiny but clean.  Really nice kitchen that I didn't use, small living room with TV (and I mean SMALL) and narrow wooden staircase up to the bedrooms.

After 3 nights I was done with quirky and they had a regular room open up so all is well.  Their breakfast is fantastic - everything fresh.  http://reussenstein.com/hotel/?lang=en
And of course the local beer on tap at the front counter that extends and becomes the bar.

The previous two nights I was just a little hungry so I went out for cheap eats.  Doner Kebap - for you Jack!  Mmmmmm.