World Tour - stop 1: Germany

Lost Luggage and Weihnachts Markt (Frankfurt, Koln, Euskirchen, Swisttal)

The trip started on an ominous note when my suitcase did not arrive in Frankfurt, and (more concerning) they had no record of the bag! Not the best way to start a 2 week long trip around the world! I left my information and headed to the train station to take the high speed rail (German ICE). As always, a nice train ride… got some work done while enjoying espresso and watching the Germany countryside fly by at 300km/h (186mph). My driver (Frau Riesner) was waiting for me at the station to take me to the office and pick up my car. I arrived at the office at 9:30am Monday morning and worked straight through until 5pm. I uncovered and worked out some significant problems there with inventory control that "they would have not figured out without me". :) I'm just glad we got it sorted out before it was reported to the CEO, or else I think he would have told me just to move out there for good!

Left for the Hotel Weidenbruck (my home away from home in Germany). They had my favorite dinner waiting for me – the Ratsherrenteller plate (pork tenderloin, spaetzel and mushrooms in a delicious béarnaise sauce, of course, washed down with a few glasses of the local Kolsch beer. To my surprise, just as I was about to head upstairs for bed, a coworker from the US and one from France arrived from India, and we had a nightcap together and exchanged stories. Much to my relief, my suitcase arrived to the hotel around 9:30pm.

Weihnachs Markt (Christmas Market) – Koln (Cologne), Germany

What a truly Germany Christmas experience this was! After a long day at the office, I drove to Koln, which I had last visited in May. The DOM cathedral is one of the world famous for its beauty and history. The Weihnachts Markt occurs at the base of the cathedral and spills into the square and streets surrounding it. Huge Christmas tree, lights everywhere and packed with happy people to shop and eat and see the sights. Nice night, too – cold and dry. I wandered the market for a couple of hours. Found some good bratwurst and potato pancakes… washed down with a mug of gluwein (warm, spiced wine) mmmmm… I found some nice wooden carvings and Christmas ornaments to bring back for the family. Such a warm, cheery, authentic feeling Christmas celebration there... you could not ask for a more picturesque scene!

This was a special night!

Turns out, the artist who had the big display there (Kathe Wohlfahrt), apparently also made some of Amy's Grandma's things in her house (music box, other things) that Amy instantly remembered when I gave her the ornament I brought home, and some other carvings. Amy's Grandma passed one year ago, at 93, and was born and lived in Germany before coming to the USA.


On Wednesday, I worked half a day at the office, then my driver picked me up to return to the high-speed rail station, to head back to Frankfurt, and fly to Spain - for stop #2 on the world tour.

Trip Around the World in 13 days...

December 6 - 18th


This special trip literally had me circle the globe (heading east) in two weeks:
Cleveland, OH --> Germany --> Spain --> Germany --> China --> Korea --> China --> Cleveland, OH

It was quite an experience to say the least. Logistically, it went rather smoothly. At times, it was tiring because of all of the travel / flights involved (10 flights total, plus 3 train rides). Amazingly I never had a problem with jet lag! My first day in Germany I worked a full day after 14 hours of travel, and stayed up past dinner to get on schedule and it worked. I slept surprisingly well on my flights to/from China (11 and 14 hours respectively), so they weren’t so bad. I found that doing a hard run before the flight and avoiding any alcohol before flying until a glass of wine during the early part of the flight did the trick! In the past, if I got 2 hours on my 8 hour flight to Germany, it was a lot.

Culturally, it was amazing and almost overwhelming to move between such different cultures one, after another! The independent Basques in Spain and their special language... the proud and spotless Germans, the energetic Chinese undergoing their rapid socio-economic change, and the Koreans who want to party all night by the beach. I had the benefit of meeting and working with some great people along the way, and staying in some very nice places, so I could see some amazing sights!!!

I worked hard to “experience” each region. “When in Rome…” was the theme, which at times had to be firmly evoked when my hosts would want to offer me Americanized food. I wanted to experience the specialties of each region, even if they didn’t sound good (the 100 year egg in China, for example). My stomach cooperated very well as I took in schnitzel in Germany, tapas in Spain, cuttlefish and congee with fermented tofu in China, and kimchee and spicy hot pot cooking in Korea in a little 3 table restaurant. Washing it all down with local beers and specialty drinks (Kolsch in Germany, Basque wine in Spain, tea and Tsing Tao in China, and soju in Korea. Safe drinking water was in short supply, so I really had to plan carefully for my running (I ran in every country, every day). Zero… repeat… zero stomach distress or digestive problems the whole trip! Very relieved about that! (India will test that in the next couple of months, I am sure!)

I had some special contact with local people that truly enriched my experience. The most memorable is the man in Shanghai who started running next to me one morning in downtown Shanghai, trying to talk to me in English. Saying “we are friends with the Americans”. He ran with me for blocks just to chat with me (wearing a suit, carrying his lunch bag and tennis racquet). Out of necessity, I had to conduct important business only in Spanish, with no translator available. It was great how well the Spaniards embraced me, and even taught me how to do the work my company is famous for! My Spanish is pretty good, my German is functional, and my Chinese is just getting started. I tried every chance I could to speak the language... but after two full days of almost all Spanish, I had trouble transitioning back to German.

My "sight running" trips were amazing. I would pick a route that was up to 24km (15mi) long to run, and bring my camera. Run hard, stop and take pictures, run hard, take pictures. I ran through downtown Bilbao during the sunset as it lit up the Guggenheim... and again at sunrise through the Casco Viejo... In Shanghai, I was weaving through the parks that line the busy streets going to downtown Shanghai - the zenlike experience seeing the old people practice their Tai Chi in total silence and concentration, while thousands of bikes, scooters, cars and pedestrians passed by. In Busan, Korea - my hotel was on the beach, so I got to run up and down the beautiful coastline, to the rocky cliffs where an amazing network of wooden walkways, bridges and steps allowed breathtaking views.

I rode the Mag Lev train in Shanghai for the first time. 431km/hr = 268mph!! The power and speed as the train banked through the turns was amazing! I always ride the German ICE (high speed rail)... not quite as fast as the Mag Lev at 300km/hr (186mph), but is the ultimate in luxury, comfort and engineering precision (it is SILENT). The cab rides in Shanghai between my hotel and the office in the Free Trade Zone were frightening to say the least. Traffic signals and lines are just suggestions to these people. Bikes/scooters/people/cars all merging into one big stew! Never been so sure about getting into an accident, and one not occurring.