Monday 19 February 2018

Dr Livingstone, I presume (II): ... The Ferry Consultant in Karlsruhe

The first thing I do when I get into my room?

I get the FREE little bottle of Grauburgunder from the minibar. LOL.

Soon after, it's nap time.
I wake up feeling all groggy and disoriented.  But I get fresh energy after I wash my feet in the sink and change my socks.  WTF?  Bad energy in the socks?

By 20:00 I’ve managed to walk to Ikoi-Ka Sushi. I realize that the only reason I am going there is to get my Viet fix and not because I’m particularly hungry ;-)  

This time I brought my reading glasses and can actually read the menu.   Lemon-grass chicken?  The Viet ownership is shining through.  But I want something spicy. Hey, how about Kuala Lumpur Duck. With peanut sauce.  I’ve just been to Thailand and not eaten ANYTHING with peanut sauce, so here is my chance.

I ask for wine and the waitress fills a large juice glass to the top, LOL.  
The duck is freshly cooked and crispy but the peanut sauce was nuked could be spicier.  Toned down for the German palate ;-(


I actually start grinning when I hear the waitress talk loudly with the cook in the back in what I can only assume is Vietnamese.  Not so many dsch noises as Chinese ;-)

When it comes to paying, I almost feel like I'm back home.  The duck dish + the HUGE glass of Riesling:  10.90 Euros.  What a change after paying 26 CHF for that Thai curry in Zurich yesterday (NOT including the wine).   Honest pay for honest work.  The restaurant also does take-out and even delivers and there were at least 10 orders filled in the 20 minutes it took me to finish my duck and wine. 

I finish watching the 10th episode of Altered Carbon on Netflix.  Darned. I like Sci-Fi fairy tales. I wish there was another episode.



It is COLD, GREY, and DARK when I wake up again......


Poor Panda


Good nap. It's sunny now ;-)

A quick trip to the train station to buy wine & flowers..... and then I'm prepared to go
NEXT DOOR (LOL) for lunch with the relatives.   Of all my extended family, these two are the only two people who I REALLY get along with .... I really should visit them more often!


T minus 2 hours

Dr. Livingstone just entered Germany after traveling through Switzerland from Italy.

I on the other hand, walked to the train station to buy yet more wine & cigarettes.

The time has come.   I'm meeting Alan, aka The Ferry Consultant, at the Eastern Tiergarten entrance... and we walk to Kommoedchen.
food is good
wine is good
desert is good
as is the conversation
we really should do this more often!


OUCH !
Is that a hang-over? LOL.

9:00
Another Good-Bye visit to Karl & Erna; will miss these people dearly.....  and then it's already time to take the train at 11:00
And the train to Basel that I took last Thursday is LATE by 30 minutes AGAIN !

Sunday 18 February 2018

....on the road . again (NOT) .. STILL ... Pictorial crumbs in the Year of the Grape

a patchwork family ...



Is THAT where I inherited my crooked smile from ????
my friends in the Ruhrgebiet


leaving Mom-Town


Home?  NOT  Just friggin Cold !



This used to be HOME .....




Not anymore. 


Next morning: the We-Are-NOT-Amused look ....


HOW many hours of train travel?


how many chins?


wine & wine



more wine ...


NO NO NO !

A Grand Cru in a minibar without prices.  I think NOT !


like clockwork ...
NOT happy here ....  at least COOP has good wine !
feeling better already ;-)  Chuc Mung Nam Moi !

I MISS Viet Nam !

Monday 12 February 2018

WHERE ... the hell am I going ? ... IST-ZRH-WITCH-WHERE ?....

Golden Light over the Golden Horn


buying WARM clothes

Cat City 

The Tipsy-Turvy way home


Mindbogglingly Boring !

Quality of Life?  You gotta be kidding !

Drunk but happy in the new coat


Don't stop here; it's WITCH country 

freshly woken witches


heating fuel

what happened to my tan?

Atatu"rk & wine,& cold