Life on the Vine

Okay, I figured out the problem with my video. It has been at least two years since I last wore ice skates but I can't think of a more fun way to get back on the ice than at an outdoor ice rink here in downtown Stuttgart. The weather was just gorgeous and couldn't beat the ambiance. Doing the video work is Nicole, the wife of one of my co-workers. She is from Wisconsin if you are wondering about the accent.

Months before arriving in Germany I had tons of people, who had lived in Germany once themselves, preparing me for how much the Germans love Christmas.  Every city hosts its own Christmas market, which is a collection of vendors - gifts, clothes, food, etc.  I am quickly learning that the Germans love their festivals.  So, needless to say I was looking forward to my first experience at a German Christmas Market.    I had also been told about this stuff called Glühwein, which they also sell at the Christmas markets.  It is heated red wine, with cloves and cinnamon and usually lemon or orange juice.  The neat thing too about the Glühwein is that each town has its own glass that the wine is served in.  You can either return the glass and get your deposit back or you can keep them as a type of souvenir.  Last night I went to my very first Christmas Market in downtown Stuttgart.  It is definitely worth going at night when all the Christmas lights are on and the weather couldn't have

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.  Hard to believe that this time last year I was in Iraq celebrating Thanksgiving in Baghdad's International Zone.  Now here I am in Germany.  Tom and I will be spending our second Thanksgiving apart but he will be spending the long weekend with Maxwell and I'll be here getting things ready to move into our apartment.  So, we have many things to be thankful. Here at U.S. Africa Command the Public Affairs Office is very diverse.  There is a U.S. Air Force major and staff sergeant; an Army colonel and major; a Navy lieutenant and petty officer, civilians, contractors and a language specialist from Morocco, who speaks English, French and Arabic.  The Navy lieutenant and his wife have invited those of us in the office with no plans to come over to their home for Thanksgiving dinner.  Should be a great time. Happy Thanksgiving! 

As part of my three week in-processing, I went to a week-long program called Head Start.  In the class we learned some introductory German phrases, learned about German culture and customs, and also did a day trip to downtown Stuttgart.  While we were downtown we went into City Hall.  On the entry wall there are these coat-of-arms type plaques showing all of Stuttgart's sister/partner cities.  And guess what?  St. Louis, Missouri is a sister city.  I also find it interesting that my area code in St. Louis was 314 and now, here in Germany, my DSN (which is a military phone system) three digit prefix is 314.  Nice to have these small touches of home even while living across an ocean.

Soon after arriving in Germany I crossed paths with Ritter Sport and since our introduction we have forged a beautiful friendship. Now, don't worry.  I'm not trading Tommy in for some guy named Ritter.  Ritter Sport is a company based in Waldenbuch, just south of Stuttgart, and they are in the wonderfully delicious business of making Schokolade, aka CHOCOLATE!!!!!! The Ritter Sport chocolate bars come in a beautiful array of flavors...one of my favorites is rum flavored chocolate with nuts and raisins.  Yummy!  I would hate to have to account for how many bars I have consumed since arriving here 6 weeks ago. I may have heard this before but probably thought it was just a saying, but it is a scientific fact that there is something special about chocolate.  In fact the Cacao plant's scientific name is 'Theobroma cacao' and Theobroma means "food of the gods."  And, before I go any further, let me also add that the delectable sweet does have health bene

I'm sure some of you might have given up on me and my twice promised posting of photos taken on Columbus Day at the Ludwigsburg Palace.  So sorry for the delay.  I'm going to give some facts about the palace and then share some photos.  I've got lots of other things to share so I may do another post this weekend.  I have been in the office for 3 weeks now so I can tell you a bit about how things are going at work AND I got the total blessing of flying down to Malta for a long weekend last weekend to see Tom. So...Ludwigsburg Palace. The palace is one of Europe's largest preserved Baroque palaces...I heard it referred to as the "Swabian Versailles."  Swabian is a term used for the part of Germany that Stuttgart is in.  The palace was built by Duke Eberhard Ludwig between 1704 and 1733.  It has 452 rooms (we got to walk through almost 100) in 18 buildings.  The grounds are surrounded by the permanent Blooming Baroque Garden.  Other noted occupants, who also