allyson and bryan

I like the bad news first. So here goes:

CONS
1. Knowing only three German phrases: "danke," "guten tag," and "krieger." The latter doesn't get me very far.
2. Fifty-seven cable channels, but only one in English. And it's CNN.
3. The gastric effects of incessant, irresistable sauerkraut and something called "handkase mit musik," or "hand-cheese with music."
4. Sidewalks that are ruled by the cyclists, not the pedestrians. Oh that reminds me of a fourth word! Achtung.
5. Karaoke bars that are closed on Tuesday nights.

PROS
1. German gummy bears on your $60/night hotel-room pillow.
2. 80-year-old women who drink beer at lunch.
3. The O.C. dubbed in German, thankfully, saving us from any tragic season-three spoilers.
4. It's close to France. That means baguettes and brie. The real stuff.
5. Dogs that, apparently, poop in the shape of humans.

But really, we're having a lovely time here. It's delightful, being in Europe, where the sun shines on the city squares and I'm free to roam aimlessly wearing embarassing, purple, fingerless gloves. We spent most of our week in Frankfurt relaxing, taking our time to casually explore the city and make occasional stops at the requisite museums and churches and parks. Of course, we also induldged in many a meat and sampled the local brews.

After six nights in big-hotel comfort, we left Frankfurt on Monday to hit the nearby "Romantic Road," an admittedly touristy route that will take us through charming, old-world European towns with names like Wurzburg and Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg. Lonely Planet calls Dinkelsbuhl a "colorful medieval town" that's "immaculately preseved," while Wurzburg's a "charming city known for its art, architecture, and delicate wines" and Rothenburg, apparently, includes a "patchwork of winding cobbled lanes lined with incredibly picturesque old houses and trickling fountains." So how can we possibly resist?

After all that road romance, we may try to make it to Austria (Innsbruck and/or Salzburg) before spending a few days Munich, finally arriving Freiburg on September 15 to visit with Tim and Inka.

Finally, for those of you that have requested the lederhosen installment in Bryan's Dance Series, please stay tuned. Now that Suri's finally out there I know we all need something to look forward to.

stars, they're just like allyson @ 9:54 AM