Happy election day to all back in the States. The news here is flooded with predictions, analysis, and anticipation. In fact, Kerry has become something of a celebrity around Germany, with quickly-written biographies filling the shelves and selling at astounding rates. It�s probably accurate to say that Europe will hold its breath as it goes to bed tonight. I just hope we have a winner in the morning.
The train trip from Vienna to Munich was very nice. We sat in a compartment with six seats, our first daytime compartment of the trip, with only one other person � from Los Angeles, no less. The trip took just over four hours and took us through some absolutely beautiful country.
After arriving, we checked into our hotel (delightfully close to the train station) and then traveled to the center of town, only one s-bahn stop away. It�s so nice to have an easy and quick way to get downtown � much better than our situation in Vienna. And, definitely unlike Vienna or Paris, we have yet to encounter piles of dog �leftovers� on the sidewalks. It�s quite a relief.
We had our first taste of German food yesterday: sausages and sauerkraut. Very good flavor, but I�m hoping the food from here on involves a few more vegetables. I also tried a bowl of soup only to find out later that the big meatball was actually ground liver. But I have to admit it tasted wonderful, and I will probably have it again. Other specialties of the region include many different ways to cook liver and calf�s heart. Colleen is vowing to stay away from all of it.
We also spent some time at the Hofbrauhaus, the legendary tourist-filled beer hall in downtown Munich. Surprisingly enough, there weren�t very many tourists there. A mostly local crowd swilled down beer from enormous glasses (over 1 liter). It was a fun but smoky detour into the celebratory nightlife of Munich. We didn�t have the chance to really see any sights, because the country was celebrating All Saints� Day with a national holiday that closed just about everything.
So today will be our first real day in Munich. I have uploaded some pictures from Vienna. To see them, go to http://photos.yahoo.com/psargent and click on the Vienna folder.
We hope all of you are well. Don�t forget to go out and vote. We�ll be waiting anxiously over here to see the results. Above all, enjoy the atmosphere and the contest. And may the best Democrat win.
Paul and Colleen
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