So, folks, let’s kill a rumor right now: any stories you have heard about supposed German efficiency are nuggets of fiction. Well, maybe that’s a bit strong, but at the moment, I am pretty peeved. I am not remotely sure where I will be sleeping tonight, despite a hostel booking made over the phone just days ago. Evidently a reservation at the Euro Youth Hotel just means you think you’ll be staying there… until you show up and they send you down the street. It’s a good thing I am flexible or I might actually care.

Touring the Kronenbourg brewery

Either way, Hi, I’m in Munich! The last week swept by quickly: three days in Strasbourg and then four in Tübingen. Strasbourg, as I mentioned earlier, was a bit underwhelming (and stupidly hot outside), but some elements were worth the stop. The regional specialty tarte flambé I had in Colmar, a thin white pizza with smoked ham, onions and yogurt, was really tasty. The Kronenbourg brewery tour was informative, as I actually found myself understanding most of the French and even laughing at a few jokes. One highlight came as a short film ended and the tour guide asked us a few trivia questions:

Guide: Who drinks the most beer in Europe?
Old Wiseass French Guy in the back: Chirac!

Laughter followed, as did some free beer and then a tram ride back to Strasbourg.

Tübingen’s main square

Tübingen is a small college town about an hour by train outside of Stuttgart. The old town is quintessential Germany… half-timbered six-flats leaning over the main square, a few huge churches, castle-like structures and a slight sense of relaxation (probably the Bavarian influence). Sleeping for free on my friend’s couch for several nights was helpful. Last night we dined on bratwurst and potato salad at a riverside beer garden, watching the occasional duck or corny gondola float by.

I mostly relaxed in Tübingen, walked around the town, did a little sightseeing and a lot of reading. Sunday night we watched the France/England Euro Cup game with a bunch of elated Frenchies and a few bitter Brits. All in all, an enjoyable experience, despite the large British head blocking my view of the television. For those of you out of the world sport scene, France was down 1-0 until the last minute, when they scored twice in a row, stunning the Brits and eventually prompting Great Britain to pull out of the European Union.

I enjoyed Reefer Madness… Eric Schlosser is a good writer and a solid analyst. My next book is The Beach, which was a decent movie in the late 90s with that Leonardo kid, but I have heard better things about the book (usually the case).

At the Mercedes museum

Yesterday, I took the train to nearby big-city Stuttgart to check out a few museums. The Mercedes Museum, just out of town on the S-Bahn commuter train was fun. Although I really don’t care about cars, it was cool seeing the old Benzes and some of the classier Mercedes models. Then I checked out the Stuttgart art museum, which normally has a good modern-art wing, but it was roped off and under renovation or something. Bummer. Still some cool stuff there.

At any rate, my time online isn’t cheap, but keep those letters rolling. I have again changed my itinerary (10th time or something), which will add Salzburg and Vienna, a few highlights of Austria, before I hit Prague in a week or so.