Only a couple days left

Well, to be honest here, I am starting to tire out... I have been walking non-stop since I got here and sleeping in places I'm not used to... and I am missing my bed! I really am loving my time here in Germany though and am SO glad that I took the time to take a break from my ever-exhausting thesis research.

I am loving the culture, the sights, and the not working!! I have made it a point to not do constant sight-seeing. I have taken time to slow down, cruise along the shops and sit and read my book either along the Neckar, Isar and tomorrow, the Rhine rivers.

Tomorrow I am going to cruise around Köln (Cologne) and relax with my book some more. Köln is the next big city that is only 20-30 minutes from Bonn. It is the 3rd largest city in Germany with lots to do. In the evening, I will go to dinner with my friends Veit, Andrea and Franz who are here in Bonn working hard (even on a Saturday).

Sunday I will spend in Frankfurt with a woman who I don't actually know (yet). As it works out, a friend of mine from the lab out in Worcester has a sister in Frankfurt and when she found out I was going to be flying in and out of that city, she wrote her sister immediately so that we could meet and she could show me around the town. I thought that was very sweet of her! Monday is a holiday out here and she is even going to bring me to the airport! How nice is that?!?!

Anyhow, there is still lots to see and people to meet, so I'll make sure to put up lots of pictures when I get back to my computer in the states.

The Labs of Germany

OK, so it seems that the very first thing that everyone wants to do is to show me the lab. It was the first thing I did in Heidelberg, München and now Bonn. The lab in Heidelberg was built in the 70's and it looks like it. The lab I visited at the Universitz of München is a brand new basement!! And it is also the size of my small bedroom in Worcester. The lab in Bonn which is brand new is absolutely amazing... brand new... nice and big... very pretty.

Now I am going off to tour Bonn and tomorrow, Köln.

ciao!

Tipping in Germany

Ok, so last night, I went out with my friends Peter, Barbara and their friends Matias & Jess. We went to this super chill Cocktail House for some drinks. At the end, we were paying our bill and mine was $5.90 so I gave $11.00 so I would get a 5 and $.10 back instead of a bunch of change. So I give her the money and she gives me the five and I#m thinking to myself "where's my 10 cents?". So I ask her for it and she kinda looks at me like "seriously?" but then she gives it to me and moves on.

This wasn't a normal bar. It was a nice place where you sit down and she waits on tables as a waitress would in a restaurant. I was going to leave $1 on the table for her... much nicer than 10 cents!! Anyhow, when she left, my friend told me that it was totally rude for me to ask for my change and that normally, they just round up and that is the tip. For example, If I owed $4.60, I would give $5 and let her keep the change.

I don't know why I haven't come across this yet, but I hadn't (probably because I haven't been eating in too many restaurants on my visit). I vaguely remember my friend Andrea telling me about this round-up rule... but in that moment, I had forgotten. Then I asked my friend Peter why he told me this in front of our friends (mostly because I was embarrased). When correcting me, he had started off with "I know this is the American way..." so in his mind, he was explaining to the friends that I wasn't trying to be rude, but instead was just doing what was normal to me but at the same time he was correcting me.

Anyhow, it's all good now. Matias, Jess and Barbara don't think I am rude... and hopefully the waitress enjoyed her buck more than the dime. I doubt this will be my last mistake...

MÜNCHEN

Hi from Munich (München) everyone! I am currently in Munich staying with my friend Peter and his girlfriend Barbara. We are really having just a lovely time. Monday I met up with my friend and saw his lab and ate lunch with his lab buddies. Then I did a bike tour of the city which was a great way to see many things fast. Tuesday I hung out with Barbara and we went and did some sun-bathing on the bank of the Isbach (?) River in the middle of the English garden followed by some shopping. Last night we had a pizza party with some of Peter's friends and his brother came also. We had a really great time just hanging out and relaxing. Today I am going to go to the Deutsche Museum and then hopefully go on the Third Reich Tour in the afternoon (weather permitting).

It has been quite hot the last couple days (high 80's) and today is significantly cooler- about 10 degrees... thank goodness!! Looking forward to more fun with friends... be patient for pictures!!

Corbin Vincenti Hartman is born!!!

The Hartman family welcomes a new baby boy. Born to my brother Craig and his wife Ana and their other son Matthew... May 23rd 2009 Corbin Vincenti Hartman.

Yay!

German Washing Machines

Germans take their washing machines very seriously... but it is rare to have a dryer in the house. I am staying with my friend Andrea in Heidelberg currently and I do recall that when she was in Worcester for several months, she complained about American washing machines and how they don't get her clothes clean. These can actually turn into heated discussions! Anyhow, yesterday she did a load of towels and we were waiting for that to finish. I kept waiting... and waiting... the cycle took at least 2 hours! Unbelieveable! 2 hours!?!? Apparently the machine fills with water, literally brings the water to a boil, and then starts the wash & rinsing cycles. I never knew I had to boil my clothes to get them good and clean. But then you've got to wait 2-3 days for your towels to dry...

Hi From Heidelberg

Hi everyone... I'm updating my blog from Germany...

First of all, I'd like to mention that I am using a German keyboard and this takes me longer to write... my first sentence would look like this if I were using an American keyboard:

Hi everzone... Iäm updating mz blog from Deütschland

(not much of a difference, but the "Y" isn't in the same place and neither is the punctuation stuff. Oh well...

Yesterday (Wednesday) I landed in Frankfurt at 10:45 am. I took the red eye flight from Chicago that left Monday at 7:30pm. I was destroyed yesterday but today am not so jetlagged. I was in bed by 9pm and woke up at 9am. Yesterday my friend Andrea and I walked around a bit... I saw her lab at the University of Heidelberg (she had to finish something up that she stopped to come get me at the train station) and I also saw the botanical gardens that are right by her lab. We also saw Marktplatz that is in downtown Heidelberg (right next to her apartment) and we went to the Old Bridge "Karl-Theodor Brücke". The original wooden bridge that was originally there was flooded and destroyed and was replaced by this beautiful "new" bridge is still pretty old though. :-)

Today we went to the Heidelberg Schloss (the old castle) which is basically a middle-age ruin. It was pretty cool... with some nice gardens and a German Apotheke museum. Then we went to a grassy area on the side of the Neckar river with a blanket and our books to relax and read a little bit. It is a really popular place for students to hang out at and it was pretty crowded... it was fun until it started raining. Then we came back to her flat and read a bit here while she washed a load of towels and then we went to the "Philosophenweg" which is a nice walk with an arduous climb to the top but a beautiful view of the city from there.

It was a really nice couple of days... I will be in Heidelberg through Sunday when I move on to München.

Pictures to follow when I return to the States. I didn't bring my computer link for the camera.

Having loads of fun...