Germany on Business

From London, I flew to Stuttgart. I panicked on the plane for I had to figure out on my own in German how to get from Stuttgart to the university city of Tubingen about hour south of the airport. My city instincts returned, or rather a bus outside the airport was heading in that direction. The company which I was investigating for work could have been located in an industrial central European minefield like in the far west and north of Germany. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble for nights and a day on Tubingen, an ancient, hilly, even romantic university city, much like Heidelberg. Mornings and evenings, I climbed the squares and stairs up to the Castle to survey the town and river below. The hotel was lonely, but the hotel's German smorgesbord for breakfast couldn't be beat. In the morning, I ate everything from soft pretzels to yoghurt and dried apricots.

Tubingen, quite a surprise. A bridge connected the new town to the old.

Because of the river, boating is a popular tourist pasttime.

I made several trips up the hill through the old town. Buildings dated from the 16th to 20th centuries.

I looked up expecting boiling oil through murder holes.

Summitting at the castle, I surveyed Tubingen. Not a bad burb.

Somewhat flat and forested. The weather was grand and the days long. I expect lots of snow in the winter.

Upper storey of the inner courtyard of the castle. Mr. Cross would make a comment here about hammer joints.

Castle tower. I'm not sure what the structure defends.

The scaling is wrong, but this door is perhaps three feet tall.

Only the Germans would have a hexagonal bus map. I can't understand it.

My work colleagues; a great bunch of folks.

Cross takes a picture of the countryside. He's been all over the world checking out suppliers.

Tunnel. Tree. Stone.

Wonderful that I work now for a DNA-sequencing company.

Nope, delete that picture...and that one.

Pretty sweet spot for a random chemical-plant visit.

The former monastery at Bebenhausen. Our host kindly drove us after lunch for a quick stroll around the compound.

Of course we Americans were thrilled by the age of such a historic structure.

All scientists have a monk in them.

The monastery was quiet except for some excitable Yanks snapping pictures.

The old country.

Covered Stairway to Heaven.

For ancient complexes, water and where it was obtained was of tantamount importance.

I liked the antlers.

Most of the Tubingen homes were built four or five storeys high, turning the town into medieval skyscrapers.

A tour of the castle's moat. Paul and I found a secret passage back into the courtyard.

Tubingen, quite a surprise. A bridge connected the new town to the old.	Because of the river, boating is a popular tourist pasttime.	I made several trips up the hill through the old town. Buildings dated from the 16th to 20th centuries.	I looked up expecting boiling oil through murder holes.	Summitting at the castle, I surveyed Tubingen. Not a bad burb.
Somewhat flat and forested. The weather was grand and the days long. I expect lots of snow in the winter.	Upper storey of the inner courtyard of the castle. Mr. Cross would make a comment here about hammer joints.	Castle tower. I'm not sure what the structure defends.	The scaling is wrong, but this door is perhaps three feet tall.	Only the Germans would have a hexagonal bus map. I can't understand it.
My work colleagues; a great bunch of folks.	Cross takes a picture of the countryside. He's been all over the world checking out suppliers.	Tunnel. Tree. Stone.	Wonderful that I work now for a DNA-sequencing company.	Nope, delete that picture...and that one.
	Pretty sweet spot for a random chemical-plant visit.	The former monastery at Bebenhausen. Our host kindly drove us after lunch for a quick stroll around the compound.	Of course we Americans were thrilled by the age of such a historic structure.	All scientists have a monk in them.
The monastery was quiet except for some excitable Yanks snapping pictures.	The old country.	Covered Stairway to Heaven.	For ancient complexes, water and where it was obtained was of tantamount importance.	I liked the antlers.
Most of the Tubingen homes were built four or five storeys high, turning the town into medieval skyscrapers.	A tour of the castle's moat. Paul and I found a secret passage back into the courtyard.