i left my heart... in heidelberg?

I loved Heidelberg. I had no idea Germany was so beautiful. People were friendly, the weather was mild and, although public transport was both efficient and ubiquitous, the city was walkable and bicycles were the preferred mode of transport for a great deal of the local population. There were a ton of cute dogs and they seemed to be allowed everywhere, even in restaurants, but these were some of the most well-behaved dogs I'd ever seen.



Our hotel was on the Neckar River, about a 20-minute walk along the river to Old Town. Lining the banks of the river were parks, and everywhere you looked, lots of green space. During the day, I would see people running along the river, walking their dogs, sunning themselves, playing soccer, or just hanging out. There were paddle boats for hire on one side, a marina for all manner of ship, boat or dinghy on the other.






Several times during our stay, at sunset, we'd take a boat into Old Town, then walk along meandering cobblestone streets to a candlelit bistro for dinner, stop for a scoop of gelato somewhere on the main drag, then a last stop at a great neighborhood hangout called The Drug Store for another liter with Jim's co-workers, then a romantic walk along the river back to our hotel. It was almost enough to make me forget the smell of cigarette smoke, which was pervasive. Oh well, can't have everything.

More of Heidelberg and Munich to come...

wrapping up heidelberg

For the past week, Jim and I have been in Heidelberg, Germany, where his MySQL Developer's Conference is being held. We flew from Heathrow to Stuttgart, then took the train to Heidelberg. Tomorrow, Jim wraps up his conference, I finish the rewrite on my screenplay, and we take a train to Munich for Oktoberfest.

The crowd at this developer's conference is a very international one. Except for an unlucky few, employees of Jim's company have the freedom to work from home, from anywhere in the world that has Internet access. While they all speak geek fluently, the languages and accents represented here include Russian, Ukrainian, Swedish, Finnish, British, Australian, Austrian, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, German, Canadian, and Southern accents from the United States. It's a hard-drinking company, and already my liver has taken a pounding from all the beer, wine and black vodka I've consumed. We've taken several boat rides down the Neckar River in addition to the river cruise we took yesterday, toured castles, rode a funicular, been treated to demonstrations from falcons and other birds of prey, and dined on copious amounts of German delicacies (liver dumpling soup, anyone?) beyond schnitzel and sauerkraut.

I had very few expectations going in, but quite a few things have impressed me greatly - for one, Jim's company really is a wonderful employer and they throw one hell of an organized and well-executed conference. That, and damn, this part of Germany is absolutely stunning. I don't think my photographs will do the place justice, and I'm blown away by how clean, green and picturesque the city is, and how easily navigable it is, either by walking or public transport. Parks line the banks of the Neckar River and I see people playing soccer, lounging, dining, biking, sunning themselves, hiking, and walking their dogs - all within a few blocks of train, subway and bus stops, shops, restaurants, and cafes.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Munich and Stuttgart (again), and going to Oktoberfest for the first time. But I do miss my puppy Wonton and my heart aches to see that he misses me and Jim, too. I will post more pictures as time and Internet access will allow, but chances are I won't be able to do that until our return to Los Angeles.

stuttgart, heidelberg and munich - oh my!

Anybody know of fun, interesting, unusual, cool things to see and/or do in Stuttgart and/or Heidelberg, Germany? Jim and I will be there, but he'll be at a conference and I'll be looking for places to hang out and read/write. We'll also be in Munich, but we're there for Oktoberfest, which should provide plenty for me to see and do. Any recommendations? Things to avoid?