Walking in the footsteps of history

Gen Eisenhower and Gen Fairchild at Maxwell

Ah, it's so nice to be back in the USA! Even though I'm stuck here in Montgomery, Alabama for the time being, it's still home. Montgomery isn't all bad though. Yes, Maxwell AFB is in a bad neighborhood but the place more than makes up for it with it's sweet tea, friendly people, and incredible history. History buffs will recall that Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy, the home of MLK's church, and the launching pad for the civil rights movement derived from Rosa Park's refusal to give up her seat on a city bus. I stumbled across many historical markers that commenorated these events when I took a four hour "urban hike" through downtown.

Montgomery is also home to Maxwell AFB. Maxwell is close to a site where the Wright brothers established America's first flying school. Maxwell is also home Air University--the school I'm currently attending. It was here where airpower ledgends in the making such as Spatz, Lemay and Fairchild devised the aerial war plans to bring down Nazi Germany. It's a great feeling to walk in the footsteps of these heroes. Who knows; maybe the fifty years from now people will look back with pride at the work my colleages and I have done here at Maxwell. Is this history in the making? Only time will tell.

On a different note, Christmas is coming and I couldn't be more excited to spend it with friends and family in sunny California. Last year we spent Christmas in Germany and even though we had some family in town, it simply wasn't the same. This Chirstmas promises to be a great one. I haven't left all of Germany behind, however. I did manage to pack some Gluwein, hefeweisen, and other German goodies for all of us to enjoy. Only ten days to go!

Cheerio Chap! Thanksgiving in London

If we can’t be home in CA for Thanksgiving, we figured we would at least spend it in an English speaking country. That’s right; we spent our Thanksgiving in Jolly ol’ England. Ironic, eh?

This was a quick turn trip. Why? This place is pricy! Even with the exchange rate much higher against the Pound, London is still a very expensive city. For a day pass on their Tube, it set us back around 25 bucks. The same thing in Paris would be around half of that. A week in this city would send us to the poorhouse. We opted for a 48 hour tour de force of London instead.

Anyone who’s been to London knows there is no way you can really do this place in a day an a half so we didn’t even try. We set our sights on a few sights and focused our time on those. We hit up the London Eye (pix above is taken atop this huge ferris wheel), Tower of London, and Imperial War Museum during our time. We also were determined to see some of the shops we see on Sky TV (this is the only English language alternative to the Armed Forces Network here in Germany). The rest of the time was spent soaking up the English culture.

Speaking of culture, Londoners struck us as very polite folks. While they all seemed in to be in a huge hurry all the time, they were always polite. Also, I fell in love Englishisms: Words like brilliant, mate, cheers seem to make the English language more pleasant.

While England is definitely distinct from the US in many ways, London has much of the same stuff we would see in a big US city: Starbucks on every corner, Quiznos, Dominos Pizza, KFC, Krispy Kream, etc. Also, the diversity in London is similar to what you would see in a big city such as LA or NYC. While there was an occasional pasty white Brit running around, they were mixed in with a huge melting pot with Indians, Pakistanis, Eastern Europeans, Africans, etc. Finally, did I happen to mention how much Jen and I loved to be in an English speaking country? This familiarity was a great feeling!

Check out some of our pix:

Julia with the Kings Table Ale
Jen and Luke in front of the Tower of London's Martin tower (Where her Irish Catholic ancestors were imprisoned?) Jen and some bloke standing guard over the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London

Ye ol Chap in the Imperial War Museum

Julia's 1st time Ice Skating!

Yesterday we headed to downtown Kaiserslautern to take Julia ice skating. They set up an indoor rink complete with lights and music. Since Greg's a much better skater than I am he took JJ out on the ice while Luke and I looked on from the sidelines. They had a great time and Julia says that she wants to try again...First we have to wait for Greg's back to recover from all that leaning over and holding Julia up!! Here are some pics from our day!

Julia modeling in her skates

Greg and Julia take the ice

Luke takes a spin around the ice...He so wanted to skate by himself

Med Cruise Revisited

Not much commentary...Just pix: JJ and me in Corfu

Mykonos Love




Two things: I have a son who loves his chocolate ice cream and I have a wife with the prettiest green eyes.

Thanks to our travel partners Gary and Lauretta for taking these pix!

Got Snow?

The mercury on our thermometer is barely there which means the snow is only weeks (or days) away. In fact I had to scrape the ice off of my car for the first time yesterday morning. Definitely won't miss that when I move back to the US. For most, this is bad news. In general, Europe is a downer in the dead of winter. Sure, the Gluhwein and Christmasmarkts are nice but this place simply shuts down for about four months.

For us skiiers/snowboarders, this is good news! Bring on the white fluffy stuff. I would much rather have snow than the various shades of dark blue and gray that dominate the environment these days. Anyhow, snowboarding in Europe is great. The lift tix are about half price over here and the lift lines aren't bad. There are plenty of mountains to choose from and the Apres Ski scene is legendary. Here are some of my favorite pix from my past snowboarding trip here in Europe:

Catching some air...I was on my arse a couple seconds after this pix was taken (Austria, 2007)


Chillin with my Ski Buddy, Brent (Austria, 2007)
A warm Apres Ski coctail with the Zugspitze mountain as a backdrop (Garmisch, Germany 2006)

Visions of the Cold War

So if you read the headlines these days, you would have never known the cold war is over. Russia is now back to their old tricks and the Castro brothers are seeking a new alliance with them. All things come full circle, right?

Anyhow, I’ve always been fascinated by Eastern Europe. Unlike WWI and WWII, I can clearly remember the days of the DDR, Gorbachev, and the Iron Curtain. These vivid memories makes travel to the former Soviet satellite countries so much more interesting. We haven’t seen much but we have been to the former East Germany, Czech Republic, and most recently Croatia. Before I head back to the US, I hope to at least go to Poland and Hungary (Jen, however, said I can count her out for these trips).

What struck me about each of these countries is how much they now embrace capitalism. I’m convinced the only reason they keep the old Soviet area crap around is that it attracts tourists from the West who are willing to pay big money for the Commie experience. Now they’ve had a chance to prosper under capitalism, it’s clear there is no going back.

Another thing that I found is that the people in these areas are much more reserved and stoic. Our friend Lena is from the Ukraine and she stated the reason for this is that under the Soviet thumb, the people were urged not to show emotion. No crying, no smiling, no public displays of affection. How depressing. While many folks rushed to a new economic system, many did not embrace the notion of free expression unfortunately. I understand this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different than what I’m accustomed to. We’ll see what happens with the newer generations. Maybe there’s a smile to be found in the future.

Here are some pix from our travels behind the old iron curtain, Comrade:

Architectural mural depicting the citizens of Prague welcoming their Soviet Liberators (June 07)

Croatian (formerly Yugoslavia) countryside (Oct 08)

Now I'm not an expert in the Croation language but I'm pretty sure this reads, "You are now leaving the American sector..."

Julia checking out a record player and wine that were both manufactured by the State at the DDR Museum in Berlin (Feb 07)

On a different note, I am glad the election is finally over. Now that Obama has been elected, the Europeans love America again. Imagine that! It happened almost overnight. Regardless, politics gives me a headache. That’s all I have to say about that for now.

The Feta Cheese and Tex Mex Connection

Lots to catch up on with this post. I've noticed that it's been nearly a month since our last post and this can be chalked up to three things:

1. Luke isn't exactly sleeping through the night

2. Our internet has been down for three weeks

3. We just got back from our Med Cruise!

Yup, we headed down to Venice Italy last month and set sail for Greece and Croatia. You simply cannot beat mid seventies in the last week of October. The weather was perfect and the cruise was just what we needed. The journey started with a couple days in the Aviano area before we boarded our ship. Aviano is home to the 31st Fighter Wing (and cheap AF lodging) so we decided to explore this area which lies at the foot of the Dolomite Mountains. We spent an evening in the town of Pordenone experiencing what the Italians call a "pasagato". In other words, a pasagato is simply a stroll down the walkplatz area of their old town while checking out the scene. People watching is a national passtime in Italy and it wasn't hard to see why. Italians are live out loud people who are very entertaining to watch. Also, they are extremely well-dressed in my opinion. I'm sure we looked really sloppy compared to these Prada sporting people. We capped the night as any self respecting Italian would: By sipping an espresso and munching on bits of chocolate.

Jen and Luke in Pordenone, Italy

Soon thereafer we boarded our ship in Venice and we were on our way! After a day at sea, we found ourselves in Athens. Ever since I took my first architecture class at Texas Tech, I've always wanted to visit Athens--home of the Acropolis. This city didn't disappoint. The Acropolis and Parthenon were fantastic. Next port was Katakolon which is just outside the ancient city of Olypia. We skipped the trek out to the ancient olypic ruins and opted to stay on the beach while sipping Mythos greek beer. We then sailed to the ports of Mykonos and Corfu in Greece and then on to Split in Croatia. Here are some pix:

Formal Night on the Cruise Ship

More Formal Night with our Glamorous Daughter Athena (I mean Julia)

Athens: Feeling the Groove at the Parthenon

Prince Luke Surveying his Kingdom of Athens

Lazy Afternoon in Mykonos under the Bougainvillia

I Should have hit the tanning booth before the trip

Grandma and Grandpa Martin with their "escort" Julia in Split, Croatia

So what does all of this have to do with Tex Mex? Well, yesterday we found out we will be headed to San Antonio, home of the Riverwalk (see below), for our next tour of duty. As I explained to my family earlier today, this is a bittersweet assignment. We were hoping for California but Texas was as far west as we could get. On the brighter side, we regard Texas as our second home. I put in 4 1/2 years there during college and Jen spent 3. Reagan is from there and Jen has lots of family in the Lubbock area. Also, many of our friends are in Texas so this is going to be a great assignment for us. Germany has been great but the sunshine of San Antonio beckons.

Images of Ramstein

Some pix from my promotion last week:

Here's a pix of me and my bros at work:

Lederhosen Anyone?

There's a great song by the White Stripes that goes something like, "Fall is here, hear the yell, back to school, ring the bell..." Just like the arrival of fall is marked by a new school year, fall is also ushered in by the most spectacular colors here in Germany. Nowhere are these colors more dramatic than in the Bavarian Alps. Take a closer look...

While this last weekend was supposed to be our big Oktoberfest trip, it turned out to be a bit more low key. Let's just say that when we got to Munich, the weather sucked and there were drunks falling all over the place. Oh yeah, it was only 1 PM and people were already passed out and things were getting downright insane. Last year when I went without the kids in tow, the thing was a totally different experience. In fact, it was a total blast! This time around, it was a lot tougher to let go and enjoy ourselves.

Despite the rocky start to the weekend, we had a great time last weekend. By the time Sunday rolled around, the clouds moved on and the temperature got well into the sixties. I was able to coax the family into donning lederhosen and dirndl for a few pix (BTW, Jen's going to kill me for posting her pix in this outfit). Everyone looked great! Jen does too, don't you all agree?

We talked to some of the locals and discovered a spectacular lake above the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Turns out this lake served as the ice hockey rink for the 1936 winter olympics. Also, we saw this incredible castle on the German-Austrian border...


In the weeks ahead we are going to be headed down to Italy and setting sail on a cruise. Definitely looking forward to it. The last cruise I went on a few years back departed from Anaheim and went through some jungle. Time to get my sea legs back.

Festivus for the Rest-of-us

Fall is definitely here and back home in the US, this means back to school and the start of football season. In Germany this can only mean one thing: Fests! Germans seem to have this crazy desire to get one last blowout party in before winter really sets in. Why? Germany and the rest of Europe north of the Alps shuts down for five months when it's cold. This is everyone's last chance to live it up before the suck arrives. I can dig it.

The US has many things that, in my opinion, are far superior compared to what exists in Germany. 24 hour convenience stores, BBQ, and football with pigskin are all things that Germany needs ASAP. However, Germany seems to have "cracked the code" when it comes to throwing an incredible fest. They are a total blast and it is difficult to compare it to anything back home. Sure, there are plenty of fairs and carnivals back home but they're not the same.

Here's an example: My childhood hometown of Sunland (suburban Los Angeles) throws their annual Watermelon Festival every June. I don't want to sound like a snob but it's lame. There are some trucked in rides that were built in the sixties which are operated by Carnies (and their dogs) that haven't realized that they are no longer living in the sixties. Alcohol isn't served because if it was, there would be drunken lawlessness that would ruin the event (even further). Music, if there is any, would be provided by Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick or some other band long past their prime. Most of my friends at home would rather stay home and watch TV than go to these things.

Germany, on the other hand, comes alive during these fests. We've had the opportunity to hit a few of these up in the last month or so. First, we went to the Witlich Pig Burners Festival with my brother and his family (see the write up a few posts ago). We then had a blast at a wine fest in the riverside town of Bernkastel Kues. What made this fest special was the parade. Rather than seeing the Shriners drive around their miniature cars and the VFW parade around a busted up float, we saw float entries from each village in the local area celebrating their local wine. The folks in the Mosel region are fiercely proud of their local winery and aren't afraid to proclaim that their wine is "besser" and the other villages vintage taste like "scheisse". Honestly, all the wine from this area is pretty damn good scheisse.

Last weekend we stopped by the Bad Durkheim Wurst and wine fest. What made this special was the festive atmosphere in their massive wine tent. Here a bunch of slightly inebriated folks sipped wine, ate huge plates of chicken and potatoes, and sang along to the ompapa band. Unlike the US, the Germans tend to smoke up like chimneys and pack as many people together as possible at these things but even that couldn't take away from the experience. Anyhow, we were all pretty surprised when the band suddenly donned cowboy hats and broke into a version of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads". On a side note, the Germans have sort of a thing for the Country Western thing. Anyhow, the place went crazy and everyone sang along with thick accents. We met up with some friends of ours and they too had a great time.

We head to the mother of all festivals, Munich's legendary Oktoberfest, in a couple weeks. Should be a blast.

Take a moment to check out some of the pix on this post. The one with the float is from the B-K Winefest. If you look close, it is a float dedicated to spanking naughty children. Love it! For some reason, Julia didn't. Another one is from the Pig Burners festival. I think Daniel and I actually ate some of that unfortunate piggy. The next couple are from last weekend's wine fest in B-D. The crazy couple to the right are friends of ours from Ramstein. Good stuff.

Prost!

The Hills Are Alive! Salzburg and Austria's Best Villages

We loaded up and headed out to Salzburg, a.k.a. the land of the Sound of Music as Jen would remind us all. Very nice city. The weather, on the other hand--not so nice. Even though it is still officially summer, winter has set in. We didn't let that deter us.

While Julia and Jen took in a Sound of Music marionette show on our first night there, Luke and I hit the town. We hiked to the top of the fortress and took in this grand city. My son, who is too cute for words, has become quite a flirt. BTW, he loves it when girls speak German to him. He gets the biggest grin and really responds to it.

Salzburg was also the home to one of the best Biergartens I've ever seen. The Augustiner Brauhaus is exactly what I picture when I think of a good biergarten: Huge beer steins, endless tables under the shade of trees, and lots of brats and pretzels. A little slice of heaven! Speaking of which, the place was run by monks. I wonder that meant we didn't need to attend church the next day. I certainly hope so.

Here are some pix of our day in Salzburg:

Jen and I in Mirabell Gardens

Cannons awaiting the Turkish Invasion

Happy Family

Hi. I'm Luke and I'm Cute!

As nice as Salzburg was, I knew Austria had better to offer. The next day, we discovered that it did indeed. In fact, I 've come to adopt a travel philosophy as a result. It goes like this: Over the last two and some odd years, I've learned a valuable travel lesson: Stay out of the cities. They're overrun with Japanese and Americans (or worse, new rich Russians), they're expensive, and they're not authentic but rather kitschy. Sure, the cities are cool for a while but after a while the become boring. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Jen will definitely disagree but once you've been to Paris, all other cities pale in comparison.

Julia Taunting the Ducks

I've found the best of Europe in the small villages. One such village was St. Wolfgang which was about fifty clicks outside of Salzburg in the Austrian Lake District. This place was incredible.

It wasn't crawling with people and it really felt like the real deal. Example: the locals actually wore lederhosen and it wasn't for some lame tourist attraction. Let me try to paint the picture for you...We were taking in the amazing half timbered houses and quaint walkplatz streets as night fell after an incredible Italian dinner. As we were taking in this great lakeside village on foot, the town marching band marched into the town square with trumpets blazing and performed a set for anyone who would listen. As they played locals got up from their tables and danced the night away under the stars. The ladies who accompanied the drum major went around to those who gathered and filled their wine glasses with schnaps from a barrell slung over their shoulders. Our kids were totally into in and Jen and I even got a chance to share a kiss while the kids were distracted. I wish there was a better way to describe the felling but you really needed to have been there. Here are some pix from St. Wolfgang:

The next day we make our way back to the Fatherland and stopped at the border town of Berchtesgaden. Most Americans remember this town as the home of Hitler's Eagle's Nest but it is also home to the Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden or the town Salt Mountain mine. This is part mine, part attraction. On a rainy day like last Sunday, it was just what we needed. It didn't start out so well. We explained to Julia that she had to put on a blue jumpsuit just like the other miners and she flipped out. Not just a little but a total and complete "Tom Cruise Crazy" hysterical breakdown. "I WANT TO WEAR PINK!" she cried. Once we got her in the suit, she saw how incredibly cute she looked and quickly got over it. Thank God! Anyhow, we descended deep into the mountain and got a tour of the salt mining operation. To get down you had to take a large slide down. Cheesy? Yes. Fun? Oh yeah. Take a look at the pix (poor quality unfortunately). What a blast!

Little Miner in Training