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Monday, 8/27

It looks like all systems are go!

With a day left before we hop on a plane and blow this Popsicle stand for a few days, it looks as if everything I need to get done is either done or will be finished today. It's something upon which I always cast a wary eye; after all, I've been working ahead on certain things for almost three months now, and it would not be cool if something (a dead computer, a mental breakdown, and/or the like) got in the way of all that work.

But thankfully, it appears as if fate has once again cast a loving aura upon everything. So thanks, fate!

Here's what's going on. There won't be a blog here tomorrow, and starting Wednesday afternoon (your time) I'll start posting on our trip blog. You can just keep coming back here to get to it; I'll make sure I leave a link right above this blog so all you need to do is click on one extra thingee. Hopefully, it won't be too much. And if it is, you have my sincere apologies.

Really, you do!

As always, I plan on posting every day we're there, and based on past experience, I should have no problem. However, you never know if a new hotel we're staying at will have bad wi-fi, or if I'll have some kind of technical problem with the equipment I bring along. It hasn't happened yet, and I don't think it will this time, but I just wanna put that out there just in case. I'm also planning on send back radio reports each weekday, so you can listen for those, as well.

Well, I think that's it. We hop on three different planes tomorrow, and assuming everything goes like it should the next time we speak I'll be a quarter of the world away in what the German National “Wetter” Service says should be 83 degree sunshine (we'll see about that). Then, the adventure of following in the footsteps of the misunderstood King Ludwig II begins.

See you then!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/24

Wow, I'm not gonna shoot any TV for three whole weeks. However will I handle it?

(That's sarcasm, by the way).

A couple of days ago I shot three segments of “What's Up” for Fox UP, three segments that will air while I'm gone. I'll shoot the next one a couple of days after I get back, which means that I now have to go three whole weeks without being in front of a TV camera. No “High School Bowl”, no “What's Up”, no “Ryan Report”, no news stories featuring the dork known as History Jim, no nothing.

Upper Michigan is, I'm sure, cheering.

For someone who doesn't work in TV on a full-time basis I'm on TV way too much. I don't think there's any disagreement about that. And maybe that's something good about my going to Germany. I get to spare the U.P. from any further exposure, perhaps even saving a few eyeballs from shearing apart from the sheer terror of having those people see me on their screen again.

Ah, it's the least I can do.

Aside from saving the sanity of viewers all across the Peninsula, it also means that I don't have to care about how I look. Well, maybe I should rephrase that. I don't have to worry if I'm TV-ready. I don't have to make sure I'm wearing a shirt that looks nice on camera. I don't have to shave if I don't want to. I could, literally, look like a homeless person if I wanted. And trust me, when I don't have to do TV that happens more than you'd think. I mean, I'm not planning on looking like I'm homeless while I'm in Germany. I'll look pretty much like I always do.

But at least I have the choice. TV isn't dictating what I have to wear.

Of course, when I get back, it will (quite literally) be back to the grind. I start shooting “What's Up”s the day after my return, “High School Bowl” begins before the end of the month, and I have a sneaking suspicion that TV crews may come a-calling for that program I have on the 22^nd. So take this as either a gift or a warning, Upper Michigan--

Enjoy watching TV the next three weeks without me on it. That's soon gonna change.

8-)

On that note, have yourself a great weekend. I know I have all kinds of last-minute things that need attention, but I'll try to sneak in a little fun and a little sun at the same time.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/23

I wonder if it'll be any better when I get back.

This is one of those weird thoughts that popped into my head while running yesterday, and actually has to do with my workout schedule. I think I've mentioned in here that it's been a very active summer; aside from my usual running & working out, I've been biking a lot more than normal (I have to try & keep up with Loraine, after all), and we've even added a weekly bout of soccer to our schedule, as well. That's a lot of (healthy) exercise, and I will admit that there are days when I feel it. I'm sore, I'm a little tired, and it takes a little longer to get motivated and/or just get out of the chair.

But I've also noticed something else, like at the end of my run yesterday. This is a run I think I've talked about before, where I basically try to kill myself running up & down the hills of downtown Marquette. Usually when I'm finished I'm beat; no matter no often I run them, those hills, especially in summer, really take it out of you. But during the past few hill days, which I usually save for days when I've recovered just a bit, I have noticed I have a very strong finish when I tackle the final hill.

I am no longer beat when I'm done with the run.

I attribute that fully to the extra work I've been doing this summer, just like I attribute the fact that I seem to have added a lot of thigh muscle recently to the work I've been doing this summer. (Seriously—for the first time in my life I can't get my hands around my thighs. It's weird). So all the extra biking and soccer has paid off. Despite the additional soreness and tiredness I go though because of it, I can make it up hills easier than usual. I can (try to) keep up with Loraine on a bike.

It's almost like I'm an athlete, or something. Which I'm not. But I'm married to one, and that's why I'm almost there.

And that led me to the weird thought—if I can do all that now when I'm sore and stiff and tired, what will I be like when we get back from Germany? Aside from hiking and a lot of walking, I won't have the chance to do a lot of what I usually do. I won't be running, or working out, or biking, or playing soccer for almost two weeks. All the little assorted aches and pains should have time to heal. And since most experts say it takes a while for a person who doesn't exercise to lose whatever fitness level they're all, I should hopefully be at the strength I am now when we get back, minus whatever aches & pains I currently have.

Hence the weird thought—if I can now go up hills and do other things now better than I have been, what'll it be like in two weeks when I still have the strength but (hopefully) not the assorted aches & pains? Will I zip up them like they're not even there? Will my feet & my knees, unencumbered by two weeks of not running & working out & biking & soccering, actually be able to respond like they've been fully recharged and ready to go? Or will my muscles, given the 12 day break, go on vacation, and decide that it's their turn to now be sore & achy? I have no idea. I've never been a situation like this.

But you know what? It'll be interesting to find out. Wish me luck.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/22

Is it weird that while we're getting ready to go on a trip we're already working on the next?

Yeah, that's what I thought, too.

However, there are extenuating circumstances on why we're working on our next European jaunt before even starting the one that's already set to go. Long-time readers of this know that it's our habit to travel at the end of August and beginning of September; that way, we get to roll the Labor Day holiday into our getaway and save ourselves a vacation day that can be used on something else.

And trust me—that extra vacation day is always welcome.

But our next trip doesn't look like it'll be in September. It doesn't look like it'll be the usual 10 or 11 days. And we will not need the services of a rental car as well. Why, you ask? Well, I answer, it looks like we're going to Germany for a soccer game, and then we're coming home.

That's what a normal couple would do, right?

Actually, there is a little more to it than that. We really didn't have any plans to do anything next year; maybe go someplace warm for a few days, but nothing in Europe. We figured out that, if nothing else, our bank account would thank us. But in the back of our minds we've always thought that if we had the chance, we'd like to see our favorite Bundesliga team, RB Leipzig, live and in person. We've also always wanted to go back to Leipzig and visit. Well, as it turns out, RB Leipzig is playing at home against the team from one our favorite places in Germany, Freiburg, the weekend of our wedding anniversary in April. The weekend of an anniversary for us that ends in “0”, which makes it a really big anniversary.

It's almost like the Bundesliga scheduled it that weekend on purpose, right?

So we're going over to Germany next year for a week at the end of April. We'll fly into Berlin, spend a day or two there, and then take the train to Leipzig, where we'll spend a few days going to the game and actually exploring the city, unlike the last time we were there and mostly used it as a place to sleep while Loraine was having press conferences with local mayors and the like. Then we'll hop the train back to Berlin and head back home after a week.

It could be the simplest trip we've ever taken.

The trip actually could've been shorter. It could've been four days instead of the seven or eight we've set aside. You see, while Leipzig and Freiburg are playing that weekend, we have no idea which day they're playing. Could be Friday night, most likely will be Saturday, could possibly be Sunday, and could even—at a stretch—be on Monday. It all depends upon whether the league moves it for TV or if Leipzig makes it far in the Europa League and have to shuffle their schedule around. So while we know the game will be sometime during our anniversary weekend, we just don't know on which day. And won't until the beginning of March or so.

If nothing else, that makes the trip unique. So does our heading over there in early Spring instead of late Summer. But both Leipzig and Berlin are beautiful that time of the year; the flowers have bloomed, and thanks to climate change temperatures are usually in the 70s or 80s. So it'll be an interesting—and quite different—journey for the two of us. So if you're wondering why the planning already begun; well, after all, we're working around a schedule that's only, like, eight months away.

Believe it or not.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/21

Packing for this trip should be a treat. Really, it should.

I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic or not when I write that. I mean we've done the trip to Europe enough so that we know what we need pack. That's not a problem. But there are three different things that we have to consider this year, three things that in themselves aren't that big of a deal. But they're three things that are at least making us think.

The first is that this is the longest trip we've ever taken. Sure, it's only one day longer than the previous record, but we still have to make sure we add the additional pair of underwear and pair of socks, lest we find ourselves making either a last minute stop at a German laundromat or a last minute stop at a Mueller store to pick up the extra underwear and extra pair of socks. So that's something to be taken care of.

The second factor is the weather. Germany is in the midst of perhaps its hottest summer in history, and the extended forecast for the first few days of our trip shows that trend should continue. But a big chunk of our trip is in the Alps, where the weather can be anything put predictable. I mean, we just have to think back three years ago when we were getting ready to go over with our parents, and Germany was then in the midst of its hottest summer ever. However, when we we got there, the bottom fell out, weather-wise, leaving us with many cool, rainy, and foggy days. So while it SHOULD be warm and dry while we're there, we're not taking anything for granted. We're packing for both possibilities, just in case.

And then there's the musical we're attending. Going to the theater is always kind of a big event, especially in Germany. So that brings up another question—do we just dress like American tourist schlubs and go see the musical, or do we try to fit in a get a little fancy to attend? That's something to consider; right now, we're thinking little black dress and sport coat (the former for Loraine, the latter for me, obviously) so we can fit in. However, that means we have to not only pack all that extra stuff, but we have to make sure that it stays in fairly good shape for the first four days of our trip (when we'll actually be going to the theater). That's something new, and yet another thing we'll have to take into consideration.

So, with a week left to go until we leave, we're still not fully set, at least as far as the packing goes. I mean, I have no doubt that we'll get it done in plenty of time and with all these little things resolved. It's just that, for the first time in years, we're actually having to think about what we're doing. I'm thinking that's a good thing. It means we're on top of it, and we're taking everything into consideration.

I just hope the four extra brain cells we had to devote to the process don't get too mad at us!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 8/20

I'm gonna introduce you to one of my favorite words—repurpose. As in “I'm going to repurpose something I wrote for our trip blog here so I don't have to write anything new today".

Yeah, I know it's the lazy way out, but it did take me awhile to write the trip blog, and since I don't know if any of you actually follow the blogs I write when we're in Europe, it's all new to you.

So what are we doing this time around? Read on. After all, it's been repurposed just for you!

(jim@wmqt.com)

So—was “mad” King Ludwig actually mad, or just a little misunderstood? That's why we're going to Germany this year.

To find out.

Welcome to another season of Jim & Loraine trip blogs, as we're heading to Bavaria for a crash course in the “hows” & “whys” of King Ludwig II, a reluctant king who'd much rather be left alone with his music, his swans, and his castles. He died under mysterious circumstances, but not before leaving behind the foundations of what became the Bavarian tourism industry. For 12 days we'll be visiting the places his lived and the places where he sought to escape humanity, aided by Loraine's voluminous research on his life and times. Add in the usual—stops for chocolate and a bunch of off-beat sights—and it should be an action-packed two weeks (minus a few days).

The entire trip this time will be in a relatively compact area based in and around Munich; I think the longest drive we have planned is less than two hours. We'll pretty much be making a big circle, starting in the Bavarian capital--

A city where Ludwig was supposed to spend most of his time. However, he really preferred being away from the trappings of power, which means we'll be visiting places where you get to see things like this pretty much every time you drive around a corner--

We'll be staying in places like Fussen--

Our old stomping grounds of Berchtesgaden--

And on the shores of Lake Chiemsee, as well--

All as we explore the life and times of the misunderstood ruler. Loraine became interested in him back a few trips ago, when we discovered that he was kind of like a 19^th century Brian Wilson, someone with a few emotional issues but someone with an immense talent and wealth of imagination. As I mentioned before, the castles he left behind—castles over which he was tossed off the throne and (probably) murdered—are now the most visited tourist sites in Bavaria, bringing in hundreds of millions of Euros of revenue each year. Yet because he didn't follow accepted societal norms and protocol—he didn't act like everyone else thought he should--he was ostracized for decades following his death. It's only been in the last half century or so that his reign and lifestyle has been accepted, and now you can find statues and plaques dedicated to him all over the region.

And we'll try to visit most of them.

We also have a couple of unique adventures we're planning. While in Fussen we'll be going to a musical based on Ludwig's life, which is put on there every summer. Sure, we won't understand a word of what's being said on stage (it is, after all, in German, which neither of us speaks), but everyone says it's an amazing show. That, of course, is assuming we fold our tickets correctly and we're allowed in the theater.

You remember that story, right?

A few days after that we're also going to try something quintessentially German—we're going hiking. We're actually going on a day-long hike to what was one of Ludwig's hunting lodges, just outside Garmish-Partenkirchen. We'll basically go through a gorge, up one of these mountains--

And then hike for several hours to see what there is to see. We even bought special rain jackets, just in case, but Germany has been (for the most part) very hot & very dry this summer, so with any luck, we won't need them. Of course, when we went over with our parents three years ago Germany had a very hot & very dry summer, and that, of course, was why it was 45 degrees and raining the day we visited Garmish.

But hopefully not this time. Keep your fingers crossed.

That's a VERY brief overview of what we'll be doing. Each day's trip reports will, of course, provide full details on what kind of fun, informative, and/or weird things we get ourselves into. And who knows—maybe we'll make some new friends this time around. You know, kinda like the friends we made last time we were in the area--

It all starts Tuesday, August 28^th with the flight over. The first blog should be posted the next day. We hope you'll join us for what we hope should be an amazing and unique adventure!

(jim@wmqt.com)