The View From Our Window

This is the street side view. Across the park is the Prinz Carl Anlage. This is where Mr. D lived for 2 years.

I thought the area was a bit grubby as first but after walking around, I noticed lots of families with young kids. I've learned that you can't judge German building by the exteriors. There may be really nice apartments inside a run down looking building.

Mrs D appreciates the comfort of the vehicle but she seems embarrassed by the size. It's quite a bit bigger than the average car in the neighborhood. The back is big enough that the wheelchair fits nicely.


We drove to Alzey today but I forgot not only my camera bag but also my jacket and the maps. It's nice to see Mrs D so impressed. It's almost like it hasn't quite sunk in yet. We'll have to go back to Alzey to get pics as its a very nice town. We got a chuckle out of my being scolded by an older German woman for not having a jacket on.

German for today "Ohne Jacke!" = Without a jacket!!!

Late night TV

We have "Girls Gone Wild" commercials at night but Germany has things that would make GGW pale in comparison. All I can say is female bodies together with oil or soap. It does show a difference between our cultures.

A late start

I didn't manage to get the internet started in the apartment until this evening. I'll just say that I had the landlord's daughter and her boyfriend come over to point out that I wasn't using upper case letters when I should have. German word of the day "peinlich" = embarassing I'm going to blame the whole incident on jet lag.



Just a fun point, as soon I buy my first German beer to enjoy this evening, Mrs D comes down with severe heartburn. It was brought on by store bought bratwursts that Mr D and I enjoyed. This is about 20:40 (8:40 pm). I drive back to the grocery store and they have nothing that will be of use. Before the search is over, I will learn that:



Grocery stores don't have general meds like antiacids and things like that.


The train station with a great convenience store closes before 9:00.


Gas stations with mini markets don't stock any common remedies either but if you ask they point you around the corner to the largest grocery store in Worms.

In fact, this place was the biggest grocery store I've ever seen in Germany. I had to ask a series of employees to find the right part of the store. In the end they had one thing for heartburn. I bought it and returned home after taking a couple of scenic detours (getting lost).

In the end, I looked the item up on the internet and found that it was basic baking soda in tablet form. Mrs D took one with a glass of water and she's is now better.

I'm now on my 4th beer and all is well.

There's a new rule here. Nobody gets sick after the drug stores close.

Sorry there are no pics yet but I'll try to fix that tomorrow.

Movies in Germany

The first time I saw a movie in Germany it was Grease 2 in 1982. It was dubbed except for the music. I'm not fond of dubbing as I want to hear the original actors' voices even if it's in a language I can't understand.

Since then, I've only watched films in Germany at the Berlinale. It's one of the three premier film festivals in Europe along with Cannes and Venice. The Berlinale is designed to be an international event. Most presentations are in English and films are presented in their original language with English subtitles except for specific theaters where the subtitles are in German.

I thought about taking Mr. Dullum to a movie but then it dawned on me that perhaps things hadn't changed in 30 years. I asked Thomas Carlsen, one of my German friends and he explained:

Hi Tom,
Filme in englischer Sprache gibt es nur in Kinos in Großstädten - manchmal.
Normalerweise werden alle Kinofilme synchronisiert - so nennt man das 'Dubbing' hier.
Viele Grüße & gute Reise!
ThomasCarlsen Fachübersetzungen
22453 Hamburg

Roughly translated:

Films in English are sometimes available in theaters in large cities. Normally films in multiplexes are dubbed or "synchonisiert" as it is called in German.

It looks like if I want to take him to a movie, we will have to make the trek up to Frankfurt or Wiesbaden.

My parents will have to pack less

I pulled together all the books and printed material I need to take. I think it weighs about one person's luggage limit. We'll have to spread it over the checked and carry-on luggage. I won't insist my parents leave behind any meds. If I can get by on 4 changes of clothes they should too. :)

I want to thank my cousin Tina and her husband Gary for offering their luggage to my parents. It saved me a couple hundred dollars. My dad always refers to Gary as his nephew. I always remind him "nephew-in-law" but Dad isn't having any of it. Gary is his nephew.

Because of the Christmas bomber, the rules have changed for carry-on luggage. Outbound we can have the usual carry-on and a personal item. I'm bringing my laptop in a backpack that was provided by my company and my camera bag. Inbound we are only allowed one item. This means we will have to consolidate things. We'll see how that works. Lufthansa charges the schlubs in economy $50 to check a second bag. Not outrageous but I'm too cheap for that.

A note about the airfare

We are flying from Seatac to Frankfurt nonstop. The flight will take 10 hours. I looked daily for the airfare from the first of the year. I paid $950 x 3. I've never seen a cheaper fare than that for nonstop Lufthansa in May. If I were willing for us to fly with a transfer, I could have paid $850 or so. I don't regret the non-stop premium. Mostly the nonstop fare has been $1200 or more. I booked at the time of a fare sale.

Lufthansa has entertainment centers on the back of the seats. I'm sure I'll have to show my parents how to work them. Luckily, I'll be across the aisle from their window and aisle seat.

I will remind them to pack their cribbage board. That will keep them busy for a few hours.

Trip Planning

Wow! I'm impressed. 27 page hits since I sent out the e-mail.

Right now I'm researching jet lag and how to minimize it. I bet it will take Mrs. D at least 4 days to make the adjustment. My first trip to Germany in 1982 included lots of beer on the first night with my Swiss roommate. I was sick for 3 days and got chewed out by my teacher for falling asleep in class. I learned that lesson the hard way.

My other concern is DVT (deep vein thrombosis). Blood clots can develop if you stay in your seat for long periods. I told my parents I'm packing a collapsible bamboo cane to drive them up and down the aisles every 90 minutes. I've found in the past that they respect the cane. Or at least that's what I always threaten them with if they are a little too slow.

Special issues for travelling with my parents:

Individual doctor's letters outlining meds including the need to have insulin syringes.

Ordering a wheelchair from Lufthansa to get Mrs. D around the airport.

Renting a wheelchair in Germany for Mrs. D. She can walk but this will make it so much easier for longer distances. The local tourist office was very helpful with this. It's 25 euros ($35) per week from a local medical supply company.

Buying trip insurance that includes emergency medical and repatriation of remains. I know that sounds morbid but in our family that passes as humor. They both said I could have them cremated and then they could be in carry on luggage. I bought the policies through AAA. I've been a member for many years and have never regretted the annual fee. I also pay for my parents' annual membership.