Friday travels
Aug. 1st, 2008 06:55 pmToday we visited Munich and the United States.
Really.
Or maybe it's just folk legend (and![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sarah_create can correct me), but I've always understood that embassies and consulates are considered part of the nation they represent, not the nation they are located within.
So anyway, we went to Munich to register our son as a US citizen, and order him a passport. They say it will take ten days, and luckily if it doesn't come by then, we can call and get an emergency passport issued. The people were very nice there, and it was very weird to be somewhere where everyone spoke English (American English, as natives, that is), and there was a real drinking fountain inside, and AIR CONDITIONING!! It must be the only building in Germany with AC.
The consulate is also located on prime real estate--right on the Englischen Garten, which is sort of the Munich version of Central Park. Except that it's known for um, nude sunbathing. The other time I was there, when I was 8 months pregnant with my last German-born child. All I wanted was a place to sit down. It was hot, summer, and I was irritated because DH didn't want to sit on any of the benches that were in the shade. I didn't see the sunbathers at all. Um. This time I did. Let's just say there aren't statues there because the residents provide living ones. Then it started raining and everyone left except the clothed people playing soccer. (Not everyone is there to sunbathe their whole bodies. But even if just one person shows up, you uh, notice.) We stopped for a baby feeding break at the playground there because we figured if there was one place no one would protest at the idea of nursing a baby, it would be there.
Then we walked back to the train station through the middle of town. What you can
see in Munich: lots of red flowers in window boxes
hear in Munich: native speakers of English (various nationalities)--we have lots of English speakers here, too, but many are using English as a lingua franca to talk to engineers from other places).
smell in Munich: well, in the tunnels I didn't smell any human waste, which is always a plus. I think you can smell wurst.
feel in Munich: heavy, thick humidity and rain!
I took a few pictures but I don't know when I'll get a chance to upload them. The uploading cable self-disintegrated, remember, and I still haven't seen this card reader we supposedly have to replace it with.
We missed our train by seconds, hopped another one that we thought went to Nuernberg, only it didn't, got out, and sat in a looooooong train ride by regional express instead of the zippy ICE (Intercity Express--the one that can go up to 300 km/h).
I'd like to rest, but tomorrow is second son's birthday (the one I was pregnant with last time I went to the englischen Garten), and he's also getting baptised, and let's say that the program is a bit sketchy at this point still. And Sunday the littlest will be blessed at church. (Kinda like a christening, but without the baptism element, since we do that at 8 and up.) I'm wondering just how many events can possibly be packed into one weekend. At least after Sunday, it's all packing all the time.
I hope you're having a lovely weekend!
Really.
Or maybe it's just folk legend (and
sarah_create can correct me), but I've always understood that embassies and consulates are considered part of the nation they represent, not the nation they are located within.So anyway, we went to Munich to register our son as a US citizen, and order him a passport. They say it will take ten days, and luckily if it doesn't come by then, we can call and get an emergency passport issued. The people were very nice there, and it was very weird to be somewhere where everyone spoke English (American English, as natives, that is), and there was a real drinking fountain inside, and AIR CONDITIONING!! It must be the only building in Germany with AC.
The consulate is also located on prime real estate--right on the Englischen Garten, which is sort of the Munich version of Central Park. Except that it's known for um, nude sunbathing. The other time I was there, when I was 8 months pregnant with my last German-born child. All I wanted was a place to sit down. It was hot, summer, and I was irritated because DH didn't want to sit on any of the benches that were in the shade. I didn't see the sunbathers at all. Um. This time I did. Let's just say there aren't statues there because the residents provide living ones. Then it started raining and everyone left except the clothed people playing soccer. (Not everyone is there to sunbathe their whole bodies. But even if just one person shows up, you uh, notice.) We stopped for a baby feeding break at the playground there because we figured if there was one place no one would protest at the idea of nursing a baby, it would be there.
Then we walked back to the train station through the middle of town. What you can
see in Munich: lots of red flowers in window boxes
hear in Munich: native speakers of English (various nationalities)--we have lots of English speakers here, too, but many are using English as a lingua franca to talk to engineers from other places).
smell in Munich: well, in the tunnels I didn't smell any human waste, which is always a plus. I think you can smell wurst.
feel in Munich: heavy, thick humidity and rain!
I took a few pictures but I don't know when I'll get a chance to upload them. The uploading cable self-disintegrated, remember, and I still haven't seen this card reader we supposedly have to replace it with.
We missed our train by seconds, hopped another one that we thought went to Nuernberg, only it didn't, got out, and sat in a looooooong train ride by regional express instead of the zippy ICE (Intercity Express--the one that can go up to 300 km/h).
I'd like to rest, but tomorrow is second son's birthday (the one I was pregnant with last time I went to the englischen Garten), and he's also getting baptised, and let's say that the program is a bit sketchy at this point still. And Sunday the littlest will be blessed at church. (Kinda like a christening, but without the baptism element, since we do that at 8 and up.) I'm wondering just how many events can possibly be packed into one weekend. At least after Sunday, it's all packing all the time.
I hope you're having a lovely weekend!
