Baden Baden ohne Betten (Bedless in Baden Baden)

So far, every single logistical aspect of our trip has gone perfectly smoothly, which is due entirely to our wonderful local hosts. So, we kind of took it for granted that even though we didn't have specific information about where we were staying in Baden Baden for the Southern German Orthopaedic Congress, things would just get sorted once we arived. Keep in mind that this is a very large convention (sort of like the German version of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting) in a very small city, and hotel space is at a premium. Turns out, we didn't actually have hotel reservations, so we just hung out in the convention center drinking coffee and goofing off, while our two knights in shining armor, Dr. K from Berlin, and Dr. S-B (Hi Klaus!) from Cologne, found us the last three hotel rooms in Baden Baden, not to mention a dinner invitation. Vielen Dank fuer Ihre Hilfe!

No Rodents Involved

Ina can tell you that I love a good tour of a Rathaus (Town Hall). When she and I were in Scandinavia, I insisted we visit every one we came across. Basel has a beautiful one right on the market square. Unfortunately, guided tours are given only three times a week. I'm going to have to come back.

And Speaking of Irresistable...

How could you not want to taste a baked good called a Schoggiweggli?

(By the way, "schoggi " is the Swiss German word for "chocolate ". I'm not exactly sure what a "weggli " is).

Remember These?

Dr. Scholl's exercise sandals! These were the height of cool when I was in the 7th grade. Basel has an entire store devoted to them, and I was weak in the face of it. I came thisclose to buying a pair before regaining control of my senses.

Morgen am Markt (Morning in the Market Place)

We had a free morning in Basel today before heading to Baden Baden. I strolled down the hill from our hotel to the marketplace, and spent a while wandering through the local farmer's market. There were beautiful flowers, fresh mushrooms (check out the morels in the upper left hand corner of the picture!), and tons of great looking vegetables, including our old friend Spargel.

Bookmark 7

Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are by Rob Walker (who used to write the "Consumed" column for the New York Times), was a good companion piece to PopCo and Snoop, because it covered a lot of the same territory about our relationship as a society to the vast array of consumer goods and choices that we have in the 21st century. It was interesting, and Walker is a very good journalist, but I'm not sure it gave me a significantly greater insight into my own consumer habits. Still, the chapters on Red Bull and American Apparel were very entertaining.

Be Your Own Bartender

Last night we had dinner at a traditional Swiss fondue restaurant. We all got giant pretzels to dip in the authentic melted cheese, but the other interesting feature of the restaurant was the serve-yourself beer tap in the center of the table. There's a little flowmeter that keeps track of your consumption. I'm actually surprised this concept hasn't caught on in the US. Maybe the Homey Inn in Omaha could install table taps for its world-famous "champagne on tap" (available in dry and sweet!).