Reisen mit Travis

Travels with Travis

“Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone.”  

(Quotation from the Dhammapada, traditionally ascribed to Buddha)

 Buddha would have loved my travel partner, my better. 

He is always on the look out for danger.  Perhaps that is why we never encountered any during our six-week journey.

He is prepared for every circumstance.  Here we see the “from closed-in-the-bag to in-the-open-position” umbrella time trials.  On occasion, he even practiced with his eyes closed.  (If you are interested, I'd be pleased to send you the entire eight-photo series.) 

He is persistent.  Ne’er would Travis rest until he found an Internet connection - and if not in our accommodations (access was sketchy), he scoured the town in search of a way to be in contact with his NWU colleagues. Shown here in our superb Salzburg lodgings, Travis is pleased with his connection success (leave it to a dorm to provide one of the only places with reliable Internet access). 

He is not afraid to show his true of feelings.  Here we see the realization the Stiegl brewery was closed for the day. Poor Trav.

He is an enthusiastic learner.  In every city Travis was keen to discover all he could about the history, the people, the culture.  Inspired by the statues, which at one time embellished the massive Porta Nigra in Trier, Travis embraces active learning in Porta Nigra's adjoining museum. 

He is open-minded.  During our stay in Marburg, Travis grew to like these creepy monkey creatures which appeared here and there around the town.

He is adventurous.  Travis is undaunted by the warning that, behind the red velvet curtain, this portion of the Grimm’s Fairy Tale exhibit shows pornographic images. 

He is versatile.  He confidently makes polished presentations to faculty, staff, and students; he’ll joyfully take them one-on-one or in groups as large as 200.  He is techno-guy, literature-guy, backgammon-playing-guy. He gladly dines in student cafeterias or four-star restaurants.  He skillfully irons his shirt to within an inch of its life, puts it on, and then goes to the ball where he keeps up with Austrian dancers until 2 a.m.  The next day he will pre-treat and wash his shirt in preparation for the next big event. 

He is tidy.  Not only is he an expert sink-washer, he is also creative with solutions for faster drying, as well as solutions for efficient packing. 

He is a master at carrying luggage up stairs, over cobblestone, through narrow hallways, in snow, sleet, and rain.  As seen in this photo we have rain on a travel day – AGAIN.   Travis, my favorite travel partner and my better, is also a master at carrying a conversation with finesse.

Verreisen mit einer Aussicht

Traveling with a View

Train travel is a peaceful, relaxing method of transportation. Austrian and German trains are timely, efficient, comfortable, quiet, clean.  We thoroughly enjoyed the past weeks’ excursions via the rail.  We had the erroneous idea we would get a lot of reading done on the train, but when it was daylight, instead of having our noses in books, they were pressed against the windows. 

Looking down the tracks from the last car (which sometimes is the first car).  A cool view.

Breathtaking mountains between Leoben and Salzburg

A winter wonderland between Salzburg and Linz

Along the Danube outside of Linz

Sunset between Linz and Frankfurt

Surprisingly green fields in the Moselle river valley

Beautiful river villages along the Rhine on the way to Trier

Farmland just outside of Munich - doesn't it look a bit like Nebraska?

This incongruous juxtaposition struck us as tragically surreal.

Almost home - about 45 minutes outside of Wien - the lovely Falkenstein.  The plethora of deer and peasant in this area should also be noted - it was hard to keep Travis on the train.

Der Nachtzug

The Night Train

The past few months have been filled with all sorts of “well, this is a first” experiences.  One such event was our night train journey from Stuttgart to Wien.  We boarded the train at 23:00 and entered our cozy, comfortable “Schlafkammer” which included a miniature sink, tiny cupboards, lights and mirrors, and two surprisingly large beds.  The porter stopped by to ask for our breakfast order and to report he would wake us at 6:00 – one hour before our Wien arrival.  The train made two stops throughout the night, but we were oblivious.  Closing the door to the Schalfkammer was like shutting the door to a vault.  The rocking of the train lulled us to sleep (we were both surprised).  The next thing we knew our kindly porter knocked at 6 as promised, and ten minutes later delivered our breakfast (great coffee, juice, breads, jams, meats, cheeses).  We then arrived in Wien – sort-of refreshed and ready to start the day.  

Don't let the "Orient-Express" name fool you - the velvet-covered walls, china, and down comforters were conspicuously missing. 

Although it is difficult to see the clock, this is proof that Karla stayed up until 23:00.

Necessities - A towel, a bar of soap, a bottle of water, fruit, and a wish for a good night's sleep!

Would you look at how adorable the sink is!?  And it had HOT water, too.

Trav chooses the top bunk - but safety first, my friend, safety first.

Really?  I have to climb down now?

Schnupfen in Stuttgart

Snuffles in Stuttgart

Stuttgart – the home to world famous Porsche.  And you guessed it:  instead of seeing the inside of the Porsche factory and brand new museum, Karla saw the inside of the hotel room.  A Porsche experience blog will arrive soon.  Until then, here is a little teaser.

What Travis saw:  This is what started it all --  the first sports car bearing the Porsche name, the 1948 Porsche Type 356 “No. 1”.  The automotive world, and Travis Jensen, would never be the same.  All other Porsches can be traced back to this vehicle, just as a future Porsche blog entry can be traced back to this photo.

What Karla saw:  The inside of her eyelids.

Schleim in München

Mucus in Munich

Our Munich hotel was in the darling neighborhood that borders the park where the world-famous “Oktoberfest” takes place.  While we were there, we had a fest of a different sort – a “still sick-fest.”  We were able to get Karla out and about for about two hours every day.  Otherwise, life for Karla under the fluffy down comforters was just fine.  Travis worked, read, and planned our return trip to Munich in the spring.  Oh – and he watched Harry Potter and the Super Bowl – both auf Deutsch.  

We made it to the Rathaus in time for the noon Glockenspiel concert - then we returned to our hotel to recover from all the excitement.

The Glockenspiel was constructed in 1908 as part of the second construction phase of the new town hall.  The 43 bells and 32 life-size figures re-enact a wedding, a jousting match, and the "barrel dance" which commemorates the celebration marking the end of a 16th century plague.  

Hmmm.  Looks serious.  I don't think it is the plague, but you should nonetheless head straight back to bed!

Measuring our hotel bathroom - from end to end it was exactly one stretched-out Travis long.

The most popular topic of conversation among pension guests (of at least at four nationalities) at breakfast the following morning following the Super Bowl was the big game!  Seems everyone in the hotel but Karla was glued to the TV.

The view from the end of our block - the Theresia Meadow where there is plenty of room for beer tents in September and October.

These fizzy tablets were a Godsend.  Right on the box it says "clears slime from airways." 

Karla rests before and after the "clearing of the airways." 

Eichstätt: Was Er Sah, Was Sie Sah

Eichstätt:  What He Saw, What She Saw

Eichstätt Germany is a quaint little town north of Munich. Eichstätt is the smallest university town we visited on our epic ISEP school odyssey; the town and school may be small in size, but both are large in personality and hospitality.

It probably wouldn’t be an odyssey if there weren’t challenges along the way.  A nasty infection in Karla’s  lungs was our challenge.  But it wouldn’t be a Jensen journey if there weren’t bright spots along the way.  The good things about being ill in Eichstätt:  1. Knowing Travis was being hosted by a lovely group of colleagues at Katholische Universität, 2.  Eating Kren (horseradish) soup at the Krone Gaststube, 3.  Being treated with such care by the “small town” doctor.

We’ve thankfully already been asked to return to Eichstätt in the spring, and we will certainly accept the invitation.  More text will follow after that visit.  Until then, here are some photos of what we saw in picturesque Eichstätt.

Here is the main administration building on campus.  It used to be the summer residence of the prince-bishop.  Needless to say, these digs are slightly more luxurious than some university administration buildings we've worked in.  Although difficult to see in the winter landscape, Travis is standing in the meticulously manicured palace garden, while Karla was asleep.

Meeting with our supremely kind and organized hosts - Martin and Jessica - in the Kondeterei Fuchs.  Our guestroom (where Karla was sleeping for four days) was just two floors up.

Bea, Sonja, and Richard host Travis for a delightful conversation.  Please note the coffee and cookies.  Karla, meanwhile, was asleep.

Christian, Melanie, and Matthias show Travis around the über-impressive television studio on campus.  Karla was still sleeping.

The little street just around the corner from the Krone restaurant where healing Kren soup was served to Karla when she was awake.

The main square where healing pharmaceuticals were purchased.  The dude on top of the covered fountain, is Bishop Willibald who was instrumental in Eichstätt's early history.

Karla slept.

Hilfe!  What brings down a fever in the night?  Our kind innkeeper promised the local beer would do the trick, and it did!

Heiliger Bim Bam! Alt

Heiliger Bim Bam! Old

On our recent visit to Trier, we were inspired to operationalize variations of  “old”  (e.g., “That is an old fountain,” or “Our old hotel is charming,” or “We’re crossing the old bridge.”).  Here is the non-scientific, but useful operationalization scheme we devised:  “old”= about 250 years, “really old”  = about 600 years, and “Heiliger Bim Bam! old” = more than 2000 years.  Trier is a “Heiliger Bim Bam!” town.  By the way, “Heiliger Bim Bam!” is the nifty and highly amusing translation of “holy crap” (or “holy cow” if you prefer). 

The town legend is that an Assyrian prince, Trebeta, founded Trier about 2,000 years before Julius Caesar showed up.  One of the buildings on the pretty main square has an inscription that reads “Trier existed 1,300 years before Rome.  May it enjoy eternal peace.”  Trier was taken over by the Romans in the 1^st century B.C. to become the second largest city in the Empire; in the late 3^rd Century, its population was 90,000, about what it is today. Trier is located in the gorgeous Moselle river valley; it has easy access to neighboring lands for trading; and, as the crow flies, it really isn’t that far from Rome.  Clearly Trier was (and still is) a happenin’ place. For a well-written, enjoyable history lesson on Trier, please check out this site:  http://www.germanlife.com/Archives/1997/9704_01.html.

One Heiliger Bim Bam! location we explored for several hours was the Kaiserbath (one of three Roman baths in the town).  The excavation covering the space of about four football fields is beautiful; we were able to see and walk through all the areas, including the tunnels that housed furnaces, pools, dining rooms, and passageways.

Another Heiliger Bim Bam! site we enjoyed in Trier was the gate to the city (the Porta Nigra) – a 100 foot tall structure, still in remarkable shape (including the exquisite reliefs on the interior walls).  As a matter of fact, according to the previously mentioned website, the Porta Negra is second only to the Pantheon as the largest Roman public building to have survived. 


The Cathedral of Trier is fascinating because it is all of the following:  Heiliger Bim Bam!, really old, old, and new.  It was founded in 329, then it was remodeled and expanded several times over the centuries (including a major sprucing up in 1512), and then rebuilt after sustaining severe bomb damage during WW II.  These views are from the inner courtyard.

Universität Trier is both “really old” (founded in 1483 and dissolved in 1797) and brand new.  In 1970 the university reopened and relocated to the hills, about a 15-minute bus ride from the center of town.  The juxtaposition of the Heiliger Bim Bam! antiquities in town with the 1970s modern university is intriguing and intellectually inspiring.  We relished the beautifully landscaped campus and the pleasant students, staff, and faculty who are lucky enough to spend their days on the wooded hill overlooking Trier and the verdant landscape dotted with vineyards and Roman ruins.

Travis persuades students to study in America's heartland.

Our dear host, Carsten, takes us on a campus tour.