Saturday, August 31st: It was a relaxing and smooth 9-hour flight to Stuttgart. Don Rogers was on the flight with me and, thankfully, Ralph picked us up inside the luggage belt area.
Ralph has special access to the customs area. For us, a pickup inside is essential because it’s impossible for one person to manage 6 monster bags. I had called Miro and he and Sonja were there also. The transfer to downtown Stuttgart was quick.
I checked in and showered . . . felt like a human again. I spent the afternoon walking up with Miro to the Schlossplatz and looking at the activities at the Weindorf.
We met Birgit and Ralph Grupp at their Stadtlaube Weindorf Restaurant, which is very rustic. We decided to cancel the Lautenschlager Restaurant on Monday and instead join the local festivities at the Weindorf (wine village). This village is a traditional September event and is set up in the middle of town on the Rathausplatz. It’s a big party that concludes everyone’s summer; allows the vintners to show off their new wines; and signals “last party” and let’s get back to work . . . until the Oktoberfest break, of course.
Miro and I took the U-Bahn, for €2.00 each, one stop from the Schlossplatz to the Hauptbahnhof and the Graf Zeppelin. I skipped dinner and went to bed. Jet lag really hit me hard this time. I guess I was so incredibly busy with the trip’s preparations and my usual prep work for a six-week absence from the US, that I needed 12 hours of sleep.