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Monday, 13th of March 2006 at 07:34:16 PM

Neverending Snow in Munich

Last sunday we had one of the worst blizzards in Munichs history (it was snowing for 24 hours and sunday morning we had about 1/2 meter of fresh snow). Unfortunately it was our turn to remove the snow from our house sidewalks. After 1 h shoveling snow away we had some funny relax on our selfmade snow mountains.

Christiane relaxing in the snow.

Giuseppe

Saturday, 25th of February 2006 at 11:25:24 AM

I won a 2006 Soccer World Cup ticket

Unbelievable but true. Today I got an Email from the FIFA worldcup organisation that I had won in the ticket optionee programm, where I had participated last year in November. In the meantime I had lost in both ticket lotteries and had no hope left, to see a game live in the stadium. The first time after 32 years having the soccer world cup again in Germany this was very unlucky. So much the better getting this notification right now: The good thing: Its a soccer game here in munich in the new Allianz Arena in the best price category of 100 Euro. The bad news: Its only Tunisia against Saudi Arabia. But its better than Cote d’Ivoire against Serbia Montenegro (I hope).

If somebody desperately would like to see this game:
14th June 2006
location: Munich 18.00
game #16 Tunisia – Saudi Arabia
Price Category 1 (100,- Euro)

and has tickets for some other games like Italy, Germany, Brasil, Argentinia, Spain, … (I would say everything beside Tunisia and S.A.)
I am willing to exchange.

Email notification from FIFA

Giuseppe

Tuesday, 14th of February 2006 at 08:30:03 PM

Carnet de Voyage Day 9: Sat February 4th 2006

Today is the last day. I wake up at 8 o’clock, take a shower, pack my luggage and check-out at Tropicana. At about 9.00 am I leave the car at the rental station, a 5 minute drive from Tropicana away. I write down the mileage: 1720 miles in total (2750 km) had been driven by me in this 8 days. With the Hertz shuttle I arrive at the airport and 11.15 am I take my United flight to San Francisco. In San Francisco I arrived just in time for boarding my Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt where I got a connecting flight to Munich. I arrived the next Sunday morning 11.00 am. Cold Germany had me back.

Just after take off we made a nice turn over San Francisco .

See the complete Photo series of this trip on my Homepage

Giuseppe

Tuesday, 14th of February 2006 at 05:59:21 PM

Carnet de Voyage Day 8: Fri February 3rd 2006

When I woke up this morning, I regreted to not having booked two nights here in NewYork New York Hotel. I liked this Hotel and the room very much and I had the best sleep of the whole trip. But I had decided to pass the last night in another Hotel: The Tropicana, just over the street.
So I had to checkout and with the luggage in the trunk I drove to have a Goodbye Breafast Buffet in my favourite Breakfast place: the Bellagio Hotel. For 15 USD including tax, I got best juice and coffee and toasted Bagels with salmon, pancake with Syrup and large selection of fruit and a lot of other premium stuff. (It was my last day here). After breakfast I needed a walk and went to the strip and walked around to say Good Bye to the strip. Then I decided to visit another Comic shop on Rainbow Boulevard, but it showed to be not good and I didn’t buy anything. I continued driving around stopping in a Starbucks drive-through for a Mocha Cappucino (venti) to go, and continued to drive through the roads stopping at a Tower Records where I also didn’t find anything I liked. My plan was to see the Red Rock canyon this last day, so at about 10:00 am I drove to this place which is only 17 miles east of the strip.

Scenic drive in Red Rock Canyon.

In the red rock canyon I stopped at the several viewpoints taking the scenic drive and I made a longer stop at Pine Creek Canyon. Here I made a 2 1/2 hour hike towards the canyon and the creek and back. It had become very hot this last day here in Vegas: about 71 degree F (felt like 25 degree Cel.) The sun was shining and the sky was blue: I didn’t want to return to cold Munich the next day. I left Red Rock canyon at about 3:00 pm and continuing driving around casuall through the streets in Las Vegas, stopping whereever I saw something interesting.

I decided then to check my Emails in the Flamingo Business center, which I had used already the first time. Then time has come for check-in at the Tropicana Hotel, and when entering there I regreted again for not having stayed at New York New York Hotel. This Tropicana was so old and greasy: I didn’t like it from when I entered.

My Hotel room wing in the Tropicana: Excellet view to car park.

I also got only a third floor room with view to the car park. And I paid even more than I had paid in the New York New York. O.k. left the luggage and immediately went out onto north strip for a diner at Bellaggio, and afterwards again a walk along the strip passing Bellagio lake with the nighly fountain show, going up to Treasure island were the Pirate show just ended, crossing strip and entering The Wynn Hotel, that new 5 star Hotel admiring that big waterfall and the lobby. Then I walked down on the strip over Paris, Venetian to Aladin for a last walk through the desert passage. Then back to my car in the Bellagio. It has become late and I took a last drive to fill up the car, so that I didn’t have to do this the next morning before leaving the car at the rental station. Then I went back to Tropicana, got all my stuff out of the car for packing the luggage for my flight home to Munich on the next morning.

See the complete Photo series of this trip on my Homepage

Giuseppe

Monday, 13th of February 2006 at 08:33:00 PM

Carnet de Voyage Day 7: Thu February 2nd 2006

This Thursday afternoon I will drive back the 300 miles (480 km) to Las Vegas. The morning I had planed to make a tour in Long Beach driving along the Ocean from Naples to San Pedro. After check-out from the Hotel and a quick coffee to go, I took I-110 and then I-405 south bringing me directly to the pacific coast. Here I had a breakfast in a typical american breakfast diner: I ordered a custom breakfast of Hot Bagel with ham, egg and bacon with coffee and orange-juice. Then I drove along the coast to Long Beach.

Wylands “Planet Ocean” on the Long Beach arena.
Entering Long Beach I was saluted by Wylands painting on the arena and made a drive through Pine street and then a stop at Queen Mary Pier.

Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach.
Then I crossed the Vincent-Thomas Bridge with view onto industrial worldport L.A. and landed in San Pedro, where I stopped at the Korean Bell with nice views over the worldport, the V.T. Bridge and the pacific coastline. After a short stop in San Pedros Green Hills Memorial to visit Buks gravesite it had become 12.30 pm and I noticed it was time to drive back to Las Vegas. I took the I-110 north passing a last time in front of Downtown L.A., turning into I-10 east and then drove for at least 50 minutes throufh outer L.A. until finally merging into the I-15 north which should bring me directly to Las Vegas. Luckily traffic situation was great and from Long Beach through L.A. I could drive with excellent speed. Weather was very cloudy this morning, so that I didn’t stop often for taking photos. On I-15 between Barstow and Baker the visibility was very poor due to wind and sandstorms in the desert. The more I approached Las Vegas, the more the sky became blue again and weather improved.

Approaching Las Vegas on I-15 north, the Zzyzx Road exit.

This evening I had a reservation for the New York, New York Hotel and Casino, and it should proof to be the nicest Hotel of my trip. I arrived at about 4.30 pm in Las Vegas and checked in to New York, New York, where I got a nice room with mountain view on 23rd floor.

Sunset seen from my Hotel room in New York New York Hotel (view of Tropicana Avenue)

My plans for the evening were shopping, eating something and having a walk on the Strip around NewYork Hotel. But first of all I made a ride on the Ny, Ny rollercoaster. Then I took a drive on the strip to the Fashion Show Mall on North Strip (north of Treasure Island), were I found a Levis Store and could buy me my 501 Jeans for 40 USD. After driving back to the Hotel, I walked to have a look inside the Monte Carlo and MGM Hotels and finally landed again in the very nice Ny Ny Hotel for a beer and a drink in the different Bars. I liked the Tequila Sunrise I had here. I was tired after the long drive. Today I had made another 380 miles (608 km) in total. So I went to bed early. For tomorrow, my last full day in Vegas I planed to have a relaxing stress-free day and some last good eats.

See the complete Photo series of this trip on my Homepage