Hello Stuttgart

After about 3-4 hours of sleep, it was time to wake up. I quickly got dressed, washed my face, and put on the same clothes as yesterday. I didn’t have a toothbrush or any toiletries because all my grooming essentials and clothes were in my checked luggage. I had arranged to meet Kathrin Aschbacher and Bernd Riedel at the hotel restaurant at midnight for a late dinner. After we ate, we checked out and took a car to the airport.

The flight took about 6.5 hours, and I slept the entire time. Finally, we arrived in Frankfurt. Earlier, I had discussed with Bernd that if passport control took too long, he could go ahead without me. I was worried it would be slow, but it wasn’t too bad because I had a letter of certification from Buzzwoo! After waiting a bit, I finally got my luggage, though I was anxious about whether they might have forgotten it.

I hurried to catch the shuttle to Terminal 1, where the train station is located. When we arrived, I quickly sorted out the train tickets because Bernd needed to catch a train before me. The ticket cost about 60 euros—pretty expensive. The train ride took about an hour, and soon we arrived in Stuttgart! (The train was traveling at a speed of 240 km/h).

Mucky picked me up at the train station along with Elly. We parted ways with Kathrin, as she had to catch another train home. Mucky took me to the apartment first so I could relax and have some water while we decided where to go, since the hotel check-in wasn’t until around 2 PM.

First, we went to the office to get a SIM card for my phone; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to use the internet or call anyone. The first plan was to visit the Christmas Market, which is similar to a street market back home but only happens during Christmas. They sell all sorts of things, and the stalls are decorated in a Christmas style. Mucky recommended trying Glühwein, a warm spiced wine that’s perfect for the cold weather. We walked around the city a bit. In Stuttgart, you’ll notice that the ground is littered with cigarette butts everywhere—it’s a shame because it’s such a beautiful city, but almost everyone smokes.

By now, I was starving! Mucky took me to a small restaurant. When in Germany, you can’t miss out on sausages and beer. The recommended dish was white sausage, which you eat with sweet mustard—a fantastic combination, washed down with good beer. It was pure bliss. After that, we headed back to grab our things and check into the hotel. The hotel was a small place in a shopping district, about a 10-minute walk from the office. The room was tiny, perfect for me, but if there were two people, it would be a tight fit. I unpacked, took a shower, which felt incredibly refreshing, and rested for a bit.

Later, Mucky called because we were going to visit another Christmas Market in a different part of the city. Mucky picked me up along with his girlfriend, Manuela Hilger. We drove out of the city for about 10 minutes to reach the market, but finding parking was incredibly difficult—it took us a while to find a spot, and then we had to walk a good distance to the market. This market was much bigger than the one we visited earlier, and it was packed with people. As we began to get hungry again, we found a stall selling sausages (yes, again). Mucky ordered more Glühwein to warm us up, while Manuela waited in line to buy the sausages, which were absolutely delicious, especially in the cool weather (around 2 degrees Celsius).

We waited for Anthon to join us, and once we found each other, we grabbed some large beers and watched the various performances at the market. Mucky returned with more Glühwein, and soon the market started to close. We drove back into the city, and Mucky took us to a bar. The first bar was full, so we headed to another one nearby. As soon as we opened the door, we were hit with the strong smell of cigarettes. Here, you can smoke anywhere you want, much like how pubs were back home in the past—where you’d need to wash your hair and clothes to get rid of the smoke smell. Most bars here don’t have pool tables; instead, they have Kicker (foosball tables).

It was getting late—midnight, to be exact—so I had to call it a night due to exhaustion from the flight. I walked back to the hotel to rest.

Tomorrow, the plan is to explore the city in the morning and wait for Mucky in the afternoon. I’m already falling in love with this city, with its beautiful buildings and architecture. But for now, it’s time to rest and see what adventures tomorrow will bring!