Stuttgart

We started the day off by sleeping an hour past our alarm, which was all for the better. Andre's father, Mr. Clayburn, dropped us off at the base where Greg lived for three years.



We saw his old crib, and met some of his old pals. First off, we met Colin the skater punk who apparently is a part-time high school student (seeing as we met him during school outside the skate park). We then went to the school for a short while while classes were going on, but we were soon kicked out by Greg's arch-enemy Mr. Fritz. Then we met Bethany, Tarique, and Ashley. We talked to some of Greg's old teachers. Mr. Kelb recommended cinque terra in Italia as a good small town to see. We then met Katie who Greg only talked to three times when he lived on base. I think within the first ten words that were spoken someone said "Well... This is awkward." We went to Subway then we went outside to meet one of Greg's old friends Megan (it was much less awkward). We came across this sweet covered scooter as we walked around base.



We left the base and took a bus to the train station, where we parted with our good friend Andre who had to take a different train.



Andre got a pretzel and when we saw him again from a different platform we asked for a piece of his pretzel. He asked us if we wanted him to through it across the tracks, and I told him sure, just make sure you throw it hard. He tossed a piece across the tracks with a tremendous throw. The pretzel sailed over my head and beamed an old German guy sitting down right behind us. Greg pointed at Andre saying it was him, and the old German just shouted to Andre that he had bad aim (in German of course, Greg had to translate it for me) and then he gave me the piece of pretzel. We got back to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) then we walked around Stuttgart to kill some time before our night train left for Venezia (Venice). We found a cool park and had some fun with a few statues there.









After the park we found a cyber cafe and then we were walking back to the train station when we heard some music coming from a covered side street leading into a mall. We turned down the street and came upon a slot car race with four racers. Music was playing during the race.



After a guy one the race, the organizer of the race, with the help of his assistants, gave out trophy cups then he ran into a nearby bar, grabbed a bottle of champagne and sprayed the racers before filling each of their trophy cups. After the slot car race we continued heading back to the train station. We decided that we should get some schnitzel as part of our German cultural experience. While we were buying the schnitzel (fried pork) a drunk German guy came into the shop and started flirting with the lady at the counter before he turned to me and started telling me German jokes of some sort. I pretended I understood him and just laughed hoping he'd just continue on his way so I could escape his beer breath. He left soon enough and after Greg chatted it up with the woman behind the counter, we went back to the train station. We still had another half hour before our train showed up so I decided to complete my German experience I would try a German beer. I bought a Becks and discovered it to be the most awful drink I'd ever tasted. I reluctantly finished that disgusting excuse for a drink (must be an acquired taste, but that's one taste I don't care to acquire) and we boarded our train for Venezia.