tackling stuttgart

Bikes are welcome onboard most trains in Germany and other European countries. In Stuttgart with the local trains we just jump on with the bike and try to make as little inconvenience for others as possible. This weekend going to Austria we have brought my racing bike. For a reasonable 10 euros the bike gets its own ticket including a reserved spot in the bicycle carriage on the long train to Salzburg - then on the short local train there is a dedicated corner in the back carriage. Pretty good service!

On the move again - a weekend trip to Zell am See in Austria 🇦🇹 . Again, we're aboard Deutsche Bahn, the train network. The itinerary had us change trains in Salzburg and an hours wait which was perfect for a bite of lunch and to give Georgie a walk around on some grass.

This tree out the front of our apartment building has been dropping oversized purple grape like fruits for weeks now. No one seems to pick them either from the ground or from the tree, nor do they worry when they stand on one and squash it. I haven't tried to eat one but I imagine they might be sour like a plum. They always attract Georgie's nose when she passes by.

They act all grown up (most of the time) but happy to see they're still kids at heart. Here's yesterday's blanket fort. Two more weeks of school holidays left. It's been a long summer holiday since they finished school in Phuket in late June. The German school starts a bit later than the British meaning the kids got about 3 extra weeks holiday this year.

This guy. (pic taken about 8pm in the main pedestrian mall)

Vegemite toast and coffee on our balcony.

Getting the bikes onto the train was a bit tricky. There was the mad rush to get onboard in the few seconds the train stopped at the platform, then to get the bikes in a position that they can be held safely. We had to ride about 15 stops so it lurched too. Luckily it wasn't busy onboard so we weren't inconveniencing too many Germans!

We rode about 8km on our bikes today to visit a local swimming pool. The temperature was 30 degrees so it was nice to cool down. We then took the bikes on the train to get home. Bikes, like dogs, are generally welcome on trains here.

Off we go - a 15 minute walk to the train station then on a local train for about 20 minutes.

These photos from our walk yesterday through the Marienplatz area just south of the city centre. It's got it's fair share of cafes and restaurants and a general laid back vibe. The arts scene seemed fairly predominant here with street art (graffiti) and high end galleries side by side. The kids want to go back to explore the second hand shops and I saw a couple of bike shops that look interesting too. Found a barber that does haircuts for 13 Euros ($20) the cheapest I've seen. Ended up having dinner at a delicious pizza restaurant then an ice cream afterwards. Lots of walking and Georgie collapsed in a heap when we got home.

More train travel! Yesterday we were in Karlsruhe, about an hour away from Stuttgart. This is the town that Tanja and her family lived in just before they migrated to Australia in 1983. It's roughly the same size as Canberra (300,000 inhabitants) and also shares a similar urban design. Like the symmetry of Canberra looking from the War Memorial down to Parliament House, the streets in Karlsruhe all fan out from the castle like spokes on a wheel. A link to a photo here . This means that from the inner city, you can look down almost any street and see the castle. In the evening we sat on the grass to watch the Light Fest - a light show broadcast onto the front of the castle (similar to Vivid in Sydney).

We traveled to the nearby city of Augsburg yesterday to have lunch with Maryann W. Augsburg is an industrial city famous as the headquarters for MAN trucks, buses and diesel engines. To get there was a train journey of 1hr 45min each way, and like most other places, dogs were welcome onboard. We initially had Georgie on our lap where she slept - until the conductor told us that dogs have to remain on the floor in a bag. Luckily Georgie doesn't seem to mind being in hers.

Here's Zara in the King Street shopping mall of Stuttgart (called Königstraße in German). She knows the area so well that sometimes she walks by herself from where we live down to the shops, gets what is needed and comes back again. She has an iPhone to use but she's got quiet confidence and a good sense of direction. It wasn't that long ago we were pushing her in a pram!

I expect there'll be quite a few photos like this over the course of our time here. Germany is very dog friendly on the whole. There are a few places they specifically aren't allowed (supermarkets is one) but generally four legged friends are welcome most places. We've been testing this out with Georgie. We've had the odd occasion where we've been told off and had to quickly scoot out but otherwise it's been positive. Georgie loves being out with us and she's dropped almost a kilogram since arriving here - through all the walking.