Takin' care of business

This post comes to you from Munich, where I am for the afternoon to tend to a variety of things.

As noted on Monday, Eichstätt is lovely, but the only place where I've found internet access is that bar where it's 1€ for ten minutes ... or 6.00 an hour. And then the computer is stuck in a dark little booth in the corner, reeking of cigarette ashes and smoke. I got the impression that it's not usually used by people to check email or post to their blogs ... I could barely see the keyboard. Access to the Monastery computers isn't possible (for alot of reasons) and since they're so kind to me otherwise, I don't want to push it. So coming to Munich puts me back at the i-net cafe where I know the works and the price is right ... or at least much better.

Other business which brings me to Munich is to take care of reservations for the next several train trips. While the fares are covered by my Rail Pass, the longer stretches require actual seat reservations, each for a fee. So, since I have the Rail Pass, and it's a lovely day, I figured I'd jump on the train, come to Munich and do what I need to do with the nice English-speaking travel service in the train station, then hop back on the train and be back to the Moanstery by dark. The little local train I take in Eichstätt proper to get to the connection for Munich is just two cars ... think of a modern Cannonball running between Hooterville and Pixley ... only in the hills of Bavaria.

When I saw the Abbess this morning after my meeting with Sister Angela (German tutor) she let me know that she was not pleased that I was running off to the city today... she said I should say in the enclosure, where I can be quiet and rest. I assured her that Sister Angela had given me some material I could read/study on the train and that I was indeed coming back and wouldn't be out late. So she said OK.

Dinner at St. B's on Saturday afforded me the opportuniy to sample another Bavarian specialty ... pancake soup. Thin pancakes (more like crepes) are cut into very thin strips and served in a clear (beef?) broth. Very tasty. Then we had a very nice schweinschnitzel (breaded pork cutlet). Yummy ... or as they say here ... lecker.

Yesterday I had lunch at a restaurant in Eichstätt with the cousins of one of the Sisters from Ferdinand (long story). I had a wonderful apfel strudel for dessert.

And yes, there is ice cream in Eichstätt ... and it's good ... and it's cheap.

So it goes. Now to head back across the street to the train station and take care of stuff there. Some of the itinerary tweaking has me going directly on to Einsiedeln on Friday the 3rd, rather than stopping back here in Munich for the weekend. I'll be there till Friday the 10th, when I head north to Marienrode (near Hildesheim).

But speaking of ice cream ...