Tom goes to the races.

"Becky, here's the deal - the company (Pilarcitos Cyclesports) is sending me to a couple of events to research and study big Euro races and is picking up the tab for a trip to Berlin and Brugge. Want to come?"

"Tom, Does it involve bike races?"

"Well, Capital 'Duh!' - you didn't think I was going for cathedrals and museums, did you?"

Here's my version of the winter in Euro-land. On the Bucket List was a trip to the Berlin 6-day, one of the oldest on the circuit of indoor velodromes. This was a rock concert where a bike race happened to break out, only it was 80's rock but an awesome sound system with plenty of treats for the paying customers. Here's what the velodrome looked like on Wednesday when they were loading in all the catering equipment

Then I started hunting for a ticket - presumably the place would be sold out on opening night and I struck out memorably trying to score a ticket online from home. Finally got one when I arrived at 5:00 pm thursday night

and when the doors opened at 6:00 pm here's what the joint looked like and the action started. Told you it was a rock show....  

They had all kinds of Berlin celebrities show up for opening night - the "Berlin Bear" city mascot and this guy below who is a cycling celebrity, especially standing and posturing at the side of the roads at the Tour de France every summer.

They also had the "Prom Queen" convertibles that carried each of the 16 racing team members on their introductory laps on the track, complete with spotlights

It was non-stop bike racing until I had to call an early night but had to wait until I could watch the "Stayer's Race" - big BMW motorcycles on the track with the drivers standing up to create a protective draft for their riders tucked in behind them - at 40 mph on the 250 meter uber-banked track. You have to come to my house to watch the videos - no pictures of them.

Tomorrow - report from Zolder and the World Cyclocross championships - and the Bike Doping scandal! Awesome!

Brugges

Tom went to the races. Ellyn, Peter and I went to the chocolate museum. Way fun. Peter and I participated in a chocolate workshop. 

That little girl thinks Peter is hogging the bag. 

My lot is in the front. The teacher was darling, a real chocolate enthusiast. She had answers for all Peter's questions. 

The next morning we went on a tour of the last brewery that actually makes beer in within the city walls.  It included a glass of their best. Here are views from the top of the brewery. Scary stairs.

In medieval times no buildings were allowed to be taller than the cathedral. 

Here is the Begijnhof where women of status lived when their husbands died or they went off to the crusades. They are still inhabited.

Here is the Bier Temple. We contributed to the local economy by purchasing a few bottles. 

We rented a lovely apartment perfect except for the scary spiral stairs to the second floor. 

Now we are off to Paris on the train from Brussels.

Berlin

My phone says we walked 18,000 plus steps yesterday. That's over 8 miles! We went to the Brandenburg Gate, top of the Reichstad, hit the Neues museum and walked our feet off. Two days in Berlin is not enough, there are many more things to do. 

The hotel clerk was congratulating us on the spring like weather, we are finding it really, really cold. Not as cold as last week however. 

Some of our favorite sites

Brandenburg Gate at night

German version of the wiener mobile

Berlin Wall on the really great walking tour

German beer

Our first German beer was on the plane. Yeah Lufthansa.

Upon arrival in Berlin we did our recommended big walk about the neighborhood and a visit to Berlin's largest department store KaDeWe. It has a huge food hall with many places to drink  while watching food being prepared in front of your eyes- Asian food, sausages and potatoes, oysters, charcuterie or stinky cheese. We looked at it all.

We moved on to the fat lady restaurant around the corner from our hotel- Pension Peters in the fashionable Charlottenburg area of Berlin. Very jolly place, many choices of beer. Here is what Tom, Peter and I had. 

I regret to say, the walk and beer did not have the desired effect of knocking us out and I am lying in bed at 4 o'clock in the morning wide awake and writing about it 

And we are off, again!

January 25th we take off for adventures in Europe and Israel , with a little side trip to Jordan thrown in for good measure. Tom is going to bike races in Berlin and Belgium, and then to RETROMOBILE in Paris. Becky along with friends Peter and Ellyn is not. But then we all depart for 2 weeks in the Middle East where Tel Aviv, Petra, Jerusalem and a car trip to Galilee is on the schedule. 

Woohoo!