PHOTO FLASBACK: GERMANY





This is the Indian place in Erlangen, where we dined al fresco. There was a colorful old pedal-powered rickshaw on the patio, and the kids were itching to play on it. The Indian-German accent is, um, interesting to say the least.





Here's proof that the meeting with Ursula really did take place. Bob took video of it but it's hard enough for me to upload pictures, let alone ones that move. Is it just me, or do I seem transfixed by the camera? On the right is Ms. Vijay, who does Mars over Erlangen, where you can see pix of us in the torture chamber. According to the brochure, it was the Romans who introduced the practice of torture to Germany. In other words, the idea was not theirs. Of course not. Did you know that the punishment for hearsay (spreading secondhand information) was to be burnt alive? The same as for arson, if I remember correctly. Bakers who shorted their customers were repeatedly dunked in the river, which was dirty and cold and usually made them get sick and die.





TODAY'S BONUS FACT:
The computer in the corner is playing a Hindi video in which they are repeating "Salami" over and over again. "Salami...salami....salami....salamai....salami." One wishes one knew what "Salami" means in Hindi -- it certainly has nothing to do with meat -- but one is too gube (lazy) to ask.