Part 1 - Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany 2005

Saturday, March 12, 2005 - Erlangen was the first city in Germany that I ever visited. It is a historic university and industrial city in Bavaria, Germany. It evolved from an 8th-century settlement into the vibrant modern high-tech hub and university center it is today.

I landed there around mid-day for a 14-day business trip. My journey started in Los Angeles the day before and was otherwise uneventful, except for close connections in Chicago and Frankfurt, both requiring some athletic prowess to avoid seeing my plane depart from the gate without me - an experience I have had more than once in the past.

When I arrived in Nuremberg I was surprised how smooth Immigration and Customs clearing was. There was no baggage inspection and I departed the terminal a little nervous about whether I was missing some step in the process. Once I was on the curb I found a cab, and expecting language difficulties I just said “Dorint Erlangen”. He understood and indicated it would cost me €25. I agreed and were off.

On arrival at Dorint Novotel I was pleasantly surprised to find that the receptionist at the hotel spoke perfect english. I was not amused when I entered my room and saw the size of the pillow, despite that, I managed to spend fourteen days with the pillow. I was tired from the travel and time zone changes, so I went immediately to bed. It was only 1:00PM German time.

After a good rest, I got dinner at the hotel and relaxed for the remainder of the day. The next day I walked the neighborhood streets of Erlangen to familiarize myself with the area. It was my plan to walk to the office from the hotel the next day, so I decided to locate it during my walk. Once I was comfortable with the area, I thought it was a good idea to expand my scope, so I asked the receptionist at the hotel desk for suggestions. The young lady recommended that I go to Nuremberg, which was approximately 12 miles away; it is a 15- to 20-minute ride by train, and there are four to five trains per hour. She gave me directions to locate the Erlangen train station and instructions on how to purchase tickets for my destination. Later that day I made a solo visit to Nuremberg.

During my time in Erlangen I took some photos, some of which can be seen below.