Category: travel

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart

On By Rick McIn product endorsements, travel2 Comments

I don’t own a car and have never been into them.

But this is one of the best museums I can recall. And I was relieved to see they had not downplayed the participation of the company in Hitler’s Nazi genocide.

Emil Jillinek named Mercedes for his daughter.

It had 35 horsepower and was considered to be one of the world’s first “modern cars”.

Mercedes-Benz Museum is based on a unique cloverleaf concept using three overlapping circles with the center removed to form a triangular atrium recalling the shape of a Wankel engine.

The building was completed and opened on 19 May 2006.

… more than 160 vehicles, some dating back to the very earliest days of the motor engine …

… audio tours in a variety of languages …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

 

OK Greta — you win

On By Rick McIn climate change, ethics, food, government, travel1 Comment

I’m swearing off single use plastic Diet Coke.

Drinking sparkling water from a machine instead.

Like Greta on Facebook.

Disclaimer – my boycott ends next international flight

too much SMOKING in Europe

On By Rick McIn anti-smoking, government, health & fitness, product complaints, travel1 Comment

One thing North America has done right is to reduce smoking.

I hate visiting Europe for this one reason.

Eduard Benko. Romania, 2009

According to the World Health Organization, 21.9 percent of Americans smoked tobacco in 2018. In comparison, the average smoking rate for Europe was 28.7 percent.

When you look at the approximate number of cigarettes smoked per person per year, the picture is even more striking. Out of the 20 countries that smoke the most cigarettes, 15 of them are entirely or partially in Europe. The United States is 68th on the list. …

From U.S. surgeon general warnings to campaigns by groups like the American Cancer Society, the messaging has been clear since the 1960s: smoking cigarettes is bad for you. And it’s worked. About 96 percent of Americans believe smoking cigarettes is at least somewhat harmful to your health. …

Why Do So Many People Smoke Cigarettes In Europe?

Obviously the EU has to educate, educate, educate … and legislate.

Here’s my nearest grocery store in Stuttgart. Nothing but nicotine products while waiting in line to check out.

drink beer all day then try this ride

On By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

I’m tenting right next door to second largest beer celebration in the world after the Munich Oktoberfest.

It’s called the Cannstatter Volksfest or Stuttgart Beer Festival.

Over 4 million visitors a year.

Everyone but me drinks big steins of beer then tries not to get sick on rides like this.

Instead I sipped some cheap wine. Ate pretzels and soft cheese for dinner at my tent. I was celebrating.

LONG flights with stopovers

On By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

Increasingly — in recent years — I’ve been looking for the cheapest long distance flights … with stopovers.

For example, my 6 hour break in Lisbon made the LONG Bermuda to Stuttgart flights much more enjoyable.

Farewell Bermuda

On By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

I was back in the triangle helping out with the start of the new Gymnastics season.

I stayed in the Hawitt’s Pool House.

Always a treat to visit Bermuda, even in the (rare) hurricane season.

Last morning I did a light jog at dawn down.

My first HURRICANE – Umberto

On By Rick McIn health & fitness, travelLeave a comment

No problem for me.

But schools and Gymnastics clubs in Bermuda were closed for at least 2 days.

The Category 3 storm’s 120 mph winds left 80% of the island — more than 27,000 people — without power …

Our power went out for about 14 hours. During peak winds in our home bunker, we played Mexican Train dominos.

Next morning we surveyed the damage. Some gas leaks, nine medical incidents and three structural fires. One roof blew off.

Bermuda rarely sees storms as big and powerful as Humberto. Only 21 hurricanes have passed within 100 miles of the Atlantic Ocean paradise over the past century …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The rail trail where I run is impassible due to fallen trees.

Portable SSD drives

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

Love ’em. 🙂

Currently I’m traveling with the Lexar® Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD.

Don’t buy the Samsung version. One of mine was bricked, incompatible with the most recent Mac OS.

  • 500GB
  • USB 3.1 Type-C connects directly to my 2019 MacBook Pro
  • 70.5g / 0.155lbs plus cable

It’s tiny. Light. Durable. Perfect.

And I paid only CAD $100 at BestBuy in August 2019.

It replaces my Samsung T5 Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.1 at CAD $239.99 from Amazon.

A Samsung software update bricked my drive. There’s been no help getting that fixed.  #SamsungSUCKS

 

 

icebreaker Mereno clothing

On By Rick McIn product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

Over the years I haven’t had much luck with wool clothing.

Very expensive. Yet not durable. I found holes in the garments after, perhaps, 10 wash cycles.

But last year I was convinced by an icebreaker salesman to try again. Some of their new products are mostly 87% Merino wool but with some nylon to improve durability.

It works. I’ll be traveling with 3 icebreaker tops on my next trip.

They dry more slowly than synthetic. But stink less. It’s worth it.

The one below costs US$90 or more. I got my most recent shirt for less than $40. You have to shop and wait. The icebreaker sale in my local shop only happens twice a year.