Back "Home" in Germany Again

This blogging really takes commitment. Life rolls along and then you realize you haven't posted anything  for a few days. I'm correcting that right now. It's not as if nothing has happened! So here are a few facts:

• I was in Northern Italy (on business) from Wednesday afternoon until Friday evening. I  stayed in Central Milan and made a day trip to Bergamo on Thursday
• The day I left Milan it was 27C and sunny. The following day back here in Nuremberg it was 31(!). Summer arrived in this part of Europe with the flip of a switch.
• The TV cable in my apartment had to be updated. Germany switched over to digital TV last Tuesday.
• Outdoor pools in Nuremberg opened this weekend. There's one not too far from me that looks really nice. I need to find out what the hours are
• My blog now has over 1000 page views. Thanks everyone. I'm not sure what the number is if you eliminate my views and my mother's.

And some observations:

• I now have more German TV stations to watch than I did previously. The number of other than German language stations remains the same (0)
• 

  

  It would be unfair to only include
  this photo of the Duomo in Milan

  Milano is admittedly one of the most important commercial and industrial cities in Italy. It's not particularly appealing. Once you see the Duomo (under renovation), the Galleria (truly spectacular apart from the McDonald's in the centre) and the Teatro alla Scala (refreshing because people still dress up to go see a performance there), it's really not that nice at all.







• On the other hand, on a clear day you can see the Alps from Milano. And Bergamo itself is right at the foot of the Alps. They are beautiful.
• There are a lot of Italian restaurants in Germany. I have yet to see a German restaurant in Italy.
• Flying time from Munich to Nuremberg is 20 minutes. Time spent checking in, going through security and boarding is considerably longer. Lufthansa still feels obligated to do a beverage service (?!). I was in row 19. The drinks only made it to row 17. Somewhere out there is a beer with my name on it that I will never get to know.
• The sun and the hot weather absolutely transform the city of Nuremberg. All kinds of people are out and about and the outdoor restaurants and cafes are packed. It's a great atmosphere.
I actually have other things to write about. Sometimes I just feel like I need to save something up for a rainy day. It's Sunday night here in Nuremberg and on Friday morning I'll be flying back home (Winnipeg, where my family is!). One of my friends described this as "time off for good behaviour" and another described it as a "conjugal visit". Clearly I need new friends.
Thanks for reading,
Tom