My European Coat

Today I'm wearing a coat. Yesterday it was warm enough to not wear one, but today I'm glad that I have. It hasn't gotten cold cold, but cold enough that I'd rather be warm.

I pulled out of my closet my H&M branded p-coat, purchased in Mannheim, Germany this last May - I'd been planning to wear it all morning - but I was not prepared for the rush of memories it would bring with it.

It has a distinct smell that reminds me of our escapades on the other side of the pond, it has a feel to it that I adore - if only because it saved me from the bitterly cold spring we were subjected to for the first four weeks of the trip, it has a look that is distinctly un-American.

I love this coat. I can't say I nearly cried, but if I was a big crier, I imagine that I would have shed some tears as the rush of memories flooded over me. Memories had in this wonderful coat of mine, purchased for about 30% of its full price, found on a sale-rack on the 90th brown-coat shopping trip I'd undertaken. Thanks be to Heidi for finding it.

This bridge, near the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany (the inspiration for the Disney castle), was especially cold. That bridge was over a sheer ravine with ridiculous winds blasting through.

I think this picture was taken the day after I got the coat. We're in front of the Mercedes Museum in Manneheim, Germany. Since we were both wearing p-coats I wanted to take a military-posed picture, but Heidi obviously couldn't handle it.

In front of us is a beautiful (and very interesting smelling) old German catholic chapel. Behind us is the Bodensee (Boden Sea or Lake Constance, as it's more often know in English), which means that that land you see on the other side is Switzerland, one of my favorite places in the world.

Heidi and I infront of the Swiss Temple in Bern Switzerland. Notice dear Parry chatting away with some random local... :)

And lastly, me in Einstein's house in Bern, Switzerland next to his bust. How cool is that.

You'll notice that most of these pictures were taken in Germany. Before we'd arrived to Germany I'd tried to "stick it out", figuring that it would warm up someday, but to no avail. We bought the coat just two weeks before finding fair weather in Salzburg, Austria.

OK, one more picture:

Heidi and I in front of the seal at the Haufbrahouse in Munich Germany. We walked for about two hours through an awful storm to get there (we wanted to save the 3 euro subway pass... dumb.), but we made it - and my coat kept my upper body dry and warm. Can't say so much of my pants though...

Memories, memories, someday I'll return.

Sean