Saturday 7 April 2007

Germany...

Last week I was in Frankfurt, Germany attending the Musikmesse exhibition for work...



I've never seen cloud formations like these before; they were awesome... Until you descend through them on a Boeing 737, then they are rough as you like! :0)


I landed right next to the new Airbus A380, which had just made it's first flight full of passengers from New York to Germany - This photo does not do it justice, as this aircraft is HUMONGOUS!
Seeing it in real life, rather than on TV, is stunning.



In the airport toilets I noticed this, which made me chuckle. It says, "If you are reading this you are having a pooh!" :0]


I then took a 20-minute taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. All the taxis in Germany are nice new Mercedes, completely unlike the crappy Kidderminster cabs... Is that five 6s?

"Tripod" and "The Silver Fox" preferred this method of transport!!!


Frankfurt Skyline



On the way to the exhibition, you pass many impressive bank HQs

I can't even begin to describe how enormous these exhibition halls are. This is just the outside entrance to one of the halls! There are 10 of them linked with moving walkways. Each of the halls are about the size of a football pitch. You could literally walk for hours.


This was our section on our German distributor's stand.


This slight technical hitch made me laugh - when we first plugged a laptop into this hired plasma screen, it appeared upside down. We all stood back and in synchronicity said, "oh"

On the subject of errors, Germany is home to the worst hair style EVER called the 'Mullet' - For those of you who are new to this popular 1980s cut, it's basically, spiky(ish) on-top, very short on the sides and long at the back. Ewww
Here are two classic examples I managed to catch on camera, both well worthy of the title being pronounced "moo-lay" for extra class :]



Exhibition fuel consisted of Weiner Shcnitzel in a crusty roll. Mmm

Unfortunatly, the exhibition is rife with Chinese copies of UK products, but we noticed a slight mistype in this very nicely put together glossy Chinese catalogue of ripped-off speakers... This tech blurb is supposed to be titled 'Full Range Speaker' - A little bit of devine justice eh!


Parking can be an arse in Frankfurt, but not if you own a Smart car


Check this gigantic toy dog thing I spotted! How cool is that?
The orignal toys were threaded with elastic, so when you press the button in the base, it collapses and moves etc. This, sadly, was a none-working version. I want one outside my house right NOW!



I was quite tempted to go in here and do the test, dead pan faced :]


A 'specialty' shop in Frankfurt's red light district.
One of the crew accidentally dialled his girlfriend's mobile in his pocket while browsing through this shop! He had much explaining to do as the 15 minute message included statements such as, "Oh my word, that's massive?" etc, etc. Ooops

Me trying on Big Rich's glasses. GEEK... Specky T***

My fave restaurant in the world, the Steinernes Haus.
They serve you a hefty lump of raw fillet-steak on a hot lava stone and you cook it yourself. This is accompanied by a huge beer that takes two hands to lift until you've drank some!

My hotel was on this street. Try saying it to a German taxi driver after a few beers :[]


Today, I'm Most Angry About: A Chav trying to overtake his mate in a 30mph zone into oncoming traffic, me being at the front! He got a blast of my horn as I emergency braked, but he just took a drag of his fag and blasted his horn back at me - What a nob!!! Grrr
Grrr-O-Meter Rating: 8/10

Today's Top Tip:
Record the sound of your washing machine, then confuse the neighbours by playing it back on a battery operated player during a power cut!

25 comments:

b o o said...

driver "drunkenstrasse" danke *hick*

u in glasses is GEEK alert :-X

Anonymous said...

Nice one. I have a map of the Frankfurt S- and U-bahn system on my cellar wall (now there's geek for you).
If only that dog really worked;-(

kat said...

I look the toy dog - I want one too. Shame about the name of the street. :-)

kat said...

No, I love the not dog - not 'look'.
Typo.

kat said...

ha ha ha - I shouldn't have touched that wine last night. I'll try again.
" I love the toy dog "

Phil said...

Boo:
LOL @ Drunkenstrasse - You've obviously been there :)

Def geek me in specs :X

Hutters:
Ah, I feel less geeky now, thanks!
Yeah, if only the dog worked by pressing a small red button on its base :]

Kat:
LOL OMG - Keep off the wine me dear, although I do like the sound of a 'not dog'.
Yeah, twas very cool and large and as I said to Lord Hutton, it's just missing a small red button on the base to press :]

mellowlee said...

That first photo is amazing! Hey I want one of those mechanical dawgs too! It doesn't have a tinny sounding bark does it? :O) I want me one of those beers too, it looks delicious. I feel so sorry for the crew member whose phone dialed his g/f at an unfortunate moment. I can just imagine that conversation afterwards trying to explain, yikes!

Phil said...

Mellow:
Thanks! I love watching the clouds from the plane.

Hehe, yeah, a tinny bark on the huge toy dawg would be brill :)

He talked his way out of it quite quickly I believe :0)

Toccata said...

Man, everytime I stop by you are on your way to somewhere interesting or just getting back. Oh, to have your life!

The clouds looked incredible. The food on the other hand kind of looked disgusting.

Anonymous said...

0LG0EKULMI0LG0

P.S. Look Closley.

(by the way, i was on that airbus you took a picture of! We're travel buddies!)
From,
Someone****

Anonymous said...

hey, i wear those glasses and i think that they look very cool! on everyone!

jlwarlow said...

I like the cloud photo - very strange!

I'll have to try the self cook steak - looks great!

Monkey said...

Can I just say that I LOVE your blog?? These photos are amazing. Virtual armchair traveling. I love it.

I've never been to Frankfurt. The skyline is pretty!

The Airbus A380 frightens me. I don't know why. But my eight year old thinks it is awesome, in every sense of the word.

Sadly, the mullet is still popular here in certain southern states.

I want a smart car and one of those toy dogs.

Anonymous said...

I have friends who have a collapsy giraffe. It's so addictive!

Me Myself and I said...

Mullet: business at the front, party at the back!

I'm afraid of flying, and that airbus looks very frightening to me. How does something so HUGE stay in the air??!

Also, this is the fist post in awhile with no bare arse mooning the camera shots! what's up??
haha.

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

I had one of those dog toys!! But then, who didn't?

Phil said...

Toccata:
I do get around a bit - (Not like THAT though) :]
The clouds were awesome, as was the steak :)

Mr Mistery / J Nogin:
You little devil Runtus... You got me there mate!!! Very well done; I was asking all sorts of other people. P.S. You spell mystery with a 'y' like that :o]

Codemonkey:
Very odd clouds indeed. I'm looking into buying lava stones to do just that. I'll pass on the info if I have any luck finding them :]

Monkey:
Thank you Monkey, that's very kind!
Frankfurt is a nice place, but I've onyl ever been for work, so never had chance to properly go round it all.
I lurve airplanes, but yes, the A380 is quite scary regarding it's sheer size. Would like to go on it still though :]
Eww, mullets should be band world wide, but Smart cars and gigantic toy dogs should be made compulsary! :)

Rob:
Ooh, a collapsy giraffe, I'm liking it. What is the real name for these toys anyhow? I would love to know, as I can't find them on the net :`[

Celeste:
LOL, the mullet slogan!!!
I'm not affraid of flying anymore, but I still don't like the sensation of turbulence. The Airbus stays in the air with airfoil shaped wings and 4 engines with more power than you can shake a stick at :]
Agh, yes, no moon shot - I'll make up for it the summer posts :0)

Angela:
I think I did too or something similar. Do you know what they are called, so I can search the intermaweb for one?

Anonymous said...

PHil, didn't you notice that j nogin always posted his comment just after mr.mistery did!

Anonymous said...

p.s. if you look back on the prank letter one there is only 1 minute difference between when they got posted!

Lord Hutton said...

Phil
For info, I have had to change my blog (the old one deleted through stupidity and drunkeness). It is now lordhutton.blogspot.com/. You'll need to change your link. Sorry
Best wishes

Andy

Phil said...

Runtus:
Well I don't analyse when they are posted...
You got me I know - You're gonna get such a slappin' tomorrow dude :0)

Hutters:
Done!!! :[]

Felis-Design said...

hehehe. The eighties' haircut is totally "out" in Germany as well, though some still believe in it. We call it VoKuHiLa (vorne kurz hinten lang = front short back long), and I thought it died out everywhere but here but I actually saw a couple Irish people with it (having lived in Dubs for a while).

Love your blog, the photographs are amazing!

Phil said...

Estella:
Wow!!! 'Hello' and welcome:

I think the Mullet will always be a die hard style... unfortunatly! :]
Ah, I can now add another word to my limited German vocabulary, thanks.

Glad you like the blog and piccies. You're welcome back any time :)

Pass on my regards to all the Innocent crew over there.
I polished off my lovely carton of oranges, mandarins and rasberries smoothie today... hoorah

Phil said...

Great photos. Love the clouds one from the plane.
We have folks up here where I live that still have the Mullet Cut. It has to be the stupidest looking cut ever

Phil said...

Phil:
Cheers! Good to see you here.
Yeah, I love that cloud one, although shame it's not clearer.
Worldwide mullets ahoy :[]