Day 3

Once again I'm completely stuffed with an awesome dinner and half drunk from the wine. If anyone on the team goes hungry while here it is their own fault. Dinner is not to be rushed. It is at least a 2 hour affair. There have been 4 courses, and having several drinks sitting there is common. Water is ordered 'with gas or without?'. I prefer without gas. Marketing isn't big in the translations. I believe 'lukewarm slices of calve knuckle' was one on the menu last night - which I didn't order.

Today has continued my learning. I decided to use the public restroom here in the hotel after breakfast rather than come back to my room. I figured out the WC on the universal sign for male/female restrooms pointing down some stairs. When presented with either an 'H' or a 'D' door I had not a clue and had to ask. Turns out I am a 'D'. The flush mechanism so far has been a button. First push starts the flush, and sometimes a second stops the water. The faucet on post was the same, push to start the water and push again to turn it off. The toilets here at the hotel have a small button on top of the tank to flush. The ones on post have a large square plastic one on the wall behind the commode. It's the little things that give me pause here.

The time change caught up with me big time today. A bit before lunch I went on auto pilot, and while the lights stayed on, there wasn't really anyone home after that. I slept well last night, and most likely will again tonight. This hotel has been absolutely wonderful. The rooms are comfortable (if unusual in the details), and the food has been delightful. Service is above and beyond anything I've had in the States. We check out of here tomorrow morning and move to a different hotel in town. It will be interesting to see the differences.

I asked for and received a 'tour' of the wine cellar after dinner tonight. It was a single room, all stone. I asked the age of the building, and was told 600 years old, I believe.

Tomorrow starts the serious getting ready for class. The guys may need to drive up and get our publications, leaving me in charge of a detail of soldiers to move the equipment to the classrooms and start the imaging. Being in charge of soldiers sounds fun. The imaging not so much.

Time to float my wine soaked body off to bed.