Me in front of the ICE (InterCity Express) train at the Frankfurt Airport.

 Frankfurt Airport train terminal.  Ritzy, eh!

 Above: sitting for a nice cup of tea while waiting for my train

Below: trying to pass the time by being artistic.  I had recently purchased my iPod and was still enamored by it!

 Above and below: the German highspeed train.  Since I had a EuroRail train pass and am over 26 years old, I had to travel first class.

 Andrea and I taking a little winter walk around town.

Andrea's apartment, which is a 150-year-old building that used to serve as a horse stable for king's senior equestrian marshal.

Ludwigsburg houses, many of which have been subdivided into apartment units. 

 Friedrich Street

 The Ludwigsburg central market square, crowned by the evangelical Stadtkirche (City Church).

Statue of young Duke Eberhard Ludwig of Württemberg, who later became king.  

 Hypnotized birdy.

 "Upper Market Street"

The "B" looking letter is actually a double S, "ss".  The word for street can also be written "Strasse."

 Above and below: the twice-weekly farmer's market downtown.

 Vesper Eggs, which are for the "Vesper" snack break between breakfast and lunch.

Apotheke = Pharmacy.  It's a quaint building, no? 

 Germanized version of the golden arches.  This particular McDonald's is a huge hang out for Ludwigsburg's sizable Turkish minority population.

 Muller shopping center.

 "Kirchstrasse", Church Street

 Me at the icy Ludwigsburg Palace.

Begun on 7 May 1704, Ludwigsburg Palace took 29 years to complete.  The palace comprises of 18 buildings and contains 452 rooms, making it one of the largest palaces in Europe. 

 Ludwigsburg Palace garden, just after the snow melted.

Inner courtyard, which was expanded upon the original palace and is flanked by chapels, knights' quarters and long galleries.  The Lion Fountain in the middle is decorated by coats of arms and animals that symbolize the princely power.

 Germans seemingly love to post signs telling visitors what is allowed and what is forbidden.  1) The palace garden closes when there is snow and ice, as well as when there is a "burglary by darkness" which is German for "nightfall."  2) Please walk dogs on leashes.  3) Riding bikes is forbidden, as this garden is a pedestrian zone.

 Above and below: palace elements

 The Lion Fountain

Literally: "around leading", or, detour.

Barren branches on the palace grounds 

The small Emichsburch castle on the palace grounds. 

 Crazy red bird just sitting the winter out at the palace.

Seestrasse, Sea Steet

I love German.  They've got all these words that visually resemble vulgar words in English.

Fahrt = journey, travel, going

aus = out; so Ausfahrt does not mean "fart out" but rather "out traveling" or "exit."

Literally the above sign says: Out-traveling free-holding!  Or, "keep the exit free (of cars)"

Just for fun, some German words on the left, English on the right:

dick = thick

ass = ate

Puppe (pr. "poop-a") = doll

Titz = name of a town near Cologne

:-)

"Hey, man, I ass a dick chocolate Puppe on my Fahrt to Titz the other day!"

Hehehe. . . Gotta love Deutsch!

Faux bird in my friend's apartment.

Above and below: me!

I bought the M cap while in Saudi Arabia and people always asked me what M stood for, and the only thing I could come up with was "Mega Stud".  RIGHT?!?  ;-}

German moss

 Above and below: Andrea and I being photo-artistic

Britta, me and Andrea going out for the evening.

This area was one of the American administration locations during occupation at the end of World War II.  Back in the day it served as the location for the King's cavalry.

Bright street sign

Above: The former home of the financier Joseph Suess Oppenheimer.  Suess was a "Court Jew" who was condemned to death in 1738 and has become a legend through various books and films.

Kirchstrasse, Church Street

"Protest against the conference of the world's war elites.  Against the NATO Security Conference in Munich.  Stop the global war by NATO states!  International solidarity, against worldwide exploitation and oppression, no justice - no peace, no war against Iraq, another world is possible!"

Question: 1) if "worldwide" exploitation and oppression is bad, would these protesters be happier if it were just done locally?  2) Where were all these left-wingers' protests against Saddam when he went marching into Iran and Kuwait and murdered over a MILLION people.  There were none and clearly left-wingers are truly unconcerned with the "worldwide" wellbeing of the masses.  The day they protest en masse against the world's dictatorial thugs in the Middle East or elsewhere is the day I might consider listening.

 Kroet, Andrea's boss' doggie.  Cute, eh!

"One Way Street"

"Fleamarket, February 15th"

Ludwigsburg town square with man hocking "Yummies from France".

Small memorial to fallen soldiers of the 2nd German Tank Division of World War II.  The memorial is constantly being vandalized, cleaned up, and re-vandalized.  The spay paint says, "1933, you murderers!"  The building behind it served as one of the American administration offices after WWII, I believe.  (I'm surprised there wasn't something spray painted on it against America as well!)

Euro cars zipping around town

"Heilbronn downtown" "Buch - south - residential area"

German highway signs.  For some reason I love international highway signs.

The neighboring town of Bietigheim-Bissingen.  Now try saying that three times fast!

 Quaint cobble stones and stone German houses

Rathaus, City Hall

A church in Bietigheim-Bissingen.

Modern art titled "Pferde" or "horses."

 Leafless courtyard

Art society locale

 Above: pedestrian street

Below: Fasching/MardiGras festival items for sale

Fasching masks

 Me looking like I could be a Fasching mask!  At least my bright blue eyes stand out from the bleached out skin. . .  And there's that M again. . .

Wouldn't it be fun to grow up on this little street?

 Bietigheim-Bissingen architecture

"Not drinking water"

"Keep the cellar door unobstructed!"

 Awe kittie!

Above and below: random Bietigheim-Bissingen street

Above and below: great German roof titles.  So much better than what often passes for roofing in the United States.  (This is an area or architecture that Americans could definitely learn from, albeit an expensive lesson.)

Leading up to the Hohenasperg penitentiary and mental hospital, which also happens to be a tourist attraction due to its location atop a small mountain and commanding view of the local townships.  Steffi Graf's father allegedly spent time here for tax evasion.  The hospital located here generally treats injured prisoners from local jails.

Placed at a state penitentiary?  Not a good idea!

Hohenasperg state pen.

Not such a shabby place to be in jail, eh!

The old moat

Who knew prisons could be so fun?

Townships of Asperg and Ludwigsburg

Above and below: the February southern German landscape

No something, though I'm not totally sure what.

Palace Solitude, just outside of Ludwigsburg.

Interior of Palace Solitude, the summer residence of regional leaders back in the day.

German kiddy and mini snowman.

 Gold ceiling treatment.  Ahh. . . to be a dictator. . .

 Gravity defying snowball stack

Above: me thinking that it was significantly colder in February in Germany that it was back in Saudi Arabia where I was living at the time.

Above: Andrea and I

"Hey, look at me!  I'm in a palace!"

Mega Stud with his new best friend Mr. Snowman

I wonder if the halogen lamp is original?

Small crystal chandelier

Gold trimmed bed.  Again, it must be fabulous being a dictator!

Palace garden area covered in snow

Beautiful ceiling artwork

The palace now serves as an art institute, and if I'm not mistaken, these are the student dormitories.

Palace interior

Palace exterior.  Small by palace standards, but a palace nonetheless!