The BBP Blog

Sep 30th - Coming Home!!!

September 30, 2015
Goot morgan!!!  We are in our last few hours of being in Germany.  I am feeling bittersweet about this due to several reasons but it's time to come home.  The weather here has been perfect now and I'm really disappointed about leaving it behind but hopefully, it won't be too bad when I get back to the states. 

This being the last day I'm here in Stuttgart, I look back fondly and remember what I've done and places I've seen and different countries I've been fortunate to visit and experience.

Including Germany, I have visited 8 countries:
Germany
France - several times
Luxembourg
Belgium
Netherlands
Switzerland
Austria
Italy

Cities I've visited:
Stuttgart
Frankfurt
Heidelberg
Baden Baden
Freiberg
Konstanz
Garmisch
Nuremberg
Also about 12 "smaller" towns that tend to blend together in Germany but still beautiful
Brussels
Luxembourg
Amsterdam
Paris
Colmar
Strasbourg
Gemeinde Reutte
Neuhausen am Rheinfall
Lake Como
Milan
Venice

While I may not have been able to hit all that I wanted to, I know I've been fortunate to be able to see these amazing sights, visit some very historical places and share many, many pictures with all of my friends on Facebook. It's been a great time and I've made friends and impacts here that if ever the need arises, I can always contact. I've visited castles, castle ruins, theme parks, festivals, hiked in the Black Forest and driven all over Europe and rode the high speed trains. While I shall miss Europe, the lifestyle it projects and many other wonderful things, too many to name individually, I am more than ready to be coming home. I need to feel the good ole U.S.A. and all it has because I've been away for a long time. It's time to start another phase in my life.


Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Sep 21st - France

September 21, 2015
So yesterday, September 20th, I headed out west and visited a couple of places in Eastern France.  I visited Marckolsheim, Colmar and Strausberg for a complete day.

In Marckolsheim, I visited Casemate de Marckolsheim Sud, which is a bunker that was built by the French on the German border.  It still shows the scars from the battles it endured along with bomb craters and there are even some projectiles still embedded in the armor.  Inside this was a museum displaying the heroics of the French a...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Sep 19th - Oktoberfest and Munich

September 19, 2015
Greetings to all and sorry for the delays on writing.  Been a busy few weeks and also big news.  I'm coming home!!!  After over 6 months of being in Stuttgart and away from loved ones and family, I'm coming home.  Maybe for only a little while though as I am preparing for another big life change.  Moving to California for a new job.  Not quite my home in San Diego but not too far away in Anaheim.

So today was the start of Oktoberfest in the original home of it, Munich, Germany.  Started off th...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Sep 2nd - The new beginning

September 2, 2015
Hello there and welcome September.  It's been crazy here as we've finally have gotten rid of summer, I hope.  Sure has been a hot one but looking forward to some cooler weather.

So what do I mean the new beginning?  Well, today, 5 years ago, almost to the time, my life changed in a way I thought would be too tough to recover.  It almost was as many things changed drastically.  However, today, 5 years ago, I was walked out the door from my job at Florida Bank, who coincidentally, doesn't exist ...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Aug 29th - Konstanz

August 30, 2015
Headed south Saturday afternoon to a town on the border between Germany and Switzerland, called Konstanz.  It was a relatively short drive and the town itself is a nice one.  It's built on the Rhine river and also Lake Constance.  It was pretty neat to just walk around and see all the places that you see online all the time.  I saw the "beach" where you could swim in a controlled part of the river.  Overall it was a "typical" German town that I've seen quite a few times already.  Has a shoppi...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Aug 25th - Another day

August 25, 2015
So another day closer to leaving this place and I'm looking forward to it.  Can't wait to get back to the good ole U.S.A. so I can get back to a normal life.  I miss a lot of the restaurants and everyday life a lot of people take for granted.  Be nice to see friends and family when I get back. 

I know this isn't much of an update but wanted to write and say eh.

Until the next time...

Bill out

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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Aug 16th - Cooling down???

August 16, 2015
Greetings all from Germany.  This has been a great birthday weekend for the BBP.  Mostly because of the weather has been cooling down and we've been getting some rain.  I have to say, it's nice not to be sweating just from a walk to the car.  That gets old very fast.

Went cave exploring yesterday and found Bear Cave, or as it's called here Barenhohle.  Was an interesting cave and while it wasn't very big, it did have some neat views within.  One thing I noticed though is that there is no prote...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

August 12th - Happy Birthday

August 12, 2015
Happy Birthday to Mr.  BB.  Can't believe it's another year gone by.  Amazing how time does fly as you get older.  Why is that?  You have days that zoom by and others that drag.  The ones that zoom are typically the ones that you're having a great day and are out and about while the ones that drag are the days spent at work. 

I am again spending my birthday  in Germany where I spent last year's as well.  In the past 4 years, I've had one birthday at home.  Oh well.  I'm not huge into my birth...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

Aug 1st - Welcome August

August 1, 2015
Here we are now in August.  I can't believe how fast this year is going by but it just keeps going and going.  Anyway, today is the first day of my 90 days.  Yes, I'm still in Germany as I was extended for another 3 months.  I love it and am not complaining but I can't wait to get back to the states. 

As for this weekend, I am laying low and just recharging my batteries as I've been on the move the past few weekends and am just a bit tired.  No need to burn myself out.  There are a few more p...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 

July 24th - July 26th Amsterdam

July 29, 2015
Well what seemed like forever to get here finally did and I was really excited for a few reasons.  First, I was going to Amsterdam for the first time.  Been wanting to do that for years and finally got the opportunity.  Second, I was going to make my trip up there by high speed rail.  And third, needed a break.

So the day comes to take my trip so off I go to the main train station in downtown Stuttgart.  I find my train, carriage and seat, located in first class of course, and sit down.  As it...
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Posted by Bill Bickford.

 
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