We got up and had another breakfast that could not be beat. Soon we were on the road again. We tuned in the GPS on the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and we were on our way. We got re-routed by Elizabeth (the name I gave the voice of the GPS) a few times due to traffic, but we ended up there safe and sound with lots of the day left to explore what is essentially like the Taj Mahal of the mechanical engineer. The glorious double helix of pre-tensioned concrete, structural steel and metal cladding loomed over us as we skirted it in our Benz and pulled into the lot.
We got inside and were greeted by an enormous Mercedes dealership to our left and the museum store to our right. The odyssey began. We picked up our audio guides and took the leather lined stainless steel elevator to the top of the double helix shaped building and got started. The museum is organized so that you take the elevator up and walk downwards transcending the history of the automobile, Germany and society in general in the process. The audio guide had four settings: Fundamentals, Society, Technology and FOR KIDS. I kept it on technical (boo yeah). I could ramble for pages about the contents of this great place but I do not want to spoil it for you.
After eating at the museum we bought some trinkets from the store and began the drive to Ratingen, my home (far) away from home.
Elizabeth got us around the traffic and we were at my flat four and a bit hours later. We picked up some food and beer and went out for a walk about town. I proudly toured them about town and showed them the nicest bar in town. We all stopped in for a beer, including my 15 year old brother Stuart. Nobody asked any questions and we stood there amongst the people chatting in German and enjoyed some Frankenhiem Altbier. We got home, my parents “complemented” me on my place and we got to bed after some cold cuts on extremely good German bread.
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