Back to Europe - Altenberg part 1

After a quick 12 days at home with Brad (work, dog, house, laundry, a few days of sliding) it was back to Europe. We boarded on New Year's Eve and disembarked New Year's Day...I'm starting to feel at home in airplanes...

The first race was in Altenberg, Germany. I'd only been there once, about 4 years ago, but had fond memories. It's one of those technical, painful-consequences-for-mistakes kind of of tracks, but is the type that I MUCH prefer over tracks like Winterberg! And I did well there in my one and only Europa Cup trip.

The town still has an East-German flavor, with a mixture of old grim architecture and grim clothing with both historic and new architecture and modern stores - it is so far east that you can step into the Czech Republic in about 5 minutes -


- but it's also very charming in its own way. And they LOVE their winter sports!

I had a wonderful morning (when sliding was canceled due to...you guessed it...snow) just walking around.

It was quite an adventure (of which I of course didn't take any photos, what did you expect!) trying to buy a SIM card for my old China phone. Over 10 years old now (ouch!), it was a handy little handset that I used all over China, and could access the cellphone networks in Europe. Cheaper than using my iPhone with roaming fees...

• Training is canceled due to blizzard. Mixed feelings - happy to have a bit of free time but sad to miss the runs, since they are the last possible training runs before the race.
  
• Drop Katie off at the gym to train. I have just over an hour...
  
• Drive to post office at train station. Mail postcards; ask where I can buy a SIM card. Unfortunately, the desk agent speaks English, so I can't practice my German.
  
• Walk to small electronics store down a few quaint streets and a narrow alley.
• Ask clerk (cheerful late-middle-aged woman) if she knows where I can buy a SIM card. Fortunately, she does NOT speak a word of English, so I can exercise my German mental muscles. Hurrah!
  
• Carry on a (halting) conversation about cell phones, the weather, etc., get directions (and a tourist map to help), and buy a present for Brad.
  
• Continue walking down alleys and streets. Find a tiny little cable / phone shop.
  
• Feel confused since it looks like a house or office instead of a store.
  
• Walk in anyway and ask the (cheerful, helpful) woman about prepaid SIM cards.
  
• Realize she also doesn't speak a word of English. Yay! This will be challenging...
• Carry on a (halting) conversation: rates; network; initial cost; per minute rate in Germany and out of Germany (no such thing as a European plan, but can at least get a plan that works - albeit at higher rates - Europe wide); phone number; recharging; expiration / validity; ask her to set up the phone support so it's in English; and manage to get a Germany phone number!
• Wish her a good day and walk back to car.
• Bask in the fact that I just spent an hour running errands without speaking English, and managed just fine!
  
• Pick up Katie.
• Grab lunch (Doner Kabab at the train station, delicious!).
• Go back to hotel.
• Prep for race.
  

What a perfect day!