You can tell I'm headed back….

…because I'm pointed the other way, as Snoopy observed from atop his doghouse.  I do it from within a ferry, but the idea is the same.

Its been a good week but a lot of road time.  A few days in Maastricht, followed by a long drive to Munich for a day of meetings, then another day’s journey back. 

The discussions were good, and we enjoyed some seasonal Bavarian beers and cuisine to celebrate progress.  Oktoberfest was just finished, so harvest soups and immense slabs of beef were on the menu.

 

Germany was rainy and cool, typical fall weather, and the traffic was typically fast and aggressive.  There is still more construction per linear kilometer along the autobahn’s than anywhere else I go.  The worst seemed to be around Stuttgart: the ring road was clogged with accidents, and the short-cuts through the city followed steep and narrow roads.

Levity came from the mural in a restroom half way back.  Otherwise, I tunneled into podcasts and ruminated through the miles.

In Maastricht, the Christmas lights were going up as the leaves were coming down.  I finished my VAT reporting, worked the fundraising, and caught up with friends.

The ferry back was considerably quieter than the ride over.  The boat was filled with school groups, all taking pictures.  The difference was the near-maniacal focus on individual and group selfies.

 

I take a lot of pictures, but most are outwardly directed, thinking of light, composition, and the feeling of the moment. 

Scenery is backdrop for them: it’s a completely different way of seeing the world.