A Fun Day Exploring the City of Porto, Portugal

Mallory and I began today with a bus tour of Porto and Gaia (just across the Douro River).  We then went to the Cathedral for a nice view of the city.  We met Lia Patricio, Dave Bowen, and others for lunch along the river, then then crossed over to the other side of the river (crossing over the Ponte Luis I Bridge) from some good photos.

Overlooking the Ponte Luis I Bridge (and Porto in the background)

The Cathedral is on the upper left.

Dinner (with Sangria) after walking 27,000 steps!

Hiking with Mallory in Wuppertal, Germany

Mallory joined up with me again after spending 5 days in Berlin with Anja.  Since my PhD seminar ended yesterday, I was able to do some hiking today.  We first went to the "colored" steps...called Holsteiner Treppe.  (I am not sure how I missed these on my previous Wuppertal visit.)

Probably the most colorful steps I have in my photo collection.

 From there we then went to Botanischer Garten, where there were lots of hills and steps.

Some of the many steps at Botanischer Garten Wuppertal.

In the distance, up on the hill, you can see the University of Wuppertal!

"Service Marketing and Management" Course at the University of Wuppertal, Germany

I began a two-day (very compact) PhD seminar on Service Marketing and Management at the University of Wuppertal.  Undergraduate and Masters students are on break this week, so 12 PhD students had time to attend the seminar.

I made a presentation in January 2016 in this same classroom...with three students sitting in the same order (next to each other) in almost the same seats. (Can you spot them?) Unfortunately, I could not quite fit everyone into the picture.

We went from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (if you count our field trip)...

After our classroom meeting ended, we conducted a field trip at an Italian restaurant to examine their service processes...and to see how well they recovered from a service failure (the first topic scheduled for tomorrow's class).

A Tour of the Sculpture Park Waldfrieden in Wuppertal, Germany

I returned to the University of Wuppertal today and met with Ina Garnefeld and three of her doctoral students (Tabea Krah, Ann-Kathrin Grötschel, and Jana Wies).  We briefly discussed their research projects.  After lunch we went on a tour (in English) of the Sculpture Park Waldfrieden.  Very interesting...

I saw faces in this one...

Of course, after the tour ended we had to stop for a drink.

Ann-Kathrin, Jana, Ina (& daughter), Tabea, and Dwayne

There were some great steps through the garden.

A 25-mile Bike Ride Along the Wupper River, Wuppertal, Germany

Tabea Krah, a PhD student at the University of Wuppertal, invited me to join her family for a bike ride this afternoon.  There were 7 of us on the trip...

We are at the "top" of our ride, where three cities (Wuppertal,  Solingen, and Remscheid, I believe) meet.

At this point  I am still smiling!

Schloss Burg

We went from Wuppertal-Vohwinkel to the city of Haan and from there on the path "Korkenziehertrasse" to the city of Solingen (the district is called Solingen-Burg). In Solingen we saw the Müngstener Brücke, crossed the Wupper River by using the Wupperfähre, and then went up to Schloss Burg by taking the Seilbahn (ski lift...much better option than what Anja forced Mallory and I to do on Friday!). Afterwards we returned to Wuppertal-Vohwinkel by riding the bikes along the Wupper (upstream, and thus uphill for most of the way back to the Krah house).

Under Müngstener Brücke, which spans the Wupper River.  That is Tabea on the right.

A Hike Up to Burgruine Hohenneuffen, Neuffen, Germany

After seeing a very large looking castle off in the distance from Anja's village of Schlaitdorf, we decided to go see it today.  Anja was the chauffeur, and she drove Mallory and I to a parking lot to where the trail starts up the "berg" where the castle is located.  (GPS was not much help in getting to the parking lot, as it took us to two different places where the road was closed for construction!)  We walked (about 45 minutes) up to the castle.  When we got near the top, I shouted, "Anja!  There are cars up here!"  Apparently you can drive up to nearly the top if you approach from the other side. Anja just smiled, and indicated it was "pay back" for once taking her on a lonnnnnggggg bicycle ride to the Apple Butter Festival in Grand Rapids, Ohio, when she was living with us.  She continued to laugh about my discovery of the cars at the top for the remainder of our hike up (and down).

We stopped for a drink and a snack at the castle.

This is the view we had from our table...Schlaitdorf is off in the (far) distance to the right.

Anja stopped laughing about our hike (and discovering the cars/parking lot) long enough to pose for a picture.

Mini-Family Reunion at Schwabengarten in Stuttgart, Germany

Today was a day to catch up on tasks I had been putting off because of no free time...so, very relaxing!  At the end of the day our chauffeur, Anja, drove Mallory and I to see our (very distant) cousin Sebastian and his wife Karen.  We decided to meet at a beer garden (what else?) somewhat between where they live and where Anja's parents live.

Karen, Sebastian, Mallory, and Dwayne Gremler

Dinner at Schwabengarten

We had beer (of course!) and dinner, and recalled our last meeting...almost one year ago (June 4, 2016) Samantha and I were at their wedding in Gernrode, Germany.  (See the earlier entry in this blog for that date!)

Bride and Groom on June 4, 2016, just outside the church in Gernrode

At their wedding reception, June 4, 2016.