# My (Massive) Trip report. Lots of Pictures



## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

*My (Massive) Trip report. Lots of Pictures!*

Special thanks to all of the frequent contributors on this forum. I rarely post, but am a frequent reader - and with all of the information available here, I was very well informed on the whole ED process.

We were in Europe for a little over two weeks so I've opted to summarize the trip by location / city.

For those of you who have the time to read it all - enjoy! For those who want to skip right to the pictures, here are the links (give the pictures some time to load):

PART1: Munich, Straubing, Regensburg
http://www.mlt7.com/EuropeTrip1/index.html

PART2: Bodenmais, Salzburg, Oktoberfest, Paris.
http://www.mlt7.com/EuropeTrip2/index.html

*Munich - 3 1/2 days*

We flew on American Airlines from DFW to Zurich, and then caught a connecting flight on Lufthansa (code share with SwissAir) to Munich. The flight to Zurich was great, however connecting was a nightmare. To connect we had to stand in a line with 50 other people to "re-check in". The counter personnel were irreversibly incompetent, and it took them forever to do the simple task of printing a boarding pass. After a long flight, the last thing I wanted to do was stand in line for 45 minutes to get something that should have taken a mere few minutes. But as it was, there was nothing we could do but be patient.

We eventually made it to our gate and had a nice quick flight into Munich, arriving around 10:30am on a Saturday. My Cousin, who happens to work for BMW (in the 4 cylinder building) picked us up and took us to our Hotel.

The *Hotel Cortiina*, which is located 5 min walking from Marienplatz and a block and a half away from the Hoffbrauhaus was excellent. The staff at the 30 room hotel was very friendly, the rooms were nice (they use Kiehl's products as their bathroom soaps, which my wife loved), the included breakfast was fantastic, and it had a small garage underneath with decent sized spots. The hotel has a very modern flair which I found extremely tasteful and unique (I typically prefer more traditional hotels but this was a nice exception). The bar on weekend nights is very popular, and is filled with über sheik Germans having cocktails.

We dropped our bags off at the front desk (check-in time was 3pm and they did not have a room ready yet) and headed out to have some lunch. We settled on the nice, but a little pricey Spatenhaus for some Schnitzel and a Weissbier. After lunch we walked around for a bit, but jet lag finally caught up with us, so we went back to the hotel and begged for them to let us in a room. After a short wait they had a room for us and we headed up for a power nap. I set my alarm for 6pm and then instantly fell asleep.

After a nice rest, my cousin came and met up with us again and we headed to explore the Marienplatz area of Munich and get some dinner.

The next morning (Sunday) after breakfast we visited the Schatzkammer (treasury) and the Residenz, which my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed. My Aunt and Cousin met us at the Hoffbrauhaus for lunch, and I killed my first Mass. In the afternoon, my cousin drove the four of us in her car out to Dachau where we spent a few hours touring the concentration camp. The experience was very sobering and I am glad that we visited it.

On Monday morning (*the BIG DAY!*), we woke up early, ate breakfast, then met my cousin at the Marienplatz U-bahn station for the ride to Freimann. Finding the delivery center was very easy thanks to the guides and tips on this forum. We rang the buzzer at the gate, and to my surprise the voice on the other end said he would come out and let us in (I expected them to "buzz" us in). After giving the BMW official my passport, he said that I would be called in about 45 minutes and invited us to go upstairs to relax and wait. Since we had pigged out on the wonderful breakfast at the Cortiina, I passed on all the offers of food at the Cafe (although I did ask to see if they had any Weisswurst...only on Freitag!!!). Rolf was there with another EDer whom we spent some time talking with and Rolf gave me a few tips on how to get to the BMW plant for our 11:30am factory tour.
After a 32 minute wait a young gentleman came over and went over the paperwork with us. I signed away and down to the "garage" we went. The car looked even better than I expected and the Lemon / Dakota interior - which I had never seen in person - exceeded all of my expectations.
Our delivery rep was as patient as a fisherman on a lazy summer afternoon, and let us take as much time as needed for the overview. I didn't require a full demonstration and had him focus mostly on the use of the iDrive and Navi. Once satisfied that I knew how to use it, we fired up the engine and headed to the factory for our 11:30am tour.

The *Factory Tour* was interesting, fatiguing, and mind blowing all at separate times. To me the most fascinating thing was the ballet of robots assembling all of the parts which eventually form a chassis. Additionally, the paint process was nothing like I expected. On the downside, it was very long and at times our guide would go off on a 5 or 10 minute dissertation on topics such as precision laser gluing or the computational mechanics of getting paint to stick to the chassis (when these topics could have been summarized to an elementary audience such as our group in one or two sentences.) Towards the end of the tour I could tell my wife had had enough and I knew we would need to spend the rest of the afternoon shopping.

On Tuesday morning we once again woke up early and filled ourselves up on fresh bread, butter, smoked salmon, wurst, fresh squeezed orange juice, expertly made cappuccino and buttery chocolate filled croissants. I checked us out of the Hotel, loaded up the car, then set the Navi to take us to *Neuschwanstein*. About halfway there I realized that we were missing one of our car keys. I pulled over and searched everything like a maniac - our suitcases, all over the car, my wife's purse - all the while thinking about the stern warning from our delivery rep that if the car is stolen we must present both keys and the registration for insurance to cover the loss. The key was no where to be found and I was now drenched in sweat (albeit in 50 degree weather). While I started repacking all of our bags on the side of the road, my German cousin made a quick and efficient call to the hotel and instructed them to check the room to see if we left it behind. 5 minutes later they called and said they found the key....Whew!! 
Just as my nerves had settled back down and I started to enjoy the drive again I began to notice that we were on some very small remote roads. At one point the center dividing lines disappeared and the road narrowed so that it was only wide enough for one car. I zoomed the Navi map out and reconfirmed that the destination was correct. My German cousin comforted me by saying that she had no idea where we were and that this was not the way to the Castle. I decided to trust the Navi and we pressed on - arriving at the castle 30 or so minutes later. It later turned out that I had the Navi set to "Direct Route" instead of Fast or Highways - so it literally plotted the shortest distance, regardless of road type. That was a good lesson...

The weather had been perfect the first few days, however on this day it was cool and rainy. This was perfect "castle" weather as it gave Neuschwanstien a very daunting and medieval look. Thanks to *Rick Steves* (and my cousin's advice) I had reserved tickets online in advance. Despite the rain, there were tons of people in line to get tickets, and we were able to skip this long wait.
The Castle was great and was one of my most favorite stops on the whole trip. I think the pictures speak for themselves...
After visiting Neuschwanstein, we headed back to Munich to drop my cousin off and start the next phase of our trip...


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## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

*Straubing & Regensburg - 3 1/2 days*

*Straubing & Regensburg - 3 1/2 days*

My mother (may she rest in peace) was born in a small town about 1 1/2 hours north of Munich. I have 3 Aunt's and an Uncle who live in Germany along with a dozen or so cousins - all of whom I am very close with. So the next several days would be spent visiting them and the surrounding local towns and cities.
I was looking forward to the drive to my Aunt's house as it was the first time we would be out on remote un-crowded stretches of the Autobahn. Sure enough after we got outside of the traffic in the Munich area I was finally able to really open it up. 
After driving an Accord (wife's car) and a TSX (mine) for the past several years, it felt great to be back in a German car. Driving the 335i reminded me of the previous Audi A4 that I owned and loved, except it was better. The car was extremely smooth, firm, and stable at speeds hovering around 125MPH and it actually felt very safe. It truly felt like it belonged on the well maintained and perfectly engineered highway. Unfortunately with all of the trucks on the road, I wasn't able to sustain speeds over 110MPH for more than a few minutes. But I reveled in the opportunity to drive the car as it was designed to be driven. Knowing that back in the US I would not be able to enjoy it in its true form, I wanted to take advantage of this experience as much as I could.
My wife seemed to notice how much fun I was having and abruptly decided that it should now be her turn to drive (not at a rest stop, but at 120MPH in the middle of nowhere). I reluctantly pulled over at the next "P" stop to avoid the inevitable tantrum if I did not. In the back of my mind I knew this would be the first of many "discussions" on who get to drive (both in Germany and back at home).
She jumped behind the wheel, adjusted the seats and mirrors, then we were off. At first I was a little nervous with the thought of her driving at over 100MPH on the autobahn, but she was immediately comfortable with the car and did a great job. It was actually nice to experience the ride from the perspective of the passenger seat.
About 45 minutes later we arrived at my Aunt's house, just in time for dinner. My favorite - homemade Schnitzel, Kartoffelsalad, and Pfankuchensuppe was on the menu for the evening.

The next several days were spent visiting relatives and seeing some of the sites in Straubing and Regensburg. Being my wife's first trip to Europe, this really gave her an insight as to how common Germans live and for me it was a nice break from all of the touristy places that we had visited earlier. If you plan on going to Regensburg for the factory tour there, I highly recommend the *Historische WurstKuchl* in the heart of town next to the river. It has been there for over 700 years and has some of the best sausage around (see pictures in Part 1 link). The Cathedral is also impressive and my wife really enjoyed walking the streets and visiting the tons of little shops that Regensburg has to offer.

One little side trip that we took was to the town of *Bodenmais* up in the *Bavarian Wald* (forest). There is a glass factory there called Joska Kristal where you can watch glass makers create various vases, bowls, and other creations. It was very interesting to see how glass is blown, colored, and shaped. There is also a huge store where you can purchase their wares. My wife took full advantage of their offerings and bought several early Christmas presents for her family and herself. My Mom used to buy lots if things here as well and it was always delivered to us in the U.S. unbroken in extremely well packed packages - so I felt comfortable having everything shipped. The drive there was fun and the scenery is beautiful, which makes up for the hour or two of shopping. It is only about 45 min from Regensburg and if you have a couple of hours it is well worth the trip, especially if your significant other likes these types of excursions.

*Salzburg - 2 Days*

The drive from my Aunts house to Salzburg was a quick two hours. We stopped at the border to purchase a Vignette along with a few snacks. One of my cousins had a few extra vests so I borrowed one from him for the few days that we would be in Austria.

The Navi took us right to the front entrance of the *Hotel Sacher* on Schwarzstraße. The three porters casually standing by the entrance leapt towards the car at the "pop" of the trunk and immediately began unloading our bags. I had heard good things about this five-star hotel and was looking forward to two nights of comfort, luxury, and service. After check-in one of the porters led us to our room and proceeded to give us a tour. The room was not small, but not large either, and was appointed with rich tapestry and inviting bedding. The bathroom was gorgeous and drew a big smile from my wife. A few moments later another porter arrived with our bags and set them up for us. Several Euros in tips later, we decided to head down to the terrace cafe for some lunch before heading out for our walk around the city.

Much to my disappointment (but not a surprise), the pedestrian district where all of the shops and *Motzarts Gebursthaus* is was PACKED with people. You could hardly walk down the street and window shop without being jostled one way or another by the crowd. Compounding the problem was that there was some sort festival going on (with rides and those games where you win stuffed animals), which brought in throngs of kids with their families. We made our way around to a few of the key sites such as the Dom, St Peters Cemetery, and a few of the other recommended places mentioned in the Rick Steves guide, but the charm of this quaint little city just wasn't there. Having been to Salzburg several times before I expected this, however my wife felt a little let down.
In any case, we didn't let this sour the mood and got a good afternoon of sightseeing in.
That evening, being tired of eating Schnitzel, kartoffellsalad, wurst, Schweinebraten, more wurst, and other hearty Bavarian favorites, we opted for some Chinese food. Although nothing special, it was a welcome break which we thoroughly enjoyed. The buffet was an economical 7 Euros and seemed to be the place for all those burned out on the typical local fare.

The next morning, after sleeping in a little, we decided to indulge in the expensive yet large (for European standards) buffet breakfast at the hotel. They had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh bread, croissants, wurst, smoked salmon, several types of cereal, 3 or 4 kinds of fresh squeezed juices, fresh fruit, and a large selection of tasty deserts. 
Knowing that we would be heading to the Berchtesgaden area, the Porters pulled our car out of the garage during breakfast and were waiting with it out front immediately after we finished eating. I dialed Obersalzberg into the Navi and we headed off to tour the *Dokumentation Obersalzberg* (Nazi documentation center), the *Nazi Bunkers*, and the must see (mostly for the view) Kehlsteinhaus, or *Eagle's Nest* as we Americans call it.

The Documentation Center was very interesting (audio guide mandatory as everything is written in German) and gives excellent insight into Hitler***8217;s rise to power, how he came to and settled in Berchtesgaden, his plan for racial purity, the propaganda machine, how the concentration camps were organized and facilitated, information on all of his Lieutenants, and much more. Although we didn't "listen" to every exhibit, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to those interested in learning more about Hitler and his reign of power.
Included in the visit to the documentation center is access to the Nazi Bunkers buried deep within the hills. Although severely decorated with graffiti from the countless visitors before it was finally "preserved" as part of the museum, it is still extremely interesting to see and experience - knowing that these had been actually used some 60 years ago.

The bus stop up to the Eagle's Nest is just a few hundred meters away from the Bunkers and Documentation Center so we trotted over to get our tickets for the next ride up. The Bus ride up the mountain gave me the opportunity to reflect back on all of the things I have enjoyed so far on our trip (this bus ride NOT being one of them!). The railings along the narrow one lane road, probably there for cosmetic purposes only, would serve as much protection against a 20 ton bus as tissue paper would from a speeding bullet.
We had great weather that day making the view from the top amazing - we could even see the fortress in Salzburg. After shooting a ton of pictures and enjoying the view, we toured the house (not much to see), then decided to head back down the mountain. I didn't feel that the visit to the Eagles Nest required the recommended two hours (as specified in the Rick Steves book) unless you wanted to eat there. So for those planning on a visit, be aware that you have to "reserve" your return Bus time back down the mountain. 1 - 1 1/2 hours is plenty if you only want to see the place and enjoy the view (not eat).
Back in Salzburg we took the Tram up to the fortress and walked around for 45 minutes or so. The views were once again fantastic and I shot a bunch of pictures. That evening we met up for Dinner with a close friend of my Sister's who grew up in Austria and now lives in Salzburg. After a nice dinner of "Schnitzel Cordon Bleu", we headed to a little bar for a few drinks and some good conversation...


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## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

*Munich - 1 Day (Drop-off and Oktoberfest)*

*Munich - 1 Day (Drop-off and Oktoberfest)*

The next morning we indulged in the fabulous breakfast at the hotel once more while the Porters brought the car around and expertly packed our bags into the trunk.
I dialed my Cousin's address in Munich into the Navi and we headed off in what would be our last day with the car. Most of the Autobahn from Salzburg to Munich had construction zones and other slow downs, but once the highway opened up close to Munich I was able to let loose one, final last time. After driving at 125MPH for a couple of minutes I sadly realized that this car would almost certainly never reach these speeds again.
At my cousin's apartment we unloaded all of our bags, took the Emergency triangle and First Aid kit out, and removed all of our personal belongings. As soon as we had this done, two of my Aunt's and another cousin arrived from Straubing, all dressed in Dirndls***8217; and ready for a the festivity at Oktoberfest. The five of us piled into the car for the ride to *MADA* and after a short 20 minute drive we arrived at the drop-off location in Garching. I initially pulled up where all of the loading docks were but via the office door intercom Thomas instructed me to pull around to the all so familiar parking deck which I recognized from all of the pictures other Bimmerfester's have posted. The deck had at least a dozen other BMW's with the German temp plates branding them as EDers as well as a Mercedes or two. Thomas came out with his power drill, professionally removed the front license plate for us, then took us into his large cigarette smoke filled office to prepare the paperwork. He was so quick and efficient that I felt obligated to double check all of the paper work to make sure it was correct. Everything was correct so I thanked Thomas and we all headed down the street on foot to the Bus Stop. After a short wait for the Bus, we rode it one stop to the U-Bahn station and then hopped on the next train.
The ride on the subway to *Oktoberfest* was both exciting and uncomfortable. Several Men were in their Lederhosen and many of the women wore Dirndls***8217;. As we progressively made our way towards the Fair Grounds, the train became increasingly crowded with ***8216;festers to the point where it reminded me of those pictures you see of people in Tokyo being pushed inside the train in order to get the doors closed. The entire train got off at Theresienwiese and we moved with the masses to Oktoberfest.

This was my third visit to Oktoberfest (the last being 6 or 7 years ago) and I was shocked at how large the crowds were ***8211; especially since it was early Monday afternoon. Kids, parents, teenagers with their friends, Germans who called in sick to work, and thousands of tourists were enjoying rides, playing games, and eating Wurst, Hendl, Schweinshaxe, candied nuts, and smoked fish from the many vendors. I took in the scene and shot several pictures as we made our way around the grounds looking for the Hacker-Pschorr Festzelt. One of my cousins was working there and we figured she would be our best shot at getting a table. 
After 15 minutes or so we came across the Hacker-Pschorr tent and entered. The inside of the tent was warm with a hint of humidity, the air had the smell of fresh cigarette smoke, and as expected it was PACKED with people. The band was playing a song that apparently everyone knew and most of the revelers were standing on their benches swaying back and forth and singing. We slowly made our way around the massive tent looking for my cousin, but the task was futile as there were hundreds of people working there and we had no idea which area she would be in. Luckily, my cousin Andrea who was with us spotted a table with some room and the six of us (another cousin joined us) settled in for some eating, bier drinking, and partying.
I devoured half of a roasted chicken (my favorite) and got to work on my first Mass. My wife had an over priced schnitzel that was too dry. Not being a beer drinker, she got a Radler (half Zitronenlimonade, half beer), which she really liked. We enjoyed all of the festivities for a couple of hours, talking with fellow drinkers around us, swaying to catchy songs we***8217;ve never heard before, and drinking a few Mass biers. Around 6pm we were abruptly ordered to leave our table, as was everyone around us. The whole area we were in was reserved from 6pm onward so everyone had to get up and leave.
On the way out of the tent we ran into my cousin who was working there ***8211; outside in the biergarten. It was packed as well and she was unsuccessful in finding room for six of us. We decided to make our way to a biergarten just outside of the fairgrounds and settled there for another drink and some dinner. After our last dinner in Germany, we made one last round in the Oktoberfest fairgrounds, then headed back to my cousin***8217;s apartment to say goodbye***8217;s to my Aunts and pack for our flight to Paris in the morning.

My Cousin had to be at work in the morning so my wife (reluctantly) and I, at the suggestion of my cousin, opted to take the U-Bahn and S-Bahn to the Airport instead of splurging 55 ***8211; 60 Euros ($90 at current exchange rates) for a Taxi. We proceeded with all of our luggage, past the Taxi stand to the U Bahn station, about a block and a half away from my Cousin***8217;s apartment. The ticket was an economical 16 Euros ($24) and the ride (with one change) to the Airport was simple and straight forward. Even my wife, despite all of her protests because of the amount of luggage we had, found it simple, comfortable, and worth while.

*Paris ***8211; 4 days*

We flew on Air France from Munich to Charles de Gaulle in Paris and the flight was fine except for the three layered Pita sandwich that they gave us as a snack. It tasted like pita bread with overtones of fish and hints of bleu cheese and mushrooms. Despite taking several bites I could not pinpoint what it was and opted to starve until we reached Paris.
My good friend Laurent, who spent a summer with my family as an exchange student almost two decades ago, picked us up from the Airport. The last time I had seen Laurent was almost 8 years ago, when I was in Paris for New Years eve 2000. Despite this, we picked back up like old friends who had just had dinner the night before. He gave us a tour of the city (mostly for the benefit of my wife, who had never been to Paris before), hitting all of the key sites on the way to our Hotel.
We arrived at the Hotel late in the afternoon and checked in. The *Hotel Saint Germain des Pres* was a nice little boutique Hotel just a block away from the Saint Germain church. This area is filled with tons of art galleries, clothing stores, antique stores, cafés and restaurants. Additionally it is very centrally located, with the Louvre, Notre Dame, Sainte Chappell, the Musée de l***8217;Orangerie, and the Musée d'Orsay all within easy walking distance. The Eiffel tower was a 7 Euro cab ride, the train stop to Versailles (located at the Orsay) was a 10 minute walk, and Montparnasse was a 20 ***8211; 25 minute walk along shop filled streets. 
Our suite at the hotel was spacious and comfortable with a nice sized bathroom, but it didn***8217;t come cheap. Breakfast offered at the hotel was nice and consisted of coffee, fresh croissants, bread, butter, jam, fresh fruit, cereal, ham and cheese omelets, and juice. I highly recommend staying in the Saint Germain area if visiting Paris. However, forget about bringing your car. If you do opt to drive to Paris, leave the car at the drop off center near the airport and use public transportation.
The next several days consisted of intensive site seeing. We used the Rick Steves Paris book liberally and it was a great guide for all of the major sites that we visited: Notre Dame, Saint Chappell and the Palais du Justice, the Louvre, the Musée de l***8217;Orangerie, the Musée d'Orsay, and Versailles. We bought the Paris 2 Day museum pass and it was a great time saver as you have a no-line special entrance to all of the sites.

For our last evening in Paris and the last night of our trip I booked us a dinner cruise on the Seine with *Bateaux Parisiens*. It starts right below the Eiffel tower so we went a bit early to see the tower up close. For the cruise I opted for an upgraded table which cost a bit more but earned us a romantic table for two right next to the window. The dinner was good and was paired with two bottles of wine (one red and one white) and included a mix drink to start as well. The cruise was very enjoyable and turned out to be the perfect ending to a wonderful vacation.

Now the wait begins for re-delivery!

A couple of random notes:

***8226;	Gas was expensive ***8211; it cost around $125 to fill the car up with gas.
***8226;	Planning ***8211; Do your research. There is so much to see in each city so make sure you plan ahead.
***8226;	Bring a good guide with you. We used the Rick Steves series of books and found them to be extremely useful.
***8226;	Everyone we encountered was extremely nice. I was a little wary of how the French would be, but they were just as welcoming as the people we met in Germany and Austria.
***8226;	European Delivery is great. I can***8217;t wait until I can do it again!

Here are the links again to all the pictures for those that have made it this far:

PART1:Munich, Straubing, Regensburg
http://www.mlt7.com/EuropeTrip1/index.html

PART2: Bodenmais, Salzburg, Oktoberfest, Paris.
http://www.mlt7.com/EuropeTrip2/index.html


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## pharding (Mar 14, 2004)

Thank you for the great write up and wonderful photos.


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

pharding said:


> Thank you for the great write up and wonderful photos.


+1!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## cosmos (Jan 18, 2002)

Awesome write up. Now change your Sig.


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Sweet report! Pictures are awesome! What type of camera did you use?


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## fszatko (Dec 18, 2006)

I agree - awesome pics. I imagine it's more due to a great lens, than simply just the camera - what did you use?


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## BMWE9006 (Mar 25, 2006)

Great photos and write up!!! Thank you very much for sharing!


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## synergest1 (Jun 25, 2007)

One of the best ED reports I have read, thanks!


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

thanks


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Great photos! I was especially impressed by the crystal clear night shots from the Oktoberfest. One of the best Wiesn-pics I've ever seen.

Somehow if I try night shots they never get this clear and colorful. Respect!

How did you take these pics?


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## umpqua5 (Jul 27, 2006)

Great post, I'm still waiting to do mine, although it will not be near as elaborate. I was the other EDer there, the car with the open trunk in your delivery center pic is mine


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## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

Alfred G said:


> Great photos! I was especially impressed by the crystal clear night shots from the Oktoberfest. One of the best Wiesn-pics I've ever seen.
> 
> Somehow if I try night shots they never get this clear and colorful. Respect!
> 
> How did you take these pics?


Thanks for all of your comments. The camera I used was a Nikon D40x with a Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens. Most of the credit to the sharp pictures (especially the night time ones) goes to the lens. With VR turned on (Vibration Reduction - or Image Stabalization as it is more commonly known) I was able to take pictures (hand held w/o a tripod) at very slow shutter speeds, letting in plenty of light and thus giving the pictures lots of vivid colors. The only downside effect is that anything moving during the shot will blur, but this also can give the pictures a nice creative effect. I'm still learning / experimenting but was happy with many of the shots.

Below are a few more Oktoberfest pics that didn't make the cut into the picture gallery.


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## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

umpqua5 said:


> Great post, I'm still waiting to do mine, although it will not be near as elaborate. I was the other EDer there, the car with the open trunk in your delivery center pic is mine


Yes! We remember you guys. I hope you had a great trip and am looking forward to seeing some pics!


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## E90 Enthusiast (Jun 9, 2005)

Excellent write-up and pics; thanks for sharing!


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## Gran Turismo (Aug 7, 2006)

spinnaker7 said:


> Thanks for all of your comments. The camera I used was a Nikon D40x with a Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens.


Ha! :thumbup:
Another fine example demonstrating that this lens is not THAT bad (as opposed to what many folks are claiming in DSLR forums). 
I have one preordered as kit lens (intended use = especially holiday trips too) with the new D300 body expected end of this year. Good to know that night shots can turn out that well, despite of the not too stellar maximum aperture of the lens.

Have you applied some sharpening when postprocessing the pics? (i.e. Photoshops's USM?)


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Wow! Very nice shots, especially some of the interior ones in low light. Thanks for posting. :thumbup:

That wood railing around the Mona Lisa wasn't there June last year, nor were the stanchions. You could stand pretty close but no photos were allowed then.


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## IrvRobinson (May 10, 2006)

Wow wee,another great writeup with a lot of awesome pictures.You're going to be a tough act to follow.I'm taking 3-4 cameras so we can all shoot our own views of what we see( my wife and 2 boys are coming with).I'm hoping the Baden Baden area will be in full color in 2 weeks when we arrive,so I hope to come back with a few great shots to post,we're also all keeping our own daily journal to record our thoughts and sights from the many different places we'll see in 8 days.


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Congratulations on a great trip and a fabulous report. Well done! And thank you


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## mscamp (Jan 31, 2005)

What a great way to wind down at the end of the day by reading your post and pics! Thank you very much for the wonderful write-up and beautiful pictures! :thumbup:


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## mvallido (Feb 2, 2006)

Wonderful PICS! Thanks for sharing.


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## bimmerguy288 (Feb 28, 2006)

Very Intersting story and great pictures. BTW, When I first saw your wife's picture I thought she was Becky Quick of CNBC. Beautifully car and wife!!


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## mullman (Jan 5, 2006)

Great writeup and pics!

I have the same lens.


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## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

Gran Turismo said:


> Ha! :thumbup:
> Another fine example demonstrating that this lens is not THAT bad (as opposed to what many folks are claiming in DSLR forums).
> I have one preordered as kit lens (intended use = especially holiday trips too) with the new D300 body expected end of this year. Good to know that night shots can turn out that well, despite of the not too stellar maximum aperture of the lens.
> 
> Have you applied some sharpening when postprocessing the pics? (i.e. Photoshops's USM?)


No, I haven't done any post processing yet but I may pick a few and see what I can do with them in Photoshop.

I think this is a great lens for traveling and I am very happy that I bought it. Most of the reviews that I read regarding the lens were very positive. A few people complain of sharpness issues at or around 200mm, but being an amateur I am not that picky, and tools such as Photoshop can help out in that regard if you are.
I'm sure you will be very happy with the lens, especially with a D300!


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## bagbklyn (Apr 28, 2006)

Beautiful Pictures! 

There is so much to see and do during an ED trip. 

At this rate with my list tourist locations getting longer and longer, I will need about 2 years to see everything in its entirety during my ED next year. I need to stop reading these "Fantastic Stories"!!!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Nice report and loved your pictures - so many of them brought back memories... :thumbup:

If you don't mind sharing, what dates were you in Paris? Looks like the perfect time of the year for autumnal strolls in the gardens and old neighborhoods...


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## mdsbuc (Mar 17, 2005)

I loved the report and pics! :thumbup: And concur that the dinner cruise on the Seine is a great way to conclude a European vacation.


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## the_fox (Jul 6, 2006)

Awesome pics and slide show! It brings back nice memories :thumbup:


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## spinnaker7 (May 9, 2007)

adc said:


> Nice report and loved your pictures - so many of them brought back memories... :thumbup:
> 
> If you don't mind sharing, what dates were you in Paris? Looks like the perfect time of the year for autumnal strolls in the gardens and old neighborhoods...


We were in Paris the last week of September. The week before we were in Germany, where we had great weather (except for the day that we went to Neuschwanstein when it rained). But Paris was much cooler, and we had rain on several days. Not sure if this is normal for late Sept, but we didn't let it slow us down...


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## wcbimmer (Sep 11, 2007)

Great write up and especially the pics. :thumbup: I found it particularly helpful as I fly over in about 3 weeks to pick up my 550i. Thanks for pumping me up ! :rofl:


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