When I finally kicked off my shoes and sat against the head of my bed to write this blog I felt weird. Not in a bad way, but just that something was different about the day. I wasn’t really sure what to title the blog and after 10 minutes of thinking I still had nothing. For the first time since I had arrived in Germany I wasn’t straining to keep my eyes open and utterly exhausted from the day’s activities. Perhaps it was because the day itself was just shorter than most other days. Our company tour was in the afternoon and that allowed us to sleep in and travel to the German countryside to enjoy a traditional Bavarian breakfast of Weisswurst and Brezen. Weisswurst is a traditional Bavarian “breakfast sausage” served before noon and with a sweet mustard sauce. A brezen similar to a soft pretzel except it seemed a little drier than most I had eaten. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the breakfast and as long as I don’t think to hard about the meat was inside the casing, I can look back on the morning with a smile.

A short while later we traveled to KUKA, a robotics company that produces machines for a wide variety of markets. Their main lobby was very modern and sleek and the factory was far cleaner and organized than any we have visited so far. However, the visit consisted of one light show after another and video after video. The robotic manufacturing and technology was amazing, but their presentation and tour were too dramatic for my liking. I would much rather have had the guide explain some topics than watch another promotional video meant to wow us with slow motion and intense music. Despite my complaints the KUKA visit was very impressive and I am glad I had an opportunity to see the technology of the future up close. I think I am inspired more by the automotive companies simply because I’m so interested in cars, and with that in mind I am very excited for the BMW visit next week.