thomas and trains (not the tank engine!)

We took the train to St. Ingbert, to see my friend Thomas from college. He moved back here (it’s his hometown) from Seattle last summer, and we all miss him, so Ryan and I are the luckiest people!  Here’s one thing you need to know about the German trains: all the rumors about their excellent efficiency are actually just rumors. If your layover at a station is less than 10 minutes, be prepared to miss your train. They are slower than they say, and then you miss out. Luckily, there’s always been another train 20-45 minutes later, so it’s okay. Just be prepared, is all. 

And if you are delayed, you can take more pictures of easter goodies, and have a coffee at this adorable bakery, so it’s really not the end of the world. 

that's the rhine valley....

and that's a vineyard for rhenish whine. 

ryan loves the train....

We went to Thomas’ “3^rd place” for dinner. He says that Germans call their neighborhood bar their 3^rd place, because your home and work are your first 2 places, and the bar is where you’ll spend the rest of your time.

This is a local specialty, Thomas said. It’s not just a pizza. 

and ryan had some sausage and potatoes all mixed together...

Then we went to thomas’ office, which is the reason he moved back to germany in the first place. Here’s the name of his company:

CONTEST (sorry, it’s only for St. Mary’s alumni, and I know it’s not fair, but it’s my blog, and they’re my rules. This is the only contest that will not be open to everyone):

Why did Thomas choose this name for his company? First person to answer correctly gets a postcard from germany. 

 He sells contacts and contact lens supplies online, so if you need contacts, and you live in germany, you should buy from him. Here’s the inventory (it doesn’t stay for long…)

Here’s the main room:

Here’s Thomas hard at work (you can tell he’s working hard because the computer is on. Did I mention we were at the bar first? J)

that's thomas' brother, stephan, and ryan, and thomas. 

Upstairs is an apartment that Thomas is going to move into, once it’s ready. 

But if I was Thomas, I would live with his parents forever, because a: their house is incredibly gorgeous, b: his parents are incredibly nice, and c: his mom makes delicious food. 

And in case you get lost in St. Ingbert, just look for this sign:

Then you know you’re at the right house.