Not much was open yesterday. I must have misunderstood. It may be that museums and the like are open but not businesses (I saw several brochures in the hotel lobby that seemed to indicate things were open on Sunday, but they were all museums and historic buildings and the like). Bierhause appear to open earlier, around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, but close earlier too. I walked by one that I think was opening around 2 and it was 1:50, I was going to go back but I needed a nap (jet lag and late nights drinking combined with not much water). I slept later than planned and when I headed back out most things were closed – actually some places appeared to be open but there were no customers. I kept walking in to what would turn out to be Mexican restaurants and the like which weren’t at all what I was looking for. There are Tappas clubs/bars/whatever around which are a Spanish thing and should be open quite late but I was looking for German beer. Finally, I ended up back at Schlenkerla, they were packing up all the antlers on the wall, no idea why, maybe they need dusting or something. I thought they might be closed but “ein bier” got me glass. Then to my dismay the keg ran dry, but the barkeep asked me if I wanted another beer (apparently), I nodded and he went and drew some off a new keg somehow (he went in the back and brought back a full glass). There was a different waitress tonight but the same barkeep. Schenkerla opens at 0900 and serves a local specialty called weißwurst (with beer of course) for breakfast. But most taverns seem to open in the mid-afternoon.
I continue to stay up far too late and then get up barely in time to eat breakfast. I’m forcing myself not to go to sleep today so that hopefully, I can get to sleep around 2100 or so. I have PT in the morning. Today I finally spoke with some Americans. I called SGT Claspell and CPT Hanna to try to coordinate tomorrow morning. Until I get a cellphone keeping in touch with others here is going to be difficult – if they call my hotel they will likely have to ask at the front desk – which may not work well – and I can’t yet tell if there is any way for them to leave a message, let alone for me to check messages. It took me 20 minutes today to learn how to make a call from the hotel phone because I couldn’t read the instructions on how to dial out. Before I started trying, I searched on line for the various words on the phone so I could avoid the three that are: “Help!”, “Fire!”, and “Doctor!” None of which were obvious.
I tried to ask the hostess at breakfast for an iron and how to turn my clothes in for laundry (there is a bag in the room which I have filled up but nobody takes it). She said they don’t have irons but she’d ask her boss (at least I think this is what she said) and she didn’t know anything about the laundry, she said nobody had ever asked her that before.