Phyllis usually has lunch with me on Wednesdays, but this week she's busy. And she'll have the car.

So who's taking me to lunch? Nothing fancy, porridge is fine, or maybe eggs and bacon. Or even a BLT.

That might be dandelion fluff but I think it's snow.

Touchdown!

Here we go.

The giraffe house at the Opel Zoo was so foul-smelling that I couldn't stay in there more than a minute.

Do all zoo giraffes smell this bad, or is this a local problem?

From across the ocean Rebecca and I spare no expense to bring you a German Christmas episode of Full Duplex Radio, with foreign languages and special guests. And it's all still free (to you).

You can find it on iTunes (search for "Full Duplex Radio") and also at this link here:

http://www.fullduplexradiopodcast.com/2013/12/27/episode-52-over-here-it-feels-like-a-party-every-day/

Here's something you don't see every day.

A gift from Rebecca: "business cards" for our little music podcast. Now we can tell EVERYONE.

Pealing of the bells at 5pm.

Big square in Frankfurt. 10 minutes before the start of the pealing of the bells. "Will the pealing of the bells be appealing?" I asked Jack. "Appalling!" He replied.

Christmas Market in Mainz. Last gasp for 2013.

Babushka.

My girls. Words fail me.

It's not Rockefeller Center but it has its charms, which include crêpes and sausages.

Some people are clearly having a good time.

Well, really everyone, not just Nicole and Wes.

Frankfurt Christmas market. Well, the tree, anyway.

Me: Tell me about schnitzel, Jack.

Jack: It's like Chicken Nuggets.

This is the big panoramic view from the big castle in Heidelberg across the River Neckar. (Not the Rhine. That was just a mistake. Now edited away.)

"Friday the 13th come on a Friday this month."

Airline security brouhaha because passenger RR Gomes was trying to travel with a passport issued to Robert Ronald Gomes.

All sorted and you're all safe now.