Stuttgart - Where the Maultaschen are at

Today it snowed properly for the first time this winter, so I ventured out into the unknown to visit the Art museum, state library and to play in the snow like a boss. I rugged up insufficiently as per usual however, and was forced back into my lair before I could visit the Mercedes-Benz museum, so I guess I'll leave that till tomorrow when I'll hopefully decide on a more weather appropriate outfit - but I doubt it...

I haven't spoken much about Stuttgart and I figure I owe it to the city I call home to offer up its best tourist destinations for all to see - so here I go.

1) Museums - there's a surprising amount of museums to visit in Stuttgart and its surrounds, mostly they are the kind you are forced to visit on school trips like the Schiller (some famous poet) national museum and Strassenbahn Welt (Tram world...god only knows why I haven't been there yet), where you see them once with your teachers because you're forced to and then vow never to visit again. However there are of course a few exceptions, and cars being what Stuttgart does best means that the Automuseum at the Mercedes-Benz factory is must see - or so I'm told...I'll let you know. I would also give their art museums a shot considering there seems to be so many. Today I stared at one piece of art for 20 minutes before the security came around to ask what I was doing. Seems I was under suspicion of trying to work out how to unhinge the piece and take it home...let's just say I immeidately shuffled my ass right on out of there - they saw through my plan damnit...

2) Food - I'm the first to admit German food is not my favourite. I don't like pig or any red meat really and if I see Knoedel/Kloss or Dampfnudeln (see how many names they have for those evil things?!?) on the menu one more time imma have to threaten the chef with death by those disturbing "large round poached or boiled potato/bread dumplings" - eww. Aside from those few indiscretions however, Schwaebisch food is surprisingly awesome. Maultaschen make even pork edible and Kaese Spaetzler is the closest the Germs are ever gonna get to macaroni and cheese. Honestly the food here is good enough that if it weren't for my deep seated fear of what exactly is in a sausage, then I might even be persuaded to try them more often, but maybe I need a bit more time...

3) Schloss-es and Burgs - Admittedly Stuttgart is not the prettiest city in Germany, but it still manages a castle or two. Admittedly I haven't actually been inside either of them, mostly due to my belief that 'a castle's a castle' and once you've seen 100/20,0000000 in Europe then you've seen them all...but more so due to their unfortunate lack of central heating in the wintertime, but I'll get their eventually I'm sure.

and last but not least -

4) Theatre - Stuttgart seems to be a massive hub for the creative arts in general. They have six million different theatres (including a super seedy one just down the road from me...looks like a place you'd go in to and never come out of...although my fear might have something to do with the creepy giant clown head positioned on top of the roof...) and with plays on every night in every corner of town it amazes me that I'm not at a new one every night. There's also ballets, dance halls, concerts and enough bars and clubs to make my inability to find friends shameful.

But my lack of social skills aside, Stuttgart has a lot to see and do for any socially functioning human being, and with a giant stuffed elephant to see at the Naturkundemuseum in Rosenstein, I'm surprised you're not all queuing up already...

Hope all is well.