Day 6 & 7: Downtime in Stuttgart

I have to say it’s an interesting experience to return to a foreign city the second time around. When I first visited Stuttgart, Germany several years ago I had no idea how much I would eventually grow to enjoy it – this time I knew better. This city has quickly become one of my favorite European destinations. The city marvelously blends its history with cutting edge modernism and the result is a wonderfully functional, yet remarkably traditional feel. The food is fantastic, the bar scene is great, the people are engrossing and the views stunning. Not only is Stuttgart the automotive capital of Germany, as its home to Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Bosch, but its also the greenest city in Germany. This is just one of the areas many beautiful contradictions.

Without a doubt the last two days here have been an absolutely wonderful oasis in today’s very multinational global paced world. The city boasts legions of friendly conversationalists who come from a mix of cultures and backgrounds. Spending time with them is a joy. The level of interest in us as Americans has been charming to say the least. Folks here seem to have a genuine curiosity towards what were doing here and when we explain that we’re filming Mercedes and Porsche, they seem determined to leave us with a favorable impression of their city and their companies. I can’t say that every city I’ve been in has left me feeling so welcome.

It’s an absolutely beautiful place to hang out and spend downtime… And it’s also a wonderful place to find yourself working. While I love California and the greater LA area in particular, I could easily see myself living here. I imagine that would be great fun…

And my favorite photo of the night…