What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0252

12551.  Jalen Brunson’s (i.e., point guard for the New York Knicks) father, Rick Brunson, was the director of basketball operations from 2007-2009 for the University of Virginia’s men’s basketball team under (former) coach Dave Leitao;

12552.  Martin Garrix has a lot of songs;

12553.  The (Peruvian-style) rotisserie chicken at “Edy’s Chicken & Steak” in Falls Church, Virginia, is tasty;

12554.  Apparently, rats won’t eat veggie dogs;

12555.  Apparently, droughts and heatwaves can make the Danube too shallow for some (river) cruise ships;

12556.  The countryside outside of Munich is rather picturesque.  There are a lot of very well-maintained farms;

12557.  The Autobahn/highways outside of Munich are very well maintained.  There’s very little garbage/trash, no potholes, no debris in the shoulders and no grass, plants and weeds growing in cracks;

12558.  The chocolate in Germany tastes different.  It’s not as sweet and (probably) made with different dairy;

12559.  A lot of the houses in Bavaria have solar panels( on them);

12560.  The Autobahn/highways around Munich is/are only 1-2 lanes going either way;

12561.  They grow a lot of corn in Bavaria. . . . They also grow wheat and soybeans;

12562.  The river cruise ships/Viking longships for Viking (specifically the Viking Tor) are (really) nice;

12563.  It’s TK Maxx not TJ Maxx in Germany;

12564.  There are no open container laws in Germany;

12565.  There are McDonalds, Burger Kings, Starbucks and Subways in Germany;

12566.  (I can say) I’ve been to Austria;

12567.  A lot of corn is grown in Austria;

12568.  Harvard professor Arthur Brooks argues that imagining your own death is one of the most reliable paths to living better.  Research in Personality and Social Psychology Review found that when reminded of death, people make healthier choices, use their time more wisely and show increased empathy toward others.  The Stoics called it memento mori – remember you will die.  Turns out the best way to appreciate the road is to know it ends;

12569.  If you like wine, cocktails and/or spirits, it’s worth getting the “Silver Spirts Beverage Package” (i.e., $27.00 per person per day) on Viking cruises.  They’ve got good wine and scotch/whiskey selections;

12570.  In Germany, you can’t name your child “Hitler.” . . . “Adolf” isn’t explicitly banned;

12571.  In Germany, you can’t deny the Holocaust.  If you do, you could be fined or jailed( up to 5 years);

12572.  Regensburg(, Germany) was founded in 179;

12573.  Oskar Schindler briefly lived in Regensburg after World War II;

12574.  (Johann Wolfgang von) Goethe stayed at the Gasthaus WeiBes Lamm/White Lamb Inn in Regensburg on September 4^th, 1786;

12575.  In the 1300s, salt was called “white gold;”

12576.  In the 1300s, people wanted to be paid in salt.  That’s where the word, salary, comes from.  It’s where the phrase, “not worth its weight in salt,” comes from too;

12577.  Salt came from Salzburg (i.e., German for “salt city/fortress”);

12578.  It took almost 600 years (from 1273 to 1872) to complete St. Peter’s Cathedral in Regensburg;

12579.  Tobacco shops in Regensburg have bottle openers;

12580.  Allegedly, the best (and most famous) sausage in Regensburg is at the “Historische Wurstkuchl” (i.e., “Historic Sausage Kitchen”) (Wurstkuchl.de).  It’s located right next to the Stone Bridge and it’s the world’s oldest, continuous, sausage roasting kitchen( operating for over 500 years);

12581.  On a cruise ship (on the Danube) . . . check (kind of);

12582.  Passau(, Germany) was founded in 700 BC;

12583.  Passau is a walled city;

12584.  “Artist’s Alley” in Passau is on Hollgasse (i.e., “Hell’s alley”);

12585.  The Danube is the second longest river in Europe.  The Volga is the longest;

12586.  Apparently, there are a lot of power plants on the Inn( River);

12587.  There are no locks on the Inn( River);

12588.  The Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers confluence/merge in Passau;

12589.  There’s a Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau(, Germany) and Vienna(, Austria) and a Saint Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest(, Hungary);

12590.  Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau is home to the largest organ in Europe( with 17,974 pipes and 233 registers);