Day One: Frankfurt, Germany

Proceeding earlier than expected, the 767 hit the tarmac at approximately 8:10 am, and proceeded for arrival before the scheduled gate time of 8:30 am. On the other hand,a slight delay occurred as the Frankfurt airport was exceptionally busy handling the way fare of many European fliers as well as directing incoming overnight flights. Surprisingly, immigration was very quick and the attending officers were very polite. Within the next 30 minutes luggage was claimed and the hotel-destined bus was boarded. To the author's knowledge no one was left behind although there have been rumors of a close call. The dreadful fear hanging overhead of missing the bus must have worked its magic this time around-- although we'll have to keep our fingers crossed... Once at the hotel, time is spent checking in; however, only a few students are given the good news that their room is ready. To pass the time, the group was eager to leave home base and visit the surrounding area. As disclosed by a timely twitter post, a group of three ran alongside the Main river in order to stretch out now largely atrophied muscles and to get a better view of the land. One can only begin to surmise the absurdity of this particular outing. Many of us headed towards 'old town' and converged onto the promenade. Key sights included several H&M and Zara stores which helped refresh our strategy chops. A few hundred meters off of the retail promenade were a few open patio pubs. One in particular- Frankfurt's Corner Bar, proved to be an enjoyable resting spot. From the patio one could watch the mix of bankers and other professionals hurriedly march by. The German passerby's closely resembled that of their American counterparts although attire was noticeably more drab. Ultimately, by afternoon the 24+ hour day had taken its toll on some and required immediate surrendering to rest. Regardless, GLP Europe continued unrestrained and remained focused on realizing the best that Frankfurt had to offer this day.

We Survived the Blitzkrieg

At the end of the week the group began the day at Deutsche Boerse and finished at the ECB. The German stock exchange was a non-trivial distance from the Hotel of which we had to cover by foot in about 15 minutes. Upon arriving at DB we were asked to pass a security screening which was less comprehensive than what one would see preceding an airport terminal. A 50 minute lecture commence thereafter which was accompanied by a substantial ebb and flow of Q&A; both from students as well as via the presenter. After this we were shown the trading floor from the above observation deck. Many speculated as to whether the trade technicians away from sight were working diligently or rather playing the latest version of Angry Birds on one of their multi-panel workstations. At roughly noon we split for lunch. Most stayed in the immediate area and enjoyed lunch at one of the many nearby restaurants; however, some returned to the hotel to rest. Across from the ECB was an Indian restaurant. Generally, I'm told the prices here were unjustifiably high as the food quality did not hold a candle to what could be experienced at even low-tier equivalents in Dallas. Post-lunch we were herded into a security line at the ECB. In contrast to D-B, the security screening process was higher. Several unlucky students were subjected to a nice frisking by a very affectionate guard. Names will not be disclosed here. The ECB event included two lectures. The first presentation was intended to convey a high level view of the history of the bank, EU, and provide insights into the bank's decision making process. Following this a research staff member provided an overview of key macroeconomic indicators and discussed his expectations about the next year in terms of inflation rates, bond yields, and GDP growth. Sensing weakness in the lecturer's thesis, the MBA's did not forebear from asking tough questions. After this lecture and the following Q&A, one was left wondering whether the bank was correct in its view of expected macro economic outcomes. That evening the group convened at assorted restaurants and venues near the hotel to unwind from the day. Recommended fare included O'Reilly's Irish and the soon to be updated 'New Living Room' perched alongside the river. At the latter the schnitzel was savory- and many discovered the German delicacy of cranberry jam atop a fresh field green salad.

Partyslava

Monday brings with it site visits to both J&T and Peugeot. The bus leaves promptly at 9:45am carrying the array of highly valuable MBA's to Bratislava's foremost investment bank and financial institution. The ride is a short one -- of a duration only reaching about 5 minutes. Yet, the change in scenery is substantial. The backdrop quickly changes from one of historic architecture and of tourist-orientation to one of modern construction mixed amongst dilapidated structures that were the norm during the Soviet-era. Once at J&T, the group self-organizes and catches a ride up the persistently slow elevators. Situated atop the commercial tower is the firm's executive conference room. As the photos confirm, a reasonably breathtaking panorama of the city (at least by Slovakian standards) can be viewed by simply walking outside onto the wraparound observation deck. After a somewhat terse introduction by a young associate, we are introduced to a more senior decision maker at the firm. What is most striking about this individual is his certain exposition of the element of mystery. Overall, we are generally humored by his stories rooted in and inspired by Slovakia's communist era. Details include a discussion of political corruption and an explanation of how wealth rapidly emerged once property rights were privatized under a democratic regime. The general take-away from this visit was a reinforced notion that Slovakia's modern story is one of rapid transformation. Importantly, the message conveyed to us was that the country and its leaders have proceeded forward in light of the not forgotten perils of a Communist regime. After a short lunch at the mall food court (which by the way offered curiously delicious Slovakian dishes) the busses bring us to Peugeot which is approximately 45 minutes outside of the city. The plant is situated on a multi-acre site across an otherwise barren landscape. Two plant tours are conducted which sparks a discussion and a phase of reflection on concepts learned in our operations management course. As such, one could not resist symbolizing cars as cookies/cakes and also constantly searching for the elusive 'Herbie' (not surprisingly Peugeot's ops are very 'lean'). Once this site visit was completed we dispersed in pursuit of whatever night life could be found on a Monday...

Something Tastes Atypical

On both Monday and Wednesday GLP Europe headed over to the food court to experience the lunch often chosen by nearby working professional. At the far corner of the third floor a collection of food window boutiques was distributed in a semi-circular pattern. The layout of the fast-food market was not dissimilar to locations at familiar Dallas malls such as Galleria or Willow Bend. Choices offered included Slovakian and Eastern European interpretations of Italian, Asian, and German cuisine. Curiously a Mexican restaurant was a choice which included items that were almost entirely non-cognizable to a U.S. visitor. These items appeared to resemble in a basic form a simply Greek falafel placed in a taco shell rather than in pita bread. The Italian restaurant seemed most appealing to the author as well as many others. Menu options included many permutations of pasta, sauces, meats, and cheeses. A very popular item was penne pasta verde avec fresh mozzarella and roasted chicken. This meal was a welcome contrast to the days preceding which involved over-exposure to schnitzel, sauerkraut, and bratwurst. In Vienna a wider selection of menu items was to be found. Key things of interest were the Radler drink (beer and lemonade concoction), schnitzel, and street vendor kebab and falafel. One of the stops included in the trip of 8 GLP’ers was to a vendor hanging shingle at a train connection point. Mostly everyone requesting falafel from this particular street vendor was amazed at the quality of the dispensed items. It also seemed as if the other attending customers also enjoyed their items, although one should not discount the fact that novelty of the food may have been the primary contributing factor in our decision to make these purchases. Despite these considerations, the snack items provided much needed sustenance to further fuel exploration of downtown Vienna. Elsewhere in the city some individuals discovered the high utility value of a Radler drink. This beverage is simply a lighter consistency beer mixed with sweet lemonade. This item can be acquired for around 3.50 euro at most locales across Vienna, although an individual may wish to not restrict consumption to merely one unit.