As we raced to catch the bus that would take us from Manhattan to Newark Liberty Airport, Rosemarie Torcivia and I were caught in an incredible downpour—rain like we rarely see it in New York City. Our trip to Germany for the 2011 High End Show had gotten off to a soggy start. Was this a sign of things to come?

Ten hours later, the world seemed a much different place. It was surprisingly warm and sunny when Rosemarie and I arrived in Munich, the long flight smooth and uneventful. Though we didn’t manage to capture any sleep during the trip, we were nonetheless charged with a fair amount of excitement over our first time in Germany.

After some confusion involving shuttle buses and taxis, the kind woman behind the counter at Franz Joseph Strauss Airport gave us a little map, circled the appropriate stops, and explained how we’d arrive at our hotel, the Park Inn on Frankfurter Ring, just minutes away from the M.O.C., site of the High End Show.

We purchased our train tickets and hopped aboard the clean and friendly S1, where I spotted this flyer for the show.

A sign of things to come? Definitely.