Christmas in Europe

It's Christmas! Germany is known for its Christmas markets... nearly every town has one.  Basically, each market has little huts set up that sell crafts, ornaments, and of course food and gluwein! Gluwein is a hot spiced wine... very yummy on a cold day! Our market here in Garmisch is pretty tiny, so last week, a few of us made a trip to Nurnberg... home of the biggest market in Germany! Sadly I forgot my camera, so no pics for now, until I get them from someone else. We also visited the Nazi Rally Grounds and enjoyed a latte or two from Starbucks... a nice treat!

 Garmisch all lit up!

One of the many Gluwein Stands

Sarah and I also went ice skating! Not as good as Forest Park, but we had so much fun! Glad I got in my favorite holiday activity even in Germany! 

The hotel is also all decorated for Christmas, with several huge trees.

Rach (my roommate/best friend) and I before she headed back to the States :(

This week, Chenea, Karlie, and I took a 3 day trip to Prague. Once we made it out of the parking lot (we could not figure out how to put the car in reverse! haha... crazy European cars!), we had such a fun trip! We saw the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and enjoyed staroceske-- a typical Christmas dessert (kind of tastes like an Antie Anne's cinnamon sugar pretzel!). We also visited the Jewish museum and cemetery (see below).

We took a little side trip to Kostnice-- a church decorated with bones of 40,000 people... creepy!!

Now it's back to work for the busy season. Lots of late nights, but hopefully I'll find some time to get a little skiing in too!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas... wishing I was there to celebrate with all of you! 

Last Stop: Salzburg, Austria

By the end of our stay in Rome we were ready to go and get to our last stop, Salzburg! But first we had to fly to Vienna where we had an overnight layover so we (or just me) slept in the airport. Then we flew back to Munich, dropped our stuff at the hotel, and took the train to Austria! Mom did the Sound of Music tour, but since I had already been, I just did a little shopping instead.

We ended our trip with a traditional German meal and Germany's favorite dessert.... apple strudel.... yummy!!

Again, mom has all these pictures!


We had a great time and saw so many places! We also learned a few things:
1. Venice and Sienna are our favorites!
2. We prefer quite, quaint places rather than the big cities.
3. Florence has the best gelato.
4. Be prepared to climb a ton of steps and pack appropriately.
5. If you want to sit at a restaurant in a square or famous area, be prepared to spend 5-8 euros on coffee or coke!

Now, I'm back in Garmisch where it is snowing, and mom is back in STL where it is 80 degrees.... not fair! But we had a great trip, and I'm ready for my next visitors from home!

Destination 6: Roma!

Mom and I in our matching blue in front of the Colosseum

After our long bus ride, we hopped in a taxi to our hotel... our first real hotel-- it actually had an elevator (thought very tiny, and I refused to ride in it with my fear of elevators!) and key cards. We walked to the nearest square, Campo de Fiori, and had the best dinner! It was soo good we even went back there for our last Italian meal!

Night view of Rome from Campo de Fiori with a full moon!

Rome was very busy... lots of smog, cars and people everywhere. It was very neat to see all the history! On our second day in Rome, we did lot's of walking, and felt like all of Rome was uphill! We visited the famous Trevi Fountain, and tossed a coin over our shoulders for good luck, like the tradition says to do!

Trevi Fountain

Next we visited the famous Spanish steps, but they were not near as pretty as they are in the summer when they are lined with flowers. Then we embarked on a 3 hour walking tour... in the rain! It was the kind of tour where you have to wear an earpiece an the guide talks through a microphone... we wouldn't recommend it... especially when the guide is not a native English speaker! But we did visit all the ancient sites... the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon.

Colosseum... Did you know it took only 8 years to build?

Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum

The ceiling of the Pantheon... it is actually a hole at the top!

We ended our tour in Piazza Navona at a cafe with a perfect view of the Four Rivers Fountain.

Four Rivers Fountain

On Day 3, we visited Vatican City! We ended up taking a tour and had a perfect tour guide, from Arizona. We visited the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's. The Vatican museum is gorgeous and there is a Bill Clinton look-a-like statue.

St. Peter's Square

Frescoes on the ceiling of the Vatican Museum


One of Michelangelo's most famous sculptures-- Pieta


Behind the Altar in St. Peter's Basilica

No Pope sitings but we did get to see the Swiss Guards!

After our tour, we climbed more stairs to the top of the dome of St. Peter's. Below is the view from the top!

We had dinner in Piazza Navona, where there was a little excitement.. a fire in the store next to our restaurant... fire trucks, ambulances, and tourists taking pictures!

For our last day, we enjoyed coffee, gelato, a little shopping, and lunch back at our favorite restaurant for one last Italian pasta treat.

Stop 5: Sienna

Sienna is a quaint, little town in Tuscany, and was recommended by my friend Priya, who studied in Italy. We loved it, and it was a nice break from the busy, touristy cities. Our hotel was the best of our trip... with a great view of the countryside and delicious, homemade breakfast!

View from Hotel Porta Romana

After we got settled, we walked around the old town and had dinner in the main square, Il Campo. We did a little shopping, too, of course!

One of the many cute shops

Happy Halloween! We saw a few cute little kids dressed up but Halloween is not widely celebrated here like it is in the US. Below was my favorite... Little Miss Sunshine!

We were planning to leave Rome the next morning but we liked Sienna so much we decided to spend the morning there before heading to Rome. We climbed another tower, for a beautiful view of Tuscany. The hotel recommended taking the bus to Rome rather than the train... bad decision! The windows of the bus were permanently foggy so we could not see out! It was a long ride, but we made it.

Stop 4: The Leaning Tower!

Next we were off to a short stop in Pisa. There is not much in Pisa besides the leaning tower and the "Field of Miracles"-- the field where the cathedral, baptistery, and tower are located.

Mom pushing the tower up!

The Cathedral

We took lots of pictures, grabbed a latte at a cafe with a good view of the tower, and hopped back on the train for our next stop: Sienna!

Destination 3: Florence

Next is was off to Florence.. just a short 3 hour train ride! We stayed at Katti House... a hotel owned by a mother and daughter, so we thought that was appropriate! We went to Accademia and saw Michelangelo's famous David statue. It is gigantic and does look perfectly sculpted. You can't take pictures of the real thing, but below is a copy that is located in the square where David was originally placed.

We realized quickly that Florence is has much more of a city feel than Venice, with lots of Florence "kamikaze" motorcyles (as mom calls them) buzzing around!

Florence has the best gelato, so we ate it at least twice a day! We saw the Duomo, or "cathedral" and did some shopping!

Duomo

We also hate some delicious tortellini for dinner... though we were shocked when there were only 4 tortellinis in the entire dish... guess we are just accustomed to the huge American portion sizes. Dessert was bigger than dinner... 4 types of gelato, including "kiss"-- our favorite... It was a light chocolate with nuts.

For our second day in Florence we took a 3 hour walking tour, and our guide was a native English speaker so we could understand her perfectly! She told us all about the Medici family and the start of the Renaissance in Florence.

The Medici Coat of Arms

In the afternoon, we went to the Uffizi Galleria, the other famous museum in Florence. Lots of work by Leonardo and Raphael, but nothing as cool as David! We ate dinner at Il Latini, a restaurant recommendation from my boss. Apparently it is quite popular since when we arrived there was a line of people waiting outside. We chatted with another American couple and ended up having dinner with them. They were on their honeymoon! They just kept bringing us food.... it was ok, but I think I prefer to choose what I get to eat!

Next... to Pisa!

Stop 2: Venice, Mom's Favorite!

Day 4 was a travel day: Off to Venice! We spent a few too many hours on the train but finally made it to Venice in the evening, where we took a canal water taxi (Venice's main form of transportation) to our hotel. One thing we quickly learned is that traveling in Europe requires climbing lots of stairs with suitcases because they don't believe in escalators or elevators. At our hotel, they tried to put us on the 4th floor and our suitcases were so fat they could barely even fit through the tiny staircases. So luckily they had a room that required a few less steps!
We ate dinner on the canal and I tried a traditional Italian dish, cuddlefish---which was squid with pasta and black "ink".... basically pasta with black sauce.... yuck!! So I decided to go for some more traditional spaghetti instead.

We made a new friend at our hotel--Megan. She was actually on her R&R from Iraq, and she was by herself so we invited her to come with us. We went to Murano, the famous Venetian glass island, and then came back and walked to the famous Rialto bridge and had another Italian dinner.... lasagna this time... much better than my first meal!

We saw lots of pigeons and had to laugh when we saw this sign... which did not stop the pigeon feeders!

Day 6 we started of the day with a few of the city from above, in the clock tower! Then we visited Doge's Palace and stopped for a gelato treat. We visited the cathedral and climbed to the top of it too! Below is a picture of one of the oldest statues of 4 horses that were once on top of the cathedral.

We also did a Grand Canal tour cruise, where we got to see some important parts of the city... like Elton John's house!

Beautiful view of sunset from our canal tour

We saw lots of gondolas, but I decided I would wait to do that until I have a romantic boy to take me!

Venice was one of our favorite parts of the trip! The weather was great and it was not too crowded... I cannot imagine being their during high tourist season.

Stop 1: Garmisch

After picking mom up at the Munich airport, we took the train back to Garmisch so she could see my little mountain town and where I work. Night one we had dinner with my friend Samantha... at an Indian Restaurant! Not your typical German meal, but the food was great, and we did go to a German restaurant to have Bavaria's famous dessert... apple strudel... best I've tasted yet!

Day 2 we did lots of hiking... first to the gorge and then to the "halfway house." It's a little hut about 1/2 way up one of the mountains. This time we had traditional German food.... schnitzel, pretzels, specknoddlesuppe, and weissbier.... which mom actually liked! Then she came to work with me to see Edelweiss and have some good ol' American food at Zuggys.

Latte macchiato and gluwein (hot, spiced wine) to keep us warm!

Day 3 we took an Edelweiss tour to Linderhof Palace... one of King Ludwigs houses. Our tour guide was great, but since it is winter, all the pretty flowers were missing and all the statues were boarded up outside. So we had to buy a postcard and just imagine we were looking at it in the summertime! I think after 3 nights of staying in my room and walking to the bathroom, mom was glad to be finished with the dorm-style stay!

Sorry for the lack of pictures! You'll have to ask mom to see hers.. I didn't take many since I live here!

15 Days, 4 Countries, and 8 Cities, with Mom!

Mom and I had a great time venturing across Europe during her 2 weeks here! Lots of stops along the way: Garmisch, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Sienna, Rome, Salzburg, and Munich!We got to experience a little bit of everything- rain, snow, sun, German food, too much gelato, and just about every form of transportation...trains,busses, planes, taxis, bikes, and lots and lots of walking!

Much more to say, so be looking for posts and pictures from each city!

Krakow, Poland

Lindsay and I ventured to Poland... in the freezing cold and snow! We had quite an adventure, leaving both of us wondering why exactly we chose to live in the Alps where it is cold 6+ months of the year! Luckily I borrowed Chenea's coat for the trip since I don't have a warm one, which I definitely need to buy soon!

We had some transportation troubles--broken-down trains, unexpected taxi rides, delayed flights, no-show buses, and railway construction--all of which made our trip a little adventurous. We also made a New Zealand friend in our hostel who took us to some fun nearby pubs.

We tried Polish food, including potato cakes and Polish pizza, and drank lots and lots of coffee and hot chocolate to keep warm. We also had 2 of my favorite foods that I've yet to have since living in Europe... Mexican and sushi!

The town square, Rynek Glowny, was gorgeous, but unfortunately the main building was under construction. We also visited Wawel Hill, home to the city's famous castle and cathedral.

Rynek Glowny

Day 2 we visited Auschwitz-- the largest concentration camp. One room was completely filled with shoes of those who had died there--just one of the many tragic sights at the camp.

Auschwitz

Day 3 we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine, where we journeyed down hundreds of steps to 135m below ground. Our tour guide sounded like dracula and made our visit very entertaining!

We returned to Garmisch to find the mountains covered in snow, but luckily it is not too cold.... yet!

And So Winter Begins..

Yesterday I woke up to see snow on the Zugspitze--the tallest mountain in Germany. Today I woke up to see snow on the Kramer, a not-so-tall mountain, and tomorrow I expect to see snow in town--which I am definitely not prepared for!

I have yet to buy a warm winter coat or snow boots, so that is top on my list of things to do! And even with all the winter gear, I'm not sure I'm fully prepared for what I've gotten myself into being the warm weather lover that I am.

I did get in one last good hike this week. Brynn and I hiked the Fricken...yes that's the actual name of the mountain. It was a little bit tougher than we were expecting but we made it! Rachel's parents were also in town and they invited me to dinner--it was quite nice to have a family for the evening--- something I miss so much about being back in the States!

Tomorrow Lindsay and I are off to Poland, where it is also snowing, and next week Mom is coming!

That's all for now!

Oktoberfest!

Sarah and I

Sarah, Elizabeth, and I went to Munich on Monday to see the real Oktoberfest. It is really pretty crazy! There are at least 6 beer tents (and by tent, I mean huge tent, like a circus tent) just filled with people sitting at (or dancing on) tables. A "mass" of beer, which is one liter, costs 9 euro. In addition to the beer tents, there were also carnival games and rides. We even rode a roller coaster! There were so many people there it was hard to even walk around inside the tents... and it is like that every day, all day for 16 days straight! We also had a pretty entertaining train ride back to Garmisch. We sat by some American guys who were actually staying in Garmisch, and some German guys also befriended all of us. They did not speak much English and had both had 5 masses, so they were trying to make hand gestures and drawings to make us understand. It was pretty funny, and we were all ready to be back in quiet little Garmisch by the time we returned!

The Hofbrau Tent

The Hills are Alive...

As mentioned in my previous post, Chenea and I went to Salzburg last weekend. I was originally planning to go by myself, but at 11PM the night before I was planning to leave, Chenea ended up finding someone to cover her shift so she was able to come too!

Luckily, when we got there, the hostel still had space available so we were able to stay in the same place. It was the nicest hostel I have ever stayed at... wooden floors, clean rooms and bathrooms, and friendly staff... quite a nice surprise! After dropping off our bags, we headed to the city center and followed Rick Steve's self-guided walking tour, which showed us all the main points of interest in town. We also saw some others doing the exact same thing... Rick may take over the travel world soon!! Along the way we enjoyed a gigantic chocolate-covered pretzel, and some delicious gelato!

The VonTrapp Home

The next day we did the Sound of Music Tour. Much of the Sound of Music was filmed in Salzburg, so we got to see all of the main sights... the VonTrapp home, the famous gazebo, the convent, and church where they married. We also learned a little about the real VonTrapp family as well! It was a lot of fun, and we did a little singing too! As many of you know, I watched this movie probably hundreds of times, whenever I made a visit to Grandma's, so I really enjoyed being able to see the sights in real life!

The gazebo where Liesl and Ralph secretly met

Before heading back to Garmisch, we had dinner at Astro Coffee, another of Rick's recommendations... We loved it and told the owner she should open one in Garmisch because she would have a huge clientele!

We almost got on a fast train back, which our ticket wasn't good for, but luckily the conductor helped us find the right one! We came back and immediately watched the movie so we could see all the places we visited! It was a short but sweet trip, and I really enjoyed traveling with one of my best friends... sometime that is hard to do with our different work schedules!

This week it's back to Munich for Octoberfest!

Cultural Differences

This weekend, Chenea and I went to Salzburg, and while we were there, a couple asked us what we think are the biggest differences between living in Europe and the U.S. It took us a while to think about, I guess because we have just become accustomed to the European lifestyle, but then we kept thinking of things throughout our trip, and I thought you might want to know what we came up with. Some are definitely things I miss about the U.S. and other parts I will be so sad to leave when I come home.
1. 24-Hour Convenience-- Nothing is open past 11PM here... not even gas stations or McDonalds (yes, we do have McDonalds, even in little Garmisch). The grocery stores close at 8 and nothing is open on Sunday. I will definitely be excited to have 24 hour Walgreens back!
2. Restaurant Service-- Servers here do only that-- serve you food and nothing more. No chit chatting or asking how you are doing. Definitely no free re-fills or free tap water! Even ketchup costs extra. And you have to flag them down if you want something. Unlike in the U.S. where servers must check on their tables every few minutes, in Europe they will leave you alone until you ask for something. And tipping is not required. Generally you just round up to the next dollar. Also, people may come ask you if seats are free at your table and just sit down. I make lots of new friends at my little coffee shop because this happens all the time!
3. Shopping-- No malls or one-stop shopping places like Target here! Mostly just shopping streets lined with very expensive stores. Even grocery shopping is not the same. Europeans do not do all the shopping for a month at one time like at home. Instead they often go to the grocery store daily to get the fresh foods they need to cook.
4. Transportation-- In Europe, many people travel by train, bike, or foot. People do have cars, but no huge SUVS like in the States. I love seeing senior citizens on bikes!
5. Appearance-- You will not find Europeans wearing sweatpants, tennis shoes, and t-shirts out in public. Sometimes I wonder if they even own such clothes because everyone always looks presentable in public!
6. I almost forgot a HUGE difference... drinking. The drinking age here is 16 for beer and wine and 18 for liquor. And you can drink anywhere... trains, cars, walking down the street. Any anytime... people have beer with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sometimes it is even cheaper to get beer than soda or water. And you can buy beer anywhere and everywhere... even Subway sells it!

These are just some of the differences we have experienced, and you should be prepared for if you decide to come visit!

Lots of Changes!

Next week I am starting serving, finally. One server got in a biking accident and is out for 3 weeks and yesterday another server broke her hand, so Zuggy's is going to have a rough next few weeks with only 3 serves and then me! But I'm excited for something new.

Also, I am moving in with my friend Rachel. The room has a sink, mirror, and is close to the bathroom and kitchen, and most importantly, Rachel is awesome so I am pretty excited to move--minus the actual process of moving all my stuff!

I am meeting with a German tutor so hopefully I'll actually learn a little German, which would be nice! And I am taking my first solo trip (I think, though I haven't planned fully yet) to Salzburg.

This week I stayed in Garmisch for a travel break. I biked with my friends Brendan and Tom to Murnau--- a cute little town about 25km away. It was great except that I got off my bike and stepped in stinging nettle-- it's a bit like poison ivy and makes you feel like you are repeatedly being stung by bees. So that wasn't too fun!

We also had karaoke in Zuggy's last night for the holiday weekend celebration, and it was really very entertaining. We all had fun dancing in the back room!

I also talked to Maddie (for those of you who don't know she went to Cor Jesu with me and just started law school at William and Mary). She said she really loves school and it is not as awful as everyone makes it out to be. She also loves her apartment and all her professors, so I am feeling pretty excited to start school next year, and even a little bit sad that I am not there with her now (but I just try to remember that everyone else is wishing they were here with me!)

I had my first Starbucks since I've been here in Munich yesterday, and I am currently eating some Ben&Jerry's ice cream--both tasty American treats! And if anyone would like to send me a package with a diet coke in it, I would really love you. Coke light is just gross here, and I wish I could just get in my Mazda and make a trip to QT for an American diet coke with ice!

Scandinavia

After my trip to Denmark and Sweden, here are a few things I learned:

1. Scandinavia is a very expensive place to visit. And very confusing since 5 Danish kroner = $.20. So...this was probably my first and last trip to Scandinavia until I am making big bucks as a lawyer.
2. Danish hotdogs are supposed to be the best in the world, but if you ask me, they just taste like regular hotdogs.
3. In place of Starbucks on every corner, you will find Seven Elevens instead.
4. I can live on bread and cheese (that is what we resorted to in order to save money!).
5. Soft Is is my new favorite kind of ice cream (aside from Ted Drewes of course)
6. Getting run over by a biker is probably more likely than getting hit by a car. Rush hour of bikes is quite an experience, especially when you are trying to walk through it!

Dayna and I had a great time in Copenhagen. We walked A LOT and got to see so many different areas of the city. My personal favorite was the Little Mermaid Statue. The author of the Little Mermaid, H.C. Andersen, is from Denmark, so we got to see his statue (below I am sitting in his lap) and the Little Mermaid.... which if you know me, is my most favorite Disney Movie!

We also saw Parliament, the University, Rosenborg Castle, Tivoli amusement park, and took several strolls down the Stroget--the famous shopping street... but I didn't buy a single thing (except some soft is!) We also visited Christiana, the "hippie" part of town, which reminded me a bit of Amsterdam.(Above is the Stroget)

In addition to Danish hotdogs, we tried smorrebrod--traditional open-face Danish sandwiches... they were okay, but I prefer German pretzels! I found several good running parks and it was fun to finally see some other runners, because there are not many in good ol' Garmisch!

(Above--Smorrebrod)

We took 2 side trips. One to Roskilde, just a 30 minute train ride, to see the Viking Museum and viking ships! I even got to sit in one. We also took the train to Malmo, Sweden, for the day. We took a canal ride while we were there to get a good view of the city, and enjoyed sitting by the sea!

Our hostel was quite an experience. We had one sleep talker and one moaner, which made sleeping difficult, not to mention only 1 window in a room with 10 beds, making it quite hot! Needless to say, after 2 plane rides, a train, and taxi ride, I was happy to be back in my bed in Garmisch!