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!