Two Days in Southern Bavaria

Following up a trip like ours to Berchtesgaden with something equally amazing was difficult. Justin and I knew that we weren't going to top it, so we shifted our focus to finding local gems in the various villages and towns around Penzberg.

On Monday morning, Justin and I headed to Bad Tolz, a town about 20 minutes from Penzberg. Bad Tolz is a picturesque Bavarian town situated on a river with a great pedestrian area just off the water. We spent a couple hours just walking in and out of stores and checking out the gorgeously painted buildings along the way. And I even found a perfect (I think!) diaper bag for Baby A and me to use, so that was icing on the cake for a beautiful setting.

While we were shopping, we ran into a store clerk who spent a long time telling us (in almost perfect English) that she loved the US so much that she wanted to move there and that she also thought people from the US were terrible. Yes, that's right: In the same breath she both loved and hated on the US. And it wasn't just a brief comment - she kept talking to us for probably 20 minutes, telling us why she loved the US (the people are great and the opportunities are great, etc.) and her rationale for hating Americans, which was humorous. At one point, she said that Americans were terrible because they have electrical wires above ground. I know, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that seemed like an odd reason to hate an entire group of people, especially if you want to live among them. Plus, I don't know how one goes from loving the US for its people and then hating the US for its people. Then again, she could have it right and we are all mistaken. Who knows? Regardless, it was a very interesting interaction. :)

The one really beneficial piece of information this woman told us was that the best view of Bad Tolz was from the church up on the hill. We took her advice and tried to navigate our way up there with the car. I found out later that day from my coworkers that you can only get to that church by walking/hiking, which explains why we couldn't find the road to get there. I guess I'll just have to go back and try to get there another weekend. I am determined to see that view, as Bad Tolz was probably one of my favorite towns around Penzberg.

Although we weren't able to get "the" photograph of the town, here are a few pictures that we took around Bad Tolz. Note: The church in the photo below is NOT the church up on the hill. Sigh.

Both Justin and I had meetings to attend for work on Monday afternoon, so we weren't able to head back out to explore Bavaria until that evening. When we were trying to decide where to go next, we let our stomachs guide us. We found that Oberammergau, another small town about 30 or 40 minutes from Penzberg, has a Mexican food restaurant, and that was too fun to pass up. We were both curious what Mexican food would taste like in Germany, and we heard that Oberammergau was a great town to visit. So, we packed up the car and headed out to El Puente (the restaurant).

El Puente didn't open until 6PM, and we arrived in the town at 5:30, so we took that opportunity to wander around the town. There were many different hand-carved wood shops to tour that were just incredible. In one of the stores, the clerk even took the opportunity to show us how a couple of the impressive cuckoo (spelling?) clocks worked, one of which had a water component to it. He also (very smartly) told us that these were NOT clocks for a casual collector, as they need a lot of maintenance, attention, and care. We didn't have the heart to tell him we weren't interested in them anyway because they cost anywhere from 800 to 1500 euros each. That's a little more than we have to spend on souvenirs for this trip. :)

At a little after 6PM, we found our way back to El Puente. And, to our surprise, the food was pretty good! The flavoring reminded me of a Spanish-influenced Tex Mex. But in the true Bavarian spirit, the portions were HUGE (I have yet to finish a meal here, I think). The waitress warned me that my fajitas were going to be spicy, but I suppose that description was relative. The seasoning was tasty and mild, and the ingredients all tasted fresh. Needless to say, Justin and I were pleased with our gut instincts. :)

With happy, full bellies, we took a few pictures of this beautiful town and headed home for the evening. (If you look closely at the mountain peak below, you may be able to make out the cross that is on top.)

On Tuesday, Justin's last day in town, we decided to see what all the fuss was about the castles in this area. We chose to go to Linderhof, one of the only castles that King Ludwig actually completed. Plus, Linderhof is close to Oberammergau, so we already knew the way there.

Linderhof is a lot smaller than we expected, but the grounds were expansive. We took the tour through the castle (sorry, no cameras were allowed in there), which took about 15 minutes, and then we headed out to the Venus Grotto. The interior of the castle was unbelievably opulent and almost too much to behold. Modeled after Versailles, all but one room were covered in gold (the one exception was covered in silver because it was more appealing to have the contrast of silver against the gold tones of the room). There were many portraits of King Louis XIV and Ludwig's royal relatives, including his briefly betrothed and her sister (who were also his first cousins). There was so much to see that I could probably take the tour several more times and find something new and different to look at each time. I think my favorite items in the castle were the twin peacock statues, in perfect brilliant color and size, that were used by the castle staff, placed outside the castle when it was occupied by Ludwig (about 2 weeks per month). They were just stunning and beautiful.

After the tour (which, ironically, exits through the gift shop, for all you Banksy fans, on the other side of a "secret door" in the stairway), we were told to go up to the Venus Grotto, that our ticket covered that tour as well. WHAT A HIKE! To get to the grotto, we walked through vine covered walkways and along a beautiful path through the woods. However, the paths at Berchtesgaden that I took three days earlier were NOTHING compared to (what felt like) the 40-degree inclines to get up the hill to the grotto. I seriously thought about taking a breather a few times on the way up, but I saw so many other people just trekking along, so I was bound and determined to get up there without stopping either (and I wonder why my hips are revolting against my pelvis right now...).

We arrived at the Venus Grotto entrance just in time for the tour. And that was the highlight of that tour. We just weren't that impressed with the interior of the grotto: I love the painting of the birth of Venus and know the story, so I appreciated the beautiful sculpture in the middle of the water within the cave, but there was so much backlighting and scaffolding (that looked like it was there to help host a party, NOT to support or restore a piece of history) that the whole mood of the grotto was sullied. We actually left part way through the narrative because it wasn't our cup of tea.

Once outside, we took the opportunity to get some pictures of the grounds from on top of the hill. What a view! The only downside was that the water features on the back of the castle were shut off for maintenance, but the view was still spectacular. And we couldn't have asked for a prettier day. Here are a few of the pictures of the grounds:

After our adventure to Linderhof, we drove down to Garmisch just to say we'd been there, and then we headed home to get ready for dinner with our friend. We let our friend pick the restaurant, and he recommended a convent (cloister) in Benediktbauern, about 10 minutes from Penzberg. The convent is fairly old with a beautiful cemetery (yes, I know that sounds weird, but it was just beautiful and peaceful) and an amazing church. We toured both (without taking pictures) and then headed back over to the cloister's biergarten. The menu was mainly Bavarian, with a special "Spargel" (white asparagus) menu that I decided to pass up (I've had so many spargel over the last few weeks that I might turn into spargel if I have much more!). I had a traditional plate of meats, cheeses, and bread, while Justin had some jaegerschnitzel. And we finished the evening with apple strudel. Yum!

Afterwards, we headed home and got Justin ready to fly back home to Indy the next morning. Our friend, thankfully, helped us figure out Justin's train schedule to get him back to the Munich airport without much to-do the next morning, which was a tremendous help. Of course, if I could have had it my way, I would have kept Justin here with me for the rest of my stay, but I don't think work or Buckley or Cagney or even our families or friends would have been too thrilled about that...

Justin arrived home safe and sound on Wednesday evening, and Buckley and Cagney (and probably his family and friends) were glad to see him. :)

We made the most of our short Bavarian holiday; our only regret is that we didn't have more time. We have definitely identified some places we will have to travel to together next time. I don't think this will be our only trip to this part of the world.

Berchtesgaden with the Boys

Last weekend, Justin was finally able to join me in Bavaria for a long weekend. He had finished his last study (three weeks of traveling from continent to continent), and I was coming up on the half-way point of my eight-week assignment, so we were both ready for a mini-vacation. And where better to vacation than in Bavaria? How convenient! :)

To kick off the weekend, Justin and I planned to travel to Berchtesgaden and Obersalzburg, and in particular, we wanted to visit the site of the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s summer home. We thought this would also be a great trip for one of our German friends to travel with us, especially since Justin and our friend are history buffs. We piled into the car early Saturday morning and headed to Berchtesgaden.

Of course, the start of the trip was a little delayed – We had car trouble (coolant alert) that required a bit of attention (nothing that a liter of fine mountain spring water couldn’t fix), and then, of course, we had to stop by a bakery for breakfast. Once we fueled up both ourselves and the car, we got on the road.

Berchtesgaden and Obersalzburg are in the southeast corner of the state of Bavaria, so the drive was almost two hours long. Our drive took us into Austria briefly, where I am not sure if I drove legally or not: I didn’t stop for a vignette (a sticker required for driving on the Austrian interstate), as there is some random sticker on my windshield that looks like it could be a vignette. Plus, we were only on the Austrian autobahn for a few minutes, so we took our chances.

As we got off the interstate, the road turned into a quasi-rally car course. It was SO fun to drive up the hillside. FYI: When the signs say that a curve is coming up, it means that a SERIOUS curve is coming up. The weather was perfect, so you can imagine how many motorcycles and convertible sports cars we drove with up the mountain. And there were even cyclist making the treacherous bike trip up the mountain – I can still picture clearly their calf muscles!

The Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) is historically considered Hitler’s summer home. It was a gift from his party during the late 1930s. Everything I had read to up to this point regarding the site’s role in WWII clearly stated that Hitler only visited the home 2 or 3 times during the War, and all of what I had read downplayed the role of the site in the War. However, what I didn’t realize until I picked up some literature at the site was that Hitler rented a house on the mountain and in what became his compound for many years before it was purchased and given to him. Goering and Bohrmann also had homes at the Eagle’s Nest, which became a site of social and political significance for making major party decisions.

At the end of the WWII, the Eagle’s Nest was bombed and many buildings were left in ruins. Subsequently, the ruins were destroyed and the site became a recreational site for the US military through the 1950s. Bavaria always retained control of the site, but it wasn’t until the US military completely evacuated the site before the Bavarian government made the area an historical site open to the public for tourism (~1990s).

That said, Hitler’s home was destroyed MANY years ago, and only the Tea House at the top of the mountain is the last remaining intact building. So, the amazing view and tour of his home that I anticipated from watching Band of Brothers did not come to fruition. But the remaining views made the trip worth the effort.

Once we arrived at parking lot for the Eagle’s Nest, we still had a journey in front of us. To get up to the Tea House, we had to ride a bus up a one-way road that snaked its way up the mountain side. There were a couple turns that made me nervous, but the view out the bus window was a preview of the spectacular sites that were ahead of us. The ride took about 10 or 15 minutes, but the temperature change was much more dramatic – I would estimate that the temperature dropped 15 degrees (F), if not more, between the bus stations at the bottom and the top of the mountain.

Here are a couple pictures from the bus window:



Once the bus arrived at the summit, we then had to take an elevator up 400+ feet into the Tea House. To be honest, this was the scariest part of the trip for me: To get to the elevator, you take a windowless tunnel several hundred yards to a single elevator, where the elevator conductor piles in as many people as he can into one oversized elevator. And when I say “piles in,” I mean it – We were packed like sardines, shoulder to shoulder, and it was VERY uncomfortable and unnerving all at once.

Despite the discomfort, the elevator ride was completely worth it to see to the amazing views as soon as we entered the Tea House. For someone who doesn’t mountain climb (okay, let’s be honest, I don’t even climb up ladders!), the summit outside of the Tea House was highest point I’ve ever looked out from (save an airplane, of course). And everywhere you looked, the view was breathtaking. It was so beautiful that we couldn’t stop snapping photos. Here are a few of the best ones:




The Tea House is actually a restaurant now, not really a place you can tour unless you are purchasing food or drink. It was around lunchtime, so we picked a table right by the edge of the biergarten and had an incredible view of the Konigsee and surrounding Alps. And the food was surprisingly good (I expected American tourist trap food, if you know what I mean). I would recommend eating up there to extend your stay and view at the Eagle’s Nest.


Outside of the Tea House, there are several trails you can take along the mountain top. We stuck to the main trails, but we still managed to capture some remarkable images. Like many summits, a cross was erected there, but this one was twice dedicated to people who had lost their lives climbing there. Typical of mountaintop crosses, a box was posted that contained some type of spiritual or inspirational comment inside (it was in German, of course, so I didn’t understand it, but I can imagine the sentiment). Our friend told us that a lot of times in those boxes, one will also find a book to sign, but there was nothing inside the box here.

Justin and our friend then walked down a more treacherous trail while I stayed at the top. As they went down the trail, I saw a group of people in some serious climbing gear, breathing heavy, come back up from the trail, so I figured the boys wouldn’t be gone too long or go too far. :)

Once the boys reappeared, we started our trek down the elevator (which was even more uncomfortable this time, as a woman in front of my had her elbow jabbed into Baby A the whole way down!!!) and on the bus back to “ground” level. At the base of the mountain, you can tour the Documentation Center that contains information about not only the role of the Eagle’s Nest in WWII, but also what took place in Bavaria during the War. There is also a partial bunker within the Documentation Center as well, but because Baby A and I were worn out (and sore!), we decided to skip out on that crowded tour and head home.

My overall opinion is one of awe: The view at the summit took my breath away, and the serenity was (ironically) palpable. I could understand why such a location would be a fitting gift for a dictator from his party. It was like standing on top of the earth looking down at one of the most beautiful places in the world. I have not lost sight of the atrocious decisions that were made there, but I found the current peace of the Eagle’s Nest refreshing and fitting today.

I am positive that Justin and I will never forget our experience there.

Retail Amusements

After much delay and a few technical difficulties, I'm finally able to post pictures of a few surprising things I found when shopping in Bavaria that I just couldn't ignore.

Unrefrigerated Milk

Although pasteurized milk is standard fare in the US, we always find it in the refrigerated section, NOT sitting out at room temperature on the shelves. I'm glad someone informed me where I could find my milk before I went to the grocery store, as I would have totally overlooked the pasteurized milk (I can't have unpasteurized milk because of the pregnancy). Also surprising is the expiration date: The expiration date for every liter of milk I've purchased has been at least 2.5 months away. The supermarkets here may be on to something with such long shelf lives. I am able to finish each liter of milk well before it goes bad. Plus, the milk has a lot more fat in it than what I'm used to, which makes it extra delicious. :)

...and if you look carefully in the background of this photo, you'll see a corner of the packaging of one of my VERY favorite German treats, Haribo gummy bears... I could write an entire post on my love for that snack.


Lego Shave-a-Sheep Set

Although I don't have experience with children who love Legos (yet), I'm not sure this would be a really popular choice for American kids. I think this set is really cute, especially the little Lego sheep faces with the googly eyes, but I don't think you'd see this in the US, except for maybe in the Mountain states.

Store-Front GreetersI am not sure if this statue was for a Lego collection inside one of the stores in Bad Tolz, but he didn't appear to be specifically tied to anywhere. And if I could actually read the sign, I might have had a better idea of who he belonged to. Regardless his purpose, I think I like this Lego Man much better than most of the Wal-Mart greeters in the States. And, of course, Justin needed to pose with him to give you perspective. :)

The McDonald's golden arches may be globally recognized, but there's no beacon quite like a golden pretzel outside of a bakery. Imagine my disappointment when I got to this store and found it closed. Sigh.


And finally...

Men's Lingerie
I'm not sure what surprised me more - the style of this pair of underwear or the fact that this mustard yellow mesh panty was just one of MANY different styles of men's underwear in a section of a department store that was dedicated to men's underwear. There are not that many options (or often separate departments!) for men in the US, at least that I'm aware of or care to explore.

Coming up in the next posts...

I just finished a few days of traveling, so I have some great pictures and impressions to share with you later this week. Until then, I need some sleep. I promise to post again soon!





Ciao!

Let me show you around...

Since I've been working so hard at work, I've not had any time during the workweek to do much exploring. Instead of a fun post about my traveling adventures, I thought I'd give you a little view of my domestic life here.

Yes, folks, this is going to be a bit of a boring post. But since you are my social outlet, I am going to continue to bore you anyway. :)

I live in the small Bavarian town of Penzberg. It is located about halfway between Munich and the Austrian border, just north of the German Alps. Roche has housed me in the Boardinghaus ("Boardinghouse" for those who need a translation ;)), a company-owned set of apartments just a few minutes off of the main campus. If I were to walk to work, my walk would be maybe 15 or 20 minutes from my doorstep to the edge of campus (then it's another 5- to 10-minute walk to my building).

Roche has provided me a car, an Opel Insignia (is that related to a Ford? I've heard it is, but it also looks kind of like a fancy Saturn), which I pictured in my previous post. To look at it, it doesn't seem that big, but after driving around even rural Bavaria, where the roads are wider, I would much prefer driving a smaller car. As much as it pains me to say it, I think a Mini Cooper wagon would be just about ideal for this place (don't choke, Justin!). No matter where you go, the parking spots are smaller than what you're used to, and the roads are narrow, especially in the city and village centers.

Within the Boardinghaus, I live in a one-room flat with a full bathroom. The apartment is fairly modern and very clean and relatively quiet (the residents are super-quiet, but there is a lot of construction in this little neighborhood, and they start as early as 5:30AM during the workweek). I have a kitchenette with two hotplates, a refrigerator, and a microwave, but I do not have an oven. The flat is also equipped with a TV which helps it feel less lonely. My bed is in the "living room" (if you could call it that), so I don't have a couch, but I am not entertaining, so the bed is perfect for watching TV.

There is one floor-to-ceiling window (that opens!) off of the kitchen and French doors to a TINY stoop on the other side of the flat. Because there is no air conditioning in most buildings in the area (including work and the Boardinghaus), the first thing I do when I get home from work is open the kitchen window. The evening air is so fresh and cool and it makes the night much more comfortable. Thankfully, it shouldn't get too warm during the time I'm here, which I'm thankful for; I may have grown up in Texas, but I love AC, especially at night when I sleep.

There are two main grocery stores within Penzberg, in addition to several restaurants, apothekes (pharmacies that actually carry medicine - in Germany, you have to go to the apotheke pharmacies to get any type of medicine, even OTC medicines and contact lens solution), and a hotel. I'm not sure about the hotel, but you can pretty much count on only being able to pay with cash for anything in this town, which is the case for most of the towns in this area. Even in Munich, you may find that a restaurant or store will only accept cash if your bill is not high enough. For someone who rarely carries cash, this is a huge change for me.

Most of the people that I work with walk, ride their bikes, or take the bus to work. A piece of me feels guilty every day on my 5-minute drive to work that I should be walking instead, but I also think that the walk from the parking garage to my office to the cafeteria and back is pretty long for me, especially in my high heels, so the guilt softens a bit.

Speaking of work, I have my own office (a container!) with a window and view of some trees. It's very peaceful, even with all the construction noise going on right outside my window. I open my window first thing in the morning, even if it's cool out, and keep it open until I leave for the evening. Because of the time difference with the US, I come into work between 8:30 and 9AM and leave before 6:00 or 6:30PM. This shift in time allows me to work with my German counterparts in the morning and my US counterparts in the afternoon.

I really like the German pace of the workday. When I get to work, my coworkers are usually in the middle of a 30-minute breakfast break (they get to work earlier than I do, of course), where they discuss current affairs and much of what's going on in their lives. Though I don't speak any German, it seems that their discussions at that point don't revolve around work, which is a nice break to the morning. Then at around 11:30 or noon, several people gather to walk over to the cafeteria for lunch. I always hear them coming down the hallway, so I always go with them. Lunch itself is split into two sessions (45 minutes to 1 hour combined): The first is the meal itself, and the second is a coffee and/or sweet in the cafe off of the cafeteria. If possible, we like to sit outside, but sometimes it's hard to find a seat outside because it is so popular to sit out there.

Then, it's back to work after lunch.

In the afternoon, there is no unofficial break like there is at breakfast, but I'll often hear a few people take a break to make a cappuccino or espresso in the small kitchen on our floor. Some times I'll take a moment to drink some apfelschorle (apple juice diluted with sparkling water, which is surprisingly refreshing) and eat a pretzel or pastry that I picked up in the cafe. I'm sure my weight gain has everything to do with Baby A and not these snack breaks... :)

In the evenings, I usually head home and make something small for dinner. In this region, lunch is the "big meal" of the day, so I'm usually not super-hungry at night. I catch a Simpsons, Family Guy, or Futurama episode on TV and spend most of the evening resting, being domestic, and catching up on US news. I do get a couple hours of CNN International on TV right after work, but there is only so much I can deal with - they have been focused on the same stories for two weeks now, and it can only be regurgitated so many times and ways. And as soon as those two hours are over, the channel switches to a German info-mercial that has the angriest-looking host I've ever seen - I'm not kidding, he looks and sounds like he's ticked off that you are watching him!

Then it's time to shower and bed. I've taken to showering at night when I need to wash my hair because I'm having terrible luck with hairdryers: I blew a fuse in the convertor attached to my own hairdryer, and when I used my colleague's hairdryer, set to the European voltage, it started smoking and tried to catch on fire (no exaggeration!). Needless to say, I'd rather go to bed with my hair wet and fight it with a flat iron in the morning than try to wash and dry my hair right before work in the morning.

Now that you've read about a day in my life, I hope you're still awake. I still feel so fortunate to be here and cannot wait for my next adventure. This weekend, I plan to go shopping and sightseeing (again!) in Munich with one of my coworkers, and then Sunday, I'll probably try to find the restaurant in Uffing that I couldn't find last weekend. Then, next week, Justin will be back in Munich, so I am looking forward to spending some time with him the following weekend. :)

I hope you are all well (and awake!). Ciao for now!

Oh, how I love Munich!

On Sunday, one of the Roche ex-pats took me on an adventure into Munich. Munich is just a 30-minute car ride north of Penzberg, and it’s definitely a major city (as opposed to the villages and small towns that I experienced on Saturday).

My fellow American was on a mission assigned by her nephew: She had a 6-inch cutout of her 8-year-old nephew, and she needed to take this “flat nephew” with her into the city to photograph at different locations. What an adorable class project, don’t you think?! When she asked me if I would be her partner-in-crime, of course I accepted her invitation.

I went up to Munich briefly early last week, but I didn’t get to do much sightseeing, so Sunday was a real treat for me.

The easiest way to navigate Munich is by subway, and there’s a convenient parking garage on the south side of the city at one of the subway stations. We parked at this station and jumped on the subway headed to Marienplatz.

Marienplatz is, well, breathtaking. When you get off the subway at Marienplatz, you step out from the underground to an amazing view of the cathedral housing the famed Glockenspiel. And everywhere you turn, there is another amazing architectural masterpiece. Churches, city buildings, apartments, everything was beautiful. Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed.


We traveled throughout the Marienplatz, where we saw Victoria Plaza, home of a renowned open-air market. Since it was Sunday, everything, including the market (and even the big department stores), was closed, but it was still a sight to be seen. And my colleague told me it was worth driving up to Munich and taking the subway to visit the market when it’s open. Just her descriptions of the food alone made me hungry and eager to return. :)

We also saw several churches that I would like to tour when mass is not being celebrated. Some of the churches invited you to come in and tour even when mass was being said, but neither of us really felt like that was appropriate, so I made a mental note that I have to come back to do the tours (and see so much more of Munich!) next time, not on a Sunday. That or attend mass one Sunday up in Munich – how amazing would that be (even if I don’t speak the language)?

Once we saw a few other monuments and landmarks, we set our sights on the English Garden in the east central part of the city. On the walk there, we walked through several smaller parks and saw statues and monuments of literary and historical figures. At one point, I dare say that I had a fairly magical moment that I wish I could have frozen in time: In one of the small parks, while looking across the main yard, the blooms on the trees overhead started shedding their petals and, as they fell, the sun hit them and made them look like snow. I tried in vain to capture the moment on camera, but I failed. I just have to keep that memory fresh in my mind.

Before we reached the main entrance to the Garden, we found ourselves standing in a plaza that I recognized from a riot in response to a major speech given by Hitler. I need to look up the names of this plaza and many of the other buildings, but it was surreal to suddenly recognize a place I’d never been from something I’d seen in a history book or documentary. Despite the sad circumstances, the plaza was beautiful and it served as the entry point into the Garden.

As we passed under the archway into the Garden, we were greeted by more architectural and botanical structures that I could have probably spent days exploring – and we hadn’t even technically entered the English Garden yet!
To add to the picturesque setting, in a gazebo to the north, a cellist was performing a beautiful classical piece that I couldn’t place. He was so engrossed in his music that he seemed oblivious to the crowd gathering around him, which in turn allowed those of us in the audience to step out of time for a few moments and become engrossed in his moment. Much like the moment in the small park earlier, this was a memory I wished to freeze in time. And it was only as we walked away that I realized that I had a video recorder on my camera and could have captured the whole thing had I taken a moment to think. But I really think that I was so caught up in the music that the world slipped away.

Doesn’t this all sound romantic and dramatic all at once?! :) And this was all before I saw the sunbathers, horses, or traditionally dressed Bavarian band.

As we continued to hike, I thoroughly enjoyed people- and dog-watching. So many people had their dogs with them, often off of their leashes, who were all well-behaved. Watching the dogs made me really miss Buckley (and Cagney!), though I know he’s in good hands with his Uncle Josh right now (and probably loving life without Justin or me around). Dogs were playing in the certain parts of the garden, while others were walking or jogging with their owners, and even more were lounging in the sunshine with their owners. I secretly wanted to pet every dog that we came upon, but I refrained.

We walked until we reached the “Chinese Tower,” which was our destination for lunch. The Chinese Tower, which is another name for a pagoda, is in the center of the English Garden (ironically). There are several food stands along the walkway and a formal restaurant right in front of the pagoda. Within the pagoda, a traditional Bavarian band was performing, and at one point, I swear they were playing some Sousa marches, a friendly reminder of home for me.

The weather was incredible (mid-70s, low humidity, no clouds, and a cool breeze), so we wanted to sit outside, but all of the tables were reserved. Only after we were seated inside did we remember that it was Mother’s Day and many families had reserved tables for the special day. Once seated (which was a great seat because I had a great view of a fellow diner’s golden retriever who was trying so hard to behave inside), my fellow American translated the menu for me, and I decided that this was the meal I was going to try true Bavarian food. What a great decision on my part! :)

For lunch, we split some Nurenburger sausages (think: small bratwursts), kaesespaetzle (a traditional Bavarian noodle with cheese and crispy sweet onions, kind of similar to mac and cheese in the US), sauerkraut, fresh horseradish, and pretzels. Oh, my goodness, my mouth is still watering! Everything was delicious. I could have grazed on that food all day long. I’m not sure our waitress really understood how much I meant it when I told her how delicious my meal was. And I wanted nothing more than to clean my plate and order seconds, but that just wasn’t possible, of course. I will just have to come back.

Once we finished lunch, we found our way out of the Garden and headed back to the subway to go home. I was thoroughly worn out from walking all day, and with a full belly, I was ready to get back to my flat. My colleague gave me a quick driving tour of Penzberg (from an American’s perspective) and then dropped me back off at home.

I got home, napped, and then called my mom to wish her a happy Mother’s Day. It was a perfect ending to a pretty much perfect day. I cannot wait to go back to Munich (hopefully when Justin is back here) and explore some more now that I have a general comfort with traveling through the city. And I need to go back to get pictures of features I’d like to have on my dream house I plan on building one day. :)

I have no idea what’s on tap next weekend, but I think I’m off to a great start, don’t you think?

On the road to Uffing…

Today I put on my big girl pants and forced myself out of the house. I planned and coordinated and finally got into the car to set my navigator to Uffing, a village on Staffel-See, about 30 minutes from my flat in Penzberg. I was hoping to make it in time for lunch at the Alpenhof which is positioned on the north side of the lake (Staffel-See).

Alpenhof is a Bavarian restaurant that several of my colleagues recommended, especially my US colleague who spent many evenings there during his round on this rotational program last summer. I figured it couldn’t be too hard to find, especially since my in-car navigator identified it as a “Point of Interest” in Uffing.

Well… I was wrong…

The navigator took me first to Murnau (for which I had to drive on the Autobahn – woohoo!!! That was a rush! See the pictures below of my hot ride (an Opel Insignia) and the view going south on the A95.), which is a bigger town on the east/southeast side of the lake. I understood from looking at the maps that an excursion through Murnau was expected, so I didn’t worry. Plus, I planned to visit Murnau on my way back to Penzberg, so it was nice to get a sneak peek.

Then, at Murnau, my navigator started telling me to drive on roads that didn’t exist or were closed and make frequent U-turns. This was my first experience driving on European rural and village roads, and my car is HUGE compared to everyone else’s sports car or Mini Cooper, so I was not keen on forging my own road or making U-turns at relatively unmarked intersections. After trying to make my way back to the route, I gave up and decided that this was a sign for me to stop in Murnau.

I found a place to park that (I thought!) was right on the lake and walked to a conveniently located tourist information site. I picked up and examined a map, reaffirmed myself that I have a good sense of direction, and started walking into a park that would lead me to the lake. I wasn’t hungry yet, and Baby A wasn’t standing on my bladder, so I figured I could hike it to Uffing by following the lakeshore.

The problem was that I couldn’t find the lakeshore! And as I walked through the park, I realized I was walking through people’s backyards and courtyards. Thankfully, I was alone, so no one could point out my failure in navigation, so I turned around and headed back towards my car.

On the walk back, it hit me: I have no schedule, I have no responsibilities, and I have nothing but time. How many times will I ever be able to say that in my life?

I pulled back up my big girl pants (which seemed to droop a bit when I got lost) and decided Alpenhof could wait; I was going to explore Murnau instead.

I made it back to the car, said a quick prayer to God (and St. Anthony!) that I would be able to find my way back to the car after my expedition, and I started walking. I walked to the end of the street and across a short crosswalk, and, all of the sudden, I was in the center of Murnau!

Murnau is picturesque, despite its touristy appeal. The main street is primarily blocked off to cars, and it is lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. What a great introduction to Bavaria!

I walked the street for a while and wandered through stores, including one dedicated to handmade traditional Bavaria garb (think: Dundel and lederhosen). I realized too late that there were several bakeries along the route, too, as they seemed to close before lunchtime, so I made a mental note to come back earlier in the day next time.

I stopped for lunch at a Greek bistro, sitting outside in the sunshine (how European of me?!). And I got to practice my non-German skills. It was kind of hilarious and very awkward, but I am tremendously thankful for the patience that the restaurant staff showed me. Not only did I manage to order a delicious lunch of gyros and rice, but I also got a chocolate milkshake for dessert (and they understood!). Plus, I managed to get a receipt for my expense report, which is a HUGE accomplishment in rural Bavaria (receipts are hard to come by around here). The picture below is a view from my table at the restaurant.
After lunch, I continued to wander around and then realized how worn out I was getting (the pictures below are of the central pedestrian area in Murnau and one of the fountains along the way). A few hours of walking up and down cobblestone streets, built on the foothills of the Alps, was apparently exhausting. So I made my way back to the car and set off towards Penzberg.

On the drive back, I decided to take the opportunity to stop at the various parking sites along the rural roads and take some pictures. This was a better idea than what I had been doing on the drive out to Uffing/Murnau, which was taking pictures from my car and trying not to drive off the side of the road. I think I annoyed a few drivers, so I thought I’d do them all and myself a favor and stop this time to snap the photos. :)

I made my way back to Penzberg, where I planned to make a quick break to refill my water bottle and rest my feet for a few before heading over the Bad Tolz, another picturesque town, this time east of Penzberg.

Well, sticking with the theme of the day, my plans failed. I sat down for a few minutes’ rest and woke up a couple hours later. It turns out, this pregnancy thing makes one tired much more quickly than usual. When I woke up, I was just so worn out that I decided not to push it today, as I have another adventure planned for tomorrow: Munich sightseeing and a “practical” tour of Penzberg with a fellow American Roche employee.

For now, I’m settling into bed, watching The DaVinci Code in German (thank goodness I read the book!) and relaxing before tomorrow’s excursion.

And I think Baby A likes that plan, as he just kicked me and, for the first time, I felt it. :) I’m a happy globetrotting momma right now. Happy weekend, everyone!

Early learnings of an American in Bavaria

A brief list of my learnings so far in Bavaria…

On food and dining:

• The pretzel is a food from the gods.


• Potato salad is delicious.


• Many breads are delicious, while other breads taste like (what I assume would be) dog food. The smell is unmistakable for either type of bread.


• Prosecco is a perfect drink... that I sadly can’t drink…


• Italian food in Bavaria is pretty darn good.


• In rural Bavaria, don’t expect to use your credit card anywhere.


• If you ask for decaf coffee, you will be looked at like you have two heads. As I’ve been informed, what’s the point of drinking coffee if you don’t want the caffeine in it?


• If you don’t clean your plate when eating out, the waiter will ask you what was wrong with your meal. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a problem, but the portions in Bavaria are HUGE and impossible to finish.


• Don’t ask for tap water in a restaurant. It’s socially acceptable (and in some ways preferred!) to drink tap water in everyday life, in the office, etc., but it’s an insult to the restaurant if you ask for tap water. As one guidebook suggested, it’s like announcing to the restaurant that you’re going to be a cheap customer who won’t even spend money on water. Another guide said that drinking tap water in public is equivalent to saying that you are comfortable drinking the water you bathe in.


• Don’t assume that the waiter speaking Italian in the Italian restaurant is Italian (or speaks Italian other than that on the menu). In broken English, the waiter I was trying to communicate in Italian to (or broken Spanish, really – I could understand it so much more than the German) actually corrected me by telling me he’s not Italian at all – he’s Greek!

On daily life:

• NEVER walk on the bike path. If you hear a sweet little chime of a bike bell behind you, it’s not a little girl with pigtails riding her basket-yielding bicycle – it’s a mad cyclist and you need to get the heck out of the way!


• There are very few stop signs. Instead, yield signs are used as most intersections. This could be a very good thing or a very bad thing for those who are fans of the “rolling stop” in the US.


• There are no “duh!” signs anywhere (like “Watch your step” or “Sidewalk ends”), which would normally be fine except for a naïve American like me who could probably use those extra little reminders (even if they were in German). We are talking about the same person who broke her leg walking on a sidewalk, remember?


• The workday for construction starts at 5:30 or 6:30AM, depending on when I’m most tired…


• There are sometimes up to 4 trash cans for throwing garbage and recycling away, and they all look the same. I haven’t quite figured out the system yet, but I am trying. The trash system has made me keenly aware of my environmental impact to the point of neurosis. And let’s not even get started about turning lights or water on or off!


• Germans like to hide their refrigerators. One of your kitchen cabinet doors could be the fridge. Or it could just be another door to a cabinet.


• High heels are super stylish, assuming you can walk everywhere (anywhere?!) in them. You must walk at least a mile to get anywhere.


• There are two buttons on the wall above the toilet for flushing. Anyone remember the “shells” in Demolition Man? I keep having flashbacks to that movie every time I go to the bathroom. When using the bathroom, the bigger button is for flushing bigger jobs, and the smaller button is for flushing smaller jobs.


• When dubbing over American reality TV shows, German TV does NOT bleep out English curse words. I have heard more F-bombs and other expletives this week than I would expect to hear in a George Carlin special. Hell’s Kitchen is particularly entertaining, as Gordon Ramsey has one of the foulest mouths I’ve heard. Thank goodness for the FCC. ;)
  

Plans for the weekend:
This weekend is supposed to be incredible, weather-wise, with clear skies, sunshine, and mid-70s temperatures. I plan to travel to towns close to Penzberg on Saturday, and then Sunday I will travel with Sheri Jordan (from Roche) up to Munich for a photo tour and then a practical tour of Penzberg. I will take lots of pictures and will have some to share next week, I promise.

For tonight, I will eat some amazing cheese and fresh-made chocolate nougat crescent roll for dinner and watch some American Dad, Simpsons (called, “Die Simpsons,” which I think is hilarious if you read “die” like it is English), and Futurama. And I’m hoping another episode of Hell’s Kitchen or Jackass will air soon, as I can still hear the English being spoken in those shows, regardless how crass it is.

Happy weekend, everyone! Ciao!

Welcome back to the Internet

After much anticipation, I have finally set up my blog for my trip to Germany and other areas of Europe. My internet access has been almost nonexistent for the past few days, so I apologize for the delay, but I am almost back to having full access again. I'll have this up and going in no time.

I hope you enjoy this blog, as I really look forward to sharing this unique experience with you. Happy reading!