Home Sweet Home

We got home from our trip on Sunday, but I think part of me is still on vacation :) It was a truly amazing trip, with surprisingly very little hiccups.  Trains are the primary mode of transportation there and it just makes getting around so easy.  Ross took German in college and it was really useful in some of the small, local restaurants and shops we went to. I think my german vocabulary was up to about 15 words by the time we left. The important phrases I learned were:

"Ich möchte einen Kaffee mit mager Milch." 
(I want a coffee with skim milk)
"Es ist mein Geburtstag!" 
(It is my birthday!)

Overall, Munich and Nurnberg were our favorite cities. Both are large cities, but they have managed to retain an Old-World feel with lots of character. Every city we visited had it's own royal Residenz or Schloss (palace), with an equally impressive garden. One of our favorite activities was walking and reading in the beautiful palace gardens. For the most part, there was little to no evidence of damage caused during WWII, which surprised us. Most of the historical buildings have been restored to their original splendor. Some of the palaces were hit harder than others, with many of the ceiling frescos missing and a plaque stating "lost in WWII bombing."  Some of the most moving experiences of the trip were visiting the Nazi Party Rally Ground in Nurnberg, the Dachau concentration camp outside Munich, and the Jewish Museum in Berlin. I really enjoyed going to an opera, Don Carlo, in Vienna. Yes, I did say OPERA! We snagged cheap standing room tickets and stayed for 4 acts, which is all we needed, but it was a great experience. I never could understand how an audience could be enraptured by songs in a different language, but there are little translator machines at every seat!

I was skeptical of German food before we left, but that notion was dispelled pretty quickly. I stuck with fresh fish and turkey, while across the table Ross was eating every kind of weiner schnitzel and bratwurst he could get his hands on. :) They serve up sauerkraut with most traditional dishes and that stuff is so good when it's done right. Mmmm. Now, onto the bakeries, oh, the bakeries! There is a bakery on every street, each serving up the most delicious breads, pretzels, and pastries imaginable!! I ate a pretzel EVERY morning we were there. Pretzels were topped with your choice of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, gouda cheese, and the classic sea salt. MMM. It is my mission to try my hand at making these at home. We shall see...

We decided on the plane ride home that we could definitely live in Germany if the opportunity ever presented itself!

We took definitely took lots of pictures. ALL the pictures are posted here. Beware! There are quite a few! If you want a brief summary check out this album, Part 1 and Part 2. Hope you enjoy!

Love,
E&R