Munich

The next stop on our Big Adventure was Munich. Even though we have have visited this city several times since our arrival to Germany, we always seem to enjoy ourselves and find new things to explore with each visit. On this particular visit our mission was three-fold: introduce our friends to this wonderful Bavarian city, take a day-trip down to the famous Neuschwanstein castle, and attend some Oktoberfest celebrations. 

Shortly after arriving in the main train station we headed over to Mike's Bike Tour.....a fun and entertaining way to see Munich while getting in some light exercise.  We enjoyed the bike tour on our last visit in May, so our friends were solo on the adventure for this trip.  Besides, this allowed Andrea and I to schlep the luggage to the hotel via the trains.  An entertaining venture in itself, I must add.  Especially when you only have a rough idea of exactly where the hotel is in relation to the train station (uh yeah.....1.2 kilometers is in fact a good distance when carrying lots of luggage).  

We were quite fortunate to have great weather on the first day which provided ideal conditions for our friends on the bike tour.  After the tour was complete we wandered around near Marionplatz where the Farmer's Market takes place.  We arrived on Day 1 of the 2-week Oktoberfest celebrations...which was great! 

More Liederhosen and Dirndl's than you could shake a stick at. 

Even the flower dude was wearing his finest Liederhosen.

After a late afternoon snack we thought it would be fun to visit the International Headquarters for Oktoberfest: the Theresienwiese (which translates into "Theresa's Fields").   So what is Oktoberfest and why is it so popular?  Great question.  The first festival was actually a wedding celebration.  The groom, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, wanted his people to share in the celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810.  Prince Ludwig organized a horse race, invited all the people of Munich, and hosted a party of the century to the 40,000 that showed up to the fields in front of the city gates.  The party lasted five days in the first year and was such a success that the Prince decided to host an anniversary celebration the year following that included a horse race.  The anniversary celebration grew over the years to include an agricultural display, amusement rides, and competitions such as tree climbing, wheel barrow and sack races, mush eating, barrel rolling, and goose chases.  The annual festival continued to grow in days and was eventually moved to September to allow for better weather conditions. Today, the last day of celebration is the first day of October.

OK, so you mentioned you were heading to the 'Theresenwiese'.  Is this Oktoberfest?  Yes, the Wiesn, as the locals refer to it, or 'Theresenwiese', is the official site for the Oktoberfest celebrations.  The Wiesn was named after the wife of Prince Ludwig, Princess Therese.  Between the amusement rides, beer tents, and other attractions, the grounds for Oktoberfest are over 103 acres....not a small venue by any measure.

People watching at the Wiesn is slightly entertaining.  Some locals, some tourists, some people dressed up in Liederhosen and Dirndl's.......but everyone had one common goal: to have a good time.  It is quite common to see total strangers smiling and laughing and perhaps even hugging all while attending the Wiesn.  No fights here....only laughter.

So much for the great weather......in the distance you can see a big storm cloud fast approaching......

A few more shots of the tents...

We really enjoyed watching people on the ride Toboggan.  For over 75 years this ride has been providing a challenge for the riders while also providing quality entertainment for the audience.  The concept is simple: challenge people to "jump" on a fast-moving conveyor belt that is slanted upwards.  The result is watching person after person reacting the wrong way and watching their feet go over their heads as they do a backward somersault.  A prime example Tobaggan ride Oktoberfest.

The next day we headed out to the Neuschwanstein castle (next post) but on day 3, we returned for the Wiesn for some more fun and entertainment.  Inside the Spaten tent before the festivities get underway.

The four of us enjoying a break from the rain in the Hacker-Festzelt tent.

Festival in full swing in the Hacker-Festzelt.  If you didn't have a good seat by 11am on a Monday, then you were most likely out of luck.

In all it was a great visit to Munich in spite of the wet weather that rolled in the last day of our visit.  Lucky for us the years of training in Seattle helped us manage it all with relative ease.  Marking Munich off the list, we headed back to the main train station to visit the next city on the itinerary: Berchtesgaden.  

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Our plans for the Big Adventure included visiting four cities in the Bavarian region of Germany in seven days all via train. The first stop was Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which translates to “Red Fortress above the Tauber”.   This well-preserved medieval town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber river and has been a popular destination for many throughout the world. 

Making our way from the train station to the town was a fun mini-adventure of sorts.  Nothing like departing the train, looking around, and “guessing” your way to your final destination.  It all worked out though….we successfully found the town and hotel. 

First impression of this city: it is the perfect setting to wander about aimlessly.  The first stop during our wandering was the Town Hall…..which is pretty much the center of this small city.

Rothenburg is set up perfectly for foot traffic….there are almost no cars on the narrow streets.  That is one thing I love about the cities in Europe: most offer a ‘pedestrian only’  section where you can browse the windows of the shops without worrying about being mowed down by some crazy driver.

The buildings and architecture found throughout the city were fun to look at.

The western Town Gate

Looking down at the valley below

The gardens just outside the Castle Gate.

Looking at the southern tip of Rothenburg from the Castle Gate.....

...and then looking down.

The front gate to the 'Criminal Museum' that provides an insight into various judicial punishments over the past 1,000 years.  You can see the 'Ducking Stool' in the background.

I remember taking this picture after thinking it was a great view with the medieval house in the forefront and then the old wall tower in the background.  Only after we purchased a "souvenir" canvas bag did I realize this particular view is very popular.  Huh.....good eye, Shull....good eye.....

I believe I was the only member of our party who did not know going in that Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the world head office for Kathe Wohlfart, the infamous maker of German Christmas decorations.  With over 30,000 traditional German Christmas decorations, the stores are set up like little mazes inside filled with unique creations.

One of the fun things to enjoy while visiting Rothenburg is the Night Watchman city tour.  The guide provides a thorough history of the city all the while taking time to drop a joke now and then.  The fun part is that he has developed a character so that he gives the tour as a night watchman that existed hundreds of years ago.  Pretty fun and certainly worth it.

The views of the city at night were fantastic.

Even though our stay was just one day and night, we enjoyed the city thoroughly.  If you are in the area and looking for a relaxing time, check out Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  I highly recommend it.  Although I do not recommend the infamous 'Schneeballen'.....I'm sure they are a tasty treat to some, but after giving them a try, I decided I am more of a Berliner kind of guy.

With the first city marked of our list, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast and made our way back to the train station to began the journey for the next stop on the Big Adventure: Munich. 

Amsterdam

It’s time for some serious catch up on the blog entries as September and the first part of October were filled with great adventures.  Look for several entries in the next few days that cover parts of Germany, the Netherlands, and finally Norway.  We'll begin with the Netherlands, and more specifically, Amsterdam.  We hosted our good friends from the states in early September and instead of the conventional "we'll meet pick you up at the airport", we opted instead for "we'll meet you in Amsterdam".

Getting to Amsterdam is an easy task from our place: a simple 45 minute drive up the Autobahn to the southern border of the Netherlands and you can catch a non-stop train from Maastricht all the way to Amsterdam airport.   Unfortunately the adventures began pretty early during our non-stop train ride.  About half-way there there was an announcement over the intercom and when we arrived at the next station everyone departed the train.  What was the announcement?  Not a clue…..I speak less Dutch than I do French…..  So there we are, walking around the platform looking for information and more importantly, a ride to the airport to meet our friends.  With no cell phones a change in plans can become very “interesting”.  I’m happy to say it all worked out and we met our friends....we found someone who spoke a version of English and jumped on the next train heading to the airport.  

After heading out to the hotel in Haarlem and dropping off the bags, we caught the short train ride to Amsterdam Central.  Our first sight out of the station confirmed this city was crazy committed to bicycles.  Wow…..they were everywhere.

Amsterdam is well known for several reasons.  It is the largest city and capital of the Netherlands and is also a city filled with waterways and canals……making travel by bicycle a lot more convenient than by car.  The several canals were originally built for transport and defense purposes (along with water management) during the development of the city.  The thought was to create four concentric half-circles of canals with their ends emerging in one bay.  So when you walk around the city you will notice how each block and canal are spaced out evenly….making it very easy to get around (and lost).

As you walk around Amsterdam you see boats everywhere.  Some are showing off the sights to tourists, others are taking goods to or from a business, and others moor there permanently and serve as homes.

I have to admit the architecture throughout the city was fun to look at.  There were the traditional crowded “pedestrian only” streets……

….but the buildings that were “leaning” were quite something and simply fun to look at.  

Of course when you find yourself in Amsterdam you should visit the Anne Frank house and museum.

In the distance is the bell tower that Anne refers to in her book.

Lost in Amsterdam and not really concerned.......

While walking around we found this really neat store completely dedicated to soccer.  Inside were several different team jerseys, an assortment of soccer balls made of different materials (including animal skin with the fur still attached), and of course, a place where you can pray for your favorite team or players.  

Amsterdam can be a great location for a party as well….as can be seen by this bachelor party in progress.

One of the highlights for our stay in Amsterdam was the visit to the Van Gogh museum.  Honestly it was a tough choice to visit this museum over the Rijksmuseum that holds a good amount of work from Rembrandt.  I wish we had more time to visit both……  No matter, walking around the streets of Amsterdam and taking in the sights and enjoying the culture was well worth missing out on the Rijksmuseum. 

More random pictures from walking around……

Taking a boat tour is almost a must when you visit Amsterdam. It is a great way to see most of the city while at the same time marveling at how the captains navigate these huge boats through the narrow channels.  Example A......

With a very large rain cloud fast approaching, we hoped on the first tour boat we could find that offered a glass cover to protect us from the rain.  Our timing was perfect as a MASSIVE rain storm let loose a bucket or two of rain.  The views during the tour were great and we ventured through some of the most narrow channels I have ever seen.  More than once I thought our boat was too big to fit....but somehow the captain navigated through without touching the sides.  Sorry for the lack of pictures......the rain-covered windows were not ideal to take pictures through.  One shot did turn out though......

With the boat tour finished, we set out to explore more of the city.  I can see the attraction for the millions of visitors each year.  The city offers a variety of things to do and see and caters to almost anything you can think of doing.  If we were to go again, I would love to rent a bike and  spend a day "getting lost" and riding further out to the edges of the city.....preferably on a non-rain filled day.

Our final stop was the Old Sailor bar made famous by Zane Lamprey in 2009.  The place is located right on the edge of the famous Red Light district and offered some great people watching from the street-side tables. No mother....we did not walk through the Red Light district.......

The next morning we set out for the return trip back to Germany where the plan included a few days filled with seeing the local sights before we headed out on the Big Adventure.  Stay tuned……

Brugge, Belgium

To celebrate the long Labor Day weekend, and our anniversary, we made our way to Brugge in Belgium.  This city has long been our list of places to see for an assortment of reasons: Belgium in general is a wonderful country, people that have visited rave about it, it is near the North Sea (in case sun worshiping is desired), and of course the world famous chocolates that the country is so well known for producing.

 

Brugge  (or in English, ‘Bruges’) is located in the northwest corner of Belgium and is sometimes referred to as “The Venice of the North”.   Although a major attraction for tourists, the city is of significant economic importance to the region thanks to the nearby port (that brings said tourists from the boats into the city 15 kilometers down the road).  About 45,000 people reside in what is referred to as “the old center” but this number grows to over 120,000 once you include the suburbs.

We could have easily made this visit a day trip, but instead we opted to take the advice of many by enjoying at least one night walking around the “old center” at night.  Not to give away the end of the story…..but that was VERY good advice.  Brugge, much like Venice, takes on another form at night.  During the day with the crowds of visitors shuffling around the city, it is easy to overlook some of the unique features that Brugge has to offer.  From the cobbled-stone streets to the old school street lights, there is much to enjoy and take in when you walk the street at night when everyone has called it a day.

 

But we’ll get to all that.  For now, let’s start at the beginning.   As we drove into the city in search of our hotel, we (mainly ‘I’) was VERY happy to be driving our smaller car option the Polo.  I’m pretty sure some of the side streets we “found” would not have allowed our Subi to pass without a scratch or two on the mirrors.  Parking our car and crossing over one of the several bridges we spot a pair of white swans enjoying a leisurely swim on the canal.  A good omen for sure.

A few more views of the canal…... 

Heading into the heart of the city to take in some of the historic buildings and churches.  Here is the courtyard at the Groeningemuseum.

The Church of Our Lady.  This all-brick tower stands at over 122 meters making it one of the world’s highest brick buildings.  Impressive….

Andrea taking in the day…..or perhaps marveling at the long line of tourists waiting for a ride on the canal. 

Belgium is famous for the chocolate, but it is also well-known for its beer production.  How famous?  Well let’s just say the country offers some variety.  We found a store dedicated to selling all 780 different Belgium beers that are brewed throughout the country.  To prove they offer all 780, they have conveniently placed one beer from each brewery in a glass showcase and appropriately named it “The Beer Wall”.  Wow.  

The Provinciaal Hof

One of the better known attractions in Brugge: the 13^th century belfry that houses a carillon comprised of 48 bells.  Stick around during the day and you can enjoy the music played by the full-time carillonneur.  Or, you can pay the Euros and climb your way to the top and enjoy the view of the city (which we opted to skip…..given the LOADS of people making their up and down the narrow and winding staircase…talk about a people jam). 

The fountain at the center of the Markt

We found a canal tour with a short line so we jumped in.  The views along the ride were well worth the few Euros it costs to take the boat trip.  

Andrea enjoying the view found in the Burg Square

More views of the canal….

A great place to rest the feet.....one of the oldest establishments in Brugge 

The walks at night were amazing and lived up to the reputation……

The sculpture Madonna and Child, Michelango’s only sculpture to have left Italy within his lifetime. 

Near our hotel….you can now understand why I was glad to have driven the Polo versus the Subi. 

View of Brugge from a rooftop.

Of course you cannot go to Belgium and not see an old school windmill!  

On our last day we ventured down the road about 15 kilometers to take in the North Sea.  Unfortunately we missed the warm weather but the views were still worth the drive.  

Heading out to to dip a toe in the North Sea.  Check. 

Andrea laughing at me while I attempt to take the perfect picture without getting wet from the incoming tide.  

After a quick bite to eat we made the 3+ hour trip back to home.  Brugge is yet one more good reason to travel around Belgium.  And the chocolates!!  Man.....I'm sure the dentist is going to have a few words with me on my next visit.  Given the close proximity to our home, I think it is safe to assume we will be returning to Brugge in the near future....even if it is for just one night.  Walking the quiet cobbled-stoned streets at night while munching on chocolates is a good time and I highly recommend it to anyone considering a visit to Brugge in the future.  After all, it is a fairy tale place (name the movie).