A Weekend in Munich, Germany

Being a beer lover is no easy task. One must keep the palate open and clean in order to embrace all the flavors. You have to become picky about what you eat-making sure your meal enhances the taste of the beautifully thirst-quenching and wheaty-goodness of the beer you're sipping (or gulping). Atmosphere is also very important to the beer lover; you should be surrounded by family or friends and in some new city, you should be relaxed but excited. Of course, there are many enemies to the beer lover-price for one as well as unenlightened older sisters who can't finish one on her own. These are things I discovered over this past weekend when I traveled to Munich, Germany, famed as the beer capital of Germany and praised from westerners as the best city for drinking! 

Munich was beautiful and I was happy to return to Germany, a country that over several trips I have grown to love. We pulled in on the bus and knew we needed to accomplish one thing: start drinking. Luckily, we ran into Munich's Spring Fest! Complete with rides and carnival treats it also had a beer garden packed with people. Much smaller than Munich's Oktoberfest (which I promised myself I would return for) this little carnival was a sweet surprise. 

The highlight of the trip was reuniting with my big sister who has been studying in Stirling, Scotland. We haven't seen each other in three months so this reunion was very exciting. This upcoming weekend      I'll be showing her the sites of Prague when she visits the Czech Republic for the first time! 

We also saw the Neuschwanstein Castle which was definitely worth the trip. It's in Baravia but outside Munich so it was a bit of a hassle to get there plus wait time on the tour ect. ect. But it was worth every minute. The scenery looked as if you stepped into a painting of some unreal place. Really breathtaking. You can't take pictures inside but it was really cool! You'll have to go see it for yourself!

The best part about these weekend trips is that there is never any let down-ever. We keep our expectations low and only have a few things we want to see, that way when we stumble on a carnival or an outdoor fruit market we are all but thankful and excited. After traveling every weekend we try not to stress ourselves out with little things. Just being in a new city and walking around is enough.

Spring Fest

1/2 Meter long Bratwurst!

German kids are the cutest

Sisterly Reunion!

Fussen, Germany

From the bridge

Quinn, Jenae and I chillin' before the tour

Marienplatz at night!

We even got to hear the Glockenspiel play

Monday market

We've lost count...

Pictures of Jenae's triumph over beer. The Germans would probably throw something at her if they knew. Don't worry boys and girls when she comes to Prague I'll make a beer lover out of her!

Defeat?

NO!

That last sip is always the hardest to go down

Chasing beer with soda?

Finally finishing a beer!

Kutna Hora: A Morbid Beauty

The Bone Chapel (Cistercian Monastery) contains bones of some 40,000 medieval plague victims which are arranged into various shapes decorating the Chapel. Including a chandelier of bones and the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg noble family. Turns out some guy spread dust from the holy land around the chapel and so everybody and their brother wanted to be buried there. What do they do when the graveyard fills up and there's a waiting list for six inches deep? They dig up the bodies and decorate! HGTV's got nothing on this designer. Completely morbid and fantastic the skulls are everywhere and just being inside puts those hairs on the back of your neck on edge. What a creepy and glorious creation.

Outside View of the Bone Chapel

Every entrance needs some uplifting decorations to set the mood of the house.

Your centerpiece should be shocking and force eyes upward: this will make your ceilings look taller and therefore your house bigger.

Be sure to include your family crest in your creation: A house is made a home by the things inside that represent us

It's fun to add nature elements to any house. See how this bird who eats out  the eyes of a man ? Birds are great accents to any home!

Also in Kutna Hora is the Museum of Silver which portrays the entire process of the extraction of silver and production of silver coins. It includes a 250 meter long walk through the mining shaft built between the 14th and 15th century. Sad part- apparently its not safe to go in the mines intoxicated (who knew?) so the museum robbed us of our day drinking! Still a very good tour though, such a weird sensation crawling in the darkness, I don't think I could ever be a miner. Great day trip from Prague!

With Bad News Comes Good News

I cannot, however, say that my weekend was full of sadness and this is due to the beautiful city of Krakow (pronounced Krakof), Poland. This was my first trip to Poland, leaving it for the warmer months and I am very pleased I made the trip!

I'd first like to introduce you to my new enemy. Like every heroine's story there is always an enemy or a "bad guy" as we learn in our adolescents. Someone powerful and cruel who leaves the main character (whom we all know and love) feeling intimidated and vulnerable. Oftentimes the heroine is beat to the ground, stepped on, kicked and wants to run away screaming and crying. In my story I believe I have just met my greatest villain. NIGHT TRAINS. 

Me (the heroine) and the Night Train from Prague to Krakow...Dun Dun Dun

Now, don't go thinking this train looks harmless. It will leave your muscles aching with every twist and turn as you try with all your being to be comfortable. He'll leave your bones chilling from the cold outside air that seeps in every cranny of this night time beast. And worst of all, he will lock you in a cell inside its belly with strangers and deprive you of sleep for hours and hours!! Despite my efforts, this heroine was defeated.

Pictures of the battle:

At first I had the upper hand...

I was cocky in my abilities, thinking I could sleep...

It happened suddenly..the Night Train threw some devastating blows

Moving positions I thought I could get back on my feet and enjoy a few hours of sleep

In the end, I was the loser-no sleep for me on this dragon of a train

We arrived in Krakow Saturday morning and began our day as the walking dead. We took a free walking tour of the city and went to the incredible salt mines which include an underground cathedral! We sprang for some gelato and walked around the Old Town. It was a very beautiful city with lots of history. 


I'm so glad I made the short trip- bruises and all :] 

Krakow Old Town Square

Market

Entrance to Old Town

Bugle Call

Poland sure loves the Pope John Paul II

Famous Krakow Dragon

Main Market at night

Concentration Camps

I have never been good at talking about things that make me sad. If I am angry I'll give you a fist full of the latest pet peeve or the college drama that sometimes plagues a sorority girl. When I am excited I can talk about it for days-repeating my findings to everyone I meet, including strangers who are usually surprised at my extent of self-disclosure. But when I am sad I like to wrap myself in blankets or the nearest cuddly object and wallow in silence and reflections- sometimes even letting myself have a good cry. My visits to the towns of Lidice, Litoměřice and Terezín in the Czech Republic as well as a tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland left me in a solemn affection as I think it would to any moral person. As I've suggested I can't bring myself to go too much into detail, I believe we all know what happened. The greatest response I have to the history of these places is the realization of the cruelty of mankind. In travelling I see so many beautiful things, I am breathless knowing that someone imagined this, someone made this. The potential of the human mind and the magic of seeing something impossible is truly wondrous. But as much as we hate to see it the other side is true as well. There are many terrible terrible things that have happened and are still happening and I am breathless too at these acts of incredible cruelty that seem to hang as if a daunting black cloud above all things beautiful.

Auschwitz Extermination Camp

Empty Gas Cans

Thousands of eyeglasses collected after extermination

Millions of shoes

Wall of Death

After the assassination of Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich the SS suspected Czech citizens for having a role in the murder. In punishment the SS picked a Czech village in order to make an example of the consequences of disobeying. They picked the village of Lidice. On 10 June 1942, all 173 men over 16 years of age from the village were murdered. Another 11 men who were not in the village were arrested and murdered soon afterwards along with several others already under arrest. Several hundred women and over 100 children were deported to concentration camps; a few children considered racially suitable for Germanisation were handed over to SS families and the rest were sent to the Chełmno extermination camp where they were gassed to death. After the war ended, only 153 women and 17 children returned. The village was bombed over and over until nothing was left. The SS went so far as to pull out even the trees in the village-they wanted nothing standing.

Where the village used to be

Memorial to the murdered children

Easter in Eastern Europe (tongue tied yet?)

After visiting five Easter markets in four different countries I have to consider myself somewhat of an expert on the tourists' guide to this beautiful time of year in Eastern Europe. Easter is a time for some great cultural experiences in Eastern Europe unfortunately a lot of it today is over touristy and the crowds can be more annoying than fun. 

Most cities have Easter markets where there is food, hand painted eggs, craft items and souvenir items. There are Easter markets in Prague in Wenceslas Square,Old Town Square and off Narodni Trida, Andel and probably lots of other metro stops. They sell some traditional foods and there are performances and music. It is a great way to spend a few hours and great for gift buying. 

After visiting the Easter markets in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, Vienna, Austria, Budapest, Hungary, Bratislava, Slovakia and Prague I do have a favorite. 

Vienna's Easter market surpassed all of these others in selection of hand painted eggs they were so gorgeous! Unfortunately they aren't cheap (on the euro in Vienna remember?) but I wished I had bought eggs here. Regretfully I decided to wait til I got to Prague and found that the selection here is minimal. Probably the most disappointing of all these Easter markets was Prague's. Most of the items are things you'd find in a souvenir shop-and it'd be cheaper elsewhere. Budapest and Bratislava as well as Vienna had a lot more items hand crafted from locals in the area not this commercialization as you can see in Prague.

Overall, though, any Easter market is a good Easter market! 

TRADITION

I also wanted to touch on some of the traditions here in the Czech Republic for Easter. It is a most celebrated holiday here although there is not much of a religious following. On Green Thursday before Easter boys in the village come together with wooden rattles especially made for this tradition. The group walks through the village with their rattles so the noise can be heard from all parts of the village. The meaning is to chase away Judas. This repeats on Good Friday and White Saturday when the boys stop at every house and rattle until they're given money!

You've probably all seen the impeccably designed Easter eggs in Eastern Europe. They are traditionally designed by young girls to give to boys on Easter Sunday. The boys prepare their pomlázkas which includes Pussywillow twigs and ribbons. Its original purpose and symbolic meaning is to chase away illness and bad spirits and to bring health and youth for the rest of the year to everyone who is whipped with the young pussywillow twigs. One of my teachers told me that this derives from Roman times when the soldiers would pass through small villages in the area and the girls would fawn over the handsome men and come from the villages to meet them. The men would touch their arms with their weaponry and materials packed on the horses as they rode by and the girls took it as good luck! ANYWAY- On Easter Monday boys will whip girls lightly (or not so lightly) on the legs and possibly douse them with water, which had a similar symbolic meaning. The boys do this while they recite an Easter carol and asks for an egg from the girl who he just hit with a twig and doused with water! The girl will reward the boy with a painted egg or candy and then tie a ribbon to his twig. This tradition is still largely upheld, especially in villages and small towns, although it may have lost its symbolism and romance and is now performed mainly for fun. Some boys and men seem to have forgotten that the whipping is supposed to be only symbolic and girls don't always like that. The reward has also changed - money and shots of plum brandy (slivovice) are often given instead of or in addition to painted eggs and candy. So by early afternoon, groups of happy men can be seen staggering along the roads... All that aside, Easter remains one of the most joyful holidays on the Czech calendar. More on the holiday: http://www.myczechrepublic.com/czech_culture/czech_holidays/easter/

These big painted eggs can be seen at every Easter Market signifying the holiday and the purpose of the gathering

Easter Market in Old Town Square Prague,  Czech Republic

Me at the Easter market in Prague!

Bread and Sausages at the Vienna Easter Market

Incredible selection of hand painted eggs in Vienna, Austria Easter Market

Uniquely designed eggs!