Granny & Grandpa Teddy Throughout Bavaria

Granny & Grandpa Teddy at Neuschwanstein

We were really busy the entire time my parents were here visiting. Many of the places I've blogged about before and some I haven't but I thought I would summarize them all with some photos in one post. Afterall the photos tell the story for me!

Of course we took them to Andechs Monastery, Steve's favorite place. They too were impressed with the church and biergarten!

The next day we went to Linderhof and Oberammergau and Ettal Monastery. I really do consider this day the trifecta of tourism in Bavaria. It has the beautiful church, an amazing palace and an adorable Bavarian town with some great souvenir shopping. Although it was a bit cold we still had a great day and enjoyed all three and had a lovely lunch at the Gasthaus in Ettal.

Next on our list was Mad King Ludwig's fairy tale castle Neuschwanstein and the castle where he was raised, Hohenschwangau. Both castles have tours and Hohenschwangau is actually the better of the two, smaller numbers and more information. Neuschwanstein, although not finished, is the most famous of Mad King Ludwig's castle.

Mom at Hohenschwangau

Neuschwanstein

Another day Mom and I took a walk out to the place where King Ludwig died. He died in Starnberger See, the lake in the town where we live. He drowned mysteriously in very shallow water, there is now a cross and a chapel marking the spot.

We also took the train up to the top of the Zugspitz the highest mountain in Germany. The views were absolutely incredible and there had already been snow, making it even more gorgeous. The train ride up is very slow and goes through a very long and narrow tunnel. This is emphasized by the video they show while you are on the train, the tunnel doesn't look much bigger than the train!

On Mom and Dad's last day we took them to Maisinger Biergarten. This is a favorite spot of ours on a little lake. We usually ride our bikes but we drove over and then mom and I walked back along the trail. The biergarten is next to a sweet little lake and has good Bavarian food for lunch.

Grandpa Teddy, Granny & Rachel

Steve & Missy

Rachel

It was a superb visit!

Twenty Years! (Really!)

Steve and I have been married for twenty years. It has been pretty awesome and I'm looking forward to the next 20 and then the next 20 after that! To celebrate Steve asked my parents to babysit while they visited us in Germany and planned a trip to Paris for us. I was so excited and thrilled because I have always wanted to visit Paris and how romantic to go for our anniversary.

We spent our first day walking down the Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde. I loved the look of the Place de la Concorde, the size and grandeur that has existed for hundreds of years. Sure, there is that whole beheading history there but still... We spent a short time in the Louvre during some thunderstorms and saw the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo as well as some other fabulous works of art. Then it was Eiffel Tower time. I was so excited to get to the top, even though the wind was biting! The views were amazing and it was just so awesome to finally be there! Afterwards we had dinner in the Trocadero district overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

The next day was another filled with site seeing. We started with Notre Dame and it completely met our expectations, outside and inside! We had lunch nearby - french onion soup - apparently the only true Parisian original food.

Next we visited the Sainte Chapelle church. The Sainte Chapelle has amazing stained glass throughout the entire chapel. They depict stories from the Bible. You could stand in there for hours looking at them!

That evening we took a dinner cruise along the Seine. I know it sounds a bit cheesy but it was actually really wonderful. It was a lovely way to see Paris at night and it was a nice dinner too.

Our third day dawned and it was time for Steve's anniversary present. Driving a Ferrari 458! I had found a track online and purchased a package. While I did confirm that the instructor would speak English I didn't realize that NO ONE else would! It was a bit unsettling sitting in the drivers briefing and not understanding one word anyone was saying! When we headed out to the track Steve first had two get to know the track laps. He told that instructor he needed someone who spoke English and they made it happen. His eight laps went really quickly but it was a cool experience for him and he got to pass an Audi R8 which he also really enjoyed.

That afternoon we had lunch at a brew pub and then explored the Left Bank and ended with a walk through Luxembourg Gardens. Later in the afternoon we met my high school friend Janet at the Montparnasse building for a drink, well two drinks. It was so fun to catch up with her in person after not seeing her for ages. We had been told the views from the top were better and to go up at sunset. We weren't disappointed and as our friend had told us, the best part is you can see the Eiffel Tower and not the Montparnasse building, unlike from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Sunday dawned and it was our last morning in Paris. We decide to head to the Sacre Coeur to see the church and climb the dome for one last look over Paris. We were not disappointed. It was the nicest day we had while we were in Paris so the views were spectacular. We climbed the stairs to the top examining all the nooks and crannies along the way. When we headed back down it is 300 steps with no stopping, I was actually a bit dizzy when we got to the bottom!

It was absolutely a fabulous trip. It was wonderful seeing Paris but even more wonderful have a weekend to ourselves!

Prague

Rachel and I traveled to Prague with my parents this past weekend. We decided to take the train which was a great experience. Thankfully I had reserved seats because every space on the train was full, people were sitting on suitcases in the corridors.

Granny & Grandpa Teddy

Missy & Rachel

Out hotel in Prague was lovely and about a five minute walk from the center of Old Town. Rachel's favorite part was that on request the hotel brought a goldfish to the room to be your pet while you were away from home!

Rachel & Jam

After we arrived we met our guide Maria that we had arranged to spend the afternoon with. She was recommended by friends here and was absolutely terrific. She walked us all around Prague, telling us fun stories and showing us all of the sites. Prague is a beautiful city and wonderful to explore.

One of our favorite things that Maria taught had to do with the St Charles Bridge. The numbers 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 make a bridge as they go up and down. They also represent the beginning of the building of the bridge in 1357 on the 9th of July at 5:31. St John of Nepomunk's statue is the highlight of the bridge.

I saw a little bit more the next day than everyone else when I went out for a run. I saw quite a bit more than I even planned because I got lost. So an extra two miles later, I had really explored Prague. But I got some great morning photos - like the one at the top of the post!

Our second day in Prague was spent exploring the Stradivari Monastery, Prague Castle and St. Vitas Cathedral. We had seen a picture of the Stradivari Library so we climbed the stairs to view it. We were thrilled when it did indeed look like the pictures we had seen. Rachel also really enjoyed the petrified animals including a baby dodo! Turns out the monastery also has a little brewery so we stopped there next and had a little snack.

We then walked down the hill to Prague Castle. The views are amazing as you walk down then there is lots to explore at the Castle. St Vitus Cathedral has amazing stained glass and wooden reliefs. St John of Nepomunk's tomb is also here. It is literally made of a ton of silver. We also saw the Old Royal Place, St George Basilica and walked through the Golden Lane.

St Vitus Cathedral

After lunch Rachel and I also visited the toy museum while Grandpa Teddy & Granny had a cup of coffee. Lots of Barbies! And we learned that the Czechs claim they had the first Christmas tree. They used to hang little decorated trees from the ceiling.

Our last day in Prague was a little more laid back. We did take the cool glass enclosed elevator to the top of the Astronomonical Tower. The views from the top were amazing, we were incredibly lucky to have beautiful, blue sky, clear days.  Then we spent a bit of time shopping and had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe before it was time to head back to the station and catch our bus.

Astronomical Tower

Tyn Church

St Nicholas in Old Town

Oktoberfest with Granny & Grandpa Teddy

We decided there was no better way to beat jetlag than to attend Oktoberfest! I applied for tickets last April we scored a table for lunch at the Hippodrom! A reserved table at Oktoberfst gives you a guaranteed place to sit for about three hours to eat, enjoy the entertainment and the atmosphere in the tent. It's also nice if the weather isn't cooperating, which it wasn't on our Oktoberfest Day! We had a great time eating, drinking and enjoying the Bavarian culture!

Mom and Dad at the gate

How the tables are prepared for lunch at the Hippodrom

Stefanie 

Rachel

Grandpa Teddy, Stefanie & Dominic

Steve, Missy & AJ

Missy, Grandpa Teddy & Granny