Missyllany

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Becca Comes to Town!

Rachel & Becca

The most wonderful Becca Gillie came to visit for a few days. She is working on her master's degree in Sweden and decided to spend some time with us on her way back from the US. We are psyched to see her and to receive her absolutely outstanding hugs. She is absolutely one of our favorite people.

We spent her first day touring Munich. While she didn't get great weather, she did get a thorough tour!

Missy & Becca

View from the top of St Peters

The next day we spent at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles. Although we had great tours and enjoyed what we could see inside. It was the foggiest day I have ever experienced there. Below is what the castle looked like from the Marienbrücke today and under that photo is what it looked like on our most beautiful weather day.

I swear there is a castle there

On a perfect day...

Becca's final morning we spent at Andechs Monastery. It truly is one of our favorite places to share with guests!

How can you say no to these pretzels?

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Feast of the Epiphany

I love that children dress as the Kings, sing a little song and collect money for their charity. They also chalk your door with this traditional blessing. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2018 is the year.

Friday, January 5, 2018

Pommes Boutique!

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The girls and I were checking out the map finding our way between shops and museums and we spotted a Pommes Boutique! How did we not know about this? It of course required a visit. The french fry loving girls give it a thumbs up!

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Ringing in the New Year!

What luck to celebrate NYE with my brother Todd and his wife Abby. We joined a group of our friends for a spectacular evening at the Lowenbrau Kellar. Thanks to my mom, dad and Dominic for celebrating with Nathan and Jack.

Train in, cabs out, no driving tonight!

They turn the Kellar into an elegantly decorated space. There is a three course dinner with unlimited drinks, a performance and a fabulous live band.

At midnight Munich is lit up with fireworks both professional and personal, The leftover smoke is impossible to fully describe but it lasts well into the next day. After midnight a traditional weisswurst breakfast is served. Weisswurst, pretzel and Prosecco. A fabulous way to start the new year!!

Friday, December 29, 2017

London!

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Since Santa brought tickets to Harry Potter World a trip to London was in order. Travelling with 12 people isn't simple but we pulled it off splendidly. But really could they put a few more people in immigration in London?

To say we had hungry people when we got to the hotel would be an understatement. There was a pizza and wings place across the street - immediately sold, no time to look for anything else! The beer flights didn't hurt.

We walked over to the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. It was a Christmas market and a carnival, fun to be had. It was really cold though. So after some treats and a ride on the dodgems it was time to head back. Not many photos taken - except of Jack, back on Dom's shoulders.

After we got the kids settled and our kids babysitting their cousins Todd, Abby, Steve and I headed out to meet our friends Lana and Marc. Favorites from Munich who happen to be living in London. So great to catch up with them for the evening!

Missy & Lana

The next was busy and fun. While the Mowinski group took a bus tour, we walked around the waterfront, toured the HMS Belfast and the Borough market.

AJ always finds a great photo op.

Afterwards we met the rest of our gang at the train station for Harry Potter Studio Tour.

The next day we spent the morning at the Natural History Museum. London is crazy crowded at this time of year. While it took forever to get in, the kids enjoyed the exhibits once there.

Spent the afternoon having tea with Granny while the boys swam and worked out, the girls think they win! Thanks Grandpa Teddy for the treat!

Best laid plans of the evening led to a only so-so dinner at a pub. We had the hotel make reservations for us at a supposedly great Fish and Chips restaurant called Seashell. However when we arrived they had "lost" our reservation. They were completely unwilling to help us, they wouldn't even call us a cab.

So we found a nearby pub and although the food wasn't what we expected we did have a super fun night! And really how awful could a mac and cheese burger with tater tots be?

Todd is psyched about a mac and cheese burger!

Steve, Granny, Missy, Grandpa Teddy, Todd, Abby

Dom, AJ, Rachel, Nathan, Stefanie 7 Jack

The kids created this fun drawing with a folded piece of paper They could only see the photo right above.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Harry Potter Studio Tour

Granny, Grandpa Teddy, AJ, Nathan, Dominic, Todd, Rachel, Stefanie, Missy, Abby, Steve

We are all so excited to be visiting the Harry Potter Studios. Our kids are lucky, they visited in 2013. However, four years ago they left eager to return so they are thrilled.

Since it was Christmastime, the great hall was decorated just like it is for Christmas in the movies.

While much of the studio tour is the same, we were excited to see that many exhibits had been added. There is a 9 3/4 train platform as well as a train to tour. There is an expanded canteen area with more than butter beer. And there is a Forbidden Forest which was definitely a highlight. If you're a Harry Potter fan this is not to be missed.