Rothenburg ob der Tauber

I have to say that of all the places we've been to in Germany so far this just might be my favorite! We left here at about 7:30am which wasn't too bad compared to how early we had to leave for some of our previous trips. We took a bus again. Taking a bus and going with a group of people is our favorite way to travel over here because we don't have to drive so we can nap on the way there and back. Anyways, from our home to Rothenburg is about a 2.5 hour ride.

Rothenburg has two parts. There is Rothenburg od der Tauber and then there's the main city. The difference between the two is that Rothenburg od der Tauber is the older part of the city and the rest of the city is what has been added over time. Rothenburg od der Tauber is surrounded by the huge wall and they don't allow any new building within the wall. They don't want it to lose it's charm! You can walk inside the wall though all over the town and in some places there are even still cannons in there.

Once we arrived we were given the day to do whatever we wanted and there are so many options! Our main reason for wanting to go to Rothenburg was for the Christmas market. It's absolutely amazing and there is so much there. Usually when we go to a Christmas market it's like 2 hours tops and we are just ready to get out of the cold. Lucky for us it wasn't even that cold when we went. It took us a lot longer than usual to get through the market because there was just so much to look at and of course we had to stop for some hot apple cider!

 

 

After the Christmas market we did some shopping around town. The town had a very medieval feel to it and there were so many stores that reflected that along with many Christmas stores. We also saw a toy museum and a teddy bear store!

 

 

 

There are just so many things about this town that make me want to go back! We both hope that we'll be able to before we leave Germany. One of the many reasons that I love being able to travel all over is the history that a lot of these towns have.

Update!

It's been so hectic at our house since my last post so I figured now would be a good time to give an update about school, travel, and other activities.

 

School has been going well so far. I'm really just ready for Christmas break. I'm currently taking the much dreaded science lab class and there are just a few more weeks left. Unfortunately that means the professors are cramming in as much new material as possible and my final exam is just around the corner. The bright side to all this is that my associates degree is within site!

 

We didn't do too much traveling in October or November. There were quite a few things going on work and school wise that neither one of us had much time. But never fear because now that Thanksgiving is over it's Christmas Market time!!

 

Speaking of Thanksgiving we had a wonderful time with all of our friends that we had over. We've learned that the best way to handle the holidays away from family is to spend it with friends. 

 

During December we have plans to do some holiday activities as well as go to many Christmas Markets.   

Oktoberfest

Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor) Dieter Reiter will mark the official beginning of München’s most renowned annual event as he taps the first keg of Oktoberfest Bier in the Schottenhamel Bier tent, follows this with an “O’zapft’ is” and a good swig of his Maß (liter of beer). For the next two weeks to follow, the sights and smells of the Oktoberfest will be ever-present throughout the city; throngs of tourists crowd the main train stations and the city centre, Tracht will be worn from dawn to dusk and the streets will buzz with groups of extra jolly, sometimes sweaty and most often tipsy, red-cheeked revellers.

The first Oktoberfest in Munich took place on Oct. 12, 1812 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (who became King Ludwig I later) and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Munich's citizens were invited to join the festivity which was held on a field on the city's outskirts. In honor of the new-wed princess it was named Theresienwiese (Theresia's meadow). The festivities ended with a horse race, and it was decided to repeat the race in the following year. An agricultural show, beers stalls, merry-go-rounds and other amusements were added to the festival over the years. The horse race is no longer held, but the Oktoberfest is still celebrated on the Theresienwiese in Munich.

Throughout the years, the festival expanded more and more, and held horse races and an Agricultural Show, intended to improve the Bavarian agriculture. Today, the Agricultural Show only happens every 3 years. In 1818 carousel and swings were set up for the first time during the festival – later becoming a themed park – and it was only in 1896 that beer stands were included in the event, later becoming tents, famously called Zelte or Bierzelte – Beer Tents. This year of 2014, the Wies’n will happen for the 181th time in its history!

At Oktoberfest in Munich, there are seven enormous beer tents that line the “Wirtsbudenstraße.” The beer is brewed by Munich’s six largest breweries and is much stronger than American beer. The price of a Maß (a liter of beer) averages 9 euros. In addition to the seven enormous beer tents that line the “Wirtsbudenstraße, ” there are also smaller tents which local Munich pub owners run and manage, but are under license to one of the larger breweries. The price of a Maß in the smaller tents is usually 20 to 50 cents cheaper than in the larger tents.

Some of the traditional foods that you will find at Oktoberfest are: Hendl (chicken), Schweinsbraten (roast pork), Haxn (knuckle of pork), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Würstl (sausages) along with Brezn (Pretzel), Knödeln (potato or bread dumplings), Kaasspotzn (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Rotkraut (red cabbage) along with such Bavarian traditional food as Obatzda (a fatty, spiced cheese-butter concoction) and Weisswurst (a white sausage).

Last weekend the hubby and I headed to Munich to experience all that is Oktoberfest and let me tell you it was just, wow! We hopped on the bus at 7am and arrived about two and a half hours later. So many roads were blocked off and so many people were there that the closest place that the bus was able to park and drop us off at was about a mile away. No worries though the festival was easy to find! All you have to do is follow the music, people in Tracht, and the smell of food and beer. We spent the day going in tents and beer gardens, eating food, riding the Ferris wheel, and shopping for souvenirs. Throughout the day we saw countless emergency vehicles, people being carried away on stretchers, and police breaking up fights. That is on top of the large amount of people we saw passed out from drinking so much and the people who were leaving Oktoberfest that were hunched over the side of the road vomiting.

Despite all of the craziness we saw we found Oktoberfest to be a blast. It was a bittersweet moment going knowing that it would be our first and most likely last Oktoberfest. We did decide though that if we are ever back in Germany during Oktoberfest for whatever reason that we will go back for sure. Here are some dos and don’ts of Oktoberfest.

 

DO

1. If you have a Dirndl or Lederhosen you should wear it! We saw so many people wearing Tracht and we kept wishing that we had them to wear. If you have a Dirndl or Lederhosen you should wear it! We saw so many people tracht and we kept wishing that we had them to wear. If you have a Dirndl or Lederhosen you should wear it! We saw so many people tracht and we kept wishing that we had them to wear.Ladies: tie the bow on your schutz (apron worn on the Dirndl) according to tradition. Tied to the left shows you’re single, tied to the right shows you’re married and tied in the middle lets everyone know you’re open (or “its complicated" if you speak Facebook). Warning: whichever way you tie may not prevent any unwanted forms of affection from strangers throughout the night. 

2. Know and accept that by the end of the day you are going to look every bit as embarrassing as everyone else.

3. Expect to have at least one beer dumped on you during the day. It's inevitable. But don't worry it doesn't stain. You'll just smell like beer the rest of the day.

 

4. Understand that you are going to have people push, shove, and bump into you. The place is so packed (especially the tents) and everyone is trying to squeeze their way in so that they can be served. Also watch out for the waitresses. Some of those extraordinary ladies can carry up to 15 beers at once and kudos to them because just one liter of beer alone doesn't feel very light.

 

5. Accept that there will be public displays of affection all over the place. People get real friendly with each other after they get a few beers in them.

6. Grab some roasted nuts on your way out of the fest! The smell will have been teasing you all day. We got roasted cashews and they were delicious.

DON'T

1. If you see an open table just take it. Don't look around and ask if it's open. Think like a cat: if you fits, you sits.

 

2. Don't wear high heels. We saw so many ladies wearing high heels into the fest and let me tell you, they were not very graceful on their way out. It's hard enough to walk after you've had a few. No need to make it harder on yourself.

3. Don't forget that the beer at Oktoberfest has a higher alcohol content. Therefore don't expect to feel okay after playing a few rounds of "who can drink a liter of beer the fastest".

4. Don't try stealing one of the mugs. Seriously, if you want one that bad just buy it at one of the many souvenir shops. 

 

Here are some fun facts about OktoberfThis year, the Oktoberfest Lost and Found has been taking care of 1395 items. 320 pieces of clothing, 270 passports, 210 wallets and purses, 180 bags, 110 mobile phones, 100 keys, 90 glasses, 55 umbrellas, 40 pieces of jewelry, 20 cameras, one set of ball and chain, a bugle, one statue, one handwritten affidavit and the annual, unavoidable set of dentures. Security in the tents have so far recovered 28,300 stolen mugs and the biggest group of visitors from other countries have been from the USA, Italy, and Australia.1.Wear your Dirndl or Lederhosen with pride.2.For the ladies: tie the bow on your schutz (apron worn on the Dirndl) according to tradition. Tied to the left shows you’re single, tied to the right shows you’re married and tied in the middle lets everyone know you’re open (or “its complicated if you speak Facebook). Warning: whichever way you tie may not prevent any unwanted forms of affection from strangers throughout the night.

Paris, France

This weekend was a busy and exciting one for us. We got on the bus Friday night to head to Paris on an Express trip, meaning no hotels you just sleep on the bus. It took about eleven hours for us to get to Paris. Our bus parked right in front of the Eiffel Tower and we were free to do what we wanted for the day.

Getting off the bus was hectic. As soon as our bus parked people trying to sell stuff came running over to the doors trying to get us to buy stuff before our feet even hit the ground. In the end we did end up buying from them because the product they were selling was also sold at all the tourist shops but theirs was cheaper.

We spent probably a good 45 minutes just walking around the Eiffel Tower taking pictures. We have decided that it's pretty much impossible to take a bad picture of the Eiffel Tower, it's just so photogenic!

 

 

After we got what we thought was enough pictures (we actually ended up taking MANY more before leaving) we started looking for the pick up stop for the hop on, hop off bus.

About a week before we left for Paris I started looking online for the best way for us to get around Paris. Since we were only there for a day we needed something easy to navigate, not to pricey, and quick to get us to all the places we wanted to see. We opted for the Big Bus Paris.

The Big Bus Paris is a hop on, hop off tourist bus. It cost us 29 euros a piece and was a double decker bus with an open top. For those of you who don't know a hop on, hop off bus is basically where the bus goes to all of the main attractions and you can get off to see whichever attractions you're interested in. Then you can hop on the next bus that comes by. This company had a lot of buses. A new one was coming by each attraction about every 10-15 minutes!

 

 

The first place we decided to hop off the bus at was the Louvre. I have been wanting to see the Louvre since I was little. Unfortunately, we were unable to go inside because the line was already crazy long! But no worries there is another Paris trip in April and we are considering going on it. The architecture was amazing to look at and the glass pyramids were just WOW!

 

 

After we finished admiring the Louvre we walked across the way to the love lock bridge. Recently Paris has asked people to stop putting the locks on the bridges because the weight of the locks are causing the sides of the bridge to collapse. It was still really cool to go look at though.

 

 

Once we were done looking at the bridge we hopped back on the Big Bus Paris and headed to our next destination. Can you guess where that was? I'll give you a hint, there is a Disney movie about it.

Notre Dame was hands down the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen. It was packed full of people trying to get inside to go up top. We opted not to go up top. There are well over 300 stairs going up to the top and absolutely no elevators. Yikes! However, we were able to see the gargoyles from the ground and the bells went off during our stop there. I never knew bells could sound so awesome.

 

 

Our next and last stop that we made on the hop on, hop off bus was the Arc de Triomphe. Beautifully built and crazy busy with people it stood on the Champs Elysees avenue, which is known as the most beautiful avenue in the world.

 

 

After we got done at the Arc de Triomphe we headed to the Eiffel and grabbed lunch across the street at one of the many carts that were set up. I had a hot dog, but not just any hot dog. This hot dog had a homemade bun, two hot dogs crammed into the bun, and the guy put ketchup and mayonnaise on it! My husband had a banana and nutella crepe, plus some of my hot dog.

After lunch (which we didn't end up eating till almost 2:30) we did a little souvenir shopping. We picked up our usual shot glass, bell, and postcards. Plus this time we also got a miniature Eiffel Tower, a Paris purse, and a snow globe.

Once we were done with all of our shopping we decided to get back on the hop on, hop off bus and ride it all the way through. The cool thing about the Big Bus Paris is that they provide you with headphones so you can get interesting facts and information. We didn't use the headphones earlier in the day because we got off and on so much that we were missing too much of the information. It took about 2.5 hours to ride the bus all the way through but it was definitely worth it.

The weather in Paris this weekend was in the low 60's. Jackets were needed the whole time, especially considering we were riding on the open top of the Big Bus. Towards the end of our ride on the bus it even started raining a little bit!

After the Big Bus dropped us off at the Eiffel Tower we made our way back to our bus as it was about time to head home. We left Paris at almost 7pm and finally arrived back home at 5am Sunday morning.

 



Zurich, Switzerland

Yesterday we went to Zurich, Switzerland! It was such a blast. I know everyone is probably thinking that it's crazy that we only went for a day but it was a full and long day. We got on the bus at 2:30 in the morning! the bus stopped around 8am for breakfast at a little place just before the border. The place we stopped at had a really pretty view.

 

 

After our 45 minute breakfast stop we continued on and reached Zurich at around 9:30. The walking tour didn't start until 10:30am so everyone walked over to the tourist information place inside the train station to get maps and Swiss Francs.

The tour was a two hour walking tour of Zurich's Old Town and while it was nice to have a guide we ended up ducking out of the tour early. We only had a day there, so we wanted to enjoy it at our own pace. Our guide moved so fast that no one had time to take pictures and she talked so quietly that we couldn't hear her.

Once we left the tour we stopped at a Starbucks to grab coffee and water because the temperature there was on the low 60's and it rained off and on the whole time. So it was kind of chilly! Thank goodness we decided that it would be a good idea to take jackets. The Starbucks we stopped at was on this cute street filled with small shops.

 

 

After our coffee and water we pulled out our tourist map and just started walking to the dots on the list that interested us. We saw three churches in Zurich.

St. Peter church, which has the largest church face clock in Europe. It's 8.7 meters in diameter!

 

 

The Grossmünster (Great minster) was my favorite church to go see. It has two steeples that were put up in 1487 and 1492. They steeples were originally made of wood but were replaced when the wood burned down.

 

 

The third church we saw was the Fraumünster (Women's Minster). The Fraumünster was built on the remains of a former abbey. I found the clock on it to be quite beautiful.

 

 

In the middle of seeing the churches we stopped at a park to just take in the view. The park had a huge chess board, a bird coop, a fountain (which people were drinking out of), and a bunch of benches for people to sit and relax on.

Interesting tidbit: All of the many fountains in the city are all fed by a pure natural spring, so it's perfectly okay to drink out of them.

 

 

Next to the Grossmünster was a little shop called Teddy's Souvenir Shop. We of course stopped in there to get our usual things that we get on each trip; shot glass, bell, and post cards. We paid almost twice as much for the souvenirs there than we have at every other place we've been too! Switzerland is expensive.

 

 

After picking up our souvenirs we started to head back across town so that we could pick up some chocolate and eat supper before we had to get back on the bus.

We got our chocolate from Confiserie Sprüngli. We had the option of either buying chocolate by the piece or getting an already packaged box. We opted for the box because in the end it was cheaper (20 Swiss Franc for 10 pieces). So far we've only had two pieces out of it. We're trying to go slow so that it lasts awhile. :) We split a piece once a day.

 

 

The river was gorgeous! We crossed it a few times throughout the day because it runs right through the city. There were swans and ducks and we could even see to the bottom in some places.

 

 

We were lame and ate at McDonalds for supper (Hey souvenirs and chocolate aren't cheap!). But in the end it ended up being expensive too. It was 24 Swiss Francs!! That is the most that the two of us have ever spent at a fast food chain. Ben got a cheeseburger and I got chicken nuggets.

Our last stop on the way back to the bus was the train station. We have to walk through it in order to get to the bus parking on the other side.