Munich, Prague & Berlin Road Trip!

Before I get into the road trip I need to express my love for Christmas time in Germany and more specifically the Christmas Markets. Taylor and I did our first market in Trier and it was beautiful. There were stands filled with gifts, candles, wreaths, ornaments and anything Christmasy you can think of! There were food stands with desserts, nuts that smelled incredible, and of course sausages. The food and Christmas decorations are all fine and dandy but let's not forget the real reason people go to the markets... Gluehwein! Gluehwein is a mulled wine mixed with various spices. It is advised to drink slowly because these warm drinks served in little cute mugs are no joke!

Okay, road trip time! 

My best friend, Kaitlin, arrived to Germany in December. She was teaching English in Taiwan for a few years and when that came to an end she set off on a few month traveling spree! Right before she came to Europe she was trekking the Annapurna circuit in Nepal and traveling India East to West. 

Before she came we didn't have much of a plan except to catch up and see some major European cities along the way! The first few days were spent showing her around our small town and surrounding areas and then we devised a mini road trip plan to Munich, Prague and Berlin.

Munich

Taylor and I had been to Munich before and really loved it. The Bavarian city is probably more ideal during Oktoberfest but I still think it's must-see in Germany. 

Kaitlin and I got into Munich around 4PM, just as the sun was setting. We stayed at the 4You Hostel the first night which was located in a nice area right downtown. We made our way to the Christmas Market that was completely packed full of people and of course got some Gluehwein and a brat. 

The next day we wandered around the city sightseeing where we found some pubs and street entertainers. I told Kaitlin we had to see the famous river surfers but by the time we were walking over to them it was already dark. Sure as shit, they were in wetsuits surfing in the cold water with a spot light on them! 

Prague

Munich to Prague was about a three hour drive. I didn't know that you needed a vignette to drive in the Czech but thankfully they sold them right at the border. I also wasn't aware that they used the Koruna as currency. Easy enough we found a bank and grabbed some out! 

Driving in big european cities with small streets is insane and Prague was no different. At one point I was driving on the cobble stone street following a light rail train wondering if I was supposed to be in that lane. I pulled over to let other cars pass me so I could follow them and it was indeed a lane. The next thing I know I am being chased by a different light rail train. Thankfully we made it to our hostel after lots of deep breaths and holy crap moments.

We stayed three nights in Prague at the Hostel One. The staff was incredibly friendly making sure we got a tour of the map and what to see in the city. The night we arrived they were doing a pub crawl/night tour that included dinner and free drinks so we signed up right away for that. We saw some interesting statues and sights and were able to sketch some graffiti on the Lennon Wall. 

The next few days were spent sight seeing with the people from our dorm room. Prague instantly became one of my favorite cities in Europe with the cobble stone streets, the old building structures, and the beer that is cheaper than water.

Berlin

This was my second time visiting Berlin but I think it's one of the best cities in Germany so I had no problem going again! 

We stayed at the Wombat's Hostel that was situated in the center of the city and next to a metro station. I wasn't impressed with the staff but it was super clean and had a bar, restaurant and a community kitchen which is great for long stays!

We did sightseeing during the day and decided to go to the Jewish museum as well. We also made our way to the Berlin Wall (East Side gallery) which was something I didn't see on my previous trip! Unfortunately we didn't make it to the wall until it was dark because the sun sets so early but it was still extremely impressive to see. 

Hindsight, we should have spent more time in each city but being able to visit all these places in just a week was pretty incredible and especially the time I was able to spend with Kaitlin! Until our next adventure, friend!!!

4th of July in Munich + WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS!

The 4th of July is probably my favorite Holiday of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas (God Bless you, Jesus) but there is something about the 4th. Obviously Germans don't celebrate this Holiday but that didn't make it feel any less special! We did a trip to Munich and celebrated like we normally would with beer, food, soccer, lakes, summer weather, and fireworks! Okay, the fireworks were for the German team winning the quarterfinals but I will get to that later.

Munich is about a 4 1/2 hour drive from Baumholder. It is the farthest place we have been so far and the only place in Bavaria we have traveled to. The drive was super easy until we got into the city. There were a ton of people, lots of cars, and itsy bitsy streets. This is why I made Taylor drive. We stayed at Litty's Hotel located right by the City Center and the train station. It was clean and nice for a one night stay. The bathroom was in the hall shared by three other rooms but it wasn't an issue.

After we checked into the hotel we set off into the city to explore. We didn't really have a plan (shocking!) except to see as much as we could before the 6pm Germany/France Quarterfinal game! We saw some cool buildings and churches (clearly we have to go back at some point and do a more educated tour) and ate lunch at Nurnberg Bratwurst Gloeckl. You can never go wrong with a brat. We sat outside and ordered food while they gave us a bunch of bread and pretzels to go with our beer. Taylor dug right in and was down to the last pretzel before realizing you pay for every piece you eat. Oh well!

After lunch we found the Hofbrauhaus. They serve food there but mostly people go there to grab a liter of beer because of the history it holds. The Hofbrauhaus was a big beer hall where the Nazi Party held functions and declared policies.

By this time it was getting close to game time! We were hoping to find a big public viewing of the game but nobody could point us in the right direction. We finally asked a pedicab driver if he knew where a big viewing was and he said there was one by the lake (in the Englisch Garten) and he could take us there for 25 Euro. We thought that was an insane price but we hopped on anyway. Worth every Euro! We were able to see a ton including a river where people surf and the Chinese Tower.

We got dropped off at the viewing where it was 20 minutes till game time so it was already packed. We walked around trying to find a seat but nobody would let us sit with them. They wouldn't even scoot over a little so we could cram in. We found a seat in the very back but the tents were coving our view of the screen. Obviously it wasn't going to clear anytime soon so we found another pedicab and went back into town. He dropped us off at a bar where they were showing the game outside. Still no seats but at least we could stand to the side and see!

Well, you all know the rest from here so I don't think I need to describe how much fun we had! The entire World Cup experience while living in Germany was something we will never forget!

For fun, here are more pictures of us celebrating with our friends during the World Cup! These were all taken at the Celtic Knot, right here in Baumholder! After Germany won, the streets were filled with cheering and chanting, sparklers, and people driving around honking in their cars yelling and singing! Why can't it be the World cup every year?!