Let's just say I'm completely worn out and exhausted from traveling since the end of February. It has been great, but I will need a break soon to recuperate!
Two of my friends, one from dental school and the other from college came to visit at separate times and I wanted to make sure they both enjoyed their short trip to Germany!
Maybe I overdid it with all of the driving, but we were able to see many cute towns, eat lots of great food, and enjoy time off from work. Also, sorry it has taken me this long to update this blog! More to come soon!
This post is about the places Serah and I visited.
Munich
The trip started in Munich at
Viktualienmarkt, which is a big farmer's market that houses over 100 stalls with vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, food, cheeses, poultry, and beer. We stopped for some Currywurst and a beer and we were ready to explore around Munich.
We climbed up about 306 steps to get to the top of
St. Peterskirche, which is Munich's oldest church (1150). We were able to see views of Central Munich and Marienplatz, which is the heart and soul of the old town square.
Serah was ready to kill me after climbing those steps...haha
We explored some more around the city and we made our way to
Wirtshaus in der Au for dinner. This is a traditional bavarian restaurant that serves amazing bavarian classics. Although it's a bit away from the touristy areas, you know it's good when the locals outnumber the tourists. We enjoyed a great dinner of schnitzel and duck and just when we thought we saved enough room for dessert, we get this beast.
Reading the description of the "Dessertbretti," we asked our waiter if he thought it would be an appropriate portion for two people. He said, " It's spectacular, you should definitely get it."
It was spectacular, alright! It was more like for a party of 10 people!! We tried to eat as much as we could, but we ended up giving some away to those sitting next to us at the bar. Let's just say the cleaning eating I've been doing for weeks went downhill after this night.
The Next day, before we left to the black Forest, we had to make a quick pit stop at the Hofbrauhaus and the Englisher Garten. It doesn't matter what time it is, you can always get beer for breakfast at both.
Triberg
A cute town nestled in the infamous Black Forest, home to the largest cuckoo clock in the world, highest waterfall in Germany, and black Forest cake of course!
Since its winter, Triberg was a ghost town when we arrived. We could probably count how many people were in town.
The path to get to the waterfall was covered in ice and snow so hikes beyond the waterfall were closed. It was a frigid morning so we didn't mind snapping a couple of pictures and calling it a hike. The waterfall was beautiful and I can only imagine how crowded this gets in the summer.
We decided to warm up with a cappuccino at Cafe Schaefer owned by the son of the inventor of the Black Forest Cake.
This layered chocolate cake has cherry brandy with whip cream, sour cherries, and chocolate shavings. It was delicious minus the layer with the liquor. It was way too strong for my liking. I ended up finishing my slice and part of Serah's cake. Sweets are my weakness.
Before we headed to our next destination we visited the world's biggest cuckoo clock. It was weird because it was attached to a store. Definitely not a site to drive hours to only see it come to live when you pay 1 euro. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a cuckoo clock to decorate your home, Triberg is your place!
Freiburg
Freiburg is supposed to be the sunniest city in all of Germany, but somehow we caught it at its coldest and rainiest day. Freiburg is cute college town with lots of shops, cafes, and a chill atmosphere.
It was fun exploring along the narrow cobble stone streets and grabbing burgers before we headed out to Colmar. It was definitely a nice change from all of the german food we had been consuming
Freiburg is a must if you are in the area!
I could tell we crossed over to France because these charming colorful timber buildings and picturesque canals looked like something out of Beauty and the Beast.
Colmar is a town in the Alsace region of northeastern France and is a popular destination in the Summer and during the Christmas markets. It was a ghost town when we arrived. Many of the shops were closed since it was Sunday, but we were able to enjoy some macaroons and meringues as we browsed around town.
One of my favorite parts of this town was "La Petite Venise," (Little Venice) since it resembles Venice with buildings on both sides of the canal. This region is filled with great restaurants and boutiques. It was unfortunate everything was closed. This just calls for another visit to Colmar!
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is one of my
new favorite cities. It is full of character with its iconic Cathedrale Notre-Dame and charming gingerbread-like buildings and canals. As much as I love nature and its beautiful landscapes, I just love the feel of a city. It's probably because I grew up with the sounds of trains, sirens, and people and that makes me feel right at home. However, I love how Strasbourg gives me the best of both worlds. Beautiful scenery and city noise.
The
Cathedrale Notre-Dame was absolutely stunning. The 12th-14th century stained-glass windows and the architecture made this church so perfect. An astronomical clock that dates back from 1681 is present in the church and is cool to see in action when the clock strikes noon.
Lots of good shopping, cappuccinos, baguettes, Foie gras, crepes, and sunshine. What more could a girl ask for?
Heidelberg
An old Baroque university town that has a half-ruined castle, unique bars and cafes, and the best hikes around the city.
A stop at Schiller's Cafe for breakfast was the best decision ever. Their croissants are one of the best I've ever had and a nice cup of hot chocolate satisfied all cravings.
Hiking up toward the castle on top of the hill, I noticed how similar the architecture of this building is to El Morro in San Juan, P.R. What do you guys think?
Views from the castle of Heidelberg were breathtaking from up top! It was a bit rainy and windy, but that made it even more beautiful.
Zimmer Kuche Bar not only shielded us from the downpour of rain that occurred as we walked down the castle, but it has the best gin cocktails I have ever had. I ordered two Gin basils and one Gin mojito and it was so fresh and well done that I could've had more. I highly recommend this place!
After our many cocktails we decided to venture on The Philosopher's way. This walk was taken by many philosophers, poets, artists, for peaceful solitude and inspiration.
At the entrance of the Heidelberg bridge stands this monkey, which is a landmark of Heidelberg and is believed to have been mentioned since 15th century. The original statue was destroyed in the 17th century and this one was placed in 1979.
The monkey has a mirror on one hand and the other hand has a ring that is supposed to fight off the evil eye. The statue was mentioned in Martin Zeiller's poem in 1632 and that poem appears beside the statue.
These are some silly photos from our walk. We were trying to practice our photography and poses!!
Salzburg
One of my favorite cities in Europe and the most visited by me! Grab a quick organic breakfast or lunch at
The Heart of Joy Cafe. Everything is amazing.
Lake Konigsee
This boat tour of Lake Konigsee is totally worth it! The views of the lake were beautiful and the mountains as a backdrop were perfect.
We enjoyed this beautiful sunny day before we headed back to Munich for Serah's last day!
It was such a nice time exploring these places with one great friend!! So glad he was able to make it! See you soon!
