Bohemia, Bavaria, and Beer, Part IV: Munich

Here's Part I, Part II, Part III

After a super fun night on a Hungarian train, we pulled in very early to Munich.  Now, when we planned our trip and booked our airline tickets, we picked mid-September so we wouldn't get in to Oktoberfest.  No one told us that a couple of hundred years ago they moved Oktoberfest to September because the weather was better!

It really was not a problem, though, probably because we were there during the week.  When we stepped off of the U-bahn and into the Main Square, I thought I'd woken up in EPCOT.  This place looks just like the Germany Pavilion in Orlando!


We saw the Glockenspiel, of course.
 


We didn't hire a private guide, but when no one else signed up for the group tour, we ended up with a private one!  Taff with Dark History Tours was terrific.  He's an archaeologist, so he brought along a lot of props and toys to play with.   He showed us all the painted buildings that are typical to Bavaria.
    


At first we thought all the people wearing dirndls and lederhosen were dressed up for Oktoberfest, but no.  They were their native dress every day.  Probably one out of every 5 people was dressed on any given day, and I couldn't stop staring.
 

Of course we hit up Hofbrauhaus, the largest beer garden in Munich.  It was a real trip!
    




Next...Part V: Bavaria and Castles

Party All the Time!

Another layout from Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party, this time using patterned paper as a background.

Mardi Gras Fun!

Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee Soiree (diamond, collage, music, words, trellis, news), letter stickers, cushies, hocus pocus glitter stickers
Die Cut: Little Yellow Bicycle
Doodlebug sugar coating glitter
EK Success punch
American Crafts glitter buttons (brights)
Sequin embellis Prima Shalimar collection Amia
 Crate Paper phrase sticker

Bohemia, Bavaria, and Beer, Part III: The Night Train

Find Part I here and Part II here.

I cannot recommend taking the night train from Hungary.

  

Next...Part IV: Munich

Accountability Wednesday

So tomorrow I see a new doctor with a background in endocrinology.  Even if she just tells me that nothing is wrong and I need to eat less and work out more, at least that's something.

Weight 139.4 (+.2)
Miles walked: 9.5 + 75 minutes Pure Barre + 60 minutes Stretch and Tone class

Living it up at the Pretty Paper Party

The party is in full swing with Shimelle!  We are diving into our paper stashes and using them to their best!  Our first layout was to help us up our scraps.  Here's my take:

We're Sisters

Supplies:

Pieces of old American Crafts collections, some Hambly paper and transparency, Sassafrass, and KI papers and lace papers.  Pink Paislee and Echo Park letters, and die cuts from I don't know where!

Bohemia, Bavaria, and Beer, Part II: Budapest

Find Part I: Prague here.

Budapest is the largest city we visited on this trip.  Again, we were surprised by the ease of travel here, with friendly people who all spoke English probably better than we did.  There is great mass transit, so even though its a big city (actually two cities -- Buda and Pest were combined into one) its tremendously easy to get around.

Again we hired a guide, and again we weren't disappointed.  Folks, hiring a private guide may seem extravagant, but it is really very affordable in a lot of places for 6-8 hours of guiding and information you wouldn't get on your own.  Gabriella and her son Robert took us many places we wouldn't have gone on our own, and showed us the best places to shop and to get strudels.

Although the buildings are not as refurbished as those in Prague, the architecture was still beautiful.  Budapest is a town where art deco still thrives.  

 

The beautiful tilework roofs were something good the Hungarians picked up from the Turks, and I couldn't stop taking pictures of them.

  

Another thing the Hungarians kept from the Turk years were the baths.  Yes, I donned a bathing cap and we went to the thermal baths to hang out with all the Hungarian men in Speedos.  It was truly a cultural experience!

   

The Parliament building  is a real gem, both inside and out.

   

Damage from WWII and from revolts against Communism were abundant.  The House of Terror is a museum that was actually the Nazi and Communist secret police headquarters.  The number of people that entered this building and never came out was striking.

  

We took a cruise on the Danube and went to a ballet performance.

 

We wish we had more time to explore this city.  We hope to be back some day.

  

       

Next...Part III: The Night Train