Coming Home

Today was all about travelling home. We left the hotel at 7am Monday in Munich time, which was 11pm Sunday night at home. We took the metro to the airport and were wheels up ontime. I watched back-to-back movies during the 10-hour flight, which kept me pretty content.

Once we landed in Atlanta we encountered storms. As a result, our flight was delayed 40 minutes, then an hour, then a couple, then several, etc. On the bright side, we ran into a friend Kathy who also happened to be flying from Atlanta to Milwaukee. Our 4pm flight boarded closer to 10pm and actually left closer to 11:30. We arrived in Milwaukee after 1:30 AM Tuesday. We took a shuttle to get Kathy's car and Kathy then drove Dawn and I to our sister's home to get our car.

I received a voicemail saying that my car battery was dead, but Jeff and Christine jump started it so it should be good. After a few detours and fog we arrived at my sister' place. The car reluctantly started, so we were now on our way. We stopped for gas and caffeine and got back on the highway. The fog was thick in spots, but overall wasn't too bad. My internal clock also thought it was later in the morning, so it was surprisingly not too bad staying awake. After dropping off Dawn I arrived at home just before 4am. Only 29 hours of travel door to door :-)

Deutschland (again) - Tag 2

This morning we had a late breakfast and then when "Schwemmel suchen" (mushroom searching). There is a wooded forest near the Kopfelsbergers home where they routinely gather mushrooms. The previous day we had pasta with a homemade mushroom sauce made using the local mushrooms. I recently read The Omnivore's Dilemma which described this and I had wanted to do it every since, so I was excited; even if it was routine for the Kopfelsbergers. So, Papa Franz, Franz Jr., and Geli took us out on our first search.

Once they found the first specimen, they pionted out what we should look for. There are many varities of mushrooms, but we were only picking one kind that was known to be good. We had a book to identify any variations, but safe is always better when it comes to mushrooms. So, with the target identified, we began the hunt on our own.

As Franz found another one, he showed how the mushroom's underside turns blue after touching. Pretty cool. He also showed how slugs may have eating away some of the underside and any remaining slugs should be removed. When cutting off a mushroom, some of the base is left behind to promote new growth. In some cases, if a mushroom is fairly spoiled, it might be thrown against a tree to blast the spores all around to also promote new growth.

After a bit I had found my first mushrooms and was happy with how clean / perfect they looked. I also found a few that the slugs got to first, but they would still be good once cleaned. I enjoyed the search, looking closely at mossy or decomposing tree stumps. Looking in thorny brush is good too since animals will have left the mushrooms alone, but of course the thorns are also undesirable to human mushroom seekers. Once we were all in the zone, we managed to take a pretty decent harvest in our basket.

After the harvest we decided to go for a walk. We also said goodbye to Carola, Julia, and Dolphi since they would be heading out soon. Today would be our last day in Halsbach. We walked up the street to the top of the hill. Some days this would provide a view of the Alps, but not today. We walked down the grassy field to the street and then went up to the church. The church is ornate and rather large for such a small town.

Once we got back from our hike, we loaded up and headed towards Burghausen to view the longest castle in the world. However, along the way we stopped in to see Ingrid's father who was throwing a birthday celebration at a park shelter. Other family members were also there. We chat for a bit and joined in having a beer. Then we said our goodbyes and headed to the castle.

We walked along the Burghausen castle which is now mostly living quarters. The very end has the grandest part of the castle, which also contains a museum. The castle also provides views of a river on either side. The river along the Burghausen old city center separates Germany and Austria. We took a path down to the city center. We stopped at an ice cream cafe before walking into Austria (which was probably the shortest walk of the day :-). Eventually we drove to the top of the hill on the Austrian side to view the castle from a distance.

It was then time to head to the train station. Dawn and I said our goodbyes and boarded the train. I was sad to leave, but this time I felt more reassured that I would indeed see the Kopfelsbergers again. We took the train from Burghausen to Muhldorf and then Munich. In Munich we took the S-bahn to the stop by our hotel - the Ambiance Rivoli, which is a really nice hotel. We had our last dinner in Germany with a beer and went to bed. The next day would be the longest day of the year...with an extra 7 hours due to time zone changes.

Deutschland (again) – Tag 1

Today we ate breakfast at the Kopfelsbergers and then we drove to Muhldorf train station.  From Muhldorf we took the train to Munich for Oktoberfest (Wies’n) and some of the usual sites.

Upon arrival, we took the S-bahn to Marienplatz to hear the glockenspiel (bell clock) since it was almost noon (on the hour). After the chimes and dances of the glockenspiel, we headed to Hofbrau Haus. It was busy, so we decided to head across the street. However, on our way out we found a table so we decided to stay. We all had a mass (liter) of beer and ordered lunch. It was fun and tasty

After the Hofbrau Haus we walked to Oktoberfest; making the occasional stop for shopping / browsing. Arriving at Oktoberfest, it was not as crazy as I had expected given the warnings I received. It appeared to me to be a larger scale version of Summerfest (in Milwaukee). We walked through one of the beer tents, but we eventually sat at a smaller beer garden to actually be able to order a drink (since most tents were full). We had a beer and various things dipped in chocolate; including a hot pepper which had some kick. We walked most of the grounds and watched the various carnival activities and were then ready to explore the rest of Munich.

We couldn't decide where to go, but eventually headed to the Olympic Park. We went up the needle and checked out the views of Munich from 181 meters above. We could see Oktoberfest lights in the distance. We eventually left the Olympic Park to head mid-way back to Marienplatz to a place where we could walk and find a restaurant for dinner. In the end, we ate at Hofbrau Haus - but not THE Hofbrau Haus where we had lunch. Once stuffed, it was time to take the train back to Muhldorf, drive back to Halsbach, and cross the street to go to bed. It was a good day. I was glad to have Papa Franz, Mama Ingrid, and Franz Jr. as guides to Oktoberfest.

Italia –> Deutschland

Today was our last day in Italy.  I had a cappuccino and croissant for breakfast.  We packed our things and left our suitcase at the front desk.  We then headed out for our last moments.  We shopped just north of the Vatican to stay somewhat close.  There were street vendors, shops, and shops with sidewalk sales.  Many items we have seen before, but we continue to explore since we had the time.

It started getting hot, so we sat in a shaded area just outside the wall and I read my book for a bit. After a while we decided to find a place to have our last lunch. We found a spot, but it definitely wasn't our best meal. Regardless, we had a reasonable meal with red wine to smooth it over. We then headed back to the hotel to get our luggage and head to the airport.

It was not obvious what train to take, but I directed Dawn and I to the track that I thought was correct. Once we were on the train, the first stop was not what I had expected based on my map, so I had us get off. The map was now in the suitcase, so I could not consult it immediately. Once off the train with map in hand, I could not find the "Quatro Venti" station we were at. We went down to the track down one level and asked someone...the said we had to go back to the track we were at. So, I carred the now heavy suitcase up several stories of stairs and we then needed to wait 30 min for the next train. Apparently we were on the correct train; however, this station was not on my map. I drew it in for my own satisfaction afterwards.

Regardless, we made it to the airport on time; even a bit early since the flight was delayed. Once we arrived in Munich, the Franz (papa and jr.) were waiting to take us back to Halsbach. We all sat down for a few beers which somehow eventually turned into a few schnapps. The apple schnapps were good. We then called it a night. It was good to be back in Halsbach.

Roma – Day 4

We had already seen most of the sites, so we decided today would be a relaxing day.  We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed to the metro.  We took the train to Barberini to see the macabre of skulls at Santa Maria della Concezione; however, they were closed and would not be open again until 3-6.  So, we headed north to see the oldest remaining portion of the original walls of Rome.  Behind the wall was a park that we explored a bit and eventually settled down to read.

It was enjoyable reading in the park. Eventually thunder started to rumble and we decided to walk a bit. We stopped for a capuccino in the park and the rain then began. By the time we finished, the rain had stopped again - great timing. I loved the rumbling thunder, and even better that I didn't get wet. We then returned to Santa Maria.

The cemetery at Santa Maria is a series of 4-5 rooms that are fully decorated with bones of capuchin monks. Arches of many skulls and hip bones, pieces of vertebrae in decorative patterns on the ceiling with forearms radiating out. A chandelier of bones. Some skeletons are standing or lying down in their brown robes. It is an amazing yet eerie sight to see. A couple of the skeletons still appear to have flesh on the face. About 4,000 Capuchins were utilized for this.

After the church we walked back past our favorite Trevi fountain. We decided to do some souvenier shopping. We then continue to the Pantheon and relaxed again and read a bit. Eventually we continued on to piazza Navona and again admired some of the art work.

At this point we attempted to meet up with the Lauers and returned to Barberini; however, we didn't hear back and eventually walked to piazza Spagna and then West. We then got a text and started to head back to Barberini, then got a text saying they would do their own thing. So, we went in search of food. We couldn't find a deal similar to Trastevere, so we eventually settled for a place near piazza Navona. It was a good last dinner topped off with an espresso.

After dinner we decided to take the bus back home. We had a metro/bus pass, but we had not yet been successful at riding a bus at will. So, we decided we should end by taking the intended bus back near our hotel. We did end up taking our 64 bus back to the hotel area. Nobody seems to swipe their card, so the bus system could probably be used for free by anyone...the metro is the main reason to have the card.

Once back at the hotel I took a few more night shots from the rooftop patio. The espresso counteracted the wine enough for me to write this, and now it is time for bed. I look forward to one last breakfast and lunch tomorrow before we return to Munich.

Roma – Day 3

Today we started out late, so we missed our free breakfast.  We decided to head out towards the Vatican and grab breakfast.  I had crepes with Nutella and strawberries and A.C.E. drink.  We then walked the shopping streets North of the Vatican and eventually towards Popolo to Via Margutta, which wasn’t as filled with art as I had expected.

We eventually walked to Piazza Navona, which is a large square filled with artists and a beautiful fountain. There are restaurants and old buildings enclosing the long square. There are also many street performers, although most were not unique. The art was nice, although price in comperison to Paris or Venice.

We continued on to the nearby Pantheon.  The Pantheon was impressive with its large dome and ancient pillars...it was neat to see in person.

After the Pantheon we returned to Trastevere to check out some of the sites we missed the night before. We went to S. Maria basillica, which was quite impressive on the inside. We also ventured up the hill to check out a couple fountains. The views at the top of the hill are nice, and the Fonte Acqua Paola is an impressive fountain.

We went back down the hill to get a bite to eat. In the end we decided to keep walking and walked back to the Vatican, back into the city center, and eventually back across the island into Trastevere. I wanted to give Dawn the experience of finding a place to eat, which she was not fond of an kept walking out of the area. Anyway, we went back to Trastevere and had a nice dinner with wine.

We decided to return to the hotel via bus along the parkway. Unfortunately, we didn't find the exact bus stop and kept walking. We then walked and walked some more. Eventually we must have walked the wrong way because we were in the middle of a parkway far from our hotel. So, we walked and walked some more until we were back in residential area and could find our hotel. It is good that we had a detailed map; it was bad that the streets are often not labeled as nicely. Either way, we were able to see a lot of SW Roma :-)

Roma – Day 2

Today started with breakfast at the hotel, which included the typical bread, meat, cheese, and coffee.  Once we were fueled up, we headed to the Vatican to buy a ticket for the open tour bus.  The bus goes near or past most of the sites and you can get on and off for 24 hours.

The bus was a nice way to see areas we probably wouldn't have walked to, but it doesn't provide views of many of the best areas - so it is still important to get off the bus and check out the sites on foot. We eventually got off near the Vittorio and walked to the colosseum via the Roman forums. We decided to take a guided tour of the Colosseum and the Palatino hill.

The Colosseum has a bloody history; mostly a way to execute prisoners and animals via battles and some days 100's of animals may be killed. The floor had sand to sook up the blood. The gladiators and animals would be staged in the levels below the main floor, which is no longer present other than a replica put in place for perspective. An earthquake caused the south end to collapse and much of the lead and marble used for support was harvested for other buildings. However, the building is still impressive in its current state.

Palatino hill was the home of emperors and the origin of Rome according to the story of Remo and Romulus (where the name of the emptire originated). There are many ruins today, but there are also still many pieces intact that give insight into the original structures. We walked the hill and the Roman forums. The hill also provided a nice view of the Colosseum.

After Palatino hill we decided to find food. We hopped on the open tour bus to then take a tram to the Trastevere area. We didn't see any restaurants at first, so we continued on and eventually took the tram back near the river. We walked into the back streets and quickly found a place to eat. We had water, wine, bruschetta, pasta dish, entre dish, salad, and dessert for 15 euro. The wine was great; similar to the day before and only $4 for a 1/2 liter (we decided to get more). I topped it all off with a capuccino and we were then ready to check out more sites.

We walked across the island in the center of the river and towards the sanctuary for cats (something like "piazza sacred"). It is a central square with ruins and many cats appear to call the ruins home. We hopped back on the open tour bus and rode until we reached Trevi fountain again.

We briefly checked out Trevi fountain again and then continued down the busy shopping streets to Piazza Barberini. We ordered a gelato and checked out the fountain, then walked on to Piazza Di Spagna. It started to rain a bit, but not too bad. At the piazza the Trinita Dei Monti was lit in the night at the top of marble stairs with a fountain lit at the bottom. This area was bustling with young people; seems to be the place to go at night. From here we hopped on the metro and headed back towards our hotel.

Rather than transfer to another metro, we decided to get off at the Vatican stop and walk back to our hotel. The rain was light, but lightning lit up the sky often. I stopped to take pictures at San Pietro square. I enjoy taking night shots, and I also wanted to see if I could capture the lightning. Eventually I got the hang of it and have some cool shots of the basillica with lightning backlighting. Glad we took the extra walk. I think that rain can also provide some of the best photo opps; even if only because it cuts back on the crowds.