We got away for a little excursion to Germany last weekend! We expected an abundance of beer, big plates, fast cars, and rumblings of drinking songs. We were not disappointed! Getting there was unique in itself. We passed through Austria briefly before entering Germany, where we continued on the autobahn (meaning highway in German). The majority of it has no speed limit so 100 mph was average… this is efficient but also slightly nerve-wracking! Thanks to the high speeds and our friend Ben for driving, we arrived to Munich the first night just in time to have some schnitzel and brews at a local beer garden. The city is large and much more spread out than we anticipated. There are endless options for things to see and do! We wound up at a dive pub for darts and felt like we were locals out on a casual Friday night.

After exploring Nymphenburg Palace, where the Duke of Bavaria still resides, we wandered the streets. We came upon a crowd, curious as to what all the commotion was about. The Isar River flows through the city center and in one area, rushes up allowing the perfect spot to do a little surfing. There were guys taking turns catching the wave for the group that had gathered. We popped into a market to grab a baguette and drink before heading to the English Garden. It’s a massive area, without a bike it would be a trek to walk from one end of the park to the other! One hub of the English Garden is the Chinese Tower where you can share a meal, have drinks, and play cards while hearing live music echo throughout the area from a band tucked up in the top of the tower. Be careful not to go too deep into one side of the park unless you’re looking to lay out in the buff!

Dinner at Zwickl was spectacular. Holy meatballs! We didn’t have a single bad meal during our stay in Munich and it’s very easy to be a ‘foodie’ and splurge in Germany after being used to the prices in Switzerland. Not to mention the beer flows like water so it’s not hard to find a cheap drink if giant 1-liter beers are your thing! It could be the places we chose to go or the vibe of the city but we never felt like a tourist. Locals were welcoming and open for casual conversation over brews. This was one of our favorite of many things about Munich!

Looking out on the mountainside, everything was so vibrant and lush. It was as if the X Pro filter had been applied as far as we could see. The greenery carries over into the city with trees filling the empty spaces between buildings. The intricate detailing of the architecture only accentuated it, everything looked unreal. It’s refreshing, awe inspiring, and just plain beautiful. Our eyes are bright and our hearts are full when we explore and are able to take in and learn about new places like this one. We have several trips planned over the next few months and can’t express how excited we are for what’s to come!