Keeping Up With The Kartoffelchen: Weekend in Munich

Yesterday and today I've been a little under the weather, which is no fun no matter which country you live in. But when you live in a town as beautiful as Wetzlar it's hard to stay in and follow doctors' orders! Last night we had dinner plans with a friend at Serge's favorite Italian restaurant, and I wasn't feeling too terribly, so I told Serge we should go ahead and follow through with our plans. When we got outside the snow was really coming down, and it was so doggone pretty, I instantly felt better. On the way back from dinner we had a little snowball fight, and yada, yada, yada, I woke up not feeling so great again :-/ I guess I'll have to try harder to stay in and watch movies today!

Two weekends ago, Serge and I went to Munich to meet a friend from the US, who was in Germany for business. We took the regional train from Wetzlar to Frankfurt, then an ICE (the fast train) from Frankfurt to Munich. I looked like such a tourist on the way to meet Serge at the train station, however, because I had packed to the brim a carry-on size suitcase with wheels, and it was quite an interesting experience trying to lug that thing across all the cobblestones and hills and stairs in Wetzlar. Plus we had gotten our first snow the night before, so that made things even more fun and wet! I definitely did not look like the experienced train traveler that Serge did with his simple backpack. I got asked by a number of nice German ladies who were around 70 years old and not in the greatest shape of their lives, "Kann ich Ihnen helfen??" (Can I help you?) Needless to say, I was quite relieved when I finally made it to Serge and he let me switch bags with him! :-)

Here is my little world traveler before work, with his smart and simple backpack, ready to set off for Munich!

And here are some pretty pics Serge took on his way to work that morning

The Domplatz

Imagine trying to carry a 50 lb rolley suitcase down these bad boys!

I was a happy girl to have made it to the train station without falling on my face!

Waiting on the train in Wetzlar

That's the face of a man who is glad to be traveling by train, with a beer in his hand;
not stressfully maneuvering his way down the Autobahn!

"All I need is this... mini bottle of Rotkäppchen, some Peanut M&M's, and my book" :-)

It was the first weekend the Christmas Markets were open in Munich, so it was pretty packed.

Here are Serge and Brian with our first Glühwein of the season!

Again in Marienplatz, in front of das Neues Rathaus

Prost!!
We had dinner and a few liters at the Hofbräuhaus.

Serge and I looked outside and saw that it'd started to snow, so we ran outside like two little kids (or like 2 adults who'd spent the past 2 years in South Florida), to play! :-)

Serge is that dandruff on your shoulder? Nope it's snow!!

Side-note: Brian and Serge studied together in Austria, and they used to come to the Hofbräuhaus München often, so it was like a mini reunion for them!

On the way back to the hotel, in front of a Christmas tree

Say cheeeeese!

Snow brings out the little kid in all of us! ...And maybe the Glühwein and German beer help too! :-)

The next night, at another Christmas Market we stumbled upon on our way to the Frauenkirche

"I can't see sheeeep!"

Shopping for some warmer hats!

I found my sign: Kartoffel Hütte! (Potato Hut)

with Brian and my new hat, in front of the little Christmas Market

Jochen, Brian, and Serge (with his new hat), enjoying some Feurzangenbowle at Tollwood, a Christmas Market that takes place in Theresienwiese, where Oktoberfest is held.