Tiring of our glamorous European lifestyle, we decided to hop across the pond for Christmas in the Deep South. It’s possible that our decision was swayed by the generous invitation of my parents to join them there, but in the end we found Charleston to be a most pleasant place to spend a few days (lack of appropriate Christmas weather notwithstanding). » Read the full post
Ever since we did the flying fox across Munich’s Olympic Stadium, I’ve wanted to do another zip line. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s got all of the outdoorsy fun of an adventure sport without any of that pesky physical exertion.
Scott found Adrenaline X-treme Adventures in the Dolomites, offering ‘the biggest zip-line park in Europe,’ less than 30 minutes away from Brunico. We reserved our zip line spots online a couple days in advance.
We arrived early for our schedule zip-line departure, which was a good thing, since their website had directed us to the wrong meeting point (their office in the valley, which was closed). After a worried phone call, we managed to make our way up the gondola to the actual departure point.
We were strapped into harnesses, and then it was a short walk to the first zip line. There were around 12 zip lines in all, of varying lengths and inclines (ie, speeds). Some of the lines were far above the treetops looking down; others ran right through the forest or over the ski slopes.
We meant to bring an old camera along for the ride but forgot it at the last minute, leaving us with only an iphone to document the adventure. It mostly got used while we were on the platforms between zip lines, waiting for the rest of the group to go (there were about eight people in the group, plus two guides who hooked and unhooked us at either end each time). I made sure it was tightly zipped away in a pocket before each zip line (why don’t iphones have wrist straps?).
At €50 per person (plus lift ticket), this zip line wasn’t the kind of activity that we’ll be doing every weekend, but it was certainly a memorable way to spend an afternoon.
On our drive back to Munich we visited our favorite last-stop-in-Italy town, Bressanone. Like Brunico, it was all decked out for the Christmas season. The cozy main square was full of Christmas market stalls. Mugs of white glühwein and hot chocolate warmed our bellies. Ah, I miss Christmas market season already.
Ah, here we are back in Germany after spending the holidays in the US. We’ve made the transatlantic journey dozens of times by now, and while I still dread the long flights, at least I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with jet lag (although people who have repeatedly watched me fall asleep in my first-night-in-the-US dinner might disagree). Given that I’ve never been good with sleep deprivation (even in college I couldn’t swing all-nighters), I’m feeling rather accomplished.
There are many approaches to jet lag, but mine is a simple one: you need to be overtired going into your first night in the new time zone. That way, when you finally fall into bed, you’ll sleep for a a good solid night and wake up at a reasonable time the next morning. After that first night, you’re most of the way home.
When in doubt, go to Italy for the weekend. The Dolomites are just a few hours away from Munich by car, so you really have no excuse not to. Last weekend we set out for Brunico (Bruneck in German), a small town in the Puster Valley. Normally the drive should have taken less than three hours, but thanks to the weather it was closer to four. I didn’t mind at all, given the snowy paradise that presented itself upon our arrival. » Read the full post
It’s time for my annual I-love-Christmas-in-Germany post. The Christmas markets opened last week, looking much as they do every year. I’ve noticed a couple new stands here and there, but for the most part everything is in its place. Now if we could just have some snow to make them even cuter, I’d be in heaven.
I’ve written several posts about the markets over the years, such as this one about the best Munich Christmas markets for pretty much everything (or you could just view all my posts about Christmas markets). One stop I haven’t talked about yet (but is worth a mention) is the Alpen Wahn, a cozy little stand outside Der Pschorr serving red and white glühwein until 11pm each night (which is later than most of the other markets are open). Look for it at the north end of the Schrannenhalle, just off the Viktualienmarkt. » Read the full post
Recently I had the opportunity to go on a press trip with Creative Tourism Austria. We spent the first day in the lovely little town of Schlierbach. I am pretty familiar with the Alpy part of Austria, and the Viennese part of Austria, but I think this was my first visit to the gently-hilly part of Upper Austria. We were assured that the landscapes and views are lovely in this part of the world, but alas, heavy fog kept us from enjoying them with our own eyes. No matter, as we found plenty to do indoors at Stift Schlierbach, a monastery full of activities that don’t require the least bit of chastity or charity. » Read the full post
Living in a foreign country means always being a little bit out of place and being able to find little amusements and challenges around every corner. Sometimes you feel most at home feeling out of place.
This song captures that dynamic for me, and the video makes me miss Berlin.
I translated the lyrics from the original German into English, trying to maintain the intentionally stilted grammar. » Read the full post
A short time ago, children all over Bavaria headed back to school for the fall term. Some of them (specifically, the first graders) were carrying unwieldy cardboard cones that were almost as big as the children themselves. I asked my friend eNVie, who recently made a Schultüte (literally: “school cone”) herself, to explain what these things are all about. Parents in Germany, take note. Here’s what she has to say: » Read the full post
In my recent travels I have been looking for opportunities to go for runs in my FiveFingers “barefoot” shoes. During our trip to Innsbruck I found a great run along the River Inn that runs through the city and provides great views.
The course I followed included the 5-Brücken-Runde (5 Bridge Loop), a ~5km route. » Read the full post
