So you think you can... Germany?

The last time I wrote, I was in Paris waiting on my train to Munich. Here's a recap of everything since then (with pictures)!

The train ride from Paris to Munich was about six hours. When I got to Munich, Irene, her brother David and her sister Sophie, and David's girlfriend Tati all greeted me, which was a surprise as I was only expecting Irene! 

How sweet is this?
What a wonderful way to be welcomed after a zillion hours of traveling.

I was sooo glad to see everyone, and oddly (maybe not THAT oddly) I had plenty to talk about! I had a lot of energy (even after traveling), which was kind of weird. They were amazing; David took my giant bag and Sophie took my backpack, and I just got to enjoy being with everyone. We went back to Irene's apartment in Munich, which I had never seen before. I LOVE it! It's such a nice apartment in a lovely neighborhood of the city. Here's my room for the next few days!

Notice the Nutella welcome present on the pillow! :)

So Irene and I stayed up talking until forever, of course, because that's what we do. Wednesday morning I slept in, and we woke up and walked to the bakery around the corner to pick up some bread for breakfast. I LOVE German breakfast and it was so nice to have it again!

Bäckerei

Be jealous.
(German breakfast: bread, butter, cheese, meat, jam,
basically anything you could want!)

After this, I surprised my cousin Kara with a little Skype action (holler)! Then Irene and I took a little walk around Munich. Here are some highlights!

pretty tree-lined street

old cemetery of northern Munich

the oldest Pinakothek (art museum) - You can see where it was

partially destroyed during World War II and reconstructed.

decorations for the upcoming Oktoberfest - 

even in an Apotheke (pharmacy)

typical street in Munich

There are Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress for women)

and Lederhosen (typical Bavarian outfit for men) 

in so many stores in preparation for Oktoberfest!

(Note: These are more modern interpretations of the Dirndl.)

Schön! (Pretty!)

Look what I found!

In the evening, Irene's friend from high school, Sonja, invited us for dinner in Erding outside of Munich. Sonja and I actually met when I came to Germany in 2004 and got to spend time together, and she is so sweet! I was so excited when she invited us to come over.

First we walked around the town, which was so pretty!

It's an older city and it has some of its old ramparts still standing.

(I love fortified cities!)

We also went to the Erdinger brewery, 

which has one of the most famous 

Weißbier (wheat beers) in Germany.*

We then went to Sonja's beautiful apartment and cooked dinner - pumpkin soup and apple strudel!

Irene and Sonja in action 

(They did most of the work, but I promise I helped!) :)

apple strudel (in progress)

Shortly after this, Sonja asked me to roll it up,

to which I promptly replied "Oh, like a burrito!"

(You can take the girl out of Texas...)

the girls and our beautiful dinner

me and Sonja right before we ate the fantastic pumpkin soup

apple strudel - finished product

Delicious. Guten Appetit!

Sonja was a wonderful hostess and I felt so welcome and had a great time. She also did something VERY generous and lent me something very special that I will show you soon. You'll have to read my next posts to see pictures! (CLIFFHANGER!)

Today (Thursday), we woke up and took a train to the Chiemsee (a lake), which is about an hour train ride southeast of Munich. It is absolutely beautiful there and we had a gorgeous day (around 60° and sunny). It was perfect. 

Chiemsee and the Alps

We took a modern train to the city, and then an older train to the lake, and then a boat ride to an island which has the Schloss Herrenchiemsee, a castle built by Ludwig II to be a replica of Versailles in France.

If you are familiar with Versailles, I'm sure you see the resemblance!

Irene and me in front of one of the fountains

(which is actually very different from the style of Versailles,

but we liked it and thought it was very dramatic)

We also visited museums about Ludwig II and Germany's constitution. All-in-all it was the perfect day to go as it was just beautiful. Afterward, we headed to Irene's parents' house in the Seefeld, the town they live in outside of Munich. I hadn't been in eight years, but I still remember it! Her father cooked dinner and we had spinach spätzle with ham, and Sophie (her sister) made an apple-walnut-cream dessert. Both were delicious and I wish I'd remembered to take a picture! It was fantastic to sit around her table with her family and talk and feel very welcome and have a great time. We talk in English a lot, but sometimes they have conversations in German and I love to listen and try to follow/pick out the words I know. 

Because I forgot to take a picture of our food,

here is a picture of the view from their kitchen! :)

I'm (obviously) having a wonderful time in Germany. More stories and pictures soon!

*One-Time Disclaimer: I intend for this blog to be the most accurate depiction of the places I go to and the cultures I experience. Therefore, I will occasionally write about/include photos of some drinks in order to give a complete picture. I know that I may have readers (especially young readers) who may not fully understand the context, so I just want to remind everyone that I am well over the drinking age, and that anyone who chooses to drink should do so legally and responsibly. :)