New Year's, 26, & the rest of Germany!

Well, here's my last Germany post. Get ready for more holidays, more food, and more Irene & Katy pictures!

New Year's Eve at the apartment - Irene, Nici, me, Sophie, Sonja, & her boyfriend Tobi

We had raclette, a Swiss dish with melted cheese (raclette cheese, in fact). Each person has a small individual pan and then puts various foods in them (meat, vegetables, etc.), puts a piece of cheese on top, melts the cheese, scrapes it out (to scrape is racler in French), eats it, and repeats. It. is. delicious. And at some point in my life, I want a raclette machine. In Germany, many people eat either raclette or fondue for New Year's Eve as it takes a long time and is fun to do in a group.

next tradition: Feuerzangenbowle, which is glühwein (mulled wine) with the addition of rum-soaked sugar burned and melted on top 

action shot!

I look like a witch whippin' up a little potion.

checking out our handiwork

After grabbing a mug of Feuerzangenbowle, we sat down to watch "Dinner for One," a British comedy sketch which I'd never set eyes on but is apparently a big tradition to watch in Germany on New Year's. We then set out on a little pre-midnight adventure to a nearby park to go see some fireworks. Irene had told me that there are no firework displays put on by the city, but that people are allowed to buy fireworks. At this point, I'm thinking people will be shooting off bottle rockets and sparklers... you know, the little ones. Imagine my surprise when I was regaled with a panoramic display of real, big fireworks! It was 30 minutes of pure joy on my part (if you don't know, I LOVE fireworks) as I stared with an open-mouthed smile at 180° (we couldn't see behind us due to the hill we were on) of fireworks illuminating the sky in multi-colored bursts, highlighting the silhouettes of the many towers of Munich. 

Here's a picture that does ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTICE to how amazing this was! And here's a video that better captures the New Year's Eve atmosphere!

These jelly-filled donuts (which have a special name that I've forgotten and maybe Irene will tell me) are traditionally eaten in the north of Germany at midnight on New Year's. We decided to bring a little north down south and indulge ourselves!

For the last New Year's tradition, we played this little fortune telling game, which comes in this slightly terrifying package.

Each person is given a small object (like my pumpkin here)!

Then, you take turns melting the objects over a candle...

...and, once it's fully melted, you throw it quickly into a bowl of water, where it takes a new shape. Everyone then collaborates to interpret the new shape and try to determine the corresponding fortune for the coming year. I got two: something that looks like a walking stick or staff, and something that looks like a shoe. I can't remember what that means. Probably that I'll star in a Lord of the Rings movie (walking staff à la Gandalf), and that I will get some new shoes.

For the next few days, I headed to Seefeld to hang out with Sophie & Beate (Irene's sister and mom, remember?) and with my good friend Anna.

You may know her?

Basically, I took a few days to really relax, and it was lovely. I made a significant start on Anna Karenina, and am still reading it (though my reading has slowed significantly since my return to France). On January 4th, I headed back to Munich to begin my birthday celebrations.

First, Beate and I went to see an art exhibition featuring pieces formerly owned by Gunter Sachs, a famous photographer and art collector who died in 2011. His life's story is very interesting, as was his collection! He was a big supporter of Pop Art, so his collection included works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, as well as surrealist pieces by Magritte and Dalí, among others.

outside the Villa Stuck, the building where the exhibition was held

The Villa Stuck is a very aesthetically interesting house where the painter Franz Stuck lived. We also toured the home and saw some of Stuck's paintings.

Afterward, Beate took me to this cafe, which is her favorite in Munich. It was fantastic! (Btdubbs, I feel like I could have an entire post of pictures titled "Delicious Hot Chocolate and Cake in Germany.")

For good measure, here's another shot of the Christmas tree in the Marienplatz.

After Beate left, Irene, Nici, and I went to (get this) a Mexican restaurant where they had made a reservation! In the Germanic traditions, holidays are celebrated the evening before, including birthdays. So this was the first of my birthday meals! It was delicioso. I'd say it was the best Mexican food I've ever had in Europe. It's never really the same as home, but still, it was more similar than anything else I've tried. And it was so sweet of them to make reservations for Mexican for my birthday as we all know it's my fave!

At midnight, we celebrated with sparkling wine and even presents! (much-needed tights and legwarmers, which I wear approximately every other day!) Alles gute zum Geburtstag to me!

A decade after celebrating 16 in Texas, here we are celebrating 26 in Germany!

Next "morning" (we slept in), I woke up to a homemade (!) cake! It. was. fantastic.

For my birthday, I chose to visit the Munich Residenz, the city palace. I'd never seen it before, so it was exciting to do something new in Munich! We got to look at a ton of the rooms in the palace, as well as the treasury and all of the shiny things (read: jewels) within. I mean really, how many birthdays do you get to spend in a palace?!

birthday dinner, made by Irene & Nici and shared by the three of us with Beate: wiener schnitzel, potatoes, and some kind of new (to me) and exciting salad that I've never seen before! Guten Appetit!

My last day in Germany (and everyone's last day of vacation), we decided to take it easy and hit up the €1 day at the Neue Pinakothek (an art museum) to check out some art; here are some of my faves!

Liebermann Münchner Biergarten (Beergarden in Munich)

Degas (for the love, I canNOT find the name)

Van Gogh Tournesols (Sunflowers)

Signac Santa Maria della Salute

Monet Nymphéas (Waterlilies) c. 1915

Renoir La femme accroupie (Crouching Woman)

Overbeck Italia und Germania (Italy and Germany)

Waldmüller Junge Bäuerin mit drei Kindern im Fenster (Young Peasant Woman with three Children in the Window)

And to wrap it up, here's a collection of random leftover pictures of exciting things from my trip:

I found THIS in the airport in Toulouse on the way to Munich. First Dr Pepper in 3 months!

Irene made this cupcake as a welcome gift, and I ate it. It was both adorable and tasty.

I saw The Hobbit! Or should I say Der Hobbit? (Also it should be noted that I had no idea it would be a trilogy, and so when the end of the movie came without closure, I turned to Irene and said "Are they KIDDING me?!")

I saw these beautifully-decorated chocolates in a window.

And, the morning of January 7th, I spent an Alpine sunrise in the air...

...and came home to a Mediterranean sunset.

I was content to come back to ma vie narbonnaise (and see all my friends here, which is quite the growing group), I was sad to leave Germany. I've now spent more than five weeks in Germany, and I know I'll spend more! I love that I know that I'll continue to return to visit Irene and see her family throughout my life. I'm so grateful for the time I spent there this year, and especially for the opportunity to have somewhere to belong for Christmas, New Year's, and my birthday. This trip was very special because of that, and because I also got the opportunity to visit Nici's family in Hamburg. I felt so welcome and at home throughout the whole trip. I am so thankful for and even proud of my friendship with Irene, which I have no fear of losing despite the distance that is usually between us. I know I've said it before, but it is an incredibly special friendship, and it brings me joy! Stay tuned, there may be more Irene & Katy adventures this year yet!

A Very Merry Weihnachten

Well, as you know, I did not spend a "White (Texas) Christmas" or go "(No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" this year. As it was too expensive to travel home for Christmas vacation, and because I decided that "il faut profiter"* from being in Europe for these eight months, I spent my Christmas with Irene's family in their home in a village southeast of Munich. Irene invited me as soon as she found out I'd be in France (back in April), and this has been the plan ever since. I'm very, very thankful!

We pre-partied on the 23rd by baking Christmas cookies... here's Sophie and Simon!

I gathered all the cookie cutters that could be Texas-affiliated. Please note the "cowboy hat + cowboy mustache" combination on the left (cowboy mustache = moon). Also note that the one in the bottom right was said to be a "lemon" (Nici) and a "leaf" (Sophie), but anyone can tell it's a football.

Nici, Sophie, and Simon in action

our art

some of my creations... Please note the two Texas/heart combos, the cowboy hat/mustache combo, and all of the FOOTBALLS. (I made them brown so there's no denying.) ;)

post-cookie sunset

In Germany, they celebrate Christmas on the 24th. They don't decorate the Christmas tree until that day, and in almost all families, it's a real tree. They also traditionally use real candles (though some families now use electric lights). In families with children, the parents decorate the tree and put out the presents, then a bell is rung to indicate that the Christkind (Christ child) has come to bring the presents.

yours truly watering the tree... The needles are much less prickly than the ones on the few real trees we've had back in Texas. If we had trees like this, I'd always have a real one!

placing candle holders... Irene on ladder duty!

This is the only candle I put on the tree. Please note the perfection of the placement and angle. BAM. Also I just realized it looks like there's a branch right near the wick but there's not, I promise. Depth perception issues.

Finished product! Also notice the stable for Jesus & Co. that David constructed in like 10 minutes.

I just love sunsets.

O Tannenbaum!

Also yes those are the real candles burning!

Okay, you see those presents right there? They're mine. That's right, the family got me presents. Which was not what we agreed upon, or what I was expecting. I teared up (because I was moved, obviously) for the first time since I left home. Not that presents are at all what Christmas is about, but it was truly incredibly kind of them.

From Simon and David: Dr. Pepper (!) and a white wine from the region where Simon works (which we will drink for my birthday). ps: This is not a mixing suggestion. :)

From Irene's parents: the hat, scarf, and mittens on the left, which I was later able to use in Hamburg (you'll love the pictures). From Sophie, the tea and chocolate on the right, which are both delicious!

From Irene (with the help of Niclas): a checklist, showing in the first column things you can't miss (which I've done) in Munich, in the middle things you can't miss (which I've done) in Bavaria, and on the right things you can't miss in Hamburg, which Irene/Irene & Nici later would later take me to do. It was so special and I am hanging it up the minute I get back to Narbonne! (And I'll post Hamburg pics later, too, of course!)

Also, Irene's (and my) friends got me presents as well! Sonja gave me the cookies, and JoJo gave me the advent tea. Both are delicious. :)

dinner... something delicious Oswald and Simon made from Alsace with plenty of good meat and vegetables

fruit salad, decorated by Simon

the altar and baby Jesus at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Irene's family's church, where we went to Christmas mass that evening

the nativity scene in the church

On my Christmas, December 25th, I took a short walk through the village to the church.

Christmas tree in the Marienplatz

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

I took a walk through the cemetery around the church, which was decorated for Christmas. The sun was shining, it wasn't too cold (meanwhile it was snowing in Texas), and I could hear Beate playing the organ even from outside. It was beautifully serene.

This inscription is written on the doors during Christmastime, and it represents the year (2012) and the three kings/wise men, Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar. On January 6th (Three Kings' Day/Epiphany), children dressed as the wise men come and change the year (2013).

the sunlit interior of the church

the church organ, which Beate plays - This afternoon, she played and I watched and listened to try to see how an organ works. The organ is a very complicated, very beautiful instrument.

Later, Oswald, Simon, Sophie, Irene, and I all went on a walk nearby while Beate stayed home to cook some of our amazing dinner.

You can't tell, but this lake is frozen!

The boys were faster than we were... you can blame my picture taking for that.

See the Alps in the background?!

Seriously.

the church at Andechs

view in Andechs (Again, see the Alps??)

spätzle, red cabbage, and venison - seriously delicious

Tati, David, and Simon

You know us. :)

This is the first Christmas I've ever been away, and it's strange to not be home and with family. Being away from all that is familiar at Christmastime could potentially be very lonely and sad. However, Irene and her family have treated me exactly as I if I were part of the family. They have included me in all of their traditions, fed me wonderful food, spoken to me in my language (imagine spending Christmas with your family and everyone speaking a foreign language for the sake of a guest!), and even given me gifts. I don't even know how to express how truly thankful I am to have been treated so kindly. I love and miss my own family, and my home, and my friends, and I don't plan on making Christmases away a habit. But I am very happy and thankful for the kindness of this family and for my once-in-a-lifetime Weihnachten!

*I'm clearly becoming French.