Poland

I have not forgotten about you guys, but I have been doing school work literally for about 6 hours in the classroom, and then 4-5 hours outside of the classroom daily. I have pictures and a video. I will upload them asap!!

Day 20 (I think): Lost in Trier

So... this is how our adventure started:

6:00 pm Connie, Annika and I decided to go get some ice cream. We ended up sitting at Franz (the pub) Note: no ice cream. 

6:37 pm Connie and I feel "bleh" just sitting around so we decided to go on a walk around Merzig.

6:46 pm Another one of those clear understanding moments happens and we are standing at the train station waiting for our ride to Trier, Germany. All of this was at night, by the way... so, it's not like we went inside or really did anything super cool. Just walked. And walked. And walked.

8:02 pm We arrive in Trier. We see the Porta Nigra, the Trier Dom (Cathedral) which by the way is all Roman...as in, built by freaking Constantine!! We also took a stroll through the old Rococo palace gardens, la ti da... have dinner... everything seems like a nice, normal night...

12:01 am: Our train has not arrived. Our GERMAN train has not arrived... WHAT!?? Germans are always on time, so something HAS to be up. We call Annika, ask the train people and a couple of Taxi drivers. Apparently Monday was the Day of German Unification or something like that... meaning ONE train gets cancelled for the holiday. THE train that we need to get back. O.O 

We are now officially stuck in Trier, Germany for the night... Two Americans lost in Trier. The only thought that comes to our minds was: At least it's not Mexico!!!

What's the answer to all of these horrible problems? Beer.

Here are the bartenders that saved our hides. We nonchalantly decided to get a beer around the trainstation. Neither of these two spoke any English, but we managed to have a (somewhat) clear conversation in German. They called a hotel, a taxi and found out what the problem with the train was, and served a delicious cold beverage that assuaged most of our anxiety all at the same time. Like I said, the answer to most of these little issues while in Germany always starts with beer.

 After spending the night in a ridiculously comfortable/nice hotel that we booked last minute... we decide that we should at least see the sights during the day. Here is the main shopping district of the town, where buildings from every point in time during the last 2,000 years can be seen. Pretty spectacular, really. Bakeries, Apothecaries and small specialty shops line the streets and make for a great browsing tour.

Note: as we did not plan on staying in Trier for the night, we are still dressed in the same clothes that we wore the day before when we THOUGHT we would be getting ice cream. I'm sure you can imagine what Connie and I were dressed in, what we looked like and how we felt.

 This is the Roman Cathedral, built by, or in Honor of Empress Helena (mother of Constantine I). The Cathedral houses the Relic of the Holy Seamless Robe, apparently worn by Christ before or during his death. Now, I am not religious really, but I have to say, this place, which has had an unbroken tradition of Faith, was incredibly peaceful. The building is the only thing that's really Roman, all the decorations, alters etc. were all added during the long span of time the Cathedral has been standing.

 Refer to captions #1 and #2. That's the "Oh shit...we're stuck in Trier" look.

This is another Church built on the same foundation as the one pictured above; beautiful!!

Day 10-11: After Oktoberfest, Munich, Innsbruck, Hohenschwangau (Neuschwanstein/Hohenschwanstein)

 

Here is the view of Oktoberfest from the St. Paul's Cathedral Bell Tower. TONS OF PEOPLE!! The Cathedral opens the bell tower for showcasing Oktoberfest.  The staircase has 252 stairs leading to the first landing (whew...too much sausage and beer the night before...) but the view is definitely worth it. The rest of Munich is also quite picturesque; white townhouses with red roofs span the city, with church steeples popping up here and there. The little sister at the bottom of the stairs looked to be about 95, but was very kind and watched our bags for us as we made the arduous climb upwards.

This is one of the views of the Bavarian countryside that we saw while driving to Innsbruck after leaving Munich. Can you believe that I am actually at a gas station? This is what SURROUNDS the gas station... crazy. BUT not as crazy as the magical turning toilet seats. See, I suppose Germans are very concerned with spreading disease and illness (remnants of the Black Plague maybe?) so, their facilities are immaculate. It doesn't really matter that one has to pay 50 cents to use it (and with the way the US economy is, that's practically a car payment...) because at the end of your trip through the bathroom, (beware of being locked in...) you kinda feel better than when you went it. Everything is sanitized, cleaned and disinfected. Hoorah! 

I actually don't think that this building was important in Innsbruck... most of the buildings around where we were staying just looked like this. They were pretty, well taken care of, with nice little flowers in all of the windows. I believe that this might be a small hotel? Maybe some apartments? I don't know... hard to distinguish between one beautiful building and the next. 

This is Domkirche zu St. Jakob, or St. Jame's Cathedral in Innsbruck. It is a Baroque church designed by Johann Jakob Herkommer. It was begun in 1717 and finished in 1724. The inside of this church is beautiful, and is one of the most intricate, ornate and awe-inspiring churches I have ever stepped foot in. Even on Saturday afternoon when we quitely toured it, little old people were deep in prayer. It was peaceful. Also, one of the only "older" historical sites that we visited while on our roadtrip. Everything else was pretty "new" by German standards.

Okay, mom... so you think that this water color can only be seen in the Bahamas, but here it is again in the middle of the German Alps! The Alpsee is about 50 degress all year round (eek!). It didn't stop the dirty Italians that were also visiting Neuschwanstein from getting in for a dip/bath... in their underwear. That was a sight; castle, castle, castle, Alpine landscape, pretty ducks...oh...a 200 lb hairy short italian man in his "orange-tighties" going for a dip. Niiiiice. But, in all seriousness, It was incredible!! If I didn't know how cold it was, I would have probably brought a bathing suit myself and given it a shot!

This is Castle Hohenschwangau. This is the older castle that was in the same town as Neuschwanstein. It is named for the "swan knights" that (legend has it) crossed the lake in a swan-drawn boat to rescue the damsel in distress. Pretty romantic, right? Well, while this castle might look old, it's not (bummer). The ruins of the castle were discovered by then-prince Maximillian of Bavaria (later King Maximillian II of Bavaria) as he was out hiking one day. He fell in love with the legend of the swan knights, and the location on the Alpsee, so he began construction on what would become the royal family's favorite vacation spot.

Neuschwanstein. I did not make it to the castle in time for the tour (scheduled at 5:25 pm) because the bus was running late. For those of you that have heard that the German people are...cough cough... Naz-*inaudible* about time, you would be correct. So, at 5:27 after running uphill, I was turned away at the door, along with 10 other Americans. So, American's around the world have a repuation for being brash, loud and utterly unconcerned with rules. After THIS afternoon, I believe that that stereotype may be founded...

So, the man at the door tells us that no one can give us a tour at this late hour. Connie, and 8 other Americans visiting the castle, ENTER through the EXIT door and basically run as fast as they can through the castle towards the top. Against the flow of traffic. I, on the other hand, got the stink eye in the gift shop, chicken out and just went to the bathroom instead to make it look like I had purpose there. Apparently, this group of 9-ish, make it all the way to the king's bedroom when they are finally stopped by one of the Supervisors of the castle who then gives them a private tour...WHAT!?! About an hour later, as I am sitting dejectedly at the bottom of the stairs, Connie and the other Americans emerge, victorious grins on their faces, having seen the castle. Sigh. Another loss for Ashley because I don't break the rules. Only thing Connie had to say? "Man, we really should tell them that their security sucks..."

 

This is the picture of the Hohenschwangau region from the bathroom window at Neuschwanstein. The stall that I chose to hide in, just in case they sent the German-equivalent of the FBI my direction with the sole purpose to deport me, happened to have a wonderful view of the Bavarian countryside. Stop to take a picture, check that the coast is clear, and then visit the gift shop. The ONE castle I wanted to see really badly, and all I got to visit was the bathroom and the damn giftshop.

Traveling through the Bavarian/Austrian countryside was spectacular. All kinds of interesting things happened. 

Note: Just before (I attempted, Connie succeeded) seeing Neuschwanstein, Connie and I both had a moment of clear understanding, looked at each other, and decided Oktoberfest needed to be revisited. Our original plan for the evening was to spend the night in a quiet convent in the countryside around Stuttgart...oh, how quickly and fully that got turned around. 

Next up: Oktoberfest 2.0 and the next day!!

Day 9: Oktoberfest (Round 1)

"The Minnow"

(Peugot 107)

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this German port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure. 

Two passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The traffic started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost...

So, this was our car. We drove "The Minnow" ALL AROUND GERMANY (and Austria). It is a manual, so Connie drove the whole way. Can I just say... VERY entertaining to see an American girl driving stick shift through the Alps and traffic. Connie could literally stretch her hands from one side to the other and touch both windows. There was no cruise control, German radio sucks (I mean, the stereotype about Germans loving David Hasslehoff is true, so I'm sure you can imagine what that means for the REST of their music), and I'm pretty sure the fastest we went the whole trip was about 55 mph...on the AUTOBAHN. Talk about disappointing. I think next time we'll just opt for the upgrade so that we can actually make it up the hills. Seriously, I think if I walked I would have moved faster on an incline.

Here is Connie and I in our traditional Dirndls... MOST of everyone was in Dirndls and in Lederhosen. Pretty funny that Germans consider this gear to be "party wear"... In America, traditional costumes are nothing more than a funny joke, what one would wear AFTER the party (and consequential intoxication) NOT before. We got many compliments though, and we were confused for locals many times. I guess that's a good thing... we did not get targeted by Gypsy pick-pockets (...mom...). 

 

This is the Hippodrom Tent. This is just a portion of the amount of people in a tent, and there are 21 tents at Oktoberfest. The people that were here were actually behaving themselves much better than the tent we ended up in. The Paulaner Tent was PACKED with people, and EVERYONE was standing on the tables, dancing. Quite a feat when you keep in mind that this party starts at about 8:00 and ends at about 12:00, and the drinks (only beer) are HUGE...

 

Case in point...HUGE beers. This is a small. This is right after we had our beers delivered. We are standing on the tables right now, and the band is playing a song that incites dancing and interesting hand movements... 

(Full beers)

 

This is about 12.3 minutes after we had our first beer delivered... note the sly/proud smiles on both of our faces... We are quite pleased with ourselves at this point. 

(Not so full beers)

 

And here are some of the Americans we ran into. They were also partying on our bench. EVERY AMERICAN WE MET WAS FROM WISCONSIN!! Who knew that Wisconsin was such a fun state? Not this guy... Not at all. Note, also... lederhosen. 

The party ended, Connie and I stumbled home (seperately because we got taken away from each other by the huge crowds) and still ended up at the hotel at the same time... about 20 minutes later....

I will update pictures of the rest of the trip tomorrow... Sillyness ensues.

Day 7: Wolfpark, Merzig City Center and Ice Cream!!

ONE WEEK IN!! And, really, besides the little moments where I had issues with the biking, no major catastrophes (thank GOD!!). So, here are the Merzig-er wolves. I guess in this area, there were wolves a long time ago, but because it is now rural farmland, they cannot roam free. The people of Merzig have set up a very nice preserve for them where they are allowed to live their lives still, without being disturbed by humans. We got a couple of glimpses of them. These were, by far, the closest up to the fence line. I think they were eyeing the little human babies that were out walking with their parents this afternoon...if I were a wolf, I know that that is what I would be doing...

The vegetables in Kaufland (kinda a mix between HEB and Wal-Mart) are not very good, though they are also locally grown. THIS however, is the small shop in the city center that sells veggies that the local Merzig farmers grow. Can I just tell you that, while the shop is small, they have an amazing assortment of fresh, large, organic vegetable at very low prices.

This is what Connie and I bought; tomatoes. They are so red, they almost look purple, AND they are perfect. No soft spots, or blemishes of any kind and they came from somebody's back yard. So, our bread is made fresh daily at the bakery and our vegetables come from the local's backyard. For those of you that know I am a foodie, you can understand how exciting this is. Also, the eggs that you can buy just at the supermarket are traceable. As in, each egg has a number and a letter code. From this code, you can see where the egg came from, how it was raised and which chicken laid it. Pretty cool. This is totally the Germany that I wanted. We ride our bikes now to the vegetable stand and to the bakery to get our supplies. WONDERFUL. I am going to miss this at home when I have to start eating wonderbread again.  

Okay, so this is called "Spaghetti Eis" or spaghetti ice cream. They take the ice cream flavor of your choice (in this case hazelnut was the preference for the afternoon), put it into a noodle-maker so that it comes out in strands, add strawberry sauce on top and use white chocolate to make "Parmesan" flakes. Its delicious, and a lot of fun to eat. The ice cream is delicious... made with very, very rich cream and intense, natural flavors. So, this we enjoyed after our walk through the wolf park. 

It was a lovely afternoon of basically just bumming. Bumming here, though, seems like so much more fun than at home...I suppose because everything is new and exciting!!

Day 6: Merzig on a Bike and Saarlouis

 

So this is the ice cream today, mixed with Euro coins. We had a nice conversation with an old lady while we ate ice cream, which, btw, is better than anything you have ever tasted in America. It is like homemade ice cream, BUT creamier. I guess because their cows are not fed all the things they are fed at home here, AND they don't have laws concerning pasteurization (sp?) the ice cream is better.

 

 

 So, the next few pictures are a little out-of-order. We had an interesting drinking night...as you can probably see. NO, the green fairy is not a real thing, but this liquor does get you MESSED UP. I guess it is the equivalent of 151. After one of these Absinthe drinks (and yes, this is real absinthe) and a couple of beers, it is hard for me to concentrate on the screen right now lol... go figure.

So, here is Connie and I taking the shot...it is a little blurry because we are moving as fast as possible to get the horrible liquid "down the hatch" so it was difficult for Annika to take this picture...

 

Here is our bicycle. By the way, Ashley+bicycle=epic fail. When they say "It's like riding a bike" well, I guess this does no apply to me. I had the hardest time staying on the bike, much less going forward (especially uphill). I fell off of it four times, two of which were in the middle of traffic. I feel like Vanna White here, posing and modeling in front of Connie and I's only mode of transportation. We outfitted the bikes with cushions, a basket and water bottles today. Everything we need...except some bruising creme because, I'm sorry...my butt is bruised. Sigh. Very painful. We both looked like old women sitting down today after spending all afternoon on the bikes. Funny...but horrible at the same time. 

This is Connie at the Villeroy & Boch warehouse, where Annika works. I'm pretty sure this is about an acre of very expensive ceramic ware...not the place for me to be in. I stood still and had Connie stand by everything so that I would not break anything. For those of you that know me, you can understand that this is a legitimate concern. :)

Okay, so (because the pictures are out-of order) here is our "after absinthe" face. OMG disgusting. I think that is one of the most horrible drinks I have ever had, and I have had some pretty horrible things. I don't reccomend absinthe for anything but trying. I think if you have an opportunity to try it you should, but don't buy the bottle. I can almost guarantee that (unless you lack tastebuds) you will probably find this as disgusting as we did. We had the sugar, and the water and the fire and everything and it was horrible.

Day 5: Out and About in Merzig!

This is a picture of a tree overflowing with apples. Merzig, the area that we are in is famous for their apples, apple products and apple wine. The "Viezfest" (or apple wine festival) will be happening in two weeks...and right now I suppose is the highlight season for harvesting the apples and making their delicious alcoholic sweet nectar of the gods. I had never seen apples actually growing on trees, and apparently not only are they cultivated but they are also wild in this region. Annika, our host German was the "Viez Koenigin" (or Apple Wine Queen) when she was 21...of course, because Annika is who she is, maintains that she was, and is the "best Queen ever". Love her. 

This is just a cool building on our street. Most of the buildings around the area are (as the Germans say) "only 60 years old"...still sounds old to me, but whatever. Apparently because the area is so close to France, and was, during WWII part of France,  many of  the buildings were bombed. Some were re-built and some were not. I suppose this one falls into the "was not" category. Inside is just a large amalgamation of hubris and debris. It is overgrown with vines, however and makes for a pretty picture and an interesting insight into the turbulent history of the area.

So, these are some of the chestnuts that Connie and I found while hiking to the Burg MontClair the other day... We were singing "chestnuts roasting on an electric stove..." while we were making them and giggling to ourselves because of our cleverness. I still think it is funny. What happened next, while HILARIOUS was not so clever...

Now, it might be hard to see, but all around the stove, the wall, the kitchen utensils, the ceiling, the floor, us, chestnut guts are strewn. Yes. They explode. I don't know how, but they do. It is magnificent and very scary when it happens the first time. The next time you are still not prepared and then after that, its still scary as well. Cleaning chestnuts (which have the starch content of a radioactive potato) requires a shop-vac. OMG. Do not try this at home without the licensed supervision of a real adult...or someone who knows what they are doing. Connie's friend Troy said "chestnuts aren't supposed to explode, but if there was a way, I'm not surprised you two blondes figured it out." Sigh. He's right. Do not leave Connie and I to these things...it is dangerous not only to us but also to the entire countryside of Germany. 

So, that was our day so far...walk through the town, exploring and a horribly failed experiment. 

Side Note: Chestnuts are delicious.