Driving through Italy was such a beautiful sight. Vineyards lined the highway, and literally every direction there were rows and rows of grapes. We stopped at a small grocery store and couldn't resist buying a few bottles of wine and some chocolate, setting us back a whopping €1.50 per bottle. We already love Italy!!
Arriving in Venice was a delight however we were quickly greeted with high price tags and an underwhelming amount of hotels. We park our car in the only garage we can find and pay more for one night than we have paid for any hotel yet... Yikes! We load up our bags and head to find a hotel. Only after about 30 minutes we find the perfect location with perfect price... Thank you trip advisor (and the lady behind the desk.. She defiantly helped us out with the price)
With a quick change of clothes we were out the door and exploring. Venice is such a beautiful and romantic city, we didn't know where to go first. Our short time in the city was spent wandering around the maze of bridges and sidewalks, going in and out of shops, and enjoying the great weather.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Venice here we come
Driving through Italy was such a beautiful sight. Vineyards lined the highway, and literally every direction there were rows and rows of grapes. We stopped at a small grocery store and couldn't resist buying a few bottles of wine and some chocolate, setting us back a whopping €1.50 per bottle. We already love Italy!!
A bit more
On a side note brandon and I have grown so interested in the history of these countries, that we have decided to make a deal. We will each take turns picking out a book that we will both read so we can become more educated. Now that we have seen so much history, it has sparked our interest in learning more. We will pick our first book tonight.
A bit more
On a side note brandon and I have grown so interested in the history of these countries, that we have decided to make a deal. We will each take turns picking out a book that we will both read so we can become more educated. Now that we have seen so much history, it has sparked our interest in learning more. We will pick our first book tonight.
Beer beer and BEER!
Munchen
We hit the road and traveled 30 km to Munich. Bavaria's capital for beer. While here we learned just how important beer was for the foundation of Munich. As the monks started brewing beer in the early 1300s they came up with the idea because they would fast all day long and would be hungry. While they weren't allowed to eat, they could drink...Enter beer. The monks called it liquid bread because it was high in calories and different nutrients, and they could go all day without eating as long as they had their beer.
Beer today has a special part of Munich's history and many traditions are still holding strong. For example, back during king Leudwigs time there was a special celebration in honor of his marriage. The celebration went on for many days, and because they had so much fun during this celebration they decided to make it an every year event, which is now known worldwide as Oktoberfest.
Munich is such an incredible city. There is so much to see, and so much to do, new foods to try and culture to soak in. We could spent a week here and we still wouldn't see everything. The history that is preserved here is amazing, and I have to say I can't complain about the abundance of beer around here. Where else would you drink beer for breakfast?!
Highlights: Free walking tour, this lasted about 3 hours, and we got loads of information! Our guide was excellent and made it entertaining, and light hearted.
The beer halls, hofbrauhaus, and Augestiner
The market, we had cheese and meats,a dn bread from the market every day we were in Munich. The cheese was delicious, and there were so many to try!
We hit the road and traveled 30 km to Munich. Bavaria's capital for beer. While here we learned just how important beer was for the foundation of Munich. As the monks started brewing beer in the early 1300s they came up with the idea because they would fast all day long and would be hungry. While they weren't allowed to eat, they could drink...Enter beer. The monks called it liquid bread because it was high in calories and different nutrients, and they could go all day without eating as long as they had their beer.
Beer today has a special part of Munich's history and many traditions are still holding strong. For example, back during king Leudwigs time there was a special celebration in honor of his marriage. The celebration went on for many days, and because they had so much fun during this celebration they decided to make it an every year event, which is now known worldwide as Oktoberfest.
Munich is such an incredible city. There is so much to see, and so much to do, new foods to try and culture to soak in. We could spent a week here and we still wouldn't see everything. The history that is preserved here is amazing, and I have to say I can't complain about the abundance of beer around here. Where else would you drink beer for breakfast?!
Highlights: Free walking tour, this lasted about 3 hours, and we got loads of information! Our guide was excellent and made it entertaining, and light hearted.
The beer halls, hofbrauhaus, and Augestiner
The market, we had cheese and meats,a dn bread from the market every day we were in Munich. The cheese was delicious, and there were so many to try!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dachau concentration camp
A sombering day was ahead of us when we decided to see this first ever concentration camp. When arriving to the site by car I needed no sign, as we passed a huge barb wire fence surrounded with watchtowers I knew where we were. It was the same sight we have seen in every childhood history book.
We parked the car and decided to go on a tour of Dachau. We were here to learn and educate ourselves about the history of the world. We joined a English walking tour of the site which is almost all original buildings. These have only been preserved because of survivors of the concentration camp. After the war most germans didn't want to accept or remember what had happened at dachau. They wanted it to be destroyed. It was the survivors from almost all surrounding countries including Germany who protested to keep it as it was, as opposed to having just a small memorial. These people wanted the future generations to learn frthe what happened and to remember what had happened. "Never again" two words posted on one of the memorials. We walked through Dachau and learned of the day to day routines and punishing/torture that was bestowed upon the victims. As hard as it was to think of what happened, it is something that future generations should never forget.
A sombering day was ahead of us when we decided to see this first ever concentration camp. When arriving to the site by car I needed no sign, as we passed a huge barb wire fence surrounded with watchtowers I knew where we were. It was the same sight we have seen in every childhood history book.
We parked the car and decided to go on a tour of Dachau. We were here to learn and educate ourselves about the history of the world. We joined a English walking tour of the site which is almost all original buildings. These have only been preserved because of survivors of the concentration camp. After the war most germans didn't want to accept or remember what had happened at dachau. They wanted it to be destroyed. It was the survivors from almost all surrounding countries including Germany who protested to keep it as it was, as opposed to having just a small memorial. These people wanted the future generations to learn frthe what happened and to remember what had happened. "Never again" two words posted on one of the memorials. We walked through Dachau and learned of the day to day routines and punishing/torture that was bestowed upon the victims. As hard as it was to think of what happened, it is something that future generations should never forget.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Rothenburg
Tonight we are Relaxing with some German beer in our Hostel, and looking back on the day I feel like we have done so much. This morning feels like it was a week ago, but we don't want to miss anything! On Gunter's recommendation, we first head to an auto museum. This contained a mixture of old cars of famous people, and a lot of war machinery. There were two different museums to go into as well as an iMax. Its hard to describe but it was very interesting.
We buzzed through the museum and went on our way to Rothenburg. With not a single modern building in sight this medieval town is very charming, and historical. It is encircled by its original 14th century walls and has been preserved very well. Some of the town highlights include the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store, a tower where we climbed 200 stairs to get to the top, that overlooks the entire city with amazing vistas, and the kriminalmuseum, which provided a gruesome glimpse of the past, housing all manners of torture devices that were used during the medieval times - shame masks, devices to pull limbs off the accused, and crush different body parts, and cages where the accused would be put on display in the center of the village so they would be shamed.
We buzzed through the museum and went on our way to Rothenburg. With not a single modern building in sight this medieval town is very charming, and historical. It is encircled by its original 14th century walls and has been preserved very well. Some of the town highlights include the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store, a tower where we climbed 200 stairs to get to the top, that overlooks the entire city with amazing vistas, and the kriminalmuseum, which provided a gruesome glimpse of the past, housing all manners of torture devices that were used during the medieval times - shame masks, devices to pull limbs off the accused, and crush different body parts, and cages where the accused would be put on display in the center of the village so they would be shamed.
Arriving in Frankfurt
Our first overseas travel involved us talking our first exploratory trip to Europe. This involved a plane flight from moline Illinois, to Chicago and from Chicago, to Frankfurt Germany... Better known as Dauchland. Arriving in Frankfurt we found our rental car and began our venture to Mannheim where we were to meet my fathers friend Sven. We arrived in the afternoon after a adventurous trip down the autobahn. Wow do cars drive fast. You can pull into the fast lane only to be overtaken by a Mercedes m5 in a matter of seconds going 285km an hour or translated 185mph... think about that. One second you are trying to overtake a car with your rental and the next sec you are being tailed by a car having to slam on the brakes... Ours maxed out at 105 mph.
We arrived at Mannheim and checked in to the Steingenberger hotel. At first thought I wanted to just collapse on the bed... Next thought, I was in a new place/country/ world and wanted to explore. We went to the nearest Starbucks and got wi fi.
-Brandon
What next? Exploring! We head in to the city and try cheeses, and neueva wine, and bread.. We window shop and check out the latest european styles and look at all the German specialities.
By this time we are too meet up for dinner with Sven.
We arrive and dinner is being prepared, cutting the onion, baking the bread, and cooking the meat. I loved that it gave us time to chat and get to know one another. Maybe an hour and a half passed as we chatted about our travels and dinner was finally ready! It looked amazing...tomato sauce with onions peppers, and zucchini, Pork medallions, and cheeses...and it was! Sven and his wife were so hospitable they chatted with us until 10:30 or so about our plans. We had a nice time and after the night we were ready to head to bed and get a good nights sleep. Jet lag was setting in.
The next morning we got up and headed to see another friend, Gunter. We arrive at his home and we are greeted with warm welcomes and delicious food.
After lunch we headed into the town of Speyer. We saw an amazing cathedral, which the Germans call "the dome", it's 950 years old and still standing strong. Gunter was such a great guide, he showed us the history of the town as well as some German specialities. We had a crepe, (nutella, banana, and grand marnei), he showed us what neueva wine is, and got us Italian ice (my new favorite) I had pistachio, and Brandon had orange. That night we headed to the brewery for dinner- a German traditional restaurant. Not sure what to order because the menu was in German, I followed Gunter's recommendation on a traditional German plate, and Brandon went with another recommendation. Surprisingly, I liked what I got... A Liver meatball, a bratwarst, and something I still can pronounce, but still delicious, and what other than sourkatut to go with it. Brandon enjoyed spatzel and mushrooms with pork medallions. And we both enjoyed some good German beer.
Third day in Europe
Today we wake up... "it's 9:30" Brandon says. How did we sleep so late?! We won't admit it but we are still jet lagged. On our third day we have so much planned. We're not exactly sure what we are doing but we know for sure Gunter won't do us wrong.
We head up stairs for breakfast and are treated with fresh brewed kaffee. and asked to sit at the table. We proceed to eat nutella, a delectable breakfast spread, popular among Germans, and cold meats with toast. Completely satisfied already, we are then served eggs with bacon. Delicious. Heika, Gunter's wife (who says she is not a cook) has already cooked us two wonderful meals, what a treat.
We leave for heidleburg and head to the castle. What a Magnificent sight. Gunter, took very "gut"care of us. We went up into the castle and took a tour, learned about the history, and saw some amazing architecture.
After the tour, we head to wine country. To Germans, this means business... A half liter is the norm, however Gunter bought us a glass for 15 euros which meant we could essentially taste 70 different wines.... And a taste in Germany is more like an entire glass... (see picture) what a great tradition! And even better Gunter had us try a speciality dish from each winery.. (pictures coming soon) some of the best foods I have tried. They were nothing I have ever seen in the states, but DELICIOUS!!!
After many wines and good traditions we head back to Gunter's house for a glass of wine and to plan the next weeks. He has been so hospitable we couldn't ask for more. We are just about to head to bed and we are enjoying the wonderful accommodations (and German beer). DANKA GUNTER!!!
Our first overseas travel involved us talking our first exploratory trip to Europe. This involved a plane flight from moline Illinois, to Chicago and from Chicago, to Frankfurt Germany... Better known as Dauchland. Arriving in Frankfurt we found our rental car and began our venture to Mannheim where we were to meet my fathers friend Sven. We arrived in the afternoon after a adventurous trip down the autobahn. Wow do cars drive fast. You can pull into the fast lane only to be overtaken by a Mercedes m5 in a matter of seconds going 285km an hour or translated 185mph... think about that. One second you are trying to overtake a car with your rental and the next sec you are being tailed by a car having to slam on the brakes... Ours maxed out at 105 mph.
We arrived at Mannheim and checked in to the Steingenberger hotel. At first thought I wanted to just collapse on the bed... Next thought, I was in a new place/country/ world and wanted to explore. We went to the nearest Starbucks and got wi fi.
-Brandon
What next? Exploring! We head in to the city and try cheeses, and neueva wine, and bread.. We window shop and check out the latest european styles and look at all the German specialities.
By this time we are too meet up for dinner with Sven.
We arrive and dinner is being prepared, cutting the onion, baking the bread, and cooking the meat. I loved that it gave us time to chat and get to know one another. Maybe an hour and a half passed as we chatted about our travels and dinner was finally ready! It looked amazing...tomato sauce with onions peppers, and zucchini, Pork medallions, and cheeses...and it was! Sven and his wife were so hospitable they chatted with us until 10:30 or so about our plans. We had a nice time and after the night we were ready to head to bed and get a good nights sleep. Jet lag was setting in.
The next morning we got up and headed to see another friend, Gunter. We arrive at his home and we are greeted with warm welcomes and delicious food.
After lunch we headed into the town of Speyer. We saw an amazing cathedral, which the Germans call "the dome", it's 950 years old and still standing strong. Gunter was such a great guide, he showed us the history of the town as well as some German specialities. We had a crepe, (nutella, banana, and grand marnei), he showed us what neueva wine is, and got us Italian ice (my new favorite) I had pistachio, and Brandon had orange. That night we headed to the brewery for dinner- a German traditional restaurant. Not sure what to order because the menu was in German, I followed Gunter's recommendation on a traditional German plate, and Brandon went with another recommendation. Surprisingly, I liked what I got... A Liver meatball, a bratwarst, and something I still can pronounce, but still delicious, and what other than sourkatut to go with it. Brandon enjoyed spatzel and mushrooms with pork medallions. And we both enjoyed some good German beer.
Third day in Europe
Today we wake up... "it's 9:30" Brandon says. How did we sleep so late?! We won't admit it but we are still jet lagged. On our third day we have so much planned. We're not exactly sure what we are doing but we know for sure Gunter won't do us wrong.
We head up stairs for breakfast and are treated with fresh brewed kaffee. and asked to sit at the table. We proceed to eat nutella, a delectable breakfast spread, popular among Germans, and cold meats with toast. Completely satisfied already, we are then served eggs with bacon. Delicious. Heika, Gunter's wife (who says she is not a cook) has already cooked us two wonderful meals, what a treat.
We leave for heidleburg and head to the castle. What a Magnificent sight. Gunter, took very "gut"care of us. We went up into the castle and took a tour, learned about the history, and saw some amazing architecture.
After the tour, we head to wine country. To Germans, this means business... A half liter is the norm, however Gunter bought us a glass for 15 euros which meant we could essentially taste 70 different wines.... And a taste in Germany is more like an entire glass... (see picture) what a great tradition! And even better Gunter had us try a speciality dish from each winery.. (pictures coming soon) some of the best foods I have tried. They were nothing I have ever seen in the states, but DELICIOUS!!!
After many wines and good traditions we head back to Gunter's house for a glass of wine and to plan the next weeks. He has been so hospitable we couldn't ask for more. We are just about to head to bed and we are enjoying the wonderful accommodations (and German beer). DANKA GUNTER!!!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Hilo and Volcanos National Park
The next day we drove to the other side of the island with a goal of getting to Volcanos National Park. We packed our lunches and took off. Looking again at our guide book we decided on what we wanted to do that day. Driving along we saw a beautiful pull off along the shore and saw some boogie boarders hit some big waves. Further on we stopped at Hilo, a small college town, and very old, to get flashlights so we could explore the lava tubes. (a lava tube is when lava is flowing but the outside of it begins to cool down and harden while the inside is still very hot and continues to flow. The out side eventually creates a solid and the inner flows out creating a tube.) the tube we explored went on for ten miles, however we only went about a half mile in. Walking into complete darkness with only a flashlight can be a little spooky, especially when there are many parts that require crawling.
Driving further on we finally made it to the Park. We stopped at the visitor center to look around, get advice from the rangers, and grab a map. We decided on a scenic drive first to get an idea of what the park was like. There was an active volcano erupting while we were there, however we couldn't see anything because that area of the park was closed due to hazards. Next on the agenda was a hike. We chose a 4 mile loop that was so diverse and interesting. Kilauea Iki Trail starts in the rain forest on the crater's rim. The trail descends 400 feet through the rain forest, with native birds in the canopy, to the crater floor. We crossed the still-steaming crater floor, past the gaping throat of the vent that built Pu'u Pua'i cinder cone, and returned to our starting point via the crater's rim.
(pictures to come) and more on Hawaii
Driving further on we finally made it to the Park. We stopped at the visitor center to look around, get advice from the rangers, and grab a map. We decided on a scenic drive first to get an idea of what the park was like. There was an active volcano erupting while we were there, however we couldn't see anything because that area of the park was closed due to hazards. Next on the agenda was a hike. We chose a 4 mile loop that was so diverse and interesting. Kilauea Iki Trail starts in the rain forest on the crater's rim. The trail descends 400 feet through the rain forest, with native birds in the canopy, to the crater floor. We crossed the still-steaming crater floor, past the gaping throat of the vent that built Pu'u Pua'i cinder cone, and returned to our starting point via the crater's rim.
(pictures to come) and more on Hawaii
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