So way back around March 20, a group of us took a trip to Munich, one of my favorite cities! I love Munich. I went there around 10 years ago (yikes) when I was a Junior in high school. My brother, Chris, served his LDS church mission in that area and we went as a family the following Christmas. So amazing seeing it covered in Christmas decorations everywhere you looked!
This time was very different as it was March and there were no Christmas decorations to be seen. Still amazing. We started by walking through town on our way to the Hofbräuhaus. We just quickly saw the glockenspiel and sampled the amazing roasted candied almonds (aka pure drops of Heaven).
(Such a cool building!)
(Totally thought this was a statue. It's a painted man who moved and winked at me.)
We had a great dinner at Hofbräuhaus! It's a super fun place (may or may not have many drunken men in lederhosen...). They had traditional dancers and bands. It was so cool and the food was excellent!
Side story: directly across from the Hofbräuhaus is the Munich Hard Rock Cafe. Back when I went with my family over Christmas, we were there on Christmas Eve. Now, as anyone who has been in Europe on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, everything basically shuts down very early. So we were walking around Christmas Eve looking for a place to eat for dinner. Literally nothing was open... except for the lovely Hard Rock Cafe. So when I saw this gem I had to snap a picture and laugh at the memory of rocking out to Elvis songs on Christmas Eve in Munich Germany.
The next day we headed out to visit the beautiful castle of Neuschwanstein. We went to the train station and hit up the roasted candied almond stand first (priorities, people.) and then got on the train. It was just about an hour ride. We walked up the road and there on the hill the castle is just sitting there! Being all beautiful. They were sold out of tour tickets of the inside of the castle, but we got to go to the courtyard and look around. So cool!
(THOSE. ALMONDS. OMG)
(Gray day, but still beautiful).
(There it is. Just chillin on the hill)
(Wish you were here!)
(Zach, Dawn, Eric, Ryan, Adam, and Lauren with the beautiful scenery surrounding the castle)
(Super beautiful area)
(Ladies in front of the castle)
The train ride back to Munich was quite the adventure. We were on the train, enjoying ourselves and sitting across from a mom and her cute 3-4 year old boy. We were minding our own business when this kid ran over to Dawn and started playing with her long blonde hair. It was weird, but kind of cute. But then he did it again. And then would run at her and touch her feet/legs. So weird. Then the train slowed a bit and he fell over onto my feet. I thought he was using my leg to help him up. Then I felt pain. I looked down and this demon child was BITING my shin. Literally gnawing on it like a wild dog. I kind of tapped him on the head and said "UM HEY! STOP!" His mom pulled him off and put him in a straight jacket hold. She let up after awhile and the evil spawn started moving around the train again. Dawn and I jumped anytime he moved. So that's a train ride I'll always remember and look back on with shudders and fright...
That evening lead to another exciting tale. We went to dinner at a bar (Augistine maybe? I can't remember). We were sitting at a table near the door and we were ordering our food when all of a sudden, a drunken man in lederhosen comes up behind me and starts caressing my hair/head and saying something to the effect of "so pretty" in German. If those 2 events don't describe a perfect day, I don't know what does!
Maybe the next morning does. I woke up fairly early and headed towards the LDS church building in Munich! It ended up being 5 minutes from our hotel, which was awesome. I had such a great experience there! Even though I couldn't understand a word of Sacrament Meeting, it still felt wonderful to be there and felt just like home! After the meeting was over, I found Elder Rahlf! I knew he was serving in Munich and had hoped I had gone to the right ward (congregation) to run into him. He was there! Now there's some history here. I have 2 sisters and a brother. I also have 5 surrogate brothers from the Rahlf clan (and George and Lori are second parents to me). Dallin (Elder Rahlf) is the youngest of these 5 brothers. I was literally holding back tears when I saw him. I needed that feeling of family and home from him and going to church that day. I just love those Rahlf boys!
(Me and Elder Rahlf! I just love him).
(We love making weird faces)
We talked for a little while and then I met another set of missionaries that were serving in the area. Elder Rahlf introduced me and it turns out that one of them (Elder Sumsion) was from Kokomo, Indiana and knows my family! What a small world!
(Elder Rahlf and Elder Sumsion)
It was truly the best way to start my day, and probably one of my favorite experiences of this whole study abroad. It was amazing and just what I needed :)
I then ran back to the hotel and met up with the group as we traveled to Dachau, a concentration camp. This working camp was running the entire 12 years of that era. It was a humbling afternoon as we took the tour and learned of it's history. I do like learning about things like this, but it's still difficult to take in.
We had to cut our tour short to ensure we caught our bus back to Stuttgart. The bus ride back was not nearly as memorable as some of my other bite-infested modes of transport, but that's ok with me. It was a really great trip and I was reminded just how much I love Munich, Germany. Would go back in a heartbeat.
Much love,
-Sarah
Love that trout face!
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