Frohe Weihnachten! (und einen guten Rutsch)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I can't believe 2015 is almost over, so much in my life has changed since January and every day I feel lucky for all the wonderful experiences I've had this year. So, if you're reading this: thank you! You all are a big part of the reason I feel as lucky as I do, I'm grateful for each and every one of you.

I stayed in Europe for Christmas, and although it was a little bit strange not to be home (since this is the first time I've ever been without my family for the holidays) I had a wonderful time here. I spent the Christmas holidays with my friends Christina and Martin, spending the first few days with Martin's family in Eglofs in Allgäu, a region in southern Germany and then the next few days (including today) with Christina's family in Niederndorf in Tirol, a region in western Austria. It was so nice to spend the holidays with friends and their families, and it was also fun to see some parts of Germany and Austria that I hadn't been to yet!

And now: pictures! (Christina took quite a few of these as well with the camera she got for Christmas!)

This is Allgäu, where Martin's family lives. Still very green even though it's December (although normally there would be snow), and the hills and meadows there are very peaceful--a very relaxing place to spend Christmas.



I also made some new friends here; Martin's family keeps goats! I'm sure you've all seen the photos from Facebook, but I can't seem to stop posting more because I think they're so cute!



My new friend Heidi smiling for the camera.



The lovely Christmas tree.



This nativity scene was built by Martin's father, and the figures were carved by his uncle.



Here we are after opening gifts: (from left to right starting in the back) me, Martin, Christina, Moni (Martin's mother), Theresia (Martin's sister), Rudi (Martin's father), Peter (Martin's brother) and Geli (Martin's twin). In Germany presents are opened on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas morning and are brought by the Christkind, baby Jesus. So after we got back from Catholic service on Christmas Eve (which was hard to follow not only because I was raised Protestant, but also because it was in German!) we came back home and opened presents. I hadn't expected anything, so I was surprised to be given a wonderful book of German recipes from Moni, a book about the history of a little town called Wangen that I fell in love with when we went for a visit, and a voucher for a tour of the city as well. It was all so kind of them, since these were all very thoughtful gifts.



On Christmas Day after some more delicious food cooked by Moni (see the apple strudel above!), Martin, Christina, and I left for Christina's house in Niederndorf, Austria. This is yet another little town just a few minutes away from the border with Germany and quite near to the Austrian Alps. The dialect here in Austria is quite difficult for me to understand, it's definitely been a chance to improve my practical German by learning a bit of dialect!



Overlooking the neighboring town of Kufstein is an old military fort dating back to 1200 which we visited on the 26th, and it goes without saying that I was completely thrilled by it. So much fascinating history! It was besieged by the Bavarians 1703 and once held accused witches and revolutionaries in its prison.




The protected pathway leading up to the fortress.



Towers and fortified walls. The walls in the prison are as thick as 7 meters!



I may have been born in the wrong century to be a knight, but I can certainly pretend to be one using a cutout intended for children.



A book of herbs and a cauldron belonging to a convicted witch in the 1400s.

I also had a little cooking lesson from Andrea, we made Griesbrei, a porridge-like meal from flour, milk, and butter. Very easy but very delicious!



Cooking.



Our finished product.

Yesterday we went on a hike in the Kaisertal, a valley close to where Christina lives with picturesque views of the Alps and of Kufstein below.



On the path--it looked like a postcard, I still can hardly believe it was real because it was so beautiful. Christina pointed out that I spent most of the hike gushing about how beautiful everything was, but we don't think that's a bad thing. I used to think that everything had to have a purpose, had to have some kind of greater philosophical meaning, but one thing I've begun to learn during my time abroad is that sometimes beautiful things are just beautiful, and that to notice that beauty and enjoy it is enough.



Me with the spectacular Austrian Alps. The peak on the left is called Elmauer Halt, just in case anyone was interested. Our goal was the Antoniuskapelle, a tiny church in the valley with the peaks behind it built in 1711.




Yet another post card picture. It looks like something from a movie, so beautiful I could hardly believe it was real. I couldn't help but think of The Sound of Music. 



Here I am in front of the Kapelle with a new friend we made, this beautiful white dog who wanted to play with us! He came right up and put his nose to my hand, very friendly and sweet. Such a beautiful and lively dog fit right in with this wonderful and peaceful and very alive place. It's hard not to fall in love with beautiful Austria.



A sunset of view of our journey back out of the valley, the building below is Fortress Kufstein, yet another reason why it's easy for me to forget that i'm in Europe as a modern university student and not as a character in a fairy tale.

It seems that everywhere I go I leave a piece of my heart behind, and Allgäu and Tirol are no exception. It was wonderful to spend Christmas here with friends, and I'm reminded daily that my life is mine to enjoy and to live, and the fact that things are beautiful and I get to see them will always be more than enough.

Happy New Year, everyone, and I hope you all find something beautiful.

Fairy Tales Do Come True

Wow, has it been a long time since I last updated. Not because I've given up on the blog, but just because my life has been a whirlwind for the last month and a half. A wonderful, exciting, wouldn't-trade-it-for-anything whirlwind, but still insanely busy nonetheless. My activities from the last 6 weeks include: a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace, a week in Berlin, the start of my classes at the Ludwig-Maximillian-Universität, hiking in the Alps, and endless adventures through the lovely city that I'm now lucky enough to call home. Let's start with some pictures of what I call our "castle day," for pretty obvious reasons. 

This is Hohenschwangau Castle, built by King Maximillian II of Bavaria beginning in 1837. This castle was just a quick stop on a way to a much bigger and more famous castle just across from Hohenschwangau, but I still found it interesting, very resolutely medieval, like a fortress on the top of the hill. From here we began the hike up to our next destination, which took about 30 minutes. 

This is the first view you get of Castle Neuschwanstein, built by King Ludwig II, the son of Maximillian II, which is nested on a cliffside overlooking Hohenschwangau. I loved the way it looked in the fog, mysterious and somewhat threatening. The castles sinister impression is even more evident in the interior of the castle (which cannot be photographed)--but the best description I have for it is that it looks like something that a king who is often considered insane would build. The interior is somewhat Byzantine, very unlike the fairy-tale-esque exterior: all dark colors and imposing structures architecture. 

This is Neuschwanstein from a view point about a ten minute hike from the entrance to the castle. 

This is the view from the balcony of Neuschwanstein with Hohenschwangau in the lower right. As difficult as it must have been to build a castle nestled into the cliffs the way Neuschwanstein is, I see why Ludwig would have demanded that it be built here, the view is undeniably spectacular. After Neuschwanstein we got back in our bus and headed towards another castle built by Ludwig, Linderhof. Our route took us through the corner of Austria, which was actually my first trip outside Germany since I've been here. 

The Austrian Alps out the window of our bus, hiding in the clouds. I grew up in the Rockies and am no stranger to spectacular mountain ranges, but the Alps never fail to take my breath away. I say every time I see somewhere new that I've never seen anything so beautiful. 

We took a break by this lake in the Austrian Alps. The fog from earlier faded to a cool and sunny afternoon, and we enjoyed putting our feet in the water and listening to the wind in the early autumn leaves. 

Two of my friends from my program having some fun in the playground by the lake. 

This is Linderhof Castle, my favorite place we visited that day. This was also built by King Ludwig II in a neo-baroque style--he was never satisfied with the castles he had and was even planning a new one at the time of his death. Before our tour we spent about 40 minutes wandering through the garden and enjoying the view! 

A fountain in the garden. 

A sculpture on the side of the castle. 

The garden as seen from the castle. 

I know this is a poor quality picture, but I wanted to post it anyway because of how cool this place was. This is the Grotto, a tiny underground personal opera theater Ludwig had built in the gardens for himself. Richard Wagner was a friend of his and he loved his operas, and they were often performed just for him. The Grotto even had electric mood lighting in various colors and a tiny waterfall that could be turned on and off! I wish I could see an opera there, it really was the perfect setting for Richard Wagner! 

Our lost stop was the Monastery in the tiny town of Ettal. What a beautiful church! The Berlin Cathedral (which I'll have some pictures of in my next post!) reminded me of this church. The monastery is famous also for Ettaler Liqueur, which was of course brought along by our professors for us to sample! 

The beautiful painting in the inside of the church. 

Looking back on it I find it hard to believe I really went to all these places. And what's even more amazing to me is that I don't even have to leave my city to see beautiful historic places. Whenever I'm having a hard time, whether it's because I'm frustrated with the difficulty of studying in my second language or because I'm a little homesick, I think to myself that I must be, in my own way, the luckiest person in the world. I'm living in the most wonderful city I've ever been to and every day is an adventure. Whenever I think that it's too hard or that I can't do it, I think to myself that nothing worth having ever comes easy. I am living the life I have always dreamed of living. I know if I could talk to 13 year old me, a middle school girl just as awkward and directionless as every other middle-schooler, she would be amazed at where I am now. As hard as it can be sometimes, I haven't once forgotten that this is my dream and, more than anything I've ever had, it's worth fighting for. 

Check back soon for pictures of my Berlin trip and for some updates about my semester! (It's too much to tackle all at once) Schöne Grüße aus München! 

Buchenberg, The Alps, and (Even More) History

Hi everyone!  

Today marks exactly three weeks since I arrived in Munich, and the more I think about the fact the more unbelievable it seems, three months seems much more accurate. I can't believe all of the exciting things I've done since I've been here, and it's so exciting that I still have ten more months in this wonderful place. I have some more pictures to share of all of my adventures. 

Last week we went on a short trip to Buchenberg, a tiny Bavarian town nestled at the base of the alps. Traveling there almost felt like going back in time, it was so beautiful and peaceful! 

This is the complex where we stayed while in Buchenberg, it was actually part of a zen seminar center. Very interesting place. 

This little house sits on the edge of the complex, the zen master lives part time inside. 

The day after we arrived we went on a little hike, there were all kinds of beautiful trails to explore within walking distance of where we were staying. The forest was so lush and green, it reminded me a lot of Tacoma, but rugged like the Rockies. The sound of a little creek set the perfect atmosphere for our little afternoon adventure. 

The three days we were there were spent cooking meals together, spending the day in grammar class, and in the evenings sitting in the common room doing homework, playing games, or drinking a beer to unwind from the stress of 4 hours of day of German grammar. Our favorite game was called "Looping Louie," which is actually a children's game. The goal is to keep the little electronic airplane from hitting your home base, and all you do to play is press a lever. This simple game provided countless hours of entertainment, and even our teachers couldn't resist joining in!

Here's a picture of the action--the woman on the left in pink is Christel, our history/literature professor, and the man on the right is Ralf, our program director. This game was much more appealing than the alternative, which was homework! 

On our last day in Buchenberg our teachers decided to cut our afternoon classes short and instead spend the afternoon exploring a nearby park. Here I got my first real view of the Alps, and I have to say that they were somehow even more spectacular than I ever imagined they would be. 

This beautiful view was from the parking lot, of all places! All of us Americans felt as though we had left civilization and stepped instead into a scene from The Sound of Music. (Even though that was Austria, not Germany!) The whole place looked like it should be on a postcard. 

We spent 40 minutes or so sitting on the edge of this beautiful little lake. A few of us went swimming and the rest of sat enjoying the fall sunshine after three days of cool temperatures and rain. 

After relaxing for a while we climbed up farther into the hills to explore. At this point I was longing to be in those mountains in the distance--I can't wait to do some backpacking in those beautiful Alps! 

Doesn't this look like it should be a postcard? It was so tranquil here, the only sounds were laughter, the wind, and the chiming of the bells these cows were wearing around their necks. I could have sat here forever. 

The hills are alive! 

And with that, it was time to return to the city. I would have been sad to leave such a peaceful place, but I love Munich more than I've ever loved any place I've ever been. It's such a vibrant, exciting place, I actually feel as though it's alive, with its own personality. It was time now for a few more historical excursions! 

This is Odeonsplatz, one of the main squares of the old city. Does it look familiar? It was the site of several very important events in the history of the Third Reich, including Hitler's attempted coup in 1923. Here's a picture I got from the wikipedia entry on this event: 

It hasn't changed much, has it? It was so amazing to actually be standing here, the feeling of connection with history is one I've experienced a lot since I've been here, but it isn't a feeling I think I'll ever get tired of. As part of our homework (my favorite kind of homework) we went next to the Alte Peter, the oldest church in Munich, even though it doesn't look it. As we learned in class, the church was built in the 1150s but it was "improved" by subsequent generations who believed their artistic sensibilities were superior. So this church looks much more Baroque than Gothic. I wish I could have seen it as it once was, but it's nonetheless beautiful. I particularly loved the paintings on the roof:

This church also had a very interesting feature: the relics of Saint Munditia, a Christian martyr thought to have died in about 310 AD. Looking at her bones, covered in jewels and gold, was a very eerie experience, one that almost tempted me into renouncing my evangelical roots and current skepticism and converting to Catholicism! These relics have a kind of power that is impossible to define or describe. 

A little eerie, but undeniably beautiful. 

This is about it for now, but coming soon: Oktoberfest, a trip to some castles this Wednesday, and on October 3, a week in Berlin! 

Tschüss! 

Pictures!

Today I thought I would share a few photos I've taken in Munich, since I haven't posted very many yet. The city is truly beautiful and I'm excited to share it with all of you now. (Click on the pictures for more detail!)

This is the Neues Rathaus is has served as Munich's city hall since 1874. The gothic architecture is beautiful, and at 5:00 every day the Glockenspiel chimes a beautiful song instead of just marking the time. You can take an elevator up to the top of the highest tower, which I have some pictures of a bit later. 

This is the Karlstor, a structure which one served as an entry gate into the city of Munich, built in the early 1700s. There are several other gates like this in the city, all beautifully restored. I was very excited about the medieval/Renaissance style drawings on the sides. 

Of course I had to take a picture with the gate, because I was very excited about it.

This is Sendlinger Tor, another of the old gates to the city. This one is directly next to the main building of the Ludwig Maximillians Universität, where I will begin studying in October. 

This is the interior of Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), one of the oldest churches in Munich. (Built in 1488.) It's hard to see in this picture, but all the windows are made with stunning stained glass depicting saints, the Virgin Mary, and the trial and death of Christ. We were lucky enough to be here while a service was going on in an adjoining chapel; the sounds of organ music and Latin singing set the mood perfectly. 

This is the grave of Ludwig IV von Bayern (Louis IV), Holy Roman Emperor 1328-1347, which is inside the Frauenkirche. The picture doesn't do the ornate and beautiful stone the cenotaph is made from justice. 

This is the Frauenkirche as seen from the highest tower of the Neues Rathaus. Restoration work is currently being done on one of the towers, which is what the white scaffolding is for. 

This is another view from the Rathaus tower. From this angle you can really appreciate all the beautiful buildings in the city, my friends and I stayed up here for a long time looking around, contemplating how lucky we were to be living in such a beautiful and historic city. The building in the center left of the photo is the Altes Rathaus, which served as Munich's city hall from about 1310 until the Neues Rathaus was finished in 1874. The Grand Hall in this building was also the site of a famous speech made by Joseph Goebbels (the propaganda minister for the Nazi Party) which incited Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass), a pogrom against the Jews of Germany which took place on 9 November 1938. 

This is the exterior of perhaps my favorite building so far, the Michaelskirche (Church of St. Michael). This statue depicts St. Michael slaying a demon. The church was built in 1583 and was a central location in the Counter-Reformation. 

This is the interior of the Michaelskirche. Not even a thousand pictures could properly convey the feeling you get when you step inside this building for the first time. Every detail is so sharply rendered, the wall is covered with beautiful Baroque style paintings of Saints and Apostles, the golden carvings surrounding the altar sparkle in the sunlight, and the beautiful geometric patterns on the ceiling draw the eye towards various shrines to Saints and the Virgin Mary. There is something eerie about being in a church like this, one feels almost as though it is alive. After being inside it seems obvious how this Church was a spiritual stronghold of the Counter-Reformation; in every way it is the product of thousands of years of Catholic tradition, all of which seems somehow contained by the crucifix that stands on the altar, the point to which all eyes are drawn. This building is truly beautiful in a way that cannot by words or pictures be properly explained. 

In case it isn't already clear, I'll say now that I'm having a wonderful time in Munich, and I still cannot believe that I am lucky enough to live in such a beautiful and historic city. I have fallen completely in love with this place, and I can't wait to see more of the amazing things Munich has to offer.