Gift guide: Art

1. SLR Pin hole lens - A simple way to capture some of the old world beauty with sophisticated digital results. (image photojojo)

2. iConvert® Portable Document and Photo Scanner - Portable scanning for books, photos, receipts, etc. (image brookstone)

3. Caran D'ache Water Soluble Crayon Sets - Turns drawings into watercolor paintings. (image Caran D'ache)

4. Japanese washi tape - Pretty way to jazz up letters, packages, and more. I brought back quite a few of these when we went to Japan last year. (image masking tape)

5. One sketch a day journal - Great for illustrators and those who enjoy drawing for daily creativity. (image amazon)

6. Muji Paperclips - Beautiful monuments from around the world. (image Muji)

7. How to be an Explorer of the World - Creative projects to do in day to life for inspiration to stop and notice the details. (image amazon)

8. Glow Graffiti - For those aspiring to be the next Banksy. (image uncommon goods)

9. Instant photo mirror - Because everyone loves polaroids. (image uncommon goods)

10. Seletti Pantone boxes - Fun and stylish storage solution. (image Seletti)

11. Graphtec / Quickutz Silhouette SD Craft Cutter - Media cutter to create custom magnets, vinyl, and paper. (image Graphtec)

12. Color Splash Flash - Photo effects through unique color combinations and it's as much fun to use as it is to say. (image photojojo)

Japanfest

Ever since I read about Japanfest a couple years ago I wanted to go. This year we were fortunate not to miss it.

I can't exactly say the festival was what I expected. There were performances, many beautiful kimonos, adorable children, and various demonstrations, which we enjoyed.

A lot of the German youth seemed to treat it as Halloween as they dressed up as their favorite manga character or dressed in bizarre costumes. We were amazed that so many owned such elaborate outfits and oddly colored contact lenses.

It was also fantastic to have some of our favorite dishes from when we visited Japan - taiyaki, sushi, and matcha ice cream.

We also recently went to a restaurant in Haidhausen called Nomiya, which is an interesting mix of Bavarian + Japanese if you're looking for something slightly offbeat.

Obori

It often happens that I will walk past several bakeries, being very indecisive, and then come home empty handed. I tell myself I will go out later to get bread and that it's not that big of an effort. My neighborhood, as nearly any corner of Munich, has loads of bakeries. It seems streets here are typically hairdresser, restaurant, pharmacy, bakery - repeat.

That being said, the bakeries are not created equal. Especially for an elitist bread snob like myself.

The issue is... I think I'm among the few that doesn't love bread. I know, everyone comes and tells me how much they love it, and they go on and on (especially about the pretzels). It has to be really special or really good for me to consider it. I only like certain breads and not the kind that looks like a sponge (you know, the brown one that all of the senior citizens enjoy that they serve up with the obatzda at the biergartens).

To make matters worse I've been forced to get creative. My go to place for bread across town (at the train station) has not had my favorite Tomato Ciabatta / Tomate Panne the last couple times I've been, which is slowly becoming less and less often. Not all is lost though. There is an incredible bakery called Obori in Haidhausen that has answered my wishes.

Epi, Fougasse, baguettes, and of course delicious and gorgeous pastries... they have them all. The Japanese women that own the shop even bring the politeness that is at times lacking here. Even more reason to continually go back.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year is extra special, because it's also the Chinese New Year / Year of the Tiger!

We celebrated with a much deserved dinner after a full day of packing. Thankfully everything will be finished by this time next week, including furniture deliveries. (Can I tell you how happy I will be when this is finally over?)

For dinner we went to Emiko, a restaurant that opened shortly before we left for our trip, in the new Louis hotel at Viktualienmarkt. The food is Japanese inspired and it was excellent. Lots of tiny portions served family style, which ensured a lot of variety. They also had a lot of little origami decorations hanging around for a sweet touch.

It was such a great way to celebrate - a mix of old favorites (a bottle of one of our favorite wines, Grüner Veltliner) and new classics (touches of Japan when we're missing Tokyo).

New Hotel on the Market

I always stop at Viktualienmarkt to purchase berries and delicious foods. It's definitely a place where tourists and locals alike flock to for a quick lunch or specialty ingredients to make meals at home.

Right by the auction house there has been a lot of action for what seems like an eternity. A new chic façade has replaced the scaffolding and left a beautiful sight in its place - the Louis hotel. I'm glad that we finally have a design hotel here in Munich and what a fantastic location!

You can read a bit more about it at design hotels. I'm also looking forward to trying their new Japanese restaurant (Restaurant Emiko) and Asian Tea.

Hopefully we'll be able to try the restaurant out before our trip. It opens September 9th.

Can you believe we leave for our adventure around the world 3 weeks from today?

SOUR '日々の音色 (Hibi no neiro)'

Mary Beth posted about this amazing video and I am just bewildered at the creativity and ingenuity behind it.

(video from Sour, via Mary Beth, via booooooom)

Oh how I can't wait to get to Japan in just a few short months on our around the world adventure. I'll update more about that soon!

Probiotics

My mom is quite health conscious and always reads medical literature. While I prefer travel literature, I'm blessed that she passes her knowledge on to me, which is one of the reasons I started using probiotics.

My favorite is this little Japanese drink called Yakult. It's similar to a drinkable yogurt, although I compare the taste to key lime pie, and it has more healthy bacteria than yogurt. I prefer the sugar light variety, although I never had the regular one with the red packaging.

When my Mom visited, she was finally able to see what I was talking about and she also enjoyed it. The problem is it's not readily available in the US outside of heavily populated Asian communities, which Ohio is lacking. It looks like something Trader Joe's (which is surprisingly owned by, the German company, Aldi), should carry.

Until then, I think of my Mom every morning as I drink my tiny Yakult.

Orikane

Orikane is the art of dollar bill folding, similar to Origami or as some say 'Moneygami'. When we were married we received many cash gifts. I think this may be more customary in Germany and also due to the fact I was moving. The money was not simply placed in an envelope - it was presented. We received a 'cactus', which was a cucumber with money sticking out in every direction, a 'shirt' that said they'd give us the shirt off their back, 'butterflies' with homemade jams, and many organaza bags filled with notes. They were all very unique and memorable. 

I was looking for creative ways to give money with an orchid and art work when I came across the Dollar Artist. 

I remember folding notes in school and making them into hearts or one that you could pull a tab to open. I'd wanted to do something sweet and romantic to fit the wedding theme, but then something like the elephant looks so precious. Last we heard they were considering a trip to India for their honeymoon, so I thought we could write something about using the money towards elephant food and I'd make an Orikane elephant. 

Not so simple...

These sites look wonderful, however I didn't have much patience with tiny folds - and the fact that Euros aren't the same size as US dollars, so I resorted to the old stand by - hearts. I think it turned out nicely. 

I'm already looking forward to seeing what a Bavarian wedding is all about and to welcome Steffi to the family.

Visitor's Guide to Munich

I have previously written about my favorite things in Munich, which you can get to by clicking the link. Other posts about Munich can be found here.

If you're visiting Munich on a budget, you can see my favorite things to do while spending only 30€ a day here.

...and if you are looking for information about Oktoberfest click here.

If you are an expat or new to Munich also check out Internations, which is a networking resource to get out and meet other expats in your new city.

Obviously the list will continue to grow and I will do my best to update it when I stumble upon great things.

These are some of the restaurants + stores that I enjoy and hopefully some helpful info for tourists. Please let me know if you have questions or are planning a trip by commenting on any post. I'll do what I can to help!

Some of my favorite restaurants - addresses and locations can be found on the respective websites. I've marked my favorites with a star.★

Inexpensive

• Vapiano - open kitchen Italian. German chain that is opening in the US.
• Gast - open kitchen pizzas, pastas, salads, + rice dishes
• Ocui - open kitchen pizzas, pastas, salads, + rice dishes [review]
• Kaimug - Thai
• ★ Taco Libre - Chipotle-esque tacos, quesadillas, and burritos [review]
• Dean + David - fresh salads, wraps, and specialty dishes
• Schnelle Liebe - pastas, salads, + focaccias
• ★ Stachaus Passagen - lots of inexpensive food options in a beautiful space
• ★ Le Buffet - top floor of Oberpollinger department store (right near Karlsplatz). Upscale cafeteria with great food, a beautiful roof top dining area, and huge portions. The stir fry is my favorite.
• Pasta e Basta - Italian. I've never been, but I always hear it's very inexpensive with large portions. Many dishes are less than 6€.
• If you are looking for a grocery in the city, they are located in the basement of many of the department stores.

Beer gardens + Bavarian food

• You may want to sample various beers from different companies, or if you are partial to one you can visit their specific biergarten.
• A word to the wise - if you go to Hofbräuhaus you will be amongst tourists. You can walk through without eating there. The food is better elsewhere.
• Stammtisch - this is the table designated for the regulars, it typically has a table cloth and sign. Don't sit there.
• You can bring your own food into the biergartens, although not the outdoor restaurant area that is served. Bringing your own beer is 'verboten'.
• Michaelibad - a bit off the beaten track, located in the multi cultural Ostpark. Scenic with a nice pond.
• ★ Paulaner am Nockherberg- sit down restaurant + beer garden. My favorite place for Bavarian food. Mostly locals.
• ★ Wirtshaus in der Au - knödel dumplings and great Bavarian food in a quiet neighborhood. 
• Hofbräukeller + Biergarten at Wienerplatz - a nice neighborhood biergarten in Haidhausen with many trees. [it's beautiful, but a bit trendy and can be difficult to find a place to sit]
• ★ Augustiner Keller - Home to Munich's beloved beer with a great beer hall atmosphere and affordable food.
• Hirschgarten - large park + biergarten complete with 'hirsch' (deer).
• ★ Chinesischer Turm - Chinese tower located in the Englischer Garten. Live music and a mix of tourists and locals.

Nicer dinners

• Tramin - reputed to be the best restaurant in the city with an inventive menu
• Cocoon - mixed menu with interesting combinations
• ★ zum Goldenen Kalb - the best steak house in the city
• Brenner Grill - pastas and Italian foods
• Hippocampus - mixed menu with a large variety of fish - beautiful courtyard

Unique / Specialty

• ★ Nero - exquisite wood fired pizzas with terrific value. One of my favorites.
• Bernard + Bernard - crepes. Located at Innerer-Wiener-Str. 32 (Haidhausen) - small restaurant with delicious variety.
• ★ Ganesha - Indian. My heart swells for this food + it's the best I've found in the city. 
• ★ Pavesi Picnic - modern Indian inspired dishes in a beautiful atmosphere. 
• Welser - Kuche - medieval dinner complete with ancient recipes (located under the Feldhernnhalle at Odeonsplatz)
• ★ The Burger House - the very best burgers in all of Munich, even for an American. 
• Blind Angel - dinner in the dark
• Pommes Boutique - french fries with 20 sauces
• Condesa - Tacos, burritos, and quesadillas 
• ★ Fei Scho - dim sum with Bavarian influences [review]
• Cosmo Grill - gourmet burgers
• ★ LaBaracca - Italian style tapas with a self serve wine bar
• ★ Milagros - charming + authentic Mexican food
• ★ Nomiya - Bavarian meets Japanese 
• ★ Sababa - awesome and inexpensive falafels at Viktualienmarkt 
• Emiko - small portion Japanese inside the Louis Hotel.
• Sasou - quick asian dishes (mainly Japanese) with a beautiful interior
• Sushi + soul - sushi
• Mao - chinese
• ★ Cyclo - vietnamese 
• Schneewittchen - a beautiful little café with coffee + pastries
• Theresa - great atmosphere with a wide array of grilled foods
• UniLounge - lounge bar with a beautiful interior. Many young people + students.
• Lorenzo Corno gelato (Hohenzollernstraße 44) - my favorite taste of Italian gelato in Munich.
• ★ Ballabeni gelato (Theresienstraße 46) - serves the same gelato as Lorenzo Corno's, but closer to the city center. You'll be dreaming of this for a long time!
• Schubeck's ice cream - specialty flavors
• Sarcletti's ice cream - specialty flavors
• Der verrückte eis macher - really off beat ice cream, weißwurst, sweet mustard, Augustiner...
• Gesellschaftsraum - an interesting fusion menu with very unusual parings [review]
• ★ Negroni - the best cocktail bar in the city
• ★ Maelu - incredible pastries 

Shopping

• ★ Stancsics - specialty truffles + chocolates (try the salt chocolate!)
• Stolberg- high end chocolates
• ★ Schrannenhalle - Indoor market with individual stalls. It's lovely. 
• Dallmayr - Munich's high end grocery. You can get lunch to go, or specialty items to take home
• Käfer - another upscale grocery with a large selection
• Tea House - an enormous assortment of loose tea, candy with tea, tea pots... everything tea related
• Angermaier - nice 'tracht' (dirndls + lederhosen)
• Fünf Höfe - architecturally stunning shopping mall in the city center. Great place for inexpensive meals.
• Muji - Japanese 'no brand' store
• Alessi - design store inside Fünf Höfe
• Obacht' - modern Bavarian souvenirs
• ★ servus heimat - another great shop for modern Bavarian / Munich items
• Hugendubel English - Book store with English books + magazines
• Literatur Moths - an interesting book shop with a modern selection - the children's books are particularly nice.
• Kleidermarkt - vintage, thrift, and new clothing... always something new. 
• ★ Bears + Friends - exotic gummy candies - if you like spicy things try the chili peppers. I love them. The tea leaves are delicious, too. 
• ★ COS - collection of style... my favorite clothing store
• ★ Globetrotter - impressive outdoor / travel store with many interesting elements
• ★ Kokolores - a great stationery/curiosities shop in a great neighborhood
• Magazin - design store inside Fünf Höfe with many Scandinavian designers represented
• Kokon - home wares
• Kare - home wares + unique furniture
• Kochgut - anything you'd want for a well designed kitchen
• Butlers - entertaining + kitchen accessories with unique table settings
• Das Depot - modern homewares and inexpensive seasonally themed gifts
• 1260 Grad - handmade dishwear by Petra Fischer
• Janik + Janik - a tiny, but beautiful stationery and gift shop
• Carta Pura - unique and specialty papers
• Semicolon - another paper shop with a decent selection
• Engel + Bengel - design oriented gifts for little ones and moms to be

*my favorite gifts to take home are : exotic honey, jams, teas, chocolates, curry ketchup, gummy candies, creamy balsamics, and mustards. They have an enormous variety for each of these.

There are also a large assortment of Birkenstock sandals, which are one of the few things that seem to be cheaper here than in other countries. (My favorites are the Madrid style).

Tourist information offices

• Pick up brochures and other information about Munich and surrounding cities. Locations at the Hauptbahnhof (near Busbahnhof) and in Marienplatz.
• A helpful pdf file can be downloaded here (in English): Young and about in Munich
• Prepare for your trip while looking at Munich Daily Photo

Subways + Public Transport

• Public transport here is safe, affordable, efficient, and widely used.
• Coming from the airport you will need to purchase a ticket. While the transport is based on the honor system, being fined 40€+ per person won't leave you happy. For additional information about traveling to and from the airport click here.
• Group tickets are good for up to 5 people and are good for the entire day.
• Maps and bus plans can be obtained free of charge at tourist information or at the Marienplatz underground MVV office.
• Buying a weekly ticket is sometimes the best option. Depending on how far you want to travel (how many rings). They offer unlimited travel within the number of selected rings. Be aware this will not work to get you to the airport, unless you purchase the more expensive ticket, which defeats the purpose.
• Tickets can be used on straßenbahns, Ubahns, Sbahns, and buses. The same ticket is valid on all modes of public transport.
• Validate your ticket in the blue box - the only needs to be done once at the start of your journey. Weekly tickets do not need to be validated, nor do those with the date pre-stamped.
• Subway doors do not open automatically - you will need to push the button or pull the handle.
• Use the MVV route planner (also in English) - it can tell you the fastest routes and you will see more of the city if you're not always taking the subway.
• Straßenbahn 17 is known as the sightseeing line - take a ride and hop off when you see something interesting.

Best City Views

• Alte Peter - not for the faint of heart. It's a climb, but the views are worth it. My favorite time is at dusk to watch the sunset. I also like having Frauenkirche in the view (I took the above photo there)
• Frauenkirche - elevator ride to see Munich from above. 3€.
• Olympiadorf - this is student housing, however there's a great view on the 15th floor roof terrace. On a good day you can see the Alps.
• Olympia tower - large panorama of the city
• Olympiaberg - for those less inclined to heights, is a large hill made entirely out of trash from WWII that also provides great views of the city + Olympic park
• Olympic tent climbing - walk along the tent tops from the 1972 Olympics

Popular things to do in and around Munich

• Free city tour - This 3 hour walking tour meets daily at 10:45am + 11:45am in Marienplatz in front of Mary's Column (the golden statue). Workers get paid by tips. Very informative and a nice inner city tour.
• If you come with children have them look for the 'Münchener Kind' or lions (the symbols of Munich)... they are everywhere.
• Visit one of the parks - Englischer Garten + Ostpark are large and distinctly different. Munich is very much a city that loves it's 'green lung'.
• Check out the Eisbach surfers - Yes, in the middle of the city.
• Look at Munich Tourist info's suggested itinerary based on the number of days for your visit.
• Nymphenburg Palace + Gardens - Baroque summer palace built in the late 1600s.
• Deutsches Museum - the world's largest technology + science museum.
• Glyptotech - Greek and Roman antiquities
• Alte Pinokothek - Middle age through Rococo European paintings
• Neue Pinokotek - Late 18th to early 20th century art
• Pinokotek der Modern - modern works in various media
• Brandhorst - the city's newest museum featuring an impressive contemporary collection
• Lenbachhaus - 'Blauer Reiter' (blue rider) and 'Munich School' works featuring Klee + Kandinsky
• Haus der Kunst - temporary art exhibits
• Kunst Halle fünf höfe - changing exhibits in a beautiful exhibition space
• Allianz arena tour - English tours of Bayern Munich stadium at 1:30pm daily. Approx. 10€
• Andechs - brewery run by Monks in suburbia Munich.
• Neuschwanstein - King Ludwig II's castle that inspired the Disney castles.
• Dachau - Former concentration camp. Educational and informative, although depressing and prepare for voyeurs. This is a memorial - dress appropriately. Closed Mondays.
• Salzburg - beautiful Baroque city in Austria. 2 hours by train.
• Regensburg - medieval city that survived most WWII damage. Approx. 2 hour train ride.
• Nürnberg - famed for their 'lebkuchen' (christmas cookies) that can be bought year round. Approx. 2 hour train ride.
• Augsburg - once a major trade city during Roman times. Now a college town. The Romantische Straße scenic drive goes through this city.
• Chiemsee - uncompleted replica of Versailles with small islands featuring a nunnery and monastery
• Bier + Oktoberfest Museum - includes the history of beer + purity laws
• Paulaner Brewery Tour - visit one of Munich's beloved breweries for a behind the scenes look + some sampling.
• BMW Welt - where you can watch people pick up their cars direct from the factory. The architecture is worth walking through, which is free.
• Bavaria Film Studios - large film studio where 'The Never Ending Story' was filmed.
• list of more obscure museums (hunting, potatoes, etc.)

If you have a car:

• Hallein Salt mines - learn about the history of salt + visit the mines that made Salzburg wealthy.
• Affenberg Salem - if you want to feed monkeys this is your place.
• Zugspitze - Germany's tallest mountain. The Frillensee at the foothill of the mountain is just spectacular.
• Walchensee - a beautiful lake tucked between the mountains - great for hiking, wind surfing and other outdoor activities. (read about our trip)

[last updated: April 2013]

Bokeh

I have always loved the distorted effects of out of focus details that give the illusion of color. At the beginning of Lost in Translation (one of my favorite movies) it begins with 'Focus Features' production company logo and I can't get enough of the out of focus effects that they use, which resemble sequins. As I've said before, it's the simple things that grab my attention.

My latest interest is in Bokeh, the Japanese word meaning 'fuzzy or blur'. I don't have my 35mm camera in Germany, and I'm wishing for a digital one, but I want to try these effects myself. Maybe since Valentine's Day is right around the corner I'll do something sweet like these hearts.

Directions for creating your own can be found here. It looks like a lot of trail and error, but the results are bound to be interesting. The images above are taken by a Flickr member named rottielover. (How sweet is that dog?!)

Another photography idea I've had stashed away is working on some tilt shift photography, which I was reminded by looking at rottielover's images. The toy like results can be achieved using a tilted lens available at a site called Lens Babies. (image mcsixth via cheapshooter) The overhead views really resemble miniature models and look so fragile.