Provence

Provence certainly lives up to its reputation. There was so much we wanted to see and do, so I tried to schedule things to make sure we'd have enough time and in particular so we could see those endless rolling fields of lavender. We even managed to go to a lavender festival and see it being harvested.

The entire area is so full of color and is a bit of sensory overload with the smell of lavender, cicada's chirping, warm summer sun, cacti, goat cheese with honey and thyme, rosé, and some of the clearest nights I can recall with twinkling stars above. It's all pretty magical.

I've made a little map, which marks the cities we visited. Also, here are a few links I found helpful, if you're planning a trip yourself.
Shopping in Aix
Provence Markets by day of week
Lourmarin Market (Friday)
The Louberon
Lavender routes map

Gift guide: Travel

1. design ahoy typographic letterpress map - be still my little heart
2. Knopf map guides - these are fantastic little fold out maps
3. Rimowa cabin trolley - sleek, professional, and lasts a lifetime

4. travel leather stickers - for letters, photos, and journals
5. sylvansport trailer - for versatile adventures
6. aurora borealis overnight - experience watching the northern lights somewhere special
7. airmail magnet frames - fun reminders of travels past
8. foreign language blocks - it's never too early to get the travel bug
9. city silhouette coat hanger - available in a wide array of cities
10. mini USB cable kit - no forgetting chargers or hauling bulky cords
11. special places map - for the adventure of life
12. The Sinner's Grand Tour - a journey through the historical underbelly of Europe

Bird's eye: Venice

As soon as the weather starts cooling off we tend to venture somewhere warmer.

On our latest trip we spotted Venice down below.
(By clicking to enlarge it, you can read the island names.)

Here's the another map I made of the Venice Sestiere.

And while I'm at it, I found a few more vintage photos of Venice amongst my collection.

venice sestiere

I put this little map together for the various sestiere in Venice. I love that Venice is shaped like a fish and that each neighborhood has its own charm and special characteristics.

Here are some things you may see along the way and the corresponding location of the sestiere in relation to the fish :

Santa Croce - eyes... quiet area to get away from the crowds. Very pretty and a great place to find inexpensive, yet good pizza. Delightful plazas for people watching.



San Polo - heart... the oldest part of Venice with lots of markets & local shopping, as well as a place to find some night life.



San Marco - belly... this is the most touristy area with Palazzo San Marco / St. Mark’s. There are a variety of shops from luxury to tourist kitsch. Lots of hit or miss tourist restaurants.



Cannaregio - brains... an arty area filled with tattoo types and beautiful plazas. This is probably the best area to find quality restaurants.



Castello - tail... right past the Doge’s Palace it’s tourist kitsch - after that it’s more of the local’s area with lots of green space.


Dorsoduro - fins... lively college area with cheapest food, and of course night life.


San Giorgio - best views of Venice + 16th century church


Guidecca - home to Ex Convento delle Convertite. The Thursday "market" where you can buy produce straight from the garden of the women's prison. That's certainly unique!

Murano - glass maker's island, good for a half day trip.

Burano - an incredible little island known for lace making and its vibrantly painted fishing village.

Munich globe

It's been a while since I've even written about life here in Munich. We're trying to get through the Winter, which has been pretty mellow, but it's still pretty incredible how fast the gray days can take over and really be mood drainers.

Thankfully there are small things bringing smiles to our faces.

I spotted this globe of Munich while Stefan and I were out and decided it would be great to add a pretty little glow to our apartment. It's the perfect place to survey the city and map some of those new restaurants we've been meaning to try.

Gift guide: Travel

1. Michele Varian Chalkboard Globe - A great planning tool and a pretty decor piece. (image Michele Varian)

2. Sam Hect Jet Lag Alarm - A convenient way to deal with international travel and figuring out sleep times. (image A+R)

3. These are Things 2011 Calendar - A beautiful limited edition letterpress calendar that makes it easy to schedule trips - and made in Ohio! (image these are things)

4. Artecnica KnoWhere Cosmos Clock - Finally a clock that makes it easy to tell what time it is in a variety of global cities. (image Artecnica)

5. Simplicitas Wolf Udo Wagner Picnic Set - Reusable stackable plates that travel everywhere. (image Simplicitas)

6. CARES Child Aviation Restraint System Harness - Lightweight and hassle free way to strap kids into airplanes without hauling a car seat. (image cares)

7. Aerobed Packmat - A portable mattress for quality sleeping virtually anywhere. (image aerobed)

8. North Face Base Camp Duffel - The small version is a fantastic carry-on and weekend bag. We also have the large 'Rolling Thunder'. These bags are durable and easy to pack and unpack. Hands down my favorite and most used piece of luggage. (image the north face)

9. Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky - Unless you're on the list of the Most Traveled People chances are good most of these islands will forever be arm chair travels. It's still pretty incredible to think of all the unique places in this world. (image amazon)

10. Atelier Pompadour Felted World Map - Made to order with your own travel route. (image atelier pompadour etsy)

11. Plastic Land ceramic Paris plates + mugs - A whimsical way to celebrate a romantic city at your own table. (image plastic land)

12. Hapticlab Softquilts - Maps made into quilts that are sure to be heirlooms of special places. (image haptic lab)

Stereotype Maps

An interesting look at Europe can be seen through maps designed by Bulgarian designer and illustrator Yanko Tsvetkov. He's compiled some of the perceived views from various countries about themselves, their neighbors, and fellow EU members.

According to him here's:

Germany's view of Europe

... and the US's view of Europe

More countries are listed on his site, which provide lots of thought provoking topics for conversation.

You can even buy a t-shirt for the German speaking world. Nothing like being seen as the European savings bank, but that is a widely held sentiment here.

Also note the Balearic 'German' Islands (including Mallorca)... that's pretty accurate too. We even overheard a man telling a woman working at a café in Palma that spoke Spanish to him, 'No, alemán' (No, in German). Unreal.

[All images from Yanko Tsvetkov]

pretty maps

Seeing this website just made me happy...

Aaron Straup Cope created a really neat website aptly called Pretty Maps. He has one for sale on 20x200 of lovely San Francisco.

You can also make maps on the site... here is one of Munich.

Another artist that is taking to the maps is Eric Fischer. His maps designate areas of the city that are visited by tourists vs. locals by using geodata from photo sites. People taking photos of the same city over a period > than a month = locals (blue), tourists (red), and uncertain (yellow).

Here is his from New York City. The Munich map isn't as exciting. Perhaps that's due to people like me that don't have photos on flickr.

(photos courtesy of : Aaron Straup Cope + Eric Fischer)

Railway city maps

Be still my little heart.

I cannot look at these maps without drooling. They are from 0 / 0 (Zero per Zero), and now I think I need them all - framed in a little corner of our apartment. They were designed by two Korean university students.

The illustrated maps and subway networks are just striking. The difficult part is that the fronts and backs and both gorgeous... how do you choose which side to display?

I'm sure they are also very useful for travel purposes.

Available cities include:
Barcelona
Hokkaido
Tokyo
Osaka
Seoul
New York City

subway dress

My love of subways is no secret. I squealed with delight when I saw this Subway dress by Christian Francis Roth. It's based off the iconic 1970's Massimo Vignelli map and I think it's just absolutely adorable... a bit short, but adorable.

The unfortunate matter is that I'm going to be traveling. I can't exactly order it and have no idea if it fits. It's so tragic because I have the perfect place to wear it.

EDIT: I got the dress! Now I just hope it's the right size (as in I don't lose much weight traveling for 4 months) and that the weather cooperates. You'll see some pictures here around December / January at our special event. Thanks WendyB for the tip!

maps + map tacks

Part of the fun of a trip is the suspense before hand. Then again it gets slightly overwhelming knowing that we are leaving only 2 months from today and have quite a few necessities to take care of.

This weekend we stopped at Kaut-Bullinger, a stationery shop here in Munich, to pick up some map tacks. I'm a visual person, so it helps to mark where we've been and where we are heading.

Every time we think we have our route figured out we seem to change something. Now it appears Star Alliance has changed things. Fortunately their new website is much more user friendly, although curiously the price for our itinerary is now higher - by 400€. Thankfully we already have our quote reserved, so we can use that extra money for other things. Our last changes are going into effect and we'll be booking our tickets this week!!

We're thinking that we might keep our route a secret, although I will say that we will be visiting many of our dream destinations.

If you really enjoy maps and need specialty markers, check out Map Center. I'm already thinking of the myriad of uses for the large assortment they have.

In other map related news, I just illustrated some maps for a historical fiction book that will soon be for sale. I am very excited about that too.

Oktoberfest Tips

Since I live in Munich, Oktoberfest is a common topic and a large reason people visit. Suddenly our delightful and efficient subway system swells to maximum capacity and renders anything in the vicinity of Theresenwiese useless for the few weeks that Oktoberfest lasts.

When + Why? 
First things first - Oktoberfest begins in September.
2010: September 18 - October 4 (this is the 200th anniversary!)
2011: September 17 - October 3
2012: September 22 - October 7

It's the celebration of what must have been an elaborate wedding reception that was so amazing it continues on today. People here often refer to it as 'Wies'n'. It's sensory overload and what many Americans would consider a glorified fair.

Go super early if you want a chance at getting a table. Even then many are reserved, so you will have to squeeze in or find one that's open. You have to be seated at a table to be served, so that can also be an issue.

From what I understand the best time to get a table is on Monday after the first weekend, when everyone is partied out. This is according to the cab drivers, who I assume have a slump on the first Monday. Even though many tables are reserved they are open through the early part of the day and free for the taking, so go early!

Cost

Oktoberfest is free to roam through, however beer prices climb each year...

Here are the prices from the past couple years:
2009 = 8.10-8.60€ / liter
2010 = 8.40-8.90€ / liter.

It's easy to drop a lot of cash, although it tends to be a wonderful time. 

As a side note, many of the biergartens offer their special Oktoberfest brews for a bit less. Yes, you'll miss out on some of the camaraderie, but I doubt you'll want to spend a week straight guzzling beers - especially at such steep prices and the biergartens are something not to be missed. 

How can you reserve a table?
Well you're going to need a lot of friends and a fair amount of money. Reservations are done many months in advance towards the beginning of the year and it certainly helps to know people. If you're a tourist you can pretty much bank on not getting a reservation, but it doesn't mean you're out on the fun.

The reason it's a fair amount of money is because you receive vouchers towards food and drink purchases, so you're essentially paying for things up front so the tent owners get their money. 

You can read more information on the Official Oktoberfest site. 

Tents
The tents are all very different (here are photos of the interiors + exteriors). It's worth trying to walk around and walk in, even if there are no seats in the place. If there are seats you will probably want to grab them while you can. When choosing tents it's best to pick by the beer selection... avoid drinking logos with animals or tools.

You're in luck if you're a group of ladies, however you might get harassed a bit. Last year we had offers for golf lessons, free tickets to a Beatles Experience show, and my friend even had a marriage proposal from a Norweigen guy. 1. Hippodrom - smallest of the tents and a bit of 'see and be seen' atmosphere. It seems the TV stations are always there... as are those who want to mingle 

2. Armbrustschützen-Festhalle - 'crossbow shooting tent' - this is ultra traditional with the oompah music and all.

3. Hofbräu-Festzelt - The place to go if you want to hang out with Americans or Australians. It's a frat party atmosphere. This tent was also clearly the smelliest after the smoking ban.

4. Hacker-Festzelt - This tent is very beautiful and it appears as though you're sitting under the sky.

5. Schottenhamel - This is the tent that starts it all at noon on the first day. The Mayor taps the kegs here before the others can begin. It tends to be very traditional and cosy since they have unique square tables and a favorite among all.

6. Winzerer Fähndl - Cosy Paulaner tent with the enormous beer on top.

7. Schützen-Festzelt - Löwenbräu tent right under the Lady Bavaria statue.

8. Käfer's Wies'n-Schänke - A posh tent with higher end food, due to being owned by one of the gourmet groceries in town.

9. Weinzelt - wine tent with an older clientele and late hours.

10. Löwenbräu-Festhalle - least popular among locals (or maybe that's just my opinion). You're probably going to regret sitting outside and hearing the Lion rawr 'Löwenbräu' every few minutes.

11. Bräurosl -  traditional and untraditional Hacker Pschorr tent. This tent is popular for gay men, especially on the first Sunday of the fest.

12. Augustiner-Festhalle - very popular with the locals. This is Munich's beer - yes, they all technically are, but this is a favorite.  
13. Spatenbräu-Festhalle (Ochsenbraterei) - Ox specialities. Each ox has a name and you can read who is being served up daily, when it was born, and how much it weighed.

14. Fischer-Vroni - catering to fish specialities and even sushi. 

More information on the tents and Oktoberfest can be found here.

Food

As with all of the food here - it is very meat heavy. If you are a meat eater or lover, you will probably find things you'd enjoy. 

As a vegetarian you can enjoy pretzels, obatzda (a delicacy that is a mixture of cheeses, (primarily camembert), onions, spices, and butter), or spätzle. 

There are also plenty of places to buy spiced nuts and those gingerbread hearts you will see everywhere, although I'm told while the gingerbread is completely edible you're not supposed to eat it (probably because it doesn't taste that great). 

If you get tired of Bavarian food or want to eat where locals eat look at the Munich Visitor's Guide.

Clothing

Tracht (lederhosen + dirndl) is the traditional attire for the Oktoberfest. It's fun to dress like the locals and there are a variety of places to purchase inexpensive tracht (especially along 'Tal' between Marienplatz and Isartor), however there are quite a few rules to making it work and not looking like you're in a Halloween costume. Funky tights and shoes being one of the worst fashion faux pas. 

Tracht can be seen as Bavarian formal wear - remember this is for Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen's ongoing wedding reception. Some ultra traditional wedding parties still wear this when they are getting married, so gym shoes etc. look really ridiculous. 

There's even a particular way to tie your apron ladies, to denote if you are a virgin (middle), single (left), married / taken (right), or widow / waitress (back). I don't know who wants to advertise being a virgin at the Oktoberfest, but that's local lore and I've never seen it - you can take that for what it's worth. 

Hotels
For a hotel I would get something close to one of the S-bahn lines or near the U4/ U5 if possible. Also close by is the U3 /U6. 

 Those are the lines to get to the Oktoberfest, although there are plenty of others with the tram as well. You're probably going to need to get on that pronto, because hotels get super expensive and book out very fast.

Even better is figuring out the walking route from your hotel to the Wies'n. 

If you have a super tight budget you can try to book online with Wombats once they open their online reservations June 1 at Noon (Central European Time). 

They do have several double rooms if you're not wanting to sleep in a room with drunken strangers, but you really have to be quick. I'm also not certain what the alternative is, because not having a hotel or place to stay in June leaves slim pickings. 

Auer Dult

Stefan and I went on a bike ride where he reluctantly joined me to the Auer Dult. After last year I was pretty fortunate, but the carney foods always work in my favor to win him over.

There are so many beautiful details hiding amidst the oddities. I love the covers on these old books. They would look beautiful framed or as a large collection.

I know Stefan was counting his blessings again that we took our bikes and couldn't buy any of the whiteware. I'm always impressed by the large variety and how inexpensive things are. The fish saucier was one of my favorites, but I never really make any sauces, so it would be pointless for me to buy it.

Since this is the largest crockery market, I always look for cookie jars for my Grandma that collects them. There are plenty of 'Rumptöpfe' - which are used for making a fruity liquored punch, however it's really difficult to find a cookie jar. There are so many beautiful designs, but I guess I'll have to commission one of the artists if I want a cookie jar.

As we walked around Stefan slowly gained a bit of excitement once he saw the antique maps, which we both love. I searched through the large box and came up with one of the Alps, where Stefan grew up, and another of Mid-West America, where I'm from. They are both from 1862!

I'd like to frame them to make a collage of important places in our lives. It looks like I'll have to track down Iceland and the Maldives as well.

If you're in the Munich area, the Auer Dult runs until the 3rd of May.

There are also the Jakobi-Dult from 25 July - 2 August, and the Kirchweih-Dult from 17-25 October.

All are located at Mariahilfplatz, which you can get to by taking the U2 Frauenhofer / Klenzestraße, Tram 27, Bus 52 or Bus 152.

Gift guide: Travel

We do a lot of traveling, so I am always on the watch for innovative new products that seem practical and user friendly while you're on the go.



1. Liquid Image camera mask- This is great for those who love to snorkel. It allows you to swim and take photos and video of exactly what you are looking at. (image Liquid image)

2. Built NY wine tote - We have one of these and it's wonderful. The secret is to bring it in your carry on and then purchase wine at the airport AFTER you have gone through all of the security checks, so you can carry it on. The only hang up is this won't work if you fly intercontinental with a layover and need to recheck bags. (image built ny)

3. Flexible Tripod - This is another gadget we travel with. I appreciate it because it securely wraps on virtually anything for self portraits. The camera base screws onto the top and is also removable, so you don't constantly have the tripod attached. It comes in two sizes for small cameras and also for SLR's. (image joby)

4. Trunki - Although I don't have children, this looks functional when children on the go get tired and it's not worth hauling a stroller along or they are too big for one. (image trunki)

5. Personalized Hometown Necklace - A great way to remember a special place (provided, of course, that it's in the US). (image signals)

6. Chronicle books city walks - These are so portable and helpful in navigating a new city. Each small map contains a path with information regarding sites and historical information. (image chronicle books)

7. MoMA World Time Clock - This was designed by Charlotte van der Waals and together there are 24 cities representing the 24 world time zones. It's simple but very practical for those who are globetrotters. (image MoMA)

8. Visual dictionaries - depending on where you are traveling you may want Point it (a wordless image heavy book) or if the language is more readily available I love these bilingual visual dictionaries. They are nicely laid out in categories and it's small enough to carry through day to day life. I always recommend these to new ex-pats. (images DK + amazon)

9. Door stop alarm - Great at insuring safety and privacy. It functions not only as a door stop, but also as an alarm (which can be deactivated). The only potential issue is that once it is in place medical or emergency works are also unable to enter. (image amazon)

10. Lonely Planet Books- These are such a beautiful coffee table books that double as planning tools. One of my favorite features is that they tell you what the area is known for and current issues facing each place. I consult mine before I we travel to a new city. 'The Europe Book' is the newest edition.

11. Moleskine city notebooks - I tend to take a notebook when I travel to write observations, experiences, names of restaurants, directions, and general thoughts. These notebooks take it one step further and include tabbed sections, subway maps, city maps, and places to put ticket stubs and other ephemera. In essence, you write the guide yourself. (image moleskine European Paper Company)

12. Lewis N. Clark Passport case - I really love this because its bright color makes my passport easy to find and provides a bit of anonymity. (image Lewis N. Clark)

Other Travel sites for gift ideas:
Flight 001
Travel Smith
Magellans
Baggage for Less
Stop Over Store
Le Travel Store

Animals on the Underground

I saw this today and got really excited. I tell you it's the little things that make me happy.

There are many little animals hidden on London's Tube maps. Now I am going to want to take a closer look at Munich's own subway, which doesn't have as many connections - maybe Paris has a better shot.
They even have a cute little book for 10£, which will be added to my list of great gift ideas.

(via Vibe)

Schwabing flohmarkt

I decided to give Stefan quiet afternoon to study by heading out for my first flea market. I've read about flea markets and probably got a bit of a false reality of what they were like. I guess I wasn't aware there was so much crap for sale. Adults and children alike cleaned out their things and set up shop on the streets and inner court yards. Some sold interesting items, while others had pure junk, however that's probably in the eye of the beholder. Even some of the stores through the neighborhood offered sales.

The strangest things that I saw, were things made of fur and surfboards. I guess the surfboards shouldn't be so odd since we have the Eisbach where people surf, but I didn't expect that.

I also really liked the war time money, old typewriter, and red metal chairs. I left those treasures for someone else to find.

Other great things that I saw through the day were an adorable little girl on her tyke bike (without peddles), floral shadows on someone's box of junk, and a hip version of a granny cart made out of a rice bag.

My treasures for the day for less than 12€ were: two kitschy + vintage looking steins - complete with lids, an old school atlas from the early 1900s, and a German English dictionary.

Stefan and I have been talking about old maps for some time, because there is the most beautiful antique map shop called Antiquariat am Gasteig, that I pass on occasion. It's located at Rosenheimerstraße 8. Opening hours are Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30am until 2:30pm, so I have yet to visit.

My fascination with maps, travel, and trade routes gets the best of me when I see these beautiful antique depictions of the world, so naturally this old outdated atlas grabbed my attention. I love how Canada is 'British North America'.

I know I probably have a large variety of bilingual dictionaries already, but this one had old German and the beautiful font made it special. I'm curious at what point they decided to change their scripted letters. Stefan's grandfather taught him how to write old German, although he forgets.

After the flea markets I walked through town. I noticed that tourist season is picking up, and it made me appreciative for less trafficked short cuts around town. I also saw that dean and david was finally open inside of Fünf Höfe - and they are utilizing the beautiful little courtyard perfectly. As soon as Stefan has some time we'll head over for lunch. The dotted screen that casts the most beautiful little shadows has a zen quality to it and drips water into the pools below. I think it's such a pretty little place.